Jail

We went to the NYPD museum, and no offense to those who like it but we kinda thought it was a bust, especially for the price. But they had a jail cell. Levi wouldn't set foot in it!

Haven

This is Miss Haven. She is my sweet little niece. 3 weeks after this sweetie was born in May I hopped on a plane to CO to meet her myself. Sadly I think this is the only picture that we got together. But, it was a great trip and she is a doll. It's nice to visit a sister who has just given birth because it means that you hang around the house a lot and as a result you don't have to wear makeup (as evidenced) and rarely have to change your clothes.

Levi's got talent

I don't think I posted this to my blog....maybe just to facebook. So if you've seen it before I apologize. This was taken one year ago almost to the day. Levi is double jointed in his pointer fingers so if you look close you can see that they are pulled backwards. Freakeh!

Introducing......

*drum roll please*

Evan August Anderson

Phew! After many days (4 to be exact) we finally chose a name. Evan was chosen, well because we liked it and August was the name that Elyse suggested seconds after he was born. It would have been his first name ( I immediately loved it) but Can Man put his foot down on that one (if you know Can you know that his foot rarely gets put down so how could I argue?)

Now please enjoy a few photos of the boy.

We love his cute bushy eyebrows and chubby cheeks. Don't worry I'll take him to get them threaded soon enough.

Squinty eyes, a button nose, ginormous hands and feet.....where'd he get those?? (no really I want to know, we can't figure it out)

We think he has the same head as his dad, which unfortunately is a 34 year old bald head, but whaddya gonna do?

Levi loves being a big brother and is always saying "I can't believe I'm a big brother " so cute!

For good measure and because I have no pictures of her and baby Evan, here is Valeriana at our after birth visit.

The Birth of Baby Anderson!!

We welcomed our new little boy, who has yet to be named, on  August 24th 2011 at 5pm. Here is the story....in pictures :) It was such a beautiful experience with my favorite people surrounding me. Not to say it wasn't hard, those last moments were something else, but it was beautiful and is such a miracle!!

Last belly shot 40 weeks 5 days

Around 9, just chillin and waiting for things to pick up. Labor started the night before but was nothing big. I've had plenty of false starts so I wasn't getting my hopes up. But when I woke up around 6:30 and they were still there I was getting excited!

1:45, things are picking up....finally! Our friend Anita came to be the photographer, but she had to leave our house at 3 to catch a flight to Switzerland :( We are so sad that she didn't get to stay for the birth but glad that she was there for the time that she was. Thanks Anita!

About 2:45, things move up a notch yet again and the midwife is on her way!

Woot woot, filling the tub, the kids favorite

3ish, waiting for the fracking tub to fill and saying bye to Anita. Things are moving WAY faster than I anticipated.

3:30ish Ahh sweet relief, water takes away about 50 percent of the pain and I give major props to women who give birth on dry land :)

My sweet little helpers!

4:15 Things are really moving

It was about this time that Karley got here. We are sooo grateful that she came and took such amazing pictures and that her little man is such a good baby and will stay with a sitter! I love you K dawg!

4:30 ahh, no contraction is always something to smile at!

Checking on the little one.

4:42 Blessed relief, my water breaks! Phew, I thought it was the head what with all that pushing.....

but only for a minute, now the real work begins!! 4:48

A break.

I love this man!

4:54 Crowning, youch!

Elyse is feeling the head, for what turns out to be a while, I didn't want to push when I didn't feel like it and I didn't feel like it for a few minutes!

4:57 Elyse is feeling the head come out and getting ready to catch the body!

About 1 minute later he is here!!

The moment when we all see that it's a BOY!!

Note the look on Elyse's face, she is SO disappointed that it's not a girl, it was a sad moment. Levi was right next to Valeriana (the midwife) and while I was pushing kept saying, "kass calm down, Kass calm down" hah!

A little bit of blood goes a long way in the water, I tore just a little which is what makes the water so red.

As the placenta is coming out Levi cautiously observes.

Elyse is cutting the cord with Gayla, the midwife's assistant.

I love this guy...more than words can say, everytime I do this with him my love for him just reaches a new high.

Newborn exam.

The weigh in 8lb 14oz!! Hefty!

A well deserved after birth snack...yum!

Welcome to the world baby boy, we love you so much!! Please forgive us that we can't think of a name for you, but don't worry we will!

We are so grateful to our wonderful midwife Valeriana, she helps make the experience so lovely and so relaxed. She brings so much love and knowledge to each birth that I have been lucky enough to attend with her, we just feel so blessed to have had her at our 2 homebirths! Thank you!!

Blech!

This was a cell pic from our trip to Disney World in Feb '10. We had such a fun trip! We searched and searched but finally found a non chain restaurant in Orlando. It was a really great Mexican place and they served grilled octopus. Elyse was very brave!

Nee Nee came....and went :(

My 15 year old sister, Lillian came to visit. She was here for almost 3 weeks in the hopes that the baby would come and she could see and help out at the birth. Sadly this kid is very stubborn, like poor Can needs one more of THOSE in his house...hah!

Either way, we had so much fun and Nee Nee was SOO helpful and delightful and of course is SO good with the kids. We all adore her. Thank you Nee Nee I miss you already!!

It's thanks to her that I got to go to Serendipity for their TO DIE FOR potato skins 2x, yum yum! And Ethiopian 2x. Really, the only 2 things that I have craved this pregnancy.

Isn't she beautiful?

She and Elyse went to Times Square one day by themselves and they thought it would be fun to take a picture with Minnie. Little did they know that these characters are a tourist trap and won't let you go till you give 'em a dollar. The lady grabbed Elyse's arm and was like "one dolla one dolla" yikes!