Growing

Wesley is definitely growing. He seemed so little at first and did not seem to fill out the way other babies did, so I was wondering when he would ever start to grow!

It seemed like within a week, whoa, he was bigger! He has started showing progress on his developmental milestones as well.

Pushing himself up while on his tummy...

Reaching out for objects and focusing on things...

Holding his head upright for longer amounts of time...

Focusing on people and interacting by smiling and cooing...

Stretching out his naps and feedings...even in his "big boy" bed in his room...

He really is the sweetest little guy ever. His digestive system seems much better, so that has to help make him feel better and be all-around happier. He is a great nurser, and though I imagine he is just going to be a spitter forever, he is not puking or projectile spitting anymore (knock on wood). He burps more now, rather than immediately spitting, which means we are getting more successful at getting out the air bubbles and not the milk! He is getting a little bit chunkier and has the cutest little double-chin ever. Those rolls make me smile so much, because I know he is getting what he needs from me and is finally putting on some weight. Way to go, Wesley!

I must admit, the fact that he is interacting with us much more now certainly helps. Last night he was UP, wide awake for about an hour and a half after his feeding. But, when he is sitting there smiling and "talking" to me, how can I be upset? It is too stinkin' cute! The other night while I was fixing dinner, Jesse was sitting with him, and Wesley was just talking his head off! Jesse and I were both laughing so hard, because though Wesley occasionally coos, he previously had not held conversation!!! HA! It was as if at the end of the day, he was griping at Daddy, telling him all about his day...probably something along the lines of, "I'm soo happy to see you! You have no idea what it is like all day with these silly girls!" Jesse was eating it up. Even now, Wesley smiles and talks more to him than he does to me. It's the man bonding. Super cute.

This week also marked a definitive proof of growth. I started packing up the newborn clothes and pulled out the three month clothes. Yes, most of them are still pretty big on him, but the newborns were getting too small. I also bought my first pack of size 1 diapers for our little man.

Time is flying by! He will be two months old tomorrow. Where did it go?

We have two-month appointment (complete with immunizations- yikes!) next week. I'll be interested to see his weight gain ~ I think he is doing great! Growing like a little weed. A cute little weed.

Shaped by tragedy

Often we think of defining moments in our life as the happiest of times. Graduating high school, starting college, getting married, starting a new job, buying your first home, having a baby. And truthfully, they are defining moments.

They define us in a timeline kind of way: when something big happened in life, I felt like X.

They certainly can go on to help shape us into the people we become, but they don't have to.

Starting college puts you in a place where you meet new people, experience life in a new way, and hopefully find out something new about yourself. But the EVENT of starting college does not shape you in and of itself.

Getting married opens you up to another human being in a way that no other relationship can, and it will take a lifetime journey to learn and grow and have the marriage relationship shape the person you become. But the EVENT of the marriage or wedding will not shape you.

Having a baby essentially holds up a mirror for you, seeing the best and worst parts of yourself through the eyes of your child. Guaranteed, the process of becoming a parent will shape you. But the EVENT of giving birth will not make you a different person.

This week brought a lot of thoughts about true life-changing EVENTS. A single thing that happened that instantaneously changed you. Or me, to be more specific.

Wednesday was the 10-year anniversary of the Aggie Bonfire Collapse. I was only a Junior in high school when it happened, and do not remember much about it, if I'm being honest. And to be even more honest, even while I was a student at A&M, I did not think too much about the absence of it. Yes, it was a sad and tragic event in the lives of thousands. But it did not impact me. I was not here. I did not have heart-strings to the campus. I did not know anyone affected. It was not a life-changing event for me. But this week, as the campus and community remembered the event on its 10th anniversary, it struck a new cord. I have ready several people's thoughts and stories about that horrible day. I have watched the remembrance videos on uTube. I have driven by the memorial. And I have cried all the way. Wow. It was a huge life-changing event. In a matter of moments, a core tradition was shaken and lost. People- kids, really, were killed. Family and friends, students and faculty, friend and foe (yes, I'm referring to t.u. here) were all united. By a horrific event.

Kind of like the Columbine shooting, or 9/11. One of those "changed in an instant" moments, that ultimately defined people's lives.

I had another defining moment for me this week, and it hit a little closer to home. We received an email at work informing us that one of our co-workers had been killed in a car accident. She had worked for our company for over 10 years. She was in the military reserves, serving twice in Iraq. And THIS is how she died. A couple blocks from home in her car.

The Chronicle reported that she had been in an argument with her husband and left to cool down. I do not know what is true, and frankly, the only ones who do know are she and her husband. All I know is that she was going too fast, hit a light pole and a brick wall and died on the scene.

Life, changed in an instant.

People, life is too short. It is much more fragile than we realize. I for one am sad that it often takes an event of tragedy to remind us of that. That more often than not, we are truly shaped by tragic events, rather than happy ones. Events that remind us to cherish life~ the ups and the downs. Drive a little slower. Kiss a little longer. Hug a lot more often.

I have been shaped this week. By the stories and heartaches of others through the Aggie Bonfire and by the loss of my own co-worker.

What about you? Do you have any life-changing events? Moments where you will always remember where you were, what you were doing when you heard, or something that rocked you to your core?

The "firsts" never end

I have been talking about doing it for months and months...and yesterday, I got brave and dared to take Ryleigh to get her first hair cut.

Jesse did not want me to get it cut at all, but it was really stringy at the ends. I promised him I would only get them to trim it and make sure it was even. I left Wesley with him, and then Ryleigh and I ventured out to a local haircut shop.

I was nervous about whether or not she would sit still, but sure enough, she did great! She climbed up on the booster and was excited to wear her "super cape." We had to remind her to look straight in the mirror a couple of times, but all in all, she really did well sitting still and letting the hairdresser cut her hair.



Truthfully, you cannot even tell that her hair has been cut- that is how little she took off. I considered asking her to trim more, but then let it go. It was even. The dead ends were off. And Jesse would be happy.

After paying ($11 for 5 minutes of time and barely a trim? UGH) and getting Ryleigh a dum dum sucker, we loaded up and ran a few more errands together, including picking up dinner at Chilis for the boys back home. All in all, it was a fun night.

On a side note, do you remember when Wesley was born and I said how I felt like Ryleigh grew overnight? Well, on a day-to-day basis, I see her in our home, next to him, learning new things, and seeming to get bigger and older every day. However, outside of our home, when I see her relationally to the rest of the world, I am reminded that she IS still little. Seeing her sitting in that big chair with her "super cape" on, she looked so small to me! And though to me, two and half years seems like she has been with us forever and is so old, in reality, she is really still quite young. It made me realize that perhaps my expectations of her are often crazy unrealistic. I think I expect her to "get" things I say and respond in the way that a child should...a child who is probably closer to age five or six, not two and a half.

So, though Wesley is the baby of our family, Ryleigh is definitely still my baby. And I really enjoyed hanging out last night, just us girls, and loving on her for awhile all by herself.

A familiar scene

Over the weekend, we enjoyed good family time, without much (or anything, really) on the agenda. It had been a long week, and all we wanted to do was lay around and hang out.

Wesley decided he needed to catch up on his cuddle time with Mommy and Daddy, and was most content to let us hold him and "play" with him all weekend.

Daddy was happy to oblige....especially now that the play time includes smiles and coos.

And occasionally, an all out giggle, complete with dimples.

I couldn't grab my camera fast enough! My heart was bursting, just watching my boys. It is so fun watching my husband love on our babies.

It brought back a memory of a familiar scene from two years ago...

It is no surprise that Ryleigh is very much a Daddy's girl. They have had a special relationship from the start, and now that she is older, she cannot get enough of "my daddy" (as she says all day long).

Something tells me that Wesley will all-too-soon be a Daddy's boy as well.

I love it.

Cashier caught in the headlights

This morning, after dropping Ryleigh off at school, dropping letters at the post office, and filling up my car with gas, I realized that I needed to make a quick run into Walmart. It is easier shopping with just one of the kiddos at a time, and considering that Wesley was asleep in his car seat carrier, I figured it would be an uneventful trip.

Once inside, I headed straight for the baby department, ready to stock up on diapers, baby bubble bath, new pajamas for the kids, socks, etc. And right about the time we got back there, I saw a tiny little preemie outfit. It was so little! Now, Wesley is still wearing newborn clothes, but they are fitting a little snug. Growth is a very good thing, especially with his tummy troubles; however, it made my heart sink a little to realize how fast he is growing already.

And then I heard a little squeal from him, as if he could sense that I was thinking about him, and getting sentimental. I looked down at his precious little face. My heart swelled with emotion.

And it happened.

Yep, those of you nursing Moms out there know what I'm talking about. My milk letdown hard and heavy. And you know what else? I had been so rushed to get out the door and get Ryleigh to school on time that I forgot my nursing pads.

Suddenly, I had two very large headlights plastered across my chest. And my eyes probably were as big as saucers. I froze, like a deer in the headlights. How can I get out of this situation as quickly and painlessly as possible???

I was so grateful that the baby department was at the very back of the store, right next to customer service and the restrooms. I grabbed a new box of nursing pads and headed to the restrooms, crouching behind Wesley's car seat as I pushed the shopping basket.

Would you believe that the restroom was closed for cleaning? Seriously. I hid in the back of the baby section for awhile, waiting for the "cleaning" to be complete. Never happened. And Wesley was starting to get agitated. I knew I was going to have to face the music and get out of the store. So, I took a deep breath, and crouching all the way, headed towards the front of the store to checkout.

Once I got to the checkouts, I scanned anxiously looking for an older woman to check me out...I figured if she saw, at least she would understand and be sympathetic. Luckily, I found a nice looking older woman, and though she was currently checking out someone else, I decided to wait patiently in line.

Wouldn't you know that the only male checker in the store was two aisles over, and literally walked over to me, letting me know he was available to check me out. And then trying to be helpful, he grabbed my shopping basket and led the way to his station. I wanted to die. My cover was blown! And my hiding shield was gone. I felt naked as a jaybird. I crossed my arms across my chest, never looked up to make eye contact, and I literally ran from the store to the safety of my car.

Utter embarrassment. I'll probably end up in one of those emails...you know the ones I'm referencing..."people you see at Walmart..." A picture of me; hair in wet pigtails, holey blue jeans, and my headlights beaming.

All because I dared to look at this sweet face.

Gosh my hormones are out of control.

And it's soooooo worth it.

HE is so worth it.

Nothing sweeter

Loony bin, here I come!

Wesley had a rough night last night, so Mommy had a rough time getting out of bed this morning. Ryleigh tried countless times to get me to "wakey wakey," without much success. After begging me to get her breakfast with only a grunt in return, she figured she should take the matter into her own hands.

Thus, left to her own devices, she whipped up a concoction of her own to snack on.
Complete with salt, pepper, oregano, bay leaves, and leftover orange juice from the day before. And oh yeah, a couple of Jersey's dog treats. YUM!

No, I don't think she actually ate anything, and I'm pretty sure Jersey stayed away, because she obviously did not come clean up (aka: lick) the floor. No harm done, right?

Welcome to Tuesday, Mom! It's gonna be a great day!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

And yesterday's fun event? Mommy got to call poison control! Hooray!

After finding Ryleigh with some mysterious red stuff all over her face, I found the EMPTY bottle of Flintstone vitamins on her bed. Yep, she cleaned them out. Luckily, we were near the bottom of the bottle, with only 10-15 left, but still. I'm officially registered with poison control now.

Awesome Mommy.

Not only that, but when I did call panicking, and had to read information off the bottle, it turns out the vitamins were expired...in 2006!! BEFORE SHE WAS EVEN BORN. How in the world did I end up buying a bottle of vitamins (probably when she was 1 or so) that had expired a year before?!

Fortunately, the vitamins did not contain iron, which would then have required me to take her to the ER. And the fact that the vitamins were expired was a blessing, because then the minerals were not as potent as they should have been.

So, a little extra bright pee and lots of poo, but Ryleigh was fine.

Mommy needs a trip to the loony bin, but Ryleigh is just fine. :)

Trying to catch up

I have been trying to catch up for awhile now, and just can't seem to do it. I have added several new posts below, and though there is plenty more that has gone on, I may or may not get to all the posts I originally envisioned. I think I'd rather start writing in real-time now, than continue to attempt at the past. SO, without further adieu, the following posts have been added:

• A special visit
• Apples to...Oranges?
• Thankful
• Happy Halloween
• "One more cup please"

From here on out, I will be posting from the present. Hopefully I'll get back into the swing of it again. Thanks for your patience!

"One more cup please"

I am not a coffee person. I was never one who would go study at a coffee house or ask for coffee with dessert. Though I like the smell, I don't love the flavor. As a matter of fact, I can probably count on a few hands how many times I have been to Starbucks (maybe four hands...not that I know anyone with four hands...weird thoughts...sorry, I'm off topic...) Even then, I hardly think that a Java Chip Frappachino really counts as coffee. I can honestly say I have never purchased a hot cup of coffee. Ever.

But lately, Jesse and I have both been draggin' butt. Big time. Between Wesley staying up until 11 pm or so for his last feeding, waking up in the night for another feeding, and then Ryleigh waking up ready to go (and another feeding for Wesley) at 6 am....man, I'm pooped. Truthfully, I don't normally feel it once I get going in the morning, but lately I have not been able to get going!

Jesse mentioned that he drinks several cups of coffee every morning at work. I didn't even know he liked coffee! I asked him if he noticed a difference, and he said yes. So, while we were visiting my grandparents, I decided to try a cup when they were all drinking their coffee in the morning. Yes, I added milk and sugar, but I actually did like it, and noticed a difference in my sluggishness.

So this week, we made a purchase:
Jesse then went and bought coffee and creamer, and we came home excited to learn how to make coffee. (Haha, does that tell you how naive we are when it comes to coffee?!) As I made dinner, Jesse made a pot. It was horrible!

SIX. POTS. LATER, and after calling my sister-in-law, Jenn (the coffee queen), and looking up tips online, we were frustrated. The coffee was disgusting! We tried making it stronger, making weaker, following one person's tips, and following the instructions on the can. Nothing worked. It was gross.

The following day, I had to go grocery shopping. I decided to call my grandma and ask if it could be the coffee itself that was bad. She told me the kind that she made when I was there (Breakfast Blend) and gave me the measurements she used. So, while in the store, I compared the can of Breakfast Blend to the can we had used. Sure enough, Breakfast Blend is "mild" and the kind we bought was "medium-dark." Also, the creamer Jesse bought was a powder, not the cold creamers you get in the refrigerator section.

I bought a can of Breakfast Blend coffee and a cold Hazelnut creamer, just to try the flavor. When Jesse got home that night, he decided to try again, using the new products.

Success! And now we're hooked.

I have been drinking one cup every morning, and I actually can notice a difference in my ability to get up and get going. Considering I started back to work this week, I really needed the boost in the mornings. Not to mention, it is nice waking up to the smell of coffee ready and waiting for you. This could be my new habit.

In fact, I went to the store last night just to get some more creamer for this morning's pot. Wow, they have some good holiday flavors out!
This morning Jesse used the French Vanilla, and I of course went for the Peppermint Mocha. It was SO good, it could have been dessert. And to think that 2-weeks-ago, I thought coffee was gross and did not understand people's desire or indulgence in it. This morning's cup was so good, I actually did go back for a second cup.

:)

Happy Halloween!

Halloween 2009 had lots of festivities!

Trick-or-treating and a Halloween party at school for Ryleigh

The Halloween festival at Jesse's club

A Fall festival at FBC

Family and fun Halloween night

And of course, Trick-or-Treating

Don't forget the fun Halloween pajamas and kisses!

A fun time was had by all. And yes, we all slept good after the eventful holiday!