Sweet Child O' Mine

I was baking muffins this past week and had some Christmas music wafting through the air to put some pep in my step. Along comes Landon to the kitchen to "help" like usual. Except this time he sees my toes tapping and sure enough, he starts "dancing" to Funky Rudolph along with me. It was so adorable I almost burst from the warmth that spread through my heart.

The best way I can describe his dance moves is that it is a combination of a pecking head up top and the (attempted) side shuffle swagger of Axel Rose moves on the bottom. It is very disjointed looking. Kind of like the Elaine dance. It is the most awkward yet ridiculously adorable thing.

Hoping your holidays are filled with equivalent moments of warmth and swagger.

I Couldn't Put My Arms Down

It was 55 degrees a couple days this week and I had Landon in abooouuut five layers of clothing, including a hat and mittens. It was pretty mama bear-ish. But love and thermal layers know no bounds to a new mom, nor will it diminish through the years, I suppose. I was looking through some old Christmas photos and tangentially thought about how darn much my mom must have loved James and I; I say this because I don't think we were able to put our arms down in any Chicago winter growing up. She bundled us up like Eskimos and gave us warm (not hot!) baths afterwards. Again, these are things I notice more readily from the perspective of being a mother myself these days.

We lost her a year ago, but my thoughts of her are as strong and warm and fuzzy as ever. It's like my heart can't put its arms down. Merry Christmas, Mom!

We were able to bend our limbs a little bit to successfully go sledding later in the day.

Our arms started to hang a little lower as we grew, but the dexterity in our fingers was still compromised.

Members Only.

"I just met you, but I think I sure do love you," thought baby Katie. "Me, too," thought Mommy.

Dash Two*

Before things get too crazy around here, I should prooooobably mention that we have baby numero two on the way. No big deal.

Umm, actually yes, big deal. We are thrilled. To answer questions: (1) yes, we planned to have them this close, (2) yes, I got pregnant while still breastfeeding and (3) yes, I sincerely believe it would be great if the gender rolled either way. If it's a boy, I feel like I know what I'm doing and if it's a girl, I get to raise a little lady! I think the most exciting part will be seeing how this different character and personality develops. We are, of course, also off the charts excited to see how the sibling relationship evolves... we expect them to be best buddies, no doubt.

Little bean is located in larger dark bean on lower left side. Two feet pointing upwards!

The second booger is scheduled to arrive in late June. We already have names picked out for either direction, but I promised promised promised I wouldn't spill the beans before delivery day this time. [That may be harder than the pregnancy itself.]

So far the experience has been similar to my previous one, but with much less anxiety and without the five pages of questions for the doctor each visit. The first trimester nausea rolls in once or twice a day, but Landon is a sport about it and keeps himself occupied. When Erik is at home, he helpfully takes the little man and let's me sway and moan over a sink in private, bless his heart.

*Dash two is another - you guessed it! - aviation term. It refers to flying multiple jets in formation where the first is "the lead" and the second jet is "Dash 2", etc. So it's not uncommon to hear in the flight community that a -2 or a -3 is on the way. Military lingo lesson for today: complete.

Santa = Meh

The base held a "tree lighting" party for kids and families over at the O Club on base this week. These things aren't the most glamorous or well funded events, but you can tell the people at MWR put a lot of work into it and the kids were all running around having a great time. Landon, of course, is a little too young to absorb any of the festivities, but he always enjoys new environments and people so he was a happy camper.

The coolest part of the evening was that Santa came in a helicopter. A helicopter! I guess that's a perk of a base activity. It. blew. the kids'. minds. Holy shamolies, if you ever want to hear a chorus of excited mini screams, have Santa hang out the side of a freakin' helicopter.

Daddy is able to run over and join us after a debrief! Yay!

Well he didn't cry, so we'll take it.

"Never mind the chubby guy in the red suit, gimme' that BEAR!" Couldn't keep Landon away from this thing.

Lady Eagle Day

Today was the equivalent of "Take Your Wife to Work Day" over at the squadron. The whole shtick is that you wear your hubby's flight suit and take a tour around places like the control tower, simulator, the gear shop to try on the G suit and helmets and also to hook into a jet. It was a tiring day, but a good time. The only bummer was that Erik was flying so he wasn't able to join in - I think I would have had a lot more laughs with him making fun of me throughout it all. Especially when I was dangling from the parachute hang or when it took a couple pairs of hands to zip up my G suit ("Hmm, maybe you're a medium..." says the lady in the gear shop).

My "sweetheart" wings and call sign.

Thankfully, my "graceful" entrance into the cockpit was not caught on film.

Erik says "Add a photo where you can see the cockpit." Here is a photo where you can see the cockpit.

"Look like a maniacal goober hanging from the ceiling." Okay, I can do that!

Erik stops by between briefings to say howdy.

More Excitement Next Week

So I've been lacking a bit on the blogging front lately. I suppose a teething baby (yes, he FINALLY is sprouting his first toofie!) and the holidays had something to do with it. Or not. I've just been lazy.

The end of our time in South Texas is rapidly approaching as Landon and I will be on a plane in a couple weekends to head up north for the holidays... with no intentions of coming back afterwards. Erik will stay behind a few extra days to do some paperwork (and potentially a packout*) and then join us for Christmas. He WILL come back to TX after the New Year to wrap things up and then drive the car to Whidbey Island** where we will all eventually reunite (Landon and I will just fly directly from PA/MD). Do you want to drive from TX to WA with a 14 month old? Yeah, me neither.

In the meantime, besides the Toofie Terror 2011 we've been working through, Landon and I have been enjoying the break in the weather (its gotten down to the 70s and even 60s on some days!). We are able to spend time outside where he likes to conquer the neighborhood curbs and chase after the local chihuahua, Rosita. And of course he enjoys interior antics as well such as rearranging the fridge and just bumbling around the house looking for mischief.

Climbing in and out of beach chairs is the pastime du jour. Also, I'm losing more and more flower petals to curious fingers. Meanwhile, Landon has proven ingesting petunias is not poisonous.

Can't find your car keys? Check the vegetable drawer in the fridge.

Taking a break to watch some Oswald (blue octopus show on Nick Jr). Commence open mouth stare...now!

The best 99 cents I spent last week: A package of fuzzy balls. ROI is about a 100 right now if I consider how long they've kept him occupied vs the cost of a babysitter.

So! That's all she wrote for now. Stay tuned for exciting news next week when Erik will likely receive his "soft wings" as he completes the syllabus and ties up any loose ends on required flight hours! His official winging is on Friday, Dec 16th and we are so looking forward to having the Halvorson gang in town!!!!

*Packout = military lingo for when the movers come and pack up all your stuff into an extraneous amount of boxes.

**We don't have orders yet, but we are still feeling confident that we will make it back up to the VAQ community. I have even more faith that Erik will select Growlers, although I know he'd be fine if he worked with Prowlers again.

Ranch Hand Breakfast

This weekend we headed over to the King Ranch for their annual Ranch Hand Breakfast. The verdict: It was a good time and we would do it again if we were here another year. The ranch is typically closed off (read: security gates) to the average crowd, so it was definitely a great experience to catch a glimpse at some of the land, animals and facilities. And gosh darnit if there wasn't honest-to-God real life vaqueros (cowboys) hanging out… chaps, spurs, wrangling cattle and all.

The key was to get there early to avoid the large lines; we got there around 7:15 and had no problems at all. We got our grub such as biscuits and gravy, beans and tortillas, etc and met with friends to eat at the large tables constructed for the purpose. Afterwards we caught some of the ranch hand competitions such as roping and wrangling contests and visited some little vintage wagons where they demonstrated activities such as rug weaving and making campfire bread (pan de campos).

Landon was a charmer throughout it all, of course. My only lament for the day was that his right cowboy boot was wonky and wouldn't stay put so we had to revert to his usual shoes. Rest assured: He looked adorable while it lasted.

 King Ranch Logo/Brand

"Check out my tonsils!"

Wrangling competition

Reacting with the oohs and aahs (and awwws) of the crowd during the competition.

Taking in the show with Daddy.

Plaid shirts, unite!

Old fire truck.

Ranch life.

"Cow! Coooooow! Look at me!!!! Cooooooooow!!!"

Can you please have your kid stop screaming at me? Sincerely, Cow.

Golden Boobies (*Ding!*)

I'm about to talk boobies and nursing for a little bit so male readers can desist from continuing riggggghtt abooooout... now.

Oh, hey ladies. Now that those pesky guys are gone, let's talk mounds without any silly "bazoingeeeees!" or "honk honk!" comments in the background. I'm proud to share the fact that I earned my pair of golden boobies. No, they don't really sparkle, nor are they hard like metal (if anything, they are dull and squishy these days). They are indeed just boobs in the end, but boobs with a history. If you are not familiar with the forum speak on sites like Babycenter or What to Expect, your set of "golden boobies" comes with 12 months of nursing. You can put them under your signature, notated cleverly with the (.)(.) symbol.

I had a very hard time breastfeeding for the first couple months; it was painful and there were many tears. The lactation consultant was sweet but I could tell she was out of ideas with the third visit. And bottom line, Landon was getting breastmilk and gaining weight; so for all the pain, he was actually nourishing himself just fine. I think if LCs just admitted there will be soreness with latching and there can be pain when the milk is filling back up, it would have been easier for me to move onwards. But for some reason, people like to say "Well if it hurts, you're doing it wrong." Because sometimes you are doing it just fine and it just is uncomfortable for some women. That information should be out there. I got over it after week 7 and became a happy pain free nursing momma after I employed the use of breast shells, my saviors. I am so glad I stuck with it because it was a ridiculously wonderful experience in the end. I also have to thank my hubs for being outrageously supportive through it all, too.

Having said that, I'm not going for platinum (or the susbsequent diamond) boobies. In fact, Landon has been fully weaned as of this week. It was great while it lasted and I would have liked to have gone a couple more months with the morning feeding, but things just kind of happened naturally and he has never looked back. Here is how it went down, starting around the 10 month mark in which Landon was feeding 4 times a day.

7a wake up nursing - said bye bye this past week when I caught a tummy bug and the thought of nursing him was too much (although I have nursed him in the past through illnesses just fine)

11a post nap nursing - ixnayed when Landon went to daycare around 10 months

3p snack nursing - gone by accident when I had a bad sinus issue and took too many decongestants which affected my milk supply around 11 months (woops)

7p bedtime nursing - adios at the 12 month mark since he was falling asleep during sessions and nursing only a minute or two per side. 

Yay, boooooobies!!!!!!!!!!

A Year Full of Landon

Thank you, Landon, for a wonderful year of memories!

Landon's Par-tay

We had a small party for Landon on Sunday afternoon to share in the celebration fun. What a great time! He was happy to show off his walking and shrieking skills with friends. My original vision over the summer was to have a big themed soiree but as the date grew closer and I acquiesced he would be oblivious to any effort I made, we kept it pretty simple. It was perfect in my book. 

[This also closes the loop on Landon's first year photos/videos so you know a good ol' Halvorson montage is in the works. Stay tuned!] 

Before guests arrive, we try to take photos with his birthday hat. Hat + Landon = sobbing. Sorry, buddy!

See? Daddy doesn't cry when he wears a hat.

Chillin' before friends arrive.

 

Comparing vehicles with Jack.

Trying some pizza and new shades.

Mom's ghetto cake slice with a backward "1"... keepin' it real, yo!

Nom, nom, nom...

...nom, nom, nom

Drake and Jack teaching Landon how to play with cars. They were experts.

This Time Last Year

My little man is ONE today.

Happy Halloween!

Sunday Randoms

I know I haven't written much lately, but in a nutshell Erik was away for a couple weeks an another detachment, Landon and I both came down with colds that knocked us flat on our buns and I was listening to a lot of Nina Simone on gray days ("little boy bluuueeee..."). The order of the world has been restored, however, and we are back to usual antics.

Today we are bumming around the house, waiting for Grandpa Jim to arrive (delayed by one day because of a random snowstorm in the Northeast... pooooop). He will be in town for the week to help celebrate Landon's FIRST BIRTHDAY. Yep, that's right: our little man is turning ONE ON WEDNESDAY.  Holy toledo! Uncle Jamesy is trailing in a few days from now, too. Yippee!!!

Just killing some time until our guests arrive...

One of Landon's favorite places this past month. The boy loves a good shower stall.

Landon, where are your teeth?!

Floor rolls.

The Curtains Have Feet

Chip Housing

Ah, yes: the perfect place to store snacks.

"You're welcome."

Happy 31st To Me!

Now that I officially have both feet into my 30s, I must say the water is just fine. I love the comfort and the confidence that comes with age; I wish I could go back in time and shake the vapid thoughts out of my teenage self*, but I suppose it's all part of the process. Am I in love with the signs of aging like new sun spots, tiny wrinkles and a softer figure? Nah, I'm not in love with that. But I'm comfy with it. My body is still young and sturdy and it helps me take care of my family, so for this, I am thankful.

Since Erik is away on detachment, I took birthday activities into my own hands a day early while Landon was at daycare and drove to Corpus to get my toesies done, my arm pits lasered (hooray for permanent hair removal!) and to eat at Long John Silvers (extra crispies, please!). I guess it sounds kind of lame on paper, but it was a wonderful leisurely outing to myself.

You know you want some.

For my actual birthday, my favorite little companion and I spent the day together, bopping around the house and doing some quick errands like usual. He was extra snuggly in the morning, gave wet slobbery kisses throughout the afternoon and didn't throw any of his food overboard in the evening - happy birthday to me! He did rip some curtain hardware out of the wall in an overzealous game of hide and seek, but we're moving soon anyways so hey, no biggie.

Thank you for all the birthday wishes!!!! Feeling the love! My gift back to you is an evening video of Landon, getting all his little steps out of his system before bedtime.

*Dear Teenage Self, if you think being a size 4 is hard, wait until you pop a button on your pants post partum as your tummy flub doesn't want to cooperate. Literally, you will POP a button off. It will go flying. It will make a "beeeeeew!" noise and skate across the floor. So just eat the damn third bowl of mint chocolate chip ice cream while your metabolism is still at your service, Abs McGee. With love, your 30-something self.

Happy 31st to Erik!

The tall man of the house turned the good ol' age of 31 on Tuesday. He looks just like the day I met him, but with a tighter hairdo :o)

His birthday meal request was meatball subs and roasted potatoes. Ask and ye shall receive (on your birthday)!

Yummy yum yum!

Thumbs up from the birthday guy.

Thumbs down from the other guy.

Used a cupcakes-for-two recipe that turned out dericious; and it saved us from eating too many cupcakes! Yippee!

The dinner was a bit rushed as Erik had to run out the door to work on some more charts for another detachment; he left the following morning and baby boy and I will fend for ourselves for a while. The cupcakes-for-two-but-I'm-really-just-going-to-eat-both-myself recipe may be repeated a few times in the coming days. Plus I made a lot of meatballs so I'm already on my third meatball sandwich. Bottom-line: it's fat pants week.

South Padre Birthday Trip

Last week Erik suggested that we get out of town for the weekend to celebrate our upcoming birthdays...what a great idea! Given that it was only 2 hours away (i.e. Landon's limit in the car) and the fact there was a zoo and a beach, we headed down to South Padre Island. 

Much like the aquarium, Landon wasn't terribly impressed by the zoo experience except for some monkeys swinging from trees and some turtles scuffling around. There were tigers, bears, giraffes, rhinos, hippos... everything! But he stared the most at turtles. It was a wonderful small zoo (Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville) and I would recommend it to anyone else in the area.

The beach on day one didn't go so great when Landon encountered a small wave while sitting on the beach and he took a slight topple as a result. He sent his best scornful look towards the ocean ("You jerk!") and didn't want to unsnuggle from daddy's arms much after that. Thankfully he warmed up to the beach on day two when we brought his walker down for him to explore things on his own. And by explore things, I mean run after seagulls with reckless abandon.

Below are some of our photos from the trip. Enjoy!

It looks like he's smiling at us!

"Hey, wait a minute... this one is a decoy!"

Cute, but slightly "Heeeere's Johnny!"-esque.

Landon's most joyous moments of the weekend were spent opening and closing cabinet doors in the hotel. Seriously.

Dad and Landon take a break while at the sea turtle conservancy.

Landon being wistful.

Landon being wistful... again.

Landon being wistful... in mommy's arms.

Trying to catch seagulls.

"Hello, ocean. So we meet again. Jerk!"

"This sand part isn't so bad at all!"

"...Until it gets on your hands. What IS this stuff?"

Landon finds a shell; refuses to put it down for quite a while.

Rare shot of mommy. I exist :o)