Welcome John Wilson Landers!

Welcome to the world Mr. Landers! My cousin Jenni was due two weeks before me and her baby boy arrived on July 28 at 2:37am weighing 7lbs 8oz. The proud family posed for their first portrait below.

Little Tommy was hoping for a little sister, but is an excited big brother to little Jack. He called me the next morning to tell me the news, and I could hardly understand him through his rushed, excited explanation. He was up for more than 24 hours with little-to-no sleep! His arm is still broken, but that did not stop him from holding Jack and telling him what he needs to know about being a boy.

The Landers Men

The Proud Nana

Three cousins in my family are (were) expecting new additions. Jen was due first, then me, and my other cousin Jenn. Now that Jack has arrived, we are on deck! It has really made it a reality that our little one will be here soon! But as Tommy was sure to tell me when Jack arrived, his little brother will always be older than my kid.

Nesting

It's officially begun. Believe me when I tell you that no one appreciates a clean kitchen and organized closet more than I, but this supposed "nesting" instinct has really brought me to a new level. Nearing the end of my third trimester, I have read that this is useful not only to provide a clean comforting environment for baby, but also because I will not have the chance to clean this thoroughly again until he/she goes off to school! Thus, I am not holding back... I am going full throttle. This means scrubbing carpets at midnight and refolding every teeshirt we own. Jimmy has been a great help in supporting my habits, mostly by smiling sweetly and telling me I'm doing a great job building a nest for the little one. Last night, however, a barely audible sigh preceded his "sure dear" when I asked him to move the furniture at 11:00pm. I've spent the last few days organizing the little outfits according to size. Jimmy says we would clothe an entire army of babies in onesies. He might be correct.


The nesting instinct also brings a curious sense of joy as I complete these tasks. I've never been so glad to have clean shelves in the refrigerator, and when I wake in the morning, I can't wait to do laundry! This is a picture of the very first load of baby clothes in the washing machine. I must admit though, the subsequent 8 loads I've done since yesterday were nowhere near as thrilling.


This morning Jimmy accidentally woke me as he was leaving for work at 6:00. Since I could not get back to sleep, I got up and started another day of nesting adventures. I've taken to listening to books on CD while I work around the house. It's a great way to keep my mind sharp while still getting things done around the house. So this morning, I started a new book and began assembling baby gadgets at 6:30am. What a sight I must have been! I assembled the Pack N' Play in our bedroom (as show below). I then moved on to the Rainforest Swing and the two play mats. I have mastered the Diaper Champ and cleaned and put away all the bottles and accessories. And I even had time to eat breakfast.


The place is really looking great, if I do say so myself! The final piece is the dresser we picked out to use as a changing table. It should arrive this week. When it arrives, I will promptly put away all the clean clothes and blankets, and all the diapering supplies. THEN, the nest will be complete... until I need to vacuum again.

El Diablo

The Elf Hive is a group of Jimmy's roommates from college. Their apartment number was L5, this the title of their band of buddies. Friday night, we had a 3/5 Elf Hive gathering at our house for pizza, wings, and good times before our floor is covered in baby paraphernalia. Brett brought some of her super-hot little peppers called El Diablos. Don't be fooled by their small peppery stature, these things are a way up there on the Scoville scale. Obviously, they could not remain on the table unchallenged. Jimmy and Kyle stepped up to the plate, committing to half a pepper each.

Kyle consumed his specimen with professionalism and confidence.

Jimmy was somewhat more timid at first, but then threw caution to the wind and threw it down with gusto!

Kyle remained calm and after a modest flush to the cheeks and a swig of beer, he was back to tackling the chicken wings.

Jimmy stayed strong. Though sweat beaded upon his forehead, he did not show any signs of weakness. He found, however, that the remaining half of his beer was not enough to rid his mouth of the evil capsaicinoids. He chased the beer with two pints of milk to vanquish them.

Looks like Kyle took this round! If I know my husband, he will not go down without a fight. The saga will continue and I daresay heighten at the next 5/5 Elf Hive gathering. Stay tuned.

Good Shepherd Dance Camp

This week, I was fortunate enough to be able to share my love of dance with some bright young kids. It was the inaugural session of Good Shepherd Dance Camp offered through our Episcopal Church plant. I had six students ages four and five for 45 minutes each day. We learned tap and ballet, and little bit of jazz to mix it up. The final day, we put on a little show for the parents. The kids looked great doing their shuffle-hop-steps! Thank you to the Angerer family for opening your home to us.

Vees in DE

For the entire summer, Jimmy works "summer hours" so that he can have Friday afternoons off. We like to take this opportunity to do fun things together. Today, we decided to romp around our little state. First we went to Delaware City which is a historic little town on the Delaware River. The have little shops and an ice cream parlor at 32 Clinton Street. I had a delicious frozen treat involving vanilla ice cream, caramel swirls, and little candy bits all smushed into cone. Yum! I must tell, however, of one visit we made here when fries, hamburger, and "hot dog" was on the menu. Why the words "hot dog" were in quotation marks on the menu, we were not willing to find out.


Then, we drove under the Summit Bridge and walked out to a rocky jetty on the C & D Canal. We usually like to go fishing here in the brackish water, but I was worried about the lack of toilets. We stayed long enough to enjoy the view of the barges and the nuclear power plant across the canal. On our way out , we saw this plant that was growing straight out of a rock! What strength that little guy must have to reach from down in the water up to the sunlight!

After a drive through the stix of Delaware, our last stop was Augustine Beach. For some reason, I thought we were going to Bethany Beach and, as you can imagine, had quite a different picture of this beach in my mind. I thought we were going to a little beach town with long beautiful beach, when in fact, it turned out to be more of a sandy boat launch. Nonetheless, I enjoyed having my feet in the sand and hearing the slap of the waves. We left our mark in the sand. The Wild Vees strike again!

Disney World

We visited the happiest place on Earth for Fourth of July this year! Photos and stories to come soon!