Grammy came this weekend to visit! We were supposed to be getting some family pictures taken and she was going to lend us a hand with the kids, but the pics got cancelled due to the yucky weather. That was okay by me, though! I got to take a nap on Saturday afternoon -- actually, I was ordered to take one by my mom (I don't know what Tanner's problem is ... naps are AWESOME!). Then Jon and I got to go out and see a movie. We saw The Hangover, which was sooo hilarious!
I just love having my mom here. She stayed all the way until this afternoon, watched my boys, did my laundry, cleaned my kitchen several times. We talked a lot about how much we LOVE our boys and how the love that mothers have for their sons is so very special. Of course, I know that the bond between mother and daughter is special, too, but maybe this love between moms and their boys is unique because it's so very surprising. Every mom knows they'll love a little girl -- they know just how to care for her, dress her, etc -- but who knew that you could love a little boy THIS MUCH!!! I'm so glad God gave me two of them! And I'm also so thankful that he gave me a mom to love and encourage me as I parent them!
I've been such a bad blogger lately, and I really don't have a good excuse.
We've just been busy.
And my house is a mess.
And my laundry pile just seems to get bigger and bigger. Probably because my laundry room is a mess and I need to clean it just so that I can load my washer.
And I just feel like I'm kind of in a funk.
So I'm going to spend the next 45 minutes before I go to bed trying to whip this place back into shape.
Oh yeah ... Landon is almost crawling. He's inchworming actually, if you really want to know. It started over the weekend, and now he's all over the place. And it's TOO DARN CUTE ... just like he is.
And Tanner rode a pony last week. I'm pretty sure his life is now complete. He talked about it for a good half hour afterwards. :)
Jon just mentioned that he would like lessons in how to play the recorder for his birthday. You know ... the little flute everyone learns how to play in 4th grade music class? Yep .. that's the one.
These boys may look like they're just playing innocently together, as brothers often do.
In reality, though, they're conspiring against me -- plotting how they might further their campaign for a sleep-deprived mother. And their daddy is no better. Nobody wants me to get any sleep around here. Nobody. Consider the evidence:
7:00 pm -- Landon goes to bed.
8:00 pm -- Tanner goes to bed.
9:15 pm -- I'm ready for bed and saying goodnight to Jon. He guilts me into staying up later with him. "Don't forget I'll be starting school again soon!!"
10:30 pm -- I'm finally in bed. Drifting off to sleep.
11:00 pm -- Get up to give Landon his pacifier
12:30 pm -- Hear Tanner crying, go in to see what's wrong.
12:32 pm -- Sit in bed and worry about why Tanner has been getting up in the middle of the night lately
12:53 pm -- Get up to give Landon his pacifier
12:58 pm -- Get up to give Landon his pacifier
1:04 am -- Landon is still fussing. Change his wet diaper.
1:12 am -- Landon is still fussing. Nurse him, even though he's probably not hungry.
3:00 am -- Landon wakes up for his regular feeding.
3:30 am -- Jon cuddles up to me as I get back in bed. "Stay on your own side of the bed!!"
4:15 am -- Get up to give Landon his pacifier.
4:58 am -- Get up to give Landon his pacifier, then decide to just bring him into bed with me.
5:30 am -- Landon wakes up for his regular feeding.
6:00 am -- Landon up for the morning. I get up thinking at least I can get a shower before Tanner wakes up usually around 7:30). Maybe even have a cup of coffee and fold a load of laundry.
Over the last few months, Tanner's vocabulary has expanded exponentially. He's pretty much able to communicate to us whatever he's thinking. Maybe not very eloquently, but still ... we know what he means. Which brings me to this morning's conversation. Whenever he wants to communicate that something is big or that there is a lot of of it, he uses the word "heavy." Whenever he wants to communicate that something is small, he uses the word "baby." By the way, I think one of my favorite things in the world is one of his "heavy" hugs. :)
But, I digress. Back to Tanner's room this morning. As I was changing his poopy diaper, we had this conversation:
T: Uuuucky ....
Me: SOOOOOO uuuucky.
T: HEEEEAVY uuuucky!
And that was just the beginning of today's laughs. Later on in the afternoon, I was sneaking in a quick run on our treadmill. I had just put Landon down for his nap, and Tanner was in his room supposedly napping. Let's just say it was taking him a while to fall asleep. In fact, I had put him in his room a full hour before. After about 15 minutes of running, I peaked at him on our video monitor. He was sitting at the end of his bed rail, with one leg on each side, yelling "I'm wriding, I'm wriding! Horsey! Horsey!"
I'm really disappointed in myself these past few weeks with how little I've blogged. But, I've been super busy and something had to give. Usually it's housework, but I was hosting playgroup and a football watching party this week, so I had to stay on top of things. And I was crabby most of the week, so you probably wouldn't have wanted to read what I had to say anyways. :) Tomorrow is the beginning of a new week, though, and I'm determined to make it a good one.
Today was a busy day preparing to have some friends over to watch football. But, we did take a little time out this morning to celebrate our sweet baby Landon's first meal ... rice cereal ... yum! (at least he thought so!) I'm pretty sure that most of it ended up inside the crumb catcher of his bib, but he was all smiles pretty much througout the whole experience, and I didn't get any of the funny faces I was expecting. We might have to wait for green beans or peas before we see that! God, I love this kid! His dimples just make me melt!
All eyes on me for a change! I like being the center of attention!
Come on, old man! Get it to me just a little faster!
Sunshine, Friends, Yummy Blueberry Cake, a Walk/Bike Ride ... all ingredients for a happy mom and cheerful kiddos. Enjoy the pics!
While Landon was sleeping, Tanner and I baked this Blueberry Coffee Cake.
And ate some, too. :)
Then, the three of us went for a walk to the park. Tanner rode his bike.
He was totally excited about his new helmet.
He played on the slides for a little while and chased around all of the older boys, pretending he was one of them.
Our house is about 1/4 mile from the park. Just after crossing the street from the park to the sidewalk, Tanner decided that he didn't want to ride anymore. So, here I was, carrying the tricycle and pushing a stroller while my little boy crawled behind me.
... and then stopped for a break ... to look at bugs ...
... and then crawled a little further ...
... and then did a little bear walk.
We continued this for most of the rest of the way home -- until we heard a dog barking behind one of the neighbors' fences and I told him it was going to get us. I've never seen him pedal so fast. I'll have to keep that in my bag of tricks! (What a mean mom.) What a cute biker. :) And as for this guy, he's rolling around everywhere.
He's finally figured out tummy to back. I cannot help myself -- my days are spent covering him in kisses.
Okay, so I've been wanting to do this post for a while now. I just haven't had an opportunity to sit down and do it. A friend of mine called a few weeks ago with some questions about registering for her first baby. Boy, did I give her an earful -- probably way more than she wanted to hear! Anyways, it got me thinking ... what are my FAVORITE, MUST-HAVE baby items? I posted my top-five a few years ago, when Tanner was just 3 mos old, and several of them have changed now that I have a bit more perspective and another little one to take care of. What are your faves?
My New Top Five
1) Nikon D60 (or any DSLR camera) -- I will never go to a photo studio again to get pics of my kids. I LOVE LOVE LOVE my camera and swear it was the best purchase I have ever made. I really feel like I have some awesome, frame-able pics of my kids, thanks to this camera.
2) Summer Day and Night Handheld Monitor -- I recommend this to everyone I know who is having a baby. Most of them have the same reaction that I initially did -- "they're so expensive!! I don't really need all that video stuff ... " Oh, but you do! You really really do! Especially down the road, when it's time to start letting your baby cry it out, or when you first move your toddler to a big boy bed. We even take them with us when we go visit the grandparents, or on vacation, etc. I wonder sometimes -- at what age do we have to take the cameras out of their rooms ... 18??
3) Baby Bjorn -- I'm going to be honest here. I barely used this for Tanner. But, with two, things are completely different and Landon usually finds himself in the Bjorn several times each day. Mine currently needs to be washed so badly but I don't want to go without it for the time it takes to wash it and then hang it up to dry. That's how much I love this thing. Landon is fast approaching the weight/height limit, though, so I'm thinking about getting another style of carrier to tote him around in. Any recommendations?
4) Exersaucer and Activity Gym -- think you might want to do dishes? Or check your email? Or just set your baby down for a few minutes? There will be a time when the swing or bouncy seat just isn't enough to keep your little one content and entertained. And in my case ... contained -- we've already had to put our swing back in storage because Landon has outgrown it! Once your baby is strong enough to put in the exersaucer, a whole new world opens up for them! They LOVE it! And the activity gym is an awesome precursor to the exersaucer. I don't know what I'd do without them!
5) Bebe Au Lait Nursing Cover -- makes nursing in public no big deal. Which makes me think I can go anywhere, at anytime. (If I don't have a toddler to contain while I sit down and nurse, that is!)
A Few More Really Cool Things Tiny Diner Dinner Mat
Snack Traps
Things I Wish I Wouldn't Have Bothered With
1) Diaper Genie/Diaper Champ -- the diaper genie uses refills that cost close to $7 each. The diaper champ just stinks. Period. I've found the best thing to do is put all of the diapers from one day in a plastic grocery sack and just throw it out at the end of the day. Oh yeah ... and that's free! I actually find that the trash can w/lid that we use for our cloth diapers contains smells just as nicely as the diaper genie. I just make sure to lysol it whenever I launder the diapers.
2) High Chair -- If there was one big priced item you would like to go without, have it be your high chair. It takes up so much space and a booster seat pulled up to your table is just as effective!
3) Hotsling -- It was just awkward. I used it once. No wonder there are so many for sale on eBay.
What About B.O.B.?
I still pinkpuffyheart B.O.B. I mean -- he's really like a member of our family. Jon, Rachel, Tanner, Landon, and BOB. He's the reason we bought a bigger car, for goodness sakes! Could I live without him? I suppose. But, gosh, he makes our (attempts at) jogging so much easier and our outings so much more fun!!
I've noticed that most of my pictures lately are of Tanner doing fun things. Poor little Landon seems to only be photographed in his stroller since he can't even sit up on his own yet. Thankfully, Jon took a break from mowing the yard this morning while we were all outside, and he held Landon so I could get some good shots.
You can do anything you want. You just can't do everything.
If you know Jon at all, you know he's pretty passionate about life and SO afraid that he's going to miss out on something cool or fun that he commits himself to way too many things. That's when I usually step in as the boring/nagging wife and remind him that he needs to prioritize.
So why can't I take my own advice? Why do I feel that, as a mom, I should be doing EVERYTHING. Because, honestly, it's completely exhausting thinking of all the things I could/should/want to be doing as a wife and mother. Those who know me best know that what I really wanted to be in life was a mom. And now, here I am! So, not only do I feel like this is the most important time in my life. I also feel like it's going to be the best time in my life, and I don't want to miss out on anything. Did you get all that? I wish I knew how to say it better.
Anyways, I just can't figure out how to do it all. I feel like the majority of my days are spent wiping (counter tops, floors, dishes, noses, hands, faces, bottoms ...), planning meals/preparing food, running errands, doing laundry, emailing/blogging, and making sure my kids have something fun to do each day. I just can't seem to fit anything else in. I never thought I'd say this, but my current fitness goal is to squeeze in a measly three workouts each week -- and lots of times I can only do two! There are so many other things I want to be doing, but there just don't seem to be enough hours in the day!
Here's a sampling: 1) Actually do something with all the pictures I take. Organize them. Frame them. Order photo books. 2) Plant/tend a vegetable garden 3) Read -- for pleasure and for professional development (i.e. parenting books) :) 4) Decorate my house ... or at least get some things put up on the walls 5) Plan some sort of lesson/project/fun educational activity for Tanner each day 6) Do a Bible Study 7) Create some regular time for myself 8) Add some new/more exciting meals to my repertoire
And those are just the things that are popping into my head right now. You should see how much I come up with when I'm driving in the car or laying in bed at night. And then there are the things I already do, but want to be better at, like disciplining more consistently, eating more healthfully, etc.
I have friends and acquaintances who seem like they are able to do everything. They are organized, their houses are spotless, they are so thoughtful and remember everything. So what am I missing? Perhaps just a little bit of patience and perspective. Those friends of mine may seem to be doing it all, but when I take a step back and really think about it, I doubt they're really doing everything. Let's face it, it's been a busy year! After all, if I plan a little bit in advance, I just might be able to get that garden together by next year. And in a few years, when Jon is done taking classes, maybe then I'll get to do that Bible Study. And what if I made it a goal to finish just one photo project each month ...
I guess it's not the end of the world if I can't fit everything in at once. I guess that's the way life/motherhood is. You do what you can, when you can. And try not to feel guilty about the rest.
Don't you just want to rock him to sleep every night?
And soak up every little cuddle, every smile and sigh?
Well, I do.
Which is why we have a problem, folks. It is time. Time to put my baby to bed drowsy, but awake. Time to let him soothe himself to sleep. If it was left up to me, I would let him sleep in my arms all night. But truly, that's probably not healthy for me, or him. Plus, I have another child to put to bed, too! So endless rocking and soothing just isn't possible. Right now, I usually nurse him right before bed, and he falls asleep while he's eating. Then, I carefully put him in his crib. This was perfect until about 2 weeks ago. Now, as soon as I lay him down in his crib, he starts crying. It never fails. So, I'm trying to let him cry himself to sleep. And it stinks. He just gets SO mad and worked up and screams and screams -- which I could probably get through if I just turned my monitor off, took a shower, kept myself busy with other things. But he gets so upset that he throws up. Which makes me feel TERRIBLE and SAD and also means that I have to change his sheet and his pajamas.
So, what should I do? Do I stick with it? Or do I wait a few more weeks/months and try again? Either way I feel like a terrible mom when it comes to bedtime. I don't remember feeling this bad when it was time to let Tanner cry it out. Then again, he never made himself vomit in the process. Any advice?
Today, my brilliant, fantastic-looking, hard-working husband took one for the team. He trade in his baby ...
for one of these ...... and I couldn't be more *excited*!!
Most moms I know start any car conversation like this ... "I don't want a minivan, but we're just going to have to get one." Or else they pretty much just state that they wouldn't be caught dead driving one!
I, on the other hand, have been wanting one since I was pregnant with Tanner. And it wasn't because I was resigned to the fact that eventually we would probably need one. Nope, I just wanted one. I never even considered another alternative. So, when our car started to feel pretty tight after Landon was born (we had to choose between golf clubs and the stroller everytime we took a trip home), I immediately put the kibosh on talks of moving to an SUV. Jon tried to stay strong ... "We can get anything but a mini-van" ... but after borrowing my mom's for a week, he was sold. So, today we traded in Jon's car, he took my little hatchback (I told you he took one for the team!) and I got a van. Sweet. :)
At one point in time, I swore that I wasn't ever going to let my kids eat in the car. That lasted until Tanner was about 10 months old and developed the pincher grasp needed to pick up a cheerio and put it into his mouth. So, while I can't promise there won't be a goldfish or two on the floor underneath the carseats, I can assure you that this will never make it past the sliding door.
A cupcake from the neighbors. I've been changing bright turquoise diapers for two days now.
We are finally back to normal around here -- even better than normal, actually. Tanner is feeling much better, which means more smiles, more fun, and much less whining/crying/tantruming. We spent all day yesterday outside in the backyard and for some reason, several of the neighborhood kids ended up there also, which was a blast. Who knew that toddler toys could be so much fun for 5-8 year olds?! Tanner loved having some playmates and kept saying "Kidz" all day long. Our yard was a disaster by the end of the day, but quite a testament to all the fun that was had!
Today was great, too. The boys and I spent the morning outside again while Jon went wakeboarding with a friend. Then, it was time to head to church to get our portraits taken for the church directory. Wouldn't you know Tanner had a huge scrape on his cheek and a big bruise on his forehead. Awesome timing -- but I'm sure we'll look back in 20 years and laugh when we see all his boo-boos. I know this is ridiculous, but I was so PROUD that we actually made it ON TIME to our appointment ... we are always late everywhere, so being on time for once was awesome!
Afterwards, we went for lunch, and then I brought the boys home for a nap while Jon went out to run a few errands. When he got home, he offered to take Tanner to the pool for a little swim. I was just tickled to have a little time to myself with Landon. We actually went for a walk, which was an everyday thing when Tanner was a baby. Unfortunately for Landon, Tanner doesn't like to just sit in the stroller while I walk, so we either have to be running or just going on a short trip. It was wonderful just to be out in the nice weather, getting a little exercise, and clearing my head. Tomorrow I've requested a little bit of "me" time away from the house and all of the boys. I'm not quite sure what I'll do, I just know that a little time away will be good for my soul. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, right? Even if it is just a few hours.
Shelby hit the nail on the head when she commented on my last entry. We are definitely going through some "Grandparent Detox" here at the Hall house this week. For 10 days, my little guys were cuddled, coddled, and spoiled like you wouldn't believe. And they weren't the only ones ... I had my share of pampering, too. I was able to go shopping (for MYSELF!!), see two movies, and even enjoy a fancy shmancy dinner with Kat and our in-laws. It was so hard to say goodbye to all of that special treatment, but it is good to be home and we are finally moving back towards normalcy around here. Hallelujah!
We spent the first weekend of our trip with Maw-Maw (Jon's mom). My parents were in Atlanta visiting my sister, Lauren, and Jon and his dad were in Ohio for a golf trip. So, being the only two adults left behind, we banded together and had a fantastic weekend! A trip to McDonalds (remember how EXCITING that was when you were a kid?) to play at the playplace, then downtown for ice cream, and finally a trip to the zoo. Thank you, Maw-Maw for all of your help and for being so very good to me and my boys!
Tanner ADORED feeding the goats, but he only wanted to feed this little white one (the "baby"). He said he didn't want to feed any of the mommy and daddy goats and would get very angry and yell at them when they tried to get food from him.
This little guy was such a trooper. Have I mentioned how much the sight of him just MAKES MY DAY??
After the weekend was over, Maw-Maw had to go back to work, so we packed our things and headed to Grammy and Poppy's house so we could spend some quality time with Aunt Kat. From then on, I was a big fat ZERO in Tanner's mind. He wanted absolutely nothing to do with me. Aunt Kat is truly his favorite person EVER. We joked that the two of them were going to get BFF lockets (remember those?). He barely left her side for the entire stay. And Kat was so completely patient, loving, and attentive with him. Who needs Mary Poppins when you have Nanny Kat?
We tried to do something different each day. One day we hung out on the back deck, another day we packed a picnic lunch and went to the park.
We had dinner with Grandma and Grandpa Fagan.
We went to the kid's museum.
We even did some "pickin'!"
As I look through these pictures and the fun we had, all I can think of is how truly blessed Jon and I are to
Have such AMAZING families (parents and siblings) who are such a support and encouragement to us.
Live close enough to our parents that we can see them often!
Besides, having to go through Grandparent Detox once in a while isn't such a bad thing!
3) Baby Bjorn -- I'm going to be honest here. I barely used this for Tanner. But, with two, things are completely different and Landon usually finds himself in the Bjorn several times each day. Mine currently needs to be washed so badly but I don't want to go without it for the time it takes to wash it and then hang it up to dry. That's how much I love this thing. Landon is fast approaching the weight/height limit, though, so I'm thinking about getting another style of carrier to tote him around in. Any recommendations?
... and I couldn't be more *excited*!! 
A cupcake from the neighbors. I've been changing bright turquoise diapers for two days now. 
