Nikki Picky

Is This Really Happening?

2012-02-10T13:01:00.000-08:00

Okay, so things are getting down to the wire. In one week Nate and I will be on the sunny beaches of beautiful Cabo and in 2 weeks from today we will be on a plane heading to our home for 3 months, Naples, Italy. In the meantime, we are just doing everything we can to prepare for our trips and pack up our apartment that we've decided to let go. We have A LOT of shopping to do this weekend (the two suitcases we have just aren't going to suffice) and A LOT more packing (plan is to be totally packed up by Wednesday when we leave to OC for Cabo).

But here's the thing... in the midst of all this I can't help but wonder, is this really happening?? It's seriously hard for me to grasp that we will be traveling to these distant places and, quite possibly, not coming back to San Diego (I know I keep mentioning this, and someday I'll elaborate more, but for now, believe me). Nate and I know full well that we are leaving the US not knowing what the future holds for us and will come back with a decision made. It's crazy to think about, but I'm so glad it's here. And I can not wait to take what life has to give us head-on with my two favorite guys by my side (and one in-side). Que Sera, Sera!

Nothing Special, Everything Perfect

2012-02-07T13:52:00.000-08:00

My birthday came and went and here I am, a 29 year old (SAY WHAT?!). The day didn't include anything too out of the ordinary, or anything extra special... but it was perfect.

I started the morning by making a household favorite, wheat waffles with peanut butter and syrup. Personally, I like to add sliced bananas on mine ('cause why not?!). Since Nate was off and his birthday was the day before (when he did have to work), it was a little birthday treat for the both of us.

After, Landon and I headed to Stroller Strides where I taught a class and where Landon got some playtime in the park after. When he was good and worn out we picked up Nate and grabbed a delicious Easy J's sandwich (my favorite). Lando then took a nap, we got some resting time and then later that night it was date night for Nate and I.

After realizing that we were leaving in 3 weeks for Italy and could possibly be moving from San Diego after, I decided instead of trying anything new or fancy, I just wanted to hit up "our sushi place," Surfside. It's always fun to go sans Landon because we can sit at the sushi bar where we are friends with the sushi chefs. I have to say it was definitely my best sushi experience while prego because our chef Aki made me some delicious prego-friendly rolls that made me feel like I was doing the real thing. Deeeee-lish!

This about sums up my 29th birthday and while it probably doesn't seem like much to others, it was honestly my favorite birthday to date. Knowing this makes me realize how lucky I am to lead the life I do and how happy I truly am. I still thank my lucky stars that Nate FINALLY made his move that July day 7 1/2 years ago (didn't think he'd ever ask me out!!). Wonder what next year will bring?

Well, This is a New One!

2012-02-02T11:14:00.001-08:00

Today at the grocery store we got a new, "You know who he looks like?" comment. And guess who it was?? Brad Pitt!! Haha. I thought it was too funny not to share. She went on, "He's got the eyes, the lips, the nose.. everything!" Ha. You be the judge:

It's Been a Good Week!

2012-01-17T10:13:00.001-08:00

I take that back, it's been a GREAT week! Starting from last Tuesday here's all that's happened in our lives.

1) As previously mentioned, the amazing Ewan arrived last Tuesday.

2) That same day, we learned we are in fact, moving to Naples, Italy for 3 months! Yes, sirree, the Butler clan (#2 in belly) will be lucky enough to spend 3 months in beautiful Italy. And check out THIS place, where it looks like we'll be staying (upon approval of friends already in Naples). Pretty nice, huh?!

3) We got to celebrate this little one's first birthday.

Kaylee loved her lunch with family and walking down the pier with her birthday balloons.

And she especially loved her birthday dessert:

Which Landon didn't mind, either:

4) We also got to check out #2:

And what did we learn?!!

IT'S A BOY!!!

Yep, Landon gets a little bro and we couldn't be happier. Secretly, I must have wanted another boy because I started crying when I saw the ultrasound. It's just gonna be me and the Butler Boys, I guess :)

See, a great week! More to come on Italy... seeing as how we leave in a month!

Introducing... Baby Ewan!

2012-01-15T20:36:00.000-08:00

Yep, the newest member of the family has arrived! Baby Ewan was born Tuesday, January 10th at 10:43am. Baby and mommy are doing well and all of the Saenz clan are already in love with the little guy.

I didn't get too many pictures, but remember my sister's friend Jen who takes great pictures?! Well, lucky for us she was Mr. Ewan's personal paparazzi that day. Without further ado, introducing Sir Ewan Cameron Henderson of Huntington ;)

Don't you just love these pictures? And, yes, Shannon is as happy as she looks in the pictures, too. She and Dougie are lucky to have such a perfect little guy, and he is certainly lucky to have such wonderful parents. We love you, Ewan!

Christmas Vacation

2012-01-09T07:53:00.000-08:00

He woke up unsuspecting that the morning would be different from any other day:

Until his presents caught his eye. One in particular was all this little guy wanted:

You guessed it:

we celebrated Christmas at our house on the 22nd before heading to HB to celebrate with the fam. I'll give you the short, short version on what the rest of vaca looked like.

We played with cousins and second cousins:

Oh, the love:

We opened presents, spent time with family, and even ate some monkey bread (dangerous for any prego, such as myself):

Christmas was wonderful, but what was even better was the almost 3 weeks Nate had off. We got in A LOT of fun activities. Including, but not limited to, our 10 mile bike ride around the bay and up the coast:

We just loove taking long bike rides and stopping off at the park for a little play time. Lando can't get enough :)

Will he ever fit into his pants? Who knows?

We also enjoyed taking hikes with our new hiking backpack. Landon loves it. I think he likes being perched up so high. Here's the whole family on top of Iron Mountain, here in San Diego:

Like I said, that was the short, short version. We always love family time and the only sad day was sending Nate back to work after the New Year. Especially when Landon would wake up from his nap and walk around the house calling, "Da! Dada! Da!" Guess that just means we love Nate a whole lot <3

Hope everyone had a great holiday!

Itsy Bitsy Spider

2012-01-02T08:21:00.000-08:00

Landon LOVES when we sing Itsy Bitsy Spider. He's even getting some of the hand motions down (in his own way). I get a kick out of it so I had to share:

Our 15 Minutes of Fame!

2011-12-29T10:37:00.000-08:00

Okay, so it's more like 30 seconds. Nate's favorite part is how Landon looks bored in the stroller when they zoom in on him. Ha! Oh well. It's fun to have as a SS keepsake :)

Baby #2 Coming July 2012!

2011-12-19T14:27:00.000-08:00

That's right - we're pregnant! #2 is due July 5th, 2012 and we couldn't be more happy! Hey, if this one is born a day early like Lando, we'll have July 4th and Labor Day babies. So patriotic of us, don't you think?!

The pregnancy has been a little different than the first time around. I was a little more dizzy, slightly more nauseous, and even more hungry (is that possible??) with this one. But once again, my symptoms have died down and now I'm feeling pretty much 100%, as far as pregnancy goes.... Well, except I still eat like a teenage boy. I've even been quoted saying, "I'm SICK of eating!" And that's just NOT something I say, I love food. Fortunately, the hunger has subsided, somewhat (I say this has I'm eating a big bowl of edamame).

Here are a couple pics of #2. Obviously, these are early so no super-cute ultrasound pics yet. Instead, you get blobbish, alien-looking ones :)

#2 at 7 weeks, the first time we saw him/her. The two little X's are showing the baby's length. Yes, the entire baby :)

#2 at 11 weeks. He/She was doing quite the little jig in there and the doc kept trying to get a "less alien looking picture," but this was the best she could do with all the movement. I like to think it looks like the baby has a little fro. Hehe. You're looking at #2's profile and hand.

Like I said we can't wait. It will be fun to see Lando as the big brother. Now if only we knew if he is getting a little buddy or a little sister to protect...

Lando the Elf!

2011-12-13T13:31:00.000-08:00

Since Landon was born I've heard it a million time, "He looks like a little elf!" So for this year's Christmas card I played it up and dressed our little guy as an Elf. Only three pictures made it onto the Christmas card so I had to share some more. I'm happy to say that I've heard great feedback that the card is bringing laughter and smiles to people's faces... just what I had hoped. I hope these images do the same :)

Introducing... Lando the Elf!

Possibly my favorite pic! Check out his pose! (Unfortunately it didn't catch the natural light, the others did):
A close runner-up:
He's a So Cal elf... they're hard to come by, but they do exist!

So jolly!

Ooo, love this one, too:
"I'm outta here mom!"
A special thanks to my hand model, Turi, who helped make this photo shoot happen :)

Goulash and Such

2011-12-07T07:33:00.000-08:00

Last week I made this delicious baked penne with roasted vegetables, last night it was goulash, but what do these two things have in common? They make a ton! I've been on a roll of making a big recipe early on in the week and I'll tell you what, it makes my life easier.

Nate's enjoying taking his leftovers to work and I love that when my one year old and I are starving and on the brink of losing it from hunger (mostly me, not Landon), we can just pop our leftovers in the microwave and enjoy! If you have some delicious recipes you want to share, please send them my way :)

ps - For some reason the recipe for Bobby's Goulash on foodnetwork.com calls for 2 lbs of ground beef and 1 lb of ground turkey, but I just have to believe it's wrong (why I gave you a link to Paula's website instead). There is no way this recipe needs more than 2 lbs of meat in my eyes (no matter what combination you choose). Just thought I'd let you know :)

The Votes Were Unanimous!

2011-12-03T19:54:00.000-08:00

And of course I listened. Say hello to....
our X-Mas Tree!!

We will see how it goes with Lando, but already I'm so happy we got it. How could I have thought about not getting one? I pretty sure I knew all along I would.

ps - How in the heck do you get a good picture of a X-Mas tree? This one was the best one I took and it doesn't fully do my tree (or my bows) justice!

pps - Nate recently told me that my use of "X-Mas" over "Christmas" bugs him. Therefore, you will be seeing only X-Mas on this blog. I'm so sweet ;)

UPDATE: Upon reading this, Nate said, "You said X-Mas again? Babe, it's a Christmas tree. Say Christmas." I then told him to read further (to the pps), and he said, "I'm never reading your blog again." So now that I've made my point, I will go back to using Christmas again. Love you, Nate!

Meeting the Big Guy

2011-12-03T14:40:00.000-08:00

Today marks the day I met the one and only Santa Claus. Here are some pics from this ginormous event in my life.

My moms and I posing for the camera:

Kisses for dad:

I waited very patiently in line.... or as patiently as a one year old can wait, anyways:

"Is that him?!"

"What are you all about?"

My official 1st photo with Santa"

I didn't know what to think of the big guy. I wasn't scared, but I also wasn't too impressed. Maybe I'll like him more after I see what he brings me at Christmas.

Hope you are all enjoying the holidays as much as I am.

-Landon

To Tree or Not to Tree?

2011-12-02T08:06:00.000-08:00

This is our first X-Mas with a very mobile, at-times rambunctious, curious little guy, so the question is- can we get a tree? So far he has done alright with the X-Mas decorations I have put out, but how will an 8 foot tree go? He is obsessed with leaves and bushes when we walk the dog so I could see him tampering with the tree. That said, can I really feel like it's X-Mas without one??

I need advice. What do you think- tree or no tree?

Just for fun - Landon, a year ago today exactly :)

Remember when I had a brunette baby? Ha.

Turkey Day 2011

2011-11-29T13:25:00.000-08:00

This Thanksgiving we headed to Lehi, Utah to Mark and Kate's to spend the holiday with the Butler side. We were there 5 days and like usual, time went way too fast, we ate too much, and we had a great time hanging with the Butler clan.

Of course, I forgot my camera :( so you will just get the run down via iPhone pics. Here we go...

The flight to Utah was easy and quick. Luckily, our little guys slept almost the whole way there:
When we did arrive, I thought Utah was B-E-A-utiful. I love how close the mountains are:

I made my first Thanksgiving turkey! I brined it over night and was happy with how moist the bird came out. Thank you, Alton Brown for this little gem!

My only pic of the bird when it was finished. She was a beaut:

MMMMMmmm... Lynn's pies. Was it a bit much to have 2 pumpkin pies, 2 apple pies, a pecan/chocolate pie, a coconut cream pie, a chocolate cheesecake, and cupcakes?! (Not to mention, the symphony and special K bars we had for the week) Nah.

It was cold for these Cali folk so we kept bundled up when we were out. Here's Lando during our after Thanksgiving walk:

Never underestimate the power of cousins! Landon loved spending time playing with his Butler cousins. Katie was especially good at keeping him occupied:

Landon also enjoyed playing with his cousin Sammy. He would push Sammy along on this little car:

And give him a good petting when he needed it, too :)

We were lucky to have Grandpa Mark with us for Turkey Day. It was Landon's first time meeting his great grandpa:

A highlight of the trip was going to the CU @ Utah football game. It was the last game of the season, and fortunately they pulled off the W. Landon was perfect at the game. He sat on our laps the whole time (I didn't think that was possible). Although, the freezing cold weather and icy winds probably had something to do with it. A couple of cute CU fans:

Walking to our seats with Grandma:

Pretty awesome stadium, right?!

Cheering on CU!! It was funny because every time the crowd cheered, Landon would smile and clap. That was his was of counter-balancing the Utah cheers, I think ;)
We had a great time, and like I said, it all went by just too fast. Thanks to Mark and Kate for hosting and making us all feel so welcome!

ShaSha's Baby Shower

2011-11-14T15:14:00.000-08:00

On October 22nd we celebrated my sister Shannon with a baby shower in her honor. ShaSha and Dougie are less than two months away from welcoming little baby, Ewan, into the world, and I couldn't be more excited! When thinking about putting together a shower for Sha, everyone knew one thing: it needed to be perfect. Not because Sha expects it, she just DESERVES it. I had never been a big part of organizing a shower, but I'm pretty proud of how everything turned out (luckily I was working with some seasoned vets).

The theme was taken from Ewan's bedding (HERE) and was used throughout the shower. My talented friend, Lauren, has a great invitation company called PaperCut Invites and made these beautiful invites (personal info omitted):

Even the envelopes had cute little owls on them!

As for the decorations, we didn't want a fully, owl themed shower, so we just kept to little owl touches. Remember we were using the bedding for ideas... but here's how it all came out:

Lisa's new house was a perfect spot to hold 35 chatty ladies:

The tablescapes:
Dessert table (that's right, a whole table full of delicious desserts, including ShaSha's favorite Peanut Butter Balls):
How cute are these cake pops Lisa ordered?!
Shannon's BF Jen was the mastermind behind the flowers. I loves the branches:
Favors:
Other little touches... this cute burlap banner ordered off Etsy:

And remember how I said I've been a little craftier these days? Well, for the shower I created a little scrapbook for all the ladies to write funny stories, advice, or notes for ShaSha. The idea had come when I was talking to a fellow Strides mom about one of her favorite things she had at her shower. Her notes came on index cards, so I thought I'd jazz it up a bit a create a scrapbook where people could write on an already decorated page. This is how it came out:

And, of course, the video I made that I posted earlier.

So how was the Mama-To-Be? Glowing.

We were all happy to see tears in her eyes as she saw how we had decorated the shower in her bedding theme.

One of the games was to decorate a onesie or bib. It was pretty funny to see what the ladies came up with. Sha got to pick the winner:

Some examples. I happen to like my mom's. Although not the artsiest, it reads "My Grandma's hot. She takes pills for that." hehe.
All around it was a great day. I was happy with how it all turned out and Shannon was grateful for all we did. A couple more pics before you go.

Lauren and Shannon, the pregos. My bestie and seester prego together and due within a couple of weeks of each other?!!!! What am I going to do with myself?!
Me, Mama, Sha, Lisa, and Sofia (cupcake in hand):
And I can't post a blog without a picture of this guy. I think we can all see where he may have got those pretty blue/grey eyes :)
I can't wait to plan more showers in the future!.... I really must be getting old!

***Some of these pictures (the good ones) were taken by Jen, Sha's very talented friend. Her photo blog is found at Jen CYK.

Randomness

2011-11-08T13:18:00.000-08:00

We just got back from lunch with Nate downtown. We try and meet Nate for lunch once a week. I love that.

Landon is definitely a toddler. He's quite the go-go-go type. And we always know when he's getting into something he shouldn't be because it is accompanied by a specific laugh of his. One that says, "Yeah, I know I'm not supposed to, but a love to make you catch me."

He's walking about 5 steps on his own before he will then sit down. We know he can do it, we're just waiting for him to decide he's ready. Today at Strides a mom asked if Landon was walking and I said, "He'll take only a few steps," and then he proceeded to leave me and walk over to her. Kind of like, "I'll show you, Mom."

Landon has always been a good napper but he's been doing the most amazing thing lately. When he's ready he'll crawl over to his crib and just stand there until I lift him in and shut the door. Amazing, right? Well, we all know it ain't lastin', but I'm enjoying it for the time being. "Put me in there, please."

Ohhh, ready for this one? I've become a little more crafty lately. It must be my old age. Here is a pic of my first attempt at a diaper cake for Lauren's baby shower.

Hmmm... What else? What else?

I know! I'm excited for the upcoming holidays. Can't wait, actually. First up- Thanksgiving. We will be with the Butler side, who we don't get to see as often as we'd like. Grandma Lynn says she can't wait to hold Landon, and we can't wait to let her. Also, now that Landon is a little bigger, it will be fun to see all the cousins running a muck together.

That's it for now, I guess. Until next time!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T21:34:00.001-07:00

Well, Halloween is about over and after today I've come to one conclusion: Halloween is just more fun with a toddler. Nate's family has had a bat costume passed down from generation to generation... okay, not quite so dramatic, but the hat was once worn by the one and only Uncle Pete and has hit many cousins since. This year it was Landon's turn to wear it and after I put him in it, I just couldn't get enough. Hope you all had a great Halloween, and if you didn't maybe these pics will at least bring a smile to your face.

The cute little bat, Lando:

Exiting the bat cave (and REAL excited about it):

Showing his bat speed:

Having a snack, watching his bat mom get her work out on:

Enjoying the fun Stroller Strides Halloween festivities:

Silly little bat:

Things are always better once bat dad is home from work because we get to do stuff like carve a pumpkin:

Meet Jack-O:

Can't wait to see what next year brings :)

The Story of Dougie and Shannon

2011-10-25T17:14:00.000-07:00

Click HERE for a little peek at the video I made for ShaSha's baby shower this past weekend.

Don't worry there will be a whole other post on the shower :)

Pumkin Patch with Buddies

2011-10-24T12:39:00.000-07:00

So I've already told you guys about the mommies and little ones we've been spending our time with. We have a running play group on Tuesdays and last week it happened to be a trip to the pumpkin patch. And what better way to make the experience more enjoyable than to have the kiddos in costume. It was too funny to see them all dressed up. Most ate the hay, and some couldn't quite figure out how to move around in their costumes, but all had a good time. Had to share the photos (all taken by others, I didn't get a single good one!).

Pretty darn cute, right?

Lando the bear and Kelsey the kitty:

Look! I exist!

Lando the bear (a very fancy bear, I might add):

Landon has a couple of costumes this year. This one I'm happy to admit I found at Party City for $5. What I did learn from this experience is that hay sticks to furry costumes and is impossible to remove.... Still learning, I guess - first Halloween with a toddler :)

The Butler Brigade

2011-10-18T06:51:00.001-07:00

After thinking about it awhile, researching seats, and two trips to REI we finally got Landon a bike seat and his very own helmet. Now we wonder, what took us so long?! Landon absolutely loved it! And what we thought would be our test-drive turned into a nice little 6 mile, sunset ride.

Landon looked so cute in his little helmet so I had to document. Of course, in true Landon fashion, he wasn't exactly cooperating with the picture-taking, but I came out with a few good ones, I think.

All set, and ready to go, the Butler Brigade hit the streets!

Destination: Bay

What could have been a really cute family pic... oh well!

Couldn't pass up the opportunity to put in a pic of these hazel eyes. I just love them (and him)!

New helmet= awesome helmet hair!

Our first ride as a family was a success! Again, we just had to wonder, what took us so long? Too fun! Can't wait for more Butler Brigade adventures... I'm thinking a ride to breakfast on the beach :)

My Social Butterfly

2011-10-05T18:34:00.000-07:00

Landon has always been a social kid. When he was a baby, he smiled at everyone on the street. When he learned to wave, no one was passed without a wave (including homeless men outside of storefronts - true story). Now it's only fitting that his favorite word is, "Hi." And, boy, does he use it.

Exhibit A:
We went grocery shopping yesterday in the early morning, so the store was emptier than normal... in other words, there were less people for Landon to greet. So what did he do? He fixed on one man (sorry Mr. Produce Guy) and must have said "Hi" to him above 15 times. Over and over again in the produce section, then again when he passed the meats we were stopped at, and again when he tried to sneak by the baby aisle. Luckily, the man took it very well, and some of you may be thinking of course he took it well, but people, believe me when I say, it was A LOT.

So with all this Hi-ing you'd think I'd have plenty of footage, yes? NO! Landon does not like to perform for the camera. But tonight, while he was saying hi to me from his high chair, I quickly grabbed the FLIP and got some footage. Lucky for you, the footage was taken at the end of his dinner. I like to think it adds to the video :)

Exhibit B:

Fun with Friends

2011-09-30T08:47:00.000-07:00

Through Stroller Strides, I have been lucky to meet some awesome mommies with little ones right around Landon's age. With this group I've been able to keep Landon busy with fun activities. Also, it's so fun to see all of the kids grow up together. Landon (and his mom) are lucky to have these people to hang with.

I thought I'd share some of the fun we've been having.

We've hit the toddler pool at the Tierrasanta Aquatic Center:

We've had many a play-date, the last one was almost all boys:

And, we've been spending a lot of time at the zoo. Landon got an annual zoo pass for his birthday and we are REALLY gettin' our use out of it. Here are Landon, Anni, and Kelsey aka the cutest seals ever:

Checking out the hippos yesterday:

Getting some energy out :)

I also took a quick video. Nothing too exciting, but pretty darn cute:

I love that Landon already has his "little friends." And, what is the best thing about all these play-dates and fun adventures? That I go home with one happy, and exhausted, little boy:

Big Sky Country - Part 2

2011-09-27T08:09:00.000-07:00

Tuesday morning my parents left Montana, leaving us Butlers to fend for ourselves. We decided we wanted to head back to Yellowstone to take the other main road which would take us to the East, we told ourselves we were "bear hunting." My cousin had highlighted a couple of his favorite spots in the park, one being Lower Falls of Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, so we headed there first.

Upon entering the park, we knew it was going to be a great day when we saw who was there to welcome us - our friends from the day before:

I love how the bull elk is watching over all his "lady friends."

We stopped in Mammoth to pick up some info and then headed to the Grand Canyon side. We took Blacktail Trail for a little unpaved-road driving. We just knew this would be where the bears were hanging out. So there weren't any bears, but there WERE beautiful sights like this one:

When we got to the parking for the Canyon, we put Lando in the pack and headed down to Lower Falls. He looked pretty cute on his Dad's back:
This is me and Landon on the trail down with Upper Falls in the background (LOVE this picture of Landon, including his hilarious hair):
When we got to Lower Falls, we were pretty blown away with what we saw. It was by far our favorite sight at the park... and yes, that is a double rainbow :)
The boys checking out the waterfall:
More pics of Landon in the pack (I couldn't help it, I thought he was so cute in there):

We also checked out Grandview Point which basically looks onto Lower Falls. If you look closely you can see the platform we had just been on:
Butler family photo at Grandview Point:
For some reason, I didn't take too many pics this 2nd day in Yellowstone, but we basically just took in the sights, "hunted bears," and just enjoyed our Nation's pride and joy.

No, we didn't see bears, after all. In a way it's a good thing because now we have reason to go back, right?! On the way out we did see these beautiful Big Horn Sheep chilling on this STEEP mountainside:
We got back to the resort and took a little dip in the locations namesake, Chico Hot Springs. It was nice and relaxing and Landon loves everything to do with water. After some dinner, these tired Butlers hit the hay.

The next day we were heading out. Nate and I decided we both wanted to go for a run, even though we'd have to take turns since we didn't bring the trusty BOB. I was pretty happy Nate took it upon himself to snap a couple of photos of me finishing up my run. Look closely for me in this one:
Ahhhhhh... running in Montana:
The vacation was absolutely wonderful! Chico Hot Springs Resort has now also become a special spot to me and if we ever do Yellowstone again I definitely want to stay there again. What can I say, I just LOVED Montana! Being a Cali girl, I think often you grow up thinking California is the one and only state in this country. I'm happy that as I've grown older, I've learned just how wrong this is.

Big Sky Country - Part 1

2011-09-22T10:38:00.000-07:00

*I don't even know where to begin with this post. We had such a great time and I took nearly 500 photos, I can hardly choose which to share. I've decided to go chronologically, in two parts. I hope I can do this trip justice :)

We arrived in Montana pretty late on Saturday night. Having never been there, it was almost eerie how pitch black it was while we were driving. We arrived at the Chico Hot Springs Resort around 11:30 at night. Without getting too into it, there were a couple of mishaps that happened immediately upon arrival. Nate, Lando and I ended up having to bunk up with my parents in their cabin, and I went to bed that first night not knowing if I was going to like this trip to Montana. Well... then I woke up... and looked outside and this is what I saw:

The view from our cabin was beautiful and immediately the night before was completely forgotten. Fortunately, my parents had opted for the cabin, because it fit us all easily and, besides, who wouldn't want to call this place home for a few nights?

Quickly we learned why Montana is lovingly named "Big Sky Country":

It was Sunday morning, the day of my cousin's wedding (the whole reason for the trip), so knowing we didn't have much time we went on a drive to get a good look around. We headed over to "Old Chico" a local ghost town. Really, it was WAY to beautiful out to give the place any kind of foreboding feel:

Obviously my dad wasn't too intimidated either :)

After the drive we all got prettied up and headed to the wedding. A nice family photo (oh yeah, I chopped my hair off):

My boys:

My cousin, Robert John, and my pops:

My cousin was wearing the biggest smile on his face all day. I could see he was beaming with love for his bride, Senele (who we absolutely LOVE). The scene for the wedding was beautiful and reminded me of Nate and I's- very intimate and personal. A little "You may kiss the bride":

See, he's still beaming, right?

A little stop back at the cabin before the reception turned into a mini photo shoot. My 'rents:

The reception was fun and the food was good. By the end of the night (after a very tiring night before) we were quite tuckered out. We needed our rest, too, because Monday we were headed to....

The goal for the first day was to hit "Old Faithful" with a couple of other stops along the way. My first impression of Yellowstone? It was HUGE. 3,468.4 square miles, to be exact. I felt like something so big could hardly be called a park, especially when compared to the neighborhood parks I grew up with. We saw some great things, but why tell you when I can just show you :)

Roosevelt Arch - the entrance to the park through the town of Gardiner:

Love the quote:

Mammoth Hot Springs:

Maybe I wasn't too up on my Yellowstone facts, but I had no idea that hot springs and geysers were such a big part of the park. They were everywhere. If I remember correctly, I believe there are over 10,000 in the park. The geothermal features didn't seem to bug the wildlife:

Lando waiting in suspense for Old Faithful to erupt:

Waiting... waiting... waiting...

There she blows!!!

We also stopped by Gibbon Falls. Another family photo! We must have doubled our amount of family pics on this trip:

Landon liked the waterfall (or just loves his daddy):
After a big day of sight-seeing, we headed out of the park. But not without seeing this Bull Elk with his "lady friends" (not pictured) posted up for all to see.

And then we ate:

No, that's not Nate eating the elk from the previous picture. But it is Nate eating a big ol' 24 oz Cowboy Cut at the Rib and Chop House. If you do make it to Montana, you have GOT to go. I had the best fillet of my life.... like, ever.... I'm drooling now.

This concludes Part 1 of our trip. Part 2 coming soon.

San Diego Blackout 2011

2011-09-15T09:03:00.001-07:00

You may have heard about the major 12 hour blackout that happened last Thursday here in San Diego. I thought you might like to see pictures of how we got along with out electricity, internet, or phones...

I guess you could say we survived ;)

Birthday Par-Tay

2011-09-13T08:50:00.000-07:00

*** So I was somewhat terrible at taking pictures at Landon's 1st birthday, but these will have to do.

We celebrated Landon's 1st birthday last Saturday at our tiny apartment (and boy did it feel tiny!). Landon had fun with his friends and family and I'm pretty sure he enjoyed his first ever "sweet." Landon was spoiled by everyone and I know our little guy felt the love :) It was a small, casual gathering that only ran 2-5pm, but by 5:10 Lando was worn out and gladly dove into his crib for a nap. Too much excitement in one day for the little guy.

This is Landon and Nicholas, enjoying some goldfish mostly off the table, but some off the ground :/

Landon opening one of his new joys in life - his Tow Mater. I will have to post pics of his face while taking a ride on this thing. Such joy!

Like I said, he LOVED his first ever sweet, a cupcake. He started off tentative and then really devoured it. It went a little something like this...

Decorations were not too complex. I just put pictures up of the little guy (how can you go wrong with pictures?). Of course, these pics don't quite capture the decor, seeing as how I took them the next day, but you get the idea.

My favorite piece had to be this new photo album for my monthly pics. Thank you Pottery Barn Kids for finding a use for them!

I love celebrating my little man, but now back to reality - life with a one year old. Slightly tougher than life with a baby, but a lot more fun :)

We Grew!

2011-09-07T11:38:00.000-07:00

Are you ready for this? Check out how much growing Landon has done in the last year...

1 week:

1 month:

2 months:

3 months:

4 months:

5 months:

6 months:

7 months:

8 months:

9 months:

10 months:

11 months:

12 months:

Can you believe the transition? And who would have thought my dark-haired baby would turn into a sandy-blond toddler? I'm so grateful for these monthly shots and also slightly glad it's over - one year olds do not like to stop for picture time!

A Year Ago Today...

2011-09-06T08:35:00.000-07:00

was the day I met you.

was the day I saw my husband as the happiest, proudest father I'd ever seen.

was the day our family grew from two to three.

was the day I fell in love with you.

I can't believe you are already a year old. Time has flown by and I've watched you grow and change every day. Change. It hasn't just happened for you, but for us, as well. You've changed us in so many ways. Life is unimaginable without you in it now. Was there a time when it was just me and your dad?

You mean the world to us and we love you so much. I can't wait to see you grow into the amazing little boy I know you'll be. Thank you for choosing us.

Love,
Mama

Every Day He's Shufflin'

2011-08-31T13:43:00.000-07:00

This is how we get Landon ready for his 1st birthday party..

Landon Gets a New 'Do

2011-08-27T19:53:00.000-07:00

We decided it was time for Landon to get his first haircut. What had started as a cute, shaggy look turned straight up unruly so when Nate was going to get his haircut, we brought Landon along for a quick trim. Does it look completely different? No. But you know, we're a little obsessed with the guy so of course we had to take a ton of pictures and document the whole thing :) So here they are:

Shaggy boy

Nate's hairdresser, Bridgette, was great with Landon... even though he was so squirmy.

Before

After

"Hellloooo Ladies!"

My Other Blog

2011-08-22T09:40:00.000-07:00

Did you forget that I had another blog? Me too, kind of. Click HERE to see what I did this past weekend :)

We're Growing!

2011-08-16T14:22:00.000-07:00

11 months:

If I thought getting my monthly picture was hard before, this one was near impossible! There is no containing my little man. He's just constantly on the go. Starting after the picture above this is how the photo-shoot went:

"I hate sitting up on the chair, but I sure do love these books." (More on this goofy grin later)

"Hey, guys. Yeah, she got me back up here. Lion, your hair is looking spectacular..."

"I just want to give you a little smooch. MMMMWAAAAA"

"Yes! Back on the ground and I've found some treasure!"

"Look Ma! You want it?!"

We have quite the happy little dude on our hands. At 11 months Landon is not quite walking, but loves cruising on the furniture and taking little strolls with his walker:

He just needs to get the confidence to let go, I think. Once he does though, we all better look out because there is no stopping this kid. He is go, go, go, all the time. What can I say, the world is his playground :)

I guess 11-month-olds can not be bothered by baby food because if you come at this kid with anything pureed, you're going to get a stiff arm to the spoon. He is not having it. But at least when they feed themselves they keep it nice and clean.... oh wait:

As you may have noticed, 11 month olds also have more teeth! This last week has brought with it three more teeth (No, he has not been sleeping. Yes, I am very tired). But with these new pearly whites comes the goofiest smile you ever did see. Without further ado, a "Lando's new goofy grin" montage:

(And usually he ends it with a head tilt, "Don't you think I'm cute" look, like so)

I can't believe what's coming up on the 6th of September. Like, really can't believe it. But I sure do enjoy watching this one grow up...

Funny Little Man

2011-08-03T08:55:00.001-07:00

Story of his life:

Introducing Landon's 3rd chomper: Snaggle Tooth! Yep, apparently Landon didn't want to follow the usual path and get his bottom middle teeth, followed by his top middle. Oh, but don't worry, tooth #4 is coming in.... and, no, it's not a middle either. It's the one opposite this one, on the right side. Oh joy! ;)

This guy is quite the character, too bad he never smiles ;)

Whose Training Who?

2011-08-03T08:27:00.000-07:00

Yes, Stevie is guilty of a little begging, a little sitting and waiting for any scrap to fall on the floor....

But this is all Lando....

And he loves it...

This is Landon's favorite new way to show us he's finished eating - feed Stevie. He will look around for her, say "dog" and throw a piece of whatever he's eating on the floor for her. In the last picture you see Landon is actually feeding her from his hand. We can always tell this is happening because he erupts in laughter by himself (it must tickle). I figured this day would come, but assumed it wouldn't happen so soon. Oh well, what can you do, I guess?

We're Growing!

2011-07-18T15:17:00.000-07:00

*** I know, I know, this is WAY late, but better late than never, right?

10 months:

Time is flying and this kiddo is just growing up way too fast (in my opinion). He is cruising like a crazy man and would stand up all day if we let him. He LOVES to talk (probably gets that one from his mama). And one of my favorite things is when we are outside and he sees a dog and says, "Dog," very matter-of-fact. Like he's saying, Did you know? That furry, four-legged thing is called a dog. Just a little something I know. I think he just loves being able to communicate.

I'm going to make this a short one with hopes of putting together another post soon after. There is a lot going on in the Butler camp. I'll share soon, I promise.

I'll leave you with a pic of Lando on the 4th, decked out in his Independence Day attire :)

Talky McTalkerson - Phase 3

2011-07-05T20:57:00.000-07:00

I feel like in the last couple of weeks, Landon has just been a sponge for words. He loves when he gets a new word to add to his vocabulary, and can often be heard randomly practicing in his crib at night (or reeeeeally early in the morning). I'd say his favorite word is still "dog," but he has recently added "nana" and "ball" (he's also said "up" but not consistently yet). These videos may be a little annoying (how many times do I repeat, "Say mama"?), but I just love the vocabulary he is getting. Hope you enjoy :)

ps - I may be crazy, but I seriously think he gets a kick out of saying a different word from what I'm asking him to say... I knew it, you think I'm crazy.

We Have a Tooth!

2011-07-05T15:03:00.000-07:00

It only took a couple days shy of 10 months, but FINALLY Landon has his first tooth. Check out this beaut:

Phew! I was beginning to think I was going to have to buy some dentures for when Landon enters Kindergarten ;) Okay, not really, but Landon has been teething FOREVER so I'm happy to finally see some reward (well, for him anyways ;)).

Climbing, Climbing, Climbing

2011-07-01T11:08:00.000-07:00

"Well, this looks like a good idea.."

"If I just..."

"Look Ma, one hand!"

(Mid-way poise for the camera)

"One last push and I'm there."

"HEY-OOOO"

Love this cute little climber :)

Where's Nikki?

2011-06-23T14:47:00.000-07:00

Well, obviously, I haven't been blogging much these days. It's sad, but at the same time maybe it will catapult me into a blogging frenzy once I'm less busy. "Busy? Busy, you say? What's been keeping you so busy?" Wellll......

-I've been teaching Stroller Strides like a crazy woman. Although classes aren't long it still takes prep. And I've also learned that teaching 5 classes a week is VERY wearing on your body. I can honestly say I overdid it last week (Can you say exhausted?) :(

-I'm planning my 10 year reunion. It's been a lot of work, but the event is FINALLY taking place Saturday. I'm now just looking forward to seeing all the old faces (old as in from the past, not wrinkle-old... not at the 10-year, anyways). I'm proud to say we have over 125 tickets sold in pre-sale alone, and we expect more at the door.

-I have a 9 month old BOY on my hands. Lando is all over the place these days. He gets into everything he shouldn't even when I'm right there. Like the other day I was writing a quick email and the next thing I knew Landon is in the dog kennel. The kennel is literally 3 steps from the computer, but it still happened. Unfortunately, we've also reached a point where he pulls himself up to standing... and then falls down. There have been a lot of BONKS lately :(

I'll leave you with a little video. It's slightly boring, but I like it for three reasons: 1) It shows our typical, everyday dinner conversation around here, 2) Landon says two of his favorite words, Mama and Dog (He even added "bye bye" today), 3) I think Landon chewing (or gumming, I guess, since he doesn't have teeth) is probably the cutest/funniest thing ever. Enjoy!

Do You See it?

2011-06-11T09:49:00.000-07:00

When Landon was born all people could say was, "Look at that hair!" Then they moved on to, "What beautiful eyes." After, people seemed to resort back to the hair comment. More recently, though, we've been hearing a new comment. One, I have to admit, I never expected. What are people saying now? "Why, he looks like Calvin from Calvin and Hobbes!" And we've heard it more than once.. So what do you think? Do you see it?

We're Growing!

2011-06-10T09:39:00.000-07:00

Ladies and Gentlemen! We have a 9 month old on our hands!

He's just so big! Now, when I say big I mean in his social/mental growth. Size-wise he is still a skinny little thing. Just got back from the doc and Lando is in the 3rd percentile for weight! What? He wanted to be the caboose is all ;) Nothing to worry about. Doc just thinks he's meant to be skinny. She also couldn't help laughing at how active and social our little guy is. After he was climbing/crawling all over she said, "Well, no wonder he isn't gaining any weight, he doesn't stop moving!"

So what else is our guy up to? Well he's pulling himself up. He loves climbing (especially on Nate and me). He gives high fives and can say 3 words (well if you count that his "dog" sounds more like "duh"). He wants to be standing all the time and gets frustrated if you try and make him sit. He will sit in front of the new toy we got him. He loves this thing. I, on the other hand, am about to throw it out the window if I have to hear it sing, "Welcome to our learning farm, we've got lots to show you!" one more time (Okay, not really, but MAN am I over singing toys!).

Landon is also a lover. If he likes you, he wants to kiss you. That means people holding him, kids at Stroller Strides and especially his dad and me. Just beware, THIS:
brings a whole lot of THIS (who doesn't love a big ol' wet kiss?):
Dad and Landon's favorite trick. Landon sits up high while Nate flies him around overhead (makes me nervous most of the time, but boys will be boys, I guess):

Is this getting boring (BIG YAWN):
I guess I'll end it here, but before I go I have a couple of pictures to share. One cute one and one funny one.. I'm sure you can figure out which is which :)

Two Years and Still Hiking!

2011-06-08T09:27:00.000-07:00

While we were in CO, Nate and I celebrated our 2 year wedding anniversary. I'm so grateful to be in such an amazing marriage that brings nothing but good to my life. Nate is such a caring husband, but what this year also brought was the realization that he is not only a great husband but also an amazing dad. I'm so lucky to have Nate in my life and I look forward to continuing to build our life together.

Okay, okay, enough of the sappy stuff... So how did we celebrate? With a little hike in the CO mountains. The family joined and we had a great time being in the great outdoors.

Two years of marriage, our family has grown to three :)

It's amazing what can come out of love and commitment between two people...

At the top of the hike :)

The loves of my life

It's hard to imagine that just last year, this guy was cozy in my belly. I'm happy to have him out so I can see this cute little face :)

I love you, Nate! I can't wait to see what the next year brings :)

We Love Colorado

2011-06-08T09:07:00.000-07:00

Going along with our "at-least-2-trips-to-CO-a-year" travel plans, Landon got to go on his second trip to visit the Butler clan. I love that when we make the trip it becomes a family affair and everyone tries to make it out there. Although, Nate's sister Emily and her family didn't make it this time (you were missed), we were so happy to see everyone and enjoy some family time.

Landon was a perfect sleeping angel on the way over just snoozin' away:

Landon loved spending time with his cousins (even if this picture doesn't exactly show it):

Cousin Charlie was so great with Landon. I can't believe Charlie is now a little boy and showing Landon the ropes. Seems like only yesterday he was a babe:

We loved spending some time outdoors. Landon especially loved the new infant swing Lynn and Don added to the playset in the backyard:

Boys worked in the yard:

And Landon enjoyed some time with Grandma and Grandpa Butler:
Thanks for having us! We can't wait to make it out there again soon!

Landon's Favorite Pastime

2011-06-02T19:52:00.000-07:00

and he does this all day long...

We're Growing!

2011-05-10T14:11:00.001-07:00

Guess who is a whole eight months? This guy...

Landon is all over the place these days and a new monthly "photo-shoot" brings with it new monthly obstacles. Someone is starting to pull himself up on things and push off with his legs... like so:

This kid is definitely a curious little one. I'm constantly reminding myself to let him explore even if it means letting him knock off piles of DVDs or check out the front door:

I think of myself as mainly his security guard, stepping in when things are about to get unsafe. He is rarely interested in toys, but shoes, boxes, and one particular paper bag can keep him busy for awhile. This particular bag was left by a friend and has accumulated hours of fun. Thank you, Banana Republic:

Landon is determined when he gets something in his sights. I tried to get a picture, but he's just too fast for me. I at least got a profile pic as he sped by on his way to my rainbow sandal:
He's growing up fast, but I'm lucky enough to be with him to witness it. His little eyes still melt my heart:
And, in case you are wondering, those wild and crazy hairs have not been trimmed. I've been voted out and I'm pretty sure Nate would never forgive me if I just cut them. His main reason for keeping them?? "It's funny!"

Happy Birthday, Lynette!

2011-05-09T08:39:00.000-07:00

Sending birthday love to this lady on this fine May 9th! We hope you have a great day today and are counting the days to our visit later this month. I know someone can't wait to have more "conversations" with his Grandma:

Happy birthday, Lynette!!

More Jumparoo

2011-05-05T13:42:00.000-07:00

Remember THIS ?? When Landon needed a booster for his Jumparoo and did more of a sway jump. Not any more! The jumparoo is now Landon's workout machine. He will jump like crazy in it for a good while. It's a great way to get out extra energy before bed or get things movin' when he hasn't gone in a day or so (TMI?)... Anyways, watching him happy in this thing is contagious so I had to share. Uncut version HERE

Can you believe how big he's getting??

Sea World Regulars

2011-05-02T14:41:00.001-07:00

Okay, so we aren't really "regulars" yet, but with Sea World down the street and the great Fun Pass deal (pay for a day, get the rest of 2011 free), we figure we will be hitting Sea World pretty frequently. This last weekend was someone's first trip to Sea World... Guess who?... Nope. Nate's! I'd taken Landon once before, but Friday was actually Nate's first time to Sea World. We had a great time checking out some of the exhibits and the dolphin show. Fortunately, because we live so close and get to go free the rest of the year, we didn't feel like we had to do everything. It was a great first trip!

We checked out the Beluga whales with their funny heads:
Our favorite part was definitely the polar bears. We timed it perfectly where we saw the trainers lay out the food and then let the bears out to eat. One came extra close to the glass so Landon got a good look:
He was pretty cute checking them out with his daddy:
I guess because they had just been fed the polar bears were WAY more energetic than I had ever seen before. One kept playing with this blue barrel like you might see a kitten play with a ball of yarn. He would even climb onto the edge of the cliff and then pounce on it in the water. It was so awesome to see. What can I say, I love polar bears :)
We also checked out the penguins:
And then finally we went to catch our one show of the day, the dolphin show:
It was pretty hot out as we sat waiting for the show to start, but someone didn't want to keep his hat on... Can you tell why we call him q-tip head?

Too much fun...
leads to complete exhaustion:
It was a good day and I can't wait to return again. With Sea World Friday and beach days Saturday and Sunday we definitely had a great weekend :)

Beach Baby

2011-05-01T20:28:00.001-07:00

The time has come as we all knew it would... Landon finally got his first couple of beach days this weekend. We're pretty sure he's going to be a beach bum just like his folks ;) What do you think?

This kid's favorite part of the beach? THE SAND!! Question: Anybody know how to keep a seven month old from putting sand in his mouth? If so, let me know ;)

Right Now

2011-04-15T14:24:00.000-07:00

I love the way you're a bit of a mama's boy. If I'm not holding you, you are looking at me and/or reaching for me with that big gummy smile of yours.

I love the way you smell like the Aveeno oatmeal shampoo we bathe you with.

I love that you put your head down on my shoulder when you are tired.

I love that you have such a happy disposition and are constantly smiling and laughing.

I love that when I rock and sing to you before your naps you have one hand holding onto my finger, while the other hand is wrapped around my neck, playing with my hair.

I love the way you cuddle your giraffe when you're sleeping.

I love your "Stevie Wonder" (as we call it); when you are so jolly you shake your head back and forth with a big goofy grin on your face.

I love that when you wake up, you give me a big smile as soon as you see me come in the room. Then how you won't let me put you down for about 5 minutes after because you want to snuggle.

I love your curiosity and the way you have to check everything out yourself. And your persistence... Like when I move you from something (unsafe), but you just go right back to it.

I love when I'm instructing at Stroller Strides and I look in the stroller to see you staring right back at me.

I love the way you and your dad interact. It's like you two are off in your own world sometimes.

I love watching you take in a new place. We call you "serious" because of how intently you look around.

I love your little, chubby cheeks. When I kiss them, I'm amazed at how soft they are.

I love that you are ticklish. When I tickle your back or sides you laugh and squirm in delight.

These are just a few of the things I love about you right now. In truth, my love is immeasurable, but I hope that these glimpses will help me remember this time, this day, this moment before it is gone. You are growing up so fast, but I'm not sad about it. I look forward to what's next because I am confident that your dad and I are doing the very best we can. And I know you can tell how much we love you. It shows in every smile, giggle, hug, kiss that you give us.

I love you,

Mama

What to do..

2011-04-14T11:26:00.000-07:00

Looks like a normal looking boy with a cute head of hair...

but if you look closely, you may see this..

long strands of hair waiting to be cut.

But am I ready to give this adorable baby hair a trim?

Not sure, really... But it doesn't seem to bother him any :)

We're Growing!

2011-04-11T12:19:00.000-07:00

Landon: 7 months

6 months came and went and Landon is now 7 months old! Seriously, I can't believe how fast this is all going by. People tell you that time flies when you have a baby, but I don't think you really get it until you live it. I'm so grateful for this blog, because otherwise I wouldn't remember half of the things we've experienced with this little one.

So what's new and exciting in Landon's world? Let's see:
- He can give kisses now. They are pretty sloppy and wet, but I love them all the same.
- Now that he is mobile, he likes going after Stevie's tail. Nate and I try to give her a heads up by screaming, "Incoming!!" but he still gets her.
- He's forgotten how to sleep. I know they say that babies have trouble sleeping at this age when they are teething/growing/having digestion issues/hitting major milestones/having separation anxiety/ etc. etc., it's just frustrating not knowing exactly which it is :(
- When he does sleep, it is on his side just like his mom and dad.
- He's starting to try and pull himself up on things. Another obstacle to add to our monthly photo-shoot (it seemed like such a simple idea when he was a week old :) ).
- He loves when Nate gets home from work. He will literally try and leap off of me and the couch to try to get to him.
- His favorite word is "Dada." He babbles it all day, everyday.
- He eats three meals a day (Nate laughs at me because I like to make his nutrition as balanced as possible. A meal of just rice cereal doesn't cut it around here).
- He's still so darn skinny. If you need a little help grasping how skinny I mean, just know that this 7 month hold is still wearing 3-6 month jeans in the picture above.
- He's learned to bang his toys together, one of those bittersweet milestones ;)
- He has a security object.. It's the giraffe from the pictures. He doesn't carry it around everywhere, but it helps him sleep (Dr. recommended for separation anxiety)
- He is becoming more and more like a little boy instead of an infant. I've said it before and I will say it again... When you have a baby you love whatever stage they are at, but as soon as they move onto the next stage you realize that you love this stage better than the last. It just seems like he gets better and better as he grows.

"Hey guys, can you believe we've been doing this for 7 months? Crazy, right?!"

Someone Can't Keep his Pants On...

2011-04-03T11:44:00.001-07:00

Lost

2011-03-29T09:02:00.000-07:00

Missing: 1 normal brain that can remember everyday things, household items and normal daily activities. This brain is very needed. If found, please return to Nikki (or better yet, her husband Nate, since she will likely lose it once given back to her)

Okay, so when I was pregnant, I was surprised to find out that "Prego Brain" was in fact REAL. Back then, I would laugh when I absentmindedly left my keys in the door, bought things at the grocery store and then forgot to bring them home, or just completely forgot what day it was. I received solace knowing that my mind would return once I had Landon. UMmmmmm.... No one told me about Prego Brain's evil sister, "Mommy Brain."

Mommy Brain is by far the crueler of the two. And I'm just beginning to realize that my wonderful, sharp, never-forget-a-thing brain ain't comin back any time soon (if ever)! Now the things I forget aren't quite as laughable. Take yesterday for instance, I left the house with baby, dog, house keys, and mail key in tow... I came back with only three of those things. No, no, I didn't lose Landon (yet, at least), but somehow I completely lost our mail key during our small walk around the block. Some of you might be thinking, big whoop. But we only have one and now have to go through the whole process of getting a new lock on our mailbox. If anything, I may just be sad that this experience finally signals to me that I really have lost it. My mind, gone forever.

RIP - Nikki's Brain
February 3rd, 1983 - somewhere between Dec 09 & March 11

PS - What exactly happens when I get pregnant with number 2? Is it exponential? If so, maybe we need to hold off a long while...

The Semi-Crawl

2011-03-24T15:54:00.000-07:00

** Two posts in one day, have I lost my mind?!

So Landon is on the move. Like I said, he rolls all over and he's also begun doing something I like to call "the semi-crawl." I feel like all this week I've tried to get good video of it, but this kid did not want to cooperate! If the camera was on, Landon would just stop what he was doing and lay there talking or staring at me. Finally, I got some decent video of what the semi-crawl entails. He does it extra slowly in the video (as if he knew we'd be studying it ;) ). It's sort of an arm-pull, toe-push movement. Anyway, I think it's pretty cute. This kid is super motivated to be on the move, I think. Like his parents, the sedentary life just isn't for him ;)

Oh, and obviously Landon wasn't as excited as me about finally catching it on video. I feel like I'm the proud parent who is already embarrassing their kid. hehe.

Click the video below, or for a non-cutoff view, click HERE

Rubba Dub Dub

2011-03-24T08:35:00.000-07:00

From the first bath it was obvious that Landon LOVES the water. He loves kicking his feet, making quite the splash (getting everyone and everything around him wet). When he is in there he dances around and then will straighten his legs really quickly, and then back to dancing. It's very reminiscent of an Irish Jig.

I took these photos the other night and had to share.. Landon, our little water baby:

Unfortunately, we aren't comfortable posting tub videos, but I'll be happy to show anyone who wants to stop by and let me bombard you with everything Landon :)

We Love When Dada Gets Home...

2011-03-23T15:32:00.000-07:00

He's just more fun to wrestle with :)

Under the Weather

2011-03-20T16:44:00.000-07:00

Some of you may have noticed that my mom hasn't been doing much blogging recently.. Well, I have to admit that mostly that's because I've been a little sick these days. Unfortunately I caught RSV, and have been pretty laid out the last week and a half.

Let's just say, when it hit, I wasn't feeling so hot.

I've had to do these breathing treatments with a nebulizer...

and I've also been taking an inhaler. That's because this virus makes me cough a lot and can affect my breathing :(

Luckily, I'm starting to feel like a new man.

I'm back to my active self and really only cough once in awhile. Already, I'm reminding my mom what a handful I can be.

Before you know it, I'll be back to work :) Oh wait, I don't work, but I like to pretend while my dad does his.

Until next time,
Landon

My Little String Bean

2011-03-11T10:19:00.000-08:00

Welp, I took Landon to his 6 month well check and the doctor confirmed what we already knew - we have a naturally skinny little boy. At 6 months he is still only 14 lbs, 6 oz leaving him in the 10th percentile. However, he has definitely been growing... just lengthwise. Landon shot up about 3 inches in two months, leaving him about 27 inches long. Doc says that she just doesn't think it's in his genes to be a chubby baby. Hmmmmm... Where could he have gotten his string-bean-ness? I just don't know where it could have come from.....

I seriously have no idea...

I mean, nothing comes to mind...

While the doctor says that it's not really in the cards, we will still do our best at fattening this kid up. That is, if we can keep him awake long enough to eat ;)

Things That Make You Go "Awwwwwww"

2011-03-09T15:55:00.000-08:00

Have I expressed how much I love my two guys? How about how much I love my two guys love for each other? Can these two be any cuter together?

We're Growing!

2011-03-08T21:45:00.000-08:00

Can you believe it? Landon is already 6 months!! Well if you can, I can't. Check out below to see proof that this kid is in fact growing! For a better view, click on the image.

So many things are happening with this kid. For one, he is sitting up by himself, like so:

He is also on the move. He is rolling all over the place, using his knees to pivot and reach, and has kind of learned to creep. Next stop crawling! This kid is also a typical boy. He already wants to wrestle and play with dirt. And, of course, what are his favorite toys? Anything, that is not his toys. He'll choose a tag, iPhone, pillow, or face over his toys, any day.

Now, I'm short on words tonight (and low on sleep) so that's all I'm leaving you with for today. But before I go, let me introduce you to Rico Suave:

Carol Ann Turns 60!

2011-03-07T14:51:00.001-08:00

That's right, my Mama (aka the best lady ever) turned the big 6-0 this weekend. While we were ready to put on a big shebang, she chose to just have her 4 best friends (one being her sister) and 3 daughters. We had such a great time focusing on a woman who rarely wants any attention on herself. ShaSha was the perfect hostess, as always, and I definitely think the celebration was a success.

We all remember how Shannon likes funny/different cakes, right? Well take a look at this beauty :)

Of course, it wouldn't have been any fun for my mama without having her grand-kids with her.
Sofia and the lady of the hour:

Mr. Landon and Mama:

I didn't get any pictures of Kaylee and my mom, but she was quite sleepy, as is to be expected :)

One surprise we worked on for my mom was to compile a book of pictures from her WHOLE 60 years. I'm pretty certain she loved it. I went ahead and contributed a funny little poem. As usual, it started with a little humor and then ended with a sappy note (I'm clearly the most emotional of my family, I think).

I think it was a tender moment when my mom, aunt, and her friends saw old pictures of my grandparents, Paul and Vera.

Personally, I loved the rockin' style throughout the book ;) My mom REALLY liked blue eyeshadow back in the day. hehehehe

We had such a great time. I loved celebrating a woman so worthy of celebration. What can I say, my Mama is the best woman I know... Happy Birthday, Mama! Love youuuuu!

For fun I thought I'd add some pictures of Sofia and Landon. These two are so fascinated with one another. They just can't get enough :)

Landon LOVES Green Beans!

2011-02-28T15:39:00.000-08:00

I may or may not be fibbing. Check below to find out!

ps - I hate that the side of the video gets cut off (I don't videotape him off-center, honest). If you want to see it in widescreen, click HERE

Yummy!

2011-02-22T14:46:00.000-08:00

Well, we gave Landon his first bit of rice cereal and I have to say, I think he was ready for it. I was surprised to see him actually coming at the spoon (and then trying to feed himself). Oh, and don't you worry we have just about the whole feeding on video HERE. Okay, most of you won't look (it is almost 10 mins long), but I know grandparents love this sort of thing. So Ma, Pa, Lynn and Don, enjoy :)

I do have to mention that although the first feeding went great, this morning's didn't. I think it's because I cut back on the milk to cereal ratio. I'll try again tonight with the original ratio and see how it goes. Then in a couple days we are moving on to green beans. Wooohoooo! Oh, the things that excite me these days ;)

Landon and the Cheerio

2011-02-21T14:40:00.000-08:00

This weekend I grabbed one of Sofia's Cheerio's (of the Honey Nut variety) and let Landon take a taste of his first piece of food. It went a little something like this....

What is this exactly?

I think I'm diggin it...

I don't know what it is but I love it!

(sugar high)

More please!

I was waiting until Landon turned 6 months to give him any food, but after his reaction to the cheerio, I'm willing to bump it up a couple weeks. Off to the store to buy some rice cereal and pureed veggies :)

Talky McTalkerson - Phase 2

2011-02-10T18:02:00.000-08:00

Landon and I were shopping today and he was babblin' along like he always does. I tried focusing his talking to the most important syllable of all, "Mama" of course... But to my surprise, he played right along. As you are watching this just picture me stopped between the racks at Macy's, bent over the stroller, videotaping Landon. Disclaimer: Should have stopped taping after a few seconds really, the good part's in the beginning ;)

Proud "Mama"? You bet! They say at this age they aren't associating their words with people/objects, but it still melts my heart all the same ;) You can really tell he's trying to mimic me! I love my little talker!

We're Growing!

2011-02-09T12:48:00.000-08:00

Believe it or not, Landon is now 5 months old. Without further ado, here is the monthly picture with his "friends":

Yep, he still loves them:

He is getting stronger and stronger, and bigger and bigger. Since Landon was in his 2nd month or so, he's loved baring weight on his legs. The past couple of months really he has only used us for support. Well, finally (after I had the courage) I let him take control of his standing without our help (just the couch's, of course) and Ta-da!

Pretty hysterical seeing such a little body standing, right? We are just about there with sitting. He can sit-up on his own for about 5 seconds or so and then tips over, but I have no doubt that any minute he'll be sittin' up with the best of them. Let's see... what else?

Oh! This kid is a stealth mover! He rolls and relocates himself as soon as you turn your head. For example, yesterday I put him on his playmat to play, turned my head for a minute, and this is what I found:

He just rolls over and scoots and you find him five feet from where you left him, flipped over, with his head in a completely different direction :)

He also is at the stage where he is obsessed with textiles. He wants to feel and really check out anything that's around him. It definitely made this months "photo shoot" interesting:

He reaches out and grabs everything now. Gone are the days of him sitting nicely in your lap at the dinner table.. No, no. He wants your fork, your plate, your napkin and anything else he can just reach and grab. Kind of like this camera:

Or the dog (I love the look on Stevie's face. Kind of like, "Really, kid?):

He's still holding on to those pretty blue eyes. Sometimes I think they look green like his Dad's, but who knows.

And, yes, we are still teething, just without any sign of teeth!

This kid is on the move. Can't wait to see what this month brings. One last bonus pic, because... well, really... his face is hilarious in it. Nate and I couldn't look at it without laughing:

B-Day Fun With the Fam

2011-02-07T08:34:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday my parents and Shannon and Dougie came down to San Diego for a little fun in the sun to celebrate our birthdays. We had a great time, but once again it all went by too fast. Saturday morning we had a late breakfast at World Famous, my old work. After, we headed back to their hotel (conveniently attached to the restaurant) to plan our day.

My boys hangin' in the hotel room:

We decided on walking down the boardwalk to Mission Beach. While we were there the girls had to keep up tradition and ride the Mission Beach Coaster. Mama and Sha getting ready to go:

I tried taking a few pics during, and what a success! Really the best part of the ride was my mom laughing the ENTIRE time. It's seriously more fun to hear my mom laughing hysterically on the ride than actually riding it. Here are a couple of the pics from mid-ride (favorite part of the first one is the guy freaking out in the back):

After, we headed back to the hotel, but not without stopping to take a picture. Check this out... Our first (decent) family picture!

Later that night we had an AMAZING dinner at Jrdn restaurant that is located next to the pier, here in PB. We all had some kind of steak and MAN it was De-Lish!! I'm drooling just thinking about it ;) It was fun for Nate and I to get all gussied up:

Landon, Dougie and Shannon:

Landon loves spending time with his grandparents... and I'm pretty sure they enjoy spending time with him, too ;)

We had such a great time. Thank you for coming to visit us. We can't wait until the next time!

Just for fun, here are some of my favorite (and hilarious) pics from this weekend.
Check for the premiere album by this hot new boy band:

Too much fun:

Ahoy, me Matey!

I love my Dad:

The new pacifier Shannon found for Landon:

A Shout Out to My Main Man

2011-02-02T14:55:00.000-08:00

Well, babe, 33 was good to you. I thought that in celebrating 34 I'd show you a little picture montage to remember 33... where just a few things changed ;)

The newly pregnant couple hiking on V-Day
Celebrating our 1 year anniversary at Balboa Park

Your first baby shower, both as an attendee and honoree
Beach days with your wife and the beach ball ;)
Trip to San Fran

The day our lives changed forever

Lookin good (and so natural) with baby stuff in tow ;)
Proud fathers wear beards
and also shave
Christmas as a family of 3
Sleeping-in is just a little different now
Hiking with a little extra weight this time
Happy Birthday, Dad!
I love you so much. We wish you were here with us, but we will be happy to see you on Friday. You're the best husband, father, and friend anyone could ask for (who even empties the trash and diaper genie before he leaves without his wife knowing so she won't have to). Happy Birthday! Can't wait to see what 34 brings!

To the readers: Is it me, or did Nate's smile get a little bit bigger once Landon was born?

While Mom's Away...

2011-01-31T09:46:00.000-08:00

the boys will play!

This weekend Nate and I had a little role reversal. While I was at training from about 7:15am-6pm Saturday and Sunday, Nate got to stay home with the little man. I'm happy to say both survived... j/k. Really, it's nice to know that my husband is fully capable and willing to take over when I'm away.

While Nate's at work I'll send him pictures of Landon and he has told me that they make his day... This time it was me getting the pictures and, truly, they really do brighten your day.

I got this on Saturday. Little man accompanied Nate on his 6 mile run down the boardwalk. I'd say he looks happy to be there (in fact, he looks like he'd like to tell you it himself):

And this one I got Sunday with the tagline, "Look what I can do, Mom!" Now, I don't know when babies start feeding themselves, but I was shocked and very impressed considering Landon has probably only had about 5-6 bottles before this weekend. I'm tellin' you, though, this kid definitely shows signs that he will be the independent type:

Thanks, Nate, for being such an awesome, Dad. I got through the days totally at ease knowing Landon was in the best of hands :)

Happy Friday!

2011-01-28T09:13:00.000-08:00

Took this picture this morning and had to share... His hair is still looking good, am I right? hehe. Hope this gave you a laugh and hope you all enjoy the weekend!

New Toys, New Joys

2011-01-22T09:36:00.000-08:00

Landon recently got a couple new toys and, oh, the joy they bring. As he grows bigger it seems like his toys do the same. I love that you can see him thinking and planning things out these days. He's rolling every which way and he knows that something out of reach is really just a roll away. Landon has never been a huge fan of tummy time, but this new snail definitely keeps his interest. He loves grabbing and moving this snail all around (the slightest movement makes it light up and sing). Check out our big guy:

And, finally, the jumparoo. Landon loves it! I feel like I'm still wrapping my mind around the fact that he is old enough to be in one. However, watching him in it is pretty hysterical, so I had to share. Enjoy!

Getting Moving

2011-01-18T09:01:00.000-08:00

In an attempt to get moving, Nate and I have been doing a little more hiking recently. Okay, maybe they would be considered "nature walks".. but we do have a four month old. We are by no means scaling mountains, but we are getting out of the house, getting some exercise, and just enjoying the outdoors.

Yesterday we took a little 4 1/2 mile trip on the San Clemente trail. This hard CA winter left us with 85 degree weather and beautifully open skies, so a trip to enjoy the outdoors was not only necessary, but a must.

We love taking Landon on these little excursions. He loves looking around, seeing what nature has to offer. He rides along casually in the Bjorn and takes in the view. This time Nate was carrying him (normally he'd face out, but it was nap time). It's still fun to see Nate in the Bjorn ;)
It was such a pretty day out and it felt nice to be out there soaking up the sun. Landon was looking at his surroundings, but for some reason he could not get enough of looking up at his dad. Every time we looked over, he had his head back, staring up at his dad. I love to see this cute bond between my two guys:

Here are a few more pics. Take time to notice the awful winter we are having...

She's Here!

2011-01-15T09:42:00.000-08:00

Kaylee Ann Spasov came onto the scene at 9:32am on Thursday, January 13th. She weighed in at 7 lbs 3 oz and just 18.25 inches long. She is small, not unlike her cuz, Landon. Also, like her cousin, she has a TON of hair and is completely happy and healthy. Here she is:

Sofia has been looking forward to "sister" for awhile and was definitely happy to see her live and in person. She just wanted to watch and kiss her (she also is ready to hold her, but her parents are not quite ready for that, yet).

The new and improved Spasov family:

While Lisa and Peter were at the hospital I got to spend time with this little munchkin (she sure has an interesting way of eating sandwiches):

She is pretty hysterical and will chat your ear off. Sofia is all about "Baby Landon" and loves to spend time with him. I'm pretty sure he loves her, too. What do you think?

We can't wait to watch Kaylee grow bigger. I know that she and Landon will be like two peas in a pod. Really they already have so many similarities, how could they not?

We're Growing!

2011-01-09T18:22:00.000-08:00

Landon: 4 months

We can not believe that our little guy is already 4 months old! He's just getting bigger and bigger before our eyes. With this new growth comes some new abilities, milestones and "talents." Here is a little list to get a better idea of what Landon is up to these days:

1) He is still a talker, just a little louder these days. Lets just say I had no trouble finding Nate and him when we were in REI the other day.
2) He's started growling. Not in aggressive dog-with-rabies sort of way, but it's like he's figured out this new sound and wants to perfect it. The funny part about this is that I happened to love growling when I was a baby, too (and there is video to prove it).
3) Stevie has become a new and interesting thing to contemplate.
4) He loves standing, and really only needs us for balance.
5) Along with growling, he also has a happy inhaling-squeal he does, we call "the raptor."
6) He's grabbing for just about everything.
7) Faces aren't just for looking at, but for grabbing, squeezing, smacking, (enter verb here), too.
8) He's losing some of his hair. I don't like to talk about it :(
9) Bath time = major splash time = wet bathroom and wet parents

and our new favorite thing...
10) Landon has found his feet and what joy they bring.
He's found a lot of uses for them, too.
"What are you lookin' at?"
"Check these out, Dad!"
Fun for hours.
We love seeing this guy grow... if only time would slow down a bit! I guess this sweet little guy just knows how to keep his parents busy :)

My #1 Fan

2011-01-06T11:23:00.001-08:00

Finally, I found a use for my voice. Now, I am by no means a professional singer, but I will say I can at least hold a tune. I did some musical theater when I was little and even took some singing lessons. All of which, however, got me nowhere (sorry, Mom). Fortunately, I've recently found a use for my singing voice and am proud to say that I have at least one (little) fan :)

This particular day, Landon, being sick, was a little fussier than normal and I was having trouble figuring out how to calm him down. I gave singing to him a try... and, well, you can see for yourself HERE

Personally, I like the parts you can tell I am holding back my laughter :) I guess all talents can be put to use in some way or another.

Little Giggler

2010-12-19T12:36:00.000-08:00

One of the best sounds in the world is a baby laughing. Am I right? It's completely contagious. Lucky for us, Landon has been laughing more and more these days. What started out as a once and awhile thing has turned into a daily occurrence. It pretty much makes our day every time we hear it.... and hopefully it's the same for you! Click HERE for some good ol' fashion baby laughter (sorry for the poor quality video, not quite sure what happened to our "HD" camera).

We're Growing!

2010-12-07T08:43:00.000-08:00

Landon turned 3 months yesterday! He's getting bigger (mostly vertically) by the minute and more and more fun. Nate and I are constantly saying how each step is more fun than the last. We just couldn't be more in love with this little guy.

Here he is: 3 months old

What was different about this "monthly photo shoot" is that for the first time Landon wanted to grab and play with his points of reference in the photos, giraffe and lion. He went ahead and helped himself to the giraffe:

Also, a new feature has taken the place of the "look at that hair" comments. People (especially the women in my Stroller Strides) love to swoon over this boy's baby blues. I can't help but love them myself, as if I needed more to love about him. Take a look:

It feels like he is growing bigger by the second. I'm trying to plug every moment with him into memory because I'm sure this time will be over before I know it.

PS - Sorry for the hiatus. Looks like I'll be playing catch-up for November

Last Minute Trip to CO

2010-11-18T18:42:00.000-08:00

Considering I started this post a month ago, I think it's time to finish it...

Last month Nate and I took a last minute trip to CO to go visit the Butler family. For most, it was the first time meeting Landon. Mr. Man got to meet some of his cousins and enjoyed being loved by his grandparents, aunts, and uncles. There were other firsts, too.

First plane rides (Landon was a champion, didn't even make a peep):

First time at Grandma and Grandpa Butler's house:

First meeting with a great grandparent:

First snow (although he's a little too young to play in it, it was still pretty to see):

First fist bumps from cousin Sammy:

First trip to beautiful Boulder:

And meeting some of Dad's CO friends (and their children):

We had such a great time spending time with family and can't wait for more this X-Mas. I know there will be more time spent with this guy:
And this lady, here:
We had a great time! Thanks for having us :)

Talky McTalkerson

2010-11-10T08:59:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple more videos of our little talker. I just love that he's found his voice! Disclaimer - may be boring to some of you

Landon loves talking to his toys these days. This definitely includes his bouncer "friends." Watching all the different expressions on his face REALLY makes me wish I knew what he was thinking (i.e. - That silly monkey just keeps swinging on the tree, how hilarious!)
Bouncer Time

He is also constantly talking to us. And once he gets going he doesn't want to stop. He loves being allowed to lay in our bed under the sheets. It's a perfect location for him to chat our ears off. He looks so tiny on our queen size bed!
A Chat with Dad

Today we leave for CO. Wish us luck on our first airplane ride with an infant!

We're Growing!

2010-11-09T16:30:00.000-08:00

2 months (He looks so silly in this one, I couldn't resist choosing it)

1 month

1 week

Is This Kid for Real?

2010-11-08T08:08:00.000-08:00

I don't want it to sound like I'm bragging so please read this post knowing that I'm not boasting, but rather feeling truly blessed. I haven't gotten into what an easy baby I have and I think it's time.

Landon has been such an easy-going babe from the start. If he cries, we know that we forgot to take care of something obvious (such as a feeding, dirty diaper, etc.); he just doesn't cry for no reason. When he is awake he has such a happy temperament, Nate and I can't help but return his contagious smiles. We've never had an issue taking him out to dinner or on any outings. He'll just sleep through or quietly take in the sights. He also loves bath time. If you had asked me a month go I would have said that he's not a good sleeper, but even there we've turned a corner (at least for now, I'm not that delusional). He's consistently been sleeping 6-7 hour breaks, making me only have to get up once or twice. And here is my favorite thing: he can fall asleep by himself without crying. When he is getting tired we swaddle him, cuddle/rock him for a little, then we set him in his co-sleeper and he takes care of the rest. If he is really tired he falls right to sleep. If he is not quite ready to sleep, he will talk in his bed until he falls asleep. I'm a new parent, but I feel like that's pretty amazing.

I really believe this has to do with the fact that since he was born we would set him down right before he fell asleep. We wouldn't rock him to sleep and then set him down. I'd read that by putting down babies before they shut their eyes, they learn how to fall asleep on their own. I am a believer!!

He is such a cute little guy and I just can't believe how lucky we are to have such an easy-going baby. I guess it's proof that he is more like his father ;)

And now some pics! Landon got to attend his very first formal event. Here he is on the way to Jenny and Rustin's wedding:

And sleeping through the ceremony:

Cracking up at his Halloween costume (at least that's what I like to think, anyways):

Flirting with his "girlfriend" Erin:

Hangin' with his pops:

I love this little guy!!

Halloween is Fun and All...

2010-10-31T21:44:00.001-07:00

but it sure does take a lot out of you!

Baby Talk

2010-10-24T12:28:00.000-07:00

Landon has been getting chattier and chattier recently. This morning I decided to take some video of his "talking" for all of you to enjoy (mostly grandparents, really). I have to say, I love when he is cooing at us. It's amazing how he his already trying to communicate.

We had to upload our videos to YouTube because Blogger couldn't handle their size. The first one is HERE. And the second is HERE, but please excuse the boogies in Landon's nose :)

Have a Good Day

2010-10-22T08:38:00.000-07:00

Mommyhood: It's a Glamorous Life

2010-10-13T09:51:00.000-07:00

My new life has officially begun. Nate is off paternity leave and back at work. Therefore, it's all me and the little guy from morning until around five when Nate gets home. As with any new "job" the learning has started immediately. First thing I've learned: Mommyhood is all about the glamor. And yes that statement is loaded with sarcasm. Let me tell you how this morning went.

**WARNING: This story contains bathroom humor. If you don't like it, maybe skip the rest of this post.**

After a relatively great night of sleep (one 3 hour sleep, one 2 hour) I woke up to the now familiar grunting sound. Landon has a little bit of reflux and yadda yadda yadda he grunts and clears his throat a lot when he's been down for a long time.

I promptly picked him up and took him to the living room for a little early morning chat. Well, I don't know if Landon didn't feel like talking or didn't like what I had to say because he responded with projectile spit up.... right in my face. Wonderful. I had thought I would be in the clear since it had been over an hour from his last feeding... Guess not. Also, the funny thing about having a "spitter" is that when they spit it's no skin of their back. So he just continued on like nothing had happened.

After a quick wipe up, I had to laugh. It's just milk, no big whoop. Well, Landon wasn't quite done with his morning "gifts." First stop, spit up. Next stop, blow out.

No more than 3 minutes later a blast of nuclear proportion ripped through the room. I'm surprised the neighbors didn't come running out of their houses. What's more is I not only heard it, but felt it on my thighs. But mommyhood isn't about you, I needed to check Landon's own damage first. Seeing that it was on his leg and somehow on his hand, I quickly picked him up and, waddling (due to what was on my thighs) got him to his changing table. I cleaned his hands and thighs, wiped myself off, ran to the kitchen, grabbed paper towels, and made my way back to Landon in a matter of seconds.

It's funny, this weekend I saw Life As We Know It which was very cute and very appropriate for a new mommy. Anyways, in the movie the joke was made that new parents always need to have paper towels on hand. After this morning, I get it.

After cleaning up the mess and calming down an upset baby (Who could blame the poor little guy?) it was time to feed. One last spit up on mommy and her top and our morning adventure was done.

Those of you who have kids are probably thinking, Been there, done that! And those of you without kids may or may not be rethinking having them in the future. But here's the thing. There is NOTHING in this world I would rather be doing with my time than spending it with this little boy. No job has ever been so gratifying. There may not be glamor, but boy is there joy. You may not believe me now, but just wait. You'll see. Besides, there is nothing a paper towel can't clean up :)

I mean how can you not love this little face?

We're Growing!

2010-10-07T10:42:00.000-07:00

1 month old

1 week old

How Landon Came on the Scene

2010-09-28T20:48:00.000-07:00

The week before my due date I'd basically told myself that the baby was definitely going to be late. I decided having a baby early was a luxury that was not going to be bestowed on me.

Well... I was wrong... By one day :)

When thinking about giving birth there were two things that I wanted. Two things that I thought would ensure that labor was happy and healthy: 1) I didn't want the umbilical cord around his neck; 2) I wanted him to be a baby that came out wailing and was put immediately on my chest for skin-to-skin.

Well... I didn't get these two things, at all.

Here is how it all went down..

The Sunday before Labor Day we went to our friend Anga's house for a little BBQ. We had a good time relaxing, chatting and (of course) eating. After we went home and relaxed in front of the TV. I realized I wasn't having as many contractions as I'd been having in previous days so the baby wasn't coming early. For sure. I went to bed a little later than usual because I was having trouble sleeping (nothing out of the ordinary when you are nine months prego). I was in bed around 11:30pm but not really falling asleep. Soon I had a pretty "good" contraction and looked at the clock just in case more were coming like it. One more came like 30 mins later and then nothing.. Dang it.

I finally start dozing off to sleep when suddenly I felt something. Sitting up, I thought, Am I wet? and ran off to the bathroom. As soon as I hit that tile floor, there was no need for questioning. Fluids were gushing. Okay, weirdest thing ever. I called Nate and noted the time, 12:45pm. When Nate got to the door, I looked at him and kind of laughing said, "I don't know how to make it stop!"

It doesn't, you know. When your water breaks it's not like in the movies where there is a gush and then you just jump in a cab and head to the hospital. Nope, it just keeps coming. And coming. Part of the benefit of an epidural is that you don't have to feel like you are constantly peeing yourself. TMI?

Nate just looked at me with a huge smile and said, "Welp, I guess we are having a baby." To the hospital we went. In the car I started having contractions at about 4 minutes apart. It seemed like Landon was ready to make an appearance, and soon. We got all checked in at the triage and waited for what seemed like forever to get to our room upstairs. It's funny because later our nurse would tell me that on the screen they felt like I was moving quickly and needed to get me upstairs in a hurry. I wonder how long it would have taken if they didn't think things were moving.

Finally, it's time to head upstairs and by that time everyone knew that we were friends of Turi (Turi is a nurse at Mary Birch and a good friend of mine since high school). Was that the reason we got one of the BIG delivery rooms? I like to think so.

Once in the room, things started slowing down. I was dealing with the contractions pretty well, but the nurse talked me into getting the epidural then. She basically said, "Why not?" and I listened. I didn't want a normal epidural. I really wanted to be able to feel everything and be able to push when it came time. The anesthesiologist was not too happy about it and told me that I would NOT be comfortable. She gave me 1/3 of the normal dose and said she'd come give me more when I needed it because she was sure I would. As you may expect (if you know me well), I never saw her again.

Things slowed way down from there. Luckily my mom and sisters arrived to add some comic relief to the room. I had dilated quickly to (almost) 4 but then not much happened after that. They decided to give me pitocin to move things along. The nurse gave it to me and then left the room.

I was chatting with my family, having a gay ol' time when suddenly my nurse and others came hurrying into the room. She told me to flip to my other side. I started doing it, but she said, "As quickly as you can." Something in her voice told me I needed to listen. Landon's heart rate and been a strong 140 through the labor, but at that moment had dipped to 74. Switching to my side raised his heart rate back up, which was good, but the heart decel basically told us that we needed to be REAL careful here on out. The nurse said we wouldn't know why the decel had happened, but it was possible the cord was around his neck. If another decel happened, we wouldn't mess around. It would mean an emergency c-section.

Let's just say that after this little scare, I was a lot less happy go lucky. Nine months I had carried Landon and all I wanted was for him to come out safe.

Luckily, no more decels did happen. We were told it was going slow and that it was looking like we wouldn't have a baby until after 4:00pm. BUT then things started moving! The nurses don't like to check a woman whose water has broke as much as normal for fear of infection. So I wasn't going to be checked for hours, but, like I said, I was feeling pressure. My nurse checked me and I had leaped from 4 to 8.5 cm dilated. Things were moving! After less than an hour (and a lot more pressure) I asked to be checked again. I had leaped, again, to 9.5 cm. It was time to push!

Pushing was by far my favorite part of labor. Finally, I felt like there was something I could do to help this labor progress. Being an athlete, the challenge was welcomed. I was ready to get Landon out safe and sound. So in front of 14 people in the delivery room (my mom counted. It included nurses, doctors, NICU team because of the decel, and my mom, sisters, Lauren, and Turi) I pushed. And out he came with a full head of hair.

As the nurse had predicted, the cord was around Landon's neck (and wrapped around his leg, too). Luckily, it didn't pose a threat in the actual birth. But little man also didn't come out wailing, as I had hoped. Although, he was pink ( a good sign), he was retracting. Retracting just means that he was working way too hard to breathe. Fortunately, NICU was in the room because of the decel and went right to work on him. He needed help getting the fluids and mucous out his lungs. I was told it would be okay and that I had the best in NICU working on my son. I was fine at first, but after 10 minutes and all of the 14 people on the other side of the room with a son a couldn't even see, I began to cry silently. I was scared for my little boy and because of the epidural I couldn't leave the bed to be with him. Soon things were more light-hearted and Landon FINALLY cried out. He was here and he was happy and healthy :)

Nate got to cut the cord, not once, but twice:

After they knew Landon was okay, people seemed to realize that I was crying (and probably looking desperate) on the hospital bed across the room. The NICU nurse held up Landon "for mommy" and I got a real good look at my boy:

And FINALLY they put him on my chest for our skin to skin. I was overwhelmed with emotions at this point. I couldn't really say much. All I could do was kiss him:
We were the new and improved Butler Trio:

Everyone left the room and we got a little time for just us (sorry for the grainy, iPhone pic):
This is the sight that melted my heart. Nate was the happiest and proudest (and cutest) new dad I'd ever seen. I could see he loved Landon as much as I did. It's amazing how immediate the connection is.
Here is my family who made the trek, early on that Monday morning.
And the star of the show: Landon Butler. Born Labor Day afternoon, September 6, 2010 at 2:44pm. He was 7lbs 2oz and 20 inches long. My uncle nicknamed him "Crash" (say it together with his name - Crash Landon, get it?). After the ups and downs of his delivery, I think the name is very fitting.
"Nanna" with her 1 day old grandson:
After two nights at the hospital, we were discharged. I don't look tired at all.. No, not at all ;)
Landon looked so tiny in the carseat. I felt bad because I knew it had to be uncomfortable. But it didn't seem to bother him since he slept the whole way home.
Home sweet home:
Anybody still there? This is by far my longest post ever! I'm surprised I've only had to stop once to feed Landon. Almost finished.

So, although things didn't go as smoothly as I'd hoped, Landon entered the world safe and sound. And now it's just amazing to watch him grow and evolve. Nate and I are forever changed. It's amazing that something so small can bring such big joy :)

My Kid has Rock Star Hair

2010-09-28T16:43:00.000-07:00

It seems like everyone has one comment when they see Landon, "Look at that hair!!" So I thought I'd quickly show you what the fuss is all about...

He rocks his 'do, what can I say :)

Before He Arrived

2010-09-23T18:57:00.000-07:00

The week or so before Landon made his debut I had a revelation. I realized that in a week or so Nate and I's lives were going to change forever. The few weeks before I had spent so much time thinking about when Landon would get here. When you are that close to giving birth, I think you sort of become consumed with thinking about the baby's arrival. After a couple of weeks of this type of obsession, my revelation hit. And I am so thankful it did.

Basically I told myself, "Hey, no matter what, this kid is coming. And he's gonna be here in a week or two, at most. Enjoy this last week before life as you know it changes forever." FINALLY, I stopped worrying about WHEN Landon was going to get here and began a sort or farewell to my LBL (life before Landon).

So what did we do? Well, we walked. We finished the baby's room. We spent time at the beach. We relaxed and enjoyed our last few days as a two-person family. We hung with friends. And we ATE. Those of you who know me best, know that I love to EAT. So Nate and I hit up some local San Diego cuisine (and I didn't let myself worry too much about the calories). Here are some pics of the week before Landon came and changed our lives forever (in the best way imaginable). Mostly I have pics of the food, go figure.

We hit up the famous (and delicious) Bronx Pizza!

We stopped by Cafe 222 for some Peanut Butter and Banana stuffed French Toast as seen on Food Network's "the Best Thing I Ever Ate."

We watched some football and Nate yelled as CU had another disappointing loss:

Just the two of us, before we made the Butler Trio:

Meet Landon

2010-09-15T18:53:00.000-07:00

He's herrrrre! Landon Eldon Butler was born on September 6th weighing in at 7 lbs 2 oz and was 20 inches long. I plan on writing a blog about his birth soon, but for now I thought I would introduce you to our little man and tell you a few things about him. So, introducing Landon!

What you've probably already noticed is that he was born with a whole head of hair. After a good shampooin' it looks and feels like a soft little fuzz ball:

When he was born I wasn't so surprised by the hair on his head (I had it, why shouldn't he), but I was definitely surprised to see his lovely natural sweater. That's right this little monkey has hair on his back and shoulders as well. I'm not too worried about it; I know it will fall out...

His hair isn't the only reason Landon is like a cute little monkey, he also has long arms. He loves showing off his "wing span"

His long, skinny arms are only there to complement his long and skinny feet. From the looks of things, he may just be the next Michael Phelps (sans the little public transgression)

His hobbies include a lot of eating and a WHOLE LOT of sleeping. He can often be found in his napper just sleepin' away

He's already quite the stud in our eyes :)

What can I say? I love this boy more than life itself. It's amazing how immediate the connection is between parents and their child. I can't believe he is already a week old, but at the same time I can't imagine life without him.

Landon Butler - 1 week old

Baby's Room - Check!

2010-09-03T15:15:00.000-07:00

Finally, I feel like the baby's room is finished (more or less). I'm pretty excited to have it all complete before the little guy has arrived. Also, I'm happy with how the room came out (so if you don't like it, lie to me).

The first thing I bought for the room was the bedding (Bali by CoCaLo). I loved the colors and the tropical/beach theme was right up Nate and I's alley. Since we rent our apartment I knew painting was out of the question. Bright greens and turquoise was my solution. After picking the bedding, the room kind of unfolded. As you will see below, the last addition to the room was the wall decal. Where did I come up with buying a wall decal? Who knows. I was searching for ideas and thought that a decal is different and definitely safe for above the crib (we do have earthquakes in CA).

Alright, without further ado... Little Man's room!

You may have noticed that I said that the room is finished, more or less. This is partly because I'm still not completely sold on the letters and their location. They are kind of just sitting on the shelf without any support. So I reserve the right to move those in the future ;)

I tried to keep pictures of the room's progress. Remember what the room used to look like? Here is the only pic I could find of the room, back when it was our computer/guest room:

Well, a few short months later, with the passing of some life-changing events our transition from guest room to baby's room began. Here is how it went:

And then... THE FINAL PRODUCT!

So there you have it! Now there is just ONE thing missing. One little, cute thing missing. That's right.. Landon! I'll have to get on that :)

My Main Man

2010-08-30T11:54:00.000-07:00

There is something to be said for having a husband who is patient, loving and always willing to help. I feel like I should take a moment to briefly explain how amazing Nate has been through the pregnancy. Since the day I met him, he's made my life easier and this pregnancy has been no exception. Without getting too gushy, I just want to say that I hope everyone's husbands are as amazing as mine. And I can't wait to go through the challenges of labor with him by my side.

Amazing, yes. Handy? You bet! I promise you will see a finished baby's room VERY soon, but to tide you over I will show you one of the little projects that took place a couple of weeks ago. A lot of Landon's room has been painted/created/constructed by me or Nate and I'm finding that it makes me love it that much more.

Sooo... we had this old hand-me-down dresser that needed some TLC.
Because I'm prego and not wanting to breathe in paint fumes, this project went to Nate. Luckily he accepted the project without a single complaint.

After some sanding:
and repainting:
(look how he takes on my projects with a smile on his face :) What a guy!)

We had ourselves a new dresser:
It turned out great and paying $15 for new paint is WAY cheaper than buying a whole new dresser.

Okay, I'm waiting for one last thing to arrive and then I will put up the finished product. Oh, and 8 more days until my due date! Woohoo!

10 Things I've Learned While Pregnant

2010-08-24T16:40:00.000-07:00

1) I now know where almost every bathroom is in the city of San Diego.
2) Skin is an amazing organ.
3) Flip-Flops are hands-down the best invention. The person who came up with these easy slip-ons must have had pregos in mind.
4) Reality TV isn't all terrible - at least it gives you something to watch when you're stuck on the couch.
5) A queen bed (never an issue before pregnancy) may just be too small to hold husband, prego wife, and wife's army of pillows.
6) Cheese is a gift from heaven.
7) Listen to your body. If you feel like you're over-doing it, you probably are.
8) Some inhibitions seem to disappear when pregnant (poor husbands!) - that's all I'm going to say about that one.
9) People who say, "Enjoy your sleep now," don't know what it feels like to sleep while 8 months pregnant.
10) Patience - I have no control over when this guy is going to make his debut, may as well sit back, relax, and wait patiently (or try to, anyways).

There is a lot more I could add to this list, but these are kind of the highlights. Okay back to my self-inflicted torture of watching Baby Story and Bringing Baby Home :)

Dear Landon,

2010-08-15T11:25:00.001-07:00

As much as I'm so excited for you to get here, as much as I can't wait to see what you look like and to kiss your little toes, I need a favor from you. You see, your dad is in Dallas for the next 4 days (Dallas is in Texas- you will learn all about that when you are older). I would love for you to come early, but if you could just not come in the next 4 days I would really appreciate it. Tell you what, you can even come Thursday around dinner time, just not any sooner. Does that sounds good? Can you grant me this favor? I know you are a little young to be making deals, but believe me this one is reeeeal important. I'll take that kick to my right side as your way of shaking on it.

I promise to give you all the love a mom can give when you get here. Just please wait until at least Thursday night. Anytime after that is fair game.

Love you,
Mom

Growing, Growing, Gone

2010-08-08T12:23:00.000-07:00

Well, here we are.. 1 month left! I can't believe how fast this pregnancy has flown by. I've been so lucky with how smoothly it's all gone. Now I'm just ready to see our little guy (and kiss him, hug him, cuddle him, etc.).

We've been hard at work with the baby's room. It's taken some organizational techniques to get stuff out of the room since it was somewhat used for storage, but things are finally coming together. I can't wait to share the finished product with you guys.

For now enjoy my (and Landon's) growth through this process. This will probably be the last belly pic, seeing as how I don't have another 8 weeks to go :) Enjoy!

12 weeks:

20 weeks:

28 weeks:

36 weeks:

It's a pretty amazing process and I've loved being a part of it. Can you believe there is a human in there?

OC Baby Shower

2010-08-01T09:42:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday my mom, Lisa, Shannon, and Lauren threw me an amazing beach theme baby shower. The place looked awesome and everyone did such I great job. I'm so luck to have those 4 people in my life!

While the morning didn't quite start off how I would have liked (my first trip to the hospital, Nate still in Australia.. but don't worry everything was fine, most likely just the baby dropping a little early), the morning flew by and before I knew it, it was time to go. Before I got there these four (and a half) set up the cutest shower ever. My shower set-up crew included Lauren (& Lilly), Lisa, JJ, and Shannon:
You can see two framed pics of a little Nikki and a little Nate on the food table. There were framed baby pictures of the two of us on all of the tables. Cute shower favors: Surfboard Cookie
Three of my favorite ladies. Sisters and Mama:
The "Saenz girls"
We played 3 games: 1)How Many Diapers?
2) Who can guess Nikki's waist size? (Most people were way over!)
3) Name all the baby items on the tray. You have 30 seconds or so to look at the tray and then have to list the items from memory. It was funny to catch some of my aunts trying to sneak a 2nd peak at the tray :) LoLo, the shower-game conductor:
ShaSha loves funny, unique cakes, and this one was no exception. Hopefully Landon is a little cuter than his frosting version ;) The shark was a little intimidating....
but I got him in the end :)

I just want to thank my Mama, Lisa, Shannon, and Lauren for a great shower. My not so great morning was completely turned around by the awesome job they did on my shower. I love you all sooooo much and I don't know what I would do without you!

Now it's time to really prepare for Landon's arrival. I'm sure I'll be blogging about that progress soon. Man, is this turning into a baby blog or what? Can't help it, I already love "Little Man" so much...

Why Classics are Classics

2010-07-31T15:03:00.000-07:00

In the past few years I've read books, liked books, and enjoyed my reading them, but something has been missing. In what feels like a couple of years (maybe longer) I haven't had that "I can't put it down" sensation. FINALLY, I have experienced the feeling. To what book do I owe this indulgence??

Why none other than Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. It was EVERYTHING I had hoped it would be and I am only sad that it is now over. I hadn't read an Austen book since college (Mansfield Park), and it was there I learned that I definitely loved her style and her leading ladies, whom I feel very much reflect myself. I am so glad I picked up this classic! It is a great reminder of why classics are classics! As if I even need to say it: I very much recommend this book to everybody. Two enthusiastic thumbs up!

Endnote - Always when movies of classics that I haven't read come out, I try and stay away because I never want a movie to ruin the book for me. I am soooo glad I stayed away from the 2005 Keira Knightley version before reading this. I loved the suspense of not knowing what was going to happen. And now I look forward to seeing the movie and critiquing it with a more informed eye! (Was that cheesy? Ahhhh well!)

Through the Years

2010-07-27T17:48:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday my Mama, ShaSha, Lisa, and Lauren threw me an amazing baby shower. I had a great time and love them all dearly for putting in the time and effort. BUT I will talk more about the shower on another blog. For this post I wanted to share an awesome video Shannon made in anticipation of little Landon.

Before this video I'm not sure I had ever seen pictures of me as a newborn. Ummmm... Can you say hilarious? I looked like a little Mexican man (Nate said I was a blockhead). If that doesn't crack you up take a good gander at Nate's senior pic. Stuuuuuuud Muffin. I hope you all enjoy, I know I have!

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, Vimeo couldn't quite handle the size of the video so it's a little lower quality on the website than the one I saw. Okay, now really, enjoy.

Nate and Nikki from ShaSha on Vimeo.

I also want to say thank you to Lynn for working with ShaSha and sharing all those amazing pictures of Nate. I love, love, love seeing those pics of him and now have more to work with when imagining what our little one will look like :)