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!

Stroller Sighs

I can't sleep. (And apparently neither can my husband since I've started snoring now, in my 9th month of pregancy.)

And, truly, it's for such a SILLY reason.

I've yet to decide on which stroller to buy and I wake up at night with my mind racing, trying to analyze my options. I know this is stupid. I know it's just a stroller. I don't get to take it with me when I die. But seriously, I feel like it affects my quality of life. And I literally cannot make any other decisions concerning the baby until the stroller is sitting in my garage. Oh, I'm so shallow! So I'm just going to lay it all out there. Here are my concerns. Keep in mind that I've spent upwards of an hour every day reading every review possible :

• We've budgeted $300 to put towards a stroller/strollers. Anything over that I have to come up with myself. (Not quite an easy task when you don't work.)

• The main things I think I'll use my stroller for are: daily walks, jogging, places like the zoo, farmer's market, etc. I rarely go to the mall or even out shopping since that's just no fun anymore with a toddler. In fact, I got our stroller out about 2 weeks ago and realized that I hadn't used it since Christmas!

• I HEART BOB. I want a Revolution Duallie. (Yes, this is double our budget -- but worth it??) I even found a store that sells them and dragged Jon and Tanner there with me to check one out. Jon and I both agreed that it rocked. However, we were a little concerned that our carseat isn't compatible with the adapter. Then, we tried to fit it in our trunk and it wouldn't fit. For a split second, I considered getting on my hands and knees and BEGGING Jon to upgrade us to a mini-van this year instead of next so that we could accomodate this wonderful stroller. (I'll blame that little bit of insanity on the hormones ...)I cried on the way home. Because I was disappointed it wasn't going to work and I was upset with myself for being upset about something so materialistic. Did you get all that? And now ... I just keep thinking ... maybe we could have maneuvered that stroller just a little bit differently and somehow made it fit ... Anyways ... it's hard to spend $600+ on a stroller that's not 100% perfect. And they literally can't be found used.

• So then I think ... how about buying a cheap jogger that stays in our garage and then another stroller to keep in the car. But the jogger has to be decent because it's already hard enough for me to run 3 miles and if the jogger is crappy then I know I won't use it. And I could just get a sit-n-stand for the car??

• Part of the problem is that we have a Chicco carseat, which is compatible with NOTHING. Except for maybe the Bumbleride Indie Twin, which I'm really starting to think might be our best option. Again, it's way more that we want to spend, but might be a good "all-in-one."

So there it is. Go ahead and say it -- I'm a total stroller snob. You were all so sweet to leave me comments and suggestions after my last stroller post. Any more wisdom you might be able lend?? I'd love to be able to get at least a few weeks of good sleep before little Landon comes and the real sleep deprivation begins!!!

All Tuckered Out

I should have known it would be "one of those days." After all, I had a lot of things on my to-do list today, and that, most assuredly, means that Tanner will be more mischieveous than usual. Hmmm.

We started the day with breakfast, where I decided to let him drink his milk out of his own little mug instead of a sippy cup. He was doing great ... until I turned my back to dry some dishes. When I turned around, I caught him at the refrigerator trying to fill it with water from the dispenser on the door. Thankfully, the water dispenser was locked, but the milk was everywhere. No use crying over spilled milk, huh? I just wiped it up and went about my business.

Got Milk?

A little while -- and a few more spills -- later we were upstairs and Tanner was playing around while I changed some sheets. As I finished my job, I could hear the little stinker in the bathroom. There he was, with Daddy's Old Spice in hand, rubbing it across his face. At least he smelled good afterwards. (And thank goodness he wasn't playing in the toilets, his new favorite hobby -- although he very well could have been doing that and I just didn't catch him.)

Okay, Mom! I'm ready for playgroup! I'm bringing all my friends with me!

Later this morning we went to playgroup and he fell asleep in the car on the way home. I transferred him into his bed, but heard him awake and playing just a few minutes afterwards. I had just gotten everything out to put another coat of paint on my bathroom walls (this is coat #5 ... a whole other blog entry in itself) so I left him in his room to play for awhile. After I was finished, I quickly cleaned both upstairs bathrooms since he still sounded content. Finally, after everything was put away, I checked on my monitor and saw that he was laying in bed. Not sure if he was asleep or just bored, I went in to check on him. This is what I found.

Hmm ... someone's been busy!

Yes, we're going to have to do something with those cords ... YIKES!!

Oh, my busy boy, how I love you!

A House Full of Boys

I'd love to tell you that my home is a soothing, relaxed little haven, where family members are calm and the atmosphere is peaceful. But, alas, this is our reality.

I think I like it better this way anyways. ;)

Suprise!

I'll be honest. I had zero expectations for Valentine's Day this year. Not only did I just get some MAJOR spoiling for my birthday, my husband has been CRAZY busy since the beginning of the year with school and work. I honestly didn't even think he'd remember that tomorrow is Valentine's Day, he's got so much going on in his head right now. Which was completely fine with me.

That's why it was SO cool to find this on my doorstep after running errands this morning. Aren't they GORGEOUS?? And the best part is, they came with chocolates, too, and a sweet sweet note from my main squeeze. I'm LOVED!!!

33 Weeks

This morning was my 33-week doctor's appointment. Everything looks normal and I'm feeling pretty good. I can't believe my due date is less than 50 days away!! WOW! After my next appointment, I'll start seeing the doctor every week -- that's how you know things are getting close! I'm so excited to meet this little boy, and I know Jon is, too. Tanner is another story, though. Every time I ask him if we should get a baby to come live with us, he says, "NNNNNOOOOOO!!!" And Jon is always asking him if he's ready to be a big brother yet ... "NO! NO! NO!" He totally doesn't know what's happening! I predict he'll be a completely jealous older brother, but also very excited to have a new baby around. Anyways ... for those of you who requested a belly shot ... here it is! :)

Note To Self:

If you decide the best way to keep your little boy in his big boy room is to lock him in, be sure to keep a key somewhere in the room.


Just in case you happen to accidentally lock yourself in the bedroom with him ...


... and nobody else is home


... and you don't have a phone.


Thank God I had a hairpin in my hair today! It would've been a LONG afternoon and evening!

Just a little pre-nap baking