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:

From the Beach to the Boat

We've neglected our blog - apologies to all of our faithful followers... both of you. But our family has been busy! Here's just a brief update and then a few pics.

We joined the rest of the Langner clan (well almost all of them!) in Michigan over Labor Day weekend. Things started out a bit rough with what I have affectionately named, "Wake Fest 2009." After being a good boy for the drive north, Drew had some teething pains ALL NIGHT LONG the first night in the cottage. (I consider 10:30 pm - 4:30 am to be all night, anyway.) Much Motrin and Tylenol later, he was ready to have a good time.

Drew enjoyed playing with his cousins Elise and Isabella. Of course, we never seemed to have our camera handy when we needed it to capture the three of them together. (I'll credit the sleep deprivation for that.) Hopefully we will receive some of those from family soon. But we did manage to capture a few shots worth sharing.

Grandpa, Grandma, Drew and Jeff on the beach at Lake Michigan.

Enjoying a moment on Crystal Lake! Drew dipped his toes in, but just a bit too cold for a swim.

We were lucky enough to enjoy this beautiful Michigan sunset as a family!

This weekend was pretty spectacular, too! Here a few pictures from Mimi & Papa's boat... Drew's first time aboard The Jellybean.

Drew is looking forward to being Captain one day! But first, looks like he needs a nap!

He LOVES that Baby Bjorn! But smiling on demand? Just too distracted by that red camera light to show off his gummy grin.

Summer is pretty much over, but we are looking forward to some wonderful moments this fall. We hope to post some video soon to show off Drew's new mobility - he is rolling everywhere! He and our dogs, Swasey and Champ, have finally realized each other's presence, so there will undoubtedly be an entertaining post about that relationship soon. For now, we're off to another new adventure...