Landon Brennan - 21 Months

Landon Brennan.... My first thoughts that come to mind with you at this age are that you LOVE to destroy my house and adore your big brother!

 You spend your days from the second you get up until the second you lay back down ripping through buckets of toys, emptying out my pots and pans, pretending to play the Nintendo DS, turning the tv off to make your brother mad, changing your socks (obsessed - Jack and the Neverland Pirates one), empying your pajama drawer, changing your shoes, telling me you need to go "pee-pee in the potty" (which you don't actually do), and asking for snacks over and over. This age is downright exhausting and adorable all at the same time. I love you to death, but I love nap and bed time as well!!

 As exhausting as you are, I do know that you are much easier then your brother was. Your attitude has changed from super mellow to more of a "terrible two" type of demeanor, but you've got nothing on what your big brother use to throw my way. If you are being naughty while we are out and I tell you no you will throw one little swing of the arm at me, and then when I say "no" firmer you cry. Ryder use to swing his arms and flail his body around until he was in a full blown tantrum every-single-time-we-left-the-house! We can still go out to eat with you and being in public doesn't phase me. Sorry man... Your brother has you beat!

 

However, you do bite and pinch! You've gotten me pretty good with your nails a few times. You don't bite me. I've seen you do it to Ryder, but you don't leave marks so I don't think you are doing it too hard yet. In your defense, you are constantly getting pushed around and it's your only way to fight back. You still get time out for it though :) Ryder NEVER stayed in time out! I remember friends telling me their kids went to time out when they were in trouble and i'd just laugh. Ryder wouldn't stay there unless he was tied down and would probably still have found a way to get out. You sit there as long as I make you with the saddest little pouty face on.

 You still sleep amazing, and always have! You go to bed every night at 7pm and wake up around 8-8:30am. If we are home and have no where to go you will sit and talk in your bed until 9-9:30ish. I think i've had to go into your room 2-3 times ever in the middle of the night since we've moved in to our house in June, and you were sick then.

 

Naps aren't as great as Ryder was growing up. He was always a three hour napper. You are  1 1/2-2 hours. You nap from about 1:30-3 every day. I wish you gave me more, but it is what it is. I still leave you in your room to talk for a half hour or so . You aren't as thrilled to play in your crib after nap as you are in the morning, but sometimes those naps are just too short for me!

 You pretty much eat anything we put in front of you except fruit. The only fruits you like are strawberries and bananas. You crush whole milk like it's going out of style, and it's embarrasing how quick you can crush a cheese burger. Unlike your almost vegetarian brother, you are a meat lover! I am fairly certain you will outgrow your brother in the years to come.

 

Favorite Foods: Ham, Cheese Burgers, Chicken Nuggets, Hot Dogs, Mac 'N Cheese, Pizza, String Cheese, Yogurt, most cracker products, gummies, dried fruit, any vegetables we serve you.

 

For drinks we really only offer you milk or water, but you've been known to steal your brothers Capri-Sun every now and then :)

 We are in the very beginning phases of potty-training. In the past couple months you have learned to know what it is to go potty. You tell us if you pooped or peed in your diaper quite often. Right around twenty months you had two successful potty attempts on the big potty, but nothing since. You love to watch us all go on the potty, and get so excited for us when we go! You are always telling us "pee-pee on the potty", and I say no buddy you pee-peed in your diaper. You don't quite get it :) Ryder didn't potty train until almost three so i'd be thrilled if you decided to conquer this in the next few months.

 You have developed terribly sensitive skin just like Ryder. Although Ryder's isn't quite as bad now, I'm convinced you boys will battle this forever. The winter hasn't helped you much so we spend lots of time in Aveeno baths and loaded your cheeks up with Aquaphor.

 Your loves in life:

 

You LOVE you Daddy and big brother. You refer to Ryder as "bub". It's funny because we call you "bub". Ryder's friend Jackson the other day even told me, "bub took my spiderman mask away". It was so funny to me to think that you might end up having that as a nick-name to friends.

 

You LOVEEEEE anything Jake and the Neverland Pirates!! (That is waht you are wearing in these pictures)

 

You love socks and clothes with characaters on them. You change them all-the-time!

 

You are obsessed with shoes! For instance at Target today Ryder got a new movie, and you were happy with a pair of shoes off the clearance rack. You'd prefer new shoes over a toy any day of the week.

 

You love Mickey and the Disney store. Your excitement level when you see this stuff is thru the roof! I can't wait to see you in Disney this weekend during our trip to Florida.

 

Following your brother's lead you tend to love superheros as well

 

And, of course, you love your blankies :)

 

I almost forgot to mention!! Speaking of your blankies, you DID love your paci as well. Right at the new year I was nervous about the underbite you were developing because you were holding your pacifier completely wrong in your mouth. I cut the tips off of them just like I did with Ryder. You cried through one nap becuase it was gone, and we never turned back!!

 You have really been talking and picking up multiple words daily for 2-3 months now. Ryder only had a vocabulary of about 5 words at the age of two so it's really fun for us! You know and can say all extended families names and friends. You say the names of all the superheros, names of all sports, most disney character names, foods, drinks, and have started counting. You can count to about seven. I'm not sure where you picked this up, but one day we just realized you were counting. Pretty much if we say it to you you can say it back, and I'd say you use 2-3 word sentences.



 

You are also great with your hands. You can use a fork and spoon great! I have wooden puzzles  that you can do no problem on your own, and you can put shapes into your shape sorter with ease.

 

You haven't really gotten into constuctive play yet. I think this really started with Ryder just after he turned two. I hope you do!! Your hurricane-ish way around my house really make me nutty!!

Landon Brennan you make us laugh daily and are so funny and great at this age. You make us crazy, but we love you more and more every day anyhow :)

Ryder Lee Lutz - 4.5

I have been wanting to get on here and do a detailed update on my boys at their current age for such a long time. I look back on the updates from Ryder growing up all the time to see if Landon is doing the same thing, and I haven't done a real detail update in such a long time....

 

First up.... My Ryder Lee. The biggest thing that stands out to me when it comes to the big brother is that I feel like we are past the "hard part" with his temper and terrible toddler years. He still gives me a run for my money quite often, but he truly has mellowed out so much! I think quite often, "if we had one kid life would be SO easy!".. Obviously i'd never want that, but it just shows how easy he has truly gotten. I don't wish for the little brother to grow up, but life will be much easier a year or two from now!

 Ryder's love of monster trucks and cars from the Cars movies are a thing of the past. I told Derrik the other day that I think we can take the big buckets of them that have lived in our living room for two and a half years now and put them away. They will be toys that we keep forever though because we had such great memories of Ryder playing with them. He now loves all things super heros!! Until school started he hardly even knew what a superhero was. Now our life is consumed with everything Spiderman and Batman. He likes a lot of the other characters too, but those are definitely his top two.

 

We have pretty much labeled you a vegetarian. You eat very little meat. We used to get you to eat chicken nuggets and hot dogs, but even now that is a fight. We always joke that we need to fill up your gas tank with healthy food so you are very into asking me if things are healthy now. I hated to break your heart and let you know that gummies and ice cream aren't healthy! I sure do wish they were! You somehow live off of yogurt, fruit, cereal bars, and milk. You took vitamins a while back, but for some reason we stopped. I have re-introduced them into all of our lives because you just look sick to me sometimes. I think it's your really pale complexion and the lack of time outside in this cold weateher. Hopefully some sunshine during our ten days in Florida coming up will cure that!

 

You still sleep great... I was always SO strict about having you in bed at "bedtime" (whenever that may have been at the time), and NEVER having you in our bed. I think you have graduated from that point of needed a strict schedule. There are nights when Daddy works over night that I have you sleep with me for fun, I let you fall asleep on the couch all the time with me, and some nights I put you to bed at a bed time. I honestly really just enjoy the one-on-one time with you after Landon goes to bed, and also am enjoying our last couple of months before we have school for the next thirteen years and bedtime is essential.

 

Also, we have given up naps. You were still naping for three hours a day, but having a really hard time going to bed and waking up too early for me. It gives you time to yourself, and has improved your sleep at night greatly! The nice thing is if I put you in a dark room at nap time you will still nap without putting up a fight if I know we have a late night ahead of us. 

You have taken on the big brother role quite well. Having a brother who has been known to be referred to as "Hurricane Landon" can really be frustrating. You have always been really neat at play time. You've never been the kid to destroy a room or throw your toys around. Everything has it's place (you get this from your Mommy!) You have learned that if you don't want Landon to have his hands on something of yours that it goes high on the counter in the kitchen or in your bedroom (which he is not allowed in). I always try to remind you to do your constructive play during nap time and after Landon goes to bed. I know it's good for you to have this time to yourself.



You have thrived in pre-school this year! Your teachers are always raving to me at how great you are doing, how much you are learning, and are very encouraging to us that you'll do great in kindergarten next year. With your birthday just six days befor the cut-off you will be the baby in your class, but I have no doubt in my mind anymore that you'll be any less then amazing! When I see you in school you are always participating, being a great leader, and just seem to really be "getting it" when others don't seem that way quite as much. It definitley puts my mind at ease. You are a smart little boy :)



 

You really have some favorite people in life....

 

Jackson is your best friend right now. What a blessing to have met him at school this year! He's introduced you to a whole new world of superheros, and you two are just too cute together. I truly think that when you are together you think you really are superheros, can fly, and sling webs. He is so great for you :)

 

Your uncles, Dalton and Cole, are great for you... for a while now you guys were such a great three-some, but your brother has recently joined in on the action. Watching the four of you play together is so fun.I can't wait to see the relationship the four of you have with each other in the years to come!

 

And... your #1 person in this world... Your Auntie Ally. I have no clue how a four year old and fourteen year old who now live states apart from each other could have such an amazing bond, but you do. You two just click and totally get each other! When you are apart you two can literally spend hours on skype together. When you are together you are inseperable.. I joke that I don't even have to be your mom when Ally is around. You often refer to her a "my ally".... I love it :)

 

 

(He is shooting me with a web like Spiderman)

 

When you aren't busy with school or playing with your brother you enjoy your time coloring and doing puzzles. You can do puzzles around 50 pieces pretty much on your own and need some assitance on the 100 piece puzzles. We have a whole cabinet full of them because we tend to pick them up at Wal-Mart quite often for $1. I think you can finally recognize 90% of your alphabet and can draw a decent amount from memory. We practice lots so you can go to the big boy school next year :)



Favorites right now.....

 

Color - Green

Ice Cream - Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

Video Game - DS Lego Batman and PS3 Little Big Planet

TV Shows - Spiderman, Jake and the Never Land Pirates, Good Luck Charlie

Movies - Spiderman, Batman, Hotel Transylvania, and Tangled

(Tangled is one of the only princess movies he's seen and he loves that the guy in it is called Rider)

 



Ryder you are such a big boy! You are one of my best friends, and I love how much you care about all of us :) I hope your heart is always as full of love as it is at this age!! Love you Sweetie!!

Papa's 80th

A few weeks back we all took some time out of our busy schedules to celebrate someone close to our hearts... Papa turned 80, and that was a great reason to celebrate!! Gina, Robin, and Ronnie took the time to plan a really nice surprise party for their dad. It was such a nice night! Our boys were the only young kids invited, and they had the best time wandering around getting tons of attention!! They even showed off their dance moves most of the night :) Here ares some photos from our night...