Mall Santa

So today my grandparents and I took the kidlets to the mall this morning to get their pictures taken with Santa Claus.  I was expecting the worst... Lennon was going to get jam-hands/dirty her dress up before we got to the front of the line; MJ was going to scream is fool head off; the line was going to take ages and neither of them would be down for Santa time by the time we got to see him.  But I was pleasantly surprised.  We were in line maybe a total of 10 minutes, Lennon made friends with the siblings that were in front of us, and MJ was all smiles the duration of our wait.

Then we got to Santa.  Lennon was shy, and MJ promptly shit himself as soon as he was sat on Santa's lap.  Love my kids <3

One Month!

You are one month old (as of Wednesday).  I can't believe it's already been that long since you made your grand debut into this crazy crazy world.  Daddy and I love you oh so much, even if you act like you barely tolerate either of us from time to time.

Here are some of your favorite things at the moment...
1. Sleeping on Mommy's chest
2. Watching the ceiling fan
3. Listening to the soundtrack to Assassin's Creed : Black Flag
4. Bathtime
5. Having your pants (and diaper) off
6. Your Wubbanub

And here are some of your least favorite things...
1. When the bottle can't connect with your mouth fast enough
2. When your pacifier falls out of your mouth
3. Having a dirty diaper
4. Being too hot
5. Being too cold
6. When bathtime is over
7. Daddy (this is what he says, I don't see it)

You are 11 pounds and 1 ounce, measure at 22.75 inches, and have a head circumference totaling 15.5 inches.  All in all you are a big, healthy boy.

Friday Favorites

I'm trying to blog more, and having day specific themes might help me out with that.  So here are my favorite things right now...

1. Pretty Little Liars

2. Mixing prints; especially if one is leopard <3

3. Making this glittery reindeer for Christmas decor

Schnepf Farms

So in all my 12 years that I've been living in Arizona, I've never been to Schnepf Farms.  It's a working farm in the FAR east Valley in Queen Creek, it's like 40+ years old I think (I'd look it up, but I'm in lazy Sunday evening mode... and The Walking Dead is starting soon).  The news I watch in the mornings goes out every year - they help sponsor it - and I've always wanted to go.  Well yesterday we went.

I went with my sisters, Lennon, my dad... his lady friend and some of her family (youngest daughter, granddaughter, and niece).  It was SO MUCH FUN!  I'm surprised we stayed there for 5 hours, and that Lennon did SO good without a nap during that time.

My favorite part was the U-Pick Pumpkin patch, the fact that it's a REAL working farm (they have different fruits/veggies to pick year round), the sunflowers they had growing, and that it was a great escape from the city.  There was SO MUCH to do, like SO much.  We probably did 45% of what the farm had to offer (pumpkins, food, ponies, petting zoo, a few rides and the corn maze).

Lennon's favorite part was the pony ride.  Her horse was named "Patches" but she renamed him "Bo" (after my sister Becca's dog).   Actually any animal that happens to be black and white is renamed Bo, wether they like it or not or Lennon knows they have another name haha.

Dear Lennon...

One day you won't want my hugs or my kisses.  You won't want to hold my hand as we go through the car wash as the "Octopus" attacks my car.  You won't need me to tuck you in, to read another book, to help wash your hair in the bath tub.  There will be a day you won't want anything to do with me... and I absolutely dread when that day comes.

So for now, I'm cherishing the time you do want to spend with me.  The days that we spend a few hours decorating foam pumpkins or playing outside with your Hello Kitty sprinkler.  The days where we make birthday cakes out of your Duplo blocks and pretend to blow out the "candles" on top of them.  When you demand what crayons I use and what picture I'm allowed to color in your coloring books (such a bossy little thing you are sometimes).

And tonight I loved that you fell asleep on me.  That hasn't happened in a long time, probably since we lived in the house in Cave Creek.  I loved it.  Hearing your breathing getting deeper, your head slowly relaxing more and more and your body growing heavy.  I really miss you sleeping on me like you did when you were a baby <3

J-E-A-L-O-U-S-Y

So this past week Leni was around babies younger than her - which doesn't happen often, my two girlfriends that I'm good friends with have kids older than her (10 months and 4 months older to be exact).  The first, Juliet, showed me how Lennon would act if I were to have a baby any time soon (I'm not planning on it though, not yet anyways)... Juliet is a week old (super adorbz too, I'm bummed I didn't get any photos of her) and Leni was NOT having it when I was holding her.  She kept telling me "put baby JuJu back in her bed, hold me Momma".  It was heartbreakingly cute.

My fave pic I took of Aly... she's SO tiny for being 39 weeks <3

The second was Madison, Aunt Aly's neice.  I think Madison is two and again Lennon was NOT having any of my attention that was not thrown her way.  Though once Aunt Bina & Aunt Aly's best friend Alexis showed up with her boyfriend Shea, Lennon couldn't have cared less if I was paying attention to Madison :P

Is almost 3 too young to be boy crazy?
Because I have a feeling I'm going to have my HANDS FULL with this girl...
Check it out >>>

She was in awe of Steve (Aly's dad) and Shea

What Leni Does

Leni-Lou; 2.5 years old (4.21.2012)

• 37" tall & 25 pounds (tall & skinny)
• Loves to wear dresses and skirts and princess crowns
• Carries a calculator around and pretends it's a phone
• Favorite foods include : barbecue chips, popsicles, pb sandwiches, mexican rice, mac and cheese, chocolate milk, mango, apples, and bananas
• Favorite TV shows : Peppa Pig, Olivia, Ni Hao Kailan
• Favorite movies : Fox & Hound, Tangled, Lilo & Stitch
• Repeats everything that is said around her
• Loves to sing; favorite songs include Sugarland "Stuck Like Glue" and Beiber's "Boyfriend"
• Craziest almost 3 year old ever.  You love to dance and spin in circles and walk around with your eyes shut.  Seriously, what 2.5 year old can navigate around the house with their eyes shut?!

*Pictures taken via Instagram.  Add me : brittneyxleigh <3

Happy Half-Birthday Boo!

So in 6 months I'm going to have a 3 year old.  Where in the HELL have those last (now) two.point.five years gone?!  It's doesn't feel like she's been here for 3 years already, like what the hell.  She's totally in the terrible two's phase - screaming, telling me "NO!" - and the time-out corner has fast become her not-so-best friend as of late.  But the good moments out weigh the bad.
Today my dad and I took L to Cabela's to escape the 102* heat that we had today.  He ended up buying her a camoflauge dress (I'll take pics in like 2 years, seriously Cabela's figure your sizes out.  This 2T is going to fit her well into kindergarten!) and we walked through the fish area about 100x... no joke!  When we got home L and I sat at the kitchen table and ate popsicles for snack.  As we sat there she was telling me that she saw "fishes, and porQpines, and elks".  I love this kid.
But seriously, can I pause her at this age for a while? *pouts in a corner*

Hoppy Easter!

Hope everybody found as many Easter eggs as possible (Leni had us hide them for her 3 times at my Grandparents house today haha), ate as much ham as you could, and then got on a sugar high from all the chocolate rabbits!
Here are some pics from Leni's Easter <3

Halloween 2011

Today the unthinkable happened...

Well it wasn't TOTALLY unthinkable, I just wasn't prepared for it to happen today.

Lennon was bit by our corgi this afternoon.  It was a BAD bite.  I looked away for a moment, and turned to see Lennon screaming on the ground and Emma (our corgi) on Lennon's chest.  I rushed to pick Lennon up and blood was pouring down her face.  She was screaming.  I started screaming (probably not the brightest move on my part, but all rational thinking went out the window at that point).  My sister woke up and (rationally) decided we needed to get to the hospital PRONTO!  We got there within 15 minutes (usually a 30 minute drive with the Sunday afternoon traffic heading back into Phoenix).  5 hours were spent at the hospital.  Lennon was sedated (the worst thing I've ever had to witness thus far to my princess) after having her veins blown up 4 times.  While sedated the Peds ER Plastic Surgeon - Dr. Pritchard - proceeded to stitch up Leni's face.  8 open wounds were stitched up.  He was super cocky but to me that means he knows his stuff.  The worst of the wounds, right - I mean RIGHT - next to her left eye was stitched up first.  He told me because she was so cute he didn't want her to be scarred... at all.  I am so grateful for the staff at Mendy's Place at John C. Lincoln Hospital, they were so nice and caring and explained everything to me as it was going on or going to happen.  I almost had an anxiety attack watching them clean her wounds (before the sedative had taken effect).  Anyways, I am going to try and stop thinking about it for the night so I can relax and get some sleep... here are some (graphic) pictures of the incident!

Fresh wound; in her exam room @ Mendy's Place

Right after her surgery; still sedated

Eating a Popsicle after waking up

Cuddling with me @ Home (finally)

{20 months old}

Today marks Lennon's 20th month in this world.  I can't believe in 4 short months, my little girl is going to be two years old!  She's such a funny little girl, I love this age.  She talks so much, and is so expressive!  She is constantly cracking me up.  Her latest phrase that she loves to say is "Come on!"... Leni says it to anybody and everybody (me, her Nana and Papa, the dogs LOL).  She knows how to push my buttons too, but it just makes me love her all the more <3

Lovey Dovey

Seriously, where has my baby gone?

Massive Update {read "photo heavy"}

Sorry I haven't updated in almost a month, a lot of things have been going on around here.  First, on March 29th, I had my wisdom teeth removed (all three of them, yes I only had three).  I had to be knocked out 4 times during the 2 hour surgery AND they had to dislocate and slice open my jaw on the left side to get to those two teeth.  It took forever for all the bruises to heal up and my mouth is still a little tender on the left side.  Everything is healed up though, so that's good.  And I've lost about 30 pounds so far since then, due to not being able to eat meat (it kills my stomach) so now I'm pretty much a vegetarian - which I don't mind (:  I've got more energy now!

I'm also (finally) filing for child support from Lennon's father (aka "sperm donor").  In the *lovely* state of Arizona (insert eye roll here) it is going to cost me $300, JUST TO FILE.  My best friend works for a family law firm, so my next day off I'm going to go talk to one of the lawyers there and see what he can do to get the fee waived.  I'm not looking forward to this process, as I predict lots of court dates... but it will be worth it in the end when Lennon gets the financial support she deserves from him.

Speaking of Lennon, as of April 21st she turned 18 months old.  She is no longer considered a baby, and is a full on toddler.  She speaks in full sentences, runs instead of walks, and is pretty much hilarious 24/7 - well more like 20/7, a few of those hours are dedicated to her temper tantrums.

And now on to the pictures!

18 Months Old

Collecting Easter eggs with Papa

Cuddeling with her softy

Smelling the flowers

Gorgeous girl

I love my baby girl