Another day at the park

Today was just too nice of a day to spend it indoors. We got all of the house cleaning done first thing in the morning, including shampooing of the carpets, and then we headed to the park for the afternoon. It was the perfect afternoon for sitting out by the water. Landon loves the park. He's not yet at the age where he can do much, but he has a blast swinging in the swings. After the swings we all went and relaxed on the dock. Landon loves looking at the water. I can't wait for our trip to the beach this summer. He is going to have so much fun.

"Here's your keys back Daddy. I had a blast driving!"

Landon getting Mommy kisses out by the water




My two babies swinging together

We're not very good at the self-picture taking

Landon refused to get dressed until he finished his book!

The beginning of this week has been fairly low key. We ordered Landon's party invites only to realize that I never placed his name anywhere on them! I called the number as soon as I realized, but they can't fix them. We can't realistically re-do them because they were $50 so we'll have to make do with them the way that they are. I must have looked over the invites a million times and I never realized that I didn't put Landon's name on them. Actually, many people looked over them for me and nobody picked up on it. Oh well...you live and you learn. We also picked up Landon's birthday present because I had a 15% off coupon that was about to expire. He is going to love it. I can not wait for Landon's birthday and to see how big he will smile when he opens his gift. We placed Landon in the display one at the store and he had a blast...he didn't want to get out of it. He is going to be so excited.

Wordless Wednesday

Relaxing days at home

Not much has happened this weekend. We are just staying home this week and relaxing. We did enough traveling and outings last weekend to last us through this week. Although tomorrow we are heading out to the Town Center, but it's just going to be a short trip to Babies R Us for diapers. Although I am sure that we will be walking around there for most of the afternoon. Landon is steadily trying to walk. He will stick one foot out and wave it around in the air and then bring it back in. I think he is a little scared to try to take off and walk. Landon can also stand on his own, but won't. We have left his hands go while he is standing up and he will stand there for several seconds before sitting down. I think Landon just prefers the comfort of us holding him up. As I mentioned in the last post, Landon is getting another tooth in. He doesn't really cry in pain he just wants to nurse all of the time. He is definitely a comfort nurser. I am glad that I am able to soothe him in that way, but he is draining me of all of my energy. I went to bed at 8:00 p.m. last night! Just when I feel like I am too tired to do anything, Landon shoots me the biggest smile and my tiredness disappears. He is doing some of the funniest things lately too. He has learned how to fake cough and starts laughing at himself once he's done "coughing." He also growls at us too. I don't know where he got that from, but it is really cute because he even scrunches up his nose when he growls.

St. Patty's Day pic

"Cheese"

Landon looks so grown here

An ice pop makes his sore gums and teeth feel better.

Wordless Wednesday

7th tooth

Landon got his 7th tooth in today! It's been at the surface for a few days now and broke through this morning. I couldn't be any luckier- Landon doesn't fuss once when he gets new teeth in. He has also been playing independently more and more. It allows me a few minutes to clean up behind him. This afternoon as I was cleaning up his highchair from his lunch I kept seeing him crawl underneath his jumperoo. I finally went over there to see what he was up to and Landon had collected some hangers and blocks and placed them in the corner by the couch. He also places his balls underneath of the couch- I guess for safekeeping.

This is what I kept seeing

Caught in the act!

Looking through his photo book

A Day in St. Augustine

Today was another fun-filled day. We headed down to St. Augustine early this morning and spent the entire day there. We planned it out to where he would take his first morning nap in the car so that he would be well rested and in a good mood for the rest of the afternoon. We started the morning off by heading to the Carters store to buy Landon some new pajamas and then we headed to the old town. It felt so nice outside and it was such a relaxing afternoon. There was a Greyhound show going on somewhere around there so there were a lot of big dogs everywhere. Landon loves dogs and he enjoyed watching them, talking to them, and waving at them. I must say that the stores are not stroller friendly. That is my biggest pet peeve with stores. When we go to the mall I just put Landon in the carrier and "wear" him around. It makes it a lot easier. I just didn't want to carry him around like that all day long in the heat so we took the stroller. I wish stores would take strollers into consideration when they are planning and organizing their aisles...I'm stepping down from my soap box now. We took Landon out to the water by the Bridge of Lions and he even got his very first glimpse of dolphins. There were three of them in the water. He even got to see a bird eat a large fish. Many big sights for such small eyes! I was amazed at how well Landon behaved. We were out all day and he didn't fuss once. He truly is growing up.

Daddy showing Landon the boats

Landon showing Mommy the boats

Landon was too busy looking around to take a picture

All tired out after a long day

We take a picture here everytime we go

A Day at Hannah Park

We spent the afternoon at Hannah Park. We enjoyed a day out on the water paddle boating. Landon had so much fun on the paddle boat. He also looked incredibly cute in his life jacket. We then headed over to the beach that they have at the park. It was Landon's first time in the ocean. It was a little windy out so we just put his feet in it quickly for some pictures. He was a little hesitant at first, but I think he will be a water baby. Hannah Park is a really nice park with lots of bike trails. As soon as I get a bike with a baby seat we are going to take Landon out there for some bike riding. It will also be the site for his first camping trip when he is a little bit older. Tomorrow will be spent in St. Augustine so check back for more pictures.

Landon in his life jacket

Landon loved the boat ride!

Landon's 1st trip to the beach

Not so sure about the water

Having fun in the water with Daddy

Finders Keepers

Today we spent the afternoon at the Finders Keepers sale at the Morocco Shrine Center. If you have little ones to buy for, it is well worth the trip. Landon made out like a bandit. He came home with 9 pairs of pants/shorts, 3 overalls, 12 tops, 2 sweater vests, a rocking horse, a ball popper toy, a set of Winnie the Pooh books, and a Winnie the Pooh jack-in-the-box. All of that for under $100! Thanks Mom for everything that you bought for Landon. I couldn't believe all of the stuff that they had for sale. Landon is set for the summer. Tomorrow we will be headed out to Hannah Park for a relaxing afternoon and Sunday we will be headed down to St. Augustine. It will be a very busy weekend, but I am looking forward to all of the outings. Here is a picture of all of the loot that Landon brought home:

I also have to share the way that Landon napped today. He was sleeping while sitting up in the corner of his crib. It was the cutest thing. Too bad the nap was short lived...he only napped for 15 minutes!

Wordless Wednesday

Well Rested

Thanks to Daylight Savings Landon now sleep until 7:45 a.m.! It's a little harder to get him down at night because the sun is still out at bedtime, but he is still going down by 7:00 p.m. He is so well rested and eats and plays better throughout the day when he gets proper sleep. Right now he is off playing with a water bottle filled with coins. Like I've mentioned before, Landon plays with the oddest things. A little tupperware container kept him busy while I cooked dinner last night. We took Landon to the park the other day and I took a bunch of photos of him on the swings. He loves the swings and fussed a little when we took him off. I'm going to start taking him to the park several times a week because he really enjoys it.

Landon swinging on the swings



All smiles!

Landon also has a new hobby which is helping out with the laundry. He's really unfolding what I have already folded, but he has fun doing it.

This next video that I am posting has nothing to do with Landon, but it's too funny not to post. A few weeks ago Matt, Jenn, and I took Alex to his doctor appointment. While at the hospital Matt decided to flip over a railing for laughs. He did it once, but wasn't satisfied with the result so he then did it a second time. He fell on his shoulder and had to go to the ER. He wound up tearing a ligament in his shoulder and will most likely require surgery to repair it. He had an MRI taken yesterday and we will have the results by tomorrow. He's in a lot of pain, but it made a good video! Enjoy a laugh at Matt's expense and watch the video!

Here is the after picture of Matt:

Landon is 10 Months Old!

Landon's 10th month photo with Pooh

My little Landon is 10 months old today! My how quickly time flies. I can't believe that in just two short months he will be a year old. Landon is still not talking, but he is doing a whole lot of babbling. We are still struggling with nap times, but he goes to bed by 7:00 p.m. every night without a struggle. We are no longer rocking him to sleep. We just lay him down in his crib for the night and he "talks" to himself and his toys for a few minutes until he falls asleep. It sounds so cute when he does it. It sounds as if he is telling himself a bedtime story. I have to admit that I really miss rocking him to sleep, but I knew that we couldn't do it forever. I do still rock him every now and then though. He is still a baby so I should be allowed to "baby" him for a little while longer. Landon is getting so tall. He can now reach up onto the dining room table and get things off of it when he stands on his tippie toes. His head also now comes above our bed when he is standing next to it. I can't believe how tall he is getting. He can also now stand for a few seconds at a time without holding on to anything. Landon also believes that he can walk and will fall flat on his face three times in a row before he realizes that he can't walk just yet...he is a determined little guy. I'm certain that his 10th month will be filled with milestones including talking and walking.

Landon reading to himself

Wordless Wednesday

Before I was a Mom....

It's amazing to me how the smallest things in life make you reflect back on life. Today Landon and I made a quick run to Wal-mart and the decision of where to park made me realize how much my life has changed over the past 10 months. Before I was a Mom I drove around the parking lot looking for the closest spot to the entrance. Now I drive around the parking lot looking for the closest spot to the cart return. Once Landon is buckled into his carseat I don't want to leave the car to walk across the parking lot to return the cart. I always make sure to park next to the cart return when Landon and I are out by ourselves. I came across the following poem on the internet and it sums up the life of a mother perfectly:

Before I was a Mom I made and ate hot meals.

I had unstained clothing.

I had quiet conversations on the phone.

Before I was a Mom I slept as late as I wanted.

And never worried about how late I got into bed.

I brushed my hair and my teeth everyday.

Before I was Mom I cleaned my house each day.

I never tripped over toys or forgot words to lullabies.

Before I was a Mom I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous.

I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom I had never been puked on, pooped on, spit on, peed on, or pinched by tiny fingers.

Before I was a Mom I had complete control of my mind, my thoughts, my body and all my feelings.

I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom I never held down a screaming child so that doctors could do tests or give shots.

I never looked into teary eyes and cried.

I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.

I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put it down.

I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt.

I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much.

I never knew that I could love someone so much.

I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body.

I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby.

I didn't know that bond between a Mother and her child.

I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important.

Before I was a Mom I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was OK.

I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love, the heartache or the satisfaction of being a Mom.

I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much......

......before I was a Mom.

Author Unknown

A Day of Discoveries

This past weekend was spent helping Matt and Jenn move into their new place. I went over there yesterday to help them unpack and while I was hanging some curtains Landon was busy climbing the stairs behind me. We had no idea that Landon was able to climb up stairs. He has never been around stairs and he climbed those stairs as if he does it on a daily basis. Here's a video of him climbing up the stairs. You'll also notice a blue piece of plastic in Landon's hand. It was the packaging to a curtain rod and he held on to it all day long. He always becomes attached to the most strangest items. We couldn't pull it away from him without him getting upset. Kevin and I could have been saving a lot of money these past 10 months by just giving Landon plastic, cardboard, and remote controls to play with instead of toys.

Landon and Tink also somehow wound up packed in a box on moving day. I think Kevin was behind that one!

Landon has been playing with his toys by himself for a few minutes here and there lately. While he's playing I sneak away to get dressed or clean the house. Yesterday as he was playing in his room I went to fold his laundry. After a few minutes I realized that Landon was quiet (never a good thing) and I went into his room to check on him. I found him sitting in the corner of his room behind his crib playing with his Valentine's balloons. It was the cutest thing. He kept punching them and when the balloons popped back up to him he punched them back down again.

This is how I found him. He's just sitting in the corner- hoping if he is really still then I won't see him!

Getting ready to hit the balloon

"I'm not doing anything wrong" look.