Baby Espen!

We are so excited to announce the newest addition to our family:  Espen Terak Anderson!  He made his debut on May 18th, weighing in at 7lbs. 10 oz. and 21 inches long.

We almost got our drug-free labor and delivery...due to some unexpected complications, I had to be pumped full of pitocin hours before I could deliver.  This was the one drug that I did not want for reasons of pure vanity:  I puff out like a beached whale!  Bjorn thinks its a silly reason for it, but I have seen the pictures after a dose of pitocin and it is not a pretty sight (see the picture below).  But other than that, the hospital staff was pretty fantastic about respecting my wishes of no epidural or narcotics!  And its not that I think that I'm super woman and too good for drugs (in fact, at my first delivery, I distinctly remember telling my nurses that drugs were my friend...while Bjorn eye's were bulging from surprise...drugs weren't suppose to be part of our birth plan with Audriana's delivery), but rather it is the fear of the epidural itself (the procedure and that it will fail to take effect) that has me laughing in the face of childbirth pains!  

And actually, its not too bad...given the fact that I delivered this baby 30 minutes after my water breaking with the nurse yelling for the doctor to come into the room and the labor and delivery staff trying to break down the room for delivery as quickly as possible.  Everything happened so quickly (despite me telling everyone and their mother that I go extremely quick) that my doctor did not make it time for the delivery...she missed it by 6 minutes!  However, the doctor who delivered Haakon was the same doctor who delivered Espen.  It was wonderful to have a familiar face.

So around 6AM, Espen made his debut and joined our little family.  We couldn't be more excited or in love.  His sister and brother are completely in love with this little guy and shower him with kisses and gentle touches.  Audriana loves to have him in her lap and shush him sweetly.  Enjoy these pictures...more to come soon.

Freshly bathed and medicated with vitamin K on his eyes.  His face is pretty bruised up from the delivery....

Freshly bathed.

Hanging out under the warmer

First bath at home with his "bear" towel from Grandma Te.

Comforted by Daddy after bath time.

First bath at the hospital.

He's definitely not a fan of the sponge bath like his sister at birth.

Our first family of five picture after coming home from the hospital!  Only now with their bright pearly smiles do I see the resemblance between Audriana and Haakon!

Family Picture

Here is our latest family picture.  We haven't taken one since last Fall.  Look how big the kids are...and Mr. Haakon has become quite the charmer :)  Audriana is blooming to be a fantastic Mommy's helper and 2nd Mommy to Haakon...despite her size (I caught her the other day, putting Haakon in a headlock in attempt to get him to blow his nose).   She also tries to teach him manners--such as saying "please" if she has to share her cup with him.  Unfortunately, Haakon is still working on his manners.  Luckily, she is still willing to share.

Because I have to document this:  here are Haakon's stats for his most recent check-up:

Weight: 24.5 lbs (50th percentile)
Height: 32 inches (69th percentile)
Head Circumference: 19 inches (89th percentile)

He is a healthy little man and LOVED his doctor's visit...especially when the doctor took a peek in his ears!

Spring fever...or lack thereof!

So, it has been a little while since I have posted pictures of the kids and their adventures.  Its been a busy spring and I can't believe that summer is fast approaching...along with the sweltering Florida heat.  But with the approach of summer means the debut of Dash-3!  We are pretty excited and hoping that he will decide to bake just a tad bit longer...he's heard all the fun that his sister and brother are having and just itching to join them in their antics!  

So far this spring, we have had NUMEROUS visits by family.  My parents came down just recently to spend time with the kids and to baby-sit the kids for us while we went off to a friend's wedding here in Jacksonville! And now, with the restrictions on the remainder of my pregnancy, Grandpa Byron is down here helping me with the kids.  Uncle Erik is set to join us when Grandpa Byron has to get back to his farming duties later this month.  Then its Grandma and Grandpa Te for another visit!  The kids LOVE having their extended family come visit...so much excitement and rules get to be broken here and and there!  So here are some random pictures from the past few weeks.  Enjoy!

OOOOOooooh, I almost forgot to mention: KITCHEN RENOVATION IS FINALLY FINISHED!!!!!  Hooray to Grandpa and Grandma Anderson for the swift kick to get it done before Dash-3 makes his appearance!  Thank you!!!!!!

We'll keep you all posted should Dash-3 make an early appearance!  Happy Spring, everyone :)

At the zoo...can you tell?

Observing Audriana's favorite: the monkeys!

Audriana is working on grabbing her Easter loot.

The dastardly Easter Bunny....Haakon is curious, but Audriana is still VERY suspicious of him!

Haakon isn't doing too bad for a first timer!  

Though, he wanted to take a break...

Daddy says no breaks until that bag is full :)

Back to work!

Audriana carefully choosing her eggs and treats.

Looks like the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree...Bacon makes everything better!

There's that Easter Bunny again...the spell of safety of has been broken by his appearance.

Haakon and his buddy, Charlie, are enjoying the bunny's visit.

Audriana jumped pretty quickly into Daddy's arms when that Bunny appeared out of nowhere during her nice brunch.

Three little rascals...

Haakon doing his best to charm his sister's friend, Emma.

Checking out her reaction...

Ooooh...she likes it!

Enjoying his Easter weekend brunch.

Yummy!

Hmm...what is this?

Pictures from our trip to MN

Hanging out in the tunnel at Grandma and Grandpa Andersons

Taking a break at the MN Zoo.

Reading the Sunday paper with Grandpa Byron

Pointing out the Variety Section of the Minneapolis Star Tribune

Playing at the Framed Art Exhibit at the Children's Museum.

Painting Audriana's hands to make a special present for Daddy...

Press firmly...

...and presto!  Instant postcard for Daddy.

Always the helper, Haakon is cleaning at the Korean Restaurant Exhibit.

Checking out the Tots area of the museum.

Waterworks Exhibit at the Museum.  They both LOVED this exhibit.

Pretending to be on the city bus...Audriana is waiting patiently for her turn to sit in the driver seat while Haakon changes the scenery out the window.

"The Best of the Worst"

One of the best things about being home in Minnesota (other than simply being home), is the opportunity to go to our "home" church at the church we were married. Since being in the Jacksonville area, we have been searching for a church with not only an incredible pastor but congregation as well. Although, we have a church here in Jax that we attend regularly, it still doesn't have the same "vibe" as the church at home and sometimes leaves wondering what is lacking. I suspect, though, that it will be very nearly impossible to find a church that we enjoy attending and bringing our children to as much as Good Sam (our church).

While I was home in MN, I was able to attend two Sundays worth of sermons. Both were incredibly rich and have left a spiritual and intellectual imprint on me. Good Sam is currently in transition and has been hosting guest pastors until the new pastor arrives later in the Spring. I was lucky enough to hear retired Rev. Neilsen speak on the first Sunday.

The sermon was entitled, "The Best of the Worst." At the heart of his talk was about the different types of losses that an individual can experience. That one of the greatest losses you can have is the loss of a loved one. He goes on to share that his greatest loss was the loss of his daughter when she was just 45 days shy of her first birthday. He was devastated and for a long time, unable to function.

He remembers people telling him that God simply needed another little angel. Umph. He refused to believe that and was angry at God for taking her away from him and his wife. A few months later he performed a funeral for a woman who left behind four little girls and a grieving husband. It was a young family and as a result of the loss, ended up having to move out-of-state. Unfortunately, he did not know the woman or the family very well at the time of the funeral services.

Several years pass. One night, he went to bed and had a dream. He dreamt that this woman was sitting in a rocking chair, rocking his little girl. When he woke up the next morning, he understood that God was still with him, despite all the emotions that he had about God. God was taking care of his little girl: a child without her mother...a mother without her child. They have each other.  Excited, he went downstairs the next morning and said to his wife, "Honey, I had this most incredible dream and I have to tell you about it."

His wife said,
"Me, too. But I have to tell you about mine first. Do you remember that woman's funeral a few years back? With the four little girls? Well, I dreamt she was sitting in a rocking chair holding our daughter, rocking her."

Wow. And it was then that he realized that we all simply want to protect our children and do what is best for them.  It was a poignant and moving sermon for me because it put into words why I do what I do for Audriana, Haakon and Dash-3. My choice to stay at home with my children has been a difficult decision for me to explain because I have always thought that I would put my kids in daycare so that I could make use of my law degree. But when it actually came time to make the decision, I realized that the chance to do what was best for my children was right in front of me. So took it and ran.

There comes a point in our lives when we realize that what what is best for us, or in my case, my children, is not necessarily what we had planned it to be.  After all, before I had children, I believed that it would be best for them if I was able to leave them in the care of others so that we could be a dual income family and be financially comfortable and worry-free.  But when it came time to make that decision, my belief had changed and financial security no longer trumped the sacred time with my children in their infancy and toddlerhood.*

Recently, a person very close and dear to my heart, received some rather unexpected medical news. Although his condition is not currently curable, it is very much a treatable one.  The news has left me utterly surprised and in disbelief...so I can only imagine how this news must be shaking up him up (though, he's pretty good about putting up a strong front).  The point is, it isn't always obvious what life has in store for us and we don't know what is always best for us (or those we love) until we can take a step back and look at the whole picture rather than simply concentrating on the one or two pixels of the image.  The little mistakes and imperfections of the picture is what makes the picture what it is.  We are works of arts in progress.  And although the ability to take that step back to look at the art isn't always immediate or as fast as we would like, its always worth making the effort to simply savor the work.

I guess Forest Gump wasn't too far off the mark when he said that life was like a box of chocolates.  You really never know what you are gonna get....


*This is in no way, shape or form to criticize moms who have made the decision to go back to work (because it is a pain-staking and heart-wrenching decision for nearly all of moms).

Teleporting been invented yet?

I must apologize to fellow parents everywhere.  Before I was married and had kids, I was one of those people who believed that kids who could scream and cry at a specific decibel should not travel period (except for emergency purposes).  Kids. Stay. Home.  Ahhhh....how karma has a lovely way of biting me in the butt.  After two flights with two kids and noticeably pregnant, I think I can be officially labeled as "that mother"...to be followed by the stink eye.

When I first decided to take a solo trip (read: without Bjorn) with just the kids and me, I thought that it really couldn't be that bad.  After all, I could strap Haakon in the sit-n-stroll and Audriana could push him or hold my hand as we walked to the gate.  Plus, my friend, Kelly, has done it lots of time with her two boys and pregnant from Florida to Iowa.  And to knock this superior logical reasoning out of the ball park, I would book both flights during the kids' bedtime.  They will sleep.  I will sleep.  It will be perfect.

Ahhh...but with most of my reasoning while pregnant, I always forget that things are always a little bit too romanticized.  Let me start by saying while the trip to and from was less than stellar, the actual stay in Minnesota was fabulous.  The weather, although cold, was still very tolerable for my blood (perhaps it had to do with the fact that I am now a free-standing, walking, talking furnace...).  The kids handled the weather great and we were able to take LOTS of field trips through the time and generosity of Grandparents (especially Grandpa Byron).

We got to make multiple visits to the Minnesota Children's Museum (if any of you live in the Twin Cities, have children and have yet to make a visit...RUN there!  It is worth every penny and all the time you can spend with your kids in the exhibits.  The facility is beautiful and the staff are great.)  We made a trip to the Minnesota Zoo (no Como Zoo for us...too chilly!). Audriana got to hop on a choo-choo and see the bears sleep.  Unfortunately, both kids fell asleep by the time we hit the dolphins and marine life exhibit at the zoo.  The kids also got to meet some of Mommy's high school friends and their kids, and play at the community center's play structure (think McDonaldland on steroids!).  But the most important aspect of our trip home was that the kids got to spend lots and lots of time with both sets of grandparents (and help Grandpa Tong celebrate his birthday as well!).  It was nice to have two weeks of winter fun!

So by now, you are probably wondering how and where things went wrong en route to this magical land in Minnesota.  Well, all appeared perfect when we got to the Jax Aiport.  Bjorn was able to get a special pass to walk us to our gate, walk with Audriana, and our friend, Matt (Kelly's husband) was also on the flight (but the lucky duck got to sit in First Class!).  Then came the news:  the captain of the flight came on the intercom and told us that there were severe thunderstorms in the Georgia area that they were trying to fly around and needed control tower to approve the new flight plan.  He assured us that we would only be waiting 10 minutes, at most, for the paperwork to go through.  FORTY minutes later, we were again assured that it would only take 5 minutes longer for the fax to go through and THEN we would push back from the gate.

Finally, after 50 minutes of waiting in a plane with two small children who absolutely refused to be anywhere greater than a finger's length distance away from Mommy (and remember, kids under two have SUPER SHORT fingers!), we finally pushed back from the gate.  At this point, Audriana (who had her own seat), was desperate to see out the window.  Since she is so tiny, she managed to slip in and out of her seat belt quite easily (this was after I made the last minute decision to ditch the sit-and-stroll...you know, the stroller that is not only a car seat and stroller, but approved for flights as well.  Totally JV move on my part).  I had already gone through most of my stash of stickers during the 50 minute wait and I was hesitant to bust out the markers and color crayons so early in the trip.  And then came the scream.  Screw it.  "Look Audriana...ooooh, look at these markers and crayons!"  And by the good grace of God and sheer physical strength to hold down Audriana from standing as we were taxiing, with Haakon on my lap, we started accelerating and took off.  Both kids loved it and gave me no hints that it bothered their ears as we were reaching altitude.

By this point, Dash-3 has been happily bouncing up and down like a Cirque du Soleil acrobat on my bladder.  But getting up to go to the restroom was out of the question (sanity vs. peeing my pants?  I'll take a generous helping of sanity).  Haakon was happily resting his cheek on my chest and hugging my belly.  Audriana coloring.  And no one was crying.  Then came the beverage cart.  The best part of the flight was officially over.

Audriana was yelling for the beverage cart to come to her so that she could have a cup with ice.  We were lucky enough to be sitting in the second to very last row [voice dripping with sarcasm] while the flight attendant began her service at the front of the plane.   Thirty minutes later, she finally reached us and Audriana got her cup of ice with apple juice.  Haakon also decided that he needed his own.  So two cups of juice on the tray in front of my 2-year old daughter and we hit turbulence.  Ding! Ding!  Seat belt light goes on and I will give you one guess as to who believes herself to be above not only the captain of the plane but the FAA as well.  Audriana!  How did you know?

At this point Haakon refused to be taken off my lap.  If we were not sharing the same recirculated air space, then Haakon screamed bloody murder.  Oh, he's not able to touch my skin with his finger tips with absolutely minimal effort?  Bloody. Murder.  But at his point, my desire to NOT be reprimanded by the flight attendant for lack of control over my children (while obviously growing another one!) suddenly made me deaf and dumb to Haakon's cries of protest and the consideration of other passengers.  So while Haakon screamed, I physically held Audriana in her seatbelt until the turbulence was over.  My poor mother, who had specifically flown down to Jax to help on my flight up was completely helpless to her grandchildren's show.

It was not until 30 minutes before we landed did the kids finally settle down and fall asleep.  We were the first ones on the plane and the last ones off the plane on our flight to Minnesota.  By this time, we were well past their bedtime and I was exhausted.  Thank goodness we had two weeks to rest up for the next flight.

Normally, I would proceed to tell you about the flight back home, but I don't think I am quite yet ready to relive the trauma of that plane ride.  But let me just say that NO ONE got to sleep on that flight (not the kids, not fellow passengers, not the flight attendants and certainly not me or Grandpa Tong) and if I thought the level of stink eye was bad on the flight from Jax, it was nothing compared to the flight to Jax.   Fortunately, I have rationalized that that is the risk that people take when traveling on commercial flights.  Until teleporting becomes available, we might be sitting tight in our little home for a while longer.

Man, I wish karma had been a bit kinder on me with this one....  Pictures of our trip to come!

First Day of Summer??!?!

It was a BEAUTIFUL day down here in Jacksonville!  A lovely 75 degrees with a gentle breeze.  Not a mosquito in sight and sunshine the entire afternoon.  It was so gorgeous outside that I pushed the kids' afternoon nap time to 3:30... it was just too nice to sleep it away.  We played outside for about an hour or so after school today.  Drew some pictures with new colorful sidewalk chalk.  Took turns swinging on the swing-set.  Climbed up the slide (both kids).  Laid on a blanket to watch the clouds, birds, helos and of course, P-3s, flying overhead.  Bird watching--with Scout on guard against the ugly turkey ducks.  And when we came inside, I decided that it was the perfect day to make fruit smoothies!  What a treat it was to the kids (and mommy, too)...they loved it right up!  Here are some pictures of them enjoying their afternoon "snack."

Haakon is leisurely walking around with his treat...

Mmmmm...delicious!

So delicious that some had to be saved for later on his shirt.

Something this good has to be enjoyed sitting down!

"Mommy, what are you doing?  Privacy, please."

"Ugh....my mommy is soooo embarassing!"

Look at that smile and darling face....don't you just want to give her a little smoochy?

Our Jacksonville Zoo Visit!

Half our entourage at the main camp of the Jacksonville Zoo!

I thought that hopping on the stationary zebra would suffice.  Do you notice the looking of longing on Audriana's face?

I caved because all of her friends were getting on the carousel.

All weekend and week, I have been hyping up a trip to the zoo to see the giraffes, gorillas, elephants, lions and birdies.  I invited our friends to go and it was a great time had by all...until Mother Nature rained on our parade.  Literally.  We got to see the giraffes, lions and birdies.  But we had to do a quick ride-by of the gorilla exhibit and totally skipped the elephant exhibit due to the rain.  The Te/Anderson family can definitely handle a little sprinkling and light rain...but down-pour, we cannot.

The kids had such a great time and I found out that I can definitely do a zoo trip as a solo parent with both the kids.  I am absolutely astounded as how well behaved Audriana is on field trips such as these (and even to a boring tile store) when we have a serious conversation beforehand about what is agreeable behavior.  Audriana had no problems getting back into her stroller when asked and sets a shining example for Haakon.  Haakon was also well-behaved and really enjoyed the petting zoo exhibit.  However, he was not too delighted when he found out that he needed to get back into his stroller afterwards.  His new thing is to make himself as stiff as a board when I try to get him either in his car seat (a big indication that we need to get him an upgrade) or his stroller.  It is super fun and not embarrassing at all for me when this happens in front of other people [voice dripping with sarcasm].

Haakon patiently waiting for his sister to finish her ride.  It started to sprinkle during his wait.  What a sweet little brother!

Brushing the pygmy goats!  Audriana is VERY selective about which goat gets to be brushed by her...in her opinion, it's equivocal to winning the goat lottery for these animals!

Haakon is content checking out the goats' unnatural habitat.

Audriana is still making her selection by process of elimination.  Though, if truth be told, I think the goats are tired of her :)

We made a visit to the Lorakee exhibit.  This birdie immediately jumped on my shoulder--scaring the daylights out me for fear that he would poop on my shoulder.

The birdies got a little too close and this is Audriana trying to protect her brother....either that or she's trying to sacrifice him to the colorful birds to save herself!

The culmination of our trip: feeding the giraffes their morning snack!

It may look like she's going to feed him, but as soon as his tongue touch the lettuce leaf, she snapped the lettuce back!  Poor giraffe.

Lettuce has been snapped back.  Mommy had to take the lettuce away and give it to the giraffe and explain to Audriana why the giraffe is not like Scout and why it's not nice to tease with food.