Landry Update

Today is Landry's turn for an update! First of all, I will just say "Praise Jesus!" Landry is healthy today, and no more pukey-dukey-doo to clean up. Yesterday challenged my totally pulled together, everything in its place, never raise your voice, clean hair, perfect makeup, working out, 3 warm meals on the table status that I am so used to living up to...I ALMOST didn't get all those things done. :) Sister was sick, and it was so sad! She would start to throw up and have such a confused look on her face. She had no idea what to do, and huge tears would run down her cheeks. Broke this mama's heart!

Here is a picture of her napping on my chest yesterday morning. I was not about to stick her back upstairs and cross my fingers she didn't get sick. Good thing because about 10 minutes later, there was a major need for clean sheets on my bed. 

Now, on to her update. Landry is talking so much and saying so many funny things! Here is what she has going on at 26 months...

• She weighs 27 pounds and is 34 1/2 inches tall.
• She is totally potty trained during the day, but still wears a diaper at night.
• She wears 2T in almost all of her clothes and size 5 shoes. (I forgot to mention yesterday that she and Collier wear the SAME SIZE SHOES now. That boy has big ole' feet!)
• She LOVES to sing. Everything is a song. I love listening to her make up new words...and watching her dance.
• She is totally in love with her daddy. The picture below is from dinner the other night, but this happens all the time. She said "By me Daddy!" because she wanted him to pull her highchair closer to him. Then she said, "Hold my hand!" They ended up eating their whole meal hand-in-hand. Micah loves it!

•  She still has a Mickey Mouse obsession and has been limited to watching only one episode a day (if that). It doesn't stop her from asking for it 10 million times, but it makes me feel a little better. If you've ever watched the show, you know the part where Mickey says "Anyone want to come into my clubhouse?" Landry will reply..."Andy does!" Hilarious.

The few pictures below are from Landry in her new favorite shirt. Our babysitter, Laura, found this shirt for Collier at Target. Well, Collier didn't end up getting to keep it because Landry stole it from him. It, of course, has Mickey and all her favorite characters on it. If she sees this shirt in the morning, that is what she will cry and cry to wear! I have just had to figure out how to girly it up so that I am not totally embarrassed of her to go out in public in it. :) She wore it one day with red shorts and a big red bow...it was actually pretty cute. One of her favorite parts is "the backside!" 

•  Landry loves playing outside. She doesn't seem to care how hot it is, she is happy to be outside running around, digging in the dirt, jumping on the trampoline, and especially swimming. 

Now, I have to share a few of my favorite Landry quotes from the past few weeks. Forgive me, but I am putting them in quotes the way she pronounces them. She has trouble with her f's and l's right now (and many more!). 

 -"Bite me Daddy!" -she says this when she wants a bite of something. Ha! We about died the first time she said it.

-"Tiss my pase!" aka: Kiss my face.

-"Paint my wips." -when she wants lip gloss.

 -"Colliers a baby. A BIG, big baby!"

- "Das fun!" - aka: That's fun!

- "My tolor!" - when she wants to color.

- "Me no like it." - She is really figuring out how to communicate what she does and doesn't want.

- "Das gos!" aka: That's gross! :) Lots of things Collier does are "gos!" 

Anyway, I know there are many more, but I will spare you. :) I am sure you can tell that she is entertaining at this stage...to say the least! 

We are looking forward to a full weekend as a family. I am planning to take Landry to see her first movie in the theater tomorrow....we will see how that goes! Pictures to come, I am sure. 

Happy Friday! 

Collier Update

He's already big, and he is growing way too fast! I can't believe that my baby is 10 1/2 months old already and starting to talk, walk, and feed himself. What in the world!? Before you ask, NO I do not have baby fever. I am perfectly content with my growing baby boy, and I have no desire to revisit the newborn days at this point. :) 

Here is what's going on with Colli-bean: 

• He weighs 25 pounds and is getting  LONG (don't have an exact measurement). 
• He still wearing size 4 diapers. He wears some 12-18 month shorts, and 18-24 month shirts. 
• He is crawling everywhere and getting in to new things everyday. He loves for us to open the gate and let him crawl up the stairs by himself. He is so good at it...scary! 
• He is pulling up on everything and learning to climb (uh oh!). 
• Collier has taken 3 steps several times, but I would not say that he has officially "walked" yet. 
• He started talking A LOT last week. The things he has said so far are: mama, dada, hi, bye, bean, and baby. 
• He loves to hum/sing along to the radio, and he also tries to imitate puppies barking (woof woof!). 
• Collier is still only nursing, but he is getting better at figuring out the sippy cup. He can finish about 3/4 of a sippy cup in a 24 hour period...progress! 
• He is eating and eating and eating table food. There isn't much that I am keeping from him at this point except for honey and nuts (even though he ate a peanut off the ground at my dad's pool, so we know he isn't allergic!). He wants to feed  himself, and he shovels it in!
• Collier is pretty content playing by himself, and he loves to explore. 
• He is a tough little booger. He has had a few black eyes, several scrapes and bruises, and he just keeps going like nothing happens. (He might whimper for a second, but he is still stinkin' tough!)
• He is starting to "like" Micah (according to Micah). LOL. He is a mama's boy...what can I say!? 
• He gives kisses and waves now. It melts me every time he grabs my face and gives me those slobbery kisses. 
• He seriously has the sweetest personality, and I grow to love him more everyday. I just KNOW my heart is going to explode soon. I can't handle it! :)

All the pictures below are from my phone, so they are not super clear. Sorry...no time for the big camera with this fast little dude! 

This boy loves his sister's baby dolls. :)

I can't imagine a happier little man than this! 

Sixteen...

Landry likes stuffed animals. She also likes blankets, and she especially loves her pillow. She has a bedtime routine that includes gathering all of her favorites and making sure they make it back to her crib for the long night ahead. We decided to count last night how many items were in her bed before we put her down.

SIXTEEN! Sixteen stuffed animals/babies. 

FIVE blankets. ONE "little blanket." 

and ONE pillow. 

 These pictures were not staged at all, this is honestly how our little girl lives. Hoarder? I hope not!

She knows who is supposed to be there, and she will randomly ask for specific items when we lay her down. It is so funny! 

We love our little stinker so much!

Sweet Summertime

I love summertime. I am not a huge fan of the steamy, hot, 100+ days, but I love everything that comes along with it. Playing outside, kids swimming, suntans, the smell of sunscreen, fresh garden veggies, peaches, and my list could go on and on. We had a lazy Saturday at home yesterday, and I loved every second of it....well, except for the few meltdowns that my sassy little two year old had. Good golly she is full of sass!

We filled up a pool that Landry got for her birthday, and the kids had a blast! It took them a little while to get used to the ice cold well water since they are used to heated swimming pools...just a tiny bit spoiled!

Like I mentioned before, the fresh veggies in the summer are one of my favorite things. Squash and Zucchini are some of my favorites, so when I saw this cookie recipe, I was thrilled!

The picture below is a picture-of-a-picture I took out of a magazine. Mine looked nothing like these. They actually looked a little disgusting...a little like "cow patties." For those readers that aren't from Arkansas, you might not know what those are, but trust me...yuck. 

Anyway, back to the delicious cookies. I KNOW you are hungry after that description! :)

 These cookies are yummy, healthy, and seem really light. Michelle and I both ate FOUR right after we made them. She is pregnant, so she has a better excuse than I do. I am making sure to use my "I'm still nursing" excuse to the full extent this month though...little Mr. Collier will be weaned before long. Happy/Sad/Happy/Sad...I can't make up my mind!!

Here is the recipe. The icing on our's turned out more like a glaze and just made the cookies shiny looking. They still tasted awesome, but I wouldn't plan to take these anywhere that you were wanting to make an impression other than how they taste. :)

Chewy Zucchini-Lemon Sugar Cookies

 Cookies:

1 medium zucchini or yellow squash shredded

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup raw cane sugar (I used a mixture of turbinado and raw coconut sugar)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest (we doubled this)

2 tablespoons milk

Icing/Glaze:

1/2 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons milk

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

1. Place shredded zucchini in a colander lined with paper towel. Let sit for 30 minutes to drain some of the moisture. 

2. Preheat oven to 375. 

3. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. 

4. In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat the butter for about a minute. Add the sugar and beat 1-2 more minutes, until fluffy. Add the vanilla, lemon zest, and milk. Mix until combined. Add the flour mixture in batches and mix. Fold in zucchini. 

5. Use a tablespoon to scoop balls of cookie dough onto a greased baking sheet. Slightly flatten out the dough with your fingers. Bake for 14(ish) minutes, until just barely golden brown. The cookies won't appear done, but they'll set as they cool. 

6. For the glaze, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and zest until combined. Use a knife or spoon to smooth/pour over the tops of cooled cookies. Allow 5 minutes to set. 

Enjoy!! 

My Only Flaw...

I know, you all think that I am perfect and totally pulled together (hahaha!!), but I do have ONE flaw. I like to think of myself as a pretty mature individual. I like to act responsibly, set a good example for my children, and respect those around me. All of those things went out the window on Monday. I, Lindsey Gibson, acted like a total fool at the doctor's office. 

To start out, I will give you a little background. I have been terrified of needles since I was in elementary school. I remember when my brother (who is 3 years older than I am) had to get his shots to go in to 7th grade. I remember crying to my mom about how I was going to have to get shots "In 3 years!!" She used to tell me that they would have something invented by then where they wouldn't have to poke me...liar. :) Fast forward to the summer before 7th grade where I went to the school shot clinic to get the ONE shot I had been dreading for 3 years...they changed the rules that year, and I had to get 3 shots that day AND come back for two more. Oh, and I must not leave out the part where on the return visit for shot #4 I locked my step-mother out of the car and refused to unlock it until she told me we could leave without going in. That didn't work out so well because I had to go back two days later with my super embarrassed dad who I overheard the nurse tell, "I promise we won't call DHS on you if you just hold her down long enough for the shot." 

So, you probably get the picture. Needles are not my thing. Well, really needles are my thing. They make me crazy. Mostly, it is just the thought of the needle. I have never had an experience where it hurt, it is just the thought of the whole process. 

After the whole 7th grade shot fiasco, I only had my blood drawn once when I was 12 and had an abscess tonsil. From that point on, I started dreading the fact that I would one day get married, and my husband would probably want babies, and I would have to get my blood drawn again at that point. Seriously, I had nightmares about this. Well, I made it another 12 years and found out I was pregnant. Devastation set  in that I was probably going to have to have my blood tested. I searched for alternatives, and I thought I found a way around the tiny needle prick by having my babies at home. :) I told you that I am insane. Childbirth is nothing compared to the mental anguish of that needle poking me! I got around all the tests and IV's, but I did have to get my blood drawn once for life insurance during that pregnancy. Micah promised that it would last for 30 years, and I wouldn't have to do it again. It was torture. My poor mother-in-law was there and got to see me act like a complete idiot that time. I had the nurse draw the blood from the top of my foot because I am totally crazy about anyone touching the insides of my arms (because that is where needles poke you!!). I lived through it, and ended up having two beautiful babies at home with no more needle pokes! 

Fast forward again to the past few weeks...I have been having headaches and major dizziness for about 3 weeks now. The doctor did a CT scan, and that came back clear. He said that we MUST do lab work to see what was going on, and honestly I felt bad enough that I knew something needed to happen. So, that was Monday...the day I spent over 3 hours at my sweet doctor's office. He sent me to the lab, and I tried to get the nurse to draw from my foot. She agreed to try, and poked me twice with no luck. :( During that time, Collier was with me and screaming because he was hungry. I asked the lady to give me a break so that I could feed him (and honestly, I just wanted away from her because she did not like me causing so much trouble! Ha!). She sent me to a room all by myself and said she would come back and get me. 30 minutes later, she still wasn't back (I don't really blame her.). 

At that point, I heard my sweet nurse out in the hall, and I went out to talk with her. She is my age, newly pregnant, and she and I have totally bonded. Our doctor sees our whole family, so I have lots of time to get to know them. :) She told me that she used to work in the ER, and she would just do the draw for me instead of me going back to the lab. She tried to tell me what good veins I had in my arm crease, but I was not letting her get close! She tried getting blood from my hand, but it didn't work either. She got a tiny bit, but not enough. 

After that, she thought I was going to pass out. I had been there several hours without eating, so she went and got me some juice and gave me a few minutes. I snapped this quick {goofy!} picture of myself. Seriously, look at the color difference between my face and my chest. I was WHITE!

She came back a few minutes later and finally got some blood out of the side of my arm. Weirdest place ever. It totally didn't hurt, but I was so glad that it was over! 

I apologized the entire time I was there, and I was so embarrassed for acting like such a fool. I kept saying,  "I am so normal other than this!" Hahahaha! Yea right. At one point when we were trying to get creative I asked, "Laura, where do you draw from people who don't have arms? Let's leave my arms out of this!" They were so sweet to me, and I am so thankful to have such a great doctor and staff. I know this is a long story, but basically the short version is...If I wasn't such a freak, I would have been poked once instead of four times. :)

The next day I took them Mimi's muffins and a cute onesie that I got monogrammed for Laura's baby, Caden. It made me feel better to give them a little "I'm sorry!" gift. 

 So, there it is...the story of my one flaw. :)

To make myself feel better, I had a slumber party that night with one of my very favorite girlfriends. Michelle came over, we had a yummy dinner, baked delicious cookies {I will post the recipe this weekend}, watched some mindless television, and stayed up giggling in bed until after 1:00! Seriously thankful for friends like her! 

By the way, the blood work came back normal, so we are still exploring to see what is going on. 

Have an awesome weekend!

FaceTime Fun

Yesterday, Landry and Judd got to FaceTime while he was at my mom's. It was hilarious! They didn't say two words to each other, they just made faces and laughed SO much. 

I love this picture I caught of them...they are such cuties!

A Trip and Father's Day...

We went to visit Uncle Tyler and {soon-to-be} Aunt Emily in Owasso this weekend. Their new house is beautiful, and we had so much fun catching up! We relaxed a lot, ate yummy food, went to the zoo, and played with their little puppy Luda. Enjoy the pictures!

Landry refused to nap on the way to Oklahoma on Friday. She was so worn out, but just wanted to fuss and complain instead of actually sleeping. I told her to close her eyes and try to rest. She would do it for a second and then pop open her eyes and squeal. It was extremely frustrating, but hilarious at the same time. :)

On Saturday, we went to the Tulsa Zoo and had a great time. It was hot, but there was a nice little breeze that made it bearable. We took the double stroller, but Landry didn't want to ride much. We broke down and took a "leash" just in case. :) So...daddy walked Landry and we ended up carrying Collier a lot of the time too. We were all pretty worn out after just a few hours! 

We rode the carousel right before we left. The kids loved it! When we started going, Landry said, "Wooo! This Monkey FAST!" 

Landry has told me at least 4 times that the giraffes were her favorite. It surprised us all because they were the hardest to see. They didn't come very close, and we didn't spend much time at that exhibit. 

The boy/girl monster shirts that the kids are wearing are from my friend, Kari Beth's, Etsy shop. Check her out! 

On Sunday, we ate breakfast at a fun little deli before we left town. They have a huge cinnamon roll that they are famous for. We ordered one as an appetizer for the table. It was seriously as big as my head! Oh, that white stuff on top...cream cheese icing...and I probably ate half of it. :)

I wanted to get a little family picture before we left town...

Try #1

and #2. Much better. 

We planned to make a detour through Lavaca on our way home to see Micah's family. It is his Grandad's birthday on Tuesday, so we had a little birthday/FD celebration. I am kicking myself because I didn't get a picture of the kids with Grandad. Seems like I always forget!!

Micah, Collier, and Papa-D

Collier, Papa-D, Gigi, and little monkey Landry

Collier LOVE his Papa-D, and I think he likes him a little too. :)

THEN, we made another detour before we got home to see my Dad. They were having a little cookout, but we didn't hang around too long. I have such a handsome Daddy!

My Papaw was there too, so that was special to get to see him! I really have some great men in my life! 

Hope you guys had a great weekend! Landry stayed in Lavaca for a few days, so I am trying to get lots done while she is gone. Had a doctor's appointment today {more on that tomorrow} and having a slumber party with a great friend tonight. The week is looking good! 

Boo Boo Hop

Landry has taken a few nasty falls the past few days. I don't know if it is because we have been "going" a lot or if she is just getting clumsy! Either way, we have had several bandages and lots of ice. :) Before Landry was born, everyone was telling me I needed to register for a "Boo Boo Bunny." I did, we got one, and until now it had been sitting in our freezer preparing for its moment to shine! This week, it has been working overtime. Landry calls it her Boo Boo Hop, and she asks for her regularly now when anything "hurt me!" It is so funny to watch her with it...she will put it on her skin and say, "Oooo! {loud giggles} You make my chin cold!" 

Some days I wish there were Boo Boo Bunnies for big girls. I needed an extra large one this week because I dropped my phone in the toilet at the park while we were playing with friends. At first, I was bummed and annoyed, but not sad. That was UNTIL I found out none of my photos or videos could be recovered. Thank goodness I just did a phone clean out post last week, but there were still so many new pictures that I hadn't backed up yet! Oh well, I guess I will make sure that I check out this iCloud thingy that everyone is telling me about...a little too late! :)

Just for fun before I go, check out the eyelashes on this little man. Seriously, his hair is three times as thick as his sister's, and his eyelashes curl for days! Some things in life are just not fair. 

We are taking the kids to the zoo for the first time this weekend. I am sure all 3 of my monkeys will have a blast! 

A whole new world...

A few weeks ago, Collier became an even happier little boy. At his 9 month appointment, our doctor said we could start feeding him table food. I had an idea before, but this boy can EAT! If he has food on his tray, he will sit and eat for an hour, and he will still eat a jar {or two!} of baby food. 

I can't remember if I posted this before {and I am too lazy busy to go back and look}, but Collier was in the 95th percentile for height and the 80th percentile for weight. I think we are going to have a big boy on our hands!

His favorite foods right now are:

Green Beans

Avacado

Toast

Bananas

Strawberries (my mom broke the rule and gave these before one year!)

Black Beans

Steamed Carrots

and Broccoli

Basically, he loves anything he can get his hands on! 

A little side story...

Before Collier was born, Micah and I started referring to him as Collier Bean. I don't really know how that happened, but it has stuck. We call him that all time, and it has even been shortened to Colli-bean or just Bean. Landry has picked up on it, and the other day I heard her talking to him and saying "Bean, you're MY Bean!" Micah and I were laughing one night last week and wondering if we will still be calling him that when he is a big boy, playing sports, etc. It is funny how those things just happen. 

Andy and Bean...two of the loves of my life! :)

Phone clean-out!

Here I am, behind again. :) Surprise, surprise! We have been having such a good time getting back in our groove from vacation mode. It has kind of carried over and made us a little slow moving for the past week. Oh well, I like it! 

 The kids are SO busy right now and doing so many fun things. Enjoy the random randomness of all the pictures I needed to clean out of my phone from the past few weeks. I have not picked up my "real" camera since we got home from the beach. 

Collier is literally a fish. He loves the water, and unfortunately has ZERO fear of falling/crawling/leaning/jumping in. Micah let him out of his floatie at my parent's pool the other day and took him on a little boat ride. He loved the freedom! :)

Collier had his first taste of watermelon last week...he is a fan! 

No picture of this (you're welcome), but a funny story. Micah thought he would be "fun dad" earlier this week and made Landry watermelon puree (even sweetened MORE with agave nectar). He put it in a big sippy cup for her and she downed it in about 45 seconds. He was scolded greatly by me the next day because we spent 99% of our time on the toilet. Sometimes Daddies need a reminder about cause and effect. LOL! 

Collier is IN.TO.EVERYTHING. right now. He wants to know what is going on, and he wants to be in the middle of it. I thought these pictures were funny from the other night before bed. Micah and Landry were playing a game, and Collier could not stand that he wasn't a part. He was pulling hair and pushing himself through to try to see what they were up to. 

 Landry has a slight obsession with Micky and Minnie Mouse right now. She loves getting dressed up as Minnie, is always looking for her Minnie and Mickey dolls, and asks to watch Mickey Mouse 5,000 times a day. I only let her watch one show a day, but I honestly think she would spend 24/7 in front of the T.V. if Mickey was on. She knows all the songs, and it is so funny to watch her sing. 

I have one more Mickey story that I have to share. On Saturday, we had a wedding shower for my soon-to-be SIL, Emily. It was at a sweet family friend's house...Vickie. On the way there, I told Landry that we were going to Ms. Vickie's house. Her face lit up so bright, and she said "Mickey's house??!" I kept telling her that wasn't right and we were going to VICKIE'S. She kept talking about it the whole way there and finally said, "Mama, I want go to Minnie's house too." It was so cute, and she was only slightly disappointed that there was no one with huge ears at the shower. :) 

If you scroll back up, you will see these in the Minnie pictures too. Landry has a strange attachment to these pink Razorback sweat-bands that Micah brought her from a baseball game. She wants to wear them everywhere, and she even sleeps in them! She wore the sweetest Matilda Jane outfit to the shower on Saturday, and accessorized with her sweat-bands. She calls them her "woo-pigs." Hilarious. 

I already said it earlier, but Collier is all over the place. With Landry going potty so much (ha!), it is tricky to keep him out of the way. He likes to splash in the toilet, dig in the trash, and unroll toilet paper for a snack. The other day, Micah stuck him in our clothes hamper while he took Landry potty. Collier thought it was so much fun, and he kept ducking down and then popping out the top! This IS the new baby cage. 

This is a FB repeat, but too sweet not to share. Landry pulled her pants up all by herself the other day. I have titled this picture "90 year old lady in my 2 year old's body!" :) She likes to hike those pants up for sure! 

Landry has perfected "the pout." This picture is from Memorial Day after we made her quit swimming. She had been going non-stop for about 5 hours, but that was not enough for her. She is beyond a mess!

And, talk about random. I found this picture from Christmas on my phone that I don't think I have shared! The kiddos visiting Santa at the Promenade. I remember that I wasn't crazy about this picture when I took it, but I am so glad I didn't delete it because it is the only Santa picture I have from this year. It is funny how pictures grow on you if you don't delete them. :) They have both grown so much, and Collier looks like such a little chunk of a man in his jeans. Love!

Well, it is quiet at my house for about 5 minutes, so I am going to go catch up on some reading! 

Happy Tuesday!