Holy Cow!

Matt's Aunt Lou is moving back out to "the country"(where we lived for the first 2 years of our marriage) so Matt and his brother Mark spent the day helping her move. I brought lunch out to them and we took the babies to see the cows. Matt, Mark and their dad have about 60( I think but could totally wrong!) Brangus cows on 40 acres in Benton. It really is a beautiful place but really far out. Jake and Landry each have their own cow thanks to Aunt Lou and when the cows are sold at auction, the money will go into their college fund. Taking it all in!

Jake was not sure of them at first and was clinging to Uncle Mark

Here is Landry's cow...she just kept walking although I had asked her kindly to stop

Our sweet family

Matt will be leaving again tomorrow morning for his company's national meeting in San Diego for an entire week. Although I would not trade being home with my babies for 8 months, sometimes I think it would be pretty cool to have all the perks his job gives him!

Rite of Passage

It is a rite of passage into parenthood: early morning wake up calls! You who are parents out there know what I am talking about. You never know what a good nights sleep meant until you became a parent. And I must say that my children are really good sleepers(I swear by the book Baby Wise, HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT). They both go down at 7 every night and take turns as to who wakes up earlier. It goes in 2 week shifts for the most part and lately Jake has been getting up around 6 and Landry has been sleeping until 6:45. But they will rotate and shift roles here pretty soon. On the RARE occasions that they both sleep until 7(it has happened maybe 6 times since Landry began sleeping through the night), it is a wonderful occasion.

So that brings me to my story and explanation of the pictures! I was in a dead sleep when I awoke at 5:35am and thought I heard something(I can hear a pin drop...which is why my children have been in their cribs since birth! Never could sleep with a bassinet next to me) and turned on the monitor to see Landry just rolling from side to side in her crib. That little stinker! So I tried rolling her back over to no avail! She just rolled back over and kept looking around. Then Jake started crying about 10 minutes later and Landry decided to get cranked up as well.

So Matt and I both got up to start our Saturday morning extra early. Landry got some oatmeal this morning since she was eating before she was supposed to and did pretty good with it although it may not look like it from all the goo on her face(yet she is still so adorable!).

We figured why not go out for breakfast since we have some spare time, so we loaded up the babies at 6:40(am!) and headed for town(this is for Katye...we headed for Bossier City). Half way down the road we decided to hit a couple of garage sales to look for toys...after the first child you figure out that the toys can be used! After a couple more stops(just to make sure they were good and tired) we headed for home and you can see that we had two dead soldiers on our hands!

Now I might go try to lay down for a few minutes before we go for round 2. Enjoy your Saturday!!!

TGIF

Matt made it home around 4:30 and he took the babies for a joy ride to the post office so I could have a few minutes of down time. And while there are a million things to do around the house, it is so relaxing to just sit here and type!
We have had a crazy last 24 hours but we survived. Landry has a virus according to the dr. and there is nothing I can give her for it. She did sleep most of the day yesterday and seems to be feeling better today. Jake has been itching to be outside and we just got in from a 2 hour playdate with Ben. They had a blast in his little pool and I love that he loves the water!
I know that Sex in the City starts tonight and although I was not a fan of the tv show, I think it will be fun to watch. So those who are going please let me know if it is worth seeing! We plan on staying low this weekend, maybe working in the yard(let me restate that: Matt working in the yard), and maybe a trip or two to the pool.
Here are a few snapshots from yesterday and today:

Jake getting the hang of the popsicle!


Jake and Ben having a ball in the pool. Jake finally got the hang of the slide and went down it atleast 50 times!


My babies goofing around!


How sweet is this!


Getting ready to go to nappy's house with his blankies(I know but it works!)

Happy Thursday!

Don't you love those days when everything goes like clockwork. Your children wake up when they are "supposed to" and eat everything on their plate or in their bottle. They rarely ever happen, but when they do it's great. Yet on the other hand, it's the challenge of problem solving that makes us better parents.

Today has NOT been one of those days so far! Jake woke up before 6 am and has been on the prowl ever since. He has resorted back to thinking he is 9 months again as he insisted on sitting in the bumbo(that he was always too pudgy to fit in...but Landry does great in it!) and I attempted to set him on the counter while I made brownies. Not a good idea! After attempting to grab EVERYTHING on the counter, he was finally satisfied with a book.



Jake trying out his new book



Landry gets tickled when Jake gets upset! It is hilarious....he cries and she laughs.


Noe Jake is satisfied and Landry is upset!


How quickly their moods change.


Hope all of you have a great Thursday and we will as well!

Road Trip

Jake would not leave the restaurant without my quesadillia



How's this for a pose!



Jake loves playing ball with Boudreaux!




Had to get some close ups of my sweet Landry Grace


So I got a wild hair yesterday and decided to go visit my folks. We only live a little over an hour away and it has been over a month since I had been to Ruston. So we loaded up late yesterday afternoon and headed east. We first ran into construction traffic and it took 25 minutes to go 5 miles:). Both kids were making noise-Jake was yelling in excitement of the video and Landry was crying because Jake was yelling. So by the time I got 25 minutes down the road I was already wondering to myself WHY! But we made it and met mom and dad at one of my favorite restaurants in Ruston, The Log Cabin(yes we love to eat out...what can I say!).

Last night was a different story as Jake is much more aware of his environment and didn't go down very easily. He then woke up at 1 am and then for good at 5:45. Boy it has been a long day. Landry rolled over at 4:45 and I could hear her "talking" so I went and rolled her back on her stomach and she slept until almost 7. Thank goodness one of mine slept good. Yet we had a great time visiting home and I forget how much I like the setup in Ruston. I can go anywhere in town and be back in 20 minutes(yes that includes Wal-Mart).

I am currently waiting on Jake to wake up from his nap so that we can head back home as Matt gets in this evening(only to leave tomorrow for New Orleans). I sure am ready to get back to my house and relax this evening.

For My Mom

My dear mother came over today to visit her grandbabies and left her laptop for my amusement. So that means I can write on my blog and she can see the cute pictures she took. First we loaded up in the car and Jake was trying his hardest to bring Landry to the door! We then went to eat at my favorite Mexican restaurant(hince the cheese on my chin in the photo with Landry:))with Elilzabeth and her son Ben, and on to Target to buy many unneeded items. By the time we got home Landry was asleep and Jake was ready to play in the backyard. He had a blast with the water hose and we couldn't stop laughing at how big his diaper gets with water in it....thank goodness for swim diapers. After everyone charged up with a late afternoon nap, we all went to the pool and Jake had his first icee. Finally it was time to come home and they are now in bed and I am right behind then after this post. Thanks for coming over mom and we will see you Thursday.

Pool Time

We decided to take Landry( and Jake) to the pool this evening for her first dip and she had a good time. We got her a float and she stayed in it for about 45 minutes before starting to fuss. Once Matt got her out of the pool she was fine again for another 10 minutes...then it was time to leave. Jake once again had a ball. I really hope to take the babies to the pool a lot this summer, it just depends on how she handles it. I am hoping to just bring the take along swing and let her hang out in the shade, but plans don't always work out that way! We will see.

Also, Matt will be gone most of the next 2 weeks and I will be alone with the babies. Please be thinking of us:). The babies start MDO next week twice a week and I am thinking of pulling Landry out unless she starts eating better at her 11 o'clock feeding. I know I need to not worry about it, but I just hate to mess up her eating schedule. Hopefully she will do fine and adjust! Matt will also have the laptop with him, so I will not be able to update my posts. Don't give up on me, I will update when he is in town!

My Children

I am sure you can tell from my previous posts that my children are everything to me(or I should say us). They are so much fun and I absolutely love having them close together!

We went to the ballpark tonight to meet a dr. that Matt calls on and Jake had a great time. Poor Landry is always tired at night time but she hung in there and was a good sport until the ride home...she hates the car seat after 5pm. It is really hard to deviate too far from her schedule because she only eats 4 times a day, every 4 hours and messing that up would confuse her! I can finaggle(is that a word?) a little bit, but for the most part her schedule is like clockwork. I know in the next few months she will eat farther apart as she starts to eat more. Then it will get easier to take her more places. While Jake has been home from MDO, they take their first 2 naps together and then Landry takes a third nap around 4. That way I have 2 small breaks a day!!!

Jake is also pretty good with Landry other than the fact we have had a couple of accidents:(. He just doesn't realize he weighs almost 30 pounds and Landry might weigh 13. Just this morning he wanted to sit in my lap(Landry was lying on the floor in front of me) and he just turned to sit.....luckily we saved her that time! She is a pretty good sport and LOVES to watch him. There are many times that Jake will be playing and stop what he is doing just to walk over and love on his sister(he likes to put his head up to hers as you might can tell in pictures).

My point is that God is so good! I really did not know what we were going to do with 2 children so close together. It has NOT been easy, but we have made it through hard times(and there will be hard times in the future I am sure) and survived. I know they will be the best of friends and eventually laugh that for 5 days each year they are the same age. I know that Jake will take care of her when they are teenagers(I dread the thought of them growing up!!!) and can only hope Landry will keep me abreast of what it going on at school and elsewhere. I pray that they will make the right choices and learn from their mistakes. I pray that they fear God and are strong in their faith. Dear Lord may we as parents be good examples. You never know eternal and unconditional love until you have a child.

Mudbug Run

The annual Mudbug Madness 5K was last night and I went to participate along with a big group of runners from Ruston(some came to watch and I wished I had done the same;)). I had decided to jog(aka do my best) the 5K and did a pretty good job until the end when I caught a girl,passed her a little too early and she kicked on me at the end. I tried to go with her when I thought to myself, who am I kidding! So she beat me and I was OK with that. We had a good time AFTER the race as we went and ate Mexican.

Summer is Here

The pool opened up at the country club tonight so we went and enjoyed the festivities. Jake had an absolute BLAST and Landry did as well(although is was very close to her bedtime!). The last couple of days have been busy as we have been unpacking and enjoying our children. Jake has been having fun with his neighbors as we have had 2 play dates this week . He is growing up so fast and I know this summer is going to fly by. Landry continues to grow and get more personality every day! She giggles all the time and it is precious.

Let the Small Things Slide

I took the babies to Ruston in April to have their portrait made at Barnes and thought this picture turned out great(so my mom scanned it and sent it to me...copyright violation I know but I don't plan on printing the picture, just wanted to post it on my blog!). It also made me think about how often I need to "let the small things slide" in relation to how MUCH we have to be thankful for! That brings me to my story:

Matt was about to drop me off at the airport in San Diego when we got into an argument. Not a big one, but when you have a 3.5 hour flight to ponder over what was said, we all have a tendency to make a mountain out of a molehill. I talked to Elizabeth(very good friend) while I waited for my next flight and ranted for a bit(we are each other's ranting partners:)) when I realized how irrelevant and immature I sounded-I really am about to get to the point-PATIENCE. So I went to the snack shop and decided to buy a book. God SO led me there and as I was looking for a book, The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch, stood out and I picked it up and went to the check out counter. I had seen his story on Dateline and he is dying of pancreatic cancer and has 10 tumors in his liver. He has 3 young children and a wife. If you need a GOOD read, please get that book. Oh how it puts everything in perspective. The book is a life lesson on how he has tried to live his. What a great reminder (the book is) on how we need to count our blessings and "let the small things slide".

Day 3!

We had another great day yesterday as Matt had to work the morning shift at his convention. I decided that I was going to relax by the pool for a couple of hours. Matt got back just as I finished getting ready and we rented a car so that we would be free to drive around and see the sights. We first went to a shopping outlet that was on the border of Mexico. You could see the actual border, big Mexican flag, etc. Pretty neat but we were told not to go because it was dangerous right now. So we did our damage at the Polo and Gymboree outlets and were back in the car headed to Fashion Valley mall. Matt gets a company present each year for Christmas and the last two years they have been from Tiffany's. The presents have been wine glasses and a decanter-which we don't need-so we sent them back and recieved gift cards. So yesterday we went to the Tiffany's store and bought my first Tiffany's bracelet and I love it! Then we headed up the coast to Torrey Pines golf course where they are having the US (golf) open this year. Matt wanted to check it out and get some golf balls and shirt. After that we gradually made our way back to Coronado and had dinner at a Mexican restaurant. Great day but I miss my babies terribly and am ready to go home today. My flight leaves in about 3 hours and I am about to get a run in so excuse my typos as I am in a hurry!!

SD: Day 2

Today was full as Matt got back from orientation in time for us to catch some lunch in downtown San Diego. He had to go back and work for several hours and I did some SHOPPING:)!!! I really thought I would make it back to the hotel to relax, but I spent 5 hours walking around, looking at the shops, and enjoying my freetime. By the time I made it back, it was time to freshen up and meet a friend from high school: Jonathan Macaskill and his wife Carrie. They have lived in the area for the last year and a half as Jon is a Navy Seal. We ran cross country and track together in high school and it has been about 6 years since we have seen Jon and Carrie. We really had a great time catching up. His wife is precious and I enjoyed listening to their stories about life and what has been happening and hopefully they didn't mind listening to us talk about our children! If you are ever in town Jon and Carrie, please call us!

Enjoying our dinner as Matt gave the poor waitress a hard time

Jon and his precious wife Carrie

The 4 of us as we headed for ice cream after dinner

My Morning Run Recap

Since Matt had a meeting this morning, I decided there was no excuse not to go for a run. There are many reasons why I like to run before the sun comes up in LA: cooler, no one else is up and it's peaceful, I cannot see how fast I am running on that silly watch of my moms, did I mention cooler? Well the sun comes up in San Diego at what seems like 5am. So needless to say that by the time I talked myself into getting out there, the sun was beaming. Even with a breeze it was super warm. At the first mile I looked at my watch and it said 8:15 and I knew I had better slow down or I might not be able to finish the 5 miles I had planned to run. Yet I finished the run....at that pace, partially due to the fact that I kept checking the pace on the watch. My southern drawl GOOD MORNING to the bike riders that were everywhere became mumbled g'mrn towards the very end. And the chick that had her Boston Marathon sports bra on and was hammering her run didn't help my ego at the very end either. I have to remind myself that I have been pregnant for 2 years(not really but Jake was only 4 months old when I found out I was pregnant again). Not an excuse but it sure does sound like one. So here's to all my athletic friends out there who make running look easy. Give me time(a lot of it) and maybe one day I will take it seriously again. In the meantime I will run so that I can eat Chick-fil-A and drink Dr. Pepper!!!!

Here we are!

Well we are here on the west coast after a minor bump in the road as we missed our 7:50 am flight to San Diego from Houston. Good news is that we made the 9:00 flight even though they had over sold the flight by 6 and we were on the standby list! So we arrived in San Diego at 10:15am and had the rest of the day to hang out.

We are staying at the Loews Coronado Bay Resort which is beautiful. Today we went to an area just north of San Diego called La Jolla and did some shopping and sightseeing. We did see some seals and I do believe that is the first time I have actually seen them so that was neat. The weather was chilly this morning but warmed up a lot as I am already sunburned from our shopping excursion. Now we are off the the hotel pool for some relaxation. Have already called mom atleast 10 times today(:)) and Landry is fine. So is my sweet Jacob who is with his GG and Papaw. See you tomorrow!

Spring Picture

Spring pictures were made in April at MDO so I took Landry up to the church to take her picture with Jake. Thought this picture turned out cute considering she took 3 and we were done. In the original picture Landry's head is not cut off:)

Many Firsts

We have had several firsts over the past couple of days that I feel the need to post! First off, Jake had his first of many skinned body parts when he fell yesterday in our neighbors driveway and scratched his nose up pretty good. I felt he deserved a sucker for the pain and suffering he went through:).
Then Matt had to spend the night out of town last night and this was the first time I stayed alone with the babies. Last time he went out of town I went to my parents and decided it was too much trouble and that I really can take care of them alone every once in a while(plus Jake woke up at 5:45 and it turned out to be a very long day!). SO, we were doing good. I had them both in bed by 7:20....a little later than normal but I bathed and fed each child separately. At 11:45 the electricity went out and I panicked. The TV monitor I depend so heavily on does not work without ELECTRICITY(that is the #1 thing you need, not the monitor as I had mentioned in a previous post!!!) and I just knew the children were going to wake up because their box fans had stopped. Yes, I am a believer in those fans! They are the only way to keep them from not waking each other up in the morning since they sometimes get up at different times and during the day I don't have to worry about the phone or door bell waking them up from a nap. Then to make matters worse, I called Matt's phone and it was turned off!!!! I was so upset with him due to the fact had it been a real emergency he would not have known. Yet the electricity came on about 45 minutes later and Landry was still SOUND asleep and Jake just sat up briefly and returned to bed. Yee of little faith(I know)!!Sorry that was drawn out.

Our next first is Landry's first TECH cheerleader outfit. It is a little big through the shoulders but I am hopeful that she will have filled it out by August. I put Jake's shirt on him this morning as he headed to his LAST day of Mom's Day Out until June.

The last first is the first in a really long time!!! When I picked Jake up from MDO, I did not check to see when his nap was, so I just figured he had just taken one. Then Landry had woken up early from her nap and both were fussy, so I decided to take them for a stroll. We had not made it 2 blocks when I saw Jake's head bob. I looked in the front of the stroller and he was sound asleep. Thank goodness I had my camera handy as he has not fallen asleep in a stroller in about a year. Apparently he had not taken a nap!!!! I had to SPRINT back to the house in my flip flops so I could get him in bed. It was pretty funny but very sweet.

And since I had one of Jake asleep I had to be fair and add one of Landry!!! There is a story behind her sucking those fingers! First, I used to suck the same 2 fingers and if you went to elementary school with me you know that:). I took her pacifier away from her during naps because they were a nuisance. Well, she found her fingers and away went the pacifier. That is all great and good, but I sucked my fingers until the third grade and shutter at the thought. Hopefully that will not happento our baby girl! The next picture was 10 minutes later when she woke up. She ALWAYS smiles like this everytime she wakes up. I just LOVE IT!

Sorry for the very long post....Matt takes the laptop with him and I do not have access while he is gone. Almost done. We went to a memorial service for a family friend yesterday and we rarely ever take pictures of just the two of us anymore. So here we are....about to head to the west coast in less than 48 hours. Hooray. I plan on posting when we get there and I have to go and get ready for Grey's. Bye for now.