Landon's Fun Monday and Mommy Woes

Landon got to meet another turtle today! He is so fascinated with turtles and cannot seem to get enough of turtles or of any sea creature. JD, our next door neighbor, came over to play this morning and his Grandma DieDie stopped on the side of the road to pick up this turtle for JD and Landon to see. I tell you these grandmas will touch anything for these little fellas! Diana told me the turtle even peed in her car on the way here- YUCK! I think I need to toughen up before I have another boy! We kept the turtle so the boys could show their daddies when they get home from work. I could not believe how both boys were touching the shell and chasing the turtle. I don't know if you can see or not, but the turtle was quiet lively- his head was sticking out and he was the fastest moving turtle I had even seen!


Landon also shot his first hoops last Monday, but I managed to get it on film today. It was so much fun watching he and JD shoot the balls and actually get them in the basket! I have had that little basketball goal for about a year! Finally, some good use for these boys. I know it in only foreshadowing what is to come. I am so glad Landon has nice neighborhood boys to play with!

I actually got a picture of both boys smiling which was a miracle in itself...so sorry it is a little far away, but the fact that they are both smiling was worth posting!


So, such cuteness, how could there be mommy woes? Landon is such an amazing kid and I love him to pieces. There is no "BUT" only a... why do they have to become so dang defiant? It grips at me like nothing else and I hate it when I recognize that we are going to have to come down hard again because he is pushing too much. I think it is hard when I really feel like I am trying everything to help him feel secure, loved, cared for and he basically spits in my face (not literally). I think one of my best friends described life with a 2 year old the best...one minute you are laughing having a blast and thinking life could not be sweeter with this precious being, leaning in for a sweet hug... the next minute they hit you in the face for no reason.


On top of these trials, Landon is having MAJOR sleep issues. Stan and I are doing everything I know to do as a professional and a mommy and so far, nothing is working. I seriously cannot remember the last time he slept all the way through the night. I find myself asking, "Did he ever sleep through the night?" I know he did. Have all the changes leading up to having a new baby (new bed, new room, no paci, potty training) caused him to be stressed and it is coming out in his sleep? Mommy guilt, go away. I cannot believe he is having such sleep issues and I am looking at a every 2 hour waking and feeding schedule in the next 2-5 weeks. Please pray for my patience, it is so much harder when you are sleep deprived.


Why am I blogging then, when Landon is taking a nap? Because today he is not doing that either, and I have decided that I will leave him in his room for quiet time and what he does, is what he does. I am no longer going to stress about him skipping naps. But, it is hard when I truly need them. I used to think God was mad at me because I would pray and pray that he would help our sleep problems and they didn't seem to resolve. But now I realize, God is there, he has the best plan and truly, maybe not going through the shock of 8 hours uninterrupted (except for pee breaks of course) to maybe 2 hours at a time will be easier for me now that we are lucky to get four in a row.


Sorry for the woes, blogging is a good place to vent. Now I will go watch my soap and be mindless- unless of course Landon is actually sleeping, which is when I will take a nap. Thanks for listening.

Landon's Rendition of Jesus Loves Me

So, last weekend Stan had Landon and started singing Jesus Loves Me. Landon started singing along. Stan called his parents and Landon sang for them on the phone. Then mommy came home and Stan said, "Have you been teaching Landon Jesus Loves Me?" to which I replied, not really, I have just been singing it to him since he was born. So...he learned the entire song by repetition after hearing me sing it so many times to him. It just floored me to think that I had taught him this song by singing it over and over as one of his lullabies. How precious this is his second song, only second to "Row Row Row your boat."

It made me sit back and think about all those things we do with our children very early in life that we may not think they are paying attention to...they are. Wow. It is awesome to see how fascinating the young little mind can be.

Isn't it amazing to witness and be a part of shaping a life- even when we are unaware- a little overwhelming too. Well, enjoy the video and night night.

Landon's Day at Nanny and Pappa's

Landon and I spent the day at Stan's parents' house today. We were greeted within 10 minutes of or arrival with Uncle Butch and his new fire truck. If you look really closely in this picture you can see Landon and I waving from inside the truck. He was calling it "Red" from the movie Cars. It was adorable. I truly don't know who was more excited, Landon or Uncle Butch!

After the fire truck ride, Landon had a great nap followed by some special time with Pappa reading Stand back said the Elephant, I think I'm going to Sneeze! Landon at one point got the book from me after sitting down in Pappa's lap and promptly waved bye bye to me. What a great time he had snuggling with his Pappa. :)

Following book time, we went outside and he enjoyed Nanny's pool with a slide and sprinkler combined! Only a Nanny would think to combine all three!He had a blast and especially liked the part about being able to pee pee on trees - but "only out in the country".

It was a joy to spend the day watching him make memories with his grandparents. I sure treasure all of my memories with my grandparents and really am taken to a place of peace and joy when I see Landon being so loved by his grandparents- makes me realize how much mine loved me. Also makes me realize how special Stan and I's parents are.

Happy Belated Easter and Spring!

I hope you all had a blessed Easter. We sure did! We were able to spend Saturday with Stan's parents and Landon found his first frog! Nanny held it (thank goodness) and I took pictures.

Landon also found his first mud puddle- what a JOY to watch!

Landon also had a chance to watch Mickey with Pappa...

He had time to wind down a bit before we headed home to make it to both church services on Easter morning. The choir sang and we enjoyed a lovely service. Then we all took a long nap, had the Easter Bunny visit (our Easter Bunny doesn't get up early yet) and played outside just before enjoying chicken and dumplings, broccoli casserole and corn on the cob...yummy! Hope you all had a nice Easter to start off your Spring as well.

Landon's Loves "Tahti", Sweets and Sunshine

So, this was Karen's ("Tahti's") birthday cake...or so she thought! Landon blew out her candles for her and proceeded to lick the green and pink icing off with his fingers. As you can tell Karen had quiet a lot of fun taunting him by pulling the cake away.

I guess I should have known he would have a sweet tooth just like me. I have to hide cookies in this house already b/c he would much rather eat a cookie or a "snack" instead of a meal. What can I say, I think I had a glass of chocolate milk every night I was pregnant with him- not to mention the cream filled donuts I treated myself with. And I wondered why I gained so much weight!!

We had a great weekend. The weather was just beautiful! It was in the 80's all weekend long. Saturday was absolutely a storybook family day in my opinion. We slept in (as only parents of toddlers understand- this means sleeping until 7:00am). We had a slow morning and I got to enjoy a run outside while Stan and Landon had breakfast cooking. Stan and Landon started playing outside and I joined them. Then we went to Home Depot together, shopped for flowers and shrubs, had hot dogs from the hot dog stand and sat on the bench together and ate those and cheese puffs and grapes- a favorite meal for Landon! Then we went to Kohl's and I got Landon the cutest little plaid overalls. We came home and Landon napped while Stan and I planted the flowers and shrubs we bought. Then Landon woke up, we played outside more and then went as a family to our neighbor's house for her birthday. We put Landon to bed after reading books and Stan and I settled in for a movie. How about that as a snapshot into our lives.

Winter Wonderland in NC!

It is hard to believe we got about 4 inches of snow here in NC! Landon had a blast playing in the snow and building his first snowman with his friend JD. We were teaching the boys to throw snowballs and also let them watch us enjoy the time old tradition of sipping hot cocoa. Next year maybe they can participate in that part.

We also had the great joy of spending a weekend away with Mike and Allison. We had such a relaxing time that was "Oh So Good" for the soul. We went out to dinner two nights in a row and got to finish our meals in peace, we went shopping to multiple different stores finding all the best deals (deal of the say was a 7.5 foot pre-lit Christmas tree, originally 240.00 for 35.00!!), the girls watched a chick flick and the boys watched football while at the same time playing Tiger Woods golf on the X-box. We sat and had coffee in the mornings and talked in our pajamas and took long hot showers. So good to have some time away with the best of friends. Thanks Mike and Allison!We sure did miss our little fella though. It is something I really believe is good for all of us and boy did we make up for our time apart today! Happy Snow Day to you all!

Preparing for Christmas

Merry Christmas! We are so excited to be in this time of preparation and waiting- the season of Advent. We are settling in now that my Christmas shopping is complete, our first Christmas party has come and gone successfully and Landon is well! We are ready for the wait- the wait to prepare for the true meaning of Christmas. We are waiting to celebrate the biggest gift ever- Jesus!

As parents, Stan and I pray nightly to be the best that we can be. We are humbled at the opportunity we have to raise our own child- the responsibility that is- and know we can only do it with God's guidance.

We went to get our Christmas tree together and had a great time. It was cold, as you can tell by our attire. It was a quick trip, that ended when the man selling the trees gave Landon (a not even 2 year old) a candy cane...no, I did not let him eat it by himself, like I said, we had a quick trip to get our tree this year!

We have decorated our home- my favorite time of year, so I thought I would share a picture! Stan did all the wreaths (his favorite time of year too...as you can imagine). Please notice the four white rockers on the front porch- my Christmas gift from Stan! I pray each of you can take a step back and relax. Enjoy the true meaning of this season.

Thankfulness

"Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior." Habakkuk 3:17-18

I am reminded this Thanksgiving when our country is in economic uncertainty, friends are losing jobs, homes are being forclosed upon, loved ones are truly struggling whether due to the economic or personal loss, that God is bigger than all of this, that I can be thankful most of all for his unfailing love and times like these to help me see the bigger picture. This Thanksgiving I am humbled by the gift of Christ, one I take for granted every day.

I am thankful for Christian friends and leaders who help to guide me to see such truths daily that my life can be lived in a way that honors Christ.

May your Thanksgiving be blessed.

Birthday Reflections

• I am so grateful for my parents and my in-laws- I got to spend time with both sets for my birthday and seeing them with Landon is the best birthday gift in the world.
• I feel old, 31 somehow feels different than 30 and definitely different than my 20's- where does the time go?
• Though I feel old, I am so joyful about where I am at 31 with a loving and devoted husband and a precious little boy, I am in awe of these blessings in my life.
• I have so many wonderful friends, many of whom emailed, "facebooked", sent cards, visited or called for my birthday- even my best friend from Kindergarten (thanks Melanie!)
• I have so many wonderful relatives who also communicated well wishes and want to especially mention my two grandfathers, Grandaddy and Pa Cole. I got home from shopping all day with my best bud from college (thanks Allison!) and had a card from my grandfather and Stan's. It touched my heart to receive these cards, esp. since they have both lost their mate who used to send the cards. I am so thankful for the written words and thoughts from these two very influential and loving grandfathers in my life.
• Birthdays for moms sometimes mean taking care of sick children and staying up at least half the night- yes little Landon is sick. Yuck.
• I am finally learning to stand up for myself... and to love the woman God made me to be.
• I am finally learning that I cannot change people but I can pray for them.
• I am grateful for the bible study that I have been able to be a part of this year, I have already learned so much from the collective wisdom of my small group.
• I need to get to bed earlier now that I am 31. :)

Victories

And you thought my kid only ate off of toothpicks!!!! Look at that pincher grasp- and kiwi at that!

Of course, Landon is delighted to be eating a lion animal cracker. He was also making it trot along the poolside chair. He actually ate about 5/6th of an entire gordita last night! I think the little fella is getting it down. Food is a good thing!

In other news, Landon spent the weekend with his grandparents, "Nanny" and "Umdaddy", while Stan and I shared a weekend with my parents in the mountains. It was a wonderfully relaxing weekend with plenty of time for reflecting and peace. We even found time for pedicures for mom and I and golf for Stan and dad.

We needed the weekend. It was supposed to be our anniversary trip to the beach but Hurricane Hannah diverted us to the mountains. We have so many things to be thankful for, esp. for God's love,our health and our family. Going to the mountains and taking a break from the busyness of life helps us to realize these truths.

I have a few things going on that are unfortunately causing me some stress...without going into detail, please pray for me and my peace of mind, for discernment and wisdom in making the best decisions for my family. What a blessing family is and how wonderful is mine. Thank you Lord.

Peas on a Toothpick Part Two & Ramblings

And you thought I was kidding...

But look what a happy customer I have...

Yes, we are still bribing Landon to eat by using toothpicks. Hey, it seems to be working and from what I hear from parents of picky eaters, we are not the first. It is one of those things that really makes us cringe (Stan esp.). But, I really think his cheeks are starting to fill out and he is eating more foods. I always try first without, then, I say, "Landon, do you want toothpicks?" The resounding answer is "Yeah!" He has my number - that is for sure.

We had a recent all nighter again. Boy, the meaning is so different than when I was in college. Sleep deprivation as a parents can literally make you crazy. Landon has a cold this week and the symptoms started up 12:15am on Monday. Stan and I were up with Landon at least 10 times that night and we finally got him back to sleep. We both had to work on Monday, so after some major shuffling, Stan stayed home the first part of the day and I came and relieved him at lunch. We were so glad we did that b/c Landon was just not himself to be in a childcare situation (even though we have a great one!).

I thought back to those all nighters in college- I only had a couple- and I actually got to recover. I would come back to my dorm room after the exam and sleep for hours. As a parent- that does not happen. On Monday, it was all I could do to keep my eyes open and Landon was running around like a maniac. How do they have that much energy? Wasn't he tired? I thought, surely if I lay down with him on the couch and watch his favorite show (a real stretch since I don't like him watching that much TV) he would doze off...do toddlers doze off? Not mine. :) He is a great sleeper, but boy is it regimented. None of these catch up naps and laying around- there is too much to see in the world.

Since I last BLOGGED, things have been going well here. It is all around me that things seem to be too darn hard. Several of my friends have had tough times, repeatedly it seems and though it causes me to stop and count my blessings, it also makes me sad and wishful for better times for my friends. God certainly does have a plan, it is just hard to see sometimes. For all of these special friends, I am praying with faith that God will see them each through and show them His power and strength and healing.

Well, I have to run, Landon is waking early, I think an ear infection is brewing...yuck.

Quiet Reflections

The beauty of God's creation in my own back yard. Tonight I am thankful for so many things. Quiet times of reflection help me to realize the importance of pausing to count my many blessings. Here are a few.

- God's love

- Landon and Stan

- Stan's dad's health

- My healthy family

- The ability to see God's beauty in this world

- The simple things (butterflies, hugs, kisses, late evening quiet times, coffee, naps, smiles from strangers, flowers, chocolate, playtime with Landon, the ability to dance and sing)

- My loving friends

- Our home

- Warm covers and a soft bed to lie in

- My grandmothers' influence on my life and my ability to have had so much time with them

- My friends and family who have prayed for me and encouraged me

- Times when thankfulness is at the front of my mind

Special Prayer

Lord, let me be thankful and find joy in bathing my baby boy – he’s growing so fast. No longer tiny and helpless, but now full to my arms with a rollicking will of his own. Thank you for the sight of his back, straight and sturdy in the tub, and for the wild abandon of his antics – his mad splashing, his impassioned clutch of floating ship and ball. Thank you for the foolishness of a chewed washcloth dribbling daily down his chin, and the flirtatious peeking of his eyes over the tub’s rim. Thank you for my son, Lord, my plump, brazen elf of a son, to be soaped and rinsed as he scolds and sings and chatters in his own expressive jargon. My son to be gathered warm and wet into a fluffy towel, to be patted and powdered and oiled. I lift him up in a joyous little gesture of offering, and he dances on tiptoe with nimble nakedness. Thank you for this son to be wrestled into a diaper. For he keeps flopping over, scrambling to his knees – it is like trying to put pants on the wind. Yet you made mothers strong-fingered and determined. We must win the kicking contest against socks and shoes, we must subdue our children into clothes and pajamas. And our reward is to carry a son at last, sweet and fresh, clasping our neck, riding royally off to bed like a king. Thank you for this child and this happy daily struggle that is half duty, half delight. And whenever it seems a chore, help me to remember how awfully fast little boys get too big to be bathed or maneuvered into anything.

More Prayers

I wrote recently about Caroline, the sweet 12 year old girl at my church recently diagnosed with lymphoma. Well, the family is still in process of finding out treatment options because although it has not spread and all of her bloodwork and scans are clear, she has a very agressive type of non-hodgkins lymphoma that only about 150 people worldwide have been diagnosed with- most of these are older adults. The family is talking with specialists about chemo and radiation vs a bone marrow transplant. Please pray for the whole family and for clarity in which direction to go in as far as treatment in concerned. This family has amazing faith and believes in the power of prayer. I appreciate all the prayers you can offer.

Prayers needed

Stan and I help out with the middle school youth group and have for about 5 years now. We love those kids- an age group that I never pictured myself working with- amazing how God works. We just learned that one of our youth at church has lymphoma and is going through a lot of testing this week to determine the type as well as the stage in order to begin treatment. She is 13, beautiful (inside and out) and full of a love for life. I have always commented to Stan how mature her faith is for her age when she responds so thoughtfully to tough questions during youth group. Please pray for her, her mother and father and her brother this week and next as their future unfolds. It is times like these that are so hard to understand.

Thanks Jake

A sad day today, mom and dad took our beloved Jake to be put to sleep. He was 15 1/2 years old- quite old for a lab and was really starting to decline in his old age and have quite a difficult time getting around. Some part of me wanted to hold on- was he really THAT bad off I asked myself. Knowing my parents want the very best for him and actually lived with him, I knew they did know best. I appreciate their kindness in discerning that it was time before he became miserable.

We went to say our goodbyes over the weekend and I had my alone time with him and told him how very much he was loved and appreciated as I cried. I have learned that in dealing with death, it is so much easier to be able to say good-bye- if of course you are given that opportunity.

As I reflected to Jake all of my gratitude for those late night talks about all my past boy troubles and such (hey- I got him when I was 15- so now you know how old I am too!) I also realized the impact death has on us in general. I was taken back to both of my grandmothers recent deaths and my time with them prior to their deaths. It is something that grips my heart, bringing reality to the forefront and reprioritizing life time after time.

Death without faith is something I cannot image. I think about my grandmothers and my just knowing that they are in heaven and the incredible peace that gives me. In a different way, faith also helps me to accept things like Jake's death- knowing that he was a gift to our family for a certain time for a certain reason and that his presence in our lives was not chance. He was a member of our family and he was deeply loved and added to the depths of our family relationships as we cared for him and shared our yummiest of meals with him (only when dad said it was okay). :)

Time does move forward, I am reminded of this daily. But I am thankful for the opportunity I have to live and learn and share defining moments in this life with precious friends and family, even pets- like Jake.