Not a Baby Anymore

We did it! We buzzed Lando's hair. And I hate it (only because it makes him look too grown up!) But he does look really, really cute. I took these pictures quick this morning because he was in a really crabby mood (see pic 1) and just wanted to show everyone that he's not a little baby anymore! :(

Sad Day

Our little guy, in fact our family, seems to not be able to be healthy since we've been back to the Dominican.  We've had everything from colds, to chest colds, strep throat, migraines, double ear infections and NOW our little Lando has croup.  We went to the doctor yesterday and she described it as "like" bronchitis, but to me I just know they don't have a word for croup.  I only know of it because I got it quite a bit when I was young and so did my younger sister Abbey.  So now Landon is on an antibiotic regiment, tylenol for fever, a "chest pounding" regiment where we have to loosen up the junk in his lungs, AND we have to do a nebulizer treatment three times a day.  When we started his treatment this morning, I had to snap a pic.  It made me so sad to see just this little mask on his face.  I now have a VERY small glimpse into what the moms out there have to see when they have preemies or sick babies.  I have more respect and sympathy for you now, more than ever.

Fun in the Sun

Back by popular demand...photos of Landon playing in water!  We had a beautiful day a couple days ago so we whipped out Landon's frog pool (compliments of GaGa and Ma Braisted) and several new bathtoys (thanks to the Goodwin/Bickett clan) and played for a long time.  Don't worry, Aunt Ashley, he was donned with SPF 50 and a sun hat!  He is much more interested in putting water in containers and pouring it OUTSIDE of the pool than actually playing with the water inside the pool.  Still cute nonetheless.  Enjoy!

Ruth Cloninger 1/15/09

She was more than a Grandma. She was my mentor. She was the woman who led me to Christ. She was my shoulder to cry on. She was my counselor. She was the epitome of what a Godly woman should be.

I keep saying to myself that I didn't even get to see her to say goodbye. I didn't go see her at Christmas and I even said "well, I will stop in when we're home for Ashley's wedding in April." I surely didn't know I wouldn't get to see her again. I've cried, at kind of random times. I'm a little bit numb but I'm still very much hurting. Maybe it's because I'm here and all that is going on there.  It doesn't quite seem real.

I'm trying to keep Satan from creeping in and laying on the guilt of not seeing her before we returned home but he's a creeper, and I'm a little weak.  This is the culmination of my absolute biggest fear in life...losing people I love.  I told God he wasn't allowed to take away my loved ones because I'm not strong enough to take it.  He didn't exactly listen.  Or maybe I'm stronger than I think.

Regardless, there's a hole.  There's some pain.  Major heart burn, emotionally and physically.  It's been spewing up my esophagus since yesterday.  I didn't know emotional pain caused physical pain.

It's weird.  I'm usually the first to go running to people, telling them what has happened...but I can't right now.  It's like if I tell someone else, then it makes it real.  I don't want it to be real.  

I actually have always been kind of desensitized to people who lose their grandparents.  When people tell me their grandparents died I secretly thought, "It's not a big deal.  It's not your parents.  They are old.  They've lived their life.  Now they are in heaven.  What are you so upset about?"  I suppose its just because my grandparents all died before I was even 12.  Hardly enough time to be bonded to people you barely knew.

I think I never thought that Grandma Ruth would ever die.  She was 92.  She was healthy.  She had nothing wrong with her.  She couldn't die.  Too many people depended on her.  Or at least I thought God knew that.  But here it is.  A day I thought wouldn't come and of course I feel a way I never thought I would feel.  Hurt.

The only joy I feel right now is 1) I know for absolutely SURE that she is in heaven.  No doubt.  They are having a huge party because she came home.  She might even be sitting on the right hand of God, right next to Jesus.  And 2) She got to meet Landon.  And he adored her.  And she adored him.  I remembered that in May I got some pictures of the two of them together.  And it's really the first thing to make me smile in two days.  I guess I'll just focus on that.

First Time in the Snow

We let Lando go outside today for the first time since visiting Hama and Papa in Wisconsin. The temperatures have been in the -degrees so it wasn't very good for a little baby to be out there. But today it was pretty good. It was funny to watch him go from not knowing what the heck that white, fluffy stuff was to playing non-stop with so much joy.

Mozart or maybe Beyonce?

Had to post this little video of Lando.  He LOVES music.  Especially his Uncle Timmy's music.  But this day he decided to play a little piano and started dancing like crazy.  It was like the music just all of sudden jumped into his bones!

Indiana+The Diedrichs+Beautiful Farm=Fall Fun

We had the chance to go see the Diedrich family on our visit to Indiana. This family means so much to us and it is always so much fun to be around them. Sevgi and Dan have taken Mike and I in as their own kids and Lando as their grandchild (although they are awfully young to have a grandchild!) And their three kids Taylor, Mitchell and Sam are just like our younger siblings. The farm they live on is SOOOOO beautiful and I of course took advantage of that as soon as we got there. The environment alone makes the photos so beautiful! Enjoy!

Landon was VERY fascinated with the horses...the horses just liked nipping his fingers :)

Staring at water...his favorite thing in the whole world

Lando was NOT a fan of the leaf pile

My sweet boys

The baby and his Momma

The Diedrich Farm, how serene

Cruiser the Horse

Chief

Back in the States

We arrived safe and sound in the U.S. and are at our home base in Virginia!  It has been so nice staying with Mike's parents and the best part is...they have a GREAT yard for Lando.  Of course, we already did a little photo shoot and our little boy just doesn't seem that little anymore. 

Miscellaneous Randoms

Lando is growing up before our eyes and is so ridiculously cute.  Just a couple quick shots of him this last week.

Our washing machine had some issues...Landon had to take a look

One of Landon's favorite places to play...the bottom shelf

These two are definitely "brother" and "sister"...they fight and bug each other but still like to cuddle together at the end of the day

Yes, we torture our child for cute pictures

"What am I supposed to do with these things?"

Not really sure what to call this one other than "hahahahahahahaha"

"Mom, I can't do anything with these stupid things on."

Now he's sick of all the stuff he has on...hey, we do what we can.  In a country where all the little boys dream of being Professional Baseball Players and making millions of dollars...we have to plant some seeds of being a Professional Soccer Player and making a couple hundred bucks just because you love the sport :)