Ready for a Playmate

Oh ... to keep a little boy entertained. Another mom told me at MOPS this week the days with your children can seem SO LONG, but the years go by so fast! Good to remember as I collapse each night from the exhaustion of trying to keep Tanner happy and busy!

I've been working on the railroad ...

Mommy said I need to start pulling my own weight around here.

I'm being careful, I PROMISE!

Can you BELIEVE she's letting me do this? The floor is soaked!

Breakfast with Friends

"Hey, Mr. Giraffe! Leggo my Eggo!"

Stroller Suggestions

Being in the market for a double stroller now, I am finding that it's much harder to find a good one than it was with a single. Every review I seem to look at begins with the words "There is no such thing as a perfect double stroller." That being said, do any of you moms of 2+ have a suggestion for a double stroller that you are happy with? Please share if you do, and tell me why you like it!

Success!

Update on Night #2:

Tanner stayed in his bed all night until 7:30 this morning. We're celebrating with yummy waffles for breakfast! Keeping our fingers crossed for another good night! :)

* Update as of 1/24 -- Things are still going really well! Tanner still tries to beat us out of bed as soon as prayers are said, but once he realizes that the door is locked, he climbs right back in bed and goes to sleep. We actually moved all of his clothes into his big-boy room today, so it's official -- we've got a big boy!

The Big Move

As of this coming Friday, I'll be officially 30 weeks pregnant.

Which means that I've known I'm pregnant for about 26 weeks.

Which means I really haven't slept well in about 25.5 weeks because I've been so nervous about THE BIG MOVE.

I've been researching it, analyzing it, preparing for it, and talking about it with anyone who will listen nonstop since we found out that we were pregnant with Landon. And finally, the time has come. Tanner officially moved to his bigboy room/bed last night, which is a little bit sad (sniff sniff) because it truly means that he's a big boy! But what a relief that we are finally doing it! Whew ... I can breath again. And maybe in a few days, I'll even be able to relax and just enjoy these last several weeks of pregnancy. The rest of this post is just details on how we're doing so far with the transition -- more for me than for you since I know I'll have to do this again and probably won't remember WHAT I did when it's time for the next one to make the big move! (Sidenote: it's amazing how quickly you forget these things! I remember asking my mom after Tanner was born about specific details on how she parented us as newborns. She always said that she couldn't remember and I would look at her like she had a second head and think ... "what kind of mom is she?" Now, I understand. :)

Night #1
Blackout curtains hung -- check
Bedrails installed -- check
Stool ready to help him up into bed -- check
Room baby-proofed -- check
Cutesie fabric stapled to bottom side of top bunk -- check
Nightlight -- check

Everything was planned to a T and ready to go. Just before putting him in the bathtub and starting his bedtime routine, I decided to check the guard that we installed on his door handle so that he couldn't "escape." I wanted to make sure we could still open the door from the outside when the guard was on. NEGATIVE. I quickly took off the guard, dismantled the door handle and reversed it so that the lock is now on the outside of the room. Yes, we've decided to start by "locking" him in. It sounds barbaric, we know, but a fireman just came and talked to us at our last MOPS meeting and stressed the importance of sleeping with doors CLOSED and always making sure you know where your children are during the night in case of a fire. So ... that's that.

Went through our bed-time routine. Got in bed with Tanner. Read a book. Said a prayer. As soon as I got up, he shot out of bed and I practically had to race him to the door. I tried the "stand at the door and calmly walk him back to bed" SuperNanny trick a few times, but he was literally getting back to the door before I was. Then I thought I would just let him cry, but after 5 minutes I couldn't take it anymore. I went in and laid down with him. He thought it was play-time and took about 90 minutes to fall asleep. After he was asleep, I got up and went into my own bed and tossed and turned all night, checking the video monitor literally every 10 minutes. Tanner slept most of the night, but woke up around 5, so I went in and laid down with him again. It took him another hour to fall back asleep.

Nap #1
Talked to some other moms at MOPS. Our leader (who has 4 children) said I really shouldn't lay down with him while he falls asleep or else he'll expect it. The speaker actually recommended that I try the SuperNanny thing again. Another mom said she just held the door closed (it didn't have a lock) and let him cry. Sooo ...

Tanner fell asleep in the car. He usually transfers pretty easily, so I just took him upstairs and laid him in the big-boy bed. Then, I closed the door and locked it and waited outside, glued to the video monitor (I love that thing!). He came to the door and cried for about 3 minutes, then went to his bed, then got out, got his "man-purse" filled with animal figurines, took them into bed with him, got out of bed, played and read books for about 30 minutes, and finally fell asleep on the floor right next to the bed. Slept for about 2 hours.

I'm feeling encouraged ...

Night #2
Go through bedtime routine again. Tanner shoots out of bed almost before I do after I say "Amen." I close the door and let him cry for 8 minutes. Then, I start the "SuperNanny" walking him back to bed. After 15 minutes of this, I decide it's really over-rated. I close the door and lock it. After 5 minutes of crying at the door, Tanner climbs back into his bed and falls asleep. (Once again, the video monitor ROCKS). He's been asleep (in his bed) for about 30 minutes now. Hopefully tonight will go smoothly! Although, I'm definitely prepared for some middle-of-the-night tears and tantrums.

More updates soon!

Pray for us!

My Toughest Critic

So, last week, Tanner started saying "truck" out of the blue. He only says about 20 words right now, so this is a really big deal! Of course, just about any vehicle is a "truck" to him, but we'll work on that! Anyways ... he's very into the "-uck" sound now and is also saying "duck" and, my personal favorite, "yuck."
Here was the conversation last night at our dinner table:

Me: "Mmmmm ... isn't this yummy?!"

Tanner: "YUCKKKKK." (Complete with scrunched up face and shaking of the head.)

Hmmm. Has Jon just been lying to me all these years about my talents as a cook?

Enjoy the pics from this last week!

Helping Daddy Shovel.

Jon couldn't find his coat and hat, so he used last year's. A little small ... and no gloves! But Tanner didn't seem to mind!

Jon looks THRILLED to be out there, doesn't he?!

Go Tanner! Go Tanner!

Wanna see my belly?

Hmmm ... this looks WAY yummier than what Mommy fixes.

I think I might have a coupon for that.

Christmas: Part II Pics

Christmas: Part II

Wow! Has it really been almost two weeks since we got back from vacation? And I'm JUST NOW blogging about it? Time is just flying ... and in my defense, I've still been catching up on sleep after 2 weeks of sleepless nights while we were away. I mean, how do you turn away a sweet-smelling little boy in his footie pajamas when he wants in your bed and you're on vacation? I just didn't have the heart to let him cry in his crib while we were sleeping in the same room as him. And so ... I have paid the price -- sheer exhaustion. The GOOD news is I have been reminded that it is, indeed, possible to survive on very little sleep. The BAD news is I have also been reminded what a cranky person I am when I'm tired. Hmmm ... I'll have to work on that before Landon's arrival. :)

Anyways ... on to Christmas: Part II.

We returned home from Jon's parents' house the day after Christmas, opened a few more presents, unpacked, did some laundry, and re-packed. The next morning it was time to leave for a week in Orlando with my side of the family. My parents have a time share and got enough units for alllll of us to spend a week there together. We had a GREAT time. Jon, Tanner, and I stayed with my mom and dad while the other three siblings and their spouses/girlfriend shared another unit.

We spent our first day (SUNDAY) at Magic Kingdom with Lauren, Daniel, and my mom and dad. This was definitely my favorite day. There really is just something special about Disney. I can't wait to go back with more kids. Tanner LOVED the rides but was always devastated when they were over, crying and throwing a tantrum when it was time to get off. It was actually kind of hilarious. Poor guy. The great thing about Disney is that most of the rides are low key enough to take your toddler with you. That being said, I could NOT understand why anyone in their right mind would take their toddler into the haunted house. Inappropriate. Instead, we took Tanner to Pirates of the Carribean --- much better. (What was I thinking???? Skeletons?) We ended our day there watching the Christmas parade and by the time it was over, we were all ready to go home.

The next day (MONDAY), the men golfed while the rest of us went to the pool. Now, pool time has definitely changed since becoming a mother. No more laying in the sun, reading a good book, and snoozing (although that sure sounded wonderful!!!) Lucky for me, both of my sisters were willing to take turns with me playing with Tanner in the pool. And Eric's girlfriend was nice enough to take a nap in our room while Tanner was napping so that I could stay outside a little longer. Without everyone's help it would have been a LONG trip, for sure!

On Tuesday, Jon, Tanner, and I went to Sea World with Pat and Katherine. We thought Tanner would LOVE it because of all the animals, but it was SO crowded that it was hard to really see anything or even get from one place to another. The good thing was that our admission was free through their Hero Salute program. We did make reservations that morning to have Breakfast with Elmo and we all LOVED it! It really was so much fun and Tanner was just beside himself he was so excited to see the characters. (And he's not even a huge Elmo fan or Sesame Street watcher.) I would highly recommend it if you're ever there with a little one!

Wednesday: Universal Studios with the whole fam. I hadn't really considered taking Tanner here because I didn't know how toddler friendly it actually was. They had a great kid zone that he loved and we spent all of Tanner's awake time there. Now ... as a pregnant woman, you are allowed to do absolutely nothing ... but at least they had really great food options :) Since that evening was New Year's Eve, my parents graciously offered to babysit Tanner so Jon and I could go out with the rest of the crew to a Japanese Steakhouse. We had SUCH a great time and were so thankful to have a nice dinner out without having to worry about the little guy!

Thursday: Most of the guys went to the Georgia/MSU bowl game. (Lauren and Daniel are both UGA grads). My dad and Jon golfed. And us girls tried to keep Tanner busy -- it was a little too cool outside for the pool.

Friday: Boys golfed. Girls went to the pool. Tanner had been unusually cranky, and my parents suspected an ear infection, so we ended up taking him to a pediatric clinic at like 9pm and found out he had strep throat. I'm sure everyone was SO glad they'd been making it their mission to get kisses from him all week! (His little puckers are just IRRESISTABLE!) As far as I know, though, noboday else has gotten sick. Unfortunately, our last evening was spent in a waiting room, but all was well once we figured out the problem and got Tanner started on some antibiotics.

Saturday: Flight home. Hmmm ... I don't know what else to say except for this was a long day. The plane was PACKED -- both of them, since we had a connecting flight. The good news is that I was seated between my mom and Jon (my two favorite people). The bad news is that Tanner ONLY wanted on my lap, which is just a little uncomfortable when you're in your third trimester and there isn't much room there anyways. That's all I'll say.

So, all in all, our trip was FANTASTIC. Thank you, Mom and Dad for treating us to such a wonderful trip! We all agreed that what we enjoyed most was the precious time we got to spend with each other.

*I'm working on the pics!!*

Christmas: Part 1

Yes!! We survived our pre-Christmas illness and are all doing well in the Hall House! The last few weeks involved a whirlwind of activity, but lots of good times with the people we love most -- our family!


A few days before Christmas, we left to spend the holidays with Jon's side of the family. Believe it or not, this was my first time spending the night at Jon's house on Christmas Eve and I was excited to take part in all of their Christmas traditions -- I know they are all so meaningful to Jon and his brothers! We started Christmas Eve with some sledding (boys only) and a fancy brunch. Later on, we all went over to my parents' house for drinks and appetizers and our first annual White Elephant exchange. The gift exchange was a lot of fun, although Jon couldn't fathom why anybody wouldn't want HIS gift, and wound up stealing it from somebody since he liked it so much -- a pocket I.Q. Test :) Tanner was in heaven that evening with everyone giving him food from their plates and the platter of Christmas cookies just within his reach on the dining room table.


After lots of yummy food and conversation, we headed back to the Hall house to put the finishing touches on our gifts for Christmas morning and get some sleep. Jon and I weren't sure who was more excited about Santa coming -- Tanner or US!! Unfortunately for all of the other adults, Tanner was up and ready to get down to business at 7am. The girls and I headed to the top of the steps, where everyone waits to hear the train underneath the tree, signaling that Santa indeed came! Little did we know that all of the boys were going to shower, brush their teeth, do their hair, get dressed, etc, before heading downstairs. I fully support everyone brushing their teeth, but the showering was a little excessive. :) I'm just saying ...

We opened gifts for the next several hours -- it took Tanner a while. (Note to self: you don't have to wrap EVERY SINGLE ITEM for a toddler.) He LOVED his little trike on rockers (it converts to a tricycle) from Grandma and Granpa Hall, his travel magnadoodle from Aunt Kat and Uncle Pat, his Barrel of Monkeys from Uncle Steve and Aunt Kristin, and his little animal set from mommy and daddy. The animal set came with a little bag to carry all the animals around -- we've started calling it his man-purse since he carries it everywhere. Too funny. Anyways, after all that unwrapping, it was naptime for Tanner and I, followed by our annual Hall/Shirley Christmas dinner and a movie.

The next morning, it was time to head home and prepare for Part 2 of our Christmas vacation -- I'll post about that next! Enjoy the pics!

Maybe next year, Santa!

The carousel at the mall -- a preview of our Magic Kingdom fun.

Watch out! Coming through! Next year, I'm sure the boys will attempt to hook him up to the back of their car, pulling him around the cul-de-sac. This will be over my dead body, of course.

A snowman who's just my size. Thanks, Uncle Pat!

A Royal Flush. You can just give my winnings to Mommy.

Mmmm ... my 27th cookie. Christmas ROCKS.

Lovin' It.

Santa went COMPLETELY overboard and had this last present waiting for Tanner when we returned home. Thank you, Santa!!