First big trip, doctor's office tricks and a day at the races!

We've had a busy couple of weeks! Last weekend Landon made his first big trip to see his grandparents, and great grandparents on my side of the family and lots of other cousins, aunts, uncles and friends too! He did really well on his first trip and we are so excited that he got to meet his great grandparents and Aunt Lindy. They drove all the way from Columbus, KS to meet him and seeing them with our little guy was priceless. He also got to meet some of my friends from High School and their kiddos. It was such a fun weekend and we can't wait to go back! Next time I'll get more pictures at the farm with Mimi and Papa.

Last Thursday I had to take Landon to the doctor to have some blood drawn so they could check his thyroid levels again...they were a little high when they first checked. I was so nervous because last time the poor little guy screamed so loud and I wanted to cry right along with him. This time I made sure he had on short sleeves so we wouldn't have to mess with that and I brought a bottle to give him right after. The lab ladies suggested that I start his bottle before the got started and believe it or not he didn't even notice they were there!!! I was amazed! He was so into the bottle he didn't even flinch when they stuck him! So, all you mommies out there...take a bottle next time your kiddo has to have blood drawn!

Yesterday Jim and I went with my family and friends to the horse races. It was our first time to be away from him all day and he had a great time with Nana and Papa! We had so much fun at the races...however, I stink at picking ponies! I set a new personal record and only cashed one ticket all day...and lost money on that one! A few in our group won big...but Jim and I definitely didn't! Afterwards we went to the Brau Haus since we missed going there this year for my birthday and it really wasn't as good as it usually was. I was disappointed and hated that my family's first time to eat there wasn't that great...but we had a good time visiting. Sadly, I didn't get any fun pictures of our day.

These pictures are at Poppy's house where he got to meet his great grandparents, Aunt Lindy and Gayle. I thought I got some pictures of Aunt Lindy and Gayle but I think my memory card was popped put and and now I can't find them.

This is Great Papa with Landon...he used to get down on the floor and play with me like this too!

This is Great Mama with Landon. Aren't they precious!

Poppy with the duck call!!! Notice the wardrobe change!! Had to have the Razorback Camo at Poppy's!

4 Generations of Eberhards!

Landon with his buddy Gunner

Daddy had to give a big presentation at work this week and wore a suit...so we had to have a picture of dressed up Daddy with his little guy...

Here are pictures from our first walk in the neighborhood with Landon. He slept the entire time!
Before...


During...

After...can you tell how much he loved it?! ha!

Zoe watching for us to come home!


Here are some other favorites from this week...
Showin some babystyle love to AC/DC this week!

He was really excited to have his picture taken...can you tell!? Also, he wore this outfit once and it wasn't even on St. Patrick's Day and now it doesn't fit!

Fun play time! Mommy is going to miss daytime playtime!!!

Dark Side of the Moo...tummy time and a real bath!

Landon is 6 weeks and 1 day old today! We went to the doctor today because I wanted to have our little guy checked out and I wanted to have another RSV test taken. The test was still positive but he isn't showing any symptoms so he is fine...he never really did other than the minor nasal congestion so I'm still just confused by the whole thing. I've been so worried and watching every breath knowing that he is fine and that I'd be able to tell if he wasn't but I can't help it. I feel better about it today and we are going to see if he will sleep in his crib tonight. I'm afraid sleeping in his car seat for two weeks has spoiled him...however, he does like to stretch out too. They weighed him today and he's up to a whopping 9 pounds 15 ounces!!! I knew he was growing but wow! He's put on 4 whole pounds in 5 weeks. He's really getting long too! I love that his clothes finally fit!

YAY! Landon's umbilical cord, which I was sure was going to be there for his first day of kindergarten, FINALLY fell off last Thursday. I was SOOO excited! We celebrated by having a real bath in the tub! He isn't too sure how he feels about bath time yet but I think he's going to like it the more we do it.

Landon got to meet his cousin Jess on Saturday! She plays volleyball at UAFS and also coaches JO volleyball. She was here for a tournament and we are so glad she got to meet our little guy! Some of my friends from work came to see us yesterday and it was so good to see them! As much as I've enjoyed being home I have missed seeing my friends every day. That will be the bright side of going back...everyone told me it was going to be hard to go back and they were right!

Landon is going on his first trip to Lavaca and Ft. Smith this weekend! He is going to meet his great grandparents and Aunt Lindy for the first time and we are so looking forward to seeing them!

Here are some of my favorite pictures from this week...

Showin' Pink Floyd some love, babystyle!


Bath time!


Boppy and Tummy Time!



Yeah, not so much a fan of tummy time yet!



Listen lady...I said I'm not a fan of tummy time...put up your dukes!


Landon and Cousin Jess

RSV, Pre-School and our Little Monkey

Landon is 5 weeks old today and I'll say it again...man, time sure flies! He is still just getting cuter by the minute. We haven't had him out much as to avoid the dreaded RSV and guess what...he got it anyway!! I took him to the doctor last Thursday because I thought he was wheezing a little. They took a look and listen and told me he wasn't wheezing but that he had some nasal congestion. They showed me how to use the saline drops and nasal aspirator to get all the gunk out and he was fine. They went ahead and did an RSV test just to be sure and it was positive. I was a little shocked because aside from the nasal congestion he appeared to be fine and after they cleared that out he was breathing even better. We were told to let him sleep in his car seat so everything could drain properly, to keep saline drops in his nose and to give him Pedialyte in between feedings...they didn't give us any medicine and we don't have to do any breathing treatments. We've been doing what they told us to and I think our little guy is just fine. It stinks though that we purposefully kept him away from crowds and avoided getting him out much and he still ended up with this...but we are fortunate that it isn't much worse.

Can I just say that if I didn't love my job I would seriously consider opening up a pre-school...this town is obviously in need of good ones and from what I can tell people are willing to pay almost anything! Registration for the pre-school we would like for Landon to attend was on Monday. The way they do it is that a list goes up on the door at 5 am and after signing up you go back at 8 to see if you got a spot. I knew from friends that spots were tough to get so we planned on having Jim get there around 2:30 - 3am to get in line....and that's what we did. Jim was all prepared...he went through the garage the night before and pulled all the duck hunting gear out including a little heater that those around him in line apparently loved! It was 26 degrees out! He had the coffee pot programmed to start at 2, his Under Armour ready to go and went to bed around 9. Little did we know that others who must have really, reeeaaalllly wanted a spot started getting there at NOON THE DAY BEFORE!!!! I mean really, NOON?!?! I really want Landon to go there and I'm glad we ended up 4th on the waiting list but this is completely out of hand if you ask me. We are very lucky that Landon is going to stay with his Nana and we don't necessarily have to worry about this but it will be nice to have somewhere for him to go a couple of days a week to give Nana a break. Who knew it would be so tough!

In addition to getting brownie points for getting up at 2am to get in line for pre-school registration...I have to brag on my sweet hubby who let me sleep in until 10:30 this morning! Of course, I didn't get to bed until around 4:30 but I got 6 whole hours of uninterrupted sleep and it was AMAZING! Not only did he let me sleep in...when I woke up he had cooked me breakfast and cleaned the kitchen! I think he's a keeper! :)

Here are some pictures from our latest photo shoots and from Jim's time in line...

He sleeps a lot...

Zoe is getting used to him...




Yes, that's a tent in the background...

Due Date...Schmudate

Landon's due date is tomorrow...and he is 4 weeks old today! :)
We have had another fabulous week with our little guy and he is really growing now! Here is this week's recap:

1. He is sleeping in his crib! He only sleeps for a few hours between feedings but we are happy that it's in his crib!
2. He is starting to make eye contact with us and he definitely recognizes our voices.
3. When he's hungry...look out! He can throw a red faced fit like none other...luckily he only does this when he's hungry.
4. He's starting to grow into some of the clothes we already had for him and out of the ones we had to buy after he was born.
5. He has a new friend! Baby Burke was born last night and we can't wait to see her! Congrats Ashley and Dan!

Here are some pictures from our "4 week photo shoot"








and here is what he thought of his first Valentine from mommy and daddy...

3 Weeks Old

Landon turned 3 weeks old yesterday. I can't believe how quickly the time has passed or how much he is changing every day. We have really enjoyed getting to know our little guy. Here are 5 random things that we've learned about him so far...

1. He has a "furrowed brow" look that he definitely got from his mommy!
2. He does not like to be woken up and is very dramatic when we wake him. He makes funny faces, noises and stretches as if we have ruined his day. It's very funny!
3. He is afraid of the dark...or at least we think he is because he will sleep fine in his bassinet during the day but not at night.
4. He HATES to have his diaper changed but also doesn't seem to like to wear a dirty one.
5. He has the cutest grin even if it might just be gas. :)

Just a swingin'...

Landon is 2 weeks old today and finally loves his swing!





Last night we made some progress in getting our little man to sleep in his bassinet. He is still so tiny and isn't gaining weight as fast as our pediatrician would like so in addition to nursing we are giving him some formula to try to "fatten him up". So far, going between nursing and the bottle hasn't been a problem which is nice because I was really concerned about that. I'm just not ready to give up nursing. He is absolutely adorable and we love having him home with us!

Landon's Birthday

Here is the story of how Landon made his grand entrance into this world...it was a crazy, crazy, surreal day with a very happy ending...
I had gone to the doctor the Thursday before and he saw that my amniotic fluid levels were low and that the baby was breech. He put me on partial bedrest to get my fluids up and we weren't supposed to go back to see him until the next Thursday. I couldn't wait that long to see if everything was okay so we went on Monday just to get it checked out. He said my fluid levels were up but the baby was still breech and wasn't likely to turn so we were prepared to schedule a c-section but not for at least a couple of weeks. Well, that night around 2:30 my water broke but I really didn't know if that's what it was...obviously I've never done this before...ha! I told Jim that I thought maybe my water had broken but I wasn't sure so I'd wake him up if I thought we should go. I couldn't go back to sleep because I was nervous so I got up and read a little bit out of What to Expect When You're Expecting and it said that contractions could start as long as 12 hours after your water breaks and I didn't think mine had started. Around 4 I noticed my belly feeling different but again, I've never done this before and just wasn't sure. So, around 5 they were stronger...not consistent but painful! I got up and packed our bags just in case (luckily we had just done the baby's laundry that night!) and I took a shower. I woke Jim up around 6 and called the hospital to see if they thought I should come in and they said that if I even thought that my water had broken that I should go in. By then my contractions were coming more regularly so we left the house around 6:20am. We got there and everyone just assumed that since this was my first that I had plenty of time but my contractions were on top of each other and when they checked me I was already dilated to a 9 and the baby's bottom was in the birth canal! I had to resist the urge to push (very, very hard!!) and they rushed me off for an emergency c-section. Everyone was in a panic and I was in some serious pain...they got me in the OR and got my spinal block in but didn't have time for it to kick in so they gave me something else that sent me into a place I can only describe as serious lala land! I told Jim that I felt like I was in Cirque de Soleil Love and that my body felt like a giant marshmallow! The drape that they hang was "billowing" and I was floating! It all happened so fast that Jim didn't even have a chance to move his car from the hospital entrance. Luckily it wasn't towed.
James Joseph Landon Battreal was born at 7:36am and weighed 6 lbs 13 ounces. He was 18.5 inches long and is just precious! We got to come home last Thursday and we are loving every minute with him. The feelings and love are even more indescribable than everyone says.
Jim is such a good daddy and Landon is a good baby. He doesn't fuss too much but he only likes to sleep when we are holding him or if he's in his car seat carrier (which is where he is now!) We are going to work on getting him to sleep in his bassinette soon but he's so tiny and snuggly and new that we are just going to enjoy the snuggle time for now.
It was such a whirlwind of a day and we are so thankful that he's happy and healthy!

Landon is here!!!!

Thank for all your "Polling all Mommies" responses!!! I didn't have time to read them...or prepare as our little angel arrived early on Tuesday! He is happy, healthy and adorable!! More later...but here are some pictures.

Polling all mommies...

So, I'm a planner and a list maker to a fault...Jim is too. I never do anything without thinking (over analyzing every aspect to a fault) about it for a long, long time. Well, as usual, time has gotten away from me and I'm starting to stress. Baby Landon will likely be here a little ahead of schedule and via c-section because he has decided that he prefers the bottom down position better than the head down position as is not likely to change his mind.
So, I need all the mommies who read my blog to post a comment naming things they could not have done without the first few weeks after bringing their new baby home. I want to make sure we are super prepared!
Have a good week!

A Birthday Poem...

One of my very best friends from high school sent me this poem for my birthday today...I couldn't resist posting it even though there are a couple of inside funnies that only we get.

Now that you are older,
You are my hero.
But, please don't fret,
it's just another zero!

On this special event enjoy yourself,
really because why does it matter?
Even though on this birthday,
you are older and fatter!!!

But soon you will have even more to celebrate when the boobs and belly go away.
So on this 21st of January,
YIPPE KI YI YEAH!!!!

I've been laughing at this all day long!
Thanks Candy!!!

Landon's Nursery

The nursery isn't finished yet and I don't want to show too many pictures before it's all put together...but a lot of people have been asking to see pictures so here is a sneak peek! We are having so much fun getting the nursery ready for our little boy.

Lucky 30's!

I realized today after looking at the baby countdown that we have only 34 days left until Baby Landon's due date and on Wednesday I'll turn the big 3-0! Today as I was driving home from the grocery store (in my new car!) I heard "This One's For The Girls" by Martina McBride. I've always loved that song especially since I was 25 when I first heard it and the second verse goes like this...

This is for all you girls about twenty-five
In a little apartment, just trying to get by
Living on, on dreams and spaghetti-o's
Wondering where you life is gonna go

While I'm not a fan of spaghetti-o's, I was in fact living in a tiny apartment...and while I was making decent money I was definitely living on some dreams and wondering where my life was going to go. I can't believe what the last five years has brought! I found a job that I love, I married my best friend and I'm pregnant with a little boy who is sure to bring more joy to our lives than we can even begin to imagine. If you would have told me five years ago that I would be this happy I might not have believed you! I can say without any doubt that I am very blessed and I'm looking forward to the next five years. I used to say that I was sure that on my 30th birthday I would wake up and life would just make sense. Well, I'm not sure life will ever make perfect sense but I can say that my 29th year has brought more clarity and happiness than just about any year so far and I feel certain that the next decade will be amazing!

Happy Belated New Year!

Please pray for Baby Harper

I found Kelly's blog when I did a random search for "Bunco Buns" looking for a recipe. I thought it was neat that of all the recipes google could have found for me it found one on Kelly's blog...and Kelly lives in Arkansas! Yesterday Kelly gave birth to a beautiful baby girl named Harper. They had to med-flight Harper to Tulsa because she was having trouble breathing. She is in critical condition and needs your prayers. Being less than 6 weeks away from giving birth myself I can't even begin to imagine what this precious family must be going through and I have realized that my easy pregnancy has caused me to take a lot for granted.

New Toy!

We hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! We have enjoyed spending time with our families and we are back home. Jim is heading to the duck club today and I go back to work tomorrow.

So, Merry Christmas to us! We bought a camcorder over the weekend and I'm excited about it! We thought since Baby Landon will be here in 8ish weeks we might want to be able to get some of his "firsts" on video to have and to share. We bought a Sony Handycam DCR-SR220 and I think we are going to love it. Not only does it shoot video...it also takes pictures! That was my only requirement. If anyone else out there has this camera or one similar let me know how you like it. It's going to take me forever to learn all the tricks to shooting good video and taking good pictures. We have a Sony Cybershot camera and we really like it. I guess we are Sony fans...although, we also bought ourselves a new TV for our bedroom this year and the Sony was WAY out of our budget so we got a Dynex. I think we're going to like it too...we wanted to get all the big buys out of the way before our little guy comes home...sometimes our wants exceed our needs. We are working on that. :)



PS - this camera will NOT be capturing Landon's grand entrance into this world. I just can't get into that...
:)

30 Week Belly

Here's the 30 week belly! I wanted the belly...and I believe I've got the belly (and some!). He's growing and moving just perfect in there and we can't wait to meet him!

Landon - 29 weeks...

We had a doctor's appointment today and we got to have another ultrasound! We always love seeing our little guy and we can't wait to meet him in person! He was all curled up under my right rib as I suspected from the lopsided belly I sometimes have. His hands and feet were all up by his face and he was snoozing.


Here are a few of the pictures.




Landon's daddy worked hard on putting together the crib tonight and I love it! As soon as I have the bedding on I'll post pictures of the nursery. Oh, and I'm about due to post a new belly picture too. No doubt there's a belly now!