Birthday Fun, Family Style

This year, I agonized over whether or not I should throw a birthday party for Tanner. After lots of thought, we decided to have a celebration with just family. I'm so glad we did! Last Saturday we celebrated Tanner's birthday with the grandparents and Aunt Kat at the beach. It was one of the best days that I can remember in a long time. Perfect, actually. On Monday (Tanner's actual birthday), Jon stayed home from work and we spent the day as a family, playing with Tanner's new gifts, going for a ride on the train, and picnicking in the park. Perfect, as well. I hope Tanner enjoyed his celebrations as much as I did.

And I hope that you enjoy the slideshow -- make sure you turn on your speakers!

Happy Birthday!!

To my sweet love.

My first baby.

Has it really been two years?

Here We Are ...

... almost 30, and still dependent on our parents to save us in sticky situations.

And they never fail to come through.

Ever.

Case in point, tonight Grandpa Hall met us for ice cream. Let me backtrack just a little, though. We went home this weekend to celebrate Tanner's 2nd birthday with all of the grandparents (more on that tomorrow). Since we had so many gifts, my parents graciously traded cars with us for the week and let us borrow their minivan. A little over 3 hours in the car, and we finally pulled into our driveway, only to notice that we had no keys, and no garage door opener, and no way to get into our house. Oh yeah ... my cell phone was dead and Jon's was close to being dead.

What do you do when something like this happens and you basically only have one phone call?

Call your mom and dad, of course -- just like you did when you were 16 and drove your car into a ditch on the way to school. Except it's a little more embarassing when you're close to 30.

Lucky for us, Grandpa Hall had no plans this evening, so he picked up the garage door opener from my parents' house, and met us at a McDonald's halfway ... for ice cream. What a guy, huh! Thank you, Grandpa, for saving your children who STILL need you!

We started our trip today around 1:00, and finally entered our house at 10:15. It's so good to be home!

Oh yeah ... one more thing I forgot to mention. This is the second time this has happened to us this summer. The first time, Grammy and Aunt Kat came to our rescue! On the docket for tomorrow: get some spare house keys made and hide them in clever places!

Confessions

• I may as well start with this one: As I sit here and type, I'm eating the M&Ms that I purchased in case Tanner ever decides to go pee-pee on the potty again.

• This morning I had a friend watch Tanner so that I could go to the orthodontist to get a new retainer. (Yes, I STILL wear the retainer I got after getting my braces off 12 years ago every night to bed -- romantic, huh?!!) I brought Landon with me and had to feed him right after the appointment, so I went to the Starbucks next door. I got lots of weird looks (mostly from men) as I sat there and nursed him. I really wanted to just say that "in Europe, people nurse their babies in public without even covering up, so get over it!" After a while, I started to feel a tiny bit embarrassed. But then I saw a guy take his laptop into the bathroom with him and I figured that he should be the one who's embarrassed. LOL :)

• Oh yeah ... as long as we're talking about teeth, I think I forgot to mention this a few weeks ago. I had THREE cavities at my last dentist appointment and totally ruined my perfect record. I'm still in shock. Especially because I'm a flosser.

• Sometimes at night when I'm feeding Landon or rocking him to sleep, I'm incredibly saddened by how quickly he's growing ... and also by the fact that Jon says we can only have one more baby after this. Every time I look at my sweet little guy, I'm certain that I could have at least a dozen more. It's not that I'm so crazy about babies in general ... just crazy about my own. :) I am so MADLY in love with this little dude.

• The other night, we tried to get Tanner to eat just a few more bites of his dinner by bribing him with a popsicle. After his refusal, Jon got out a popsicle and ate it right in front of him (look at Tanner cry.) We're all so very adult around here. :)

• When we moved into our house a year ago, we decided to make the dining room into a playroom since we didn't have any dining room furniture. We didn't have any living room furniture either, but were intending to purchase some. Now, it's a year later and we STILL don't have living room furniture. I'm seriously considering just expanding our playroom to encompass two full rooms. Is that a bad thing?? My friends call me a "minimalist" but really, I'm just uninspired.

• I only mop my floors if I'm hosting playgroup the next day. (Don't judge.) Today we had playgroup at our house and my floors were definitely not mopped. Oh yeah, and I took all of the clutter on our kitchen counters, dumped it in a laundry basket, and hid it in my laundry room while they were here.

Speaking of ... I better go get that put away before someone's little hands find it tomorrow. Sleep tight you all!

Mom Sense

A good summer day ...

Should ALWAYS end with a popscicle.

Big Day

This morning was our first visit to the zoo this summer. We met Grandma and Grandpa Hall there this morning around 10am, and by noon I think we were all exhausted! It was HOT HOT HOT and very very humid! But we enjoyed ourselves, nonetheless, and had a ball visiting with our sweet grandparents!

When we got home, Tanner went pee-pee on the potty. Totally his idea ... he came and got me out of Landon's room as I was putting him to bed and said "poooopie" (which could mean poopy or pee-pee according to him). He dragged me to the potty and wanted me to put him on ... Jon came in at the last second and he actually went. What a big boy! I don't expect this to continue or become a habit yet, but I was really proud of him! I gave him an M&M for going and as soon as he ate it he said "MORE!!" I told him he only got one when he went on the potty so he ran back in there ... too funny. Anyways ... had to share! Hope you're enjoying your Saturday night! Jon and I are on our way outside to make some smores! YUMMMMM!!

Thrill-Seekers

I married into a family of boys who regularly hook up a sled to the back of their car when it's really icy out, and drive each other around the cul-de-sac.

At the wedding last weekend, I coincidentally sat next to a guy who grew up in their neighborhood. According to him, they used to hook up a skateboard to the back of their motorized scooter and do the same thing before they had their driver's licenses.

These boys love a good thrill, and I think it's safe to say the newest generation of Hall boys are no different.

Yesterday, I had Landon in the bouncy seat on the floor of my bathroom. Tanner was also hanging out in there with us, trying on all my shoes and basically just getting into stuff. I went into my bedroom for about 30 seconds to get something. When I came back, Tanner was catapulting Landon in the bouncy seat -- pulling the top all the way down almost to the floor and then letting go so that he bounced WAAAAY forward (it's a good thing he was strapped in tightly!). I just about flipped a lid and grabbed Tanner -- "Don't ever do that again!" And then I looked at Landon, who was laughing and had the hugest grin on his face -- he had just had the time of his life!

I think these two are going to give me a run for my money!

Smiles

After nearly 3 months of night-time feedings, it's no surprise that I'm a little sleep deprived. Yesterday I was having trouble even keeping my eyes open for the majority of the day. However, last night I dragged my exhausted self out of bed in response to Landon's 1:45am cries. I entered his room, unwrapped him from his swaddler, and sat down in the glider to nurse him. He looked up at me with this HUGE grin, like we shared some sort of secret ... and my heart literally melted. As he nursed, I held him close and marveled at his sweetness, reminding myself not to wish these nights away. Before too long, he'll be a big boy like the one in the next room.

Speaking of the big boy ...

Today Landon was in his swing crying. As I finished loading the washer, I headed over to the swing, only to notice Tanner right next to it. He was lifting his shirt and pointing to his chest. "Eat! Eat!" Oh my ... "Oh no, honey," I said, "only Mommy feeds the baby."

Can't wait to tell him that story when he's a teenager! :)

A Few Things ...

More than a week since my last post ... ay yay yay. It's been a busy one!

We spent most of last week in Michigan getting ready for the garage sale we were having at my in-laws' house. It was a lot of work to put together, but a success! It feels really good to have gotten rid of so much stuff, with a little spending money to boot! My favorite part of the garage sale is sitting behind the table once it actually starts, talking with whomever is there with me, and watching the people come and go. Thank you, Grandma and Grandpa Hall for letting us use your fantastic location once again!

I got to attend the fabulous beach wedding of my dear friend, Catherine, on Saturday night. Every detail was just perfect and the whole thing was so well thought-out. It was a Jewish ceremony and was so beautiful and meaningful. I've never witnessed one before, so it was a treat! The best part of the night was when the bride's little brother played the guitar and sang for the first dance -- awesome!

When we got back from Michigan, something very important happened ... Tanner gave up his pacifiers! I don't know WHY I waited so long to take them away. It was actually quite anticlimactic. I was all set to bring in the "paci-fairy" after Tanner's birthday in a few weeks and make a big deal of the whole thing. However, this is how it all went down:

ME: Tanner, pick out a book and get up into bed.
Tanner: Paci? (noticing he didn't have any pacifiers in his bed)
ME: Sorry, bud, but we left all of your pacis at Grammy's house. (LIE)

Tanner grabbed his book, hopped up into bed, and that was that. I'm so proud of the little bugger!

Grandpa Hall came into town yesterday to watch the kids while I went to the dentist. We had an awesome time and were so glad he decided to spend the whole day with us and then stay the night. He was such a HUGE help to me. I actually got to go grocery shopping without ANY kids ... loved it! Thank you for your help!!

Well, that's it for now. I'm just dying to go to bed early tonight! Enjoy the pics!

Be still, my heart!

Show us your guns!

Watching a spider crawl across the floor during his time-out.

Antagonizing

Oh, Honey! I have a feeling this is just the beginning. I'm sorry!

Better ...

Tanner's Dinner of Champions: Hot Dogs and Macaroni & Cheese



Umm ... Tanner, I don't think you're supposed to be getting into that!!

Thanks for all of your encouraging comments yesterday. Today was definitely better -- I think a lot of it had to do with the sun being out. We were able to get outside for a little bit, even though it was still pretty cold out (is summer EVER going to get here?). Tanner still wasn't feeling well, so he was SUPER-crabby, crying and whining most of the day. But I was feeling much more patient and positive about things, and that makes all the difference. We spent most of the day just hanging out around the house, which was actually very nice with the sun shining through our windows! I actually got my floors mopped -- Halleluiah! So that's not hanging over my head anymore. I don't know why I always put that chore off. It doesn't take more than 45 minutes and makes a world of difference in the appearance of our lower level. Maybe it's just because I know it will be dirty again by the next day. Now, if I can just find some time to tackle my bathrooms tomorrow...

On to the good stuff:

CONGRATULATIONS

Steve and Christin!!!

We received the AWESOME news this morning that our newest Hall family member had indeed arrived! Miss McKenna Marie Hall was born last night (June 2) around 10:30 at night via C-Section! She weighed 7lbs 13 oz and was 21 inches long.

Yes, there is hope. I was almost certain that these Hall men just didn't make baby girls, but yes! Thank you, Steve, for proving me wrong! I am so so excited for Steve and Christin! I just wish we lived closer so that I could get my hands on that sweet little peanut. Isn't she so gorgeous and chunky!! I love it!

If the sight of that little sweetheart doesn't make your day, I don't know what will!

God, help me.

I really wasn't sure if I would make it through the day today. Not to complain, but ...

I went to bed last night around 11:30. Landon woke up to eat at 12:00, 2:30, and 5:00. Then, he started getting restless in his crib around 5:30, so I put him in bed with me to keep him asleep a little bit longer.

Jon's alarm went off at 5:45, 5:55, 6:05, 6:15, ... all the way to 7:15. Lovely. Thoughts of a mocha from Starbucks were truly what got me out of bed this morning. Just being honest ...

Anyways, I moseyed down to Tanner's room after taking a minute to brush my teeth and get dressed, only to find that he really wasn't "himself." Instead of running to the door and opening it when I knocked, he stayed in bed. I went and got in his bed and cuddled up to him to see what was wrong. The poor guy's eyes were crusted shut. Yuck! I carefully unglued his eyelashes and called the doctor, thinking for sure he had pink-eye and wondering when the rest of us were going to come down with it. A few hours later, we were sitting in a room in the doctor's office for 30 minutes before the doctor came in to see us. I HATE it when that happens! There is way too much for a two year old to get into inside those rooms. Tanner was terrible. Anyways, the doctor finally came in to see us and diagnosed Tanner with a double ear infection. She thinks the crusty eyes were just an extension of the infection. Poor guy. No wonder he's been so cranky. (I'm HOPING that's why!)

So, between heading to the doctor and the other errands we had to run today, it was a LOOOONNG day. If anyone has any suggestions for how to deal with the following, I would love to hear them!!!

1. Refusal to hold hands in a parking lot, street, etc. It gets to be very awkward carrying an infant seat in one arm and a toddler hanging sideways, squirming and screaming, in the other arm.
2. From the time I start to buckle him into his carseat to at least 5 minutes into our car ride, I am tortured with screaming and wailing from the backseat. "STUUUUUCK!!" "STUUUCK!" (Um, newsflash, Tanner -- you're SUPPOSED to be stuck -- and you've still got about 6 more years in a car seat according to the law, so get used to it!)

I know he's sick. I know he doesn't feel good. But thank goodness for bedtime!

Here's to hoping tomorrow is better than today!

Oh yeah, something awesome did happen today that helped to get me through (besides my visit to the Starbucks drive-thru). My brother-in-law, Steve, and his wife, Christin, went into the hospital very early this morning to have their baby. Still no baby yet, but we're waiting on pins and needles! I'm sooo excited for them!

Family Time

First things first. Get a load of the sweetest little angel-baby you ever saw. I know it's a sin to be prideful, but I just think my little Landon is the cutest, most lovable little guy. He is such a good baby and I feel so lucky to be his mom!

Okay, enough of that for right now. I didn't make anybody sick with all of that gushing, did I? We had a great weekend, but it went SO fast! We started the weekend off with dinner at the home of some good friends. They have a set of twins who are Tanner's age and an infant who is just a few months ahead of Landon. It was a GREAT time. The boys played nicely together (even the dads ... haha) and all of us really enjoyed ourselves. We got home WAY past Tanner's bedtime, but that was just fine, because he slept in until almost 9:00 the following morning, and we all woke up rather cheerful, ready to be outside and tackle our lawn and landscaping.

Jon did an excellent job mowing as I started pulling weeds, but after two hours, I was OVER IT and quit. I HATE LANDSCAPING. Truly. I feel like I don't know how to do any of it. I don't know what are weeds and what aren't. I feel like all of our plants are overgrown and don't know what to do about it. And mostly, I hate that it's neverending. I couldn've pulled weeds ALL WEEKEND, and still, there would be more to pull by next week. Someday, maybe we can pay to have someone do all of this for us. But for now ... it's Jon's job. I quit.

Anyways, after lunch and naps, we headed out to pick up some ice cream and play at a nearby park. Jon and Tanner played around on all of the playground equipment. I had to leave after just a few minutes and stop watching them. They make me too nervous! Tanner is just like Jon with his desire to constantly be a daredevil. And Jon, of course, nurtures that desire. I just couldn't watch him continue to go down the slide that I knew was meant for kids much older. So ... I retreated to a park bench, pulled my sweet baby out of his stroller, cuddled him, talked to him, and reveled in all of his smiles until my big boys were ready to go. Well, actually, Tanner wasn't quite ready (see pics below), but we had to go anyways.

Right after I took this picture, Tanner flipped over the little fence he was leaning on and got a nasty bump on his head. I felt like such a rotten mom!

Tanner didn't want to hold hands in the parking lot and this is what happened. I was hiding behind the car, just dying laughing as I watched Jon try to deal with this little struggle for independence (i.e. stubborn tantrum). I couldn't help but snap a few pictures. :)

Today was spent mostly juggling the kids between to two of us so we could both get a few things done. Jon went wakeboarding this morning while I took the boys to church. Then, I handed Tanner over and went to Target with just a sleeping baby. I actually got to mosey through the dollar aisle without someone in my cart pointing to every item and saying "Mine!!" It was a very peaceful trip and I loved every minute of it! When I got home, I took the boys while Jon went for a run, and then we switched so that I could go for a little jog. Thanks to Mr. Mary Alice over at Building Cathedrals, I was inspired to try the Couch to 5K program to get back into shape after almost a year of no running. After Tanner it took me almost a year to run 3 miles again. But according to this program, I should be back to 3 miles in just 2 more weeks. I would highly recommend it for anyone who needs a little motivation! I've really enjoyed it so far!

The best thing about this weekend was the time we spent together as a family. Sometimes I think we get so busy with our own personal things that we forget to take time to just spend together as a whole family. Even when we are home in Michigan, most of the time the men are doing something together and the women are doing something separately. It was nice this weekend for the four of us to just be together and enjoy one anothers' company. I'm hoping we can make more of an effort to make this happen on a more regular basis. I just love my boys so very much ... all three of them!

Our Little Big Boy

In case you haven't figured it out already, this has been the best two months of mommyhood so far! I just love love love our newest little addition. We had our two-month appointment this morning. Here are the stats:

14 lbs 4 oz -- 97th percentile

25 inches -- 97th percentile

What a chunk! No wonder he's been waking up 3-4 times every night to eat -- the boy is growing!! Still, though, if we could cut the nighttime feedings down to once or twice a night, this mama wouldn't mind the extra sleep!!

A Trip to the Zoo ...

Well, almost.

We spent an extra-long Memorial Day weekend visiting the grandparents in Michigan. Out of the 5 days we were there, we took 4 trips downtown for dinner, ice cream, shopping, etc. This year, they have gorgeous little statues of various animals out in front of all the shops ... monkeys, tigers, lions, ostriches, llamas, elephants, hippos. Tanner LOVED them and just couldn't get enough!! Just wait until we take him to the REAL zoo this year! (Although he may be a little dissapointed that he can't just hop up onto all the animals!)

We had an awesome weekend and once again, all of the grandparents proved themselves to be truly amazing! You must know that Tanner is the first grandchild on both sides, and is at an age where he loves to be entertained. My brother, who just returned home from West Point for a few weeks, marveled at how everyone makes it their mission to make Tanner "happy" while he is there. (Silly Eric, with three older sisters, he must realize that we did that same for him when he was little!)

Some of the highlights from our weekend:

• Two trips to the beach -- one with Aunt Kat and Grandpa Hall and another with the Grandmas

• A short shopping trip with my sister while Grandpa H babysat. It was hilarious how we would go through the racks of so many random clothes and end up with all the same things in our carts!

• A wedding shower for our dear friend, Catherine K.

• Watching Tanner ride around on the new second-hand power-wheels that we just got him. Thank you, Poppy and Grammy, for fixing it up for us!

• A dinner date with Jon to our favorite winery!! (and being able to have a few glasses!!)

We were entertained the entire time, from start to finish and we loved every second of it! By Saturday, I think Tanner was ready to drop out of sheer exhaustion! Thank goodness for the long nap he took out on Poppy's boat while the guys fished! Landon was a little angel-baby and enjoyed lots of snuggles and kisses from everyone! We can't wait to head back in a few weeks!

Backyard Fun

Today was an AWESOME day to be outside -- the first time it's really felt like summer! We spent all morning at the park and then relaxed in the backyard this evening. Tanner was having a fantastic time "exploring" in our landscaping. He doesn't quite understand that you can't just trample through everything and pick at all of the plants. I have a feeling our landscaping might suffer a bit this summer from all of his curiousity! The lighting outside was great, so I got some good pics. Check em out!

"Hep Me, Pease!!"