I have SO MUCH to say about you this past month!!!! As I was trying to get my thoughts together about what to write to you, there are so many stories to tell, I don't know where to begin! You are GROWING like crazy! I mean, you seriously are looking like a little boy! So...I'll just jump right in.
We had a great first Christmas with you. Of course, you didn't really care about much - just about eating the ornaments if I held you close to the tree. You were VERY funny to me at the Christmas Eve service at church. One of the reasons we decided to stay here for Christmas was because we really wanted to have a Christmas Eve service at church - we think that's very important, and I have gone to the service my entire life! There was not a nursery at church that evening - on purpose - since it's more of a family time, and not a long service. I asked Daddy if he wanted us to sit in the back, but he said no. Well, I thought about you fussing and getting crazy, but I did not think about you being really funny and distracting the people behind us. First of all, you were fascinated that Daddy was up there talking. You were staring and smiling like...what in the world?? Then, you kept wanting to turn around and stare at the people behind us. The last thing I want to do is be a distraction to people, but you were just so funny. I can imagine you must have been wondering what was happening. Finally, it was time for the Lord's Supper. I decided to try sitting you down beside me in the pew so that maybe you wouldn't be able to look behind us at the people. But, then, as they started to pass out the bread, you started scratching the pew with your fingernails. You know how you love to scratch everything - to check it out. So, I'm not sure which was worse - you smiling and staring at everyone or you scratching the pew over and over while we were doing Lord's Supper. :) It was very funny. Daddy even said sometimes it was hard for him to continue concentrating because of how you were watching him - I know he wanted to make faces back at you!
Here we are on Christmas Eve night:
And, here you are on Christmas morning! Santa brought you lots of fun stuff! Can you believe it SNOWED on Christmas???? It was very exciting. We went to Nanda and Pop Pop's to eat, and we had a great time. We were thankful they invited us to spend the afternoon with them. Nanda is a great cook, you know, and we love them like crazy!
Despite the wild snowy weather, we were able to go to FL the next day (even though we had to cancel church because of the weather!). We celebrated Christmas with Nanna and Grandaddy and with Grammy and GatorPa and saw all of our family. Nanna and Grandaddy had been a little sick and everyone who was there on Christmas Day at their house got the stomach virus. We didn't get to see them a whole lot because of that...thank goodness they were better at the end and we did get to spend time with them. And, the night we did spend with them, we went on a hayride. It was not freezing outside, all your cousins were there, and we were ready to have fun! I did not anticipate that you would HATE it. I know, it was dark, and cold, and just a weird thing you'd never done, but you screamed, and screamed and screamed. I finally had to get in the front of the track with Grandaddy and then you fell right asleep. I'm sorry you had such a bad time - maybe next year you will like it more!
You LOVE to roll yourself up in stuff....which is dangerous!!! You love tags, you know, so you like to grab the tag and then just roll yourself up. This has happened several times - yikes!! You are very funny about the rolling, too, because if you roll up against something you can't get past, it makes you MAD. I mean, mad, and you start crying - like whatever the object or furniture is should MOVE. 
Can you believe it snowed AGAIN after Christmas - and it was a BIG SNOW. The most snow Daddy and I had ever seen! About 6 inches in our yard. You weren't a huge fan of the cold, but...you survived for a few minutes so we could get some pictures. I know you look like a sweet penguin...you probably didn't like it not because of the cold but because you couldn't even move!!
This Momma Kangaroo has been one of your favorite toys, which is so funny because I got it at Costco for $5!!! It talks in a funny high pitched voice and you really, really, I repeat, really, like it :)
Ooooh....look at you! You are trying your hardest to sit up! See how your sock is off? Your right sock always comes off...and then your left, too. You are too busy to keep those socks on. Here you are doing a "crunch". I think you'll be able to pull yourself up to a sitting position if you keep going at this rate.
What a sweet face! And, some of your favorite books...and your puppy!
Let's see - I have so many other things to mention about you! - You LOVE your Peek a Boo books now! I am SO HAPPY about it because I love books, and I want you to love them too!
- You are sitting up great, but still falling backwards HARD. Sillytown has been a fantastic way for you to practice sitting up.
- I should not even tell this story on here because someone might call the police on me. You are getting around better and better, and you seem to like the wood floor by the couch...A LOT. I was sitting on the couch and realized you were very quiet the other day. I looked down, and guess what you had in your mouth? The end of the cord that plugs into Daddy's laptop...and the other end was plugged into an outlet! YIKES. We are going to have to start being WAY more careful. It was a wake up call for me.
- About a week ago we went to Jos A Banks for Daddy to get a new suit with some Christmas money he got. You know how you love mirrors. I was trying to entertain you while Daddy was shopping and trying on, etc. I walked you up to the three way mirror - the first one you have seen. Oh my word, it was the funniest thing. You looked at yourself than did a double take, then looked again. You gasped, and looked, and gasped, and looked, and gasped and looked. It was hilarious. James was in the mirror THREE times!!!
- On January 17, you threw up for the first time. I thought you might be sick, but really you threw up because of the mixer :( You hate anything loud...and I just don't know why! You used to be alright with the mixer, but no, not anymore. Just like you hate the vacuum and the drill, and cow and goat noises, you also hate the mixer. I've tried holding you to show you it's okay. I've tried putting you away from me to show you it's okay. I don't know what else to try. But, I have to use the mixer sometimes! So...you threw up because you cried hard. I'm sorry, and I'll try to figure out what to do to help you. It scared me to death when you threw up - it was like more and more and more milk just pouring out! I did not like it AT ALL. I was just trying to make a banana split cake for the Sr. Adult lunch at church the next day!
- You are ALMOST crawling. You are up on your elbows and knees rocking back and forth, back and forth :)
- Nanna and Grandaddy got you a farm toy for Christmas. You push the buttons and it makes all kinds of noises of the animals and sings songs. There is a little book with only one big plastic page that you flip back and forth. YOU LOVE to flip this open and closed, open and closed....
- We had to put away your magic sheet. I'm so thankful he Leudecke's let us borrow those things! They saved our life when you were wetting through your diaper numerous times a day when you were brand new to us! I came in the other day and you had pulled the sheet so hard that you unsnapped it and had it all folded back eating it and playing with it. So...we're done with those.
- We first felt your bottom teeth (Daddy found them!) on December 26. I know your top teeth are coming in. You are chewing on everything, drooling a ton, and are fussy. I can't feel them yet, but I think they might be coming soon. You are already look SO CUTE with your bottom teeth - I can't wait until the top ones come - I'm going to eat you up you will be EVEN CUTER (which is hard to imagine!)!
- Not only are you almost crawling, but you are doing the funniest thing. You are propping yourself up on one side and playing on your side. I don't even know how you know how to do that...but it's very funny...and shows you have pretty good balance, I think.
- Your favorite fruit is banana grape plum. You are practicing with the sippy cup. You are eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and having milk with those, and you are having a bottle still when you first wake up and right before you go to sleep. You are practicing with the sippy cup at meals, but you are not a pro yet. We took the valves out to see if it would help. It is helping, but you still think you hew on the spout to get the water out...
- For the first time on January 10, you actually beat the toy drum we have! You are starting to hit more with the palms of your hands.
- We had to put blankets down in the living room floor so it would be softer for you to fall backwards :)
- You are so funny when I pick you up. You are holding your arms out to us now, but as soon as I pick you up after you've wanted me to, you immediately try to turn around, and elbow me right in the throat like you cannot wait to get away...EVERY time.
- We had a bad night the other night, and most of your nights are very, very good. You are sleeping from about 8:30pm - 7:00am. The other night, though, you woke up, and it was not good. I finally went in the bedroom because I needed Daddy's help. Here's our conversation:
B: "Landon."
L: (muffled, sleepy voice) "What?"
B: "I need your help."
L: "With what?"
Now, I must pause. Daddy actually asked me with With what??? HA. This cracks me up. What did he think I needed help with in the middle of the night???!!! YOU!! Finally, I fed you and you went back to sleep. That has not happened in MONTHS, and I am glad. You were just having a rough night.
- Finally, let me tell one funny story (or not funny story). You know how we love Costco. I mean, we go there at least once a week when we can. The bathrooms there are a bad situation. They were already a bad situation before I had to change your diaper there. They are always kind of gross and smelly - typical public restroom. BUT, the Costco bathroom has hand dryers like the movie theaters have now - they are REALLY, REALLY loud and crazy so they dry people's hands fast. So, you had a dirty diaper and I needed to change you the other day. I put you on the changing table in the bathroom. Someone started to dry their hands - you went CRAZY. I just had to pull you off the table and walk you outside. Those people left. We went back in. I got you ALMOST changed, and I knew...I was trying to beat this lady who was washing her hands and about to dry them. I almost beat her, but not quite. You freaked out AGAIN. I cannot put into words what "freaked out" means, really. It's obvious you were TERRIFIED. So, I had to take you out again with no pants on. I handed you to Daddy, who put your pants and socks back on, and went back in to get our stuff. Whew! It was exhausting. Please don't have any dirty diapers at Costco anymore!!
We've celebrated our first Christmas with you this past month...you are almost crawling...you are eating some big people food...WOW, you are changing. I'm BEYOND thankful for the precious gift you are. Watching you change before my eyes is amazing. What a miracle. Thank you, God, for choosing us to be James' parents!!!
Love,
Your Mommy
