Birthday Trip to PA!

Last Thursday  morning, the kiddos and I made the trip up to PA to see my family and to celebrate (a couple days early) my sister's 28th birthday!  It was such a great trip, however it started off a little shaky...

We left the house at 8:45 and by 9:15 Reagan said she felt "pukey" and within about a minute of saying that, orange juice and rice krispies were all over her front and her carseat.  Lovely right?!  SOO we pulled over on the side of Rt. 1 to get all cleaned up.  Twenty minutes later we were on the road again...45 minutes after that we had to stop because Landon man was ready for a bottle.  Reags had a pee pee break in our little portable potty that we have and we were on our way.  An hour and a half later was a stop on the side of 95 because R thought she might get sick again.  I put her up in the front with me and had to get some fresh air out of my window.  We stopped about 20 mintues later for lunch.  We got Chic Fil A and then drove around the corner to a Walmart parking lot that was a lot less crowded.  Sorry if TMI, but I had to go to the bathroom SO bad but didn't want to schlep two kids into a bathroom with me, SO I used Reaggie's potty...hahaha, yes quite the site.  Seriously, you do what you have to do!  After potty breaks, lunch, diapers changed, bottle, gas filled up we were FINALLY on the road again, still 2 1/2 hours away.  We get on the highway and Landon started SCREAMING and then Reagan was too because she was tired and wanted her blankey, which was covered in puke.  SOO back on the side of 95 we go.  I think this is when the tears kicked in, along with over two hours to go still I had pretty much HAD it!  However, L just needed a little more bottle, I found a dry corner of R's blankey and both were asleep within a few minutes.  Let's just say I made very good time and was on a mission to just get home with no more stops!!  We were successful and did finally make it...always a story. :)

Friday morning I was up early to go get J so that we could spend the day together.  She was ready and waiting for me at 10 when I got to Mary Campbell.  We headed to the mall for awhile and then hit up the Cheesecake Factory for lunch.  It was delish and I had to embarass the birthday girl a little bit by having the waitresses sing to her! :)

Saturday R and I went to get Jamie so that she could come home for the night, not without a quick pitstop at Dunkin' Donuts though.  Reags ate two donuts on our way to get J, by 2 I mean the icing off the top of them.  We picked Jamie up and brought her home...

Bubs was excited to see us!

Reaggie LOVES arts and crafts!  Mum-Mum did not disappoint and had Easter eggs with glitter pens to decorate...just a little too much fun for "Mapunzel."  (yes, she had a new beautiful dress and shoes waiting for her too!  Lucky little girl!)

Gran and Gramps even stopped by for a bit on Saturday before their big trip!  Always great to see them :)

Singing "Happy Birthday" for the first time (Saturday afternoon, cake #1)

...for the second time, cake #2 on Saturday night!

Landon's saying, "I can have some right?!"

...and for the 3rd time with cake #3 on Sunday night at my Dad's.  Reaggie was hilarious...she asked "Mommy, how old J now?"  She didn't understand why we kept celebrating and singing to her!

It was a wonderful trip to the PA state!  Our trip back was going so smoothly, but about 2 hours in Reaggie puked.  Poor thing.  The timing was kind of good though because I could change her and feed Landon all in the same stop.  After our stop we drove through a blizzard in VA, not really, but it was snowing really hard!  Then that turned into rain and finally I saw a billboard for a Panera drive-thru (why is there not one around here?!).  We stopped there for lunch and as I am about to pay in the drive thru line Reaggie puked again...poor thing.  I will be investing in some medicine for her FOR SURE for the next long car ride.  She was fine afterwards though and gobbled up her lunch.  We filled up bellies, got gas, and were on our way again.  I think we had to stop one more time for a "Mommy, I need to go poopy" stop, but it wound up being a false alarm.  Both kiddos snoozed for the rest of the trip.  We were home a mear seven hours later...then it was time to unpack, do laundry, fix dinner...the fun never ends :)

It was a great trip though, the kiddos did great, and we all had a good time.  However, I think I will wait awhile until I do that trip again solo ;)

7 Months!

On Friday, March 2nd our sweet, Bubby man turned SEVEN months old!  Again, I can hardly believe it...he is now officially closer to one than to the day he was born. 

The BIGGEST NEWS this month is that Landon is now sleeping on his back in his crib!!!!!  If you have been reading for awhile you know that BOTH of my kiddos REALLY enjoyed sleeping in their carseat.  Reagan was just over 7 months when I finally transitioned her.  Landon didn't sleep well at all while we were gone on our trip...I'm sure it was a combination of things, but he was just getting too big for that carseat.  The night after we got home, I put him on his back.  It took us a few tries, he didn't really like it at first, but I gave him his blankey and rubbed his belly and before we knew it, he was out!  It is SO much better for him to be all stretched out and such a weight to have that transition done :)  We are SO proud of what a big man he is!!

Landon is really on a great schedule too!  He was following the same schedule for awhile and again, the day after we got back, it kind of changed a little.  It happens and it actually works out better :)  Here is our day in a nut shell:
6:00 - wake up, but can put binky in to go back to sleep for about another half hour
6:30 - wakes up with a poopy diaper and is ready for the day!
6:30-7:15 - snuggle in bed!
7:15 - breakfast!  LTK is now getting oatmeal and a fruit in place of that morning bottle.
8:30 - 9:30 or 10 - morning nap
10:15ish - 8 oz. bottle
1:00 - about 3:00 - nap time and goes down with an 8 oz. bottle
3:00 - when sister wakes up - Mommy and Bubby playtime
4:00 - 8 oz. bottle
5:30 - (on the dot...he knows!!) dinner time!  Landon has a size 2 container of a veggie.
7:00 - SHARP!  Bedtime with an 8 oz. bottle

I don't know how much Landon weighs, since it's not a check up month.  However, he does go next week to have his head re-measured, so we'll get a weight update then.  He is wearing mostly all 18 or 18-24 month clothes.  I got him a pair of 2T shorts for the summer and they are SO ridiculously long on him, sooo I'm taking those back and assuming that once he starts moving he will "slim" down! :)

Some other accomplishments this month are that he can put his binky in by himself, he has started saying "ma" (in the most precious whiney voice), he has mastered sitting by himself, he looks forward to his water cup at breakfast and dinner, he is REALLY reaching forward a lot when sitting (he wants to move, BADLY!), he claps his hands together, and is a constant talker!!  Oh and HELLO, did I mention he pretty much sleeps through the night too!?  We stopped giving him a bottle in the middle of the night and since sleeping on his back, he really just needs his binky to be put back in if he wakes up.  Such a BIG boy!

Having two kids, especially those first couple months, was REALLY hard for me.  I mean, I think I was on the verge of a breakdown.  Seriously.  It was just HARD!!  26 months is NOT a huge gap inbetween, BUT in the last couple of months it really has gotten easier.  My days are crazy, chaotic, nuts, some better than others, but we are in a routine and our days, usually, go by very quickly.

Landon has just developed into the sweetest baby...he just talks all the time and fusses occassionally.  We are so lucky!  I don't want it to sound like I didn't love him when we was younger, obviously I did, but this age is just one of my favorites.  His giggle is enough to make the worst day your best day and his little toofy smile is the best way to wake up at 6:00 each day. 

Landon Thomas, we love you to the moon and back and can NOT belive how big you are getting!!  I tell you and your sister all the time to SLOW DOWN please.  I know that can't happen, so I just do my very best to enjoy each and every minute with both of you!

Take the Good

We had a couple BEAUTIFUL days last week, Friday being one of them.  It was so nice and we played outside a good portion of the day!  It was one of those days mornings, where everything was going so well and we were just having so much fun together...



Reags took Bais for a quick walk up the street...the girls enjoyed some playtime outside while Bubs was taking his morning nappy!

Then this sweet sugar woke up...



Yes, she still has a binky...not for too much longer though ;)  Anyway, she loves hanging out in Landon man's crib with him...

can you tell he is pulling himself up to sitting...he wants to be "big" soooo bad!

after naps we went for a lovely walk around the neighborhood!

After that is when it all kind of went south...actually I don't even think Reagan slept that afternoon, I can't remember now.  I do remember her peeing all over the floor (which she hasn't done in forever!) right as I started feeding Landon his dinner, so that was special.  It was just one of those afternoons where I literally was about to pull my hair out, as I know lots of you can understand.  I can usually count on either the morning, afternoon, or evening (atleast one, if not more) being nothing but pure chaos...I pretty much prefer it to be the morning, just to get it over with :)  Needless to say by the time Keith got home I was ready to hand in my towel...

At the end of the day, when it was peaceful and I had two glorious sleeping children, I remembered to take the good with the bad...we had a great morning together and most of the afternoon...everyone had just HAD IT by the evening.  It happens!  I have found myself saying over and over again "she is 2 and he is a baby." It is the little things that help you get through some of the rougher moments of parenting!

New Toy and "Ballet-Tard"

Now that this little cutie is sitting all by himself, it was time to bring out the big boy toys!  I can say that Landon is loving this toy just about as much as his sissy did...

Look at that sweet little girl...where on earth has the time gone?!  Reagan had just turned 7 months in this picture, so pretty darn close to LTK...unreal!

Busy checking her emails, but was kind enough to pose for a quick pic!

Remember how I mentioned that Reagan's real motivation for being potty trained was ballet lessons?!  Well, we upheld our end of the deal and have her signed up to start in two weekends.  She can NOT wait!  We ordered a couple leotards online the other day, but on Sunday I ran to Kohls and saw this beaut on clearance and had to pick it up.  This "ballet-tard" (as it is called in our house) has NOT left this girl's body easily since she got it.  She hasn't even worn a princess dress since Sunday because she has had this on...it takes an act of congress to get this girl dressed anymore...she either wants this on, her princess dresses, or a t-shirt with leggings.  Thankfully she knows for school that Mommy picks out her outfit and she can put whatever she wants on as soon as she gets home!  It is pretty cute to watch this little "ballet-tard" prance around the house :)  I don't know who is more excited for ballet though...the ballerina or her momma?!

Milestone...

Yahoo!  Breakfast!!  Yesterday we officially took a bottle away and are now eating oatmeal and a fruit in the morning.  Landon still likes a little bottle before his nappy, just to top off that belly!

Landon is settling in very nicely to a new schedule, that he decided on once we got back, and it is great!  I love our playtime together in the afternoon when sister is still napping.

And sweet sugar...this is just what is going to happen when you have a very girly older sister...I have a feeling this is a very tame version of what is to come :)

Marbles!!

Today we ventured downtown with Reaggie's sweet friend, Brooklyn, and her momma to Marbles.  It is such an awesome kid's museum and it surely didn't disappoint.  We were there nice and early and the girls could hardly contain their excitment!!

precious

This cutie was pretty excited too!

Taking care of the animals at the vet

getting SOAKED at the water tables!

Cooking us some yummy treats (in a dry shirt that I thankfully packed in fear of an accident...I'll take wet from water table over an accident anyday!  However, still rocked her black leggings, she seriously looked like a raggle muffin, but whatever!)

With our sweet nephew's Flat Stanley that came all the way from Rochester!

Even Bubby had a little play area...he liked getting out of that stroller!

I have to say that I really do like going to fun little places with the kiddos, BUT it throws your whole day for a loop, you know?  Landon didn't sleep as long this morning because we had to go and therefore was so sleepy, but did SO great while we were there.  He then fell asleep in the car on the way home which messed up naptime, which was fine, he just went down a little later.  Reags was all pumped from having such a fun morning and I think she FINALLY has fallen asleep for her nap, 2 hours after I put her down!  I am a schedule person...it's the teacher in me...my kids do SO much better on a schedule/following a routine too.  I really have to tell myself, if naptime is thrown off a little it's OKAY!  Seriously, I have a problem, I know :)  We had so much fun though and even with Reagan's five pounds of snot, it was still a very fun morning at the museum!

PUNTA CANA!!!

Ahhhhhhh....looking at these pictures makes me want to go back stat!  We left last Wednesday VERY early for Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic.  It was AHHHH-MAZING!  Before I get to the trip, here is a little back story...

Last year, when we were in St. Louis for MLK weekend, Elle and I decided that instead of a party for our 30th birthdays we wanted a fun trip, just the 4 of us.  That would have been January, so by about November this year Elle and I decided that we should probably go ahead and start planning our trip because clearly the boys weren't doing anything.  We were SO wrong!  They had been talking, emailing, researching, trying to figure out where we should go.  The original plan was for Ellen and BJ to fly here (so they could meet Landon man), then we all drive to Savannah, and do a cruise from there to the Bahamas.  Well, flights started getting pretty expensive for them and then the boys wound up having to tell us about their plans.  One night we were all on speakerphone together on computers, iPads, phones, any internet search device and were searching trips.  After a great suggestion from BJ's family travel agent we decided on PUNTA CANA!!!  Keith and I had slight heart attacks when we couldn't find our passports ANYWHERE, but thankfully found them and booked this trip.  We had six weeks to get ourselves in shape and to prepare for our trip.  Obviously that meant a few trips to the mall and outlets too! ;)  February 15th arrived before we knew it and we were OFF to our week in paradise!!

We arrived in Punta Cana on Wednesday afternoon and their airport is about the coolest thing ever...seriously, how could you not be happy in a place like this?! After leaving the airport we were off to our resort on a stupid bus that stopped at 4 other resorts along the way...mental note, just take a cab! I was STARVING and started to feel very carsick, it was terrible. I was thinking this trip was not off to the best start, but then we saw Elle and BJ in the lobby and it was smooth sailing from then on out!

We did a whole lot of nothing, correction...a whole lot of EATING! Oh my gosh, the good thing about an all inclusive is you get to eat and eat and eat, that can also be a bad thing too! This was our favorite lunch spot...it was right next to our pool. There were DELISH nachos, a great chicken sandwich, hot dogs, and yummy chocolate cake. Lunch of champions right?!

Yup...we did a lot of this!  It was GLORIOUS!!

All fancified going to dinner...this night we went to an "Italian" restaurant.  It was pretty good, however I have to say Maggiano's is MUCH better :)  Can I just say that I love my kiddos beyond what I can even write about, but it was SO nice to get dressed up for dinner, not have a child on my lap, only cut up my own food...it was just such a wonderful treat.  I enjoyed each second of it!

We hit the beach one day...this was our pretty overcast day.  This is also a day Elle and I will NEVER forget...

So pretty!

...this is why Elle and I will never forget this day...we went to the spa to have a lovely massage...ahhh!  We couldn't wait!  I will spare you all of the details, but I will say that neither of us have every laughed as hard as we did.  We were told to take EVERYTHING off and put on our robe, we then were put in a "couple's massage" room (good thing she is my best friend!), and we were told to put on a "mesh thong."  Seriously...I am like peeing myself writing this.  It was HILARIOUS!  The Dominican culture is not shy about their bodies, quite the adjustment for us.  SO we put those beauts on and had our massage...it was relaxing, but I have to say I was laughing throughout the massage thinking about what the heck we were "wearing."  After our full body (not exaggerating) massage was finished, which they ended with a lovely head massage that used about a bottle and a half of oil, we were looking SO pretty!!  Oh my gosh...I am not typing this to even come close to the hilarious-ness, but it was a memory I will NEVER forget!!!

Before dinner the night of our massage...we both had to wash our hair like 10 times to get all of the oil out!

Elle and BJ

We had a fancy contraption to set the camera on to take our group shots!

BEAUTIFUL!!

Let's bake!

LOVE this girl!!

our last night...boo hoo!

Do you see that sky??  This was the day we had to leave...

We left on Monday afternoon and had a layover in the ATL which got us into Raleigh at about midnight.  It was a long day, but such a wonderful trip!!  We all decided we need to do it more often...after we all win the lottery and all of our children are sleeping through the night ;)  (right mom?)

We couldn't have done this trip without our wonderful mothers and grandmothers watching our kiddos...gosh, what a job!  THANK YOU SO MUCH Mom and Gran (and Gramps!). 

Ellen...Happy ALMOST 30th Birthday!  The bar is set pretty high for #31 huh!? :)