Peanut's first blog

Dancing girl video

2009-07-09T21:28:00.000-07:00

Here's a REALLY short video of Colleen dancing from June. Enjoy!
m

Sleepin' hard

2009-05-29T12:52:00.001-07:00

Just some cuteness to brighten your day.

This is the way Colleen has slept since she learned to roll over. It took me a while to be convinced that she wasn't going to suffocate this way.

m

Mother's Day Weekend

2009-05-22T21:57:00.000-07:00

Just a couple photos of Colleen Mother's Day weekend, when we went to the Portland Zoo, etc.

Easter Pictures

2009-04-21T10:52:00.000-07:00

Hi from the Ranch.

Here are some pics of Colleen visiting her Grandpa A on his birthday and at Easter with Grandma Mij and Grandpa B.happy girl with remote.

Happy Girl with Aunt Deb.

Drawing with Grandpa A.

Easter 2009.

Easter 2009 With Grandpa B

Easter with Grandma Mij and Grandpa B.

Easter 2009.

Some stats: She's 31 1/2 inches tall and between 30 and 32 pounds. Fat and happy.

Current cute thing: she has a new kitchenette with a microwave. She LIKES putting things into the microwave.

I hope that satisfies your Colleen Quotient for the day.
ta
m

Snooty picture

2009-03-16T11:20:00.000-07:00

It's been too long since I updated this blog, but we've been swamped with school, etc. Here's a photo from a couple weeks ago.

m

Inhaler movie

2008-12-27T20:44:00.000-08:00

This is for Dr. Tim.

enjoy.
m

Colleen's first birtday

2008-12-01T11:46:00.000-08:00

Here's a pic. She's waking up from a nap, so I'll fill in details later.
maren

Birthday is coming up!

2008-11-07T10:07:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone!

Colleen's Birthday is November 24. She'll be one whole year old!

Wondering what to get here? Here are some ideas:

Books for Colleen

Toys for Colleen

Of course, just a big box with wrapping paper will probably be her favorite present, but people ask, you know?

These last few weeks the whole family has been fighting a series of colds, which give Colleen a runny nose for two days, but knock the rest of us down for a week or more at a time.

The "language switch" is on now, and Colleen now knows six ASL signs (more, eat, hat, dog, cat, and all gone!), and says a few words that mean specific things (like "doggie" "ducky" "yucky" "uh oh" "ya") and some that don't seem to mean things yet (like "ma ma" "da da" which she uses when she babbles).

It's been really really fun.

m

Video of Colleen Crawling

2008-09-16T18:32:00.001-07:00

Charles claims this is the beginning of the end. But it is sooooo cute to see her scoot around the house.

Enjoy!

Maren and Colleen

Summer pictures

2008-09-08T10:30:00.001-07:00

Here are some pictures from this summer!

At the beach in Southern California with Uncle Tim and Aunt Re.
At the county fair with Daddy.
At the Anderson Family Reunion.
In the park with a cheese sandwich.

Have a nice Day!
m&c

it's been a hot summer

2008-09-08T07:36:00.000-07:00

Colleen is sorry for not updating this more this summer, but she's been busy.

She's been on two plane trips, seen a lot of visitors and learned to roll around the room.

Right now she's working on growing another tooth ("Toothosaurus") and crawling.

She'll post some pictures soon.

hugs
Maren and Colleen

Father's Day Photo Shoot

2008-06-19T21:14:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone!

I took Colleen to have her picture took for Father's Day. Colleen's Grandads will get a set of prints from the session. My mother's birthday was that weekend, too, so she will get some, too. I will be bringing Tim and Marie copies as a housewarming gift, too.

(notice the two teeth on her lower jaw!)

Enjoy!
m

Daddy Push-Up video

2008-06-02T12:31:00.000-07:00

The second installment of the Colleen Anderson film series. Notice the dramatic dark/light film effects (we're pretending it was intentionally back-lit).

enjoy!

Colleen's First Christmas Video

2008-06-02T12:26:00.000-07:00

This was shot on Christmas Eve, 2007. I've only recently played enough with iMovie to make this.

Enjoy!

New Camera

2008-06-01T21:34:00.001-07:00

We bought a new camera.
Plus, we went to Burger King.
Viola!
Colleen a la "Ole King Cole."

Here are a couple more.

This one is the reason we bought the camera...the recovery time is good enough that we can capture the smiles.

This one we plan on showing to all prospective dates. :)
m

six months old!

2008-05-26T20:57:00.000-07:00

The last couple weeks have been very eventful! Colleen turned 6 months old on may 24, and weighs in at 21 lbs. 6 oz.

First, Colleen now has a tooth! We were wondering why she had been so cranky, and one day last week, she was chewing on my fingers, and her gums felt especially pointy. Her new tooth is on the bottom right.

Colleen 5 1/2 months old.

Next, Colleen is pretty consistently rolling from her tummy to her back. She still needs to be reminded that she CAN roll over, but she's happier to do tummy time now that she knows there is an escape.

Blacky, Colleen and Dad stack.

Colleen is also using a word! It is a word of her own invention, but it does seem to be a word. She calls the kitties "A-ghee." She only uses this word when the kitties are around and usually only when she's petting one.

Colleen likes to goof around.

Finally, Colleen took her first header. She was in bed with us in the morning when Charles got up. She had been kicking me pretty hard, so I moved her about 6 inches away from me toward the center of the bed and went back to sleep. Then I heard a sickening "thud!" I opened my eyes and there was no baby. I looked over the bed as she began to cry as she lay face-down on the floor (thank God for carpeting). She wasn't hurt, but we were both scared. She can't roll over that well yet, but she can scoot on her back. She also likes hanging her head off edges of things so she can be upside-down. I think she scooted to the edge of the bed, hung her head off, got excited and kicked herself off the bed. Needless to say, Charles or I put a pillow between her and the edge whenever he gets up anymore. :)

Well, that's plenty for now!

Colleen and Bill Clinton

2008-05-12T21:01:00.000-07:00

We went to see Bill Clinton when he came to Monmouth (no, really, he did) stumping for Hillary in April. Here is Colleen and Bill:

Here is Colleen's friend Samara with Bill (she got lots closer).

It was fun, but HOT.

The 17 lbs. monster

2008-03-30T15:16:00.000-07:00

Of course, Colleen isn't a monster, but she is huge for 4 months! She weighed in at 17# 11oz. on Thursday, March 27 . But she is sooo cute.

Also, Colleen has been sleeping blissfully for 10-12 hours a night in her bassinet (as opposed to in our bed) for a month or so now. We are very proud of her and grateful to whatever powers that be that made her this way!

I (Maren) go back to teaching tomorrow (!), so Colleen will be cared for by her Grandma Mij one day a week and at daycare for two 1/2 days. This quarter is an experiment. If I hate being away from her too much, we'll revisit teaching come Fall 2008.

Here are some pictures:

Here she is with "Grandpa B," my dad Jim, on Easter Sunday.

Here she is with "Grandpa A," Charles's dad, Steve.

Here is Colleen with a friend.

Colleen likes mugging for the camera.

This was taken on Easter Sunday. I guess she likes that holiday!

Happy Spring!
Maren & Colleen

More Pictures

2008-02-22T16:11:00.000-08:00

Colleen is doing great. At her last weigh-in she was 14 lbs. 10 oz (though I had just fed her 6 oz. before she was put on the scale). She's a regular chub, which is great.

She and I go to a Mommy's group at the hospital she was born at every Thursday. I highly recommend such a group to mothers of babies. It is so nice to compare notes with a bunch of other women. You feel so much less alone and crazy when you are in a room full of people who are going through similar things.

Here are some shots from February, 2008.

Here Colleen is modeling a pretty hat.

Here Collleen is cuddling with Daddy, Charles.

Here she is practicing for her Rockettes audition.
That's all for now.
m

2 months old!

2008-01-30T17:09:00.000-08:00

This is baby Colleen at two months old.

Taking care of a baby takes up so much time that it has taken me this long to update her blog. Bad Mommy!

Charles took this picture because she was sleeping so hard it was damn cute.

Here is Colleen on her "gym" which has toys hanging down for her to look at. She is also fascinated by the ceiling fan.

Here is an example of one of her first smiles.

Here is Charles with Colleen when she was a week old. Notice that the cat is much bigger than she is.

Here I am with Colleen on Christmas day when she was one month old. Notice we're on the same couch as Charles. We live on that couch.

This was our Christmas card. I knit this stocking for her, and it says "Colleen 2007" on it under her arms. She's little-er than her stocking!

I hope you enjoyed this parcel of pictures. More update soon!

maren and Colleen (aka "Peanut")

Baby Colleen is here!

2007-11-30T20:06:00.000-08:00

Stats:
Birthday: 11/24/07
Time: 8:23 a.m.
Weight: 5 lbs. 13 oz.
Length: 17 3/4 inches

Apgar scores: 9 and 10

Nicknames: Peanut (nurses), Sweetness, Colleen the Queen.

Maren's water broke on Friday evening. She checked into the hospital at about 8 p.m. and Colleen was born 12 hours later.

Colleen at 1 day old.

Colleen was due 12/16/07, so she was about 3 weeks early. This means that she sleeps even more than a normal newborn, but she is pretty danged healthy otherwise (note the Apgar scores).

Yes, she is adorable, and we love her to bits.

Colleen (minutes old) and Momma Maren

obgyn visit 32 week

2007-10-25T16:36:00.000-07:00

Everything is good as far as the doctor can tell. :)

Interesting fact: every week they measure the belly from pubic bone to fundus (top of uterus). Normal uteruses grow 1 cm a week, whether you are a tiny little thing or a whale to begin with. At 20 wks, most are 20 cm, and so at 32 wks, mine is 32 cm.

amazing, huh? :)

Colleen is wiggling around whenever I sit still. I think she's running out of room, since I don't feel her spinning as much. She's still facing outwards, although I hope she turns before the big day so that I don't have the dreaded "back labor."

That's all for now.
maren

brief update for week 32 (8 months)

2007-10-22T16:25:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone!

1) The glucose test came back normal. The "long" glucose test is worse than I thought: not only do you have to fast a total of 15 1/2 hours, but they draw blood FOUR TIMES during the "3 1/2 hour" test. Total sucko.

2) Baby Colleen gets the hiccups pretty regularly now. It's cute so far.

3) Things on the floor have never seemed so far away...

4)My energy level is pretty darned low. I could be working on the baby room, writing thank-you notes, or working on the picture collages for art on the baby room walls, but no, I am dozing on the couch while football plays on the TV.

5) Part of #4 is that I am still not sleeping especially well. My legs still tingle and feel sore at night which wakes me up. Bleh.

6) We are rolling in baby paraphenelia, especially clothes. Our friends and family are soooo generous. A big collective "THANK YOU" to all who have given us things. We are very, very grateful.

7) Finally, I am 90% done with an "Adams" pattern Christmas stocking for Colleen. It is HUGE...I can't remember if my stocking is so big or not. I used some eyelash yarn on the top and on Santa's beard to make it a little cooler. I'll post a picture when it's done.

That's all for now.

maren the whale

Gestational Diabetes test

2007-10-01T15:42:00.000-07:00

Grumble-

My screening test for Gestational Diabetes came back high. I'm annoyed because I've been careful to keep my weight down and exercise like a good girl.

But now, I have to take a far more annoying test that involves fasting and three to four hours of sitting around quietly. I have one friend whose second test was negative and one whose test was positive. I watched that friend struggle with the GD diet, so I know I don't want to go down that road.

I'm just annoyed.

Baby shower in a few days! I need to focus on that...and schedule the long test for AFTER the cake, etc.

Colleen continues to be very active. I think she is situated with her head by my left hip and her feet under my right-side ribs. I judge this by the amount and kind of kicking I feel in those places. I also think she's facing out towards the world. I appreciate this since it means that she isn't punching any vital organs. Yet.

maren

getting ridiculous

2007-09-24T15:45:00.000-07:00

It's not that I didn't see it coming, but geesh, this belly thing is getting silly. It enters the room before the rest of me. It sticks out of the bath water. It runs into things.

Plus, it threw my center of balance off so much that I strained my back yesterday. If I didn't waddle before, I sure do now.

WOU classes started today, so I began class by introducing myself and Miss Colleen Elizabeth. I'm due the week AFTER finals, so we are hoping that she won't disrupt things too much, but I have contingency plans in place, just in case.

I'm going to waddle off now. Moo.
m

BTW--updated registry items below, including a list of books from Amazon.com's baby registry are listed below!!!

Baby shower save the date

2007-09-11T17:32:00.001-07:00

Hello!

Save the date Sunday, October 7 for the baby shower. More details to come. We are planning a segregated baby shower/bbq for the men.

Charles suggested that in order to celebrate new life, the men should go blow stuff up.

Please note that I have been updating the registries, and added a couple items directly from the web that weren't on the regular registry sites. See the "We're Registered!" post below.

Colleen is taking up so much room now, that I have given up being discreet about the belly, especially since it's really hot up here now. Charles gives me a humorously hard time about "The Belly," but he really likes the change in the boob department.

Colleen isn't kicking enough to cause me discomfort, so it's still cute. Charles got a "show" a few days ago, and said, quote, "Gee, lady. You should see a doctor about that." He also keeps suggesting we watch Alien. It's a good thing he's cute. :)

That's all for now.
m

We're Registered!

2007-08-27T11:21:00.000-07:00

We started receiving gifts last week, so to keep things organized, here is where we are registered. We are adding to these lists all the time.

The rumor is that there will be a baby shower for us sometime in October in Monmouth.

Babies R Us:

http://www.toysrus.com/registry/index.jsp

under my name: Maren Anderson in Oregon

Burlington's Baby Depot:

http://www.burlingtoncoatfactory.com/Registry/Search.process?restartflow=t

under: ID # 10663369

**NEW as of 9-10-07**

Hotsling baby sling in Tokyo Stretch Cotton Sateen, size 5
http://www.hotslings.com/s.nl/it.A/id.418/.f?sc=2&category=56

Hooter Hider nursing cover

http://www.bebeaulait.com/catalog_product.php?iid=209

Costco baby monitor
http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11201329&search=baby%20monitor&Mo=2&cm_re=1_en-_-Top_Left_Nav-_-Top_search&lang=en-US&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&Sp=S&N=0&whse=BC&Dx=mode+matchallpartial&Ntk=Text_Search&Dr=P_CatalogName:BC&Ne=4000000&D=baby%20monitor&Ntt=baby%20monitor&No=2&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Nty=1&topnav=&s=1

**NEW** as of 9/24/07
Amazon.com baby registry.
by searching for "Maren Anderson" at http://www.amazon.com/babyregistry

Plus, anyone who wants to contribute to the "maid service" fund, is welcome to send us checks.

In other news, we have learned that Peanut is a girl! Her name will be Colleen Elizabeth Anderson. She is healthy and kicking up a storm.

Maren is in the process of setting up the nursery which used to be the sewing/alpaca fiber room. She's got most of the non-baby stuff out of the room, but there is still a long way to go.

More later!
maren

kicking!

2007-07-17T15:02:00.001-07:00

I felt Peanut kicking for the first time on Sunday! She kicked four times. I didn't feel her again until just now (Tuesday). She's still pretty little, so it's hard to pick out her movements from the cramps and gas.

I went to the OB yesterday, and he says that my ultrasound looked fine but that I do need to go to the one scheduled for Friday so that they can get the shots that Peanut was hiding from them last time.

Fun!

m

A girl!

2007-07-10T09:17:00.000-07:00

Ultrasound from 7-6-07.

The ultrasound thinks it's a girl!

maren

Ultrasounds from May and June

2007-06-20T13:52:00.001-07:00

Here are the first pictures of our baby, Peanut.

m