Look what I can do!

Landon is pulling up on anything he can get his hands on. I was unloading the dishwasher the other day and he crawled like a mad man to get to it. Once he got himself up, he then decided he wanted to try to "climb" in. Instead of telling him no or getting him down, I opted to grab my camera.

Landon has been sporting his teething necklace this past week. Which I am happy to say, his 8th tooth broke the gums yesterday. Who knew someone could get so excited to see another tooth. His 7th tooth popped through a few days ago so we have started to see a pattern with him... he gets his teeth in pairs. Which is ok with me. That just means he's that much closer to having all of his teeth and being done with this teething mess. These days, Adalyn is really into "playing doctor". Doc Mcstuffins on Disney is her new favorite show. He has her very own "doctor bag" and tells Adam and I that we are the patients. She will sing the theme song of the show as she works on us. It's adorable. Maybe she will grow up to be a doctor or nurse one day. That would be totally fine by me! She is also in to playing with play-doh. Just like every other toddler I know.

We had the pantry open the other night while we were cooking and Landon decided to pull everything off the bottom shelf then he attempted to get in. Adalyn saw him and wanted to join in on the fun.

Oh boy are we busy!!!

The Mother of the Year Award...

goes to me. No, not really. I definitely don't deserve this whatsoever! Landon got his first major , ok little, boo boo today. I had him in his room standing by his leap frog learning table that he loves. He will stand there for the longest time and then sit down and crawl to something else when he's done. I put him in front of that so I could run back to the computer and finish downloading a design to my card for sewing. I heard a thud and a huge cry so i obviously high tailed it down the hall to see what had happened. I found him next to the wall and he had pulled his Sock Monkey night light out of the socket. The sock monkey cut a little of his eyelid as it fell to the floor. I saw blood so of course I immediately wanted to throw up, (blood doesn't bother me but when I see it on my baby it does. I know, I know, suck it up!)hold him, call Adam, then call Carla. That's what went through my mind in about 3 seconds. Adam because I wanted him home and Carla to tell me he was okay since she's a nurse. ha. I knew he was going to be ok, but something about seeing your baby hurt just does something to you. And this was just a little cut with a little blood. I could not even begin to imagine those parents who have had to deal with their baby/child being in the hospital for whatever reason. I am so thankful it didn't hit his actual eye. His little eyelid is just so thin it instantly started to swell a little. I got a wipe so I could dab the blood and he wailed even louder. So I grabbed a washcloth (dry) and tried to dab again and ended up just giving up on that. I figured the wipe made it burn and he obviously just didn't want anything touching it at the moment so I just sat in his chair and rocked him. After about 5-10 minutes, he was trying to crawl out of my arms so he could go play. My stomach was in knots for a while after that just because I hated that it happened. Every time he rubs his eyes, he whimpers a little. But, the good thing about it happening to a baby, he has already forgotten about it. Adalyn was real concerned about him when she first saw it. Her instinct was to "play doctor" on him which I quickly told her not to think about it. So instead she babied him and gave him kisses. Adam had to tell me that this was the first of MANY cuts and bruises for him and to basically get prepared. I already know that but I'm sure when he (and Adalyn) are 16 and playing ball and get hurt, I will want to cry. And for those who are wondering, the night light is in his closet on a shelf. It kind of makes me sad because that was the cutest night light ever. It's a shame I had to put it away! Ugh, doesn't it look bad?! Most of the blood you see is dried. It looks just like a regular cut once we gave him a bath tonight so it doesn't look as bad. It is still swollen but I know that will go away soon. Poor baby!

Father's Day

We celebrated Father's Day while in Helen this year. All Adam talks about is getting things for his garage so we decided we would take him to pick out his gift once we were home. I wasn't even going to attempt to buy something, wrap it, and then pack it for our trip. It would have probably gotten ruined along the way. The kids and I are SO blessed to have Adam. He is without a doubt the best father I could have ever asked for for our children. He is so patient, loving, thoughtful, and will do absolutely anything for them and me. We love him so much and we are so very thankful for him! The card I made for him. I have made one for him since Adalyn was born. The picture makes it so special! Happy Father's Day Adam! We Love You!

Weekend getaway

This past weekend we left for Helen, GA to meet up with the rest of Adam's family. We go every summer around this time. The town reminds me of a very small Gatlinburg, but there really isn't a whole lot to do. But that's ok because with two kids, the simpler, the better! We always have a great time. Friday morning we got loaded up and headed to the Ocoee to Patsy and Bo's house. We were spending the night with them which helps break up the 4 hour drive to Helen. Every time we go to their house you instantly feel relaxed. I can't even go in to detail as to how gorgeous their house is. It's so peaceful. Not long after we arrived, Jerry, Nancy, and Tori pulled up. Oh Adalyn was just beside herself. She was so excited. She always clings on to Tori whenever she is around and Tori was the BIGGEST help. She kept her occupied while one of us took care of Landon. Landon just crawled around and played with whatever he could grab and was passed around so everyone could love on him. We played outside the majority of the afternoon and ate a delicious supper. Thanks Patsy! That night, Adalyn slept with Nancy and we had Landon in his pack n play in our room. They both slept great! The next morning, we packed everything BACK up, (that's what is so hard about traveling with kids. You have no choice but to practically pack your entire house when you go somewhere) and got on the road. Landon was so tired and ended up falling asleep before we could get out of their driveway. Which in all honesty, is like a mile long. Or so it feels. Adalyn rode with Jerry, Nancy and Tori. That meant is quiet ride for us! :) ha. Landon slept for an hour and a half and woke up when we had about 20 minutes to go. I LOVE riding in a quiet car. Jerry told me Nancy spotted a few yard sales on the way and Adalyn would say, "Wahoo! A yard sale!" Silly girl. Once we got there and settled in, we met up with the rest of the family and started our weekend! We immediately went swimming. Adalyn's favorite thing to do. After that, both kids slept and when they woke up, they went to play on the play ground while Melissa and I started cooking since it was our night to fix dinner for everyone. We then ate our dinner out on the deck. It was so nice! After we ate, Jackson and Adalyn started to chase each other. This wore them out. Well, I know it wore Adalyn out. I overheard her say, "I need a break". and then she sat down. Jackson kept telling her, "Adalyn! Come chase me! Come chase me!" She then said," Ok Jackson! Be patient!" hahaha We cracked up. She must hear that word a lot. ;) After dinner, we went swimming again. Swimming is the best way to tire out some two year olds. When we got back to the room, I put Adalyn and Landon in the bathtub and then we played in the living room for a bit before bed. It was a long day! Sunday morning we woke up and decided to go tubing down the river. This takes about 2 hours to do and we decided to bring Adalyn this year. Here is Adalyn and her "Tommy Hunke" before we went down the river We left Landon with Nancy and Patsy. We each had a tube and strapped them together. The river has a few small rapids but nothing too big. Every year we do this there are always a lot of people doing it, too. I wish I could have brought my camera. Adalyn got to ride on a school bus for the first time and she thought she was big stuff! The bus takes you to the top of the river then you float down to town where you parked your car. Like I said, it takes about 2 hours and Adalyn ended up falling asleep while laying on Adam. She was woken up about 30 minutes later to ice cold water that splashed in their tube as we went down a rapid. Later on Adam put rocks in the center of her tube to keep her occupied. She loved throwing them out. But since the rocks were in the center, that meant she was sitting on the edge. We hit another small rapid and back she goes. Out of her tube. Before the trip even started I made the comment that I hope she doesn't fall out. It's too cold to jump in after her. ha. Well, there I went out of my tube to get her. Her eyes were as big as saucers. As I pulled her up, i fell in the water a little further, so I pulled up again, and this time my float came out from under me and she fell back in the water again. lol. It was quite comical actually. Once I finally had her sitting back in her tube all she said was, "My rocks!" They had fallen out so Adam grabbed some more. She is so tough. Once we were all finished tubing, we head back to the condo for lunch and naps. Adam put Adalyn to sleep while I fed Landon and put him to sleep. I then layed down in the living room and took a nap myself! We had hamburgers and all the sides that go along with that for dinner that night thanks to Dave, Sherrie, Kenny, Tommy and Sarah. It was delicious. Oh, and the dessert! Ah, so good. Even Landon liked it! Since Adalyn is weird and doesn't eat much, she didn't even want to try it. After we ate, we all headed to the pool for the evening. After we swam, I sent Landon with Sherrie and Dave and we all headed to the hot tub for a while. Adalyn loved it. We came back to find Landon asleep. Sherrie has the touch! It was late so we took the kids back to the room, gave them baths, and then we all went to sleep. The next morning we sent the kids over to Jerry and Nancy's so they could watch them while we packed up and got ready to leave. We were on road before 10. I get really car sick and of course the mountain we have to climb over pretty much makes me want to throw up. I was so glad to be off that thing. We had some whinny kids for the first part of the trip. Once we made it down the ocoee, we stopped at Subway and ate. Got back in the car and the kids slept for most of the way home. Again, I love a quiet car. We had a great weekend getaway with Adam's family. It's always good to go, but even better to be back home! Thanks to everyone who helped us out with the kids! Esp. Tori!! We are very thankful!

9 Months Old!

Saturday, June 16, Landon turned 9 months old. That was our first day in Helen, GA to spend a long weekend with family but I'm so glad I remembered to bring his 9 month sticker so I could take his picture. Since the day he turned 1 month old, I have placed him somewhere so I could get his picture with his monthly sticker. I loved the idea of doing this because it really gives you a great idea as to how much he has grown month by month. It's amazing. Well, this is the first month he would not just sit still for me. In the past, I was able to plop him down anywhere and he would just smile and laugh. This month on the other hand was a different story. Now that he's crawling everywhere, he immediately started to get on all fours to take off. Adam ended up standing him up so I could get a good shot that way. Here is an update on our 9 month old! We took him for his check up yesterday and he weighed 21 lbs 2 oz and was 29 3/4 inches long! Big, big boy! He wears size 4 diapers, 12 month clothes, and 18 month swim trunks. He crawls all over the place. When I'm holding him and he's ready to get down, he will practically wiggle his way out my arms and as soon as he hits the floor, he's off. He also can sit himself up after he is finished crawling. It's amazing what one week can do for a baby. About a week or so ago he was only pulling up while in the bathtub, now, he pulls up on anything he can touch. When he pulls up in the tub, he always has a toy in his hand and then will let go for a few seconds and balance himself before he sits back down. As soon as he hits the water, he is reaching for the side of the tub again to stand back up. He would much rather be standing than sitting now. I try to sit him down in front of his toys and he straightens those legs out and arches his back because he wants to stand. He loves walking when we hold his hands. He thinks he's big stuff. I nurse him 5 times a day and he eats solids 3 times with snacks occasionally. He is a wonderful sleeper and so easy going. He is clapping and now waves "Bye Bye", but only when he feels like it. He also signed "All Done" the other day after Adam finished feeding him. He hasn't done it since but he will soon enough. His 7th tooth broke the skin this morning. I see another bottom one trying to work its way out, too. He loves being in the pool. He sticks his hand in the water then sucks on it.Then repeats the process over and over again. With Adalyn we were pretty cautious as to what we gave her to eat. We made all of her food and we do the same for Landon. We didn't really let her eat table food unless it was "healthy". With Landon, we basically let him eat whatever we are eating. It's amazing how much different you are with your second. It's not that you care less, it's just you know it's OK for them to do or eat certain things. He recently had his first chocolate chip cookie which he loved. He also had some bites of a brownie dessert, cooked whole carrots, mashed potatoes which he didn't care too much for, Popsicles,and some bites (or more like licks) of my turkey sausage I had for breakfast this morning. His favorite snack would have to be Banana. We pull off a large piece and he holds it himself and eats it that way. I can't believe in 3 short months we will be celebrating his first birthday! I have everything planned out in my mind, i just have to get on the ball and start buying things. Happy 9 Months Landon Riley!

Time to lower the mattress

Landon will be 9 months old Saturday which blows my mind. The past week or so he has been bookin it all over our house! He is on a mission where ever he goes and when he's done crawling around, he will either roll on his back and play with a toy or cry until we pick him up. He has been pulling up in the bathtub everynight and last night while I was in Hillsboro sewing, Adam called me to let me know he's pulling up then standing by himself for a few seconds before plopping back down in the water. While doing this stunt, Adam said he had a little bucket in his hand and would not let go of it. So that definitely takes some skills. :) Fast forward to this morning... I heard him playing in his crib after his morning nap so I went to his door to peek in at him. I watched him go from his belly to standing in his crib. I was so excited and shocked all at the same time! Adam was in a conference all day so he didn't get to see it but I sent him a text to inform him that he would be lowering the mattress tonight. So, another milestone that I love to see! (and witness!) I almost forgot to mention that Monday while Adam and I were cleaning up and Adalyn was playing in the living room, Landon had crawled in the playroom. I had checked in on him and he was playing with the barn so I went back to straightening up. Adam and I went back in to see what he was up to and the little stinker was sitting up right playing with his toys. That meant he went from his belly to sitting all on his own. wahoo Landon! You are on a roll this week bubba! Annnnd, his 7th tooth is soon to pop thru! Here are a few random pictures of our sweet little guy.

VBS

Last week was Vaction Bible School at church. I loved this week during the summer when I was a kid. They asked me to help teach Kindergarten this year so I was able to bring Adalyn and Landon to the nursery. Last week was BUSY for us. We were at church by 8:30 every morning. Going to church EVERY day made Adalyn's whole year I do believe. She normally asks us everyday if we are going to church and I always have to tell her, "Wednesdays and Sundays". So getting to go every day just thrilled her. She had Nan and Michelle as her teachers and they played their little hearts out. She crashed every afternoon for 2 or more hours once we got home. Landon, too. Last week threw us off our normal routine, mainly for Landon since he takes a long morning nap, but he would nap atleast an hour at church the ladies told me. So back to me teaching... or I should say helping... wow. I know without a shadow of a doubt I could not be a kindergarten teacher. whew! The kids are absolutely precious but man oh man! Their were 2 different kindergarten classes due to the number of kids we had and our highest number was 18... we only had 3 girls all week!! That's enough to scare anyone away! ha. I have a lot to learn when it comes to "big" boys. Rowdy Rowdy Rowdy! Precious, but rowdy. and the energy. oh me! I thought Adalyn was loaded with energy. So after a week, myself plus all the other teachers I know were pooped. It was over at 12 everyday then I would head down to get the kids. Adalyn had a meltdown just about everyday on the way home. It was a combination of not wanting to leave and being so very tired she had no clue why she was crying. She would just cry to cry. Very, very annoying. Once I got home, Adam would put Adalyn to sleep and I would feed Landon then put him down for his nap. Thank goodness VBS is during the summer. That meant I had a lot of help when I brought the kids home. It's hard to tend to two kids when one is crying/whinning and the other is hungry and tired. I need 2 more arms. That wouldn't solve any of the problems, but it would be a huge help. Anyway, we had a wonderful week and I am truly so thankful I was able to be apart of those kids lives for a week. Here are a few pictures of Adalyn throughout the week

Playing in the pool

It was so hot this afternoon we decided to drag out Adalyn's plastic pool we got her for Easter last year so the kids could play in it while Adam continued working on the swing set. (will blog about that soon!) The water was freezing but they didn't care. Adalyn "swam" around and played with the water hose while Landon splashed his arms and chewed on some toys. We striped their clothes off of them so they were both naked, which was the cutest thing. Oh, and Landon discovered his "man hood" while in the pool. I couldn't stop laughing as I was pushing his hands away and saying no, all while his sister was saying, "Landon! Don't touch your pribits!" hahaha. ohhhh me!

Pulling Up

Landon has been trying to pull up for a while now but just can't seem to muster up enough muscles to do so. But last sunday, June 3, he did it while playing in the bathtub! The side of the tub is the perfect height for him to pull up on so he did it like a champ. Everything else he has tried pulling up on is really almost too high for him. Even his learning table is a little too high, but the tub was perfect. I was playing peek-a-boo with him and he thought that was the funniest thing. I noticed he was trying to pull up to "find" me when we were playing so I kept on and it worked! He did it! First, he wanted to chew on the tub. Then, he decided to he was tired of sitting and would rather stand! I was so excited! Way to go Landon!

Clapping!

Landon is now clapping! It is the most precious thing. When he gets real excited, he squeals, mouth opened wide, and claps. Since we started feeding him solids at 4 1/2 months, after each feeding, we show him the sign for "All Done" and clap for him. We did the same with Adalyn and she caught on so fast. That was her first sign that she learned so we figure it will be the same for Landon. About a month ago, I had just finished feeding him his breakfast and he took his right hand and started hitting his left wrist and squealing. He "clapped" like this for a week or so, then he finally brought his hands together to form a real clap. He was so proud of himself I could just tell. Now, he claps all the time! All we have to do is say, "Landon, clap!" and he claps away.

Memorial Day Weekend

I had been looking forward to Memorial Day Weekend since probably the first of May. That meant Adam was out for the whole summer! The last two weeks of May were reallyyy loooong for me. 2 weeks before school was out Landon started teething really bad. His two upper gums were so white and swollen and he wasn't getting any relief. His crankiness and acting ill all started when he wasn't napping good. That was my first sign that something was wrong with him. Afternoon naps for my kids is one of my favorite times of the day! lol. Its about 2 or more hours of peace and quiet. I am able to clean and get things done. Most of the time I don't even turn the tv on b/c I like how quiet my house is. Anyway, he was not napping good at all. Waking up every 30 minutes or so. After a couple days of doing that, it was getting really old. Any very annoying. So the last two weeks of May had me thinking I was going to pull every piece of my hair out. When Friday, May 25 came, I just kept telling myself, "it's almost over. it's almost over." Meaning Adam only had to go to Graduation practice that morning since he was an usher then he would officially be home with us for 2 whole months! My cousin Casey was also graduating from Independence High School that weekend so our summer started off very busy! Adam was unable to go to Casey's graduation party that Friday night due to graduation, but my parents, Christoper and Brandy, and me and the kids headed up to Frankin to celebrate his upcoming graduation. C & B rode with me and the kids. The entire way there Adalyn said, " i want to go see Casey" only about a billion times. So much so it reminded me of why parents can't stand when your child asks, "Are we there yet?" on a trip. Ugh. I have to say but she definitely got on my nerves our car ride there. Whew. I bet C & B definitely don't want kids now after that drive! ha! Landon slept and cried on and off the way there. Poor baby just did not feel good at all. I mean at all. He was pretty miserable and I hated having to tote him everywhere when I know he just wanted to be home but I had no choice. Thankfully I had LOTS of help that night since Adam couldn't be with us. Adalyn had a ball playing with Casey, Autumn, and all the other kids at the party. I didn't take a lot of pictures that evening due to the fact I really didn't care much about using my camera. I had a fussy baby to keep happy so my camera was the least of my worries. It took me about an hour to eat my BBQ sandwich but oh man was it good! Landon didn't want to sit still so I ended up strolling him around the yard and street until my mom was finished eating so I could pass him off. We ended up leaving a little after 8:00PM or so. The kids slept the entire way home (thankfully) and we put Adalyn right in bed. Landon, mr. fussy britches, was wide awake after his long nap in the car and woke up very cranky, so he was up until 11:00 or so. One of the most difficult parts of being a parent is dealing with a sick baby! Oh my goodness will it wear you out. If you're a mom, you know what I mean! And if you haven't experienced a teething baby, you will know what I mean soon. Landon was cutting 3 teeth at once and it was pure misery for him. (and us really). Saturday morning we played around the house and then left to head to Casey's graduation around 1:00. I knew it would be a long ceremony b/c his school is huge so you can only imagine how I was feeling about dragging Landon there. Luckily, Landon did great! It was in a big arena so we were able to keep him moving. And the ceremony went really quick considering the size of his class so it was nice. Aren't they adorable?! Once it was over, we all headed back to my uncle and aunts house to eat and hang out. The only bad thing about this was it took us an HOUR to get to their house due to everyone leaving graduation when it should just take 10 minutes. So an hour in the car, barely moving with a crying baby, not fun! ha! Landon finally calmed down once we got there and I fed him. His teething episode ended up lasting for 3 long weeks. Adalyn never teethed that bad. She had trouble with her canine's and 1 year molars but other than that, she was ok. It wouldn't have been so bad if his two big teeth weren't trying to erupt at the same exact time. Adalyn got hers a month a part from each other. It's wild how your own two babies can be so different in all the milestones and esp. with teething and how they deal with it. Anyway, after we hung out for a while and ate, we made our way home. The kids fells asleep in the car and went right to sleep when we got them inside too. Adam and I were wore plum out. Sunday morning we woke up and got ready for Church and another long day away from home and our normal routine. My parents took the boat to the lake and got a hotel suite out on the Base. We went straight there once church was over. Ate lunch then got on the boat! This was landon's first time to ride on a boat! I wished he was feeling like himself but he still did pretty good considering his mouth was about to explode from pain. Adalyn loves the pontoon boat. She is a fish and isn't afraid of anything. Look how stylish our little girl is! Oh, i need to share this one. Here is Landon's reaction after I took his paci out of his mouth for a picture...Lovely, huh? We let Landon play, while Adalyn got to swimming! Landon took a dip, too! He then took a nice, long, much needed nap. (thanks eli for letting us borrow your hat! Since we forgot landon's! it barely fit, but it did the job!) Once he woke up,he was in a much better mood. He ate some Mum-Mum's- and then we grilled cheeseburgers for supper. It was a fun day! Glad we were able to be with Christopher and Brandy. We miss them so much. On monday, Memorial Day we finally stayed home. it was much needed. We played all day, even though Landon was still not himself, but was showing signs of slowly getting better, took a 3 hour nap, and relaxed all day! the rest of the week as we were getting back in our routine, Landon developed a runny nose, cough, and a low fever due to those dumb teeth. This was week 3 of not feeling good and not sleeping good! He had a fever on and off for about 4 days. His last fever was on mine and Adam's anniversary which was June 2. Sunday, June 3, Landon was back to being my happy baby boy again!!!! Thank the Lord. I was beginning to think someone switched out my kid. i forgot to mention that on Friday June 1, his bottom left tooth broke the skin, Saturday his top left broke the skin, and Sunday his top right. 3 teeth in 3 days and it took 3 weeks to get those suckers out. he was back to playing, crawling, sleeping and eating!! He nursed fine throughout the 3 weeks of misery, but he did not whatsoever want to eat his food. He would take 4-5 bites and he was DONE. Now, he can't eat his food fast enough it seems like. I guess he's making up for lost time. Oh I cannot even describe how relieved I am to have Landon back to himself!