Just because...

This might be my all time favorite picture of Landon (so far anyway) it deserves it's own post.

He's so stinkin' cute! I love him!

Things I always want to remember...

The way Landon burys his face in my shoulder/chest/arm when he's tired and wants to go to sleep.

His huge sweet gummy smile when he looks in the mirror.

The crazy baby giggles that erupt when you hold him over your head or toss him in the air.

His new trick of grabbing your cheeks with both hands, pulling you close, and giving you a big "kiss," just one big open mouth slobber.

That baby smell. If only someone could bottle that up.

Landon and Daddy playing; it just melts my heart.

The biggest smiles that come when he's on his changing table.

How peaceful he looks when he's asleep and I'm just about to put him in his crib.

The way he grabs at the phone and at a drinking glass...like he knows exactly what to do with both of them.

His hands and feet flailing and letting out a half-giggle when he sees Mommy or Daddy approaching.

He is calmed by Mommy's lullabies.

Those big beautiful eyes.

The way he chats to himself when he's tired.

Merry Christmas

Santa came to our house early. He dropped off a nasty cold - complete with fever, chills, aches, and no appetite. Daddy ended up catching it first over the weekend, Mommy caught it the day before Christmas Eve, and Landon spiked a fever at 2am on Christmas morning. It's been quite a week around here, and certainly not the way we had planned to spend Christmas.

Nonetheless, Santa did return on Christmas, and was much more generous in his gifts at that point. We may need to build another room onto the house to have somewhere to put all of Landon's wonderful new toys! Among the favorites are his ball popper (thanks Grandma Cathy), some books, and a ball that rolls and talks by itself (thanks Auntie Lissa, Uncle Nick, Abbey and Blake). He also got a music table that looks like it will be lots of fun (thanks Aunties Kate and Em) that hasn't made its way out the box yet.

We had grand plans to make candy, maybe go ice skating (or at least take a walk around the rink and observe), do a little window shopping, and have a mellow week since both of us had taken the week off of work to really get into the holiday spirit and spend some extra special time celebrating Landon's first Christmas. We planned to take lots of pictures and some video footage, finish wrapping presents and send some off across the country, to visit family and have dinner and lunch dates with friends. Not much of that happened. We did manage to get a few pictures and a little video in, Mommy got some fudge made before she was socked with the cold, and Daddy went out for a few last minute gifts...and that's about it!

Landon and Daddy left Mommy at home to rest on Christmas Eve and went to dinner with the Riggs side of the family after Grandma and Grandpa Poston came to visit and exchange gifts. Poor little guy spiked a fever in the middle of the night and we finally succeeded getting it to go down after some Tylenol, a lukewarm bath, and lots of rocking and whimpering (by all). It's a good thing Santa made it by our house before all of that or he would have passed us right by since we were all wide awake. After checking out Santa's generosity in the morning we headed for Grandma Cathy's for an early lunch and more presents. Home for a much needed nap, and then out to Great Grandma Jean's for the traditional prime rib dinner with the Riggs side of the family. Landon was a trooper and had a great time with everyone.

Now that the week is over we're all starting to feel better.

Goal!

We made it to our goal! Landon has been exclusively breastfed for the first six months of his life! This was no easy feat with all sorts of obstacles in the way from my thyroid problems to Landon's reflux to a loooong and rough battle with thrush. In all honesty I didn't think we'd make it six weeks let alone six months, and here we are with a freezer stash and no real end in sight!

Landon had his follow up appointment with the GI specialist for his reflux. It's now been a full week of him being off the reflux medicine and things are going well! He hasn't missed receiving and we haven't missed giving him the meds! At this moment the pH probe test that we were talking about just a few months ago is completely off the table!

Things are looking great!

Mmmmm, avocado!

It's official! Landon has officially embarked on eating "real" food. The solo milk days are gone...and the solo milk-fed diaper days too, but we haven't been graced with a poopy diaper yet (I'll keep you posted). Landon got his very first taste of avocado this weekend - and loved it! I'm not sure how much actually ended up in his mouth versus on his bib, in his hands, or on the high chair tray, but we all had fun feeding him!

Love at first bite? Not quite sure...

Landon says, "gimmie that spoon, Mommy! I can feed myself!"

Mmmmm.....tasty!

We've been too busy having fun and decorating for Christmas! Besides scarfing avocado Landon's newest trick is sitting up unassisted! He loves this whole new view of the world without having to rely on Mommy and Daddy to let him watch everything go by.

Just because I love this one...

Happy Anniversary

Not in the traditional sense, but an anniversary none the less. Today marks eight years since the accident. In our lives there are turning points; moments, perhaps days or weeks or months even, where the course of our life is shifted. December 3, 2000 my life changed and will be a day I will never, ever, forget.

Dad and I had just started dating. He was going to introduce me to his friend Judy in Tiburon and take her one of the Christmas trees he cut in the mountains. We were waiting to get onto the freeway when a dump truck was coming too quickly off the off ramp and was headed straight for your Daddy's truck. I will never forget the moment I looked into those headlights and thought to myself, "oh my God, he's going to hit us," and that he did. Several moments after that one are permanently etched into my mind like photographs in an album.

The feeling of the scissors running up my legs as the paramedics cut my jeans off. Being loaded into the helicoptor and panicing because I knew helicoptors were for serious accidents. Hearing your Granddad, my Dad's voice in the emergency room but not being able to see him. Hearing your Dad being wheeled in next to me and the pain he was in.

I don't know why, I can't explain it, but that is the night I fell in love with your Dad. That night I knew we would spend the rest of our lives together. That night my life changed forever...and for the better. What a difficult time that was, but if I could go back and change any of it I wouldn't. I am who I am today because of that day and that accident. I am a wife, I am a mommy, I live for each moment and try my darndest to keep a positive attitude, I take nothing for granted, I love deeper, laugh louder and stay angry shorter and speak my mind. I leave dirty dishes in the sink and let the answering machine pick up if it means spending more time with those that I love. All of these things I hope to one day teach you.