First Sleep Over

We had our first sleep over on Friday.  Our friend's daughter had tubes put in her ears on Friday morning.  After a long day with his mom and sister, M got to come stay at the house with us.  He packed up a little suitcase (it was so cute.)

They played PS3 for a while, jumped on the trampoline, and then played with every single toy upstairs (or at least the room looked like they did.)

We only had one incident (a toy princess amidala or leia - argument over which one it was.)  Other than that, the boys played great together.

We put them in bed, and moved the baby monitor to Landon's bedroom.  They whispered and giggled for ever.  Bryan finally went up and sat in the room to keep them from talking and they were asleep in less than five minutes.

The next morning Bryan offered them donuts and kolaches which they refused, so Bryan made them green waffles.  Then it was time for gymnastics.  After gymnastics they were ready for donuts.  Boys.  M's family picked him up from the donut shop (they were passing by.)

Then it was time for another birthday party (I think we have one every weekend til april!)  It was at a park - Lan played hard.  After the party, we had an early dinner.  Landon fell asleep on the way home, at 5pm.  He slept until 7am the next morning!!

Like a new puppy

Kenzie loves to eat paper.  LOVES it.
It's like a new puppy...you can't leave anything out.  Newspaper, books, tissues, wetwipes - nothing!
At the grocery, she'll chew all the coupons if she can grab them.
Changing her diaper, she'll grab the wet wipes out of the box.
She crawls to the kleenex box and starts pulling them out.
Any type of paper.

Kenzie's 7 month (6 month check up)

Not really surprising, (just like Landon's 6 month checkup), we got Kenzie's 6 month checkup when she was 7 months.

The surprising part - at 7 months, they weighed the exact same!!  But Landon was 1.5 inches taller - which is why he was in the 30% in weight and Kenzie is the 65%. 

She weighed 7 pounds 12 ounces and was 26 inches tall.  She wasn't really sure about laying naked on the scales...and started crying when I moved too far away (she's really become a mama's girl.)  She did okay with the shots, cried a little with both of them.  Luckily we'd had time to nurse in the room before the dr got there, so that helped.

She's growing up too fast.  She now pulls up on anything she can find.  If she's sitting and you try to reach for her, she'll grab your hands so she can pull up and walk.  She LOOOOOOVVVVVVVVEEEEESSSSS to walk.  She'll stand on her own for about 5-7 seconds before she tries to reach for something...and she's gotten really good at standing at one toy and moving to the other.

She isn't "crawling" but she'll go up on one knee, scooch a little and roll down, then back on the knee, scooch, etc.  She can get to anything she wants.

She has really become a mama's girl.  Bryan hardly gets to hold her.  As soon as she sees me, she starts pushing off of him, trying to get to me.

OH!! We have this little dinosaur we bought for landon - it has holes for balls that you put in and then the balls roll down slides...she figured out the slide really fast.  She was putting all her toys on them and pushing them down.  Then she discovered Landon's mini skateboard ramp and realized her toys would slide down it too.

Landon's growing up too.  I can't believe how big he is...still skinny of course - since he won't eat anything.  He's ready for his birthday and for kindergarten.  He loves playing the PS3 with his dad or wrestling Dad on the trampoline.  He's still so good with Kenzie, giving her toys, playing with her.  Its awesome to see them together.  He still loves my hair and although he sleeps with all his ducks, he still on occasion asks if he can have my hair. 

He has lots of friends at school - they all hug every time they see each other or leave each other.  But his best friend is Mason.  They're inseparable.  I think if they could live together they would do it.  They play pretty well together, very few arguments - which they can usually resolve themselves.  Luckily they'll be going to the same school next year (whew!)  Lan also loves Mason's sister, Emersyn.  She's a doll and loves chasing the boys or getting them to chase her. 

Lan told me this week he has a girlfriend, but it's a secret and he never told anyone.  It's a girl in his class.  He tells me, "mom - she always says my name. And she always hugs me."  LOL...too young for that!

Both kids are great, healthy and well behaved.  We're very blessed!

Morning Routine

Working on a new morning routine.

Previously, Kenzie would stir around 4-5, I would nurse her in our bed and go back to sleep.  She would then stir again around 5:30-6:30, when I would let her nurse again so she'd fall back asleep.  But the last set could contain anywhere from 1- 5 nursing sessions, depending on how quickly she went back to sleep and how soon she woke up, etc.  Not any effort on my part, she's laying there, I'm laying there, I'd just let her eat...in hopes that we could both go back to sleep....

Now...I nurse her when ever she wakes up around 4, then we both go back to sleep.  I have my alarm set so that I can get up early (6am, but tomorrow it will be 5:30) so I can get up and watch DVR'ed Kathie and Hoda (which I became addicted to while at mom's house.)  Curl my hair, and put make up and maybe get dishes done, or toys picked up.  When Kenzie wakes up, this time, instead of nursing and letting her go back to sleep, I take her into the living room with me, letting Bryan (and Landon - who has been sleeping in the lay-z-boy in our bedroom) keep sleeping.

She can play and I get to enjoy more time with her...and then by 7-7:30ish, she's ready for breakfast, which is now cereal and a veggie or fruit.  And Landon wakes up now at 7 and has cereal also (YAY! - that's a huge accomplishment.)

I'm still adjusting the timing of everything.  But I think its going to work out.  I'm not any less tired, since I wasn't getting quality sleep for that last hour, hour and a half anyway.

After more of these type of mornings, we'll be able to get our nighttime routine in place.  The most important piece of advice I've read so far is that, yes, routines do help kids...but always, always, always be flexible in your routine.  There's times when life happens and it doesn't care about your 'routine' or what time you give the kids a bath, or what time you lay them down.  And that's okay.  Enjoy a night with the kids...let them stay up a little longer, go out for dinner, whatever...make sure that you aren't so strict on your schedule that you or your kids can't function any differently.  Because I guarantee you, something, sometime will change that schedule. And if you've been flexible, you and your kids will be able to enjoy a deviation.

P and F

Christmas Morning (in pictures)

Christmas 2010 Pictures

Kenzie's beautiful blue eyes.  She's light up everytime she saw a camera.  Already posing!

Landon and Kenzie with Granny Foster.  (Landon wasn't happy he had to take a picture.) Notice he's wearing his Texas Tech jersy with Tanner's number.

Tradition at my mom's house.  Decorating home made sugar cookies. (Which I ate for the next week.)

Kenzie going for a ride.  Cousin Cora loved pushing K around in the walker.

Grandpa and Kenzie chilling at Granny Fosters.

Landon helping entertain Kenzie at Nana Sharon's  before Christmas Eve dinner.

Some of the cousins checking out Brocks new iPad.

Rhodes Family in pink and black - day after Christmas

Landon was so excited to get "snow" the day after we flew in.  It didn't snow much and didn't last long, but it was just enough for him.  (He really wanted more...but that didn't happen this trip.)

Rhodes Family at Granny Foster's on Christmas Eve

Update on the kids

Wow, have I been horrible about blogging!  Guess I could go back to my Facebook posts and see what I've done for the past two months.

Landon is growing up so quickly.  He'll be 5 in 3 months!  I just can't believe it.  He's still around 37 pounds and about 45 inches tall.  He's so skinny, it's crazy.  He hardly ever eats, and if he does, its just a corn dog. Or one package of fruit snacks.  Yes, this is our (parents) issue and we need to deal with it...but that's not going to happen today.

Mackenzie is growing so, so, so fast!  We spent the last two weeks in New Mexico.  That little girl wants to pull up on everything.  She thinks she needs to be standing/walking all the time.  What she doesn't realize is that she can't walk by herself!  She'll lunge forward from sitting to get in a crawl position, then she tries to get her leg under her so she can stand up.  Crazy!  She can crawl backwards now and turn in circles.  And walk backwards in the walker.  Won't be long now. 

I love seeing the kids together.  Landon is so good with her.  He kisses and dotes on her all the time.  And he always wants her to sit by him, or watch him play.  She loves him just as much.  Her little face brightens every time she sees or even hears him.  She gets the biggest smile on her face. 

In the past month, she's started to want mommy.  If she sees or hears me, she does this little fake whimper thing, wanting me to pick her up.  And if anyone is standing, she puts her arms out begging to be picked up.

She says her name (what we call her) "kay, kay" - that was her first word(s). She says da-da and goya (like landon) and a sort of crying 'ma...ma...ma..." when she's sad.  She doesn't associated those "words" with anything.  She just likes talking.

She's chewing on everything she can get her little hands on.  There's got to be a tooth there soon.

Landon has made a best bud.  He and Mason are inseparable.  They're really good together, never any fighting.  So nice to let them go play and not worry about any one getting feelings hurt, or some one getting hurt or mad. They have the same mind set and are both good kids.  Its fun watching him make a best friend. 

I'll have to post a Christmas update separately.  Just way too much to type.