Landon at 8 Months

I never realize how huge he is until I see someone else holding him! Ashlyn wanted to feed him but it only lasted a few minutes. He is so wildly active and strong she cannot contain him.

Landon is 8 1/2 months and I am just now getting around to posting about it. I am beginning to despair of ever catching up on my blogging. From 7 to 8 months had a lot of exciting firsts. He started saying his first word which is Mama! Good boy Landon! He also met a lot of his extended family for the first time. I have begun to wonder what the earliest diagnosis is for hyperactivity? Landon has taken fighting sleep to a new level. He has started eating just enough to take the edge off (around 4 oz) but not enough to really feel full and thus give in to sleep. He also flails and kicks around like a wild animal in his efforts to stay awake. This actually causes people to stare and ask what is wrong with him. On the positive side it is a nice workout for me. He will be utterly exhausted but will pop up like a demented jack-in-the-box right as you think he has lost the fight. He tries to drink his bottle while sitting up which does not work very well at all. He surely has Chris's high energy level. I have had to start just laying him down in his crib and letting him cry for a few minutes. I hate hearing him scream even though I know it is just for a few minutes.
This shot makes me laugh. He looks like he is standing up with some contraption stuck to his back but he really is sitting.

This was a mini miracle. He actually fell sleep in John's arms while at the bowling alley!!! And he stayed that way for a good 40 minutes!!! He never sleeps in our arms or in such a stimulating environment. Whitney and Gavin wouldn't either. Though I have wondered if it is because Chris is too high energy and I am too high anxiety. =D

Landon with Aunt Heidi

Grandpa Glen and Landon Glen

He actually gave Grandma Michele is first kisses! They were open mouthed and slobbery but he gave it the old college try.

Zoee Elysse

My niece Zoee turned 4 on January 16th. Officially ending a roughly month long season of 6 birthdays on my side of the family! That is a lot of cake! Not only is she absolutely gorgeous but she is one smart cookie too! The future looks awfully bright for her! We made something of a last minute decision to travel to Mesquite so we could join in the birthday festivities.
Making a wish!

Princess Zoee ripping into her gifts.

Hollee

January 11, 1984 was a very good day for me. That was the day my baby sister Hollee was born. My other siblings and I were staying with my Aunt Coleen & Uncle Jay while my Mom was at the hospital. I still remember the phone call from my Dad calling to say we had a sister. My cousin Jenny (the oldest of 4 brothers) was green with envy. She said, "You guys are so lucky to get another sister!" Despite the fact that she had her own room full of treasures, I secretly had to agree with her. I was a fan of Holly Hobby back then. Holly Hobby's best friend was named Heather. I took this as an omen that we were sure to be great friends. The day my Dad was going to bring them home from the hospital, I refused to go to school. I made the excuse that there was no one to fix my hair and hence I could not go. I do have a small stubborn streak in me. It rarely comes out but when it does I am immovable. My Dad tried his best to talk me into going to school. I was going with him he just didn't realize it quite yet. I was determined to go in part because I missed my Mom and also because I could not wait to meet Hollee. My Mom had told me on the phone that she looked just like me when I was born and weighed exactly the same amount, 7 pounds 11 ounces, which as everyone knows, is very lucky! I took this as further proof that we were meant to share a special bond. It was love at first sight!

Hollee is even more beautiful on the inside than she is on the outside. She has more integrity and decency in her than your average 10 people combined. She is hardworking and extremely creative. To know her is to love her. She is an amazing Mother! One of the most patient and fun Mom's I have ever known. I am so thankful that I got to celebrate her birthday with her this year. And also to have her and the her cute girlies stay with us for 23 whole days. Even though I now have to pay the price of missing her terribly.

I remember asking my Mom to take this picture of us after church one Sunday. I thought she was the cutest thing ever with her little shoes, bow and pink rose bud dress.

What would a birthday be without the required embarrassing-restaurant-Happy-Birthday- moment? Texas Roadhouse brings out a saddle for birthday boys and girls! Good thing she had her boots on otherwise she might have looked silly.

Eleven Excellent Years

My baby girl is 11 now! She has grown and developed so quickly that I feel cheated at times. I wish I could live in denial like Chris and believe that she will never leave home. I was just looking at last year's birthday blog and could not get over how much older she looks. She has been chastising me for being so behind on my blogging (her birthday was on the 8th). I told her, "I know! I am a big fat failure"! To which she replied "No, you are a tall skinny failure!" Way to soften the blow Whitney! Just a few days before her birthday I was moved to tears as she was playing the piano and I marveled at the wonder that is Whitney. At her parent teacher conference this past fall her teacher thanked me for sending her such a wonderful girl to teach she then went on to extol her many virtues. I got a little teary eyed at the time but all I could say was she came this way. Sometimes I feel like people give me way more credit than I could ever claim. One of the things that amazes me the most about her is that she has the rare quality of knowing her true worth without being at all conceited. Wouldn't the world be so much better if we could all feel that way? I don't deserve her but I am so grateful that I have the honor of being her Mother. She has been an absolute joy to raise.

As the birthday girl decreed we woke up at 6 a.m. so we could start the day off with her chosen breakfast of cake and bacon. She was so pleased with her cake! She wanted her cake to come from the same bakery Chris got mine from so she could have raspberry mousse filling. Next she opened her gifts. Once she and Gavin got home from school we loaded up to go see the new Chipmunks movie. It was a hit with all the kids from ages 2 to 11! Then we had dinner at Olive Garden where they really went above and beyond to treat her extra special.

Chris got Whitney this mountain bike.

Wit and her male mini-me.

The birthday girl enjoyed some pampering. I painted her nails turquoise the night before and her Aunt Hollee styled her hair. I was thrilled to find that her hair now holds curl!!! I'm guessing it has something to do with those surging hormones. =)

Another little birthday surprise was that she received an award at school on her special day. We knew she was getting it but she did not. She got it for "settling into a new school so quickly and well".

Chris Another Year Older/Welcome 2010!!!!

The birthday boy with his ice cream cake.

Gloating because they were in the lead.

Our dear and wonderful friends the Pierces drove down to visit with us for the last days of December. They arrived late on the night of the 28th. I had not been feeling so hot for the past few days. That night I alternated heavy sweating with teeth chattering chills. I had told Chris I wasn't feeling well but when I disturbed his sleep it reached a critical point. The next morning he got up and called to get me a doctor's appointment. While I was at the doctor's office everyone else went to the Air Museum. Turned out I had my first bladder infection. I have to say that is the worst I have felt outside of pregnancy since I had pneumonia when I was first married. I have been kicking myself because I hardly took any pictures while they were here. You know I'm feeling bad when I don't take photos! On the 31st (Chris's birthday) we went to the Desert Museum which is more like a zoo. When we came home Chris cooked himself up a shrimp boil just like last year. Then we got so caught up in our game of Battle of the Sexes that we did not realize the new year was here until around 12:30. The time went way too fast but we loved having ya'll here!

Christmas 2009

All the menfolk except Gavin enjoyed a little Christmas day nap on the sofa.
My brother is around 6'3" but doesn't seem to know it. He always curls himself up on the love seat for naps. I guess he finds it comfy - though I don't know how!

Gavin got this plane for Landon to hang over his crib.

With 11 people in the house there was quite the pile of presents! At our house we take turns opening the gifts one at a time starting with the youngest. We were opening presents for a long time!!! I decided we would wait to open Landon's gifts last since he is so young and babies always seem more interested in the paper than the actual gift.

He managed to open this toy all on his own! And he was more interested in the toy than the paper!!! Unbelievable, I know!

Landon got this plane for Gavin's collection of airplanes. Zaylee loved it too! I think she was more interested in Gavin's gifts than her own! Gavin wasn't quite sure how to handle the situation.

Chris got Zaylee this Smart Cycle and it was a big hit with all the little girls.

This princess castle was #1 on Zoee's wish list! When she went to visit Santa and he asked her what she wanted she said, "a house with food and a bathroom". Santa was a little alarmed by this request. Hollee was quick to explain that she wanted this doll house but got the impression Santa wasn't too sure. =D

This little girl knows how to strike a pose!

Whoopsie Doo was #1 on Ashlyn's wish list. You know how sometimes that most wanted item turns out to be not so great in reality? This was not the case with Whoopsie Doo! Ashlyn wasn't too interested in any of her other gifts. She only had eyes for Whoopsie Doo! She went through about 6 diapers. Not the most environmentally friendly toy.

Getting some sisterly love.

Hollee got Gavin his first set of dog tags and they were a big hit! Instead of his social security number she put our home's latitude and longitude. She always comes up with the best ideas!

John got Gavin this safe and it has also been a big hit! You get to set your own combination. He was so disturbed when Wendy opened it by using his birth date! He quickly changed the combination so no one could get his chocolate.

Grandma Susan is one talented lady and made this cute hat for Wit! Ashlyn, Gavin and Landon all got one too. The scarf was courtesy of Uncle John.

This cheetah Webkinz is probably the closet Whitney will ever come to her dream of having a pet cheetah.

Christmas Eve 2009

All the girls!

This was the best group shot of the kids that I could get. =) Zaylee was feeling under the weather, Landon was tired and the rest of the kids were just too wound up for posing. Much of Christmas Eve day was spent preparing a feast. Chris fried a turkey and we had lots of trimmings to go with it. Hollee and I made pies since I felt so cheated this Thanksgiving. Our apple pies bubbled over and started a little fire in the oven! We had a moment of panic but it put itself out quickly.

Last year Gavin said his Christmas jammies were too babyish and then this year seemed a little disappointed that his jammies weren't more festive.

I got all my siblings Christmas jammies (a first for all of them)! We felt like we were in an Old Navy commercial. =) My brother wasn't too thrilled with his Mr. Grinch PJ's. I'm pretty sure he will never wear them again. Totally worth the $15 I spent though, as the look on his face was priceless and made the rest of us laugh all night long!

Awww!!! Baby St. Nick and his big sissy!

The W Girls!
I always say that I had to give Whitney a W name so Wendy would have company. My other two sisters and I all have H names.

Zoee, Hollee and Zaylee ready for Santa!

Ho, ho,ho!!! Look who came to visit our house! Chris loves playing Santa Claus! He starts buying early and keeps it up till Christmas Eve every year. He just needs a belly that jiggles like a bowl full of jelly.