Man, Landri is only 1/3 of a year away from being 2 years old which is completely insane. What’s even more insane is that we have a second kid now, Rex, who will be 2 months old tomorrow! It only seems to get more and more chaotic and I seem to be handling it a little bit better, but I have to admit, I’m getting more and more exhausted. Anyhow… So 20 months… yes, the Terrible Two’s are approaching. Quickly. Todd-Zilla is still pretty much a full-time resident at our house and has had a few noteworthy incidents in the last month. Of course there were an infinite amount of close calls that I was able to stop before they resulted in total disaster, but there were also a couple that Mommy’s reflexes just weren’t fast enough to catch. In the last month, Landri (on purpose) STOMPED on Rex’s hand with shoes on. That was fun because of course Rex flipped out (I mean, OUCH! Landri’s not a featherweight by any means) and then of course Landri also flipped out because I had to get after her pretty good…. Then another time she threw a hardcover book directly at his face in the car while I was driving. Well I assume so because he started screaming like someone has just amputated his right leg and when I peeked at him at a stop light I saw her giant book laying on his face. Poor little buddy. Also, being a baby in general is unfortunate for Rex because it’s basically a license for Landri to hit him on the back. If she could speak full sentences she would say, “But I’m just trying to burp him!!” Believe me, “gentle” is not a word in her vocabulary. And lastly, Landri has really become one sneaky little toot. She ACTS all sweet, like she’s going to kiss Rex on the head, but then at the last second, she speeds up and head-butts him – HARD – with her mouth, “kissing” him. SO MEAN! He cries every time! And that’s why Scott always tells Rex, “Get tough or die.”

But let’s see… we have a couple new firsts for Landri this last month. She attended her first Derby party (actually my first Derby Party too, LOL) where she looked adorable in her Derby hat and attire and also had another first – her first pony ride! Check out the video here (and yes, the pony was pink): http://youtu.be/z3CirxZWCYY. At first she was terrified of the pony and was upset that Scott had hoisted her up there, but then loved it and was upset when it was over! It was pretty cool too, because my doctor who delivered both Landri and Rex had a horse in the race, Danza, who ended up getting third place! And then sadly, this month we had one really bad first. Landri had her first trip to the real ER. She was climbing onto our bed, fell, and bit her tongue. When I say “bit her tongue,” I mean that she practically severed it. I have never seen anything like it. Of course blood spewed EVERYWHERE like a geyser from National Geographic, and she was FREAKING out… I was fine, thinking that mouth and head wounds bleed a lot until I saw the GASH across her tongue and really started to get worried. We legit thought she may have bit all the way through it. Of course getting a good look at it was next to impossible as she was not cooperative at all. After calling the nurse hotline and polling a few close friends and family, a trip to the ER was unanimously voted by all just to make sure she was ok. I have to say that the new Methodist Hospital in Stone Oak (in San Antonio) on Sonterra was awesome. They were fast and efficient. Fantastic experience. Would totally recommend it if you ever need an ER in the area. Of course there’s nothing we can do but wait for it to heal, so now we are just looking forward to a ginormous bill for the popsicle that they gave her while we were there, haha. Better safe than sorry though!

Landri’s got a few new favorite foods these days! Hands down tomatoes are seriously most awesome to her. She acts like they are ice cream topped with chocolate covered donuts – her love and passion for them is truly incredible! In her 20 months, I think this is probably her favorite food yet. She calls them “mayos” and SCREAMS for them constantly. I’m scared to find out how many she would eat – I stop her around a dozen cherry tomatoes. When we give her baths at night, the tub literally has thousands of tiny little tomato seeds floating in it that have come off her body and out of all of her crevices and rolls of skin. In addition to tomatoes, broccoli and oatmeal are also pretty popular with her. Watch Landri eat her oatmeal here (is she gonna be a lefty?): http://youtu.be/YEJ0SmDVMLk. Also, she’s pretty obsessed with my green smoothies now and consistently drinks one per day – YAY! (https://livinwiththelehnhoffs.com/2013/09/18/green-smoothie-recipe-landri-1-yr-update/)

Switching gears back to some of Todd-Zilla’s less desirable traits, Landri has two new annoying habits. The first is the classic spaghetti leg scenario. Basically, while you’re holding hands with her and walking somewhere, Landri makes her legs go limp so that she on-purpose falls down, causing you to leg go of her hand, and then she makes her getaway until you catch her again. And then she repeats it. Again. And again. And again… etc. Watch this fun new game here: http://youtu.be/g7nbPtt_gAo. Also new and very annoying is her newly acquired separation anxiety. I think it’s a combo of her age plus Rex’s arrival. But basically she has huge meltdowns all the time everywhere she goes, clinging to me afraid I’m going to leave her. It’s ridiculous and hard to handle with a newborn also in my arms. Ugh… Ready for this to pass for sure!!!

But of course, even though she has annoying new bad habits, she has a couple new cute ones too. First, she has finally started to try to sing songs. I’ve been waiting for this moment forever – I love listening to little kids sing! As it turns out, Landri is obsessed with Pharrell’s song, Happy, and walks around randomly singing, “happy, happy, happy” which is adorable. She also likes Billy Currington’s song, We are Tonight, and walks around randomly singing “we are we are we are we are,” slurring the words together very quickly which is also adorable. And she’s starting to learn to sing her ABCs and also sings “round round round” for the Wheels on the Bus Go Round and Round! I need to try to record this songbird in action for your entertainment! Another super cute habit is how she mimics my baby talk voice that I use with Rex. When she talks to him, she tells him “hi” in a super sugary sweet much higher than normal voice, totally copying me. It’s hilarious and so cute. I will try to capture it on video if I can. Lastly, as she is totally obsessed with football, she has finally learned to say, “Touchdown!” and do her touchdown arms. It kind of sounds like “nut noun” but she definitely means “touchdown.” We are gonna be ready for Fall of 2014! Check out a video of her touchdown here (please excuse the nakedness, lol): http://youtu.be/coOkuVGMJ1M.

A couple other random facts…

• Landri is still pretty into blowing bubbles and also enjoys playing in the baby pool in the driveway.
• Landri calls Rex “Baby Rex” as if “Baby” is his first name and “Rex” is his last name. In fact, our two neighbor kiddos do the same. I bet Rex is known around here as “Baby Rex” until he gets married, haha!
• Landri likes clopping around in her little pink pretend high heels. She attempts the real ones too if she can get her hands on them, but let’s be honest, I only get to wear high heels every once in a blue moon and so when she finds them lying around, it’s like she’s hit the jackpot!
• I painted her toenails for the second time, finally braving a dark and bold color – red!
• Landri still loves a mess – she loves to make them but also clean them up with wipes! See pic below!
• Every time our AC kicks on and she hears it, she starts repeating, “Noise! Noise! Noise!” over and over.  She really pays attention to the details, haha!
• I made the mistake of showing Landri my iPod shuffle. Now she is obsessed! She thinks the ear buds (headphones) are earrings and bee bops around the house listening to music. See pic below!
• She also really loves buckles (seat belt buckles and any buckles on her highchair etc) and says buckle up for safety!
• Cardboard boxes are also pretty cool in her book – she spent 23 minutes playing with one the other day! See pic below!
• She is pretty obsessed with our dog Smoke and has recently learned to use him as a bench.  See pic below!
• Landri is learning to cover her mouth with her hand when she coughs.
• She loves pointing out any bugs she sees by saying, “bug!” which out here are a lot! Speaking of creepy crawlies… it’s not just bats, scorpions, and tarantulas out here…check out the scary Redheaded Texas Centipede my neighbors found – SEVEN INCHES!!! (Yes, that’s an iPhone for comparison
• She is NOT afraid of the dark at all. She embraces it. She locks herself in the closet, laundry room and pantry, all without windows and completely pitch black and is totally fine with it.
• She also still hates being restrained in any fashion and being told no. Imagine that coming from a toddler.

And everyone’s favorite part…Scott Says…

M: What is the best thing about Landri now?
S: She’s talking more.

M: What are some funny things she says or that you like that she says?
S: Touchdown, Giggie’s house, Daddy look,
M: <interrupting him> Wait, I haven’t heard her say that?
S: I thought she says “Daddy Look?”
M: No, she’s saying “Daddy work” because you’re never home!!
S: <laughing> OH!

M: What was your reaction about her tongue?
S: That it was your fault because you were just lying in bed.
M: Nice. Seriously?
S. <nodding> Yes.

M: What’s most annoying about Landri right now?
S: She cries for no reason.
M: Well, there’s always a reason, it just might be stupid! What are you looking forward to next the most?
S: I’m not. Just takin it day by day.

M: What is your favorite feature of hers?
S: Her fat thighs.

M: What are you most scared about with Landri as she grows up?
S: Dating.
M: You don’t need to worry about that for a while.
S: <ignores me>
M: Respond!
S: No.

Hope all the moms out there had a great Mother’s Day yesterday! See pictures of my cute handmade gifts amongst Landri’s pictures this month below!