Got grits?

(Image source here.)

Necessity of food storage, primitive society, utter chaos, impending doom. This is a sampling of what's been on my mind lately. And by lately I mean since about ten o'clock last night when the power blacked out and I was certain the end of the world had officially come. Sadly, I'm only exaggerating a little. Growing up in the sticks, it was not at all uncommon for the electricity to black out for a good amount of time (which sucked even more as our water came from an electric pump... mid-shower blackouts were especially awesome). But I have lived here for going on eight years, and I have NEVER experienced a blackout that lasted as long. Seconds, maybe, but not even minutes and certainly not over an hour! (Last night, electricity was down for an hour and a half!!)

I was scared. My gut reaction was to start filling buckets with water (see childhood reference above). After Derek assured me that the water still worked and we didn't need to worry, I decided to take a bath. As I was doing so (by the light of a lantern), the thought kept coming to me that this might be the last hot bath I would have in a long while. (I know, right?) Then I started thinking of what we would do if the electricity never came back up. How would grocery stores operate? How would we pay for anything? Our money, our entire society, is absolutely electronic! Only the people with piles of cash would be able to buy food! We have a total of twelve bucks in cash. Our babies are going to starve!!! Really, I even discussed with Derek the possible necessity of feeding the family on breast milk. (Don't guffaw; you'd drink it too if it came down to it!)

Anyway, I know that faith and fear cannot coexist. But I also know that "if ye are prepared, ye shall not fear." The thing is: we are not prepared. It's terrifying to think that if something happened, we'd be screwed. We have a lot of friends and family that love us, but if we tried to borrow oil from their lamps their children would be hungry. Even the nicest of people won't sacrifice their children for you. Sharing won't really be an option. We'll need our own resources. And, you know, maybe some guns.

Needless to say, it was a long night. And you can bet we will be getting oats and iodine for our birthdays this year. Gold coins in our stockings. And solar panels on our apartment if we can swing it (wink).

Announcements

First announcement: We had our little girl!!! Okay, okay... I know this is old news, but now that I FINALLY mailed out the birth announcements, I can post one on the blog. (If you didn't get one and should have, let me know. My brain is officially mush after two kids!)

Second announcement: We are blessing Jolie on May 2nd*. That's right. Soon. We are not sending out official invites to this; we'd just like you all to come. Family and friends... please join us. Enemies, well- you're not welcome. :) I'll probably make a few phone calls, but YOU (that's right, you) are invited!

We'll be doing a luncheon afterward at our (Julie's) house, but I haven't figured out all of that yet. I'm thinking we'll grill up something and eat in the backyard. Maybe hotdogs? Maybe Sanpete Turkey? Not sure. If any of you have suggestions for this (or would want to bring a side) please let me know. I suppose I should have an approximate RSVP count for this, if I'm buying/making food... so probably let me know if you're coming. We'll see you then!

PS. Isn't that Jolie just the most gorgeous little thing you've ever seen?? I know I'm partial, but MAN- she's pretty! :) Oh, and if you want amazing photos like the one above, contact our photographer. She's pretty great, too!

*For location and time info, please call/email/you know- contact. I'd rather not divulge all that on the blog.

I love to ride my bicycle...

Well, James does anyway. I don't actually have one (boo). Maybe that can be my birthday present this year. We'll see. If I get one, I totally want one with a big ol' fatty seat on it, so I don't get saddle sore riding. But Derek's a bit of a bike snob and may not go for it... that and he'd have a hard time getting me a cheap one, which is what I ultimately would want for how much I intend to ride.

WOW! That was a really long and wordy tangent! Sorry about that, folks! Anyway...

The happy afternoon pictured below actually occurred on March 12th. I had promised (here) to post pics and a video, so I am simply following through on that promise. That and I am still so proud of James and his recently acquired pedaling skills. :) It was a genuinely happy day. I'm so happy that these darling people are all mine. You see, I am quite fond of them.

Picture commentary for those who care to know:

The afternoon was "warm" (aka: not snowing

or freezing), so we decided to take a walk.

Things started out like this:

And quickly turned into this:

Which later turned into this:

Your daily history lesson: When we got James this bike (trike, technically) for his birthday last summer, he couldn't even reach the pedals- let alone use them. He did ride it some, mostly coasting down the (slanted) driveway. After our walk, Derek thought to get it out and let him try it out a bit. I'm so glad that he did because James LOVED it! It's amazing how much a boy can grow (physically as well as coordinated-ly) in only about six-month's time. And it's amazing how much pride a mommy can get when her little boy does a simple push-push-push with his feet. :)

Note: The video I had intended to post with this was taking WAY too long to upload. So I'll do that tomorrow. It's late and I's sleeeppyy! (yawn) Goodnight.

with a wink and a SMILE :)

This just in: Jolie SMILES! :) I always thought babies weren't supposed to smile on purpose until they were about two months old, but apparently our little girl is ahead of schedule. Her first real smiles that we recognized happened last Sunday (03/21/2010), when she was but 5 weeks old. It was her first time at church. Derek and I had her with us in Sunday School (Marriage and Family class, fyi), and she was super happy and absolutely all smiles. It was amazing. Then late Thursday night, I went to Bookclub and took her with me. My friend Missy was holding her and smiling at her... and Jolie smiled some HUGE smiles in response! Adorable. THEN- the most smiley she's been thus far was just last night. We had Kurt/Bonnie and Jon/Ashley over for dinner. Jolie was reclining on my knees, and Kurt was talking/cooing at her. She smiled some humongous smiles! We all gathered around to oooh and aaahhh at her... and everyone took a turn trying to get more smiles out of her. :) Jon, Kurt and Derek had the best success; I think she's partial to men. But she had a good 15 minutes of utter bliss and nearly endless smiling. And my goodness, we were all quite smitten as a result. I'm not sure what it is that makes me both melt and squeal when she smiles... it might be that she's just. that. pretty. Or it might be that her eyes light up. Or it might be just the joy of knowing that she's responding to me/us. Whatever it is... it makes me SO, so happy. And considering the smiles, I'd say she's pretty happy too. :)

Note: The above picture is from Jon's iPhone, taken last night. Aw... too sweet.

Got Green?

So- Derek has a St. Patrick's Day shirt that says, "Got Green?" on it. It's bright green, and he looks super studly in it. Yes, I'm biased... but look. Proof:

No, you can't see the print and can only hardly see the shirt. But I LOVE this picture. This is the man (Er... boy? He looks so young!) I fell in love with. Mmm...

Anyway, he wore it to a concert once, and all the stoners were like, "Yeah! Right on, dude!" :) Who knew "Got Green?" worked as a pot reference? I suppose the pot-o-gold at the end of the rainbow has a dual-connotation! lol. So yeah... Happy St. Patrick's Day... from the pot-heads AND us! :) Here are some stories and pictures of our day so far.

I looked through Jolie's closet today, on the hunt for something festive for her to wear. I discovered that we don't really have any green outfits for Jolie, so this morning... I SEWED A DRESS! I know! I'm so proud of myself, too. :) I used an old shirt of mine (one I had saved in my fabric scraps because I just couldn't part with it- it was too cute) and chopped it up. It turned out pretty great, if I do say so myself! Then I whipped up a headband in three seconds flat (seriously), and TA DA! Pretty little green girl.

(Oh, and PS. She was MAD in these first couple of these pictures... starving and neglected, really. I was impatient and had to get some pics as soon as I finished sewing, and they were just too funny not to post. Sorry, baby.)

Fed, full, and significantly happier.
James looking green and great.
Just not too anxious to have a full-on photo shoot.
Derek's on spring break right now, and it's been great "playing with daddy" all day long. It's actually been spring-like weather lately, too, which is amazing and very much welcomed. We've been able to get outside and play a bit (remind me to post bike-riding pics/video later). Today we decided to go and have fun at the PARK! Woohoo warm(-ish) weather!
Jolie's first time in a park. She, uh, loved it... ;)
Hey, mom!
Our awesome family picture (Daddy and Jolie were snuggling; James and I decided to make it a family affair.)
Aw... love.

Later tonight we'll be having corned beef and cabbage with carrots and potatoes. It's cooking now, and YUM- it smells good! What a great day. Hooray for spring break, warm sunshine, and ... you know... drunken Irish leprechauns. :)

Week 3

As a recap of recent events, I will start by quoting myself (I do that a lot... egocentric, I know). :) I posted this "status" on Facebook on Sunday (Feb. 28):

"Rebecca Anderson is finally a little LESS crazy-emotional. There are still moments, but I'm feeling so, so much better. We just might survive this "family of four" scenario after all! :) Jolie is still an absolute doll. Getting more vocal about her needs being met, but still a very good, pleasant baby. And James is no longer a germy ball of disease, so I love him more too. I know. I'm heartless. So long, doctor career!"

For those of you who didn't know, James was sick. A throat infection, nothing major- but enough to make life pretty hellish around here. He got sick the day my mom left, and the transition was awful. I wanted to cry for my Jamesie because I hate to see my baby sick. And I wanted to cry for me because I'm a germaphobe and a crappy nurse... and really, I'm a sucker for self-pity. It was a rough week or so, but with meds, Lysol and a dash of TLC, we survived it okay. By Sunday, he was feeling tons better (and coughing tons less), and by Monday he was pretty much cured. Yay.

Since then, we've done much better. James is amazingly well-behaved when he's not sick. I think I take that for granted normally. He really is a great, happy little boy. I am super lucky/blessed to have happy, sweet children. I was nervous about Jolie since we already had one practically-perfect child (remind me of this comment the next time he throws a fit, will you?), but we lucked out again. My children are fabulous, and I am so happy they're mine.

Also, my kids are weird. (They must get that from their daddy- wink.) Or at very least, they are weird sleepers. Here is evidence. Jolie sleeps wide-mouthed like this. It makes me crazy. I am constantly thinking, "We are not a cod fish!" (Name that movie.)

And Jamesie ... well, at night we go in to kiss him goodnight before we settle in to snooze. It started when he was a teeny one and we would go in to make sure he was still breathing. He was healthy and strong, but new parents are paranoid. Somehow the checking-of-breathing evolved into just tucking-in and kissing goodnight. Still, though, he gets checked on nightly. We often will find him in funky positions. The below pose is but one example.
This pic is not the best, really, but it showcases a very normal expression for Jolie. Chill. Kinda bored. Not really sure what's going on in her head, but yes- if she's awake, she often looks this way. :)
Gettin' cozy with Uncle Jon.
One morning recently (this last week, not sure when) we were laying on the floor, "playing" with "sister." We started singing songs. James loved it. Jolie... well, she liked it fine. James came up with a pretty great song for his lil' sister. Check out the video post-pic to hear it.

Love this face. Also pretty normal.

Cute. I know.
Here's a little shout-out to our buddy Kurt. Kurt is Derek's little brother, but Derek really looks up to the man. There's some good, quality brotherly love going on here. Anyway, Kurt got accepted into pharmacy school (hooray!), and we had him and his wife (Bonnie) over to celebrate. We toasted with some sparkling cider and watched an appropriately-titled movie called "Accepted." It was a fun night. We tend to have those with these beautiful people. They're probably our best friends right now, and although we're thrilled to see them move on in life... we hate that they're leaving us. I guess it's good we're family. As such, they're pretty much stuck with us! :)
Disregard the lame positioning (newborns are quirky; what can I say?) and focus on the darling little girl and her rockin' outfit! I love this little ensemble... and yes, the little girl, too.

Precious, no?
James was eating a PB&J the other day. Delicious and nutritious, I know. Anyway, as I watched- he smeared the jam all over his lips, puckered up, and said, "Momma, you wanna kiss me now?" :) Silly boy. And... no. No thanks.
Jolie had her first photo shoot yesterday (Thursday, March 4th). My friend Li is a photographer and does AMAZING work! Really. She took our family pics this last summer, and I am forever spoiled now and don't think I'll ever be able to go back to a studio chain. She's so much better! And (major plus) the experience is amazingly better. No waiting an hour in a waiting room while kids get restless, hungry and sad. No more annoying posing by amateurs. No more frustration! Li does great, and I cannot WAIT to see all of the proofs! She posted a sneak peek on her blog. Check them out. They're sooooo, soooo cute. (Proud mama speaking, but still- I think you all will agree.) Go to: http://photographybyli-blog.blogspot.com/2010/03/new-logan-utah-newborn-photogapher.html

Anyway, while she was shooting, I took this lil' gem over her shoulder (what photographer doesn't love that?!).
And lastly, the weather. It's been crazy-springlike around here lately. Warm (yes, we count 45-55 degree weather as warm!) and sunny. Wonderful. We've been on a walk and everything. (I think that walk was the happiest my lil' guy has been in a LONG time! The poor thing needs summer, I think.) Then yesterday it rained in the afternoon. Then towards the evening, it started snowing very suddenly and very hard core(-ly?). It was also beautiful, just kinda weird. Here's a pic.

Life is good here. We're (generally) happy. And healthy- at last! Thanks for wanting more pictures (ahem- Katie). It's a difficult request to fulfill with the craziness I'm still adjusting to, but it's flattering that you care. We love you all. Out.

Two Weeks' Notice

Wow. Two weeks old tomorrow. I'm afraid she's going to be 16 before we know it. Scary. Until then, however, we will continue to adore her. Our little Jolie.

{{ Side note: On the name... we wanted to name our little girl something French. I was a French major and therefore speak French as well. We both are madly in love with Paris (and had possibly our most romantic adventure there in '06). And really, a French name would be pretty rockin' for a sweet little girl. Unfortunately, French names are very French, and we didn't think "Françoise Anderson" would cut it. I liked Margot, but Derek said it was too old-lady and wouldn't even consider it. (I still like it; tell no one.) And one day (pre-James, actually) I thought of using a non-name as a name: Jolie.

In France, "jolie" is not a name. It's an adjective. It means "pretty." I suggested it, but Derek embraced it. Pretty much the man has veto power and lacks any suggestive creativity. But once he likes a name, he sticks with it. (Though I suppose he came up with James Russell... so maybe the "lack of creativity" comment is unjust.) Anyway, we liked Jolie... but what middle? Or would Jolie BE the middle?

We played around with lots of names and eventually decided on Elizabeth as a middle. Naming a kid "pretty" is nice, and you hope your daughter is... But I was hung up on the paranoia of what if she thinks all she IS is pretty? I wanted a middle name of substance. Elizabeth fit. I mean, really... Queen Elizabeth I was uber-substantial. A hugely important monarch. Amazingly independent and strong. Loved by her people even today... and not cause she was pretty. It worked. Then there's Elizabeth in the Bible. And Elizabeths throughout time. It's a name with a good amount of history behind it. It makes her name more classic, so that James Russell and Jolie Elizabeth don't sound too clashy. And Elizabeth Ann was my doll's name as a child. She's currently napping in my hope chest in New Mexico. Really, it's totally fitting.

Other side-notes to my side-note (which is very long; sorry): My mother's middle name is Joanne. Derek's mom is called Julie. Joanne + Julie = Jolie (nice to conclude since James is absolutely and undeniably named after his grandpas).

So Jolie Elizabeth it is. }}

Okay. Dang, I'm long-winded. Here are pictures. I'll go easy on the commentary.

Post-bath (first one at home)

She loves her fingers... especially for dinner.

Here she is sucking on her index finger and thumb.

The posh sleep set-up. (Our kids are spoiled.)

She sleeps with us, either between us or in our arms.

I know she's super spoiled that way, but shoot- if

she'll sleep 4-5 hours at a time that way, she's

spoiling us, too! It's only fair to return the favor. :)

I LOVE this series of photos.

James + Jolie = Best Friends Forever!

What's up with the nudie cop? Hm... (Cute, though, no?)

This is how we roll. :)

Here's a super-cute video of my kiddos. If you can't hear

clearly, at the beginning James is saying, "Smile! Cheeese!"

He doesn't get that she can't ham it up like he can. Also,

apparently Jolie is Momma's Darling and James is

Daddy's Good Boy. Glad we sorted that out. :)

Jolie and her adoring fans

Yes, I painted her nails. Already.

Cherubic. Man, I love this girl.

Daddy feeding (and dabbing drool off) Jolie.

Derek really is wonderful. He wakes up when I do.

He feeds her, changes her, loves her... and still

does all the "manly provider stuff" too. I'm a lucky girl. So is she.

Thank you, Grandma! :) Grandma Marilyn came

and stayed with us for a couple of weeks and was AMAZING!

Really, she deserves a post of her own. I didn't know she

(or anyone, really) was capable of being absolutely and

totally devoted to taking care of other people. She put

110% of herself into helping us... and I really don't know

how we'd have done it without her.

Anyway- I love you, Mom.

And thanks.

Here are James and Jolie with a few gifts my mom got

while out shopping. James "gave" Jolie her present.

Luckily he knew not to put it right on her face!

Here's Grandma Marilyn with our kids. (Weird... kids.)

And here is perhaps my very favorite pic of Jolie so far.

She. Is. So. Beautiful.

Like I said before, we're all quite smitten.

Really, though, can you blame us? :)