A Very Clean Plate

While I was feeding Landon his dinner tonight, he did something he has never done before. Tonight he had Turkey and Veggies, and Broccoli. I made some homemade banana bread earlier today, so he had that for his dessert. He has been doing such a great job feeding himself, so we serve him his dinner and let him dig in. Each meal ends with a happy full baby and a very messy high chair/walls/floor. Lately, we have just been admiring his ability to feed himself so well, but tonight he took on a whole new level! I found Landon licking his plate! Man alive, he must have loved those veggies. :) So, I jumped up and grabbed the camera to get this moment recorded in history. Plus, Daddy is on duty tonight so it will be fun for him to come home and see tomorrow. My son amazes me more and more every day and makes me laugh so hard. I can't wait to see what he will do next!

Just finishing the last little bit that he can get with his spoon.

Messy, Messy Little Man!

I don't want it to be gone Mommy! Wait, I know...I will lick the plate!

Ok, here he goes...

Realizing he doesn't need his spoon...

Oh yea, this is much easier!

Realizing I caught him licking his plate. Notice the crossed feet. He is in his element and very much enjoys his food until the very last drop or 'lick'. :)


I will be excited to see what he does when he has something as yummy as ice cream or cake...oh boy!

The Field

Since it's been so hot lately, the dogs have had to stay inside (their choice) and don't really enjoy their walks like they usually do. So, Paul and I have been taking Beyah and Bohdi to the local high school. There is a great field there with a soccer goal and a lacrosse goal, sans net. Paul and I shoot on the goal while the pups chase our shots. It's great! Some days we kick the soccer ball around and the dogs absolutely love that. They somehow grab the ball with their teeth and pick it up and run around like it's a trophy. It's really cute. Landon will either chase the dogs or he will explore the open field. We top it all off with a snow ball! It's a great afternoon treat, especially in this heat!


On our way to the field. The pups are so excited they want to jump out of the car and Landon is giggling.

Dad, Beyah, Bohdi...wait up! I want to play too!

Landon was trying to throw me the lacrosse ball. He is quite the little athlete already!

He took the ball out of Daddy's stick. Bohdi and Beyah were waiting patiently for Paul to throw the ball for them.

Learning to how to fall in love with lacrosse!

Showing Landon how to hold the lacrosse stick. He's a natural.

His facial expressions are priceless...that's his "Mom, come on please stop with the pictures" or "It's hot out here and I'm ready for my snow ball".

Our aloe plants! It is the BEST cure for diaper rash! And they look pretty! :)

Gotta Love Summer Time!

It's been a while since my last post. But, we have been busy and have been enjoying our summer! In the last few weeks, we've been hitting the beach pretty hard and playing some lax! It's been nice to spend some great quality time together as a family before Paul leaves for his final deployment. We are anxious to get it over with and start our new "non-deployment" phase of our lives. :) Landon continues to grow and develop every day and is becoming a very vocal little guy! Enjoy the pics!

Trying to stay cool while Mommy plays a little lax

Still got it! :) It was a great day to play...sunny and hot. A little over 100 degrees, but it was still fun to get out there and play. I'm not quite sure where they got the pinnies (they were made for 5 year olds).

The tournament was called "The Heatwave"...now I know why!

Our church had an awesome 4th of July service at the beach! This cake was awesome! I felt like I was living in a 'Cake Boss' episode.

Landon taking it all in...he's not a big fan of 100 degree weather. Thinking about taking a nap.

Another 'Cake Boss' creation. These cupcakes were to die for! So yummy! Landon enjoyed his very own cupcake and tried to take some of Mommy's too. What a little piglet!

Our Church's band rocking it up there on the stage. It was awesome!

Landon finally found a comfy place to take a snooze...on Daddy's shoulder. What a great Dad Paul is. He refused to let Landon get in the sun at all that day. It was so sweet. He's such a wonderful Dad.

I snuck in for a little smoochie.

Daddy and Landon getting ready to head to the beach after Church. Never leave the house without zinc oxide! haha

Reflections

As I reflect on this past year, I have so many wonderful memories that come to mind. From the moment the doctor placed him in my arms, love took on another meaning. Landon has grown so beautifully and he is developing at his own rate, but so nicely and so perfect. Paul and I could not be more proud of our little man. I had a lot of fun putting this little video together. It captures many of the great moments we had with Landon from the time when you could put him down and he wouldn't go anywhere, rolling from his back to belly, crawling, eating solid foods, the first time we caught him standing in his crib, to learning how to walk and developing a special relationship with Beyah and Bohdi. The two times Paul had to deploy during Landon's first year of life, we captured the moments when his submarine was coming home. The BEST day ever! Yes, the crazy lady with a baby on her back dancing is me (Paul got to drive the sub in port and I thought he would be able to pick me out of the crowd better if I flailed my arms and legs). Little did I know, he was not able to take his eyes off of what was ahead of him (since he was in charge of driving the multi-million dollar government property), so now I have learned to 'act normal' when I watch the sub come back. I'll probably still jump and dance for joy, since this next deployment will be our LAST! woohooo! :) I hope you enjoy the collection of videos as much as Paul and I have. Looking forward to building more memories with our little man and falling more and more in love with him each day!

A Kiss for Mommy

Landon has learned how to give kisses on command. It is so sweet when you are the receiver and it makes you feel so special. We spent the morning together watching one of Landon's favorite movies, Happy Feet and playing with his toys in the living room. We dance and sing during the movie and he has even learned how to do his own Happy Feet dance/stomp. Daddy asked Landon to give me a kiss and it took him a second to register what Daddy was asking and then off he went! He used to open his mouth big and wide for an extra wet smoochy kiss, but now he has learned to close his lips a little more and it's now not as wet of an experience. He loves to give kisses and when he gives them he feels so proud of himself. He can just keep giving them all he wants because I LOVE THEM! :)