High Five for Holidays!

We know, we know… it’s been a very long time since the last LWTL Post. But between Thanksgiving, another bout of runny noses and coughs, and keeping a certain someone from yanking down the Christmas tree, we just haven’t had the time! Alas, we’re BACK! (I can hear the applause now.) And we have much to report.

It's official. The holidays have arrived! This means a little travel, some new foods, and lots of family! Thanksgiving in Ohio was a really special holiday for us since this was Drew’s first time in Columbus. We’ve done the Cleveland trip before, but this was Drew’s maiden voyage to what I affectionately call “Buckeye Bonanza.” And it all started with Thanksgiving Dinner at Aunt Diane and Uncle Rick’s House. We also referred to their house as the "Langner Family Circus" as the FIVE children (all 19 months and younger) really ran the ship. But through it all, our gracious hosts kept their cool and even entertained the troops.

Above are all of the mommies with kiddos, plus Jake. In order – Heather with Elise; Kelly with (8-week old!) Kate; Susan with Drew; Mandy with Hayden; and Jake with Isabella. Getting everyone to look at the camera simultaneously was simply not in the cards.



We also had the chance to spend some time with Drew's other cousins - Maddie and Cam! Aunt Julie, Uncle Sean, Aunt Katie and Uncle Derek all helped us celebrate Christmas a little early. And Grandma and Grandpa got to have all of their grandchildren in one place at one time.





Drew was especially excited about the big girls doting on him - and of course about the awesome toys they passed down!

Who doesn't love a guitar that serves as a wagon, AND sings approximately 13 songs, teaches you to count, and has a kickin' Do-Re-Me soundtrack? (Serioulsy, who thinks of these things?!)

Cell phone, or pretty girl? Cell phone, or pretty girl?

It's good to be loved!

Drew's Nana (Sheryl) was thrilled to have us stay with her. And we were all even more excited when we all learned that Drew likes to SLEEP at Nana's house. And I mean SLEEP!!! The first morning the little dude didn't stir until 8 a.m. Usually us grown-ups have had our coffee, walked the dogs, showered, and filed our taxes by that hour. So as we were all well-rested, Drew was in a great mood. We even got to play in a real yard!

Compared to our little courtyard at home, this is paradise!

Our friends Elizabeth, John and James were also visiting family in Columbus. And since John's folks live just a few blocks from Sheryl, it is easier for us to see each other in Ohio than it is when we're all in Illinois. It's a sad reality when we think about - it's easier for us all to drive to Ohio to hang out than to make the trek from Mundelein to Evanston. (Gotta love Chicago traffic!)

James and Drew had a blast pulling themselves up on furniture. However, the most entertaining part was watching and listening as their daddies neighed like horses and bawked like chickens to get them to laugh and smile. Wish I had a video of it all! Oh, the pride we swallow to make our kids happy.



In other news, we are happy to report that our son now performs on demand. Offer him a high-five and he'll repay the favor! Nana taught him how to wave from across the room, and he started playing Peek-A-Boo in the car ride home! It's such fun to watch him discover his new tricks. It is, however, slightly difficult to capture pictures of the stunts in action, so you'll just have to trust us. In the meantime, we did manage to capture this great vision: Drew in his daddy's old Brown's sweatshirt!

(Such a naive smile. He has no idea that as a young Brown's fan, he'll be learning about heartache at an early age.)

Since we were already strolling down Memory Lane, Jeff decided to show Drew pictures of himself as a little guy. Drew was mesmerized!

It was a wonderful Thanksgiving! Now we're looking forward to all of the twinkle of the holidays with our family, and we feel so blessed to have a healthy little boy in this very special season.

Check back again in the near future, as we are working on shots in front of the Christmas tree (before it ends up sideways on our floor), and if we're lucky - a snow scene as well!

Thankful

We spent some time this weekend with our friends Jen and Mike. As you may recall, Jen is a talented new business woman, photographer, and owner of Jen Soares Photography! She and her equally talented husband were gracious enough to capture a few moments with our family. Here is just one shot, and you can see more at http://jensoaresphotography.blogspot.com/.



It was a great time for us to be with good friends after receiving news that members of our family had been in a car accident. We are prayerful for a full recovery for Susan's sister MJ. For our faithful blog followers, please keep the Fanning/Carrier family in your prayers as well.

This Thanksgiving, we are thankful for precious moments together.

Colorado, Croup, and Crawling

It's been a very busy week for those of us Living with the Langners! We were fortunate enough to travel to Denver, Colorado where we got to spend some time with our great friends the Franklins. Susan has been friends with Kerry since 7th grade, and we've waited a long time to introduce our little boys to one another. Imagine our excitement! Well, it was quickly tempered by Drew's Friday diagnosis at Urgent Care: croup. (Crap.)

So much for our grand plans to take adorable pictures of Drew and his new friend Matthew (who just turned 1 year old!) in the tub together, playing in the yard together, and giggling side by side! We kept them separated as much as possible, which was made easier by their very opposite nap schedules. But we did manage to get a few shots of the kids together.

Thankfully, we prepared well in advance for the possible cold weather in Denver, and had Drew adequately bundled up! We did NOT, however, prepare for the 5 inches of snow that blanketed the city on our last night there. Imagine our surprise to have to shovel the car out to get back to the airport!

We enjoyed plenty of the great outdoors as part of our "steam in the shower - then stand in the cold" remedy the doctor prescribed for Drew's symptoms.

Drew didn't help much with the shoveling, but who could blame him? He found a whole new world of toys inside the house - and his buddy Matthew showed him how to rock out in the exersaucer (complete with a few patented dance moves!)

All in all, it was a great trip to one of our favorite places, and time well spent with some of our closest friends! Many thanks to Kerry, Adam and Matthew for their awesome hospitality, laughs and late nights. Granted, these were not like the late nights we spent together B.C. ("Before Children"); these late nights were spent taking care of sick little boys instead of sipping wine until the wee hours and playing endless games of ping-pong. Swaping stories about diapers, baby-proofing, and bedtime routines is a different kind of bonding entirely.

While we were in Denver, Drew not only gained a new buddy, but learned a very important lesson....how to crawl!

As soon as we got home, Drew decided it was time for some independence. Check out his moves.

We're looking forward to the next few weeks - especially Thanksgiving in Ohio with the grandparents where this little mover and shaker can show-off for the family. And we're hopeful that we all get healthy and stay that way for a LONG TIME! After all, there are new corners of this house to explore.

BOO!

A bee by day and a dinosaur by night, Drew was all set for an exciting Halloween full of Tricks, Treats, and LOTS of candy (at least, Mom and Dad were counting on him coming through with a Snickers Bar or two.) Unfortunately, bed time came long before the door to door fun began. But we still had a great time dressing him up and spending time with the family on his first Halloween!

Drew was a good sport - and got some ideas for next year from his cousins!!

The best part of Halloween weekend (selfishly, for mom and dad) was that it included Drew's first night with babysitters! Drew lucked out and had his Uncle Jim and Aunt Wendy (seasoned grandparents!) babysit him for the evening. All went well, and we are pretty sure fun was had by ALL!

This gave us the chance to sneak off for the night (literally!) and surprise Susan's sister Laura with a party in celebration of her 35th birthday! The biggest surprise came in the form of Susan's mom - who flew all the way from Florida to attend the party and be with us for the weekend!

Drew was QUITE tickled to see his Mimi , and he insisted on showing her his favorite things about going to grandma's house - great views and a show tune on the piano!


Jen and Susan had some quality mother-daugther time over the weekend, too. Yes - those are matching shirts. Nothing says Happy Birthday like seeing your mom and sister wearing matching halloween shirts, right?

The Birthday girl, Aunt Laura, with Drew and Melanie.

The other big surprise for Laura was her best friend Beka! Freshly flown in from snow-covered Denver, Beka finally got to meet Drew. This little guy knows a mommy when he meets one... and Beka is a mom four times over. They became fast friends!


After he mastered piano with Mimi, Drew thought he'd try his hand at the drums. Forget the battery-operated toys, and bring out the kitchen bowls! The music and laughter were loud at Aunt Laura & Uncle Dennis' house. And then things got turned upside down as the Burgin cousins taught Drew a little something about Halloween and dress up... the best costumes are homemade.

Drew says, "HATS OFF to a great weekend and wonderful memories!"

Fall Smiles and Smiles Fall

Living with the Langners got a little dramatic last weekend. It all started with a grand idea... let's go to a pumpkin patch! Our friends Brian and Lindy humored us (in more ways than one!), and we all set out for Didier Farms.

Well, Didier Farms apparently offers more than just pumpkins. There were animals at the petting zoo, kiddie rides, wooden cut-outs, and lots of noisy people. Who knew that the autumn version of Santa's Workshop was in Buffalo Grove? It was almost as cold as the North Pole, and equally overwhelming for a little boy.

We started with the wooden cut-outs. I tried to get a smile out of Drew, but he was skeptical about the whole experience.


Next, I had visions of taking the perfect fall picture: my kid in a pumpkin patch, grinning ear to ear! I even had a cute caption picked out. It was something like, "Our cute lil' pumkin!"

Clearly that picture was never meant to be. I put Drew on a blanket, and he had a little melt-down. Rather than scooping him up right away to comfort him and offer hugs, I decided to snap a quick pic while laughing just a little bit. Slightly cruel move as a parent? Maybe. Worth it for the hilarious shot I can show to his friends when he's in high school? You be the judge:



Then Lindy helped me introduce Drew to this strange orange balls a little more gently. You can still see the sad little crocodile tear welled up in his eye. This is when I started to feel really sorry for him!



Our adventure at Didier Farms ended shortly after that pathetic photo was taken. And later in the night, the other boys got to play! That's right - Jeff and Brian took our pumpkins and created their master pieces. It required a drill, a couple of adult drinks, and two wives who were "man enough" to clean out the pumpkins to accomplish the following...

(If you look closely, you'll see two ghosts in the background. Oh wait, that's Jeff and Brian who don't quite show up without a flash.)

Fortunately for us, Sunday was a much happier day! Ready for church, and sporting a great new set of overalls, Drew was feeling very proud and even cooperated when I took out the camera. We still cannot use the flash if we want Drew to crack a grin, so these might appear slightly dark.

Playing in a pile of laundry has never looked so fun! He likes to be pulled all around the room in his basket. I'm trying to teach him how to match socks for me.

And just when we thought the day couldn't get any better, Drew attempted to crawl! No actual crawling just yet, but see how close he is?!?!

Whew - what a weekend it was! I'm off to baby proof the house now. I don't think I have much time! I suppose I could always place pumpkins in front of drawers and cabinets as he clearly won't be going near those anytime soon...

Simple Pleasures

There's not much to report since our last post, but we were playing with some very exciting toys recently, and captured a couple of pics. It truly is the simple things that make us happy, isn't it?

Drew has recently become quite the culinary expert. Well, not quite. But playing with measuring cups and spoons at least puts him on that path! He's learning about cause and effect. For example: Cause - bang the spoon on the cup; Effect - interesting noise that makes the dogs' ears perk up. Second effect - Giggles!

It's difficult to see, but Drew is playing with a plastic bottle filled with a few coins. Shake, rattle, and roll, Baby!

His daycare has something similar - which is of course put together by "childcare professionals" who have colorful beads to use. At our house, we improvised! Nope, I'm not a professional - just a mom on a budget.

So much for expensive toys. Don't get me wrong - he loves anything that lights up, sings, and requires batteries (that we replace time and time again). But take this kid's homemade toys away, and you'll witness the most pathetic whimper and pouty lip quiver you'll ever see. Watch out, Matel, Toys by Langner is fierce competition!

Splish, Splash and Smile for Seven Months!

Seven months have gone so quickly! Our family celebrated the occasion with some good old fashioned play time tonight.

Drew continues to love his Boppy Play Gym, even as he grows older. But instead of lying down and reaching for the toys, he sits up, eye-level with treasures that light up, sing, and squeak. But the real fun is when Dad bobs his head up and down like he's part of the contraption. (As you'll see, we have no pride when it comes to entertaining our kid.) Here are the Langner boys at play...

And at the end of every night, we wind down with splishing and splashing! Drew loves bath time, so we captured a bit of his favorite part of day... soaking Mom and Dad. And yes, that is Swasey you hear in the background. He was very disappointed that he was not asked to participate in bath time.

In other updates, Drew is becoming quite mobile! He pushes himself up into almost a full crawl position, then chickens out and decides to flail his arms and pivot on his stomach. His main mode of transportation continues to be rolling all over the room. We suspect Drew will be army crawling (or as we call it "Navy Crawling" - in honor of our good friend Jake!) any day now.

And like his parents, this kid can eat! Drew is moving up to Stage 2 foods - which means really interesting combos of fruits and veggies. Who knew that garden veggies would be so delish? No teeth just yet, and the teething pains have subsided for now. I'm in no hurry for the pearly whites to push through, as it's just one more sign that my little boy is growing out of control! And that gummy smile with the fist shoved in the mouth is just too cute.

One of our favorite developments is Drew's recognition of US... his parents! Whether we're picking him up from daycare, or coming home to him after work, we get big smiles, squeals, and his version of a kiss. It's pretty great payback.

And a blog sneak peak: Possible pumpkins, ghouls, and maybe even a dragon.

The Apple of our Eye

For one glorious Saturday, the weather was perfect! (Perhaps the last nice day we'll have for a while.) We joined our friends John, Elizabeth, and their precious boy James for a visit to a great little apple orchard. We all enjoyed a picnic and some good old-fashioned apple picking. We love watching Drew and James get to know each other. This is a lifelong friendship in the making.

Elizabeth and I are glad we "picked" these cuties!

Our little family tree (Get it? family tree? Okay, okay, I'll stop)

Drew helped us choose a few, too.

This sure isn't Gerber applesauce!

And at the end of the day, we all came back to our house to relax and play. Here's a great shot that really captures the moment - TOTAL... MESSY... CHAOS! Two dogs, two tykes, and a few tired parents. Yup, ours is the kid relaxing with a foot on the Boppy and a Champ at his side. James, on the other hand, is crawling and exploring. We have some work to do.

In other highlights, Drew is the youngest (honorary) member of the Community Christian Church Youth Group! When Jeff spent some time with the kids, he brought Drew along. As you can see, he was the life of the party.

And as I mentioned, last Saturday was the end of the sunny, warm days. Fall is here! It's our family's favorite time of year - it's the season in which we were married (we just celebrated 5 years!), it's when we get to go apple picking with good friends, and it's time to break out adorable fleece jackets to enhance Drew's already adorable wardrobe!

Happy Fall!

We've Gone to the Dogs

Drew has discovered a couple of very interesting things in the last few weeks: Swasey and Champ. These furballs are our four-legged kids, who have also finally discovered the little person wiggling around our house! This is such a a fun relationship for us to watch develop, particularly as Drew has learned to reach for and grab everything in front of him.

Here is a moment that I captured this afternoon, as Swasey was looking for a belly rub, and Drew was looking for a fistful of fur. I think Swasey was tired of his minor cameos in this blog, and decided to work his way into the shot! No children or animals were harmed in the making of this video. (And yes, mommy had one hand on the camera and one hand poised to yank Swasey out of the way! Fortunately, it wasn't necessary.)

And what luck! Daddy soon came home, and Drew decided to tell him all about his new best buddy, Swasey. Turn on your volume, and enjoy the little giggles! We LIVE to hear this laugh each and every day.

Drew didn't have much to report about Champ, as their interactions are slightly more limited. We are sure this will change dramatically when Drew learns to drop food from his highchair, as Champ's sole motivation in this world is FOOD. But that day must be around the corner as Drew is now eating solid foods three times a day. He's also continuing to roll (even in his crib, which presents a challenge when he runs into the headboard - ouch!), pull himself up onto this arms, and play a rousing game of "remove the pacifier, examine it with both hands, and pop it back in the mouth."

Life is grand when you're 6 months old, don't have a care in the world (except for the eternal question - applesauce or sweet potatoes?) and you're adorable!

6 Months Old!

Andrew Joseph Langner is officially 6 months old! Despite a cold, ongoing teething (no breakthrough teeth yet, but they're a'coming!), and some nasty vaccinations, he is doing pretty well. His mom and dad are anxious for a bit more sleep, but someone told us that it's coming - in about 17 1/2 years when this kid goes off to college! (Yeah right, like we won't be up worrying all night then!)

The doc said Drew is in the 50th percentile for height (26 1/4 inches) and for his weight (17 lbs 8 1/2 oz). I think what the doctor was essentially saying was, "He's perfect in every way!" Well, that's how we parents decide to interpret the news!

Lately, Drew is working hard on sitting up on his own. He can go for a whopping 15-20 seconds at a time before sliding sideways. I kept trying to capture a moment, but this is the best I got:

He had just been sitting up and playing with his favorite blocks... then the camera came out and he got stage fright! Oh well - still a cutie in his Boppy!

On the move all the time, Drew's main mode of transportation is the ROLL! He can roll across any room, in to any table, and in to any dog! SO... Each morning while we get ready for work, Drew spends some time hanging out in his Pack & Play with some of his favorite toys. He's taken a real liking to his stuffed "Taggies" dog!

But the REAL fun is with his actual furry friends, Swasey and Champ! Here are some great pics that I managed to capture of our three boys...

Champ is all smiles. (He must think I have treats behind the camera!)

Look at me! I've got a big boy chair and tails to yank! YAHOO!

Drew: Did I mention that I have tails to pull?
Swasey & Champ: We get it kid. We're outta here!

And just a few solo pictures of our sweet boy. We love him SO much... and cannot believe how quickly 6 months has gone!

And now for the best giggle-worthy photo of ALL TIME: