Acceptance

I am learning to accept the fact that I can no longer keep Wes safe 100% of the time.  Just in the past week he has hurt himself 3 times...all leaving marks!!  I'm wondering how many more excuses I can give my sitter before she just decides to call Child Protective Services on me! :) 

Here's the run down of injuries...

1) I was doing the dishes and I heard Wes come running around the corner so I stepped out in front of the dishwasher door, which was open, to stop him from running into it.  Preventing an injury right? Wrong!  It did stop him from running into it but while he was just standing there the clumsy little toddler lost his balance and fell right into the corner of the dishwasher.  Ryan and I were both standing there and Ry picked him up because he was freaking out.  Well, after a few minutes he had this nice little scratch across this belly.  He was so sad and cried to much.  It broke my heart.  I went to rock him while he settled down for bed and he let me ice it.  He went to bed and never messed with it again. 

Here's the scratch:

 So, the next morning the conversation with the sitter went like this:
Nici: Just so you know when you change his clothes he fell into the dishwasher door and scratched up his tummy. 
Sitter: oh poor baby!


2) The next night we went to the splash pad with our friends Arron and Lisa.  Wes and his buddy, Gabe, were playing in the water when they hit right into each other.  In the next picture you can see under his right eye a red goose bump which by morning turned into a nasty bruise. 

So, the next morning I said to the sitter, "Oh, his black eye is from playing at the splash pad with his buddy and they ran into each other."
Sitter, eyed my suspiciously (in a joking way! :)) and said, "sure".

Ok, so you'd think that was enough right? Nope!

3) Not the next night BUT the NEXT we were at my sisters house who has a kitchen made for 1 small child to be in at a time and I was in there making dinner (she's on bed rest) and Wes came in to help.  Well, he walked right into the end of the metal handle to her 1967 oven.  He had a big red mark on his temple.  By morning it was a bruise! 
So, the next morning at the sitter I sheepishly told her about the 3rd "accident" and then asked how many more "accidents" I could report before CPS was waiting for us when we came to pick him up!  She laughed knowing, well hopefully knowing, that we are not beating our child.

I feel so bad for the poor guy but man, things change so much once kids are mobile.  As hard as we try to protect him and try to prevent every little trip and fall it is just impossible.  Luckily he is a tough kid and only cried with the dishwasher incident.  The others he just wanted to know someone was there.   I just want to wrap this kid in bubble wrap but I'm thinking it might not make him friends.

CHANGES...

So many changes!  We worry about how he will cope with all the changes but...WHAT ABOUT ME!!! :)People always say "they grow up so fast" and "cherish this time" and "before you know it they are walking"...well, they are all RIGHT!!!  Wes is growing up way too fast, I make myself cherish this time because I want to remember every second I spend with him, and before I knew it he was WALKING!!!  This kid is killing me with how fast he's changing and growing.  It's like he's no longer a little baby, he's a little man with opinions, and wants, and ideas!  It's crazy! :)  He is now 13 months and here are a few of the crazy grown up things my little baby is doing...

• Well, 3 weeks ago he weened himself off the binki!  I went to pick him up one day from the sitter and she said she forgot to give it to him for his nap but he didn't fuss so she didn't go in and give it to him at all.  So, that night we put him to sleep without and he slept just fine...and he's never taken a binki since.  If fact, Ryan found one the other day and gave it to him just to see what he would do and he put it in his mouth and a minute later took it out, handed it to Ryan, and shook his head "no".  It was too funny. 
• The same day the binki happened the dr. told us to ween him off the bottle.  I told Ryan this and he looked like he might cry and in a sad voice said, "This is too many changes, he's too little for all these changes."  It was kind of funny, but since that day Wes has not used a bottle.  Sippy cups only!
• He eats anything and everything!  He loves apple jacks as a snack and loves spaghetti for dinner.
• We're pretty sure he says "Chase"--it is pretty much the only word/sound he uses every time to describe the same thing.  He's also learned to blame Chase!!!  The other day Chase chewed up some stuff in his room and when you asked, "Wes, who made this mess?"  He would point at Chase where ever he was!  It was hilarious!!!! He was right, but it was still too funny!!! :)
• He is hilarious!  He loves to clap and laugh.  If someone is laughing he will laugh really loud even though he has no idea what they are laughing about.
• He LOVES other kids!  He doesn't really know how to play yet but he wants to be near any kids he sees and just watch what they're doing.
• He has continued with his ear infection tradition!  One a month since December.  We go in again at the end of May to see how his ears are and then we may put tubes in depending on what they say...or sooner if we end up going in again with an unhappy baby.
• He growls like a monster...I'm starting to wonder if he is possibly half dragon! 
• He gives kisses and high fives.
• He is currently getting 8, yes that is EIGHT teeth at the same time!!!!  I'm surprised he's alive and functioning at all.  He's been a super trooper.  Besides the ear infections the only things we've been dealing with is 2 weeks of on and off diarrhea!  He hasn't been too fussy, mostly just needy.  Which I don't mind at all! :)
• He is a cuddle bug.  In the mornings he will lay in bed with us while he has his morning milk and afterwards he will cuddle up to my shoulder and lay there with us...it's the BEST!!! He will cuddle up to Ryan if I'm not in bed! :)  He will hate that I wrote that! :)
• He is sitting in a big boy car seat!  I know rear facing is safest but I took Wes to St. George for a work conference and I couldn't drive 4 hours without being able to see him or give him things so he went front facing and the sent hasn't been changed...oops!

  

• He got an Easter basket with eggs full of peeps, a chocolate bar, and lots of Apple Jacks!!! :)  Those were his favorite because they made noises when he shook them.

• He was the most HANDSOME little Easter boy I ever did see!  He looked so cute in his little outfit that he may never wear again.  It was too much work to try to keep it all together during church...shirt tucked it, pants pulled up, and tie straight!  Too much work...it is a pet peeve of mine to see little babies in church outfits that look so uncomfortable because there are 20 parts to them.  This was a special occasion only! :)

• Oh, yeah, HE'S WALKING!!!!  It is the cutest thing I've ever seen!  This is his "walker" he pushes it everywhere!  It's really cute but he is starting to get around without it.  He is still a little unsteady but can get up on his own and walk around like a wobbly pro.  The best part is that he acts so proud of himself when he walks to you or gets to his destination.  He is so happy and I'm pretty sure he is waiting for the applause that he has become accustomed to. :)  This picture was at the Easter egg hunt at my moms house.

• And what can I say?  The little kid is a giver!  He takes my stuff but replaces it with his! :)

 Over all, Wes is AWESOME!  He makes our lives so much better.  We love him so much!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Picture OVERLOAD!!!

 Wes is ONE!!! 

I can't believe my little baby has been in our lives for a year!  It has been quite the growing year...for all of us! :)  Rachel came from Oklahoma to spend the week of celebration with us.  You know how I said in my last post that I had 4 days off? Well, there is a worst case scenario at my work and that is when the state surveyors show up ONCE A YEAR!  Worst case scenario happened Monday at 7:30am!  They walked in the building at 7:30am and I was there an hour later.  Basically worked normal hours the rest of my vacation.  It was a total BUST!  But, we still had fun when I wasn't at work. 

Here is a full "picture" re-cap of the party...

The Birthday Cake!  This was the cake that I made for just Wes...you know, the dive in a eat like crazy make!

This is what the guests had...if you were lucky to have one!  I totally under estimated on food and we ran out!  So, I'm not the great host I always wanted to be. :(

THE BIRTHDAY BOY!!!  Rachel made him this cutest shirt. I just loved it.  Can't you just tell he is PUMPED for his birthday? :)

 The back of the shirt...

Then we watched his favorite music video...Stronger by Will i am and the Sesame Characters :)

Then he, well I, opened his presents...he had a blast!  One great toy after another...

We sang happy birthday while he wore his "Happy Birthday" hat for 20 seconds.  Then came the cake.  I wondered what it was going to be like because he is not an aggressive eater as it is so to be able to just dig in might be weird to him.  And it was!  We turned the video camera off after about 15 minutes of him picking individual sprinkles off and eating them.  It was too funny.  He was a very dainty eater! ;)

But as you can see he managed to make a mess! :)

Oh, and we did party hats but as I went through the pictures it seems like I'm the only one who really kept it on throughout the entire party!

On the day of his actual birthday we went to the Cheesecake Factory...why there? Well, as all parents do 4 hours after their baby is born they go out to lunch to the Cheesecake Factory while the birth mom gets some alone time with baby...isn't that what everyone does?  Oh well, we went a year ago on this day so we decided to bring him this time.

Wes got a few last minutes presents before bedtime... mom and dad got him a Build-a-bear at the mall and Rachel got him this piano which we plays 24/7!  Over all I think Wes had a great birthday--I know we had a great time Celebrating him!

This may have been my favorite thing about the party...

I took a picture each month with that darn monkey so I had to do something with them.  So, I made this and had Costco print it as a "Poster Size" and we hung it up at the party.  I was fun to see his growth, measurements, and mile stones all in one place.  I know I'm weird but this is a keep sake! :)

How time flies...

I know it's been forever since I last posted. Believe me it feels like forever! Work has been stressful and I usually get home and do nothing but unwind watching TV and play with Wes. Even dinners have reverted to Mac & Cheese and cheese sandwiches!!! I need a break...and there's one coming!

Rachel, Wes' birth mother, is coming to town on Thursday for a week. She's here for Wes' birthday and I took 4 day...FOUR DAYS off work. I know I will hate myself the day I go back but I'm going to take full advantage of my vacation by spending time with my family, throwing a birthday party, and getting back to making some yummy food! My stress relief is cooking and I have been doing so little of it lately and it's something I enjoy so much.
Anyway, here are a bunch of pictures of who might just be the cutest kid in America...just in case you've missed him! :)

I don't know if I will ever get over pictures of him sleeping. He looks so vulnerable and like a... baby.When I'm getting ready in the mornings he likes to open every cabinet and pull everything out on the floor and crawl over and throw it in the tub! After each item he looks over and smiles at me. It's pretty funny but other times I don't want him crawling around in the bathroom so I just stick him in the sink...he likes to be where the action is. :)My goodness...the boy LOVES powdered donuts just about as much as I love taking pictures of him eating them! Hilarious! Especially when a nice string of white, powdery spit rolls down his face as he's laughing!He's started doing this new thing when he smiles where he scrunches up his face and squints his eyes. The only reason I can think of why he does this is that when he sees his mom smile her eyes turn into little slits...I have very small eyes! :) He just wants to be like his mom, of course! :) But, it's stinkin cute, is what it is!Wes' birthday party is going to be this Saturday! You're all invited. If you'd like to come please let me know so we can make sure we have enough food. :)

Wes's favorite song...

Ok, so Wes hasn't picked up on TV. But, HE LOVES MUSIC!!! He bobs his head and shakes his arms. It's the best. Although, Wes loves one thing on You Tube...He LOVES this video. He screams when we play it for him. He'll bob his head, swing his legs, hit the desk, and just laugh.

It is the cutest thing ever!!!

I wish I had a video of it.

Maybe he wants Will I Am's hair cut! :)

If Only...

If only bath time made everyone look this cute! :)

What a HAM!!! He loves to try to drink out of a cup. YUMMY...bath water! :)

SUPER FAN & more...

Wes is a Colts SUPER FAN!!! Being in his jammies didn't stop him from cheering on his team Two Saturday's ago...too bad it didn't help them win! Poor Colts...better luck next year! (At least the Patriots didn't make it either!!!! :))

SIDE NOTE: Look at that hair! This is what it looks like after the bath. We were at a New Year's Eve Party and a girl came up to Wes and said, "look how fine and straight his hair is, it's perfect." We had to laugh because in all reality it is no where close to being straight, fine yes, but STRAIGHT, NO! :)

Even the Superest of Fans gets tuckered out and needs his rest!

Lets be honest...he didn't make it through the 1st quarter!

Now that Wes is crawling EVERYWHERE we try to build forts to keep him in a certain area but they are not really working anymore. He's figured out how to army crawl his way through them.

Smarty pants!

And last but not least...Wes turned 9 months the end of December! I can't believe how fast he's growing and how big he's getting. He's learning new things it seems like daily and just gets happier and cuter by the day!

We count our blessing daily for having him in our lives!

New stats:

Weight: 20 lbs. 15 oz --60%

Height: 30 in --95%

Head: I can't remember but it is in the 40% range.

People keep asking if it's ok that he has a small head. The dr. said that as long as it is consistently growing that it's just fine. His head is perfectly normal for his body just in case you wondered! :)

Here are some things to know about Wes at 9 months old:

• He makes two "real" sounds: ba and eh (I keep trying for a ma ma. It's just one letter away from ba. :))
• He loves to play with little balls that he can carry in his hands. Not too small they're not choking hazards.
• His form of playing is making noise. He loves to bang two things together...it does not matter what they are.
• He eats 3 meals a day. Mostly baby food but we really give him just about anything we eat unless it's eggs, milk, or the other usual stuff you shouldn't feed a baby.
• He can pick up cereal or other small treats and put them in his mouth.
• He can crawl super fast!
• He can pull himself up on the couch and can walk along it--he's going to be walking before we know it! AAAHHHHH
• He hates to lay on his changing table. He tries to roll over or just cries. :(
• He loves to play with his cousins and the other kids at the sitters house. He gets so happy to see them.
• He will eat ANYTHING he is given. He has yet to refuse anything, lets hope this continues!
• He loves to watch cars and just anything outside. He loves walks in the stroller or backpack.
• He, for some odd reason, likes to lick the sliding glass door.
• He picks on Chase--he crawls on him, pulls his fur, and chases him. I'm pretty sure he tries to talk to him too, it's really cute.
• He still cuddles!
• He still takes 3 naps a day.
• He loves having his picture taken.
• He lights up when he sees his dad.

He's just the best little guy ever! He makes everyday better than the last.

Santa Clause is Coming to Town...

Our friends, Lisa, Arron, and Gabe, invited us to go to the Dickens festival with them to go see the "real" Santa...and he was! This guys has been Santa at the Dickens festival for over 30 year!!!! The people in line in front of us said they had 30 years worth of pictures with this same Santa for all of their kids! That's AWESOME!!!

Well, this was Wes' first encounter with the "Big Guy" so I love these pics because it showed the natural progression of his encounter...

Pic #1: First time he laid eyes on Santa...

Pic #2: Still can's take his eyes off of him and just when I thought he this was going off without a hitch...
Pic #3: Total Melt Down!!! :)
I love it! We had a great time and we will have these memories for a life time!

Give Thanks...

We had Thanksgiving at our house this year. And since I was the host and wanted to enjoy my holiday instead of do dishes all day we had a paper & plastic Thanksgiving. But, just because it's paper & plastic doesn't mean it can't be classy, right! :) So, with my scrap booking paper place mats to the place cards I loved it!

On each plate was a card that said, "I am thankful for..." and everyone had to write what they were thankful for and put it in a container then after dinner we read them and tried to guess who wrote what. It was kind of fun, the kids loved it.

Wes for thankful for the following items (they were stated on his shirt :))

1. mom & dad

2. yummy turkey (which he had by the way--he is just growing up too fast)

3. football :)

(Sweet hair huh? it gets this awesome curl if it's not combed right after his bath :))

Oh, and he was thankful for a Thanksgiving nap! :)

I'm always thankful for Thanksgiving; good food, good company, but always thankful when it's over! :)

Wes also did something else this past week. He learned this:

Documentation attempt #1: one week ago (11-19-10)

Documentation attempt #2: today (11-26-10)

And YES, his biggest insentives are my phone and the remote! What is with this generation and technology? What next an ipad for Christmas?

Now, I'm off to finish cleaning up the mess...