Landon, the Chef!

Landon decided he was going to make a chef uniform out of things around the house. Let's see... Daddy's shoes, check. A shirt...make that two shirts from his closet (one to use as an apron), check. A cylinder bucket for the hat, check. And last but not least, four left-over birthday balloons (for the puffs, Landon says)...check! It looks as though he is complete from head to toe. Now, what's for dinner?

Happy Halloween!

For the last few years we have gone out to my Sister's house for our trick-or-treating fun. It is such a good time and great for kids of all age groups. It's amazing how busy the streets are and how many of the neighbors participate in giving out candy and decorating. They say that people come from all around. This explains the big crowd of trick-or-treaters. Here are some photos from the night.

Liam in his frog costume

Liam hanging out with Aunt Suzie on Halloween


Aden, Landon, and Dylan

The original Halloween costume I made for Landon, until it malfunctioned.

Fun with Grandma!

Liam enjoyed a nice visit from Grandma and Papaw. He gave Grandma big smiles and told her a few stories about baby life. As you can see, they are having a wonderful time "talking" and playing.

The flu is among us

The day after Landon's party, we decided to take him to see the new Harry Potter movie as part of his birthday. Well, during the movie, I noticed that he had a severe cough. I thought, "Oh no!" Well, we got him home and gave him some cough medicine. He seemed to be doing fine until Monday morning came. He woke up looking a little flushed while still coughing like crazy. I took his temperature finding out that he didn't have one. I took him to school and not even 30 minutes later I received a phone call from the school nurse telling me to pick him up because he had a 102.2 temp. Wow, that was quick! Well, needless to say, it been a pretty long haul with fevers and fatigue settling in. Landon has been home from school ever since. I think we may give it a go tomorrow to see how he does, given that he still doesn't have a temperature. Well, now that he is infected with what we think is the flu, Landon has had to wear a mask to keep his germs to himself. We don't want Mr. Liam getting sick. Afterall, he is a tiny tot and they don't handle the flu or other viruses very well. Here is our poor baby looking like something out of a Sci-Fi movie.

Landon covering up while catching up on school work.

Aw, how sad.

The big "6"!

Landon had his birthday party this past weekend. He was overjoyed to have some of his friends come and share his day! The party was filled with much excitement as we played, Pin the Bow On the Present and The Musical Balloon. We also had a potato sack race. Since Landon didn't win the race, Mom had to brighten his spirits by racing him in the end. I guess we all know who won that race. Hey, I'm old and slow!

Landon and his presents!

Landon is such a big boy now. He read his own birthday cards!

The gang (well, some of them)!

Landon getting ready to blow out his birthday candles!

Landon playing with one of his birthday toys.

...and then Grandma takes a turn.


...and Peyton, too!



Needless to say, everyone had a nice time.

Liam turns 2 months old!

Where did the time go? It just seems like yesterday when I was pushing him down the canal! Liam is getting so big! He's smiling and cooing all the time now. When I've had a sleepless night or two and the sleep deprivation has kicked in ten fold, all I do is look at his smile and listen to his coos and it makes it all worth it in the end.

There's Mama's smile!

School field trip

Mrs. Reed's kindergarten class went to Huber's. When they arrived, they went on the Apple Tour, visited the Pumpkin Patch, and picked out a pumpkin to bring home. They were suppose to do more, but they got rained out. So, they are to go back at a later time to finish up what they had originally planned to do. Dad went with Landon and was a little disappointed by the weather, but maybe he'll get another chance the next time they go. Here are some photos of the day.

The Grandmas (and Papaw) visit with baby Liam!

The Tooth Fairy has finally arrived!

Over the last several days, Landon had been trying to get his bottom front tooth to come out. Well, as we all know, teeth have a mind of their own - even if they are loose. I had put a baggie and a note to his teacher in his backpack when we headed off to school on Friday, having that gut feeling that Friday was going to be the magic day. When it was time to pick Landon up from school, his teacher came out to the car and told me that Landon had a GREAT day! He lost his tooth, he won the "build an apple tower" challenge, and was very well behaved. He was so excited and the first question he asked on the way home was, "Will the Tooth Fairy come to visit me and bring me money, Mom?" He kept his tooth safely in his baggie, and when bedtime came around, he excitedly put the tooth under his pillow. The Tooth Fairy made her appearance and left Landon a dollar! He made sure everyone in the house knew what had happened by running around and screaming, "She came, she came, and she left me lots and lots of money!!". Being a Mom is awesome and I'm so happy that I get to do it all over again with baby Liam.

Landon in the tub showing off his loose tooth - October 1st!

Landon showing off his missing tooth after school - October 2nd!

Landon's "Me" Box

Landon had to make a "me" box for school. He told me what he liked and we incorporated that into his box. We included decorations such as math, reading, sports, school, the outdoors (sunshine), his alphabet, and his teacher. Then he had to find five things that he liked to put inside his box to share with the class. He chose pictures of pizza, his dog, and his baby Brother. He also included his Mr. Potato Head and Justice League Heroes game. He loved working together as a team and was excited to show off his new box! Mrs. Reed told Landon that his box was the best box she had ever seen!

Hidden Hill

We went to Hidden Hill Nursery with a friend and her two boys. When they say "hidden", they mean it. I never knew this place existed until the other day, and to think it's located just minutes down the road! It was better than we had expected. They, of course, had plants and other garden goodies to sell (hence the name). But, they also had the secret garden and other areas decorated with these bazaar yet amazing pieces of art. Who knew that a metal sink that had been twisted and crushed beyond recognition could be considered art! It was great!

Liam turns 1 month!

Has it really been that long already? It started with taking monthly pregnancy photos of myself and thought this would be something I could do now that baby Liam is finally here. Why not keep it going? I think keeping track of how much they are growing on a monthly basis is a terrific idea. Otherwise, we would simply forget what they look like or how much they are actually growing. Unfortunately, we didn't have the resources to do this with Landon when he was born or we would have (e.g. digital camera), so we figured we should probably jump at the opportunity while we can.

Landon's new skill

Landon FINALLY showed some interest in learning to tie his shoes. Of course, it's not the kid's fault since we've bought him velcro shoes for some time now. He was so proud. It only took him less than 10 minutes to master his new skill. He's so smart!

Loop

Pull

...and ta da. It's tied!

Go Liam go!

When it comes to kids, you never know what you're going to get or how well or not so well they'll do things. Their milestones and behavior are so unpredictable. Some babies walk late, most don't. Some babies talk more or sooner than others. Some babies take to the breast, some don't. Some babies start sitting up by themselves a little sooner depending on their strength. Some babies even sleep through the night in the first week home! Well, I thought it would be fun to post this since I thought it was a cute shot of Liam trying to get up and crawl at less than a month old. This doesn't mean that he will take off sooner rather than later, but it was interesting to see how strong his little legs are and the effort he was putting into it.

To sleep or not to sleep...

I'd like to say that Liam sleeps a lot, but in all reality, he doesn't. They say that the more they sleep, the more they grow. Well, Mr. Liam better get a move on! He's sleeping about three hours at night, occasionally four. He would rather sleep during the day than at night, but he lies awake a lot of the time except for when he's being held. There's nothing like being nestled in someone's warm arms or against someone's chest. Now, if I can only find a way to invent a set of fake cozy warm arms for when it's time to go to bed and for through the night, I would be set! If these fake arms can also burp the baby, rock the baby, and somehow prepare bottles and feed at the wee hours of the morning for all those sleep-deprived Mothers (and Dads), I think I would top out at a billionaire! My imagination is running wild at the moment, but I think lack of sleep can make you a little nutty from time to time.

They look so sweet when they sleep...

...and then they wake up!


Look at that smile!

Benjamin Button vs. E.T.

Liam is still in that awkward stage - big head, big hands, big feet, big belly, tiny "almost non existent" butt, short bird legs, and a lot of wrinkles. I think he has more wrinkles than Mom and Dad put together! So, at this point we aren't sure if he's looking more like E.T. or Benjamin Button. Ha! Regardless, he's still absolutely adorable and we love him to pieces.

Mama's lazy boys

Fun with Daddy!

As Aaron and I were cleaning out boxes and moving things around, Landon decided to hide in one of the empty boxes we had put aside. Playfully, Aaron picked up the box and pretended that he was going to throw it in the garbage. As you can see, Landon was a little nervous about being thrown into the garbage, so he popped his head out and said, "Hey, I'm still in here!" (not that we didn't already know that). It was funny seeing his reaction. Of course, the next thing that came out of Landon's mouth was, "Do it again, Daddy!" Kids just can't seem to get enough.

A trip to Grandma's

Aunt Sharon and Uncle Lonnie finally get to meet their Great Nephew

Everyone getting a good look at our little Liam

Classroom: Week 2

My son, the suck up. Ha!

gDiaper dude in a basket

Aaron and I decided long ago that we were going to chip in a help our planet as much as we could. So, we are now cloth diapering (well, little by little since Liam is teeny tiny). Some of his cloth diapers are a little on the big side. These little gDiapers are great now that Liam is finally big enough to fit into them. I highly recommend them!

The cutest little gButt on the planet!

Liam's big day

Here is a short video of Liam and some of his family after his arrival.

Mommy's big helper!

Landon from day one has always told us that he wanted to participate in his Brother's happenings. His biggest thing was wanting to feed him. Well, he finally got his chance. Here is a little video of Landon feeding Liam. He was such a wonderful big Brother (and a big helper too!)

Baby Liam's 1st bath

Sunday evening we decided it was time for Liam's first bath. He doesn't like to be cold, wet, or naked, so needless to say, this was a pretty interesting adventure for all of us! And yes, we got tinkled on. It just wouldn't be a real bath without a little squirt in the eye.

Too cute for words. I love his teeny tiny heiny!

Here's a little video of Liam's 1st water experience. The song is called "Teardrops are falling" from the movie, "Cry Baby". How fitting!

Liam, the model

I decided to take some photos of Liam while he's still young and before he heads off to college. Ha! He cooperated for the most part, but of course being so little and hungry all the time, he had some cranky moments. Here is his first official photo session with good ol' Mom.

Landon, the flirt

When picking Landon up from school, he tells me how his day went and that he has a little girlfriend now. Her name is Phoebe. She's such a little doll, so I guess this means that he has good taste in women. My biggest fear started with Landon not paying attention and getting into trouble due to boredom, but I guess the tables have turned on me. Now, I have to worry about girls already. Uh oh!

Classroom: Week 1

Landon wants me to start sharing his art, school work, and/or projects on our family blog. I guess you can say he's proud and wants to show off his skills. Maybe he's just excited to finally be a student for the first time, eh? Can't tell or anything. Anyway, I told him I would week by week. Enjoy!

Chester the puppet

His name and a drawing of himself (I love how he scatters his letters when he's out of room, and the glasses that he doesn't wear)

Coloring

Liam's Hospital Photo

This picture was taken right before feeding time, so we had to use a pacifier to calm him down until the session was over. Well, when it was time to take the photo, the photographer quickly took the pacifier out of Liam's mouth. This is where the "ooooooooh" look comes in. We just fell in love with it.

Oops!

I can't believe I am admitting to this, but when you're a Mom of multiples or just plain scatter brained and busy, it's bound to happen to you. Never say never. I always thought that I was a "with it" kind of Mom until today. Could it be the lack of sleep? Who knows. Anyway, while I was getting Landon out of the car for school, I did a check to see if I had everything that I needed and to made sure that he arrived on time. Well, the thing that I said would never happen happened. I walked Landon across the parking lot, said hi to one of my neighbors, and then BOOM it hit me that I had left baby 2.0 in the car. I freaked as any parent would and ran back to the car to get him. While embarrassed, I also started laughing and told Landon that he needed to keep his poor Mom together - even he forgot. I always made fun of those who did what I had done and asked, "How does one forget about their child(ren)?" Well, it's all too easy come to find out actually, especially when they're new to your every day routine. Granted, he was only in the locked car for a minute (or less), but still. So, if you're a new parent you might want to make a conscious effort to include the new baby on your checklist. What a funny moment.

Landon's 1st day of school!

Landon was very excited about going to school and meeting his teacher for the first time. When we got out of the car this morning, the first thing he wanted to do was run inside and see his classroom. Of course me being the Mom that I am, I had to take a couple of pictures of his first day of school. It was sad, but not as bad as I thought it would be. I know he's in good hands and will learn a lot during the school year.

Landon and his kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Reed

A little something that the teachers give their students on their first day

Landon's first art work at school

Landon at his table, ready to do school work

Old MacDonald had a...

Liam has a very distinctive cry these days. He makes a lot of animal sounds. When he eats, he sounds like a donkey. When he cries, he sounds like a mouse and sometimes a goat. When he "goes" he makes a growling noise, but not sure what animal to associate his sound with just yet. A bear perhaps? I think it's the most adorable thing ever, but it is getting less and less as time goes on!

Liam's fan club

We had a lot of people come to see our newest addition in the hospital, and at home. He loved every minute of being spoiled with attention. Besides, who wouldn't want to be held all the time and kept cozy and warm, right? Liam was in baby heaven! Here are some pictures put into a slide show of Liam with his new adoring family!

The story behind Liam's name

Liam Daire Zimmerman

Liam (Irish); Protector

Daire (Irish); Fertile

After giving birth, we still didn't have a name chosen for our little guy. Some people had mentioned waiting until we see him for the first time and then make the decision when the time came. Well, the time came and went and still nothing. So, in between visits from family and friends, we discussed it further. Aaron had finally mentioned in the hosptial that he would like to name the baby after his Dad, William Leon - or some variation of it. Some family had talked about the name Liam before, but we blew it off thinking we had it all figured out. Liam is the Irish form of the name William and the name Daire is also Irish. So we thought, it's perfect! Aaron got a little emotional about the idea, so it was a no-brainer. It's funny how things happen, especially at the very last minute. Who knew that my second born would be named Liam when I had my heart set on other names! But, after all was said and done, it was the sign that both of us were looking for and Aaron got his wish.

Meet the newest Zimmerman, Liam Daire!

After waiting patiently for our little one to arrive, we finally gave birth after only three and a half hours of labor on August 12, 2009 at 8:38 a.m. to a 6 lb. 4 1/2 oz. healthy baby boy. He was everything we had hoped he would be, right down to his ten tiny fingers and ten tiny toes. Landon couldn't have been more excited to meet his new baby Brother and show him off to everyone who came to visit us in the hospital. We are truly blessed!

Light at the end of our tunnel

I went to the doctor again today. As always, I was measured, heard the baby's heartbeat, and had my routine physical examination. The results to my ultrasound were perfect which leaves no concern that something is off or wrong, even his size (which she said was great). Dr. Stell said that the baby is growing and developing perfectly, and as always, the heartbeat is very strong. During the measurement, she did say that I was measuring smaller (34 cm), but since she had solid proof that everything was going great, she is now relieved herself. She said this is also normal. During the physical examination, she found my cervix to be very soft. She also felt the baby's head. What does this mean? Well, it means that the baby is now ready and will arrive within 6-8 hours once labor starts. I am still only 2 cm dilated, but we're moving right along and can't wait for the excitement to begin!

I can't deny him, even if I tried!

People have said that Landon looked like me from the very beginning. It all started when he was born and Grandma Z. noticed my dimple in his chin. She chuckled and thought it was the cutest thing while trying to fight the tears of joy from seeing her first Grandbaby. I've always said he's a good mixture, which he is. However, when I found this 1st grade photo of myself, I about died. I thought, 'Oh my gosh, this looks like a female version of Landon!' I can now see the resemblance through certain features of mine, but he does have Aaron's as well. You may have to look a little harder after seeing this, but they're there! There are a few years difference between us in these photos, but it's amazing to see how much your spawn looks like you as they get older.

This is what we've come up with so far:

DAD'S FEATURES

1. Ears
2. Hands
3. Head shape
4. Build (long waisted)
5. Eyelashes
6. Face shape
7. Dimples in his cheeks
8. Hair texture
9. Hair color
10. Smile
    

MOM'S FEATURES

1. Feet
2. Eye color
3. Lips
4. Cheek bones
5. Dimple in his chin
6. Body frame (skinny)
7. Nose
8. Eye shape
9. Eyebrows
10. Mouth shape
11. Skin tone
    

Hi ho hi ho, it's off to work I go!

We think Landon is ready to be added to someone's payroll. He was helping Daddy organize the garage when he discovered a toolbox and some other goodies to put in it! He had so much fun seeking out hammers, measuring tape, screw drivers, duck tape, garden gloves, and other gardening and building tools! You know your child is ready to work when they show this much excitement. Plus, having a Dad who works so much, he can't wait to be just like him. He's growing up so fast!

Landon's quotes and jokes

Landon has been saying the cutest things lately. Some are cute only for the simple fact that he's little and can get away with it. Of course, facial expressions and personality behind these quotes were so much better in person. Like I've said many times, "I guess you had to be there."

Landon's Quotes

"I wasn't looking at your boobs Mom, I was looking at your face." (any man would've gotten knocked out or a dirty look for this)

"I am the man! Tell everyone you know." (gloating after cleaning his room)

"I can take care of myself Mom because I'm bigger now. I just can't do dishes, fix myself food, drive a car, pay the bills, or clean our WHOLE house. I would be so tired! (he paused after thinking about it for a second) You and Dad can't die on me or I'll be lonely and starve!" (after being asked, "What would you do without us?")

"I think I'm tired, but I just don't know yet." (five minutes later he passed out on the couch)

"Hey Mom, can I help breastfeed my new Brother? I have nipples too. See?" (needless to say, that was a long conversation)

"I don't want a girlfriend. Will you divorce Daddy so we can get married?" (us talking about future girlfriends)

"No way! I'm not changing Cocoa's diaper! That will REALLY stink! He's not MY baby, he's yours!" (discussing helping out with his Brother)

"I know the rules Mom. I promise. Chill." (going over rules for playing outside with his friends...and so the attitude begins)

"If a bad man comes into my room, I'll do my Kung-Fu Panda moves on him. That will teach him a lesson." (educating Landon on break-ins and "bad people")

"What if they have a blueberry pop tart? That's not candy. That's okay, right Mama? (teaching him about taking candy from "strangers"...this was also a very lengthy conversation)

"Bills, bills, bills. Nothing but bills." (walking up the drive after getting the mail)

"Mom, my belly hurts. It's probably gas, but I'm afraid to push it out because I may poop my pants."

"Feel my muscles Mama. They are SO big! I can fight the world with these guns!" (where he came up with that, I have no idea)

"Okay, okay, okay. I can read this by myself Mom. Let me do it or I'll throw a fit and you know you hate it when I do that." (hey, at least he's honest)

Landon's Jokes

"What did the bee say to the hive? Hi honey I'm home."

"What horse doesn't go out in the daytime? A nightmare!"

"What did the big fish say to the little fish? Outta my way small fry!"

"What part of the body has the most rhythm? The eardrum!"

"What kind of flower has 20/20 vision? The Iris!"

Baby 2.0 on the big screen once again!

I had another ultrasound to see how the baby is doing. The UT said that baby Cocoa was 5 lbs. 13 oz as of now (give or take 8 oz. she said), but still had more growing to do. The heartbeat was great, but we will find out what his exact measurements are when I go in for my appointment on Monday. Landon went with me. He was very excited to see his baby Brother on the big screen again. For some reason, Landon still thinks Cocoa can see him from the monitor and decided to wave and say hi. And of course, he had to talk to him as if he were in the same room. About that time, Cocoa gave Landon a nice wave back! It was the sweetest thing, and the timing couldn't have been more dead on! Landon about jumped through the ceiling and said, "Hey Mom, did you see that? He waved at me! See I told ya he can see me!" I suppose now I look like a liar...thanks Cocoa! Anyway, here are the photos from the day.

Baby's foot....and what a cute foot it is! Now I can see what is kicking me!
37 weeks

Baby's profile shot. He looks like Landon...of course, they're at different stages so the ultrasounds look different and it may be hard to tell for someone other than Mom. Can you see the resemblance?

Baby- 37 wks / Landon- 20 wks

Penis and Scrotum...to me, it looks like a big blob of goo, but that's just me.

What's in a name?

Stress, that's what! We have had the most difficult time with this one. With Landon, I think I was about six months along when we made our final decision and made the announcement to our family and friends. Why is this name such a task? I have no clue. Anyway, if you feel up to it, you can vote on our poll through a website that we found. Even if you've voted, you can vote again! What's it gonna hurt, right? Who knows, your pick may win!

http://www.thebabycorner.com/babynames/babynamevote.php?showpoll=1&pollid=6253

Happy voting!

The joys of summertime and childhood

Landon and I decided to go outside and pick pretty little flowers (well, weeds is more like it). He also decided to cut down my lawn with his tiny little hands. What is it with kids and their fascination with picking grass? When I was a kid, I hated how it stung my skin. What a horrible feeling! I did, however, pick a grass blade or two in my time. I also remember making necklaces from dandelions and grass blades. Oh how simple life was back then. I miss the simplicity of childhood. With everything going on lately, we haven't gotten many opportunities to make it outdoors, so we thought we would take a break. He always has to pick a flower or two for his favorite girl, which I absolutely love. He's such a little charmer and will make a great boyfriend/husband someday, or at least we hope. Oh, and did I mention that he is obsessed with my "flappy hat"? It looks better on him than it does on me - no fair!

What now?

I went to the doctor today for my weekly routine checkup. Mom is fine, baby's heartbeat is as strong as ever, but for some reason this week I measured a little under where I am supposed to be (which is 36 cm from pubic bone to the top of my uterus). I was a little shocked considering I had been right on my measurements until now. What happened in a week? Truthfully, it seems like it's been one thing after another with this pregnancy. The only problems I had with Landon were Sciatica, lack of appetite, and migraines. I gained 23 lbs. with him and he was 8 lbs. 3 oz. Don't get me wrong, those issues were bad enough by themselves. This one is endless. Let's see...so far I've experienced severe fatigue, trouble sleeping, positive DS testing, bleeding in my third trimester, low iron, a few Sciatica issues, heartburn and indigestion, stomach pains, swollen ankles in my second trimester, lower measurements, and a few migraines. With this one, I also have somewhat lost my appetite recently, but eat a ton more than I did with Landon. The doctor has scheduled me for an ultrasound this this week to see what the problem could be. Not that the measurements were way off by any means, but still. I suppose it would be more of a liabilty issue if they overlooked it or blew it off. So, better safe than sorry. My doctor also mentioned that I have gained 18 lbs as of last week (none gained this week) and the baby could possibly be in the high 6's, low 7's at birth (which is still normal). That's quite a change from an eight pound baby! I'm thinking that 18 lbs. and almost at the end is a little on the smaller side, but they've said it's nothing to worry about as long as I'm measuring correctly. Well, I'm not so now what? Who knows what the ending result will be or if there is something wrong with one of us. I just want our baby to be okay and healthy. Looking back on it all, I secretly wish we would have just left things alone and carried on with our little threesome. This situation has gotten us both stressed and very curious. What a bummer!

Let's hide the eggs...again!

Easter has come and gone, but that wasn't going to stop Mr. Landon from gathering his old Easter eggs and playing "hide the eggs" this morning. He is absolutely obsessed with this game! So, he comes to get me and asks me if he can use my camera to take pictures of his eggs (eggs that HE hid, mind you). What's the fun in that? Of course I smiled and told him he could. I mean, what's it going to hurt, right? He also asked me if I would put his "cool" photos on our family blog? How funny. I followed him around with his Halloween bucket and helped him collect the eggs he found. What next...will he put on a Santa suit and a St. Patty's Day necklace while using his Halloween bucket to gather Easter eggs for round two...I mean, round 15? Man, that kid sure knows how to combine all of his holidays into one day...and burn some energy at the same time!

Progression

I went to the doctor today for a bacterial swab test and to hear the baby's heartbeat - normal routine stuff. While she had me on the table, Dr. Stell decided to check my cervix. Well, it turns out that I am now dilated 2 cm and doing perfect! Everything is right on schedule. I've gained 18 lbs. so far, which I thought was a little on the light side. But, they said I'm doing super and they love that I'm taking such excellent care of myself! That's nice to hear. I made a funny comment after they told me I had dilated. I said, "I am closer to my epidural! I'm half way there! Yippie!" Dr. Stell and her assistant, Susan, laughed at me. I told her I've always been told you have to wait until you're 4 cm before "the goods" can be administered. She then began to tell me that she believes in making her patients as comfortable as possible and recent studies have shown that epidurals do not slow labor down. So, I can have it whenever I want! I feel sorry for those women who hold off on the drugs. Who cares if it does slow it down, right? I just want to be able to relax during this a long and drawn out process. The poor things go through pain for nothing! Oh well, at least I have something to look forward to knowing that I can get it at any time I feel uncomfortable (given that the Anesthesiologist is available). So, we're off and running. I feel great and ready to meet my little guy! I can't believe that he's going to be here in about 3-4 weeks! I say three weeks because Landon was born at 39 weeks. So, I guess we'll see when HE thinks it's time.

4-H Fair

After some much needed rest from running all day, we finally made it out to the 4-H Fairgrounds yesterday for a night of fun! At first we told Landon that we had a surprise for him. Landon being Landon tried desperately to get it out of us. He kept asking questions like, "Is it something I can eat?", "Is it a toy?", "Is it something I can wear?", "Is it out in the garage?" and so on. Of course, we told him to be patient and he would see when the time came. He was so excited! Landon had already had a big exhausting day and refused to take a nap, so it didn't shock us much that moments before we arrived at the fair he fell asleep. When he woke up we were pulling into the parking lot. Man, I have never seen Landon's eyes that big before! He practically jumped through the roof of the car with excitement. He asked with a smile from ear to ear, "Is this my surprise!?" We told him yes, and that's all he needed to hear. He proceeded to tell us how lucky he was to have such great parents and that he loved us SO much! Of course being pregnant and being a female, I teared up from seeing him that happy. When we finally parked, he jumped out of the car and hugged us both. He said, "I love you and thank you for my wonderful surprise. You guys are the best!" These are the moments that you will cherish for a lifetime. I love being a Mom!

Grandma, we love you...

We went to visit Aaron's Grandmother at Maple Manor yesterday after we left the Zoo. We wanted to see her and tell her how much we loved her and say our goodbyes before she passed on to a better place. She did really well yesterday with fluids, and she finally ate a little. What a relief and such a big improvement for her! So, there may be light at the end of the tunnel afterall! After she woke up from her long nap, she was responsive and alert and was able to kiss and hug both of her baby boys.

Landon comforting his Daddy (a.k.a. Grandma's Darlin') in this sad and difficult time.

Landon kissing his Granny Zimmerman and telling her how much he loves her and will miss her.


Aaron and I waited patiently for Grandma to wake and took a minute to remember all the funny moments and good times we've had with her.

"Behind the Scenes" at the Louisville Zoo

My Sister-In-Law was nice enough to arrange a "Behind the Scenes" Tour for all of us at the Zoo. We fed the Tortoises, rode around in a comfy golf cart, watched the Tiger Demonstration, visited the Gorillas, stopped off at the Elephant and Monkey habitats, then headed off to the Meta Zoo. There we met Tootsie the talking bird, a snake, an Armadillo, and another cute little animal (I can't remember what it was). We all had so much fun and learned a lot about the animals too! Aaron and I wanted to take some time and do something fun with Landon before the new one arrived, so what better thing to do than this! Landon was bouncing off the walls...I mean, the trees when he heard that he was allowed to feed the Tortoises and meet some of the animals. That moment was priceless and makes being a parent worth it in the end.

Feeding the Tortoises

Landon takes a turn...

...then Uncle Dan

...then Daddy

...then Mom

...and last, but not least...Aunt Jen and Evan



The Elephants


The Monkeys


The Tiger Demonstration


The Meta Zoo

A smile is priceless, but not everything is...

My Sister and I finally have something a little more promising to show for our photography business! We've tried other site-building sites, which ended up being very time consuming and expensive. This one was a lot easier and less time consuming...and did I mention free? Of course, there's really no such thing as free. In order for us to have an actual website with a linking web address, we had to pay for our domain and we also had to pay Wix for their services. When you're a full-time parent and a full-time wife, you don't always have the time to sit in front of a computer. Agreed? When Suzie became unemployed, we decided against renewing our other site (the site that took me months to build, mind you). We finally published it, but didn't get enough time to show it off before it expired. So, given the circumstances her money had to go in other directions and the website had to be put on hold. So, now that we're back on track, we have a site that people can go to for more information about us and what we do. It's nothing fancy, but it serves it's purpose. The link to our website is located in the top right corner of our blog if you want to check it out!

Andie and Deanie's yard sale

Getting up at 5:30 in the morning is never an easy task, but it was all worth it in the end. We had very nice weather for the occasion - cloudy, breezy, and cool (well, for July). It couldn't have gotten any better! We enjoyed Deanie's homemade sausage gravy and toast for breakfast and completed the day with some good ol' fashioned hot dogs and chips. Yum! Between visits from our customers, we also enjoyed some quality time together and good conversation!

Deanie makes sea glass earrings in her spare time. They are absolutely gorgeous!

Denise thought these overalls might be a nice addition to my maternity collection. What do ya think?

Aside from jewelry and homemade aprons, she also makes dog beds! How cool is that?

You've got a friend in me

On the day that my friend Kim was supposed to keep Landon until the evening hours, an unexpected mishap came about early that afternoon. Aden fell off of the swing set and hurt his leg! Then, Dylan stepped on a bee. Geez, what a day, eh? Dylan was fine soon thereafter. So, Kim had to bring the two older boys over and take Aden to the doctor, then the hospital for an x-ray. Aden is okay for now, but will need further testing. Poor little guy! He cries every time pressure is applied, which leads me to believe that something is definitely wrong and they didn't catch it the time of the x-ray. It's really heart wrenching to witness him in that much pain! Anyway, the three of us (well, four including Peyton) had fun playing outside until they finally returned home. Get well soon buddy!

Working at the car wash

Yesterday Aaron thought it would be a good idea to wash the cars. I don't blame him, they were filthy and in desperate need of a good washing! Well to our surprise, instead of playing with his friends, Landon decided to join in and help his Dad give the car a good scrub. Work over friends? I never in a million years thought I would type those very words, but it's true! We had so much fun spending quality time together (even though it did require a little not-so-fun elbow grease). Landon is such a big helper around the house and in the yard! He helps pull weeds, plant flowers, rake mulch, do laundry, dishes, vacuuming, and more! I just pray that it continues as he grows! However, we are still working on him being as enthusiastic about cleaning his room as he is about the other chores.

Landon's art

During bath time, Landon thought it would be a cool idea to hop out of the tub and make foot prints on the towel. How neat!




While we were at Deanie and David's house, Landon decided to put his creativity skills to use and created a face made of colored pencils and glow jewelry. How funny! I'm sure glad my ears aren't that big...poor guy!

Happy 4th of July!

We went to Denise's in Taylorsville, KY to celebrate our 4th of July. We cooked out, ate some great food, spent quality time with one another, enjoyed a multitude of fireworks, played some good old fashioned Eukre, and even enjoyed watching each other dance around trying to dodge a firework that had fallen over. Don't worry, no one was harmed (well, maybe a few egos from peeing their pants...just kidding). Although it ended up being a very long night, we had the best time we've had in awhile thanks to our troops out there fighting for our freedom. Without them, we wouldn't be able to enjoy our days together as a family. God bless each and every one of them and we hope they return home safe!

Pre 4th of July fun!

While waiting for the pre 4th of July fireworks extravaganza to begin, we thought it would be fun to take some silly photos. Can you tell we had fun?

Our little firecracker!

Making room for baby: Week 7

Is this little adventure ever going to end? It seems as though we have been working on this room forever! Okay, maybe only seven weeks, but still. And to think, we still have a little ways to go!

This week we have put up an additional wall piece, returned the dresser drawers (since they were broken during shipping), ordered the new drawers, picked up the new drawers, placed the drawers, and put the dresser in it's place. We have also managed to organize the changing table tubs and more of the closet, placed the monitor, the radio and small picture frame, and put necessary items in our new dresser....finally! The bed STILL needs to be moved out, but since it's such an obstacle and such a big piece of furniture, we have decided to wait until almost the last minute to do anything with it. When the bed is out, we will then move the changing table over against the wall and move the crib down a bit. There are still a few more things to do with the room including his letters for the shelf (once we finally get a name in stone), picture frames for the wall, night lights, and maybe an area rug to bring it all together. Unless I am forgetting something, that should be the completion of the room! Phew! I'm exhausted just typing it!

Vacation Bible School '09

Landon had Vacation Bible School this past week. They learned bible verses, sang songs, made fun crafts, and most importantly learned about God! His graduation was this past Sunday. The kids put on a show for the parents and then played basketball together after their graduation dinner. After it was over, we headed to the park! Landon loved it!

Happy 5th Birthday Dylan!

After a day of running and chaos, we finally made it to Dylan's 5th birthday party! Landon had a blast! He played pin the fire on the dragon and got a few chances to whack a pinata. It finally busted and the kids were able to get some candy...followed by some yummy cake! Yay for sugar!

The little girl within

Kids do the funniest things and it's histerical how their little imaginations run wild - maybe almost too wild sometimes. Landon decided to play with Mardi Gras beads that he found in our garage yesterday. He loves jewelry and playing dress up for fun! What do ya know, I got a little girl afterall and he told me, "Mom, my name is Lulu, not Landon!" Uh oh!

Smile!

Although he has been brushing and flossing for quite some time, Landon has really gotten into brushing and flossing his teeth lately. Yay! It could be my fault for putting evil thoughts into his head about his teeth rotting out of his head. Or, it simply could be that I tell him that he will lose out on play time with his friends and T.V. if he doesn't get to crackin' on his good hygiene skills! What can I say, I'm just a cruel Mom. Anyway, I've never had the chance to catch Mr. Landon in the act until tonight. However, I did miss the brushing part. What a shocker! He is just too quick for me these days, or it could be that I'm too slow. Here are a few photos of Landon doing an excellent job flossing his teeth and putting his things back where they go like a good boy. Oh, the joys of parenthood...*sigh*. We have to catch everything on video or still camera. The dentist says that Landon's teeth are absolutely perfect - he has no plaque, perfect spacing, and a big beautiful smile! We are so proud of him, and so is his dentist.

Making room for baby: Week 6

Baby gate is placed, closet is organized (as good as it's going to get for now), and wall hangings (with the exception of a few) are placed. In case you were wondering...no, the guest bed is not staying. That will come later when we find room in our garage. I'm hoping that will be soon!

Father's Day at Mamaw and Papaw's!

Uncle Dan enjoying a nice Father's Day nap


Aaron, Landon, and Papaw spending time together telling funny jokes

Papaw preparing good ol' fashion homemade ice cream

Aaron and Landon doing cool magic tricks

Landon being goofy while hanging out with his two favorite men

Aaron and his Dad

Happy Father's Day, Daddy!

A day at Aunt Deanie's!

Amy, Landon, and I went to Aunt Deanie's for the day. Although, we almost didn't make it out for our lunch date since the weather was so bad. We had a monsoon, floods, high winds, down power lines, and tree branches galore. Phew! What a way to start a day of fun! When we finally arrived, Aunt Deanie showed us her cool projects that she has been working on, cooked us a yummy lunch followed by yummy treats, watched a movie (and a little Oprah), played "I Spy" with Landon while Amy finished up her laundry, and then crashed on the couch with some soft pillows and comfy blankets at the end of the day. We were all pooped...well, at least I was! Landon was wired from Aunt Deanie's yummy treats - go figure! That's the story of my life...when I wanna rest, he wants to bounce off the walls. Overall, it was a nice time getting out of the house and hanging with the girls.

What's so funny, Aunt Deanie?

Boo! Landon hiding in Aunt Deanie's chest.

Mom and Landon relaxing on the couch. Can you tell we're tired?

My future cheerleader. Give me an L, give me an A, give me an N....well, you get the point.

Caught in action! Anything incriminating in there, Amy?

Landon Walker

Making room for baby: Week 5

(cleaning the carpet and finding a place for our many baby shower gifts)

Making room for baby: Week 4

(painting is complete, glider chair cushions are placed, and curtains are hung)

Making room for baby: Week 3

(bedding is placed)

Making room for baby: Week 2

(crib, changing table, and travel system are assembled)

Baby Of Mine

Almost there!

Since the baby shower, I have done some shopping and found some great deals - better than I expected. So, we're off and running and managed to purchase just about everything off of our registries (thanks to some wonderful people). We just need a few more things and we're finished on baby items! Woo hoo! However, we have ran into a little bit of a road block along the way. We unwrapped our new dresser and found it to be broken! That's not something you like to see when your trying to get the nursery organized, thinking that you're almost finished. So, now I have to wait until my Aunt gets back from her two week vacation before anything can be done. I hope she kept the receipt! Anyway, we're moving right along as planned and now we just wait for the little things to come together and for baby. We're very excited to meet him!

By the way, the VISA pre-paid gift cards are a pain! I have had nothing but trouble with them since I got them. So, note to self...don't buy anyone those cards unless you are absolutely desperate and have no other means of gift giving! Not that those people did anything wrong, those cards just aren't ideal in my opinion. I will say that they are a neat concept though.

Battle of the bellies

Aaron and I posed for the camera while Landon took a picture of our bellies. He thought it would be fun. So, who do you think has the bigger belly? I'm pretty sure it's me, but vote on our poll and let us know.

My Baby Shower!

My baby shower was absolutely wonderful, and so much fun! I loved seeing everyone! I am very grateful to have such amazing people in my life! I am also grateful that people went out of their way to help us get re-established in the baby world in these tough times. A word of advice to those expanding their family...keep your baby stuff no matter how crowded you get, unless they're damaged goods, of course! What a pain. Only a few more items to buy and we'll be set...for now anyway!

Baby Shower Word Scramble game

Kim is the winner!

Draw Baby game

Which one shall I pick?

Leslie is the winner!

Laverne is the winner of the A-Z Name game!

Faye is the winner of the Dirty Diaper game!

The cake! It looks as though the cake lady got a little sleepy while putting letters on my cake. Ha! I loved the keepsake booties on top. Too cute!

Mom being silly while cutting her cake. Say aaaaaaahhhhh.

Presents (most of which were cash and gift cards)!

My guests...

Thanks to everyone for making my shower very special!

Maria's understudy

Landon thought it would be funny to put Peyton's head through the leg hole of Daddy's boxers. He looks as though he is ready to join the convent. Maybe we'll call him Maria, or maybe not. Going by the that tongue, I don't think he likes that much.

Making room for baby: Week 1

We still have a ways to go - from painting to thoroughly cleaning the carpets! Who knew that getting ready for a baby could be so stressful and time consuming. And just to think, we've already done this once and should know first-hand what getting ready for a baby entails! I guess it has been awhile and age can do a number on the body and the mind. With Landon, we weren't the (for lack of a better term) "high maintenance" first-time parents that needed every little thing under the sun, from attachable crib CD players and dishwasher caddies to feeding/napping timers and overly priced high chairs. Now that I mention it, I don't remember even having a registry for items needed. See what I mean about age? You do live and learn from only having the "basics", better known as overused and/or outdated hand-me-downs. Don't get me wrong, they did come in handy and lasted for the duration of babyhood! Eventually they needed to be tossed or given to charity. This time, we thought we would do it right and spend some time making things nice and presentable. Anyway, we have included week-by-week what we've accomplished so far. As time goes on, we will add more. So, how many weeks does it take for a Mom, a Dad, and a big Brother to get ready for a baby? Let's see...

Week 1
(breaking down office furniture and transporting)

Go Cubs!

And we're back!

Okay, here's the story...we discovered blogger, used blogger religiously, shared our blog with family and friends, then got a strange message that we needed to buy more space and had to delete our blog altogether. What!? So, we found ourselves stuck as we couldn't add more pictures or videos at that time. We decided that it was time to move on and find something new, so we went to Shutterfly. Well, that didn't work either! We noticed that the pictures were unable to be viewed by our audience. What's the point, right? Now that our computer has been wiped clean and ready to blog again, we're back in action! Instead of going back and adding our blogs from months and months ago (which is a lot of work), we will start fresh at a good starting point - like baby news and Landon's T-Ball. We ultimately started this blog with two things in mind, out-of-towners and baby. We know that family and friends from afar can't always be here when they want with the economy in shambles, so we thought we would share our every day life and keep them in the loop, too! As always, we will post pictures, videos, news, etc. So stay tuned...