A half a year already?!

Sometimes I think I'd be very interested in a device that could make time stand still. I can hardly believe how fast everything goes by! I am fully aware that it is cliche, but it really does seem just like yesterday that we were headed to the hospital to meet our sweet boy, and now he is six months old! I can't even begin to describe the amount of joy he brings to us. He is such a sweet, loving baby. Yes, Addie still thinks he is the greatest thing ever, but she is starting to get irritated when he grabs her things, or if he's kicking blindly while feeding and kicks her. He has been in a mommy phase for the past month or so, which I don't hate ;)

At six months, Landon is:
* 17 pounds, 10 ounces (50th percentile)!
* 26.5 inches long (50th percentile)
* sitting up all by himself
* grabbing anything and everything he gets near
* sleeping much better at night; wakes up once around 2:30 or so and usually puts himself back to sleep after babbling for a little while
* still squealing all the time
* rolling everywhere; still no signs of crawling anytime soon
* starting to eat baby food - so fun! We tried out sweet potatoes two days before he turned six months old - he did great. Peas came two days after, and he adored them. Tonight we tried carrots - he ate the whole jar!
* the proud recipient of the "Best Smiles" award at school. Ha!
* still thinking he's too cool to breastfeed. He'll nurse only first thing in the morning. I can't decide whether I think the breastpump is the best or worst invention in the world... :)
* babbling nonstop
* wanting to be held all the time lately
* my sweet little boy!!!

At sissy's soccer game

First time for everything!

Well, maybe not everything, but Addie did have a lot of firsts over the past week or so! She started out with her first soccer practice on Tuesday, the 25th. Both JM and I were out of town (my first work trip ever!), so Nana took her. She seemed to have a blast! Nana said she practiced with the team pretty well and also did her fair share of somersaults in the field. That's my girl!

Then, last Saturday, we took Addie for her first haircut! Yes, ever! Her pretty curls were getting to be impossible to comb through, so I thought they needed a little trim to clean the ends up. She was SO excited to go! I took her to my hairdresser, Lauren, at Unruli in Franklin. I am so glad we went there! It was so great to have someone I knew cut my baby girl's hair for the first time. I'm aware that that sounds silly because she's 3, but it was still a teeny bit bittersweet for me! :) As soon as we got there, Lauren asked if she could straighten her hair. After I panicked for a split second, she assured me it was just to cut and that she'd re-wet it so her curls would come back. Phew! Ha! It was so funny to see it straight and see how long it is! Since Lauren was using a flat iron, she didn't get close to her scalp, so there was still some curl there, but it was still amazing to see most of her hair completely straight. Addie was thoroughly amused by the stranger looking back at her in the mirror. Anyway, Lauren just cleaned up the ends on Addie's hair and it is crazy how much healthier it looks. Now that the initial trauma is over (don't worry, it really wasn't hard on me :)), we'll be sure to have regular trims!

Next up was her first soccer game today! We arrived a few minutes early to get Addie's uniform and she was NOT impressed with having to change out of the outfit she was wearing. I kind of thought our day was over at that point. Then she clinged to my leg for the first 10 minutes or so. All of the sudden, she was ready to play! She did a great job running with her teammates and even kicked the ball once! WOOHOO! I have to say, I don't think I've laughed so hard in a long time. The kids were all so cute! One of the cutest Addie-isms of the day stemmed from Mimi telling Addie at the start of the game that if she went out and played and had fun that she could have a new princess dress. So when it was her turn to play, I tried to nudge her out there and she turned around to me and (at the top of her lungs) said, "I don't NEED a new princess dress! I already HAVE ONE!" All the other parents got a huge kick out of it. It was extra funny because I had not even mentioned the princess dress to her. :) Little stinker.

Here's some pictures of her week!

Heading in to Unruli!

Look how long!

Addie got to squirt Frasier in the face for being such a good girl!

Her second practice - look at what a peanut she is!

And...are we done yet?

Meltdown over the uniform

Notice her clinging to my leg!

Daddy's gonna give it a shot!

Hehe.

There she goes! YAY! She had a blast!

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)



Addie's stress defense mechanism was just to pass out and sleep the whole way :)



Five months old! Look at those chins and cheeks and those legs!



I have to giggle whenever he cries because he's hungry, because I'm pretty sure he has a few days' worth stored up in those chubby thighs...


Sitting "tripod" on his five-month birthday - just a few days later, he sat up straighter on his own!



Super Dad!


Two nights in a row, Addie fell asleep at dinner time...





Addie was reading to Landon when he decided he wanted to eat the book instead



"Hey guys!"

I did not jump ship!

I have just been all-consumed with studying for the bar exam. This is no fun at all. NO FUN! I miss my family, my friends, my job. UGH. Ten days to go, then I promise you the longest, most comprehensive catch-up post ever. Til then...









HEHEHEHE. Did you laugh out loud, too? I'm not sure what it is about these pictures (particularly the one of Landon by himself), but I think they're so funny. Maybe it's the cheesy beach background? I think it's their ADORABLE smiles. Such cuties.

Oh, before I forget, Landon's 4-month checkup was two weeks ago...he's still a chubster but he's slowing down! I think he must have "bird bones" like his mama, because he's definitely lighter than he looks:

14 pounds, 10 ounces (50th percentile)
25 1/2 inches long (50th percentile)

* he is a SQUEALER! quite the chatterbox
* rolls front-to-back and back-to-front
* loves his feet
* grabs EVERYTHING he can get his hands on
* slept through the night great for a month but decided a few weeks ago that sleeping isn't for cool kids. Argh. Just needs a paci, but still...

I'll do a more detailed post later, honest!

p.s. Mom, I apologize for EVER giving you a hard time about not having a baby book for me because I'm the second child. Hehehe...

Verb conjugation?

Tonight we were out in the front yard while John Michael watered the flowers and Addie picked clover. She started getting a little too close to the street so we called her back. When she didn't come, I went after her and said, "Addison Leigh, you need to listen to your daddy and me and BEHAVE!" to which she replied, "But Mommy, I am being have!"

Awesome.

Seven years

Today is our anniversary! John Michael and I have been married for seven years. Sometimes it seems like just yesterday and other times I can't remember when we weren't together! I really don't know where to begin when talking about my sweet husband. He is one of the sweetest, smartest, most caring, most loving, and most SELFLESS men in the world. Of course, I have always known these things, but in the past year, they have become even more evident. John Michael keeps me grounded when I start to freak out about things. He is my biggest cheerleader and has more confidence in me than I ever could have for myself. He has not even hesitated, nor has he ever complained, about picking up extra duties with the babies and around the house with my study schedule. He is my very best friend and is an even better father than I knew he'd be. I love him even more now than I did the day we got married (although I never thought that was possible). I feel so very blessed to have him in my life and look forward to many more years together...

Prom 1999



Arizona 1999



May 18, 2002

Happy Birthday, Addie!

Okay, I'm three days late, but better late than never! I still cannot believe Addie is THREE YEARS OLD! I also cannot believe that I am the lucky one who gets to be her mommy. Um, excuse me, her "mom." Hehe. She is everything I could have ever hoped for in a child. She is sweet, strong-willed, extremely intelligent, loving...I could go on forever. I am so very proud to call her mine. Her teachers comment all the time on how smart she is. Of course, we know that, but it's still always nice to hear someone trained in early childhood education compliment you on your child :)

Probably the thing I am most proud of lately is how very well she has adjusted to Landon being here. She is the best big sister! I am sure jealousy will rear its ugly head when he starts getting into her things, but for now, she is nothing but loving. She always wants him near and wants to kiss him and love on him. She also wants to give him a "checkup" every day with her new doctor kit :) I know there will be moments between them when they think they hate each other, but I just pray that this love is always there.

Addie is on a little "princess" kick lately. She wants to wear a dress every day and gets upset to have to put shoes on because she wants to "show off [her] pink piggies!" I told her yesterday that she had to wear her tennis shoes or her flower shoes (a little pair of mary janes) and she said, "But I want to be a princess!" Wow. Then when she was getting dressed, she said, "Ooh, I am going to be so beautiful!" She has also started really paying attention to jewelry. She pointed out my earrings and said, "Your earrings are so pretty! Who gave those to you?" I told her that daddy gave them to me and she replied, "Oh, Holland bought me some earrings." She doesn't even have her ears pierced (nor will she, for a while...)! Then this morning she asked me about my necklace and if she could "borrow" it. Look out boys! High maintenance girly girl on the way ;)

Although, another great thing about Addie is that she is just as rough-and-tumble as she is girly. She is practically fearless (except for bugs) and bounces off the walls (sometimes literally) with the best of the boys. She continues to be a "protector" at school and stands up to all the "bullies." She's just precious. I love her more than I ever thought possible!!

Here are some stats. At three years old, Addie:
* weighs 27.5 pounds (10th percentile)
* is 35 1/2 inches tall (10-25th percentile)
* can carry on a full conversation with us
* knows all of her numbers and letters
* can count to 20 in English and 10 in Spanish
* knows her colors in Spanish
* knows most letters' sounds
* says "pink and white" are her favorite colors
* says her favorite movie is The Little Mermaid II (but she just calls it "the one with Ariel's daughter!")
* says her favorite tv show is "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse"
* says her best friends are Emma and Holland
* says her favorite toys are her new doctor kit, her shopping cart (for a year and a half running!), and Candy Land
* loves to be outside swinging and climbing
* is the cutest girl in the world!!!



We celebrated Addie's birthday at Nana & Papa's house, where a lot of the family was there celebrating Mother's Day. Two for one ;) As you can see, Addie had a blast! I'm not sure that she was ever still for a minute.

(birthday presents from Mommy & Daddy first thing in the morning)

New tricycle from Mimi & PawPaw. I missed getting a picture of it, but she insisted on putting fried chicken in the basket and driving around.

She passed out about 5:00 that afternoon and woke up for a few minutes before bedtime, but only long enough to open the presents she wasn't still enough to open earlier in the day :)

We love this little girl so much it hurts! We are having so much fun watching her grow up, even if we wish it would slow down just a little :)

Figured it out

Okay, so I think I mentioned a while ago that during Landon's fussy hour(s) we had to just wait it out until he was done fussing?! Well, we've figured out what will calm him down - I have to feed him while standing up and bouncing him (while he's latched - I'm skilled, I tell ya). Check out these legs and tell me how buff my arms will be by the end of this phase:


I'M EXHAUSTED! But yay for a free workout. Now it's after this type thing that when the Wii Fit asks where I've been for the past week that I want to tell it where to shove it. ;)

Two months!

I seriously cannot believe it has been two months since Landon was born. I suspect that you can expect that sentence every month :) Time flies way too quickly. Landon had his 2-month visit today, and here are his stats:

The chunky monkey weighs 12 pounds, 14 ounces and is 23.5 inches long! WHEW! 75th percentile for both. I knew he was getting big, but I had no idea! Over FIVE pounds gained in two months. At two months old, he:

*eats about every 3 hours, for 15-20 minutes per side
*wears 0-3 month and 3-month clothes
*wears a size 1 diaper, but they're getting snug-as-a-bug
*has awesome head control and does pretty well with tummy time (but fusses)
*still not sleeping through the night, but sleeps 5-6 hours. The past two nights, I've fed him around 9:30ish and he's made it til 4:15. Progress!
*is on a loose 3-hour Babywise schedule. I say "loose" due to the beast's appetite!
*does regular two-month baby stuff - not much more to say :)

He got his shots today and is sleepy and a little fussy when he's awake (which hasn't been much). We're about to have dose #2 of Tylenol, so hopefully that will help out!

I can't believe how much I love this little boy. I have been really freaking out the past couple of weeks because there was a large knot behind his ear. I thought it might be a lymph node, but wasn't sure, and was also concerned about its swelling, because what did that mean his body was fighting? The cold has been gone! Dr. Hood took a look and confirmed that it is a lymph node and that it is swollen due to his cradle cap! Phew! Bizarre. Lynn said it best when she told me that a second baby is just another Achilles heel. I feel the vulnerability that I've felt since the day Addie was born, times two. Oh, but also the love, so I guess that makes up for it :)

(Addie also had her 3-year visit, but I'll save that post for when she's officially 3 on Sunday!)

In other news...

Landon came down with his first little cold last week and that wasn't much fun. It was so pitiful to listen to him be stuffy! It took him a little longer to eat each time and he was a little bit fussier, but overall, he was still his sweet self. Addie continues to have "gunk" in her head, but her breathing is back to normal, thank goodness. I'm still confused by all these colds going around in April/May! Pretty weather should bring health, I thought. What do I know? :)

Also, very huge - I finished law school on Monday. FINISHED! As in, THE END! I can't believe it myself. It has been a long five years. On many occasions, I thought it'd never get here. Now that it's here, it's bittersweet, because the hard part is just beginning. I'll be starting bar review classes NEXT WEEK (nothing like a one-week downtime, eh?). They last seven weeks. I'm so very sad about this because that will mean I will miss Addie's bedtime Monday through Friday for these seven weeks. I have to go back to work on May 29th, so at least three of those weeks will be while I'm still on leave so I can "make up" the play time during the day. I just don't know how I'll make it through those weeks to be honest, but like John Michael said, I've made it too far to turn back now! I can do it!!! I just hope it pays off.

ANYWAY, enough about me...time for pictures from the last week or so!

A sleeping gown with a gingham tractor. I can't help but love it.

This does not even scratch the surface of how great this boy's pouts can be...

And then there's his smiles...

Addie now chooses her outfits and dresses herself with just a little help. What can I say? The girl likes patterns...

An "outtake" - looks like Addie has a one-legged Landon in a chokehold. Sweet.

There it is!



Video fun time!

As a matter of fact...

I AM going to pretend like I did not NOT blog for about three weeks and catch up with lots of posts, all in one day. So there!

I think it was two (or three? I don't remember!) weeks ago that Lynn called me and said, "Hey! Top Chef is doing a tour stop here tomorrow!" To which I replied, "How fun!" Of course, I have to admit that I was thinking it'd be fun for HER, since I'd never seen the show. :) But when she asked me to go, I said, "Sure! Sounds like fun!" (I didn't confess to her until we were there that I have never seen one single episode of Top Chef.)

They held it in the parking lot of the Belcourt Theatre in Green Hills. Although we weren't on "the list," apparently there were some no-shows so we got seats - second row! We had a blast! We took Landon with us and he was pretty good. It hit right at his feeding time, so I had made sure to bring a bottle. He fussed a tiny bit, and one of the chefs, Ryan (a.k.a. "HOTTIE"!) offered him a crostini. The other chef, Antonia, said that she thought he was a bit young, but Ryan brought it to me nonetheless. Hilarious.

"Laid back..."



Ryan made a fava bean spread on crostini that was FANTASTIC! The recipe is supposed to be on the website but it's not there yet :(