YES... We're still alive!!!!!

Once again, I managed to abandon my blog... I'm pretty upset about it; however, those of you reading with mobile babies, full-time jobs, and dirty houses will probably understand... I would love to blog more, but it  seems that something else ALWAYS gets in the way.  Plus, I am a person who requires a good night's sleep, which means that I can't stay up all night catching up on my blog...

I know... EXCUSES.  I'm full of 'em!  Now I feel guilty...

Well, onto more exciting things... if you can believe it, my precious Rosie turns ONE year old tomorrow!!!!  How is that possible?!?!?  Seems like I was just pregnant... seems like we just brought her home... seems like it was just yesterday.  You know, I've been told that this is how babies grow up on us.  It makes me feel a little sick inside how fast she's growing and I just want to remember her so little, so sweet, and so innocent forever.  Thank you, God, for allowing me to be the mother of this precious girl.

Modeling her first birthday outfit and rocking in Mommy's rocking chair

Look at that sweet face <3

Yummy book!

In honor of Rosie's birth, I am taking tomorrow off work (yay!!!!) to spend the whole day with her!  We are going to meet Daddy in Lexington for lunch and do a little bit of shopping ;)  Then we're going to come back home for a few presents and some cake.  We LOVE to celebrate birthdays around here... especially me!  On Sunday, Rosie is having her "official" first birthday party - can't wait to celebrate her with family and friends.

I will do my best to update quickly after Rosie's party and to also catch everyone up on us during the past as few months... there has been a LOT going on and it has been BUSY!!!

As I go to bed tonight, I'm feeling very blessed and my heart is full <3.

Love,
Chandra

Vampire Teeth!!! Yikes! :P

Rosie is cutting 2 more teeth!!!!

At around 5 months old, she cut both of her bottom teeth overnight... we were so lucky because it didn't seem to bother her too much.  Lately, Rosie has been drooling and chewing like CRAZY!  Upon investigation, sure enough she is cutting 2 more teeth... her upper canines!  Now, this is really funny because she doesn't have her upper middle teeth yet, so she's going to look sort of like one of these little guys...

Guess I should send her Halloween costume back... she could just dress up like a little vampire! :P  I'll be sure to post pics when they pop out ;)

Keep her in your prayers... these are bothering her a little bit and she hasn't been quite as smiley lately.  My poor girl :(

Love,
Chandra :)

First Trip to the Zoo!!!

Lions... and tigers... and bears!!! OH MY!!!  Well... not really, but we did see some animals! :P

Labor Day was a very exciting day for the Landers family... it was Rosie's first trip to the zoo!  Nick, Rosie, and I, along with the Kirts family (Jake, Megan and Thatcher) had a GREAT time taking our little ones to the Louisville Zoo for the first time.  Thatcher and Rosie are only about 6 weeks apart (Rosie is 6 weeks older), so hopefully this is only the beginning of their friendship!  We had a great time catching up with Jake and Megan... it was so nice to hang out with another couple with a baby close to Rosie's age.

Rosie and Thatcher were great sports and seemed to really enjoy all of the animals (at least they looked at them!) and people-watching... there was NO crying - can you believe it?!?!  Rosie and Thatcher were ANGELS :)  It was a perfect day... overcast/cloudy and around 65 degrees, so we didn't even have to fuss over keeping the babies covered up or appying sunscreen.  Here are some pics from our FUN trip... Hope you enjoy!!! :)

Rosie is so excited for the zoo that she's fist pumping! ;)

Thatcher + Rosie = BFF's!

Mommy & Rosie

My precious pea <3

Sweet Thatcher loved the elephants!

Lunchtime! :)

Miss Bossy Pants!!! ;)

Daddy love <3

Kirts Family :)

Landers Family (minus Oliver)

On the way back to the car... worn out!

 Notice that there are NO pics of animals... I only got a few because I was so busy taking pics of Rosie & Thatcher.  Oh, well... maybe next time!

 Love,
Chandra :)

It's been a WHILE... again!!!! :-(

I have to admit that I'm very disappointed in myself lately for my negligence to this blog!!!!  I started this blog as a way to document my life with Rosie and I have not done her justice lately.  Once again, I am resolving to do better!  She deserves it :)

Many, many things have changed since I last blogged...

1) Rosie is now 7 MONTHS OLD!!!  Yes, that's right... 7 months!!!!  I can't believe it either! :-/ She is growing like a little (chunky!) weed and is getting more beautiful and precious everyday.  Besides her sweet smile, my current favorite feature of hers are her chunky little legs... she is good eater and you can tell! ;-)

All smiles for the camera!

Crawling soon?!?! Aaaugh!!! ;)

Daddy said something REALLY funny!

My sweet girl :)

Evidence of chunky legs... don't you just want to eat her up?! ;)

 2) Rosie is eating food!  Baby food, that is ;)  Currently, some of her faves are bananas, carrots, squash, green beans, and apples.  The only food she hasn't really cared for so far is sweet potatoes.  She's sooo adorable when she eats - she gets very excited and will even fuss at me if I'm not quick enough with the spoon!  She's already developing a demanding personality - uh-oh!!!!

Yummy nanners!!!!

3) Rosie is sitting up all by herself!  She looks like such a BIG girl when she sits on my lap and plays with toys!  She also loves to sit in the floor and play with toys... and her feet, of course ;)  Just another exciting milestone that proves how fast my baby is growing...

Sitting up watching cartoons after her bottle... such a BIG girl!

4) I'm not quite as excited about this new development... Rosie has succombed to cold germs TWICE in the last month!!!! :((((  It has NOT BEEN FUN for any of us, especially her.  Luckily, the worst of the colds have been over within a couple of days, followed by several days of snottiness.  We are so thankful that she has not developed a fever and her appetite has not been affected... it could be MUCH worse!  However, we are tired of colds around here... so GERMS STAY AWAY!!!! :-(

5) Rosie is now officially swaddle-free!!!  This has been a bit of a battle for us because we have been swaddling Rosie for naps and nighttime since she was a newborn!  (Might do things differently the next time around!)  We stopped swaddling her for naps when she was 5 months old and stopped swaddling her at night a couple of weeks ago.  It has gone pretty well, except for a couple of nights when she had one of her colds (which we gave up and just swaddled her to get some sleep!).  She is such a wiggleworm in her sleep and is ALL over her crib... luckily, she's getting old enough that every little movement doesn't wake her up and she's also getting better at putting herself back to sleep when she does wake up.  In leui of a blanket, we bought her a couple of the fleece wearable zip-up blankets.  They have worked well and keep her warm and snuggled up, despite her night acrobatics ;)  We are very proud of our "big" girl!!! :-)

Sleeping angel... no swaddle!

Okay, so I could go on FOREVER about all of Rosie's recent changes, but I will spare everyone the mundane details... I promise to post more often so I don't have to include so much info in one post!!!

And, of course, I need to wish a belated Birthday to my sweet little bubby, Ollie!  He is the best dog ever!  He will always be my first furbaby and is loved SO much <3 <3 <3

Happy 3rd, Birthday, Ollie!!!!  We love you bunches!!! 07-30-2011

Tomorrow will be an exciting day... Rosie's first trip to the zoo!!!! (If the weather cooperates!)  Nick, Rosie and I are planning on joining the Kirts' (Jake, Megan & Thatcher) for a day at the Louisville Zoo.  I'm so excited to see Rosie's reactions to all the animals... she's becoming so interested in everything right now!  I'll be sure to post about our outing :)

That's all for now... :)

Love,
Chandra :)

Busy, Stressed... Aaaah!!!

So, I will apologize in advance for the negative tone of this blog entry... I have been very stressed this week with work and other life issues.  I know I should think "I'm blessed to be stressed", but (unfortunately)  right now, I just wish I wasn't.  Not to go into too much detail, but work has been insanely BUSY since I started back from maternity leave, which has been hard.  Not sure how all "working" moms balance it ALL, but I'm open to any advice... ;-)  I am resolving to have a better attitude and to try not to worry so much, especially about things that are out of my control... but it's hard.  I have so much to be thankful for and my blessings far outweigh my stressors right now, so I'm trying to focus on that! :)  Enough with the negativity...

Moving on to Rosie... she has had a BIG week this past week!  First of all, she has now tried her first solid foods - sweet potatoes and bananas.  I have a video of her eating sweet potatoes for the first time, which is absolutely hilarious... I'll post it in another post if I can ever figure out how :P  She wasn't a big fan of the sweet potatoes, pretty much spit them right out!  However, bananas were another story... she couldn't get enough of them and I couldn't feed her fast enough!  She was whining and reaching for the bowl and spoon between bites - it was sooo funny :)  I only gave her a few bites because I don't want the food to upset her tummy (or make her constipated - yikes!).  It's SO fun to watch her do and try new things... everyone has told me that each stage a baby/child goes through is so much fun and I believe it.  I get so much joy out of watching her grow :)

On a bittersweet note, this was Rosie's last week staying at Mimi's (my Mom's) during the day.  She has done so well with my mom this summer and I know my mom has really enjoyed keeping her, even though it was a lot of work for her ;)  Although I am sad for her to leave my mom's, I have been so blessed to find Kathy, a sitter in Frankfort who I have known for many years, to keep Rosie.  Rosie has gone there several times already (a day or two each week for the month of July) and she has done GREAT there... she's so happy and loves watching the other kids play (Kathy keeps 3 other kids).  I feel really good about sending her to Kathy's - we were so lucky she had a spot for Rosie!

This post is getting a bit lengthy, but I guess that's what happens when you try to fit a week into one post :)  Tomorrow, I will be posting about my sweet furbaby's birthday - Ollie is 3 years old tomorrow!!!!  Love him SOOO much :)))

After that, I probably won't post again until next weekend after my mom and I get back from Destin... we're going to the beach for a few days!  I am SO excited :)))  Nick will be keeping Rosie here - I'll miss her terribly, but I am too afraid to take her to the beach this year.  I worry about everything... burning, sand, water...  you get the idea ;)  We're planning on taking a family trip next year when she is a little bit older.

Now for the fun part - Rosie pics!  Here are a few from the past week...

Sweet Rosie hanging out with Mommy after work... forget all my worries when I see her sweet face :)

Petey the British Parrot (don't ask - ha!) is her FAVE right now :)

Maybe she'll be a gymnast?!?!  Look at that toe-touch!

Cute new outfit from Aunt Madonna and Kristen :)

Can't believe my baby will be 6 MONTHS OLD on Tuesday!!!  Where has the time gone?!?!

That's all for now!!!!  Thanks, friends, for being my sounding board!!!  Love to all :)))

Chandra

My Little Church Mouse...

Hello friends!!! :)

Since Rosie was around 8 weeks old, we have been taking her to our church, Forks of Elkhorn Baptist Church, in Midway, KY.  Nick and I have been members of this church for several years now and, at times, we have been pretty involved in activities there.  We have served on church committees, taught a Sunday School class, helped out with the high school youth, and last year, Nick received the honor of being ordained as a deacon.  Needless to say, we LOVE our church, our pastor, and our church family.

Nick & I in front of our church on our wedding day <3 4-12-08 <3

As I mentioned before, we have been taking Rosie to church since she was around 8 weeks old.  This has definitely been a challenge at times, as going somewhere with a newborn/infant is NOT easy, but we wanted to get back into church as soon as possible after we felt it was "safe" for us to take her.  As you can imagine, I was completely terrified of germs, the flu, RSV, and anything else that might make my precious angel sick!  However, we have been SO fortunate and blessed that Rosie has been healthy, despite taking her to church and other outings.  In this post, I'm going to include some of our favorite church memories (so far!) and of course show you some of her CUTE outfits... ha ha!!!  Sundays are dress-up days for Rosie - pretty much the only day of the week she wears a dress AND a headband!!!!


Hope you enjoy the pics!!! :)

Rosie's 1st trip to church... 8ish weeks old!

Rosie's 1st Easter!  10ish weeks old

Posing with Mommy on Easter Sunday!  Looks so cute in her bunny smocking!!! :)

Rosie's Baby Dedication - Mother's Day 2011 (3 months old)

Little Pink Sailor!!! :)  July 2011

My little buttercup!  July 2011

Sweet face :)

5 1/2 Months Old!!!  July 2011

Mommy's Sweet Rosie

Just had to show off some of those cute dresses! Have you ever seen anything cuter?!?!  I know I haven't... so in love with Rosie Grace!!!! <3

Love to all,
Chandra

It's been a WHILE!!!! :-/

Hello friends!  I apologize that it's been so long since I have blogged... almost 3 weeks!  My goal was to blog at least once a week and, so far, I am failing miserably :-(  I promise I will try to do better!!!

Lots of things have happened since I last blogged on June 27... just to name a few...
* Rosie turned 5 months old!
* 1st 4th of July for Rosie!
* Visited the sitter for 2 days!
* Rosie's 1st diaper rash! :(((
* Mommy's Birthday!  1st "official" birthday with my baby girl :)

I will TRY to be brief, but that's a LOT to cover in one blog post!  This one might be kind of long... here goes!!!!

1) Rosie is 5 months old!  See LOTS of pics below...  Some fun facts about Rosie at 5 months:
     * Weight: 17 lbs 10 oz... BIG GIRL!!! :)
     * Has 2 bottom teeth coming in... can feel and see white little nubs!  (07-16-2011)
     * Smiles ALL the time!
     * Starting to "reach" for Mommy... love it!
     * Talking/Gurgling up a storm ;-)
     * Almost sitting up... bet she will be in a few weeks!
     * Napping WITHOUT a swaddle!!!  Has been interesting at times... ;-)
She's getting SO big and her personality is emerging more everyday... I love her more all the time... if that is even possible!  Here are few of my faves from her 5 month photo shoot...

5 Month Photo Shoot! Taken 2 days late on 4th of July ;-)   Look at that little leg kicked out! :P

Smiley Rosie!

Posing in my pretty dress!

2) Rosie's 1st 4th of July!  Nick, Rosie, and I went over to Mimi & Pappy's (my parents) for a cookout.  Fun was had by all!  Ollie wasn't able to attend the cookout (poor boy!), but looked very handsome in his patriotic bandana... see below :)  I personally was NOT very excited about all of the LOUD firework activity this year, especially since Rosie goes to be at 8:00!  Grrrr!!!  All in all, it was a great 4th!

Precious Ollie Boy <3

3) Rosie Visits the Sitter - Rosie has spent 2 whole days with her babysitter, Kathy.  She has done wonderful so far and I couldn't be more pleased with how she has adjusted to her.  She loves playing there like a "big girl" and even naps well there, which I was worried about, since she is in a "different" place.  She will start going to Kathy's full-time in August.  Even though I LOVE her being at Mimi's, I have a good feeling about her being at Kathy's, too.  I'm sure I'll post more when she starts going full-time... stay tuned!

4)  Rosie's 1st Diaper Rash - This was not too fun for any of us, although Rosie didn't act like it bothered her at all!  We went through TONS of diapers and ointments and even let her bottom air out nakey one evening (see pic below!)... glad all of that is over and crossing my fingers that she doesn't get any more of those for a LONG time!

Airing her tooshie out during nakey time!!! ;-)

5) Mommy's Birthday - Mommy turned 29 on July 14!  I joked that 29 was my last official birthday, since I will be 30 next year ;-)  However, the thought of turning 30 at this point doesn't really bother me... I am truly thankful for everything in my life right now and all that God has blessed me with!  I hope to have MANY, MANY more birthdays!!!  Just to think that only last year I was pregnant with Rosie and having morning sickness - ha!  Life has changed so much, but all for the better!  I had to attend a dinner for work on my actual birthday, but celebrated with my family the next night at Garcia's (a mexican restaurant in Frankfort).  I also celebrated this evening with Nick by going to Bonefish in Lexington... it was our first time eating there and we thought it was really good!  Right now, I'm very stuffed and ready for bed... ha, ha!  I had a truly wonderful birthday and got to spend time with the people I love the most... <3 <3 <3

Love looking at my girl!

Rosie gets lots of love! <3

Our sweet little family (minus Ollie!!!)

Well, that should catch everyone up on a few important things that have been going on... stay tuned for more... I am resolving not to be such a delinquent blogger!  Hope everyone enjoys all of the pics! :)

Love,
Chandra