Summer So Far!

Landon James is 22 months old, Nolan is growing fast in my belly at 28 weeks, James is working hard to provide for us and loving his job but crazy busy (a blessing but we miss him when he works all the time), and I am STILL adjusting to being a stay at home Mom and wife...it is tough but so rewarding! :o)

So far this summer, we have been to the beach with LJ and I went on a girls trip with best friend Karly to visit Cara (Aunt C, Landon's Godmother) since she is in grad school at Corpus now. It has been awesome to have fun beach trips. Gaga and Jetta are getting a family beach house there too so we are thrilled the kids all get to grow up at the beach just like Cara and I did! Landon loves the beach...it is definitely his favorite place in the world. He immediately dives in the water like a pro and is already good at collecting shells, 'counting' them, making castles with Gaga and C, etc. So sweet. Just like his Mama! :o)

My first time away from the little man was SO sad at first...I cried when I left him even though it was with Daddy and I knew he would be totally safe and have SO much fun with him. Nana and Boppa came to visit while I was at the beach which was awesome and Landon had the time of his life with them and Dada for the day and a half I was gone. They went to a really fun Elmo bday party with Bella and her Daddy (since Kar was with me at the beach) and James got the cutest pics of the kids...will post soon. I set out Emma's b day gift and his special b day outfit and James did an awesome job of getting him there early, etc. He even scraped the icing off of his cupcake so he didn't get too much sugar before nap...so impressive! :o)

On our trip, it was awesome to relax without kids but Kar and I missed LJ and Bells like crazy. We went to the beach, read, shopped, got nails done, saw a movie, napped and showered in the middle of the day (a luxury with young kids:) and just relaxed. It was wonderful...BUT we definitely got up and ready to go at dawn on Sunday morning and rushed back to see our little angels. I know I needed to know Landon would do OK without Mommy since I will be in the hospital for at least two days when Nolan is born so it was a great experience all around. Aunt C was so gracious to host us and hang out with us...we just had the best time and I ended up loving it even though James literally had to kick me out of the house so I would leave sweet LJ.

At 22 months, Landon is the cutest, sweetest toddler around. He is 'talking' up a storm and his new words/phrases are: ball, i love you mama and dada, play baseball, swing (sometimes called the 'weeee', go outside, cool, awesome, bye bye Dada every morning, please Mommy, help please Mommy, eat, drink, sit, seat, dogs, plane, bird, truck, wee-ooo, train, choo choo, ride train (still obsessed:), Mommy hold me please, more please, yes maam, no maam, yes sir/no sir (working hard on manners and he is GREAT at them:), helllllo and bye bye...says hi and bye to everyone we pass in stores, walks, etc and if they don't respond he says bye bye bye really loudly over and over again until they look at him ahahah, says touchdown and puts arms up, says home run, and I am sure there are many more fun things he is saying that I am leaving out. I need to be better about writing them down as they come but we are always so busy with his playgroups and activities that I never have a second!

Some of the things he is doing now are hilarious. Landon is so in love with his sweet friends and calls each of them by name and even notices their parents' cars and tells me when he dreams about playing with them. When we get anywhere near their houses, he calls them and gets so pumped up. He is the sweetest friend and gives them big hugs and kisses and 'helps' them with toys etc. Another fav is putting on his firefighter boots from Grandma Honey (Bella's Grandma) and stomps around saying wee-ooo and 'me Dada' and when he hears Daddy walking in his boots he says "Dada's Boots' and smiles really big. He loves eating fro yo out of cones now and feels so big when he is allowed to do so (not often:). He also loves climbing the tall stuff at the park and is so brave at Schlitterbahn on all of the water slides...but is still incredibly cautious at most times and goes backward on tummy to be safe. :o) It scares me to death but I am glad he is adventurous like his Daddy. He is creative and loves art and fingerpainting and coloring with Mommy...definitely takes after his Gaga and is a lefty like Mommy! Daisy is his favorite dag and he calls her, holds her leash when we walk, and even 'blows her nose' and 'wipes her eyes' with the beanbags Mommy made him. It is just adorable. He is still really attached to Mommy and says 'Mommy hold me pwease' every morning while we make breakfast and before nap. He loves me to snuggle and rock him and read lots of stories after he wakes up and before and after naps. He loves his schedule (up at 7, story, bfast, playtime, watch the news he calls 'mews' with Mommy and help me get rdy, walk Daisy, playtime with friends, lunch, stories, nap, 'wead a boook' as he says:), snack, playtime, watching Baby Singing Time or a train movie while Mommy makes dinner, then Daddy comes home (he is overjoyed every time and gives him the biggest bear hug and kiss:), eat dinner, play with Daddy while Mommy cleans up, walk Daisy or bike ride with Mom and Dad, drink milk, brush teeth, bath with Daddy, then bed time. He is a little clock and if we mess up the routine he is so sad! With Nolan coming, we will have to be much more flexible but I think it will be good for him. :o) He still loves Rhyme Time at the library, feeding the ducks and riding Landa train, hiking with Dada in pack, 'mowing' like Daddy, 'baseball' on his new t-ball set, chillin in his pool with his fav tiger and whale pillows, playing in his play kitchen and with his Elmo tool bench, etc. He is so busy and happy and loves learning new things and exploring. I am so thankful to be able to experience him growing up and not missing anything. He is my little angel.

I know this is long and drawn out but I want to have all of the things he's doing recorded in the book we will print out around his 2nd b day and I have been so bad about keeping up with the baby book. Plus, I am sure Gaga and Nana are happy to read everything he is doing etc! :o) We cannot even believe he is almost two and that we will have Nolan with us before long. It is amazing how the Lord has blessed us and taught us so much through Landon and while pregnant with Nolan. Will post more pics of the beach trip, birthday party, etc soon!