Our Exciting News!

Anna Lee has some exciting news she wanted to share! She is going to be a big sister!! Our new little Litton is due at the end of April. We are so excited and so thankful for such a wonderful blessing. Please keep this little one in your prayers, as he or she grows over the next few months.

Just a Few New Facts...

Anna Lee is changing every day, and literally makes us laugh every day. I feel like I haven't written an update about her in a while, so here are a few of my favorite things about Anna Lee lately (and a few random pictures too):

• Anna Lee knows no stranger. I have always considered myself to be relatively outgoing and social...but I don't come close to Anna Lee! Anna Lee doesn't like to let anyone pass by her that she doesn't greet with a bright and friendly "Hello!" or "Hi!" This is is actually startling to most people who aren't expecting it from her. Her favorite place to greet is at the grocery store for some reason. She usually gets a good amount of chuckles...and has made a couple of good friends by the end of our trip.

• She is absolutely one of the most talkative people I have ever met. She rarely stops. Her teacher at school is already amazed at how "chatty she is!" Anna Lee seems to always have something to say, whether you understand it or not. It is obvious that she has more and more clear intent in the things she is telling you now, because she is starting to get frustrated with us when we don't understand. It is fun to listen to her language skills grow, and to listen to her learn new words everyday!
  
  
  
  
• That girl LOVES Sesame Street! She can name every character on the show (and does so multiple times during the day). For a while, Miss Pattycake was her favorite...now she is an Elmo girl...but Hermie the Wormie is quickly gaining on him!


• She now seems to LOVE school. She loves her teacher, and talks about her often. It is fun to hear her tell us about what she did each day at school. I usually get a lot of "fun" and "play," as well as the names of some of her new friends. It took Anna Lee a couple of days to get used to the idea of getting dropped off somewhere new without me. Last week, it was World War III dropping her off, with screaming and crying and her legs and arms wrapped around my legs. It has been a gradual growing process. On Tuesday of this week, she sadly got out of the car and said "Bye, Elmo," "Bye, Ernie," etc. to all of the characters on her sticker book in the most pitiful voice you have ever heard. It was hilarious....and hard to not laugh. I just had to tell them good-bye too.





• Anna Lee is pretty much potty trained. As young as she is, she has done it all herself. She was much more ready than I was, and has done such a great job! She has made it easy for me!



• Some of her random favorites: Starbucks pumpkin bread (she would eat this all day every day if I let her), Chick-fil-A juice and chicken, oranges, Rice Krispies, shoes (she already loves to get to pick out which pair she wears), her blankie and passy, doggies, her dolly (I have found her dolly several times apparently "going to the potty" in Anna Lee's little potty lately---makes for a really clean toy!), her Go Fish CD, taking a shower instead of a bath, stickers....usually on her face.






• Anna Lee is extremely uncoordinated. The girl can't figure out how to walk up and down stairs! We have started a little gymnastics class on Fridays, and I think it has been good for her so far. She is the only one in the class that has gotten hurt so far...twice.






• Last but not least, Anna Lee is getting some hair!!! You can see in some of the previous posts that she has even been able to wear a little bow lately! It was an exciting day for us! Her hair is growing faster in the back than on the tops and on the sides...she has a cute little curl that I am afraid is quickly turning into a rattail (Anyone remember those? There was a boy named Jose in my 5th grade class that had a long one. He sat in front of me, and I always wanted to cut it off!) Her rattail is a little cuter than that, with a good amount of body. Her hair is so blonde, it is hard to tell in pictures or from far away that she has any at all....but it is finally coming along!

Anna Lee is so much fun! This age is so fun...to see her change and grow so quickly! She really is a blessing to our lives in every way.

School Days

Anna Lee started school last week for the first time. It is hard to believe she can possibly be old enough to be going to school! She goes to a preschool at a church in our neighborhood Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 to 2. She isn't the happiest camper when I drop her off, but is all smiles and chatter about the day when I pick her up. We took pictures before we left the first day. She is a big fan of her new Elmo lunchbox and her new pink backpack!

We're Back!

On Labor Day weekend, we all made the trip down to Jim's parents' house in Waco. We had such a fun family weekend! Anna Lee loves her cousins, and had a blast playing with them. Here they all are together after church Sunday morning. Anna Lee was loving it! It was quite an accomplishment to get a picture of all of them together...smiling at the camera!

Jim's mom, GranDee, helped the girls play "dress up" one evening. I don't think Anna Lee really understood what was going on, but she played along anyway....and even posed for pictures!

Kasen and Anna Lee are only 9 months apart. They already love being with each other. It will be fun to see the friendship they form as they get older.
After we left Waco, Jim and I dropped Anna Lee off in San Antonio for a week of fun with my parents. She had constant activities and attention...all that she could possibly want! They went on a trip to the petstore, went to meet friends, ate plenty of pumpkin bread from Starbucks (her absolute favorite!), read tons of books...mostly about Elmo...she can't get enough of him!, painted, colored, and swam. What a week of fun! Thank you, Mom-Mom and Grandad!

While Anna Lee enjoyed San Antonio, Jim and I headed to Cabo, Mexico!!! We had the greatest week of relaxation by the beach!

The famous "arch"

Our hotel was so great!







This was a picture I took one morning off of our balcony as I watched the sun rise. It was such an amazing way to see the beauty of God's creation.

But for all of the fun we had...this was the smile we missed the most! (minus the yogurt!)