Introducting Carrots: A Step by Step Guide

Our experience with introducing carrots, Landon's first vegetable, at 6 months.

Step 1: Open jar.


Step 2: Wince with great displeasure at vegetable flavor.


Step 3: "Are you serious? We are really moving forward with this?"


Step 4: Try to grab bowl and throw on floor in defiance.


Step 5: Ponder resignation. *Sigh*


Step 6: Acceptance.

Everyday I'm Shuffling

To counteract all of the baby boy posts lately, I wanted to let you know that Erik and I are still cool* and have interests besides baby stuff. This is the anthem in our house these days and we love the video! It's just overall fun and I love the gratuitous use of gold lamé.




*Self proclamations of coolness may imply nerdiness. See dealer for details.

Link: Tips for Unplanned Section

I found a link from BabyCenter the other day very helpful regarding How to Plan for an Unplanned C-Section. I agree with the tips that the author is offering. [Landon was an unplanned c-section after he flipped and became breech at 40 weeks and 2 days.]

Although c-sections are pretty common these days (about 1 in 3 births), I personally don't believe it makes it any easier to deal with on a physical and emotional level. I'll never know if that's what put me in a funk a few weeks after Landon's birth, but I suspect it had a role in it (that and a bazillion raging hormones). I don't mind the scar at all, but like many women, pieces of my lower abdomen are numb and I still hope the feeling will come back someday. If it doesn't, it's not a tragedy. The pain is gone and Landon is here - end of story.

I've often thought about trying a VBAC delivery for baby number two someday, but I know there is a whole other set of struggles and triumphs that come with delivering a baby via nature's intended route. So as challenging and painful the c-section recovery was for me personally, I would ultimately choose it again since I would at least know what to expect.

I figure one way, it's hard to sit for a while and the other way, it's hard to stand up for a while :o)

Je T'Aime

Landon, you could at least buy the giraffe dinner first.

This is War

We ran into a chemical conundrum this week. To spray or not spray, that was the question. And the answer is...? Spray. Spray like you've never seen spray. Spray, spray, spray.

There have been some issues with wasps in the house over the last couple weeks. And not like regular wasps, but huge ugly mongoloid wasps on 'roids. What seemed like isolated incidents turned into "Okay, this is officially a problem" when I found the 7th wasp the other day while baby boy and I are were gleefully having a Skype chat with Grandpa and Uncle Jamesy. One swooped over Landon and I tucked him under my arm, monkey-style, and ran for the hills (or outside the room, at least). After I got Landon situated - blissfully ignorant while chewing his hands on his jungle mat on the other side of the house - my dad stayed on video Skype and remotely supported me while I smacked the legs off #7. Seriously, I had to hit him about 20 times before I could really spray him and left him under a plastic bowl to wallow in the fumes. Sounds cruel, I know, but this is what they look like:

The Polistes Carolina wasp species (minus a leg or two)

Wouldn't you want to annihilate that ugly sucker, regardless if he threatened your first born child? Anyhoooodles, after that whole bit, Landon and I encountered wasp #8 about 20 minutes later while in the kitchen. At that point, we got out of dodge.

After sitting at Whataburger and regrouping for a while (country gravy helps soothe my nerves), I decided that we must go back to the house. I cleared the back bedroom for any signs of wasps and set up the pack n play for Landon to sleep next to me. We had the exterminator come by in the morning and I ultimately decided that spraying around the house was better than Landon being carried away by mutant wasps.

Erik chooses the best weekends to be away.

Happy Easter!

Head. Wall. Thunk.

Its the kind of day where I put my facewash in my hair and walked out of the shower with shaving cream on my (still unshaven) legs. True story. Its the kind of day that suggests that I should really start drinking coffee. But on the bright side of things, I did get a shower today. I'll take it.

Ever since our return from the whirlwind 4 day Dominican Republic trip, Landon has been a bit "challenging". It could all just coincidentally be coinciding with the onset of teething, but I'm not entirely convinced that Landon isn't hiding a supply of Red Bulls somewhere in the nursery. One day I will go to adjust his crib, only to find a stash of empty cans.


He is not sleeping through the night, he doesn't want to nap and he is climbing all over me... with gusto. But he's doing it all with a cute gummy smile, so it is hard to be upset. This, too, shall pass.

Landon Learns to Swim

After a few comments I've received, I'm belatedly editing this post to point out that Landon is indeed laughing with pure joy in this video. He is not crying - it's kind of my personal philosophy to not post videos of my son being tortured.

This was Landon's first swim at the pool at our resort in the Dominican Republic during my brother-in-law Christian's wedding weekend. Our friend Carey used to be an infant and toddler swim instructor, so we definitely lucked out on learning some pointers so Landon didn't have a meltdown.

Corpus CoNA Air Show

This past weekend, we drove up to Corpus to attend the annual air show. [They rotate bases each year - last year we had to drive down to Kingsville. I guess we were just never destined to live near the correct base.]

They painted "the birds" in celebration for a Century of Naval Aviation. They had a few of the Growlers down there which made Erik blush like a schoolgirl asking little Timmy to check the yes or no box on a "Do you like me?" note. I personally miss the fuel wiener that you see on a good ol' Prowler, but I suppose things do need to evolve.

We were also able to catch up some friends from former Japan glory days who were at the air show with their respective crafts. This was key since we got into the VIP tent which offered much needed shade and free food. It also offered front row seats to the Blue Angels show. Alas, they could not perform because of a low cloud cover. Landon didn't seem to care. Once his earmuffs were in place, he peaced out.

Hangin' With Dad

The boys chilling after a long day...

Frothing at the Mouth

Landon is learning to blow farts with his mouth. Otherwise known as spit bubbles or raspberries. But let's be honest: it sounds like he is trying to make a fart noise.

This is Local?

Oh gosh, I love the show Portlandia right now (airing on IFC). It. is. perfect.

Oh, hey! I'm 5 months!

Current Likes
- Drooling
- Chewing
- Drooling
- Snuggles
- Sophie the Giraffe
- Turkleton the Turtle

Current Dislikes
- Strawberry-flavored milk (mom note: tear, tear)
- Asparagus-flavored milk
- Fried-onion-ring-flavored milk
- Blizzard-flavored milk