After seriously 2 months of standing up in a "push-up" stance and being so frustrated with not walking, Oliver is finally crawling forward!






this video is really not him crawling forward but you can see his fancy footwork. he's been doing this for about a month, we thought "THIS IS THE DAY!" pretty much since the beginning of August :-p





this is him crawling a few steps!


I love this picture of Landon -- it's a HILARIOUS face!!


Landon just recently started taking baths with Oliver -- they both enjoy it and it's good for Landon to start sharing his toys...







some Ollie talk and crawling (Landon has to be the center of attention!)






one of our friends gave us a chrysalis and I put it in a jar on the TV and I forgot about it and suddenly yesterday it hatched and flew around the room!! we watched it dry it's wings and then put it outside!


Landon fell asleep standing up...

I was going to post about how Oliver's latch is really sucking lately and he's bitten me several times, but suddenly in the last day he's really stopped. however, he does pull his tongue behind his teeth when he eats and I wonder if I'm only noticing that now that he can chew on me? it was his newborn issue as well... maybe my nips just got used ot it? anyways, it's not pressing.

I wrote this in an email to a friend this morning but I thought I'd share Landon - he is so funny these days I swear! we got eaten alive by mosquitos last week and he kept saying "mommy! I'm bitchy!" as he's our child he is super into transformers and super heroes and star wars too. he likes to breathe like Darth Vader and he enjoys saying "wam wam wam" for lightsaber noises (which EVERYTHING IS... and he calls them all Skywalkers) he tries to stop people on the street and close doors with his spider webs (psh! psh!) and makes fabulous robot noises and stomps around the house singing the Transformers theme song (Robots in the skies!) also, since Super Why is not a show you'd be familiar with, he has the power to read, and all the characters have a lame power, like Alphabet power but YOU! (SAY YOUR NAME!) have the power to HELP! and he always says "I have the power to help!!" when he's helping me out around the house. ADORABLE.

I want to talk about my Atlanta trip but I've felt so busy! now that everyone is sort of busy I will rush through it!

We left Friday -- Mike was hoping to get a full day off of work but he wasn't able to because of some urgent work that they needed to get done in the office. Mike still got here at about noon and we left around 2. I ran into IKEA to grab a playmat I've wanted for Oliver and the ride went down hill from there. Landon JOYFULLY peed his pants (he wears underwear and it was a mess) by shouting "HOORAY! I PEED IN MY PANTS!" O_o he had 2 more accidents (oh he was in pullups) before we hit Atlanta. I was worried it was going to be a new uncool phase, but after that he's not had a problem... although he's been more distracted and harder playing and less aware of his bladder, so now we have to do a force/reminder when we didn't before.

We got to 's house at about 10pm, socialized, came up with a plan and then went to bed. Landon was so excited that he was at Joey's house and so they all stayed up quite late before passing out. it seems everyone slept in pretty well Saturday morning. Joey made us delicious pancakes and then we headed to the Atlanta Zoo. it was fun... when the kids got cranky we left! we saw the pandas and some other animals but we didn't do it all, which is fine by me. we let the kids nap in the car and the got our swimsuits on and headed ot their pool! they have this awesome pool that starts at 0" and slopes to 3 feet! this meant tha we could put Oliver at one end and he could splash around in the barely there water and Landon could also play in it (since he IS three feet most pools go over his head). the water was wicked cold so the adults stayed out and ate Chinese food. I went in the other pool for awhile and played with Joey and Landon before we headed back to their house. There was a lifeguard at her pool that was on teh far side from where we were and wasn't paying attention to our kids and was actually napping on a lounge chair the whole time we were there! worst lifeguard ever.

Sunday morning we woke up and left and her brood while we went to the Georgia Aquarium. Landon LOVED IT but we went at a bad time and we had to buy lunch there and he kept asking to go home after awhile because he was so tired. we popped him in the stroller that we borrowed from Lisa and then walked around town. of COURSe we walked straight to the Marriot for Dragon*Con! we were so excited and walked around a bit while Landon napped in the stroller and Oliver napped and ate in the MTB. We actually bumped into people we knew, which was nice to catch up! I hope we go back next year for longer -- Landon would really get into it next year and we can put him in costumes :) when landon woke up he shook hands with Darth Vader and saw some X-men (and correctly identified WOLVERINE!!!!) and was totally stoked that when we were heading back to our car he told a random couple he met Darth Vader and Wolverine (never mind we just dropped $100 on his trip to the aquarium -- what sharks?) we went to Stone Mountain for fireworks and the laser show! we met up with and family just in time to put pennies on the railroad tracks to flatten them out and run around. I kind of thought that it would be laser show and THEN fireworks but it was both -- and they started out using the very loud booming fireworks, which terrified all three older kids (but put Oliver to sleep). everytime the loud fireworks went off Joey squealed LOL. Landon watched with rapt attention however any time my hands slipped from his ears he buried his head into my chest. then we waited until traffic died down before heading to our car and driving back. Monday morning we just lounged around and left around 2 after eating delicious bbq. it was a long trip home -- we reached home around 11? and everyone was sad and cranky.

It was a great trip! I feel so grateful that I have such wonderful LJ friends and such great FRIENDS <3




in the middle of this video you can hear Landon tell me his arm is bitchy :-p


Ollie loves the stroller :)


Joey and landon pretending to be birds


babywearing duo!








Trying to be flamingos!


Landon was acting very cranky and irritating so we threw him in the MTB. he was so mad, but we tried to make it fun. I made him stay in it while we walked across the park to see the pandas. at one point he bit me, but generally he was ok. he just wanted to be DOWN and he wouldn't stay in a stroller...

at the end of the zoo trip there was a petting zoo and Landon liked the goats :)


Landon's favorite part of any exhibit is the sharks :)


landon is refusing pictures lately so its high trickery to get them!


he's smiling here because he was mid-slide :-p


whatever could Oliver be doing here?


Whale Shark!


Mike wearing Oliver :)


Landon made a turtle hat but we lost it somewhere in the aquarium :/


i was tossing him in the air :-p


this shirt got Mike invited to a pirate party at D*C lol lol lol


doesn't he look like he's about to take a dump?


could Ollie get any happier? :p
while we were taking a break in the big exhibit we ended up catching a Q&A session. two divers came out and right to the window while someone said "one of the rarer things on exhibit! one hl a GA AQUARIUM sign. when they go to the window he flipped it and it said "Teneesha will you marry me? Eric" cue all the "AWWWWWS" and when you searched the crowd he was RIGHT THERE on one knee with a ring and she was bawling her pretty little eyes out. of course she said yes and everyone cheered! that was cool to see :)


walking around outside we saw two men get off the bus and they ahd giant snakes! he said they carry them everywhere and I didn't get it, but the other snake smiled for the cameras!


Landon was excited to see the Belugas -- they were training one of the whales while we watched he had to find a specific target! which was super cool.


pride of the South?


Stone Mountain is boring!


Landon and Jackie dancing to music. it was adorable because really? Landon could care less that jackie exists. He is too much into worshipping the ground that Joey walks on. he would follow Joey to the end of the earth. he was doing absolutely everything Joey was doing. it was very sweet. Joey is such a good and patient little 5 year old too. he was pleased Landon was playing with him and made an effort to make sure that whatever he did Landon could join him in.


jumping on Daniel. Landon was really into it but here he looks bored :-p

picture post!

we are getting a fenced in yard! I'm so excited! they said 7-10 days so unfortunately it won't be up before we leave for Atlanta on Friday.
THis week has been so hard. more later, my priority right now is pictures!

We worked on clearing out the yard where the fence will go in this weekend and Landon got gloves to help Mike



they cut down weeds and stuff in the way back of our house so that the fence people could get back there. the neighbors behind us actually have a fence so we just have to meet up with theirs.




While the menfolk toiled, Ollie went swimming in his new swimming pool. isn't it so cute? it's for 18 months + but I can't see an 18 monther enjoying it as much as he was. i filled it with an inch of water and he just sat there and splashed around for hours in the shade.




then again, Landon wanted to get in...






just a splashy video :)




first time with a sippy. I was very excited to be the only source of food and I didn't ever want to introduce a bottle or anything but that is getting old because I can't go an hour at the gym without him being upset. tonight he has a new one and I think he likes it better.


one of the few times Mike managed to put Oliver to sleep :) JUST after he put Landon to sleep :




the other morning I found them like that (I got up before them and Oliver fell asleep during his morning nurse so I just got up and drank coffee and then went in to check on them with the camera!)

by the gym, there is a comic book store that had a GIANT Optimus Prime. we stopped as a reward to see it. Landon was very enthusiastic but he was sad it wasn't Megatron. he was calling "Megatron, where are you? where at Megatron!" when we got back in the car...






cute boy :)