Bittersweet

Today is such a bittersweet day...it's my last day on my team and in this role. I L.O.V.E my team, like seriously love. We are more like family and that has made me enjoy my job even more. It definitely makes traveling that much more fun!

I have worked with college hires since 2006 and knew it was time to do something different.

I start my new position on Tuesday and I'm sure I will be sad and excited all at the same time.

I am so thankful that I was blessed with such great managers and teammates over the last 7 years. I'm leaving this team with a full heart, great memories, and ideas on how to steer Anderson's future college major :)









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Sunday Antics

Anderson has been such a H.A.M lately!!  If he is in a good mood, he is hilarious.  But if he is in a bad mood, watch out.
Lately, he will fake laugh at himself and then look around to see who is paying attention.  He will run around the house laughing and then start spinning in circles or shaking his head.

Today before church, I thought we should take a few pictures since it will be the last time he wore this particular jon-jon.  Mike actually believes jon-jons should be burned and banned from America- awesome, I know.

We managed to snap a few pictures of Anderson this morning as he was in a "ham" type of mood!

Dancing to his own beat

 What, mom?

the many expressions of Anderson...and very RARE pictures with mommy!

Cheesin

Love this little fish and all his personality.  Summer time, please don't ever end!!

Happy 1st Birthday!!

**Warning, picture overload**

Sweet Munch,

You survived a WHOLE YEAR with us!!!  That should be celebrated first and foremost.
In all seriousness, this has been the best year of our life.  It certainly  has not been all roses and rainbows, but we have spent the last year seeing the world through your eyes, growing as a family and learning so much about ourselves.  I am still more impatient and selfish than I would like, but you are helping mommy shape up.  I look at you each day and can't believe the Lord entrusted US to care for you.

You were very busy this past month.  Right when you turned 11 months, you took off walking.  It took you 1-2 days and then you were running everywhere!  Thankfully you started walking before we went to the beach and you really perfected it while we were there.  You just wanted to keep up with Nate and Abby and would chase them all over the place.

You got to experience your first Gibbs Family Beach Trip and did such a great job.  We went to our family's beach house, the same place I have been going every summer since I was a little girl.  I LOVE that you get to experience the same house and you get to make your own memories there.  You were fearless on the beach, ate more sand than I ever thought possible, walked right into the ocean, enjoyed your new beach pool, LOVED watching Nate and Abby play, tried lots of new food (including your Great Grandma Deedee's famous pound cake), slept in the bathroom a few nights and got to meet your Berly/Ervin relatives.

You tried a lot more food this month: chicken tenders, fries, grits, pineapple, pound cake, burger, baked beans, pasta salad, potato salad, donuts, ice cream, fruit loops (thanks cousin Abby), PB&J, pork, Greek yogurt.

We also began mixing whole milk with your formula so we can begin weening you off formula.  We also dropped a bottle this month so you are down to 3 a day.  You don't seem to mind at all!  This month we are going to ATTEMPT to drop your day bottle...we'll see how that goes.  I am not looking forward to taking away your morning or night bottles because you love them so much (and so do I).

You have mastered your sippy cup and we have started to introduce more whole milk to you that way.  So far, I would say you are a "C" student.  Lots of room for improvement little man!

Your love for books amazes me every day and I wonder sometimes if you are really my child.  You L.O.V.E books with every ounce of your being and we have to read the same books over and over and over again.  Books are the first things you pick up in the morning and the last things you put down before bed.  You have a lot of favorite books and can pick them out from a huge pile.  We will tell you to go get your "Dragon book" and you will pull it out of the huge pile.  Thankfully you got your daddy's smart genes and your Aunt L and Aunt Em's love for books.  You are starting to recognize words and objects.  We ask you to go find the "ball" and you will go look in your toy basket and bring it back to us.  Smart boy...or just great memorization skills!

Your vocabulary has vastly improved this month as well.  You have learned several new words this past month: Nana, daisy, water, did it, duck, no, yum.

 You had your 1st birthday party the week before your actual birthday.  There were about 40 people in our house so I'm sure it was a bit overwhelming for you.  You loved your smash cake, but just mainly played with it.  You really only took a few bites...you were happy just digging your hands in it.

Our world is so different with you walking, and I personally think it is more fun (and exhausting).  You can now run around the park with the other kids instead of just watching from the swings.  I said I would never buy a baby gate, but you better believe I sent your dad to Target the week you started walking.  You are a fast little booger and you seem to find the front or back staircases within seconds.  Your old mom isn't that quick!

What a year it has been.  We are excited and expectant during this next season of your life.  Thank you for blessing our family and teaching us more about love, joy, laughter and patience.

 12 Months Stats

Weight- 20.7 lbs (35% percentile)

Length-31.75 inches (90% percentile)

Head- 65% percentile

Clothes- 12-18 months

Eating- dropped a bottle so we're down to 3 bottles a day and 3 meals plus snacks

Naps-2 naps (usually 1-2.5 hours each)

Night time-trying to stretch bedtime until 7pm and sleeping until 7am

"Promise me you'll always remember...you're BRAVER than you believe, STRONGER than you seem, SMARTER than you think and LOVED more than you know!"
 
We love you, Anderson Robert, more than you could ever imagine.  

xoxo,
Mom and Dad

11 Months

Anderson,

You are 11 months old and full of spunk.  Your personality is really shinning through these days.  We can tell you are funny, smart and have a very short attention span.  You love to laugh at yourself...or maybe your imaginary friends. 
You had a very busy month of travel, trying new foods and experiencing new things.

For Mother's Day weekend, we took our first family trip to the beach to Ocean Isle.  You loved the beach from the minute we put you in the sand.  You crawled straight to the ocean, ate sand and smiled the whole time.

We came home from the beach a night early, so we could attend Elevation on Mother's Day.  You and Dad took me to breakfast at a family favorite, Owens bagels.  It was your first bagel experience and you chowed down.  You also gave me lots of cards and sweet gift card to the Ritz spa.  You know how to make your momma happy!

We had a photo shoot at Beth's house in order to get a picture for your birthday invitation.  One weekend during the month, it rained the whole weekend.  I was going nuts being inside so I decided we were going to the mall to walk.  Once at the mall, I broke down and did something I said I would never do...let you ride in one of those "carts".  I disinfected the heck out of it and you don't seem to have gotten any weird diseases.  Let me tell you, that car/cart was the highlight of your entire life.  You LOVED it!

You have tried so many new foods this past month...watermelon, hush puppies, corn on the cob, rice, beans, banana pancakes, turkey sausage, pizza, bagels, peanut butter & jelly sandwich, butter and cheese puffs.  carbs much?!?!

Your list of "firsts" keeps growing and growing.  We have spent every free moment at the pool and you are so happy there.  You went to the lake for the first time and loved playing in the sand and swimming in the water.  You also got to go on your first boat ride.  You looked so stinkin cute in your big ol' life jacket.  You continue to take more and more steps on your own.  You took about 10 steps on your own and we think you will start walking any day. 
Your vocabulary is growing as well!  New words this month were MA-MA (woot woot!!!!), Della, again and ball.

Anderson, you are growing like a weed and we love you so much.

 11 Month Stats:

Weight- I think around 20 lbs

Length-31 inches (we think)

Clothes-12 month

Eating-4 bottles a day and 3 meals

Naps-napping twice a day (usually 1-2.5 hours each)

Night time-6:30pm-6:30/7:00 am