I'm Steppin'

 Landon practiced walking a lot with Grandma Harter when she visited but took his first official steps last Wednesday at 13 Months and 2 days. His buddy Hayden was playing with his lawn mower when Landon decided he wanted to play and walked from his legos over to the lawn mower. It's still just 6-10 steps at a time and only when Landon wants to. He definitely has a mind of his own!

 

The biggest thing in our house this month has been adjusting back to our work routine and taking Landon to daycare. He sleeps less at daycare than at home but eats great and does not cry when David drops him off. There were a few bumps in the beginning but I anticipated it being much harder. I am thankful for everyone who works there and cares for him while I am at work.  

 

I am amazed by how many things we have put away now which just prove to me he isn't a baby anymore....

 He insists on sitting at the table with us and using big people silverware.

He prefers walks in his wagon compared to his stroller.

He talks more and more everyday and just this week he is really trying to imitate the words we say. He does say Dada, Mama (rarely), bye bye, wuv you, Ball, Baba, and this.

You are lucky if he either gives or blows a kiss to you, gives you a high five, or waves.

It is now almost impossible to get a video or take a picture of him because he stops being cute and wants to attack the camera as soon as he sees it.

 

Praying at the dinner table all on his own tonight! He usually laughs at David and I and then he did it all by himself!

Baseball practice has also begun! Daddy is praying Landon is the answer to the Cubs slump.

 

I have LOVED every stage of Landon so far but it is true when people say it just gets better all the time. I love that we can laugh together now and he really understands and knows so much more than I think he does.

Party Time at Landon's Launch Pad!

We had an awesome birthday party on August 18th at our new house! It was great to celebrate with friends and David's family. Landon thoroughly enjoyed playing all day and was still going strong as we were cleaning up. The kids enjoyed playing outside in the water table and with other toys. All the kids left tired and dirty which in my mind is a sign of a good time! At Landon's 1 year checkup he was 18 pounds 2 oz. which puts him at the 13th% and he is at the 40th% for height.

 

 

A goal of mine was to make Landon's cake and with the help of pinterest and David's mom it was a success! I also made his shirt for him to wear. It was a lot of fun and I hope to continue to try something new each year.

Landon enjoyed the frosting and some cake but was not too fond of getting dirty. We gave him a short bath in the red tub when he was done to wash him off. I also learned just how much frosting he ate the next day when we were given several blue surprises throughout the day!

 

 

Thanks to everyone near and far who helped make Landon's birthday so special!

Happy Birthday Landon!

Month 12: All Play and Little Work

We spent this month enjoying life here in Virginia. David and I have now been here 8 years. Wow! We celebrated my 30th birthday with a dinner with friends and then took Landon on a picnic to Yorktown beach to celebrate our 3rd wedding anniversary. We painted Landon's room and put up 2 space mural decals on the walls. It has been great the last few weeks to feel settled in the new house. It has left us with a lot of time for play dates!

Landon is on a roll doing new things almost daily. In honor of 12 months here are 12 things you would see if you were with us for a day:

1. He can use a fork pretty well.

2. He loves to brush his teeth.

3. He climbs stairs no problem.

4. He can roar like a lion.

5. He enjoys tickling people.

6. He may be doing laps pushing his toy around the house. (olympics?)

7. He climbs onto the chair and couch and dives head first off. (olympics?)

8. He likes to pretend you are the dog and play fetch with toys as he throws them off the chair.

9. He may stand on his own but don't blink because you will miss it.

10. In his crib he will stand up to get all the extra pacifiers and if he gets bored he will bounce them off the wall.

11. He will yell at you if you walk by and don't wave or say hello because that's just rude.

12. He often says wow when he sees anything new or dad does something really cool.

Saying Hello to Strangers on the beach.

How much do I get for helping with dishes?

Let's feed the animals dad!

Spaghettio Facial

An early Birthday gift from Grandma & Grandpa Reeves

Baseball team came over to play!

I made it! I said I would blog once a month for the first year and here we are. This year has been incredible and I have loved every minute of being a mom! My summer home with him has been so special and I am sure I will be running home from work everyday to pick him up from daycare!  I have to say I am really proud of David and I for making it through this year learning the ropes of a baby while moving, changing jobs, and traveling.

Landon,

If I would want you to remember anything about your first year is that you are loved more than you could ever know by your family and friends. We have been blessed beyond words with everything from good times to meals, diapers, gifts, and prayers. Thank you to all who have supported us as we began this parenting adventure. You have an awesome personality and your Dad and I love to play with you. Every morning I love getting out of bed to come get you and see you smile. I am so excited to continue to watch you grow and take your first steps! 

Love,

Mom

Month 11: Ta-Da…Fast and Furious

We have been on a roll this month…Landon survived seeing all his grandparents, aunts and uncles in a 12 day span…then we came home and moved!

This month Landon loves eating finger foods and is getting better at eating with a fork everyday. We have entered the adventures of the Happy Meals! Landon is able to finish a 4 piece nugget all on his own. We also just began mixing half of his bottle with whole milk. Just this week he has begun to blow on his food after watching me do it for weeks. He now blows on all his food before putting it in his mouth.

Landon continues to be very active. While the TV may be on or I may try to read him a book he still wants to climb everywhere . He is beginning to show some interest in reading animal books and likes hearing what noises animals make. Landon and I went to storytime at the library twice this month. He enjoys watching the other kids and has begun to try to take the toy he wants from whoever has it. In our new house the stairs and drawers in the kitchen are definitely more popular than his toys!

Landon is getting more and more balanced and has on a few occasions stood on his own for a few seconds. He now says up and reaches out his hands and also swings his hands up to signal TA-DA! when he does something special. David has been wanting him to do Ta-Da forever! It is very cute.

While in Iowa Landon made sure to get a Maid rite sandwich and he LOVED getting to meet his Great Aunts, Uncles & Cousins (Marti, Pat, Jenna, Aubrey, Mark, and Julie). Of course he was also spoiled by Grandma and Grandpa Reeves and Uncle DJ.

A quick stop to Great Aunt Cheryl & Uncle Bruce before and after Iowa gave Landon a chance to play with some toys I played with when I was little. He also got to visit with Great Grandma Motondo. We then went to a wedding and then up to the lake where Landon was spoiled with lots of hugs, kisses, and play time with Grandma Harter, Papa, Jimmy, Trina, Nicole, Matt, Great Grandma & Grandpa Orford, and many more. Landon LOVED the jet ski and kayak rides. I am also sure he was jealous Tyler could get around faster than he could. Next year we are in trouble when they both can run around. On our way back to Virginia we met Grandpa Motondo & family for breakfast.

Last week we moved out of our house on Monday and into our new house on Tuesday. We are so blessed to have such a busy and exciting summer but are definitely looking forward to things slowing down a little bit before I go back to work…and Landon turns 1!  

You have to have a Maid Rite in Iowa.

Too cute for words!

Welcome to my crib!

Month 10: Uh-Oh, Uh-Oh, Uh-Oh...

Uh-Oh....Don't Blink....Landon is changing daily more now than ever and I have a feeling we have a daredevil on our hands. I fall more in love with this little guy everyday! He now loves to say Uh-oh several times when dropping anything. We are also saying Uh-Oh a lot more because he has now learned to open cupboards, bang on the glass doors, and can get into just about everything!

We began the month standing up in our crib for the first time. We also took him on his first ride at the pungo strawberry festival. He has begun to push his toys while walking behind them. He also loved standing up in his stroller pretending to "surf" while we were in cocoa beach.

We also mastered drinking from a straw this month and he no longer wants to be fed lunch or dinner so finger foods and lots of cleaning are a daily routine.

Landon also can identify if a friend is coming over to hang out or to babysit and immediately cries when we leave him with a sitter. Although they tell us its not for that long.

Silly Landon...We don't eat the tickets for the rides!

My first roller coaster!

Good Morning Mama! Time to lower the crib!

Learning how this birthday thing works from Gage!

I'm the KING of the world!

Landon turned 10 months old on Father's day and as of June 8th I am home with him for the summer. I love getting to spend more time with him and I think he likes it too. Landon and I tagged along with David on a work trip to Cocoa beach last week. Grandma and Grandpa Reeves met us there and we had a lot of fun. Landon is definitely no longer afraid of the pool but is not too fond of the sand and ocean.

Other Family Updates (We have been a little busy...)
1. We recieved an offer on our house and have had an offer accepted on another house. We will be moving July 10th!
2. Mom has just one more chemo treatement to go and will then begin radiation. She is amazing and I love her so much!
3. I have accepted a new job and will be a reading specialist at Carver Elementary in Newport News in the Fall!

Month 9: Landon the Explorer

Can you believe 9 months have gone by already? I continue to be amazed at just how quick Landon is changing and learning all sorts of new things. I love his personality and unique facial expressions. Exploring everything around him is his goal everyday. He can now crawl on his knees although he still prefers the army crawl and pulls himself up to standing a few more times everyday. He weighs 17 pounds 2 ounces (10th%) and is 27.5 inches long (18%)

Landon loves being near David and I. He has learned how to maneuver himself under the end table to climb over the blankets and get to the kitchen. Just this week he has extended this move to now work his way from one side of the kitchen table to the other. He will also entertain himself playing with his toys now and is seems to always have a plan for what he wants to play with. Pushing buttons and making noise are always a priority on his list!


I got here all by myself!

 Landon is not saying any words yet but he loves to babble all day long and loves to "pretend" chomping and wave bye bye. I am predicting his first words are going to be uh-oh or up but maybe I will get lucky and it will be mama. Landon ate peas for the first time this week but of course he fed 10 to the floor for every one that went into his mouth. 

Biggest Milestone of this month: We took a trip to NY and when we got back to VA Landon snapped back into his routine the first night! This was great since he had been sick before we left and did not sleep through the night while we were there at all. He is great at going to bed at night and loves having scout, peter the bunny, and his glow worm in bed with him.

Other Milestones this month: He loved the hotel pool in NY as well as wagon rides with cousin Tyler! He also loves the swings at the playground!

9 Months Old today...Mom has to be quick to get one with me still on the blanket!

As soon as the water turns on he is on his way...Loves bath time!

Life in our household the last month has gotten pretty crazy so just in case you missed it...
1. Our house is on the market and we have had several people take a look.
2. Mom started her chemo last week. We are grateful the cancer had not spread anywhere else. She has a positive outlook and we are ready to help whenever we can.
3. Carly graduated college last weekend while we were in NY. We are super proud of her!
4. Landon had his first fever and David has been sick the past week so keep him in your prayers that he is better soon.