The Adventures of Add-and-Land: Wow.

I don't really know what else to say but wow. I had a crazy couple of months! My schedule was a little like this: wake up, eat, get kids ready & off to school, come back home, study, study, study, eat a little lunch, study a lot more, head up to the office to study some more and then come home and study a little bit more.

Phew. I made it. I don't know how the exam itself went (I felt horrible about the first day of it; the second day I felt halfway-decent about when I left, but feel terrible about it since...), and won't know whether I passed for nearly two more months still. Yuck. But we survived. The kiddos are back in a routine and don't seem to have missed a beat. I do have to point out, though, that I married the most amazing man ever. Seriously. He was practically a single dad for two months and never ONCE complained (at least not to me ;)). Not one single time. He amazes me. But then, you probably already know that :)

I also have to thank my wonderful family and friends. My parents and parents-in-law were so very gracious to help out with the babies as well. I don't know what I would do without them. And my friends were all so supportive and encouraging and PATIENT. I even came home after a long night of studying to find that Lynn had cleaned for me. Now that's friendship ;) I'm also very lucky to have an amazing boss and co-workers who allowed me to adjust my schedule quite drastically (ahem, a nice three-week leave of absence) to be able to study as much as I possibly could. I LOVE ALL OF YOU GUYS!!!!

Wow, I feel like I just gave an Oscar acceptance speech. Teehee.

Anyway, here's a very quick rundown of what's going on with us the past few months:

Addie:
* is getting even smarter every day! She comes home speaking in Spanish - often words that I (who took 5 years) have to really think about (or look up!) to understand
* moved up to the "Giggling Gators" classroom at school where she is learning to write - she can write almost all of her letters and can spell her whole name
* is becoming quite the little artist! There are lots of pictures she draws that I can actually tell what they're supposed to be :)
* continues to be an amazing big sister - she is so very loving to "Brother"
* is still obsessed with princesses and is already planning her Halloween costume :)
* is the best little helper around the house
* loves pink cupcakes! These are a special treat from mommy on some Fridays
* is starting soccer this season! We are SOOOO excited!
* now tells you that her name is "Princess Addie Leigh Lovey Dovey" (compliments of John Michael's boss' family - who also were a HUGE help to us while I was studying :))
* is still in her "dresses only" phase

Landon:
* had his first emergency room visit the weekend before my test. He had labored breathing (I can only describe it as an asthma attack, although he has never been diagnosed with asthma, obviously). By the time we got there, he was fine! The doctor did see a little ear infection so we got that taken care of and he also got an hour-long breathing treatment. Phew.
* was 16 pounds, 2 ounces as of July 24
* is sitting up ALL BY HIMSELF! AAAAH! He's been doing this since the week after he turned five months old. SLOW. DOWN.
* rolls everywhere. This morning I was cleaning his room & Addie's, so I put him down on a blanket on the floor. I went to Addie's room for maybe two minutes and came back and didn't see him. He had rolled all the way across the room UNDER HIS CRIB! Hehehehe...
* is just about the happiest baby ever. He rarely fusses unless he is sleepy or hungry.
* has decided that breastfeeding is not for cool kids, so the pump and I have become bff. Yay. :/
* is still a squealer! He squeals so loudly that it stops me in my tracks!
* loves his Jumperoo, just like Addie did!
* loves rice cereal and oatmeal. We will probably be trying a veggie or fruit within the next month or so. We tend to take it a little slow with the solids...
* is still waking up a few times at night, but just needs a paci. Any suggestions???? (Actually - he has slept straight through the past two nights, but I'm too nervous to say that this is a problem solved...)
* is wearing 6-9 month clothes and size 3 diapers (the size 2 fit slightly better, but Sam's only sells size 1-2 which are far too small, so we just went straight to the 3s and haven't had problems)

Laid back at Nana & Papa's (notice the princess high heels on the wrong feet :))

Jumpy Jumpy Jumpy!

Princess Potato!

We went to float down the Hiwassee River a couple of weekends ago - this is Addie and Landon ready to go!

They loved it until the first "rapids"...it was downhill after that!
(Before you think we're bad parents, the Hiwassee is a very lazy river - the "rapids" are a little bit like bubbles in a jacuzzi)