Two Little Monkeys

January Play Time

2012-01-22T18:47:00.000-08:00

After all the holiday hoopla, we've been getting back in to our normal routine. January has been pretty steady for us, and relatively quiet. We've been able to get outside, play with friends and enjoy our family. I will note that Anderson will say every once in awhile, (sigh)"it's not Christmas anymore". Guess it was enjoyable!

enjoying some outside playtime

amazing how much older my little guy looks in a helmet

hamburger time

ku natural history museum with friends

carpet picnic

We're ready!!

2011-12-24T09:20:00.001-08:00

Christmas tree, check.

Cookies for Santa, check.

Christmas here we come!!

O Christmas Tree

2011-12-02T16:27:00.001-08:00

Here's Spencer as we're looking for our Christmas tree. Yes, we are purchasing one out of a parking lot. As the boys get older we'll start cutting one down. Decorated pics to come!!

Anderson is 3!

2011-11-22T20:10:00.001-08:00

nderson had a great birthday with all his family! His grandparents and Uncle Brandt/Aunt Kristen were there to celebrate! It pretty much lasted 3 days as we celebrated on Sunday and his actual birthday was on Tuesday. Here are some images from Anderson's 3rd birthday.

A Budding Drummer

2011-11-13T16:02:00.001-08:00

Just a little tribute to the Pyle boys...

Napping with G-Jo

2011-11-13T14:17:00.001-08:00

Nothing better than a morning snooze with grandma!!

IPhone

2011-11-05T08:42:00.001-07:00

So my phone has this app for blogger that I recently found. I am now able to keep you updated without having to be at home -- yea! this means more blogs.

Very timely, here's what happens when mom leaves to take Anderson to music class.

KU Basketball

2011-11-05T08:21:00.001-07:00

We took the boys to their first KU game this past week. We only made it to halftime, but they really enjoyed the Jayhawks. Spencer was mesmerized by all the noise and activity and Anderson talked about all the friends that were there. (Pretty much anyone around us is a 'friend')

Happy Halloween!!

2011-11-03T06:24:00.001-07:00

If there's anyone still following, thanks for being patient. I will try to get back into my old blogging routine.

Hope you had a great Halloween!

Spencer is 1!!!

2011-08-28T12:56:00.001-07:00

Ok, so eventually I'll get around to tellin' y'all about what we've been doing all summer! It has flown by and I can't believe how badly I've failed at keeping the blog update. Anyway, on to the news at hand.........Spencer is 1!

Here are the boys after we had ice cream to celebrate his big day! Birthday party pics to come soon...........

Summer Fun

2011-06-25T07:02:00.001-07:00

Once again I have lots to share! We've been enjoying the beautiful weather, without the typical Kansas heat!

henry's plant farm with our friends phoebe & griffin

look at these ornery boys! a topeka zoo trip with friends

i swore i would never use one of there, but alas, here we are

father's day at bloomington beach

lazy summer days in the yard

confetti eggs at the mexican fiesta

Memorial Weekend to Thomas the Train.......and back

2011-06-05T18:26:00.000-07:00

We've been busy bees the last week or so! We had our wonderful friends Debbie & Dan (plus boys) up over Memorial weekend, I took the boys to visit my parents for a couple days, Spencer turned 9 months, and we went to Baldwin City to ride Thomas the Train. Whew! Bear with me, there's a lot of pictures.

spence is 9 months!

Debbie and Dan's boys are pretty much the same age as ours, so needless to say we had a great time playing around Lawrence for a long weekend. We visited the Nature Center and went on a little hike. Then we hit the Oread for lunch where I think our waiter (who was prob only like 20) pretty much laughed at us the whole time, and prob wondered what were were thinking. Quite fun to watch two 2.5 year olds trying to eat lunch, two 9mo olds trying to be on their best behavior, and 4 adults trying to enjoy a beer and conversation. :) We had a picnic lunch the next day at a park, and just hung out. It's so wonderful when we get to visit with them!!

simon and anderson playing trains - over and over!

checkin' out the owl

Also over Memorial weekend we had a bbq with Brandt, Kristen and my dad. It was so great to see them since Brandt doesn't get back all that often. After the weekend I took the boys to Halstead. We played at the park, Anderson went fishing in my parents' cement pond, and we had a great time at the zoo!

aren't they cute!

at the zoo

spencer really liked the monkey

goin' fishin'

watch him ride

Over the weekend the boys stayed at Grams' house on Saturday night while Tim and I went to the Royals game with some friends. Then on Sunday we headed down to Baldwin City to ride Thomas the Train. It was a great trip, and I think Anderson really enjoyed it, but man it was hot. There were wooden trains set up for kids to play, you could meet Sir Topham Hat, there was a bounce house, a petting zoo, and best of all a 25min train ride pulled by Thomas.

anderson's desk at grams' with all his trucks

such a big man playing!

what is cooler than the real thomas!

two tired boys on the train

Little Jayhawks

2011-05-25T11:51:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we went with our friends Trevor and Avery (plus mommy) to the Natural History Museum on campus and then had lunch at the Union. The boys had a great time and loved talking about all the Jayhawks they saw.

mama's little jayhawks

big man in his car

picnic on a rainy day

Our Week(s) in Pictures

2011-05-23T12:24:00.001-07:00

Awesome Omaha

2011-05-03T11:49:00.000-07:00

We traveled to Omaha last weekend with Papa Jim and Mema. This was our first hotel adventure with the boys. Have to say, I think it was a huge success!

While Tim and Jim attended the Berkshire Hathaway shareholders meeting, the rest of us went swimming, played at the children's museum, strolled around the Old Market area and played in the sun. On Sunday we explored the Henry Doorly zoo and then headed home. Whew!

Here is our weekend in pics:

swimming with mema

ok, this was hilarious -- they had a table w/ seats in the middle for the little ones and a bar stool underneath for parents so they could play at your height

anderson loved the ball room

mommy and anderson looking at sharks

i see a bunch of monkeys :)

Easter Fun

2011-04-25T18:05:00.000-07:00

The weather forecast for Easter Sunday called for rain, however, the weather was beautiful and we had such a wonderful time with family. We started off the morning with Easter baskets, then headed to church, hosted brunch at our house, and then had an Easter egg hunt outside. Whew! Trying to get back on schedule after a weekend like that takes some work. :)

Oh! And Spencer is 8 months old! Fast approaching the year mark.

anderson received his first thomas the train from the easter bunny!

spence lovin' his easter treats

on to church -- don't you luv the matching boys!

at brunch anderson requested that kristen sit with him -- what a sport!

let the hunting begin!

um, this one's not chocolate

ah ha! i found one!

happy boy is 8 months!

Easter Bunny Prep

2011-04-25T12:43:00.000-07:00

Saturday was filled with getting ready for Easter. Anderson helped mow the yard so the Easter Bunny could hide eggs (ok, that's not exactly the reasoning for the yard work!) and we dyed eggs so the Easter Bunny had something to hide.

Tim rented some tiller-type thing that pulls up all the old grass in your yard so you can plant new seed. Anderson helped put all the 'hay' in the sacks for the cows and horses. (guess it kinda looks like hay) Then he decided to mow like daddy. Tim figured he was about 30% efficient in helping! :)

i'm suppose to go in a straight line??

Dyeing Easter eggs is course 80% prep and 20% activity. We dyed 12 eggs and it took us approx 10min. Anderson's hand was all shades of blue and green by the time we were done. I found these great dinosaur molds that the eggs sat in, so we could hunt for dinosaur eggs!

see those pretty blue fingers!

look at those cuties playing cars together!

Let's Fly a Kite

2011-04-19T18:44:00.000-07:00

We've been getting in to the spring mode, and getting excited for Easter! Over the weekend we had our first attempt at flying kites. Not the best wind day, but we were able to get those suckers in the air. Anderson and I talked about it all week while Tim was out of town, and he was super-excited to fly kites with daddy.

getting it started

success!

S chillin' from his swing

On Sunday morning Tim and Uncle Austin ran the Lawrence half marathon and mom, Aunt Holly and Kristen ran the 5k. Cheers to Tim and Austin! After everyone left the house for the race, Anderson told Grams over and over that dad and Austin, "run away!".

On Monday, Anderson's buddy Max came over to make Rice Krispie Easter eggs. We colored the marshmallows and used a plastic egg as a mold. The boys were interested in the colored marshmallows and then came back to test the results.

We're going to try our hand at dyeing eggs this weekend -- that could be a total disaster. We're very excited because everyone is coming over to our house for Easter brunch. Lovin' me some family!!

Cousins

2011-04-09T16:57:00.001-07:00

Anderson and Spencer have been playing with Tim's cousins this weekend. AJ is in heaven with all the attention, and great new fun toys!

slides and cars -- what more could he ask for?!?

lovin' this

New Moves

2011-04-07T12:04:00.000-07:00

Here's big Spence pulling up to play with toys. Part of me thinks, "no, this is going too fast," but he's so proud and gives you this smiling happy face - so what's a mom to do?

7 months

2011-03-28T13:46:00.001-07:00

mama's big man

up close and personal

so happy!

look dad, i can sit by myself!

Buses and Buzz

2011-03-27T08:39:00.000-07:00

This weather is becoming a little frustrating. I can deal when it's cold and I can deal when it's warm, but this back and forth is driving me bonkers! Last week started out warm and we made the most of it by playing outside - but by Friday the temp plummeted and AJ was wearing a winter coat! Oh well, it has to be getting better, seriously, we're almost to April.

Has anyone ever rode on the Lawrence Transit? We never have, but there's a bus stop not too far from our house. My neighbor and I decided it would be a great outing for the boys. We had a terrific time! We rode the bus from our stop to Pet World and played around there for awhile. Fish, lizards, rabbits and birds could keep Anderson entertained for a long while. We had a snack and caught the bus on it's way down to Mass St. It was about a 20min ride back to our place, so just long enough to be fun/interesting but not to the point of boring. Spencer just smiled at all the passengers, and Anderson, well, he fell asleep on the way home. Classic!

On Friday I was lucky enough to take Anderson to Disney's Toy Story on Ice. He won two free tickets - so we had to go! Holly was wonderful and watched Spencer in the morning, which made it a special outing for just mommy and Anderson. He had a great time, but we didn't stay for the whole thing. Buzz has been flying around our house ever since.

Seeing Green

2011-03-18T14:43:00.000-07:00

We've had some very busy and very fun days this week. After being cooped up with nasty sickness, we needed some big activities to get all our crazies out. For St. Patty's Day we put on our brightest green shirts and headed downtown to play at the park, eat lunch and watch the parade. The boys played with their friends Trevor and Avery -- and did amazingly well, even past nap time.

his buddy Trevor is standing beside him -- look at aj all hip with his hand in his back pocket!

beautiful weather for a picnic

my happy boy!

luv, luv, luv how he's holding his hand

Today was another fun date with Trevor and Avery! We went to Wonderscope in Shawnee. I've had grand plans all winter long to try it out and never made it. Well boo to me -- Anderson had a great time! We played on the farm, in the water room, with the train set, and even had a picnic lunch.

fun at the water table

aj is infatuated with trains right now -- not happy when we had to leave

What an exciting end to the week! Hopefully the Jayhawks keep the weekend just as exciting!!

Row row row

2011-03-17T06:45:00.000-07:00

your boat, gently down the stream. This has been Anderson's favorite song recently. They've been singing it during music time at school -- and I think it's adorable! This morning I had two little rowers in their boats. Toot toot!

We Need Spring

2011-03-14T06:11:00.001-07:00

This past week has been pretty rough -- both boys have been sick. They're still not totally through, but we can finally start seeing the light. When sickness happens it just makes everything feel blah -- the house, the toys, mom, everything is just covered in 'sick'. This is been consuming our days:

And I'm ready for smiles and fun again!

Tim's gma came to visit -- first family pic we've had in a long time!!

Jolly Green Giant

2011-03-03T09:23:00.000-08:00

Spencer is both jolly and green (thanks to our first taste of green beans), but he is most definitely not a giant. He just had his 6mo appointment and he's in the 13% for height and in the 21% for weight, and is one healthy boy!

It's time to move in to the wonderful world of baby puree. Green beans went over decently well, hooray! If anyone has and good baby food recipes, please send them over -- I'd love to try new ones!

anderson enjoying dinner and 'cheezin' for dad

6mo Valentine

2011-02-24T07:00:00.000-08:00

I know Valentine's Day was awhile back, but the moms' group that I'm in just did our exchange this week. Anderson and I made cookie hearts for the kiddos, and they were super-fun! I got the idea here. Besides being vibrant and cute, the cookies tasted wonderful. Anderson enjoyed it because we were making blue and red snakes -- however he kept pinching off the snake's "head" for a cookie dough treat. :)

Spencer turns six months today! Some big milestones for the little man are:

1) he's sitting up
2) grabbing and sucking on his toes
3) eating rice cereal --soon to be veggies!
4) rolling over, and over, and over
5) crawling -- yes you read that right. He is a movin' and groovin' little man. It's not the most graceful thing, but he's on all fours lifting his arms and legs. Sometimes he's getting a little confused about which body part to lift next (it's quite entertaining for mom), but he definitely has forward movement.

our little conductor

Spring Tease

2011-02-18T06:32:00.000-08:00

The weather we've had this week is awesome! However it's going to make me dislike the cold even more when it comes back! We decided to take advantage of the sun and made a trip to the Topeka Zoo yesterday. We had a great time, and I think the animals were lovin' the warm weather too. We didn't hit Gage Park -- we'll have plenty of opportunities later. This was my solution to a no-mud outing. :)

pretty fun when the lions get this close

aj realizing there's a flamingo really close!

spencer enjoying the sun!

ok, this is just funny -- he insisted on wearing my jacket when i got back from volleyball. he reminds me of a wizard -- mama's little harry potter, scar and all!

Frosty

2011-02-07T11:54:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was a snowman-building kind of day. Anderson was all about making sure he had a hat, and it's a good thing I had enough supplies in the kitchen for the rest of the face. Eyes - chestnuts, nose - carrot, mouth - almonds. Pretty sure the squirrels have ripped him apart by now. :) Spencer has been watching Anderson with such awe that he's starting to become a mover and shaker WAY before mom is ready!

does anyone else see a problem with this???

he has been wearing this hoodie since sunday a.m. -- still on

a little too much tummy time :)

Big Trip

2011-01-27T07:35:00.000-08:00

This past weekend we took Spencer to Chicago to visit my brother and sister-in-law. Crazy, I know. I mean seriously, who takes a baby to Chicago in the winter?! Who visits Chicago in the winter!?! Well, when Southwest is having amazing fare deals, we've gotta go. Anderson stayed here and played with his grandparents. Pretty sure he had more fun being the center of attention than having to share it in Chicago. Even after being gone 3 days, I still got a resounding "NO!" when I arrived to pick him up at Grams'.

way too much fun with grandparents!

Spencer has turned 5 months! It's harder to get a picture of Spencer alone -- once I put him in the chair Anderson wants to join. Anderson's "CHEESE" looks more like a grimace these days. :)

i love how they're holding hands!

Sledding and Sitting

2011-01-16T19:25:00.000-08:00

We had a pretty low-key weekend trying to get stuff done around the house. Before it gets yucky and colder again next week Tim went to play in the snow with Anderson. He received this awesome sled that looks more like a sleigh -- perfect for little guys who have balance issues sledding! We have just enough of a hill in our back yard for sledding fun. They had a blast, and of course Anderson didn't want to come back inside. Spencer and I had bath time fun while the boys were out -- and he's starting to do a pretty good froggy-sit these days. What a big man!

Spencer also had his first taste of rice cereal! He gobbled it right down, but his initial reactions weren't ones of enjoyment. Oh, and the Christmas bib is because I couldn't find our regular ones.

Snow Graffiti

2011-01-14T11:59:00.000-08:00

We ventured out in to the snow today to see if I have a budding Picasso on my hands. We had fun, but of course it was like 15min prep for 10min of fun. I filled up some water bottles with colored water and let Anderson go at it. Mostly mom had to help because we're just learning some of that dexterity.

art in progress

what a cheez

mama's little trooper

Anderson never climbed out of his crib before we moved him to a toddler bed. But now climbing IN to Spencer's bed is a new fun adventure. I only let him do it once -- mostly because I wanted to see if he could.

Dinosaur Days

2011-01-12T12:42:00.000-08:00

I have a stomping, roaring, teeth-bearing little dinosaur on my hands. Anderson loves his dinosaurs and we spend many afternoon stomping around the couch. There's a great PBS show called, "Dinosaur Train," that teaches kids about the different types of dinosaurs - and I've learned tons! Yesterday we had a dinosaur lunch and Buddy (Dinosaur Train) was able to sit with Anderson while he ate. Needless to say, he gobbled up his sandwich! :)

The End is Near

2010-12-29T18:15:00.000-08:00

of 2010 that is. We all tend to take these last couple days of the year to reflect on the past 12 months and to get excited and make promises for the new year. I am no exception. We have had such an amazing year, and one of my downfalls is that I haven't blogged about it nearly enough (now a promise for the new year). Here are some of our highlights:

1. Spencer arrived! (definitely the biggest highlight!)
2. We gained two sister-in-laws/aunts
3. Uncle Brandt took a job in Portsmouth, NH
4. A family ski trip to Breckenridge
5. A Kyly & Tim only trip to LA to visit Mike
6. We finished the basement -- ahhhh, a toy room for Anderson/Spencer!

When I think of 2011 the first words that come to mind are ORGANIZE & ENJOY. I realize that while raising kids my house will never be as organized as I would like, however, I can keep trying to get close. More items keep coming in before I'm able to remove/store old ones. Another word for 2011 - PURGE. Since I won't be pregnant in 2011, I'm hoping to ENJOY more adult activities - like traveling and wine. We have a couple trips in the queue, starting with Chicago in January. Of course, I also need to be sure to sit back and ENJOY my boys as well. Plenty of walks, books, snuggles, tickles, watermelon and swims are in the plans. I would also like to learn at least 2 new things in the new year. My thoughts so far are crochet and pie-making. (sad I know, I've never made a REAL homemade pie)

Here are some pictures from December -- we had such a great month! See the college for all our Christmas pictures!

Happy New Year!

watching the trains at union station

the horse parade downtown

spencer is 4 months!

3 months

2010-12-05T10:55:00.000-08:00

And 2 weeks!

look at that happy boy!

aj wanted in on the pics (he's counting spence's toes)

Anderson is 2!

2010-11-22T19:06:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Anderson!

Pictures of AJ eating some cake, well, maybe he is playing with it instead of eating.

Here are some of Anderson's "faces".

Happy face

Ornery face

Mad face

And last, but not least, Silly Face! (check out those teeth! I mean gums!)

4 of 4 -- Whew!

2010-11-07T12:40:00.000-08:00

So I finally made it through my 4 part series -- definitely NOT in a timely manner. However, we are finally caught up and that's what counts. Here are some fun pics from the fall!

too many friends in one boat

uncle tyson w/ spencer at his first wedding

halloween breakfast

anderson and simon

spencer and oliver

3 of 4 Plus Halloween

2010-11-03T12:09:00.000-07:00

Ok, so this series post I was suppose to do totally didn't happen. Boo. So a month later I'm telling you all about the pumpkin patch - which takes us nicely to Halloween.

We had so much fun picking out pumpkins this year - and it was awesome weather! He had quite the crew too - Grandma & Grandpa Pyle, Grandma & Grandpa Bateman, Grams, Uncle Tyson & Aunt Ashley and Uncle Austin & Aunt Holly. Whew! Anderson ran around inspecting pumpkins trying to decide on the best one, while Spencer took a snooze on mom. It was really funny to watch so many adults aimlessly follow a toddler around. Ha!

look at all these pumpkins!

down to the final 4

oh but this one is SO nice!

the only family pic where everyone is looking at the camera

Halloween also had great weather, so Grams and I took the boys down to Mass St for some trick or treating (Tim was out of town). Anderson was cool with putting on his dog costume, but I wouldn't say he was really in to it. Spencer made a super-cute dinosaur.

Part 2 of 4 and 2 months!

2010-10-25T06:01:00.000-07:00

Spencer turned 2 months yesterday. Crazy how the time is flying! My friend Debbie had these cool monthly stickers, so I had to copy her and use them for Spencer. However, they appear to be cooler in theory than in application -- most of the pictures we took had Spencer's hands in front of the sticker.

Two weeks ago my whole family was in town to celebrate my cousin's Jason's wedding and Spencer's baptism. After the baptism we all went out to the pumpkin patch too. What an awesome weekend.

My brother Tyson and his wife Ashley are Spencer's godparents. The ceremony with off without a hitch and Spencer was a quiet sleeping baby the whole time. He did get his "Simba" moment like Anderson. It was really cool to have so many loved ones there at church -- makes an already hormonal new mom very emotional. :)

the "circle of life" moment -- just wait, can you hear the music??

our growing family

Part 1 of 4

2010-10-14T11:13:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I am WAY behind in my posting. This will be a 4-part series - Farm Tour, Baptism, Pumpkin Patch, and fun random pics. We've definitely been keeping busy this fall -- how can we not with weather this great!

A couple weekends ago we went on the Kaw Valley farm tour. There were about 15 farms in the region that opened their doors for two days and let people come see what they do. We fit in 4 stops on Sunday afternoon before the boys told us that was enough. Vesecky family farm (animals), Blossom Trial Bee Ranch (speaks for itself), Pendleton's Country Market (butterfly bio, pumpkins and games for kids), and Davenport Winery (grape tour).

who are these guys??

and why are they following me???

One Month

2010-09-29T12:01:00.000-07:00

....and a couple days! Hard to believe but Spencer is already a whopping one month old! He's enjoyed lots of family, KU games and cat naps over the past weeks.

the first of many chair pictures

ready to cheer on the Jayhawks!

where you'll find Spencer most afternoons

Bath Fun & Breakfast Dates

2010-09-23T10:16:00.000-07:00

First baths are pretty scary, both for momma and baby. Spencer was a champ and handled it like a pro.

the resemblance to Anderson below is crazy!

We frequently have breakfast dates with Anderson's buddy Cohen at the park. The boys enjoy donuts and running around while the moms enjoy chit-chat and sip on coffee (ok, and maybe a donut!).

Fall Has Arrived

2010-09-17T07:20:00.000-07:00

And along with it comes football! Both boys are excited to cheer on the Jayhawks tonight!

Time flies

2010-09-02T15:15:00.000-07:00

Amazing how quickly a week goes! Hard to believe how much life has changed. Tim stayed home Spencer's first week and my mom has been here for the second week. Needless to say I'm a little nervous-nelly about next week when I have the boys on my own. I'm sure we'll find our new "normal" in no time. Here are some pics from the past week!

Anderson sporting his 'big brother' shirt that Uncle Tyson made

Spencer sporting his awesome shirt

Anderson was very interested in Spencer's eyes and nose

cuddle time with dad

cheezin' it at the hospital

Spencer Timothy

2010-08-25T17:42:00.000-07:00

Thought everyone would like to see a few pics of Spencer and our fun times in the hospital.

Cheezin' for Grams

2010-08-18T09:55:00.000-07:00

Anderson has been a stellar picture-taker for grams. See exhibits A and B. When mom or dad tries to take one we get a resounding "no!" and a pouty face. See exhibit C. What gives???

exhibit A

exhibit B

exhibit C

Over Due

2010-08-11T06:40:00.001-07:00

Ok, I'm not actually over due, but a new belly pic has been a long time coming. I'm down to the last little stretch and just trying to get everything prepared for his arrival. Baby stuff is being hauled out of the basement and Anderson's toys are being shoved in to every possible corner to make room.

38 weeks

Here's Anderson with some buddies after they decorated pet rocks. He was only kinda in to the whole operation.

Just like dad

2010-07-27T14:58:00.000-07:00

What little boy doesn't want to be just like his dad? Here's Anderson and Tim chillin' on the couch. Anderson HAD to wear his hat because dad was.....how cute!

Ok, so we also like to be like mom. He can't get enough of my sunglasses!

We went to the Topeka zoo and park last week with my cousin Jen and her kids. Definitely hot, but we had a great time! Here's Anderson the Explorer tackling the mountainous turtle!

New Room

2010-07-19T06:07:00.000-07:00

Right now we've had a lot of projects in progress as we await the arrival of Baby Bateman. They've been starting to stress me out -- which I will totally blame on my "nesting" phase. So I'm pleased to announce that we have one project done, Anderson's new room!

I've been concerned that changing rooms would be traumatic for him, but no way, he loves it! We're keeping his old room shut until the baby arrives so there's no confusion as to which one is his room. We've put his toddler bed in the room along with his crib so we can get accustomed to the new bed. Hopefully in a couple months we'll move the crib back to the nursery for the baby.

We've been having some great times enjoying the summer! Oh yes, and I failed to mention that we've had our first stitches incident. It involved a slide and the corner of the wall. Four stitches later and a little help from donuts and Elmo, everyone was ok.

love to eat mexican with dad!

refusing to wear a bib to eat, but need it to play -- go figure

enjoying wedding cake

all the water activities and we pick the smallest bucket

snack smorgasbord

Baby Game 2010

2010-07-14T14:01:00.000-07:00

Alright, it's that time again to start the guessing game as to when Baby Bateman #2 will arrive! At least this time you all know the gender. :) The winner of the Great Pumpkin Debate (aka Anderson) was Aunt Doris -- who will will this time, nobody knows!!!!

Bateman Bump 2010

Good luck!!

Fourth of July Fun

2010-07-08T14:13:00.000-07:00

Once again it's been awhile since I've posted some Anderson pictures. Geez. We've had a busy last couple weeks including a trip to grandma/grandpa Pyle's house and to the lake for the 4th. Lots of friends, family and fun in the sun this summer!

These pictures pretty much sum up the lake this past weekend. Anderson and his buddy Davis really had a great time and were full of hugs and giggles for each other. The slide show on the side has more.

i love this place!

a rare moment of non-movement

Here are some fun times over the last couple weeks:

using our lion as a sled down the slide

covered in confetti at the Mexican Fiesta

play time with cousin Ashley

helping Grams do the dishes

Father's Day Fun

2010-06-22T18:45:00.000-07:00

What's more relaxing for Father's Day than sitting pool-side?? We had a nice weekend enjoying the outdoors, naps, and hanging out with lots of friends. aka - perfect.

Relaxing while watching Elmo. If you can't tell, there's a gap between the couch and the ottoman -- I was kinda expecting Anderson to fall right through!

Eating our first popsicle. I remember being so upset as a kid when my mom gave me juice popsicles and all the other kids had "real" ones -- here I am turning in to my mom!

Belly Time

2010-06-22T10:04:00.000-07:00

Pregnancy has been flying by and its hard to believe that I only have 9 weeks left! Tim and I recently took a "pre-baby" trip to visit his brother in LA. Here's a belly pic from one of our many stops on Highway 1.

30 weeks

Mud Puddles

2010-06-18T14:16:00.000-07:00

Every time it rains we get what we affectionately call "Lake Bateman" in our driveway. It never fails that Anderson gravitates towards it....

what? like I'm suppose to pretend its not there???

Watermelon and Garden Hoses

2010-06-10T08:05:00.000-07:00

What screams summer more than a little boy drenched in watermelon juice and then watching him "clean up" with a garden hose???

Memorial Day Fun

2010-06-04T09:04:00.000-07:00

Anderson and I trekked it down to Arkansas over the long weekend to visit Debbie, Dan and Simon while Tim stayed at home and worked on the basement. Sad for Tim, but the basement is looking great!

Debbie and I ran those boys ragged for two days. We played outside in the water, went to a drive-through zoo and petting area, and BBQ'ed in the evening. Whew! The boys played very well together and it was awesome to catch up with Debbie!

petting the baby wolves

here comes trouble

holy smokes! a kangaroo!

pool-time fun

May Fun

2010-05-26T15:26:00.000-07:00

Anderson was a big help today and was watering my plants for me! Then we decided that the porch needed a little watering too...

We had fun with Abby this week at Deanna Rose. It was Anderson's first time to feed the goats, he giggled every time they took the food.

i

Go Royals!

2010-05-20T11:47:00.000-07:00

It's been a very busy couple weeks here, but I had to post pictures of Anderson's first Royals game! He lasted most of the game, but wasn't too interested. Dad even caught a foul ball for him!

reading our books

playing with our trucks

fun with dad and uncle brandt

Here's a couple other random fun pictures of Anderson.

New Home

2010-05-03T15:04:00.000-07:00

Anderson's new playhouse is finally ready! We finished washing it last week and Tim put it together this weekend. Anderson loves it! So much so that he was screaming when Tim and Grandpa were moving it to the back yard!!

welcome!

let me show you in

ahhh, home sweet home!

April Activities

2010-04-27T14:50:00.000-07:00

Here's some random shots from the month -- I've been slacking on picture taking recently. Also, my first belly pic!

21 weeks

lovin' applesauce

excited to see the jayhawk!

playing around

Car Wash

2010-04-16T07:10:00.000-07:00

We just got Anderson a Little Tikes playhouse, however it was in need of a good car wash. Since the weather was so gorgeous this week Anderson and I decided to start the project in our driveway. What a great helper! He helped wash and rinse the different pieces, however I guess being clean can get a little boring. I looked over and Anderson was covered head to toe in the mud puddle! What's a mom to do -- so I just sat back and watched him have a great time! Of course a bath was next on our agenda...........

I Wanna Be Like Grandpa

2010-04-09T05:58:00.000-07:00

On a recent day trip into KC, Anderson and I stopped by the Johnson County museum to see the Kidscape exhibit. It looks like a little town where kids can pretend to be different professions and go store to store. I think Anderson wants to grow up to be like Grandpa Pyle because we got stuck at City Hall playing with the trains!

Easter Fun

2010-04-06T06:52:00.000-07:00

We had such a great time this Easter -- the weather was gorgeous, we had family with us, and Anderson loved playing with his Easter goodies and hunting for eggs!

Two Monkeys

2010-03-31T05:54:00.000-07:00

That's right you read the blog correctly, I'm expecting a new addition to the family. I'm due at the end of August and we just found out that Anderson is going to have a baby brother!! Everything is going smoothly and the baby is very healthy. No belly pics to post yet, but I'll but sure to take some soon.

monkey #2

Coffeehouse Friday

2010-03-26T09:26:00.000-07:00

By the time you get to Friday it always seems like a little treat is required. This morning Anderson and I played "coffee shop" for breakfast. All we needed was a little background music for ambiance.

We've also been pulling out our wagon whenever possible. Great-grandma gave us one that has a push/pull feature. So awesome. It's way easier to push Anderson and see what he's doing than tugging him behind me!

Camera Ready

2010-03-23T18:22:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since I've posted some Anderson pics, and here's why:

Before when you would tell Anderson, "say cheese!", you'd get pictures like this:

And now I get a totally cheesy grin!! Be on the lookout, I think I have a ham on my hands!!

Spring in Springfield

2010-03-11T06:33:00.001-08:00

This past weekend we went down with our friends the Obrists to visit Davis (and his parents) for his 1st birthday. Last time these two guys got together they pretty much stared at each other from their tummies! How different it was this time -- they rode in the wagon together, played together and even gave hugs and kisses. We can't wait to visit again!!

must stop pit-stop -- Osceola Cheese!

(PS - all pictures are courtesy of Kristin)

who's driving this thing??

I don't walk anymore....just run

football anyone??

I'm not sure who enjoyed the swing set more, the kids or parents!!

Getting older

2010-02-25T19:40:00.000-08:00

Anderson had his 15mo appointment this week, and I'm glad to report that he's doing great. Ok, minus the double ear infection we have. Yuck. He's in the 40% for both weight and height. Hmmm, I think he must be carrying some of that weight in his cheeks. :)

Apparently 15mo is the age when you have to start carrying your weight around the house. As you can see, Anderson has already been put to work on the dishes and is even having to help mom with the cooking. Yikes!

Birthday fun!

2010-02-22T11:54:00.000-08:00

So I start a new decade today. Yikes! Of course I don't feel any different, but I could have sworn that something terrible was going to happen when I crossed that 30 threshold. What can be bad about 30 when you get cheesy moments like this:

We had such a great weekend! My amazing friends Ali and Debbie came up to help me celebrate. We watched the KU game, went to dinner and checked out the new Oread (of course we brought the men along). Anderson stayed back to hang out with his buddy Simon -- now the sharing part came later after Anderson got used to the idea of Simon using his toys. Then on Sunday evening Tim surprised me by having my brothers and Kristen and Holly come over for dinner and cake. How awesome! Surrounded by people I love all weekend, now that's enough to make a girl forget about the dreaded 30!!

Romantic Dinner

2010-02-15T13:32:00.000-08:00

Nothing says "Valentine's Day" like a romantic dinner out -- plus one!

Happy Valentine's Weekend

2010-02-13T11:19:00.000-08:00

Even though Valentine's Day is an over-the-top Hallmark holiday, it's still fun to eat all the candy and tell your special someones how wonderful they are. Anderson and I started off the weekend getting valentine doughnuts at Dunkin. How tasty!! I really thought this would be a leisurely activity where we would sit and munch doughnuts. Wrong. Anderson ate his half a doughnut lickity-split and we were out of there in like 15min. After that we went and visited dad at work and then ran off all that sugar at the Community Building toddler open gym. Later that afternoon we made our valentines -- Anderson thought they were super tasty! What a way to start off the weekend!

Helping mom

2010-02-10T09:23:00.000-08:00

Anderson really enjoys moving things from one place to another -- his item of choice, clothes. Frequently I can enter his room to find his drawer open and empty and all of his clothes have been placed behind the rocking chair. His stuffed animals have been moved from their basket to the clothes hamper. While I'm trying to do laundry it's no different. The dirty clothes get strung out all over the basement and the clean ones I'm trying to fold are transferred to his car. Hopefully in all this movin' and shakin' clothes don't start disappearing!

look mom, I'm helping!

wait, these don't go here???

ok, I'll drive them home

Ski Trip

2010-02-05T06:37:00.000-08:00

At the end of January we went skiing with my entire family. We were celebrating my parent's 30th wedding anniversary -- only like 7mo late! What an awesome time! Anderson loved all the attention he got from his uncles and soon-to-be aunts. I mean, what's better than constant smiles and cheers for everything you do?! He went sledding, checked out downtown Breckenridge and played at the resort daycare. To see the rest of our skiing adventure, see the slideshow on the side.

Snow fun

2010-01-21T09:30:00.000-08:00

We finally got a chance to play out in the snow! Between the freezing temps and the snow melting we had a small window to get Anderson out there. We also had to test out our bibs and snow boots since we're going skiing next week! Anderson thought the snow was great! Especially when dad would throw it in the air and it went 'splat' on the sidewalk.

After all that snow fun we decided it was a good time to go swimming!! I turned Anderson's pool into a ball pit, and man did he have fun!!

Winter Safari

2010-01-08T15:33:00.000-08:00

What do you do with a 13mo old inside for days on end because it is too cold to venture outdoors?? Well, you go on a safari inside, of course! How you do this you might ask -- well, here's our little adventure.

First you climb the mountain to see where the trail takes us

then you slide down the mountain just because its fun

load up in your car

oh wow a lion! and he walked right up to our car!

wait a minute, what kind of safari is this anyway???

Happy Holidays

2010-01-04T12:58:00.000-08:00

Now that we finally made it through the holiday season, it's time to have a recap. Anderson had a great time with all his grandparents and uncles. He pretty much loved the wrapping paper once it was off the presents. These pictures pretty much sum it up!!

Over the river and through the woods......

2009-12-23T10:55:00.000-08:00

We hope everyone has safe travels over the holidays!!

Husband of the year

2009-12-16T12:16:00.000-08:00

So I've been feeling a little under the weather this week and our adorable little son hasn't been seeing the necessity in taking a nap either. Tim came home for lunch today and told me to take a nap while he fed Anderson. Low and behold I didn't take just a 20min nap, but an hour! Tim took an extra long lunch to let me sleep, feed Anderson and clean the kitchen. Whatta guy!

Elves

2009-12-08T07:35:00.001-08:00

The first snow seems to have brought one of Santa's elves to our house! I found him checking out Anderson's room for safety...

Checking out the fireplace for potential Santa hazards......

Oh, its Anderson!!

Santa Slippers

2009-12-02T14:02:00.000-08:00

Here comes Santa Claus.......we're ready!!

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-30T10:22:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is such a wonderful holiday. Seriously, what could be better, it's centered around food (lots of it), family, and the beginning of the Christmas season. Every year we have plenty of things to be thankful for, but once Anderson showed up they seem more obvious. Besides the more traditional things I'm thankful for (health, great husband, patience, family), there are smaller things I'm thankful for this past year. Goldfish, $5 pizzas, DVRs and morning coffee, gotta love it!

Here's a look at last Thanksgiving compared to this Thanksgiving -- what a difference a year makes!!

We enjoyed dinner at Gram's house and at Grandma and Grandpa Bateman's house. Anderson tried all sorts of new foods, but I think pumpkin pie was his favorite!!

Happy Birthday Anderson!!

2009-11-23T18:21:00.000-08:00

He made it -- he crossed the finish line of his first year! Wow. Anderson celebrated yesterday with tons of his family and friends. You can tell he doesn't have any stranger anxiety because he moved from one person to the next just jabbering away. Everyone was his best friend!

He had an awesome crown and birthday shirt so everyone knew who the guest of honor was. Amazingly enough, he wore the crown most of the day. It was kinda like he didn't realize it was there until someone pointed it out, then he would pull it off.

his first present of the day with just mom and dad

showing off his sweet shirt

The main event was really fun to watch. Anderson was more interested in demolishing his cake than actually eating it. The frosting was so sticky that when he opened and closed his hand he looked like Cookie Monster. Ha!

he didn't wear the bib for the cake-eating constest

mmmm...me love cookies, i mean cake!

We want to thank everyone for their birthday wishes and generous gifts to Anderson. He's very blessed to have so many wonderful people in his life!!

PS - all the pictures are in the slideshow on the side.

Final countdown

2009-11-16T08:56:00.000-08:00

Anderson has a really big milestone coming up this next weekend, but I need to catch up on what we've been doing over the past week or so. We spent most of last week outside to enjoy the last bits of fall. We took walks, played down on Mass street and had many parties on the deck.

He also had his first experience with Sesame Street. The TV is right at Anderson's level and he is really terrible at standing directly in front of it. Normally he's trying to follow where the scrolling news is going at the bottom of the screen. Well, I turned on Sesame Street and told Anderson he could watch it but we'd have to move back. So I sat him down by the couch and he didn't move. He just stared and the TV and was infatuated with Big Bird. It was pretty comical!

This past weekend mom and dad (and Ali and Brett) hosted the 8th annual Turkeyfest. Although Anderson wanted to join in the festivities, he spent the evening over at Gram's house. He always enjoys reading books with Clancy and had a wonderful evening.

Our friends the Maloys and the McElroys were also in town for the weekend. Anderson and Simon had a great time together. They single-handedly destroyed the living room and the kitchen!

More leaves

2009-11-06T07:39:00.000-08:00

Anderson just can't get enough playtime in the leaves these days. Tim raked up all the leaves in the back yard for Anderson -- he seemed a little confused at the beginning and then decided it was great!

One toy is never enough :)

Glücklichen Halloween

2009-11-01T17:51:00.000-08:00

Happy Halloween!

Hope everyone had a wonderful Halloween! We had a great time taking Anderson around to see his grandparents and Josh. Here's my cute little German boy!!

Outdoor fun

2009-10-28T14:56:00.000-07:00

Anderson had fun in the leaves this afternoon as the weather was perfect for an October day.

We decided to take a walk,

next we tried a little off-roading,

oops, and then we had to change a tire.

New hairdo

2009-10-27T18:28:00.000-07:00

Here's Anderson's crazy goof hair in the morning. He has quite a bit but I refuse to cut it until at least a year.

Anderson loves to cuddle up to everything right now. Chewy's his favorite, but mom and dad's shoulders work well and he'll even lay his head on your knee when you're sitting. He just received a new pillow pal and luckily for Chewy its taking his place.

We tailgated last Saturday for the Oklahoma game, which was much more fun then the game turned out to be. Here's Anderson peeking through Uncle Brandt's legs. Love the overalls!!

11 months!

2009-10-23T08:29:00.000-07:00

That's right folks, Anderson is one month away from his first birthday!! This time last year I was thinking, "Ok, I'm full-term, let's do this thing!". Amazing how quickly time flies! We almost forgot to take his chair pictures -- so as you can see we had to improvise. He had a burst of energy last night before bed and getting him to sit still for a moment was almost impossible.

Last week we went to a wedding and had a great time. Anderson was loved by all! And I have to give a shout-out on the sweater he's wearing -- courtesy of the Yarn Barn. Love it! We also went to the Baldwin City Maple Leaf Festival and a birthday part at Chucky Cheese on Sunday. I think we might make the Maple Leaf Festival a yearly outing. There were tons of craft and food booths, plus a petting zoo and rides for kids!

Laundry

2009-10-15T07:40:00.001-07:00

Anderson likes to help me fold clothes....well mostly he likes pulling them off the couch and piling them up on the floor. Mama's little helper.

Homecoming

2009-10-12T13:02:00.000-07:00

What a blistery winter weekend for the KU Homecoming game! Brrr! Anderson did not attend the game and instead hung out at Grandma Susan's house. After the game we all tailgated at our house instead of the stadium. Good choice -- here we could actually enjoy each others' company instead of secretly wondering how much longer we were going to freeze our buns off in the cold.

My brother came to town so Anderson got to congratulate his Uncle Tyson and soon to be Aunt Ashley on their engagement!!

On Sunday we headed out to the pumpkin patch. It was still freezing, but all of Anderson's grandparents were able to join in the festivities and it was awesome to have everyone there. We pretty much picked our pumpkin within the first 5 minutes of getting off the trailer ride, but I don't think anyone had any objections. Anderson also checked out some large bulls, chickens and ducks. Then everyone warmed up with hot apple cider -- ok, actually just slightly thawed.

What a great weekend!!

Pumpkins and Balloons

2009-10-09T09:05:00.000-07:00

I do so great at blogging the week that Tim is gone, but then totally drop the ball once he gets back. Sheesh.

This week Anderson and I tried to squish in as much outdoor time as possible before the rain and cold weather hit. We went out to Pendleton Farm where Anderson played in the corn pit and looked at pumpkins. We didn't get any as this Sunday is our official pumpkin patch trip. We also took some walks and played at the park.

this pumpkin is too big

this one is just my size

Here's how we entertained ourselves yesterday while it poured outside. Anderson charged at the balloons imitating a bull.

He's been taking more and more steps at a time. Now he's walking across the room. Yikes!! Mostly he just has to work on balance and speed. I was able to catch a few pics in motion.

Happy Friday

2009-10-02T14:38:00.000-07:00

just to get you in the fall mood!

playing with our friends Phoebe and Griffin

the coolest coffee shop EVER! seriously, coffee and toys -- what more could we ask for??

Heading home

2009-09-30T19:54:00.000-07:00

The beer is gone! Oktoberfest must be over!! Tim comes back tomorrow and Anderson and I are very excited!!

We went to KC today to play with Anderson's second cousin Hank and to meet Gus. He is so adorable!! Always a good time when hanging out with family.

Busy days

2009-09-30T06:45:00.000-07:00

The week is winding down until Tim comes back and Anderson and I have had very fun days together.

On Monday we had a swimming date with Phoebe and Kristen. The Lawrence Aquatic Center has an awesome family area if you are in need of activities this fall/winter. I has a zero-depth entrance, huge slide and fun fountains!

Tuesday we took a trip to Topeka for lunch with Katherine and Trish and then headed to the zoo. We took Anderson's fun car to the zoo and when we went to the lions area one of the females thought it was a toy or something. She came right up to the glass where we were standing and was face to face with Anderson and me. Wow! She starting pawing at the glass and I was starting to have nervous thoughts about how sturdy the glass REALLY was while Anderson was just smiling away. Pretty wicked to be only inches (thankfully solid glass inches) away from a lion. To Anderson this was just a larger version of Chewy. :)

Katherine, Anderson and Trish

kinda the same face we were giving the lion......

That evening we had dinner at Gram's house and Anderson played with another one of his favorite pals Johnny.

play time at home

reading our books

loving on Chewy

First tailgate

2009-09-28T09:04:00.000-07:00

We had a great time tailgating after the KU win this past Saturday. My parents, aunts, uncles and cousins were there to celebrate with food, drink and kiddo entertainment!!

meeting new friends!

Go Jayhawks

2009-09-26T08:25:00.000-07:00

Anderson is ready for today's big game!!

I've been trying to blockade our vertical blinds so they're not a play toy for Anderson, however, he is one smart puppy. He crawled through the bar stool to get there.

one big no-no

but mom, i'm too cute to be in trouble

Playing around

2009-09-25T05:01:00.001-07:00

having kitchen fun

playing in the leaves and grass

showing mom his cool find!

Miss you already dad!!

2009-09-24T06:23:00.000-07:00

Anderson had an evening with Grams while I went to pilates. He always loves bath time and here's his evening with Grams:

This is what Anderson did tonight:
picture 1 - followed me down the hall
Picture 2 - raced me into the bathroom
picture 3 - eager for the water to start running
picture 4 - oh boy, a bath
picture 5 - that bath was really exhausting

10 Months

2009-09-22T18:00:00.000-07:00

Wow, already 10 months!

Look at the following picture, amazing similarities, huh?? No, we didn't dress Anderson up in 1950's gear, its Grandpa Jim!!

Tim and Josh leave on Wednesday to visit Ryan in Munich. They'll be gone a week so Anderson and I are already booking up our days with fun activities!! To make sure Tim doesn't get too sad about missing Anderson (and me) I'll probably be doing plenty of blogs. Everyone will get their Anderson fix!

Catching Up

2009-09-16T06:33:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I'm way behind on Anderson updates! Over the past two weeks we've celebrated Gram's birthday, Tim amd I went to a wedding in Colorado while Anderson played with his grandparents, and we had our doctors appt. Anderson is still in the lower half, coming in at 30% in height and 40% in weight. This weekend we're off to Great Bend to celebrate Tim's grandma's 80th birthday!!

Here's some pics over the past couple weeks to get us caught up.