Busy Bees

Working, raising two boys, Christmas shopping, cleaning, decorating, wrapping, more shopping, visiting with friends... whew!  The past few weeks have been a whirlwind of things to do.  Both boys are sleeping right now, PJ is surfing, and I finally find myself with some down time.  It's been a few weeks now, but we all traveled down to C.S. for Thanksgiving to spend time with the Campagnanos.  It was Connor's first time at his Grandma and Nono's!  I know- it's terrible.  The trip down (and back) was great!  We took our family car (the Acadia) and everything fit beautifully.  Kingston laid down in between the captain's chairs in the middle of the two boys just as I had envisioned it.  Connor would play, fall asleep, wake and play some more, then fall asleep...and Landon took in everything we drove by and talked up a storm.  No tears from anyone!  Yay.  Good to know since I'll be traveling with them up to Jacksonville next weekend.

The boys on Thanksgiving

Connor is 6 months old now.  He's getting so big!  18lbs. 4 oz. and 27 3/4 in. long at his last appointment.  He can sit up unassisted for a while, but still will eventually fall over to one side.  When he's on his belly he moves all over the place.  No teeth yet, but everything goes in the mouth.  And the drool!  Connor ADORES his big brother and loves to watch him.  Landon can make him laugh so easily!  It is really cute.  I've started feeding him food.  We've done rice cereal, avocado, sweet potato, and peas.  I'll be introducing a few fruits next.  He is following in his bro's footsteps in the food department- gobbling up every last bit that is given to him.  And he still wakes up once a night for a feeding.  I won't be upset when that comes to an end.

Recent pics of our little boy

Last weekend the Meyers visited.  It was a FULL house with four adults and four kids 3 and under... but it worked out really well and we all had so much fun!  We took the kids to a nearby playground where they got to let loose.  PJ captured some really fun pictures.

                                     

After playground, Chuck E. Cheese, and Kobe Steakhouse all the kids cuddled up to watch a movie together.  I really enjoyed seeing the kids interact and I love the fact that they will be great friends as they grow up together.

Landon is so incredibly excited about Christmas this year.  He is obsessed with Christmas lights, Frosty the Snowman, Santa Claus, the elf named Buddy that has joined our family recently...anything holiday related.  It is so fun to watch his eyes light up and we are really looking forward to Christmas morning this year.  

We had another successful trip to see Santa.  Landon was bursting at the seams as we waited our turn.  He flailed his arm saying, "Hi, Santa!" when we were next in line.  He ran up to him and hopped on his lap, proceeding to tell him that he wanted milk and cookies for Christmas.  Santa agreed to share with him :).  And Connor- well as usual he went with the flow and cooperated.

 I'm sure it will be a while before I post again, so I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas filled with love and happiness.  I also hope everyone has a beautiful, healthy, SAFE New Year ahead.  XOXO

Lovin' Fall!

We have been keeping busy these past few weeks with fun fall festivities!  Starting with a good ol' trip to the pumpkin patch.  Connor was chill taking everything in and Landon enjoyed looking at the horses and chickens and all of the pumpkins!  

This year he made mommy do all of the hard work gutting the pumpkin.  He wouldn't touch the stuff, although he didn't mind posing for a picture :).  Daddy threw the pumpkin away before I could get a snapshot of the finished product.  I carved a silly face, as per Landon's request.

And then there was the steamy night we took the boys to Disney's Not So Scary Halloween Party.  We had so much fun going on rides, trick or treating, and watching the Halloween parade.  The kids looked adorable in their costumes, but we had to take them off after a while because it was sooooo stinkin' hot!  We all slept good that night.

Halloween night it was much cooler.  It was fun getting the boys all dressed up.  We took them around the neighborhood trick-or-treating.  Landon did a great job saying "trick or treat!" and "Thank you!" at each of the houses.  Mom did another amazing job making Landon's costume this year.  

Connor is now 5 months old.  At his 4 month check up he was 16lbs. 4oz. and 26 3/4 inches long.  Still happy as could be, talking, giggling, smiling, chewing his hands and feet.  He loves music and lights and playing in his bouncer.  His sleeping has been sporadic lately... one night he'll sleep all the way through and the next he'll be up at 1 and 4.  It's okay though.  Anything for my little muffin :).

I took this picture yesterday before we took the boys to the UCF homecoming tailgate.  Connor ended up sleeping the entire time we were there!  Landon had tons of fun running around, playing corn hole, and playing catch with his friends.

 We are looking forward to spending time with our families for the upcoming holidays!

A Proud Mama

I figured it out!!! For over a month now an annoying error code has been appearing every time I've attempted to save or publish a post and then I would lose all of my hard work.  Well the problem is gone and just in time!  We've had lots of wonderful things going on around here and with the holidays coming up there are many more to come in our near future.

I've been back at work now since September 10th.  I wasn't worried about Landon returning to Iara's; I was actually excited for him because I knew he would have fun seeing his little friends again.  But leaving Connor was a different story.  For a long time we struggled with giving him a bottle.  He just wasn't interested.  So my main concern was him eating.  But by day two our little trooper was drinking all of his milk, taking good naps, and being overall content throughout the day.  After spending three + wonderful months at home with the boys I felt heartache and guilt returning to work.  Only natural.  However I was quickly put at ease knowing that not only are they in great hands each day, but they are happy, too.

Mid-September

During the summer I mentioned that Landon had started taking ISR swim lessons.  He went 5 days a week for 6 weeks (10 minute sessions).  He worked with an AMAZING swim instructor named Heidi.  They formed a special bond and he still asks about her to this day.  It is truly amazing what infant/toddlers are capable of learning when it comes to water survival skills.  We are so proud of Landon and this big accomplishment of his.

This is a clip of Landon during his exit test.  He is fully clothed to mimic the event of him accidentally falling into a pool.  Hopefully the video works... 

On Sunday, October 7th our families joined us in celebrating Connor's baptism.  It was a joyous day!

Connor's Godparents- Titi Rudy and Uncle Ryan

The whole fam.  Alaina, Maria, and Dave Lawton were also present.

Connor is already 4 1/2 months old.  He hasn't had his check up yet... it's next week.  I'm curious to see how he's grown in the past 2 1/2 months.  Developmentally he is so fun these days!  Laughing, baby talking all the time, kicking/opening and closing his hands, holds his head up sturdily, hands in mouth often, plays with feet, grabs/tugs at toys, and can roll from belly to back and from back to side.  He can't quite make it all the way over yet.  He's a side sleeper like his mama. :)  Still wakes up for a 3-4 am feeding but has gone until 6 a handful of times.  Overall he is doing so well.  We are truly blessed.

Cookies!

What do we do on a horrible, rainy day when Tropical Storm Isaac churns out in the Gulf of Mexico? Well, as per Landon's request, we bake cookies! (A VERY special treat for our little man:))

He was a great helper- cracking the egg, stirring the batter, spooning blobs of dough onto the cookie sheet.

A few minutes after I put them in the oven he said, "I wanna see them." So I turned on the oven light, he peered in, and then concluded, "Nope. They're not done yet."

Finally the finished product was ready to be taste tested. Landon and I agree that he is one fine baker! The cookies are delish!

Connor was unable to assist with our baking project, but he was the supervisor and made sure we didn't miss any steps. He's been busy with his own activities these days... strengthening his neck during tummy time...

Holding his own bottle during feedings with daddy (Paul is watching closely to make sure he doesn't get any breast milk on him. Yuck!)...

And using that sweet little voice to tell me stories throughout the day- especially when he's on the changing table. I can't get enough of his little coos!

On this past Saturday night we got together with two very close friends of mine from high school. Amanda (in the center) is one of my best friends to this day. Unfortunately we live 200 miles apart so these gatherings are few and far between. I actually hadn't seen her children in about 9 months! Anyways, here we all are, each with two children now! This is a fun picture that I will always enjoy.

Summertime

This summer has gone by at warp speed. It seems that I blink and another week has come to an end. Connor is 10.5 weeks old, which means there are only 3.5 more weeks before my return to work. This time with my boys has been wonderful.

Connor has fallen into a predictable daily routine of eating, alertness/activity, and sleep. His personality is noticeably chill and laid back. You can easily get him to smile and he makes the cutest sounds. He loves to talk to me when he's on the changing table.

At his two month check up Connor was 12 lbs. 7 oz. and 24 1/4 inches long. I took him to work with me yesterday and all of my coworkers who were able to meet him think that he looks just like his big bro. I see differences, of course, but the main one is their body type- Landon was shorter and thicker with a round face and Connor is longer and thinner with more of an oval shaped face. Otherwise there are many similarities, and they are both cute as buttons. :)

It's been a pretty slow summer for us in terms of going places and doing things, but we were fortunate to have a little family getaway last weekend to Anna Maria Island. HJ and Alaina (Paul's brother and his girlfriend) invited us to stay in a condo on the beach for a few nights. It was an AMAZING place and a beautiful beach. We enjoyed the sunshine, playing in the sand, and Landon even practiced swimming in the pool. The boys were so well behaved! I don't think Connor even cried once the entire time. Landon was a bit intimidated/afraid of the ocean which was surprising. I'm sure that'll quickly pass as we begin to visit la playa more often.

Our very first family (of four) vacation.

I'll leave you with a couple video clips of the boys. Connor is very smiley these days and loves to play in his bouncer. Landon is just a little smarty pants and decided to show off his ABC's. Landon's video is sideways- I didn't realize I wouldn't be able to rotate the footage :(. Still fun to watch though!

Connor is 2 Months Old!

Our happy little baby boy is two months old today! He is much more interactive these days. He'll smile at you, track toys with his eyes, "talk" more and more each day, and he's also mighty strong. Here's a quick smile I caught on camera from our love muffin this morning :).

This was an attempt to take a picture of a smile last Saturday. Not quite what I was going for- but soooo darn cute anyways! He didn't actually cry... he's very easy to console if he's starting to get upset.

These pictures were also taken today. Connor actually enjoys spending time on his belly. He's a tough little cookie and can hold his head up for quite some time. Sometimes he'll kick/push his legs and arms and turn in a circle on the floor!

Timber! He tipped over to the side and ended up on his back. Didn't seem to mind though! Landon thought it was funny :). On Tuesday we have another visit with Dr. Hayne. I'm interested to see where our little man is at growth wise!

Landon has been busy these days. He's been learning and adjusting to lots of new things. Like potty training- which I'm not rushing or anything. We've been at it for 3 weeks but we still have a lot of work to do. He's also taking ISR swim lessons daily. The program lasts for 4-6 weeks depending on the needs of the child. He's doing so well! I'll upload some footage in a couple of weeks so you can see how amazing it is. Landon has also officially graduated to his big boy bed! We're proud of him:)

Needing a haircut...

Nap time in his bed!

Nap time in the car on the way home from swim lessons. He crashes on the ride home everyday!

Next weekend we'll be taking the boys on a mini vacation to the beach for a few days/nights. I'm soooo excited to get away- and a little bit nervous to see how it all goes. Connor was 8 weeks on Friday (and given the all clear to go out in public), so we went out as a family of four to dinner for the first time. It went well! I'm sure next weekend will go well too.

My Baby is 2!

Last Saturday, June 30th, our baby boy turned 2 years old. It was an absolutely beautiful day filled with fun, family, and friends! Landon's Elmo themed party was all he could talk about for like 2 weeks before the big day. Every morning he'd say "my birthday coming" and at some point sing the Happy Birthday song to himself. So you can imagine the joy when the actual day had finally arrived.

I had fun planning his party. I got everything in order before Connor arrived knowing I'd be recovering from surgery and super busy with the two kids. I was very happy with the way things turned out and Landon enjoyed all of the fun decorations and yummy treats.

Once again I enlisted the help of my mom to make the birthday cake and once again she did an amazing job. Thanks again, Mom!

I made these fun sugar cookies for the guests to enjoy and take with them as parting gifts.

Party favor gift bags for the kids :)

Sesame Street inspired welcome sign

Our fun blow up pool came out again as the main source of entertainment for the 9 friends that joined Landon on his special day. These kids were not messing around... playing full force for hours!

Of course Landon gladly agreed to take a break for some lunch. Paul and our friend Jason Hicks prepared DELICIOUS smoked ribs and pulled pork for all to enjoy.

It was so fun singing to Landon this year. Unlike last year when he really didn't understand what was going on, he took everything in as he smiled, looked around, and listened to the people who love him celebrate his birthday. And he successfully blew out the candles- the second time they were lit (it was a bit windy:))

A perfect day. We love you so much, honey!

On another note... Connor is 5 weeks old today. We had his 1 month check up yesterday.

Weight: 9 lbs. 15 oz.!

Length: 22 inches

Clothes: 0-3 mo., 3 months

Diapers: size 1

Much more alert these days

Plays with his cute little voice

Losing his hair!

Still has big blues

Enjoys bath time :)

Likes to watch the fans and stare at faces

Likes being sung to

Gets cranky for about an hour each day (around dinner time)

Sleeps well

Independence Day for the Kennedy family was very low key this year. The four of us just hung out at the house, playing outside, eating hamburgers and hot dogs. For dessert we ate a flag decorated cake- but not before singing Happy Birthday to America and having Landon blow out a candle :)