Welcome to {the Nuthouse} Landon!

He may have been a little late, but never the less, I am pleased to introduce you to the newest member of our {nuthouse}

 Landon Kyle Paiz

September 16, 2012

8 pounds 11 ounces

21 inches long

Side note: Just to put some perspective on this big boy, he is nearly 3 times the weight of Lainey when she was born!

My sister in law and I had very opposite pregnancies:

Lainey was incredibly early.
Landon was incredibly late. (Yes, 2 weeks isn't THAT late, but when you are pregnant - and in texas - 2 weeks longer is 2 weeks too many!!)

Lainey was a peanut.
Landon is a watermelon.

Pregnancy wasn't that bad for me.
Pregnancy kicked Melissa's tail - literally, as she has a fractured pelvis from this kiddo!

And while we both delivered via c-section, I am sure our stories are dramatically different.  I have asked Melissa to write a guest post for me on Landon's birth story.  I have almost intentionally not asked too many questions of Melissa regarding Landon's entire story, because I really want to read it with the rest of ya'll! 

The minute I told Lainey she was officially a big cousin, she got so excited! It was absolutely priceless to see her reaction.

For now, my new and oh-so-handsome nephew (along with Auntie M and Gilby) are living near Fort Hood, Texas.  So I will only be able to pretend to get baby snuggles and pretend that I can smell baby until they make the voyage East!  

But Lainey and Landon have a Skype date this weekend... this should be fun!

We can't wait to meet you, little man!  It's incredible how much your Ninna and Uncle Phil love you already!  And we are beyond ecstatic for your Mommy and Daddy.  They are going to be fabulous parents to you.

xoxo,
Ninna

Grandma Poole on baby shoes

Other than "babies should always wear white because they are angels," there isn't a ton of baby advice that I remember from my Grandma.  That's really due to the fact that I didn't have babies when my grandma was alive, so I never thought to ask her.

But there are a few more things that I do remember...

1. Always put an undershirt on a baby - their backs should never show!  I am generally pretty good about this; unless it's crazy hot outside and that extra layer will only make Lainey more uncomfortable or if it's a piece of clothing that we simply can't wear an undershirt with - like a sundress or romper.

2. Never skimp on a child's shoes.  This is something my mother still preaches today, and so, I never skimp on Lainey's shoes. (Queue the great debate on walking in shoes vs. walking barefoot)

Lainey does her fair share of walking both barefoot and in shoes.  But I just can't bring myself to let her go out without shoes on; maybe it's vanity...ok, I am sure it's vanity... but some times you just look jicky without your shoes on! In the summer time, sure - go barefoot! No body likes hot, stuffy feet.  However the cooler it gets outside, the jickier I think Lainey would look without shoes on.  Call me crazy, but that's how I roll.

So, I figured we would spend a little time looking at some kicks for kiddo!  Even if you aren't starting school in the last week or so, you still need shoes, right?

I have purchased my fair share of shoes for Lainey - from sandals to boots, we've got them all in our closet!

But let's be real... my little one has an opinion on what she wears, so why would I ever think she wouldn't have an opinion about shoes?! (Lord, help me!!) 

Here's what we have in our closet for the fall... 

See Kai Run - Henning

See Kai Run - Kalea

See Kai Run - Leilani

Sparkly Toms

The Children's Place - Chalet Boots

See Kai Run

Oooh LaLa! Such fancy feet!!

Fall is my favorite time of the year... jeans, boots, dresses, rights and scarves....mmmm! Definitely looking forward to sharing some of fall fashions from {the nuthouse} soon!

xoxo,
Linda

We made it!

We have officially survived VCU Panhellenic Recruitment 2012!! 

This makes #3 for me as the recruitment adviser to the Theta Nu chapter of Alpha Gamma Delta. 

I may have been MIA from anything other than sorority life for 4 days, but it was worth it! The sisters of Alpha Gamma Delta pulled it out and we now welcome the Alpha Mu new member class - ALL 29 OF THEM!!

Not to mention, this year's recruitment is a special one to me.  My cousin, Jessica, just started at VCU and decided to go out for recruitment. While it made this year a little trickier because I couldn't scream from the roof tops at her about my *one love* since I needed her to make this decision on her own.  But who was I kidding?! She obviously made an awesome decision and is going to love this new adventure.

Oh, yeah....guess I should mention...

 my cousin is becoming my sister!! 

xoxo,
Nana Squirrel

Are we a "one and done" family?

Just after we got married, the question every one asked was, "So when are ya'll going to have a baby?!" Why the two must go hand in hand and happen almost simultaneously is still unclear to me. 

Although, I will admit, I too am guilty of asking newlyweds when they will become parents.

But now....Now that Lainey is just over a year old, the big question is "So when is number 2 coming along?"

Well I will tell you...wait for it...It's not.

At least he or she is not anywhere on my plan or radar 

at this point.

Yes, I realize what I just said... for all of those holding on to the notion that we will have another baby, I have left it somewhat open-ended.  BUT the only reason I respond this way, is because I realize there is a greater plan and I can not say with 100% certainty that #2 is not in His plan for us.

But, I have had this conversation with myself - with my husband - with my friends - with my mother - with my aunts - anyone who asks, really.  

And I mean this with every fiber of my being... 

I truthfully and am enjoying being a mother of one.  I can't even wrap my mind around being a mom of more kids at this time.  Life is so fun with Lainey.  And there is totally - two schools of thought on that - one is fun so 2 must be REALLY fun orrrrr one is good so why mess with a good thing? I tend to lean more towards to the latter.

At this point in conversations, some people say, "Oh you must be an only child. You don't know what it's like to have a sibling."

FALSE.

I have 2 sisters and a brother.

I love each of them very dearly.  And I admit, I can't imagine life without them. But there are so many years between each of us, it's like being an only child.  You see, I have the best of both worlds. I have the support and love of a sibling, but never had to share my toys.  By the time my little sister was born, I was already in middle school; the damage had been done and lucky for my mom, I was pretty self-sufficient.

We call it the "12-year itch" in my family... interesting fact: there are about 12 years between me and each of my sisters and about 12 years between my little sister and Lainey.

The whole idea of paying for college and proms and weddings and life in general, is scary enough. Now multiply it by 2 (or even more) and it's absolutely terrifying to me.

I pride myself on time management and the mommy gene I hold in my DNA strand, but I just don't know...  Can it be done? Oh, definitely!  Do I think it's right for us? Jury is still out.

Add my fears to the emergency birth of child #1 and it just doesn't settle well with me.  Call me crazy, but one emergency c-section and one long NICU adventure is enough to last me a lifetime!

Do I love babies? Oh Lord yes - their smell, their giggles, their fuzzy hair.  All of it - I LOVE ALL OF IT!  But do I love high blood pressures, swollen feet, c-sections, and being a human cow? Nope.

Do I love Lainey?  ABSOLUTELY!  With every piece of my heart.  Can I share that love?  Why, of course!

This whole discussion and brain-dump lends itself to the question... do you think a child needs a sibling?

To be honest - no, I don't think a child needs a sibling.  I already told you I couldn't imagine my life without my siblings.  This is true.  But that's because they are a part of my family - they help make up who I am.  But I don't think Lainey needs a brother or sister to develop or grow into a good person.

I like our life as a trio and I am fine with keeping it that way...

Every family is different, so please don't consider this me thinking negatively on families with more than one child.  In fact, it's the opposite of that. I commend you because I don't know how you do it!!

xoxo,
Linda

What do you mean, "No" ??

Lainey is learning lots of things lately.... 

One thing she has not learned how to do yet is WALK! That's right - she may even crawl to kindergarten as far as I am concerned.

But instead of harping on what she isn't doing, let's chat about what she IS doing...

- Figuring out sign language (I am totally planning on doing a whole write-up on this experience)

- Matching animals to sounds

- Pulling toys out of her baskets and methodically putting them back into the basket

- Identifying people in pictures and saying their name

- Manners! Who would have thought a toddler would be able to say "TanToo" before walking!?

- Getting food in her mouth with a spoon on her own...sometimes.

- Picking out clothes

- Saying "no" alot ALOT and using it correctly

The day has come...

The dreaded day when you realize your child has an opinion all of their own.

Prime Example, and if you are my facebook friend, you may already know this story...

Just the other day, I went to Lainey's room - picked out some clothes - brought them to her and proceeded to get her dressed.  All the while she is saying "Oh no no no no no."  I thought it was getting in dressed in general that she had a problem with, so I continued to say "Well, honey, you can't go topless!" 10 minutes later, she is still tugging at her shirt trying to get out of it saying "no no no no." 

So I took her to room and said, "Ok, fine. Here's some shirts. Pick one."

And she did. Then she smiled. And our day continued.

What do you get when you let your toddler pick out her own clothes?

DVF + cut off jean shorts, of course!

These opinions are creeping into feeding time too.  It's certainly helpful to know what doesn't want to eat, but really? What do you do when she doesn't want to eat anything you give her? Where do you draw the line?? I usually just keep going across whatever line may be there and offer something else... poor parenting? Maybe. Full tummy? Most of the time.

Anyone have tips on how to get a toddler to eat more all whilst teething? I think we are approaching our next round of teeth so maybe that has something to do with this change in hunger.

So, there's lots of growing going on.... lots of developing.... just not lots of walking! 

xoxo,
Linda

Meet Dolby

Hello, Dolby.

 

She is Lainey's new buddy.  They hang together.

They play together.

They are girlfrans!

She is Lainey's "baby."

 

Dolby is a one of a kind, Waldorf doll made with lots of love from Jostin's Daughters, a doll maker in Williamsburg, VA. Dolby was our big gift for Lainey's first birthday.  

 

I spent hours thinking about her and deciding how she should look.  I even started almost completely over at one point in the process.  I scratched what I had thought would be "it" and opted to work with a yarn spinner to make that incredible yarn that adorns Dolby's little head.

It was an interesting process -- you get to pick skin color, eye color, hairs, and even their outfit.  Working with Margaret was fabulous and she even stitched a bible verse on the doll.

When Dolby arrived at our house, her name was Spring - because of the colors in her hair.  But I knew I wanted to name her something different.  Lainey and I chose Dolby after my grandmother.  My grandma had a huuuuuuge doll collection and I can't help but to think of her when I see a pretty doll.

Lainey drags her doll around the play room and likes to play with her hair and give her lots of kisses.  Yes, Dolby is a gorgeous doll, and would look spectacular on the shelf in Lainey's room.  But where's the fun in that?! 

 

The excitement on Lainey's face when we opened up Dolby's box was absolutely priceless.  Hands waving - grinning from ear to ear - Lainey loved her from the start.  Even still, when I see how excited Lainey gets when she picks up Dolby, it makes it totally worth it.

xoxo,

Linda

Sleeping with a toddler

Thank you teething and vacation for wrecking Lainey's sleeping schedule.  A schedule that I can only get partially back on track since this forth tooth is, apparently, a doozy! 

{Lord help me when we get to molars!} 

So, I let her climb into my bed and snuggle up next to me...and sleep - all night.

Yes, you read that right - we have ventured to the dark side.

I have said that I didn't want Lainey to sleep in our bed since she came home.  I have seen first hand kids who are well into elementary school still sleeping with their parents and I didn't want that to happen.  I figured the best to avoid that was to avoid it completely.

Well - as with most parenting "ideas" that has gone out the flippin' window! C'est la vie, I suppose. 

I have gotten a few of the gasps that quietly say, "She is sleeping with ya'll?" As if I have committed the worst parenting ever. And then there's the ever-so-popular, "Yep. Been there - done that - have fun."  

So - here's the plan, Stan. We are going to let this play out. She sleeps better - we sleep better - everyone wins. As much as I miss snuggling my husband, I must admit, I was starting to miss solid hours of sleep more. 

The biggest obstacle so far is getting past that second wind that comes with climbing in the bed with Mommy and Daddy. It takes a solid 30 to 45 minutes to get Lainey to actually lay down and fall asleep.  The headboard is actually a rock-climing wall and the pillows are fun to dive into.  Not to mention, there is an awfully painful love for pulling my hair. So this has been trying to say the least.  But it's getting better and I am sure she will figure out that this giant bed of foam is for sleep...eventually.

My intent is not for her to sleep with us forever. I am thinking that when she is old enough to communicate with us and can understand when we set boundaries then we will work on "the big move."  And knowing me, I will use a little bribery of new {big girl} bedding to help us a long the journey... the long, long, journey across the hall!

Here's what our nights look like for now...

Looks oh, so comfy...right?!

xoxo,

Linda