...And Baby Makes Three!

We Have a New Blog!

2010-01-01T11:17:00.004-05:00

We've moved! You can see what we're up to these days by visiting our new site: http://www.relishingmylittlepickle.blogspot.com/

Fall Fun

2009-11-06T00:00:00.000-05:00

Nap Time

2009-11-05T00:00:00.000-05:00

Play hard. Sleep hard.

2009-11-03T23:18:00.002-05:00

Can't

get

enough

of this little man!!

Wirehaired Pointing Griffon Pups

2009-09-30T21:24:00.008-04:00

Latest Pictures of Bull's new puppy.

Bull's Getting a Puppy

2009-09-13T20:32:00.003-04:00

Well we have decided to get The Bull a puppy. After much consideration we have chosen a Wirehaired Pointing Griffon. I doubt any of you have ever heard of such a beast but we think it is the perfect fit for our family. We found a breeder about three hours away and put a deposit on an upcoming litter for the first choice male pup. The puppies were born on September 9th, how cool is that 09-09-09. The litter consisted of 5 puppies and all 5 were boys. So we are going to Ohio to see the pups in two weeks and back again the first week of November to make our final selection. Here are the first picture of the puppies at 4 days old. Let us know which one is your favorite and we are currently thinking of a name for our new addition. We were thinking of some type of outdoors or hunting term/name, so if have any good ideas please feel free to share. Right now Landon's name choice is Cheetoh. Not sure that has anything to do with hunting or the outdoors but thats his choice.

Boy Toys!

2009-08-24T09:56:00.011-04:00

Jeremy and Landon have birthdays this week - Landon will be three and we won't say exactly how old Jeremy will be but it also has a 3 in it, and there's a zero at the end.....

To minimize the pain, we surprised him with something he's been hankering for since we moved into our house and he hand-raked 150 bags of leaves - The Cyclone Rake! Not that it would thrill most girls but he was darned tickled over it.

This box was the teaser - the only one small enough to wrap!

The face of a happy man!

Putting the contraption together with my Dad.

This requires deep concentration, apparently.

Almost there - it had a lot of parts!

Can you see the leaves? It's AUGUST and they're already falling here in PA!

With over 20 trees on our property, this is going to be a back-saver.

For Landon's birthday, we got him his own little red tractor so he can follow Daddy around, helping with the yardwork. Who knows, it might make him a better driver someday down the road.

Right now his steering is a little crazy.

BTW he's very proud of that hole in his jeans. First worn out pair.

Papa gave him a quick driving lesson.

So did Mama...

Daddy showed him how to dump out the sticks he'd gathered.

Way cool!

Look at me - I'm getting the hang of it!

Just a sidenote - did anybody know they sell these ginormous marshmallows? Fantastic!

Happy Boys with their toys!

MOVED IN!

2009-06-02T23:47:00.009-04:00

Out with the tools, and in with the furniture! Hooray!!

As promised, here are a few recent "after" shots. "After" pictures are always so much more fun when compared to "before" ones. To see what our house looked like when we bought it two months ago, and what it looked like throughout the renovation process, you can click on the "We're Buying a Home," "Home Sweet Home?" and "And Few Before and During Shots to Share..." links to the left under the "Previous" Heading.

Thank you for sharing this process with us...our project list is a little shorter, but we'll continue to keep you posted as we pour love (and a few other things...) into this home.

Side and Back porch

Kitchen and dinning room

Living room

Here are some pictures of the outside of the house. Landon loves his big, new yard. We have been spending some serious time trying to decide how to layout our wiffle ball field. Right now he only wants to chase the ball...we'll work on the rest later.

Come visit soon! :)

Jer, Les, and Landon

A Few "Before and During" Shots to Share...

2009-04-29T12:09:00.023-04:00

I'd love to share a few "before and after" shots with you, but we're not quite to the "after" part yet. We're getting closer, but our home is definitely still in the "during" stage. So, here are a few "before and during" shots for all of you that keep asking how it's going. I promise that I'll VERY HAPPILY post some "after" shots as soon as we get to that point!

The Front:

The picture on the left is from last summer, so we're looking forward to the trees and bushes filling in the front of the house, but black shutters made a huge difference! They were a surprise from Jer...he knows me well!

The Dining Room:

This room is still very "in process," but we have big plans for it in the next few weeks. Under that green carpet there are beautiful hardwood floors that we can't wait to see!

A Guest Bedroom:

This room is one of our closest to being ready for it's "after" shot. It still needs a few finishing touches, but it's looking great.

Kitchen:

And this is our most exciting room yet! In the last month we've removed a couple of walls, torn out a very unattractive floor, changed the layout of the overall space, installed recessed lighting (and under-the-cabinet lights), moved the cabinets up about 5 inches, and removed a bulkhead. Over the weekend though, we got our BEAUTIFUL granite countertop! This was another surprise from Jer. I picked it out weeks ago, but a complication occured (or so I thought), so we had settled on something else. Jer, because he is the sweetest husband ever, secretely made the original choice a reality, and I was very happy, and very surprised, to see them installed on Friday afternoon. We're hoping to have our floor and bacsplash installed this week.

So, it's coming along, and it gets more encouraging every day. We're looking forward to really calling it home as the "during" stage gradually begins to look a little more like the "after" we've been dreaming of!

Easter

2009-04-24T06:11:00.010-04:00

So, they're a few days, or...weeks late, but the pictures are still cute!

Easter Egg Hunt in our New Backyard

And just a few other sweet Easter pics...

Mamaw

2009-04-10T00:00:00.000-04:00

Happy Birthday, Terry/Mom/Mamaw!

We love you!

Yeehaw!

2009-04-08T00:00:00.001-04:00

For all our Texas family and friends...

Landon says, "Yeehaw!!"

We love and miss you!

PapPap

2009-04-07T00:00:00.000-04:00

Isabella and Landon playing with one of

thier favorite people.

Home Sweet Home?

2009-04-05T23:05:00.002-04:00

Well, we've "owned" our new house for 5 days now...

Like what we've done with the place?

We've taken down 3 walls-to open up the entry, family room, kitchen, and dining room, removed a very stubborn kitchen floor (thank you Allen and James for your hard work!), thrown some 40-year-old avocado green carpet out the front windows, moved a toliet to the back porch (I don't think the neighbors have noticed it yet...they're still waving and being very friendly), and removed about 10,000 leaves from the backyard. I told Jer that while I KNOW it's going to be wonderful when it's all done, it's a strange thing to see your house look worse and worse every day that you own it! Keep checking back though...it's gotta get better soon! Right, Allen?! :)

2009-02-12T23:10:00.001-05:00

Hope you're staying warm today!

Love,

Landon

Feb '09

We're Buying a Home

2009-02-10T05:00:00.000-05:00

If you know anything about our recent house hunt, you are probably as glad as we are that it's finally done! It was a long, and sometimes confusing road, but God knew all along that THIS was in store for us. We are so, so thankful for His providence, and ask that you pray for us as we work our way to our March 31st closing (our inspection is Wednesday, if you'd like to send up any prayers right away...).

If you know anything about us, than you also know that this 4 bedroom, "fixer-upper", on a very-flat-for-Pennsylvania, wooded, acre lot is PERFECT for us.

We're very excited and very thankful! God is so good!

Our New Pet!

2009-02-08T22:28:00.006-05:00

What can I say- Poppy inspired us.

After the Hartfields surprised us all with their new "kids" this past week, I thought that WE should surprise the family with our own...unusual...addition.

Landon was a little scared at first, but he's doing great with "Tom" now!

Just kidding...he's just a bath toy!

Happy Monday!

Landon's Big Boy Room

2008-08-04T16:53:00.004-04:00

This past weekend we moved our sweet little baby into a big boy room. Just thought we'd share a few pictures of Landons' new campsite. He loves it!

His bed/tent, rocking moose, frog pond rug, hanging lantern light, and pine tree (which now has a real birds' nest nestled in a high branch...thanks to Grammy).

Landon's picnic table. Other than the bed, this is his favorite part. We've eaten snack here (at his request) every day since we moved it in!

Sleeping in his new bed that very first night. He didn't even get up once! He just-very happily-crawled up and snuggled in!

WHAT A BIG BOY!

2007-11-09T10:26:00.000-05:00

This morning Landon took his first steps!!

Landon- 14 months old

11-9-07

9:45 AM

What We've Been Up To....

2007-11-06T20:24:00.000-05:00

We've been busy! Here's what we've been up to lately.

We're continuing to enjoy the gorgeous Fall weather here in Pennsylvania. This is one of my new favorites of Jer!

Landon just got his first haircut. The mullet is gone, and he is looking more and more like a little boy every day.

Jer took me on a wonderful, surprise weekend away to the historic Summit Resort. It was perfect! We stayed up late, slept in late, visited a winery, went to the movies, and shared fantastic meals (the food was great, but the little blue Tiffany's box that the waitress brought was especially delicious!).

Landon celebrated Halloween as an adorable little Steeler.

And finally, starting late last week, I am officially a homemaker (who just happens to grade papers and answer emails every second that the baby is asleep!). This is truly an answer to prayer, and we are so, so thankful! However, today I learned a very important lesson as a stay-at-home-mom...making brownies with a baby is a lot harder than one would expect! It was a very yummy experience though!

We hope that everything is going well for you and your family. Please keep in touch!

Love,

Jer, Les, and Landon

Happy Fall!

2007-10-08T21:31:00.000-04:00

Mama and her Pumpkin.
Check out those chubby cheeks!

Happy Fall!

Love,
Jer, Les, and Landon

Landon's First Birthday- Better Late than Never

2007-09-22T17:13:00.000-04:00

His "cake". Yes, he had a black eye on his first birthday...

Opening gifts.

Celebrating with Grammy and Papa on "the real day".

Playing with Daddy.

Happy Birthday, Bubby.

xoxo Les

Answered Prayer

2007-08-11T22:04:00.000-04:00

Logo- PA Cyber Charter School

PSALM 37:3-7

"Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him and He will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him;

do not fret..."

On May 18th I wrote "'07-'08 Job Situation" next to this passage of scripture in my Bible. I had already been praying over the details of the request for three months at that point, and was beginning to feel a bit desperate. As the school year was coming to a close, and my colleagues were beginning to discuss their teaching plans for the upcoming year, I held firmly onto this passage, and any verse for that matter, that reminded me of the promises of God. I needed each one of them, because I was asking for quite a lot.

This past year I worked full-time...and had a baby. I didn't find that the two of them- for me- fit together quite as well as I had expected or hoped. I missed my boy. A lot. So, I determined that somehow, some way, the next year I was going to be a stay-at-home-mom...and still bring in a decent salary and full benefits. See? It does sound like sort-of a tall order, huh? But, I did feel that "the justice of my cause" was pure and believed that God would make a way.

Over Spring Break that hope was confirmed when my father-in-law told me about The Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School. As he explained what he knew about this unique institution, I felt something inside me flutter. This, I knew immediately, was from God. I went to their website right away- actually as my father-in-law was still speaking- and began the process and the prayers to make it a possibility for our family.

It's been six months since I began praying for that position, and three since, I feel, I fully handed it over to God. I hope that God feels that I waited patiently, because He did give me the desire of my heart. Yesterday I accepted a position with the Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School that will allow me to be a stay-at-home mom, provide a great salary for our family, and equip us with the best benefits that we have ever had.

As I closed my phone after officially accepting the position, I raised my hands, and literally sang, (what I could manage through tears of appreciation and love) a new psalms of praise to our amazing and faithful God- "Lord, you are good/ Lord, you are good/ Lord, you are good to me!/

Thank you that my life is in your hands!"

- Leslie

2007-07-08T21:07:00.000-04:00

We're Still Kickin'...

and Crawling... and Into EVERYTHING! Well, we made it! Since our last post we've put a house on the market, sold it (thank you, God), moved into a short-term apartment, said goodbye to another school year (with some cheers), said goodbye to some precious family members (with some tears), traveled across the country, and now-whew!-we've moved into our new townhouse.

Some more specifics...Let's start with the most important.

Landon is doing great! He is 10 months old, weighs about 25 pounds (he's...stocky), and is the happiest, smiliest kid in the world. He began crawling about mid-May, and very quickly realized that he LOVED it! He pulls up on everything, and is getting some rather impressive leg muscles. They're beginning to put mine to shame (as I have not really been able to work out since he learned how to 'get around'). He just got his two front teeth, is loving all the time with both sets of grandparents, and (I know I'm a bit biased) just gets cuter every day. Don't you think?

Cuter, huh? Anyway, next up- our new casa. There's still quite a bit of work to be done, but we're so, so happy with it! Almost every day, at some point, Jer and I marvel at how God has blessed us. For Jer, I think that it is usually right around the time the deer, or the chipmunks, or the turkeys, or the groundhogs, or the rabbits, or the hummingbirds, or, whatever other wildlife decide to search for a snack in our yard. It's a great place. Blitz adores his yard (and the deer, actually...they have a bit of a crush on one another), Landon loves his playgound and porch, and Jer and I are feeling like it's "home".

Last, but certainly not least, the jobs. Jer is off to a fantastic start with AFLAC. This is him leaving for work his first day, and yes, he is wearing pink! His first month went very, very well, and again, we're just feeling so blessed. We really felt God's leading and guidance in this move, and are seeing such confirmation already! There's such peace that comes with being in God's Will. As for me, I'm not quite sure what the fall will bring. I had an interview with the PA Charter Cyber School, which went very well, but job openings are dependent on summer enrollment. So, we'll see. I'm really at peace with whatever happens. I sure wouldn't mind pinching pennies if it lets me pinch my baby's chubby cheeks a little more often.

We hope that all is well with you and your family. Our little one is doing great!

Texas family and friends- we love you dearly, and miss you like crazy. Keep in touch.

Love,

Les

2007-03-24T16:27:00.000-04:00

Well, friends and family, it's been awhile! So, so sorry. We've been very busy! Actually, we still are, but I thought that I'd post some "highlights" from the past month or so to keep everyone up-to-date.

I talk about this sweet family with many of you very often, so I thought that it would be nice to finally put a face with the name. This is Landon's wonderful sitter, Paige. She is a Godsend! The next picture is Landon with two of her kiddos, Camille and Parker.

While Landon still loves his bottle, he is very excited about all the new things he is getting to try lately. He likes pears, green beans, and his cereal, but his favorites seem to be sweet potatoes (he's his daddy's boy!) and apple juice.

Also, BIG NEWS...in the last week he has gotten his first TWO teeth. Poor kid, they're both coming in at the same time. They've broken through now, so he's doing better than he was. He was miserable for a few days there! As soon as we get some pictures that they show up in, I'll post them.

(Sorry about the sideways sippy cup picture; I forgot to flip it, but it's way too cute to delete!)

The next few are just of us playing around the house. Landon has become very interested in his toys lately, but maybe not quite as much as the dogs are! Oh, and I just think the lips picture is hysterical. Makes me laugh everytime.

And speaking of dogs... is Austrey-Girl totally rolling her eyes in this picture, or what!? Isn't that the craziest thing you've ever seen. Actually, even weirder, she was making this "face" while I was trying to get Landon to keep the big red lips paci in his mouth. Smart dog, huh?

Oh, and poor Blitz. He wants to be the baby again so badly. Doesn't he look pathetic? He steals Landon's spot on the baby blanket every chance he gets!

Spring Break was fantastic! We spent the first few days getting our house ready to put on the market, going for lots of walks, and hanging out with my side of the family (don't Sar and Jer look like the happy couple...or maybe the crazy couple; that's a lot of kids!). Then, about mid-week, Jer's parents came from Pennsylvania to visit and we had a great time with them! Landon especially loved his Mamaw, who is so much braver than his Mama, and let him try really yummy things (if you know me, you know about my choking issues...)! It was a wonderful week, but it went by very fast. I keep telling myself that summer isn't that far off.

One final thought from Landon James:

Remember- Man cannot live on bread alone!

Hope you're doing well. Keep in touch!

Love, Les

Happy Valentine's from Landon!

2007-02-14T19:10:00.000-05:00

Love is in the air...

A Jeans,Sweatshirts, and Smiles Kind of Day

2007-02-11T11:34:00.000-05:00

Some days just demand jeans and a sweatshirt...and a little nap. Yesterday was one of those days at our house. Hope you've had one this weekend too.
~Leslie

Five Months Old and the Mama Bug

2007-01-29T21:37:00.000-05:00

Amazing. In some ways it feels like August 28th was just yesterday, but in so, so many other ways, it seems like our sweet little Landon has been with us forever. Maybe it's because I can't imagine my life without him anymore. Maybe it's because my life has taken on such greater significance and clearer purpose since his birth. Maybe it's because so much of what I do, and think about, revolves around this precious little person.

Whatever the reason, Landon has come to feel like family. For several months he felt like a wonderful little visitor; at times a very loud little visitor, but welcome nonetheless. These days, I find myself looking forward to snuggling his soft cheeks, cleaning his room, just to have an excuse to touch all of his sweet things, and hugging him close for just a few extra moments before I have to lay him in his crib for the night. I have the Mama Bug, and it's all-consuming, but it's the best I've ever felt in my life.

Here are some adorable 5 month pictures.

From My Precious Husband...

2007-01-13T18:41:00.000-05:00

Despite what some of you might think after Landon's "first smoke" picture, I truly have the most wonderful, thoughtful, and romantic husband! As soon as the ball had dropped on New Year's Eve, my sweet Jeremy had this beautiful painting sitting next to a dozen roses and lit candles. It was the perfect gift to celebrate the one year anniversary of finding out we were pregnant with our precious baby. I told you; he's a keeper...Jer and Landon, actually.

Thank you, Misty, for the beautiful addition to Landon's nursery. We love it!

A Bunch of First's... And some random fish;)

2007-01-08T20:03:00.000-05:00

First time eating "real" food, first time with Santa, first cigar. Fall in TX (Mid December.) Oh and Steelhead in Trout Run (Erie PA.)

Cheered up by the "Sleepy Gene"

2006-12-16T22:54:00.000-05:00

A milestone has been achieved.

Our sweet baby slept OVER 12 HOURS last night!!

He'd been at about ten or eleven hours for several weeks, so we decided to scoot his bedtime back a little bit, and he slept like a champ! Mamaw says that he gets that trait from his daddy. Three cheers for the "sleepy gene"!!

Now if he can only keep that up while we're visiting Mamaw next week... :)

19 + LBS. Landon @ 15 weeks

2006-12-12T18:15:00.000-05:00

Extra pics of Landon

2006-12-06T21:17:00.000-05:00

Addison shows Mr. Landon who's boss Sleeping Giant
He looks like a little old man to me.
Stay tuned it is my goal to keep all of Landon's fans happy with many new posts this holiday season. Be sure to check back everyday because you never know what I'll put up. I have a few ideas that will need to slide under Les' radar.

Meeting new family and friends

2006-12-03T22:32:00.000-05:00

So here are a few picks of Mr. Landon meeting his Relatives here recently. He had a great time, probably because he was spoiled rotten all weekend. Jeovanna I'm sorry but you left before I got the camera out so send me some picks and I'll get them on here. Janae I put one picture on here just for, can you figure out which one? As you can probably tell there is a new sheriff in town so I'll try to keep this thing updated more often, with lots of fun (fat) pictures of the soon to be infamous Landon James Lacaria

Wearing His COW-stume!

2006-11-02T21:52:00.000-05:00

Two Months!

2006-10-28T17:48:00.000-04:00

Landon has changed so much in the last month!

He has gotten even cuter! We know we're biased, but seriously...look at those eyes!

He is sleeping about six hours straight at night (sometimes a little more...sometimes a little less...),

He has grown to love Aunt Janae's cheek-pinching, and at about fourteen pounds, there's quite a bit there to squeeze!

He has joined a gang...okay, I know that's terrible, and probably not something to joke about, but I think it's hilarious. Maybe I'm just a bit sleep deprived (we've had a few of those less-than-six-hour nights lately).

He has had a personality transformation! Do you hear the Halleluiah chorus? We're singing it!

Landon has officially become a happy, content baby!

So happy in fact, that...drumroll, please....he has started smiling!

It's been a great month...can't wait to see how he changes in November!

Update: Reba and Travis had their baby! Go to travisandreba.blogspot.com to see pictures of Zion Mackenzie.

Stay tuned...Halloween pictures will be posted soon!

Schenk Baby's on the Way!

2006-10-22T11:26:00.000-04:00

My very, very dearest friend, Reba (aka Rebsteroni) is scheduled to go in to have her sweet baby later tonight. We're actually praying that he or she decides to make an appearance before any Petocin is needed, but either way, my best friend is having a baby VERY SOON! Please say a quick prayer for her, her husband Trav, and their precious little baby. I'm so blessed to have such a sweet friend, and so thankful that we get to experience this stage of life together.

I love you, girl. You're going to do great!

Our Punkin' at the Pumpkin Patch!

2006-10-22T00:33:00.000-04:00

Thought y'all would enjoy these...

our first official family tradition!

Landon's One Month Old!

2006-09-28T22:25:00.000-04:00

Well, we've made it through our first month. It was sweet, and precious, and unforgettable, but my gosh...it was hard! Let me give a quick review, for any of you who have only talked to Jer, and therefore have only heard boasting of how humungous our son has gotten. He's very proud that he has a "big" boy...he sort-of talks about him like he's a fish ("He's gonna be like a 20-pounder by Christmas!) If you've talked to me, you've no doubt heard the whole truth...maybe more than you even wanted to know. If so, I'm sorry. I've had to vent a lot over the last month.

Anyway, week one, Landon was very hungry (no big surprise), and I couldn't feed him quite as much or quite as often or quite as fast as he wanted. When the kid wants to eat, the kid wants to eat. We've at least figured out that he is very serious about his meals. But, learning the lesson made for somewhat of a rough start. Week two we tried formula. Apparently too many formulas. By the end of the week his poor little (but growing) tummy was in knots, and he wasn't such a happy camper. Again, sort-of a tough week. Week three Landon got a fever. When I called the doctor, expecting to be told to 'give him a cold bath, a little Tylenol, and call back in the morning,' I was instructed to take him to the hospital immediately. When we got there, again expecting to be told to 'take him home, give him a cold bath, a little Tylenol, and call the doctor in the morning,' I was told (after many tests had been done on our poor, sweet baby) that because of his age, we were being admitted for three days. Just as a precaution. All the tests came back fine, by the way. He just had a bug. Again, not the best week. Week four has been- PRAISE THE LORD- much better. No big dramas this week...so far.

So, it's been rough start, but God is so good. Every day is a fresh start, and every day I wake up the mama of a beautiful, sweet baby boy. Issues with feedings, and formulas, and fevers can be exhausting, but at the end of the day (or the 2 AM feeding, for that matter) I can't help but look at him in awe and wonder. He's ours. Landon is our baby, and he is truly a gift from God. That alone makes it all worth it.

Let the Spoilin' Begin!

2006-09-25T16:42:00.000-04:00

Landon's To Do List

(in no particular order):

* Figure out the difference between "day" and "night"

* Stop peeing on the wall (and other people) during

diaper changes

* Meet the Grandparents- CHECK!

Introductions have been made, and all around it was love at first sight! The Gibsons and the Lacarias came ready to cook, clean, lose some sleep for the good of the cause, and spoil thier newest grandson! We were so happy to have them visit, and so thankful for the extra sets of hands. Our "little" Landon is not so little anymore...he's become a bit of a chunk, and any extra arms to hold him are a huge help!

So, one thing for Landon to check off his first To Do list.

If he's anything like his mama, there will be many, many more to come.

Week One

2006-09-06T06:22:00.000-04:00

Well, our little Landon is officially one week old, and I am back among the "Land of the Living". It took me four days to check my cell phone messages, and even longer to log onto my email account. After a week though, I'm ready for some adult interaction.

Our sweet baby is doing great! He is eating like a champ (about 5 oz. every three hours), which makes me wonder, when you also take into account those huge hands and feet, exactly how big this kiddo is going to be! He went to see the pediatrician last Friday, and they said that his jaundice is clearing up. By Monday morning his complexion looked about like mine. One feature he may have actually inherited from me! Based on the general concensus, everything else is apparently from his good-looking Daddy! Oh, and VERY good news...last night he slept for 5 hours straight! This was truly an answer to prayer, as I was beginning to fall asleep just walking around the house. It may have been a fluke, but I'm hoping he's starting to give up his nocturnal ways!

Enjoy the new photos. He's certainly a cutie!

Landon James Lacaria

2006-08-29T17:32:00.000-04:00

More photos of Sweet Landon

2006-08-29T09:29:00.000-04:00

And Baby Makes Three!

2006-08-28T23:32:00.000-04:00

It's official, Landon James is HERE! He arrived at 1:57 p.m., weighing 8 pounds, 6 ounces, and was 20 inches long. As his Aunt Sarah, I can unobjectively state that he is Adorable, with a capital A. I saw him and loved him, just like that!

Leslie did an amazing job and had a dream delivery. She looked beautiful when I went and saw her about an hour later, and Jeremy was one proud papa! I got to hold Landon for a little while and LOVED meeting him for the first time. I promised Leslie and Jeremy that I'd post the pictures I took, so our family and friends who aren't Texans can see him, so here he is! Enjoy:) I'm sure somebody will update soon, and many, many pictures will follow . . .

Congratulations, Leslie and Jeremy, you have much to be proud of!

Monday night countdown:)

2006-08-27T23:07:00.000-04:00

Well here I sit, my last evening being same old Jer. This time tomorrow I'll the NEW dad. It's been a long time since I've been new anything, sounds strange to me. I know one thing for sure about this whole baby business, my life will change in ways that I could have never imagined. I hear about how I will instantly fall in love will this baby boy that has for the past 40 weeks been just a moving bump on my wife. I cannot grasp this concept at this moment, for me love is a long process that is earned from me, not that very many people attempt to earn it but hopefully you get the point. So somehow I will go from a person who guards my heart fiercely to one who will throw it out their at first sight. I am very excited for this event which in my mind is nothing short of miraculous.
Today is a strange one for me, my past is so completely filled with unexpected life changing events that rocked me to the core, and tested every inch of my faith. It is nice to have a heads up for once that I will need to be strong, supportive, and ready for life to change forever.

These are the last written thoughts from old jer, hopefully new dad will be a better writer and story teller. Sorry for the pain my writing must have caused all of you.

Last Ultrasound Before the Big Day!

2006-08-14T22:42:00.000-04:00

This is the last photo that we'll be given before the big day. Just in

case you're having a hard time distinguishing ears from eyes and

cheeks from a chin, this is a profile shot. The dotted line traces his forehead (far right), goes up over his nose, follows both his upper and bottom lip, and then ends between his chin and neck.

He's already a cutie! Enjoy!

Thank you!

2006-08-12T20:25:00.000-04:00

Welcome to our new, and very improved, blog!

We would like to send out an official thank you to "Swank Mom" (see icon at left) for creating Landon's amazing templette. It is absolutely perfect for our sweet baby (see our nursery photos), and we can't wait to post his cute little face all over it! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Hugs,
Jeremy, Leslie, and Landon (he's currently jumping for joy...or some motion very close to it!)

37 Weeks= Walrus Feet

2006-08-12T20:21:00.000-04:00

Apparently, this is 37 weeks.

Before you run from your computer and cover your childrens' eyes, let me explain. I have had an easy pregnancy. I've gained just about exactly what my doctor recommended, have not experienced any uncontrollable cravings, have slept very well, and have been blessed with a fairly cooperative complexion. I am thankful. Honestly, I am. But, 37 weeks has been all about the feet. They're huge. They're gross. But, like I said, I've had it pretty easy, so I'm truly not complaining. I'm just...sharing the walrus-like state of my formerly dainty feet. Let me put it this way- I have a beautiful French manicure on my toenails, but, due to the overwhelmingly shocking size of my feet and ankles, I'm pretty certain that no one has noticed the perfect, and somewhat pricey, paint job. Bottom line? The doctor said it's normal; nothing to worry about. He basically said, What do you expect? It's August in Texas, and you're nine months pregnant. I say, Thank you, Lord, that 37 weeks won't last forever!

Anxiously Awaiting

2006-08-05T10:33:00.000-04:00

I thought that I'd share pictures of our nursery for those of you who may not get to see it in person. We chose to decorate in a sock monkey theme (for those of you who know Leslie, I'm sure you're not surprised!). Grammy Gibson spent hours making the beautiful curtains and bedding. The picture frames are anxiously awaiting photos of little Landon, and the toys are, for now, all put away neatly.

All we need now is that baby...

To Our Friends and Family

2006-07-30T16:29:00.000-04:00

It seems like just yesterday that those infamous two pink lines revealed the happy news. In fact, it was months ago, and many milestones have been reached since that day! At about twenty weeks, we found out we are having a little boy. Around twenty-two weeks, we excitedly picked a name. At thirty-three weeks, Jeremy decided we should change the name! Several days ago Leslie's tummy passed the forty-inches mark, and several days from now we'll have our last sonogram.

These past thirty-five weeks have been the most exciting of our lives, but there are so many of our friends and family who have not gotten to experience all of these milestones with us. So, this website is for you. Having a baby is a miracle, but being able to share the experience with those we love- regardless of the miles between us- is a precious gift.

Thank you for your friendship and love. We hope you'll share the memories with us as "baby makes three"!