Swimming...Now & Then

On Memorial Day, we got Landon's swimming pool out for the first time this year! I found some pictures from one year ago of him swimming at the wee age of 8 months and it was fun to compare. The "then" pictures are right before his hair-cut! :)

Now ~ May 25, 2009

Then ~ May 18, 2008

Now ~ Still enjoying the water spray

Then

In case you're wondering...Pampers are SUPER absorbent!

Playing in the puddles

Just For Reid

I wanted to give Reid the spotlight for a moment. After all, every post I write is chock-full of Landon, Landon and more Landon. But soon, Landon will be sharing the spotlight and I'm excited about having another little boy to brag on!

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Reid has been kind enough to return my appetite! I know I spent a lot of time early on complaining about how sick I was, but it's with great joy that I can say that part of this pregnancy is over! I managed to eat a whole bag of Goldfish crackers the other day. In ONE DAY! Who does that? This only happened once…I promise!

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Reid is a mover and a shaker. I’m sure he has my sugar cravings to thank for part of that! Sometimes he catches me off guard with his mighty kicks. It’s always a neat reminder that he is very real and he has already made us a family of four.

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I do feel a little guilty about already starting to compare Reid to his big brother. I love Landon so much that I feel like he has set this high bar of expectations. And now I’m waiting to see if Reid will live up to those. I know that Reid is his very own person and I’m so excited to see what all that entails. But, I want to know that I will love and appreciate him for that…and not for how he is or isn’t like Landon. God has given me such an incredible love for Landon that I never knew I could have. Don’t get me wrong, I already very much love Reid. These are just the thoughts that go through my mind as I imagine what he will be like. I’m sure I’ll be amazed at how much I can love another child as much as I love Landon.

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Because Reid will be in Landon’s old room, there isn’t too much work to be done. However, since Landon moved to his big-boy room, the nursery has become our temporary storage area. We hope to get it all clean and ready for Reid very soon. I will post pictures when that actually happens. But for now, here are a few special things that are just for Reid!

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God, I praise you because Landon and Reid are fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

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A new outfit I couldn't resist buying

Wall letters for Reid's room

Reid's 1st Teddy Bear....from his MiMi

A special onesie from the Thompsons

Just for fun....comparing tushies! A newborn diaper and Landon's size 4

Mommy and Reid ~ 29 weeks

20 Months, 10 Weeks & 100 Days

2o Months: How old our first little boy is today!

10 Weeks: How long we still have to wait to meet our second little boy!

100 Days: How long we have until the Thompsons are here!

To celebrate 20 months of life, here are 20 things we love about our sweet Landon!

20. The way he sneaks his paci out of his crib when he's not supposed to. (He just did this as I was typing).

19. The way he likes to wake up Paisley....by pulling her blanket (with her in it) off the couch.

18. How he loves to open and close doors.

17. The way he enters a room....by slamming the door open as hard as he can.

16. How he chases Paisley around the house while she is trying to eat.

15. How he runs to his crib when we say it's time for "night-night." Such a good boy!

14. The way he "backs-up" into your lap when he wants to read.

13. His LOVE for books! The boy is crazy about them!

12. His LOVE for the outdoors! After books, comes being outside!

11. The way he runs to the door when he knows Paisley has to potty. He won't pass up any chance to go out.

10. The way he reacts when he sees a doggie!

9. The way he runs! This is something you just have to see for yourself.

8. How he reaches up to grab your hand when he knows he needs help going up or down steps.

7. The way he claps for himself when he's done something cute or funny.

6. His open-mouth kisses! We're still working on this.

5. How he runs to the window when we tell him someone is coming over.

4. What a good helper he is around the house....turning on/off lights, putting diapers in the pail (even clean ones sometimes), being a courier between mommy & daddy, etc.

3. How sweet-tempered he is....most of the time!

2. Those CHEEKS!

1. His many, unique faces!

A Hair Raising Conversation

Landon had his first haircut at a pretty young age...8 months old to be exact! And I don't mean a little trim so you can have a few strands for the baby book. I mean shaving it off with a #2 guard. Many people thought it was cute, but the child's hair was out of control and was only getting worse by the day! This was the main reason for our early hair-cutting decision. In case you have forgotten, or did not see a lot of Landon in his younger days, here are a couple of reminder pictures:

I had to throw in the mohawk picture...Daddy did this to Landon when mommy was not around!

These days, when Landon's hair starts growing back in, it begins to look a little like a chia-pet. Let's compare....

This may be the reason we hear conversations like the following when we're out and about.

Setup: Last Saturday, Aaron, Landon and I were at Target when a mom and her two little girls passed us in the aisle.

Little Girl: "Mommy, Look! A baby!"

Mom: "Yes, see how nicely he is behaving?" She clearly didn't hear him squealing a few aisles over.

Little Girl: "Mommy, can I pet him?"

Mom: "No sweetie, he's not a dog."

I really wanted to say, "It's OK....She's not the first kid that has wanted to pet my son." I won't mention any specific children (Mr. Luka). :~)

We're very interested to see what hairstyle baby Reid will be sporting!

Soppy Saturday

Being stuck indoors on a rainy day is no fun with an outdoor-loving 20 month old. Landon kept going to the window to watch the rain while we were in the playroom this morning. So, I did the unthinkable....I let my child go out and play in the rain. I was nervous about all the moms that might drive by and judge me. Lucky for me, it seemed most people stayed in today! Although a little hesitant at first, Landon loved it! He was not very happy when it was finally time to come in. Unlike the water sprinkler experience, he didn't want to just stand in one place, he was ready to venture out. We had a fun time and it gave him a chance to get some of his wiggles out!

Fun Friday

We had a fabulous Friday! It started off by going to get a closer look at our sweet baby Reid, who will be joining us in about 2 1/2 months! MiMi and NiNi were able to meet us for our 4D sono. He was weighing in at a little over 3 lbs. and was measuring a couple weeks ahead (almost 30 weeks). We noticed a lot of similarities in him and Landon. Can't wait to see for myself very soon!

After that, we headed to Kid's Kingdom in Rowlett. We have heard so much about this park but this was our first time to go. It is super fun and there is so much to do! The weather was perfect! I only wish I had more energy to play! Thankfully, Aaron and NiNi were there to chase Landon around. After some fun at the park, we enjoyed a yummy lunch at Dos Charros....one of our favorite Mexican food restaurants. After lunch, we came home for naps! :) In the afternoon, we continued to take advantage of the beautiful weather with some water sprinkler fun!

Landon was not interested in running through the sprinkler, but just standing in one spot. So, when he finally tried to move, he fell down and just sat there crying while the water hit him in the face....it was as if he forgot that he was able to move or walk away!

Enjoying a refreshing drink!

Happy Mother's Day!

My Mother's Day started off by realizing I let my little boy get his first (mild) sunburn at an outdoor birthday party yesterday. Oops! It wasn't really hot outside and it was somewhat overcast so the need for sunscreen didn't enter my mind! I actually got a little burn myself. Sorry sweet baby! It was your first, but it won't be your last! Welcome to the Sunburn Only club, where our motto is You can't use a high enough SPF!
I know it's been said many times before, but being a mother is the absolute best job! I feel so blessed to be able to do it full-time and wouldn't trade it for any 6-figure job out there (not that I've had any offers). How could I not love being with this sweet little face 24/7?

These are my Mother's Day flowers! I found it rather appropriate that the bib and Gerber snacks ended up in the picture! :)

Today, as I reflect on my role as a mother, I also want to acknowledge my own mother who has taught me well! I'm so blessed to have her not only as my mom, but also my friend. I'm also thankful for my wonderful mother-in-law, Melinda (or MiMi), who I appreciate so much. Not only are they amazing women and mothers, but they're the 2 best grandmas any kid could ask for!

On the Slide

Yesterday we got video of Landon sliding down the slide on his own...and in his own way! :) Landon has become so proud of himself lately and feels the need to give himself a hand when he knows he's done something cute! Please ignore the part where Aaron accidentally hits Landon's head on the playset. All of us good parents do that once in a while. In fact, one time Aaron and I both hit Landon's head in the same spot and on the same day trying to get him into his car seat. Hopefully, he's still too little to remember! :)

Paisley Update: Except for some major bruising from all the poking and proding, Paisley is home and doing much better. We hope that with a strict diet we can avoid having to deal with this a 3rd time! Landon was so excited to have her back that when we came home and I put her little travel bag down, he sat on the floor next to her and tried to unzip it to let her out!

The Paisley Blues

Our little princess, Paisley, is sick and in the hospital. Aaron and I noticed she had a bloody elimination (for lack of better words) last night. I actually took pictures of this, but lucky for you they were only to show the doctor....not to post. :) After an exam and blood tests it was determined that she was coming down with pancreatitis. She was also dehydrated. She actually had this same health issue about 2 years ago. Apparently if a dog gets it once, they have a higher chance of it returning. She will stay at the vet's for a couple of days getting IV fluids and meds. We're looking forward to her getting better and coming home soon. I know Landon will be waiting!

She was nice and calm until we went to visit her...then she got really hyper and tried to bite off her IV. Can you imagine putting an IV in that little toothpick leg of hers? Poor Baby!

Just One of the Guys

Put on your new manly shoes....Baby's 1st pair of Nike's
Check the gas in the mower
Mow the lawn....or the sidewalk
Throw a tantrum every now and then to remind mom that you're still her little boy!
Take out the trash

Check the tire pressure

Go for a ride in your sports car with the top down.

After you have finished your manly chores, end your guy time with a sippy cup of juice and a good nap! :~)