Our Weekend in Pictures

Please excuse the number of new pics, but we got a new toy yesterday and have been playing with it since we got it home -- our first digital SLR camera! We LOVE it so far and I can't believe the difference in picture quality.

As you can see, we got to spend lots of time outdoors this weekend. THANK YOU LORD!!! I was about to lose my mind by Thursday, after several days of rain and weather too cold to take the boys outside. I'm just hoping the nice weather continues! What a difference it makes in all of our moods!

I wish I had time to write more, but our house is a DISASTER ... amazing how that happens every weekend. I must do some tidying before bed if I want our week to start out on the right foot. Enjoy the pics and I'll write more tomorrow, hopefully

My Loves

Check out this bedhead!

And my newest little heartbreaker ...

I'm lovin' it!

We're Still Here!!!

And even better ... Grammy's been here, too, visiting for the whole week! I'm loving the help she gives me each day, and the extra hour of sleep I get each morning since she's been waking up with Tanner. But even more, I love having her company all day! It's all been pretty fantastic and we're going to miss her so much when she goes home at the end of the week! Before that happens, though, Jon and I are going to squeeze in a date-night. Can't wait!

Just a quick update while I wait for the little man to wake up and nurse before I retire for the night (or the next 3 hours at least).

Jon took Tanner on a train ride last weekend. Just a quick one from our train station to the next town over, where Landon and I met them for lunch. Ever since then, all I've heard is "Daddy, choo-choo!" He love love LOVED it. His newest work is "sit." He likes to point to the second chair at his little table, or the place next to him on the couch, and command me to "sit" instead of clean or continue with whatever else I'm doing. I think it's God's little way of reminding me to put aside whatever else I'm doing and just enjoy my boys.

Landon had his first "real" bath on Tuesday night. He did awesome. Tanner, on the other hand, had a conniption when he saw Landon's baby bath tub in HIS bath tub! I just had to laugh as I watched the video afterwards. I keep reminding myself ... he's not a brat, he's two.

Landon is literally growing from one feeding to the next. I cannot believe how fast he's filling out! He's totally getting chubby! The other day he rolled over from tummy to back several times ... my mom and I couldn't believe it! He's just such a little LOVE. We keep commenting to each other about what a good baby he is. But really, I think he just seems so good because Tanner is so bad lately! (Okay, he's not bad, he's two, remember??) :)

Marshmallow Thief

A friend at playgroup yesterday commented that she thinks Tanner is a sophisticated eater.

I completely agree.

:)

Growing Pains

Landon's umbilical cord fell off this afternoon.

The last physical sign that he grew in my belly.

He's growing way too fast.

Sniff, sniff.

Please Say A Prayer ...

... for our beloved Nanny Kat (Rachel's sister) and Uncle Pat (Jon's brother) as they say goodbye to one another early tomorrow morning. Pat is leaving for his first 12-month tour to Afghanistan. We know from experience that tomorrow will probably be one of the hardest days of their married life together. We love you, Pat and Kat!

Don't Blink!

How did it happen that more than two weeks has gone by since my newest love joined the family?! I blinked and found myself at his two week appointment today. Gosh, time flies!

Little Landon is literally growing before our eyes. He weighed in at 9lbs 10oz and measured 22.75 inches this morning. The doctor said he is nice and healthy, which makes this Mommy very happy! Today was my first outing alone with the boys to somewhere other than a friend's house or the Starbucks drive-thru. It went surprisingly well and Tanner actually behaved himself throughout the check-up, thank GOD!

The three of us are doing pretty well here during the day while Daddy's at work. We've had a few outings to friends' houses and to our playgroup, but spend most of the time just playing around the house. Landon and I mostly just follow Tanner upstairs, then downstairs, then to the basement, then upstairs again, then back down to the basement, etc, etc. I thought being home-bound would drive me crazy, but I'm actually finding it to be quite freeing. No pressure to be anywhere at any certain time. We just do what we can when we can.

I just can't seem to get over how much I adore having two little ones to love. I had several conversations with my sister, Lauren, before Landon was born about how I was nervous that I wouldn't love this baby as much as I loved Tanner. (That's the beauty of having sisters -- you can tell them whatever's on your mind and know they won't judge you.) Now that I'm here on the other side, I'm just delighted to be able to tell you that it really does happen just like every mom says it will ... you do love the second one just as much! Your heart literally expands to include your newest family member. It's miraculous and wonderful and totally overwhelming. I love being a mom!

Okay, enough gushing. What we've been up to ...

Landon attended his first playgroup last week and was definitely welcomed in style with balloons and presents and yummy chocolate cake!




Then, on Saturday, Grandma and Grandpa Hall came to stay for Easter. We just hung out at home, took a trip down to the park in the new "ride," decorated Easter eggs, and watched the Masters. On Sunday morning, we went to church and them came home to find Easter baskets and hunt for eggs in the backyard. It was a great holiday and we were so happy to spend it with Grandma and Grandpa!

Well, I'm off to try and catch a quick powernap before my boys wake up from their naps. Enjoy our most recent pics!

We Made It!!

The boys and I have officially made it through two days together without incident and we're all still smiling! I can feel your prayers -- keep 'em coming! Tanner's behavior has actually been much improved these past two days, probably thanks to a return to normalcy around here. I'm so very very thankful for that! We've been busy making muffins, having practice Easter egg hunts in the playroom, and generally just playing together!

I just can't get over how much I love having a newborn around -- life is so sweet and God is so good! How did I ever get so lucky to be surrounded by three boys to love?

Hangin' In

Well ... tomorrow is officially the first day of my new job ... Stay-at-home Mother of TWO! The last of my help left today and I am on my own! YIKES!! I have to admit that I'm a bit nervous. Just keeping Tanner busy at home all day is a lot of work! I'm sure I'll be fine, but a few prayers would be greatly appreciated!! Thankfully, I have friends bringing me meals almost every night for the next two weeks, which is a huge load off my mind! I'm very very lucky!

We have been doing really well so far. Tanner is doing great with the baby. He is very gentle and loving with him and doesn't ever seem to be jealous or upset if I'm holding him. Keep in mind, though, that he's been getting TONS of attention from Daddy, Grammy, and Aunt Lauren. On the other hand, his behavior in other areas has been extremely difficult -- all-out tantrums at every turn. This doesn't seem to stem from the baby -- more-so from a disruption in his schedule, a desire for independence, and just being tired -- they seem to happen right before naptime or bedtime. I know it's time to start time-outs soon, I just don't know if I have what it takes right now to be consistent with them ...

Landon is doing wonderfully. I can already see he's getting bigger which makes me a little sad! He is just the sweetest little thing and every time I look at him my heart melts. I think I appreciate the time I have with him even more than I did with Tanner because I know now how FAST he's going to grow up! Even though I literally have to DRAG myself out of bed at night to go in a feed him, I treasure that special quiet time we have together. The hardest thing about being on my own during the day will be having to set him down a lot and not being able to cuddle him whenever I want. I do have a new hotsling coming in the mail this week, so I'm hoping that will allow me to be close to him while still being able to play with Tanner.

Well, I better go get our dinner dishes done so I can relax and get to bed at a decent time. I'm a BEAR if I don't get my sleep! Enjoy the pics of my sweet boys!

Hey, Mom! Do you think he'll wake up if I rock him REALLY fast?

Just kidding, buddy.

He's so soft and cuddly!

We love you, Aunt Lauren!!! Come back SOON!

If You've Got a Whole Minute

Stick with the video until the end.

It's worth the wait and you'll see just why our hearts are melting all over the place.

What We've Been Doing ...

A little bit of this ...

A Whole Lotta This ...

Enjoying lots of quality time with Daddy ...

Do you HAVE to go back to work next week?

And getting to know our newest little character...

These people are insane ...

Just in Case ...

... you wanted to compare the two.

Bringing Home Baby

Here we are, settling into life as a family of four. And thankfully, God has designed new babies to sleep A LOT so I've been eased into my new role as mother of two! All I can really say is that I am so stinkin' in love with this little man I can't even stand it. He's my own little slice of heaven.

So, here's the story. I woke up around 1:30 Friday night and realized that I was having contractions. They were pretty regular already, but I was sure they would eventually go away. Finally, at 5:00am, I got up to take a shower and see if that would help. Nope ... they just kept coming. So, I woke Jon up and asked him to call his dad and see if he would come just in case we were having the baby that day. He was our on-call babysitter and had even stayed home from an out-of-town wedding this weekend just in case the baby came. Grandpa Hall made his way here and my mom hitched a ride with him so she could be in on the action, too!

Finally, around noon, I was ready to call the doctor and head to the hospital ... just to see what my status was. I prodded Jon to take a shower and PLEASE just get in the car and take me. Believe me, he was in no hurry after our experience with Tanner and even laughed at me on the way there, betting that we would be back home in just a few hours.

HA! By 1:00, we were in a hospital room and the nurse was hooking me up to an IV. I was only 3cm, but I was completely effaced and my water bag was bulging so much they couldn't believe it hadn't broken yet. As soon as possible, I got my epidural and the doctor broke my water. Jon headed out to get something to eat and about a half hour later I had to call him and tell him to hurry back -- I was 9cm already! The whole delivery was truly a breeze and I can't believe everything seemed to happen so fast once we got to the hospital. Jon and I just kept commenting to each other about how perfect everything went.

One of the best parts was when our nurse walked in the room. With Tanner, the nurse that delivered him was actually with us for the next two days in the mother-baby unit also. Guess what ... we had the SAME nurse again! She delivered Landon and then was with us the next day as well in mother-baby. It was so great! I know lots of new mothers are ready to leave the hospital as soon as possible, but I loved my stay and would've stayed a whole week in there, snuggled up in my own little world with my brand new baby if they would've let me. Jon went out and bought the second season of The Office and we watched that the whole time. (I think it was supposed to be my "push present." HA HA!!) On our way home Jon said he felt like he'd been on vacation and that he hadn't felt that relaxed since we went to Sea Island in October. We figured out that the common denominator for both experiences was No Tanner. :)

Speaking of the Big Brother. It's a miracle how he grew into such a GIANT overnight after Landon was born. My goodness, he is HEAVY and his little hands and feet suddenly got HUGE!! He really likes having a baby around, but I can see already it's going to be a challenge keeping him out of the baby swing! He may be disguised to look like my side of the family, but that boy is ALL HALL and has the energy of a tornado. You should have seen him when he came to visit us in the hospital room ... launching himself repeatedly over the foot of my hospital bed. Then some genius (Jon) decided to show him how to push all the buttons on my bed -- that was awesome. Jon is home this week with us and has made it his mission to keep Tanner busy and I am so so thankful.

Well, that's it for now! I'll post more later, but I better get some rest ... I've got a long night ahead of me! Enjoy the pics! :)

Welcome to the world little Landon!

A little Blondie. I am in love with his hair ... I've never felt anything so soft!

Proud Mama ...



... and Papa

Brothers!


Just let me hold him all by myself, Poppy!!

My own personal baby!

We're gonna have our hands full!

My goodness, I love this little guy!

And this one, too! This is what we were greeted with when we pulled in the driveway. Can it GET any better?

He's Here!

Landon Jonathan Hall

March 28, 2009

5:17 pm

8 lbs 7 oz

21 inches

Landon and I are both doing wonderfully! Delivery was a breeze ... I'll post our "story" with some pics once we get home from the hospital. Right now, Jon and I are reveling in this sweet and peaceful time at the hospital with our newest little guy ... fighting over whose turn it is to snuggle with him. Thanks so much for all of your prayers and good wishes!!

Maybe Baby?

Contractions have begun and we're preparing to head to the hospital soon. Wish me luck! I hope they don't send me back home!!

To Grammy, With Love

This video is for Grammy, who has watched the last one I posted at least 137 times. Turn up the volume and enjoy!

My Theory

I fully understand that I'm jinxing myself by actually putting these thoughts in writing. But here's my theory ...

Jon was born on October 27
I was born on January 28
Tanner was born on June 29

So that leaves March 26 or 30 as a suitable birthday for little Landon. Ha! Just crossing my fingers he's not an April Fool's baby! That just would NOT be starting off on the right foot!

Doctor's Report

Only 11 days to go ... which could easily turn into 18 or 20! Who knows at this point!

I had my weekly doctor's appointment this morning. Here are the stats: 2 cm dilated, 50% effaced. I could tell that the baby had switched positions since I'm feeling kicks on the other side of my tummy these past few days. I was a little concerned that his head might not still be down, but the doctor assured me that his head is so low and so engaged that he's not going anywhere. At this point, we're just waiting for contractions. I'm trying to just be patient and enjoy these last few days of life as a mother of 1. Sometimes, at night, I think I'm ready to have this baby just so I can sleep again. Then I realize that's not exactly going to be the case. Ha ha! God has a great sense of humor, doesn't he?


Oh yeah ... in case you've been following my stroller saga. I did end up ordering the BOB Revolution Duallie. I know some of you are also shopping around for a double and in case you are also interested in the BOB, Janelle brought to my attention today REI's 20% off coupon, which is truly the best deal around if you want to buy this stroller. Just thought I'd let you know ... :)


Oh yeah ... and one more thing. A friend of mine shared these great coupons for diapers with me this week. I still use cloth around the house, but use disposables whenever we are out and about. Walgreens had their brand on sale last week 2/$9 (Huggies Supreme Natural Fit are my faves, but Walgreens brand does the job just fine!). I used the coupons and ended up getting them for $2.50/pkg. I bought 24 pkgs! I have noticed they run the 2/$9 sale often, and the coupons don't expire until the end of June, so keep your eye out and you can save a lot of money! If you would like me to end you the coupons, just leave your email address in the comments section.


And just because I think he's the cutest thing ever ...

Boys Day Out

We're off to a great start this Saturday morning. Tanner is cozied up on the couch, watching his favorite "Tigger and Pooh" with a sippy cup of hot chocolate. He's got a big day ahead with Daddy, including visits to Toys 'R Us, Chuck E. Cheese's, and the park. What fun! Both of my boys are so excited. And I have to say ... I'm excited, too! A day to myself! And I have a GREAT excuse to get a pedicure -- can't reach my own toes! Hope your Saturday is shaping up to be a good one!

Mr. Talkative

I caught Tanner in a silly mood a few days ago during lunch. He was actually saying words for me on command, which he never does. He's got the cutest little voice. I hope these put a smile on your face today!

As Promised ...

37.5 Weeks

Doctor's Report

As of yesterday ...

I'm 1 cm dilated, still 50% effaced, and the baby's head is "really wedged down in there." No wonder my hips have felt completely out of wack the past week. The doctor said I could stay here for a while, or I could have the baby any time. :)

It's kind of funny. Every appointment towards the end, I secretly hope the doctor will send me directly to the hospital and say I'm having this baby now. Then, on the way home I realize that I'm actually going to have to bring this baby HOME with me afterwards and be up all night with it and I feel perfectly content waiting the extra few weeks until my actual due date. I think all the waiting is just such a tease.

Jon has finals this week, so I've been instructed to hold off on going into labor until he's finished. I'm sure that won't be a problem. :) Then he has an entire 2 weeks off until he starts his next class. YAHOO!!!! I cannot wait to have him all to ourselves again for a little while, with no school work hanging over his head! He has been INSANELY busy for the past several weeks. Which pretty much makes me INSANE as well. Only 2 more years of this craziness ...

Okay, that's all for now! B-Mama, along with my nesting hormones, has inspired me to get a little spring cleaning done. I made of list of things to do in each room ... and it's 5 pages long! Better get going! (p.s. I'm going to save the baseboards until I'm DESPERATE to get this baby out -- all the squatting down is sure to help things along!)

TTFN!

37 Weeks and Counting

Holy. Cow.

I'm now at the 37 week mark, which means:

1) My baby is officially full term

2) I officially feel like a cow

No belly shots this week, but I can assure you that I'm huge ... everywhere except for my belly. Even with Tanner it never really got that big -- in proportion to everything else, that is. Oh my. I have my work cut out for me once this pregnancy is over! Thank goodness for the treadmill we just purchased! I've been walking on it a few times a week, when I can't get to the gym. There is never anything good on TV while I walk, so I usually end up watching "A Baby Story" and sobbing whenever they hand the new baby to the mother. It's a good thing this all happens in the privacy of my own basement ... I would be a little embarrased if I was at the gym ...

I started my weekly doctor's appointments this week. The good news is that the baby is head-down. I am 1/2 cm dilated and 50% effaced. This doesn't sound like much, but keep in mind this is about where I was when I first got to the hospital to deliver Tanner. In any case, the doctor said I'll most likely be pregnant for a few more weeks. :) My next appointment is Monday. I'll keep you posted on any progress! And if I can get my husband to take a decent belly-shot, I'll post that, too. Hopefully, these pics of the little guy can hold you over until then. :)

Thank God for Grammies!

In case you haven't figured it out yet -- my mom ROCKS.

Seriously. She just left and I already miss her. Jon was gone for most of last week between school and a trip to visit his brother, so I was more than ready for some adult company (and a helping hand!!) by the time she arrived late Friday night. She reminds me SO much of my grandma -- her mom -- whenever she comes. She always brings tons of extra stuff with her and goodies for everyone. This time she brought Tanner some puzzles, a new bath toy, a pair of adorable monkey slippers, and material to make him a cozy blanket. (She says Tanner is her hobby :) My grandma used to always bring us those candy orange slices covered in sugar --- mmmm ... I loved them. And then, as we got older, she would bring the bonuses she got from makeup counters like Clinique or Estee Lauder! We always knew we were loved and thought of!

Anyways ... after she got her Tanner-fix, we put him to bed and got our jammies on to watch a movie. I had rented "My Best Friend's Girl," not really knowing what it was about. Yeah ... not a good one to watch with your parents. Very Very Very inappropriate. (Think "American Pie," but 1000 times worse.) I put myself out of my misery halfway through and fell asleep while my mom stayed up laughing. The best part about going to bed when my mom is here is knowing that I can sleep in as long as I want in the morning since she can't wait to get up and start the day with Tanner.

I finally mosied out of bed on Saturday morning around 8:45 and joined in the fun downstairs, where my mom and Tanner were playing "store" and Tanner was ringing up groceries and bagging them. He's actually really good at it which tells me we spend waaaaaaaay too much time at Target. We spent the morning trying to call my sisters and make them jealous that they weren't here, then eventually got our act together around 11:00 and headed out to run some errands and take Tanner for his first visit at Chucky Cheese's. Our first stop was Babies R' Us, where I got almost all of the baby items I needed to be prepared for Landon's arrival. I got to shop in peace while my mom wondered around with Tanner on his new monkey leash. Yes ... it sounds barbaric, just like locking him in his room at night. But ... he LOVED it. It is the cutest little stuffed monkey that he wears like a backpack and it's tail is a leash. He actually cried when it was time to take it off. I'll have to post a picture of it soon -- he's been making us put it on him around the house and follow him around with the leash. Hilarious.

Chucky Cheese's was quite the experience. Not exactly what I remember from the Showbiz Pizza days, but Tanner had a lot of fun. He was very upset when it was time to go -- we can't do anything fun without tears at the end. He was asleep by the time we pulled out of the parking lot, though, so my mom told me she'd stay in the car with him if there were any more errands I had to run. It was AMAZING being able to run into 6 different stores and get what I needed without feeling rushed. We even stopped for ice cream on the way home. I TOLD YOU -- my mom is super-cool :)

Now it was time to get down to business. The main reason my mom came was to help me get all of the baby stuff ready. We did some SERIOUS laundry since Landon has inherited a RIDICULOUS amount of clothes from his brother. I think even if he wears 1 outfit every day from the time he's born until he's three months old, he still won't be able to get through all of his newborn and 0-3 mos clothes. We also organized the nursery as much as we could and I got my bag packed for the hospital. We finished the evening off watching "Made of Honor" with Patrick Dempsey while my mom worked on Tanner's new blanket.

This morning I got to sleep in AGAIN and woke up just in time to get showered and pick up Jon from the airport. Tanner was SO excited to see his Daddy when we walked back in the door! I spent the rest of the day getting all of our baby gear out, and generally doing as much as I could to feel prepared for the big day. I feel REALLY good about everything I accomplished this weekend and I'm starting to feel very excited and "ready" to meet my new little boy! My mom offered to watch Tanner so that Jon and I could go out to dinner like real adults and have a "date," so we took her up on it and headed to Applebee's for boneless buffalo wings and their Oriental Chicken salad. I fretted all the way home about what my doctor is going to say at my appointment this week "NO MORE COOKIES FOR YOU!!! YOU CANNOT GAIN ANY MORE WEIGHT!!!!" But when I walked in the door "1/2 Ton Mom" was on TLC and now I just really don't feel so bad anymore!

So, all in all, the weekend was fantastic and I am feeling incredibly lucky to have spent it with my wonderful mom. I only hope that I can be half the mom she has been to me!

Making Progress

Thank you for all of your advice and encouraging words after my last post! I thought I'd fill you in on where I'm at now. Jon says that I'm obsessed. (He's just now realizing this??) However, he did accompany me back to the BOB dealer today just to see if maybe we could fit the duallie in my trunk if we were a little more creative. And ... SUCCESS!!! We made it fit! Well, I made it fit while he looked over my shoulder ... he wanted to make sure I could do it all by myself since that's how it will be most of the time. Anyways, we drove away with smiles and celebrated with Starbucks on the way home.

Now, as far as finding a good price: I had previously looked on Craigslist and Ebay for deals on the BOB, but couldn't find anything. After your comments, I looked again and have found a few potential purchases. I really just wish someone would inform the bidders on Ebay that it's silly to bid on an item until the LAST minute. Otherwise, you're just raising the price for everyone. Seriously -- get a clue. I also found a great price on the 2007 model, so I'm keeping my eye on several different websites. Now that I know which stroller I want, I feel like the big decision has been made and I can just wait to buy until I come across a good deal.

With less than 5 weeks left before little Landon arrives, I'm definitely getting into nesting mode. My mom is coming next weekend to help me organize the nursery and go through all of our newborn clothes. Today I bought some new PJs to pack for the hospital. I'm excited to start getting things out and really preparing!!

We had a really nice weekend here. Good friends over for dinner on Friday night (once Landon comes we'll have 5 boys between us!!). Grandma and Grandpa Hall came to visit for the day yesterday and we took Tanner to the children's museum, where he wore all 4 of us out. And today, Jon woke up early and made us all pancakes while I got some extra sleep. Then we went to church and shopping together and Tanner actually behaved -- well at least a little bit. Shocker. He's been SUCH a stinker lately. Just TERRIBLE. It's definitely time to start a little discipline around here. Just a little funny tidbit from our outing -- as we headed into Macy's, I told Jon that I wanted to look for some pajamas. "I'll just go upstairs while you browse the men's department," I said. "I'll leave Tanner with you." HA! The look on his face was priceless -- a mix of fear and panic. Like, "how do you expect me to shop with him around??" Hmmm ... Tanner came with me and had a great time pulling all of the clothes off of the racks and onto the floor. Wonderful.

Here's a pic from this morning, right after he took off his PJs and diaper in the middle of the kitchen and started parading around. I chased him into his playroom, where he thought it'd be fun to throw all of the pieces from his train table onto the floor and then climb on top. (Remind me to disinfect before our next playgroup.) Really, I know I should have yanked him off and not permitted any of it, but it was so darn funny.

Hope you have a great start to your week! Praying that God gives me the extra patience and sense of humor that I'll need to make it through each day with my little monster!