Happy Easter!

Easter was a sweet season; different, for sure, but sweet nonetheless.

We were invited to a community Easter Egg Hunt, and I decided to be brave and actually go. Jesse had to work (it was on a Saturday morning), so I called in Aunt Julie for reinforcement. We took the kiddos and had a good time.

Ryleigh liked seeing all the bright colored eggs and kids running around, though she was not quite sure what was the point of the whole ordeal!

So Aunt Julie helped her master the art of egg hunting.

Afterwards, we took stock of the inventory, gathered her tickets, and went to pick out prizes.

With one last attempt to meet the Easter bunny... to which, Ryleigh finally obliged, as long as "Mommy go wit me." So, Wesley and I got to meet the bunny too. :)

Fast forward another week. The night before Easter, it was time to dye eggs. I have not done this since I was a kid, and to be honest, I had no idea what to do. After reading the instructions on the box (y'all know I always read the instructions), researching "how to dye eggs" online, and a call to my mom, I had everything ready to go. Then I sat back, grabbed the camera, and let the rest of them figure out what to do!

And though they might not have turned out perfectly, Ryleigh was excited.

And they were pretty, colored eggs.

After the kiddos went to bed, Jesse and I got out the goodies from the Easter bunny.

This year? There were two baskets to fill. My heart was happy.

When Ryleigh woke up extra early Easter morning (notice it is still dark outside?) and Daddy was not home from work yet, I watched as she cautiously eyed the goodies on the kitchen table. I held her off as long as I could.

But as soon as Daddy made it home, oh man, did she go for the good stuff!

And Mr. Cutie Pie was pretty excited about his first Easter basket too. Nothing like some spoons and chew toys!

We relished in the moment of our little family for awhile. Sitting around the table. Laughing. Smiling. Eating chocolate. Praising God for the gift and sacrifice of His son.

Then, we got dressed and ready for church.

(On a side note, anyone who says that "dressing little girls is more fun than dressing little boys, has obviously never bought a 3-month blue argyle sweater for a little boy. Delish!)

Dad and Julie came over and we all went to church together. After church, we came home and I attempted to cook. Yes- I even made deviled eggs! A true labor of love. Be proud!

And finally, it was time for the egg hunt. Aunt Julie hid the eggs in the backyard (or "the jungle" as Ryleigh refers to it), and then we all went out to watch her search for them, and count to make sure she got them all.

And Wesley found his first Easter egg, the blue one with his name on it, sitting in the window sill. Pretty small little guy, if I may say so myself.

This is where I interject the weirdness that was our Easter this year.

It was weird to go to a random church for a holiday service, rather than attending at a church home.

It was weird to have my dad there, and my mom be gone. (She was in Minnesota with Susan and Peyton. Don't get me wrong, I'm THRILLED that Dad was there, and I know Mom was where she needed to be. I know it was probably weird for them too. Nevertheless, it was weird to me.)

It was weird to attempt to cook a traditional, yet non-traditional Easter meal. One that would fulfill my Dad and sister's need for an "Easter" meal, and yet not too similar, so as not be compared to my mom's cooking.

It was weird feeling like I was trying to make the day feel like a holiday, full of all those feelings I remember as a kid and wanting to recreate them for my own kids. I wanted to make sure Ryleigh had a fun day. I wanted to make sure she "got" the hugeness of the day, and that it was not just another day. I wanted her to know that though hunting for eggs, getting an Easter basket, and eating candy is fun, there is so much more to celebrate. I wanted to sing "Jesus loves me," and have her understand, truly, how strong the love of her savior.

But she is not even 3 yet. And she doesn't quite understand. But she will. It's my job to teach her. Better yet, to show her. And him. Because He deserves her love. And I want her to know His love.

His love makes every day a "holiday" full of hunting for eggs, sharing sweet fellowship with family, and eating chocolate.

Yes, I do believe there will be chocolate in heaven. Which is just one more reason I'm so incredibly thankful for Easter.

It's a girl!

Peyton Gabriann made her grand debut on Wednesday, March 31, weighing 7 lb 11 oz, 20.5-in long. She gave her Mama a run for her money, but sure was worth it.

Peyton had some issues with jaundice and got to hang out in the hospital for a few extra days, chillin' out under the bright lights. She and Susan finally made it home Easter Sunday, after almost 5 days at the hospital.

Is she precious, or what?!

Aunt Melody is really struggling not being there or being able to hug my sister in congratulations and love on my new niece. I'm going up for a four-day weekend though, and my countdown is officially on. T-minus- 4 days!! I cannot wait to soak up some Peyton snuggles!

And for the record...('cuz you know I gotta say it)...I was SO RIGHT! :)

Lots of love and congratulations to Brent and Susan, and best wishes as you enter this journey into parenthood.

I'm sure I'm breaking some Aggie rule...

.... but, MAN, Ryleigh looks cute in orange.

(notice it is NOT burnt orange though...I do have my boundaries.)

6 months young

Wow, has six months gone by already? I cannot believe the first half of Wesley's first year has already passed. It is going so quickly!! Luckily for me, Wesley is still pretty small, so I still feel like he is my baby.

But is he growing? Yes, ma'am, he is growing.

With six months also came another well-baby visit. And, as I expected, he is still a little guy. He weighed only 14 lb 4 oz (5th%) and measured 25.75-in (25th%). (At Ryleigh's six month appointment, she weighed 15lb 12oz and measured 26in.) He is a little man! But, there IS growth, so we are not worried. He has definitely started to fill out and he really likes to eat his fruits and (some) vegetables, so hopefully they will help thicken him up a bit. As of now, he will eat Applesauce, Bananas, Pears, Sweet Potatoes, Peaches, and Squash. I have tried to give him Green Beans and Carrots, which Ryleigh loved, and so far he does not go for them. In general though, he is a good eater, and is pretty happy at meal time.


Developmentally, he is changing too. Wesley is very interactive and does not hesitate to show his displeasure if you are not playing with him. I have also altered a few of my strategies to help him learn some new skills. Such as, playing on the floor...a lot. This month I really tried to only sit him in the bouncer or swing when I knew he was tired. If he was awake and happy, he was on the floor.

Encouraging him to reach and grab toys that were just out of reach, hoping that perhaps he would start to roll over. And tummy time? Well, I put him on his tummy, but since he learned quickly how to roll from tummy to back, he would just flip over if he decided he was uncomfortable.

At his well-baby visit, they asked if he was rolling yet, and I told them "only from tummy to back." Wouldnt you know that the very next day I saw him roll from back to tummy?! And now, he literally rolls across the room. (It seems he only rolls in one direction...haha.)

I also thought this month would be a good time to pull out Ryleigh's old exersaucer and let him try it out. So far, he does not like it as much as she did. He is fine in there for about 5 minutes or if she sits there and plays with him, but after that, he is ready to get out! I'm still trying to help him strengthen his core muscles a bit. No, I dont want him crawling, but sitting? Yes please! So, I prop him on the Boppy, sit him in his Bumbo, and make him practice sitting.

It only lasts a minute though, before we fall back into "the lean."

This little boy is super sweet, and I'm so blessed by the six months I have called him my son. I cannot wait to see how he grows and changes over the next six months. Well, actually I can wait...but something tells me he wont let me.

Another March baby!

Susan is scheduled to be induced on Saturday morning!!Oh my goodness, can I just tell you how crazy I am going not knowing whether this little peanut is going to be Parker or Peyton?! Not to mention that I'm not going to be there to find out right away and snuggle my new niece or nephew...oh my goodness. I'm pulling my hair out!

I'm so excited for Brent and Susan, and I know they are ready and anxious to meet their little one. It is going to be an emotional weekend for sure, and I am just sitting on pins and needles waiting for the excitement to begin.

Please keep them in your prayers on Saturday. Pray for a smooth induction, an event-free labor and delivery, a rested Mama, and of course, a healthy baby. C'mon peanut! We are ready for your grand arrival!




(And for the record, I'm sticking with my original guess of Baby Peyton, but I must admit, this little baby has me pretty confused!!)

Favorite color...might be changing

My favorite color has been green, for as long as I can remember.

However, it might be changing due to

looking

into these
eyes

everyday.

I'm becoming a blue woman.

Thank you, Lord, for the color blue.

Twirling

Do you remember that part of You've Got Mail when Meg Ryan talks about how she and her mom loved to twirl? Something tells me that one day, Ryleigh will have similar stories to tell.

She woke up this weekend and had it in her mind that it was going to be a twirling weekend. She asked to dance with me in the bathroom while I was getting ready. And we twirled. Then when it was time to get her dressed and ready, she was not ready until her twirl-skirt was in place.
And then, the real fun began.

What used to be my little tomboy, has turned into quite the girly girl lately. I never thought I wanted that.

And this whole twirling business? Well, actually, it is kind of fun.

Update on Mom

Thank you all for the kind comments, the text messages, and the prayers. My mom is doing better, though again, the recovery is going to be long, slow, and painful. She came to town last night for Julie's birthday, and looked great! She was able to get fully dressed, ride in a car, and sit at dinner with everyone. I know she will be incredibly tired and sore, but it sure was great to see her acting more like Mom!

Now, she is having trouble sleeping. Not sure if it is the pain, the anxiety of pain, being uncomfortable, or just not being able to sleep. Hopefully they will get it sorted out ASAP! Sleep deprivation does not help with anyone's mentality.

Please continue to keep her in your prayers, and thanks again for the concern!

FINALLY, the snow made it to CS!

All winter long I got to watch as friends and family received mounds of snow, snow days, and fun with their little ones. And every time we had an expectation for snow, it never made it. There would be snow all around us, and yet, missed us every single time.

However, it finally decided to come to us! And I waited all afternoon for Ryleigh to sleep and Jesse to get home, so we could play together. Meanwhile, the snow continued to fall. And fall. And fall.

Finally, Jesse got home from work and Ryleigh woke up from her nap. And playtime was ON! They got to work gathering snow from the yard to build her first snow man.

While I stood capturing memories on film...and making fun of their un-proportionate Texas snowman.

And yes, we used Ryleigh's snack (blueberries) for the eyes and nose, and a random stick for the mouth. We are improvising here, people. We don't make snowmen everyday!

Ryleigh also took the initiative to make her own snow angel. I don't know how she knew about those. I think she saw it on Special Agent Oso or something. She was very excited to lay down in the snow and make an angel...

...and was very quick to get up afterwards, because "it is rea-wy coowd!"
Our playtime in the snow ended with Mommy and Daddy getting into a snow ball fight. A snow ball fight which Daddy won, hands down for somehow managing to throw a snow ball that got stuck in Mommy's ear!!! LOL. (He threw it, I ducked, which resulted in it hitting the side of my head instead of my shoulder...the "snow," which was more like compacted ice, conformed to my ear immediately, and was VERY COLD. I had to run inside and put warm water on my ear to melt the ice to get it out!) It was pretty funny, considering that I hate anything near my ears, and how we could not get it out!! He couldn't do it again if he tried! Lucky shot= Winner of the Shulse snowball fight 2010.


Good times! Yay for snow!!

Love

Ever wonder what love looks like?

In a mother's eyes, this is it.
There simply is nothing sweeter.

Growing like a weed

I cannot believe Mr.Wesley is already 5 months old. I know that time flies by. I remember how quick that first year felt with Ryleigh. But man, it is even faster with Wesley!

To be honest, his fifth month flew by too. It was a combination of being out-of-town, working a lot, and lots of transition that has left Mama pretty skim on the pictures this month. But I DID remember to take his 5 month picture on the day!
Compare to his previous "month" pictures:
2 month
3 month
4 month

He is growing! And this month, he seems to have made some major growth. I don't know if it is because we started him on solid foods (so far only bananas and applesauce, plus rice cereal), or perhaps my washing machine is just shrinking all his clothes....either way, the boy has grown some healthy little rolls and quite the double-chin! In fact, I was forced to do another great change-up with his clothes, putting away most of the 3 month clothes and pulling out the 6 month clothes. I was sad at first, but man, he has some CUTE 6 month outfits that I cannot wait to put him in!

Wesley does really well at night. I don't want jinx anything, but man, he is a great sleeper! He still only wakes one time at "night" (which is really around 5:30 or 6:00 am), and then just eats and goes back to sleep. Speaking of eating, this boy is definitely attached to me. I'm already wondering how weaning is going to go, because he is refusing the bottle more and more. I'm fine with nursing, and happy that it is working this time, but something tells me I might be singing a different song when those teeth actually pop through. Any moms have advice about this??

Well, as warned, there are not many picture this month. But here are a couple of Wesley hanging around.
Not quite "jumping" yet, but definitely more active in his Johnny Jump-up. I'm trying to put him in it a little more often to help him build more strength in his neck and core. He is still not holding himself upright as much as I'd like, so we're working on building some muscles.

But most of the time, he is content to lay around and flirt with me. And you know I simply cannot resist this face.

I'm smitten, people. Absolutely smitten.

Gonna be a Mama's boy, for sure. At least for now...

My "exercise" lately

So, people always talk about how important exercising is for your body. But what about our minds? We graduate from high school or college, and then what? We no longer are required to think or "exercise" our brains?

I am guilty of this. Yes, my job requires thinking and using my brain, but I mostly use the part that is already strong (in my case, language and reading). That other side of the brain? You know, the ugly step child we try to forget, well, it is still there too. And deteriorating quickly.

Jesse was having some issues with a co-worker at work understanding what he considered to be basic math and logic. He came home and decided to do a test: he figured if he could explain it me, and I "got it," then this co-worker really was not cut out for the job. Well, Jesse took his time, he explained the history and the basic principle behind the calibration. Then he said, "okay, so now what should I do? What is the answer?" I looked at him like he had grown a third eye. I had absolutely no idea. Needless to say, the "math-side" of my brain simply does not work.

So, when Jesse came home with a new obsession he wanted to teach me, and it involved numbers, I naturally declined. Why torture myself for fun? But then he explained it over and over, and eventually I was hooked. My new obsession has turned into brain exercise.

Sudoku puzzles. I love them. And I love to hate them. Supposedly, they really do help your brain! In fact, studies have shown that this is one addiction that is really good for you. Doing the puzzles daily can help boost brain power, improve your ability to comprehend complex ideas, and help with memory decline.

Another brain exercise we have been doing? Scrabble! Jesse is actually pretty good and we normally are pretty close when it comes to the final score. I figure this helps exercise the other half of the brain, and certainly cant hurt. Especially since it encourages a little healthy competition... haha.
What about you? What kind of "exercise" programs are you on?

For Mom

I saw this quote and thought of you:

"Suffering is a tunnel, not a cave... you can find your way through it."
For those who dont know, my mom had some pretty major and extensive surgery on the 10th, and the recovery time is long and hard. Please keep her in your prayers!

Ryleigh's world

It has been awhile since I have dedicated an entire post to my little diva. So, here is a quick catch up on what has been going on in Miss Ryleigh's world lately.

Ryleigh has decided that she likes to color. Sadly, she also likes the break all her crayons while coloring, which often led to frustration for Mama. She has a mini (travel-size) Magna-Doodle, and she enjoys coloring, erasing, and drawing again. I had heard of the Aqua-Doodle and thought I would look in to it. We picked one up at a random Walmart trip, and have not look backed since. Ryleigh likes me to write her name on her "paper," and then she goes to town. She has colored the entire thing and also just drawn shapes/lines. The one draw back? We have to wait for the water to dry before we can color again.
A few weeks back, I picked Ryleigh up from school. She was acting puny, but when I tried to get her to take her nap, she refused. I left her in her room for awhile. thinking she would conk out. No luck. So finally, I told her she could watch a movie in Mommy and Daddy's bed, if she laid quietly. Sure enough, after only about 15 minutes, I noticed she was really quiet! I went in, and this is how I found her.

Knocked out cold! And she did not budge! I even moved her to lay on a (normal) pillow and get her under the covers, and still, not a peep. Ryleigh acting puny? There had to be a reason. And wouldn't you know that when I picked her up, she was definitely warm. When she woke up from her nap (2.5 hours later!!), she was HOT. And whiny. And not feeling well. But whenever I asked her if anything hurt, she would not point to anything (ears, "neck" (throat), or anything). After her snack and some Tylenol, she started to perk up again. But the fever remained, and as the night went on, it continued to climb, despite our efforts to stay on Tylenol and strip her down. At one point, it got up to 103.8, and I did NOT like that. We gave her a luke warm bath, and she was shivering so much her legs could barely hold her. When I went to brush her teeth that night, she whimpered and said it "burned." I thought she meant her throat (to which she said no), and as I looked closer, I noticed a small blister-looking thing under her tongue. Poor girl. I had no idea what it meant, if anything. All I knew was that the fever was not going down and she was feeling worse by the minute. We piggy-backed the Tylenol and the Motrin, and made a plan to call the doctor first thing in the morning.

Needless to say, no one slept well that night. However, her fever finally started to subside around 5am. I was on the phone with the doctor by 7:15, to verify that all was well. (Better safe than sorry, right?) I took her in and the doctor looked her over. Sure enough, Ryleigh's fever was gone, her ears looked good, and her chest sounded good. The doctor asked if she had complained about anything. I mentioned the "burning" when I brushed her teeth (and again when I gave her orange juice for breakfast), and mentioned the blister under her tongue. So, the doc looked in her mouth, and immediately said, "ahhhh. Come here, Mom. I want you to see this." Little blisters were EVERYWHERE. All along the back of mouth and throat and tongue. Something I could have seen, if I had looked with a flashlight at home. She was diagnosed with Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease (not to be confused with Hoof&Mouth in animals). Basically a rash can develop in the mouth and on the hands and feet and a high fever, though the rash may or may not show up at the same time or at all. She didn't have anything on her hands and feet, so we were sent home with nothing other than to continue to take Tylenol/Motrin to help her feel better, and avoid drinks that "burn." It is apparently very common in kids under age 10 and very contagious. Luckily, Jesse and I had been attempting to keep Ryleigh away from Wesley, since we didn't know what she had. If Wesley were to get it, the scary part would be making sure his fever did not get too high, as his little body might not handle a high fever as well as her body.

The next day, Ryleigh was acting a little better, though still sensitive to whatever went in her mouth. Jesse left to go out of town for a week, and I was trying to keep two kids away from each other, while caring for both of their needs. That night as I got Ryleigh out of the bath, I noticed she itched her foot. I looked down to see that the rash had arrived, in full force, covering both feet (the soles looked worse) and most of her calves.

(The quality of this picture is not very good. She did not sit still real well for me to take a picture, as you can imagine.)

The next day, the rash appeared on her hands, though not as severe as her feet and mouth, thank goodness. She was no longer contagious, Wesley appeared to have missed it, and we needed out of our house! So we went to my parent's house for a couple of days while Jesse was out of town. It was a good visit for everyone, I think. And Ryleigh recovered enough to attend her Valentine's Day party at school a week later.

So, about valentines. I'm not a big fan of the holiday, myself, but any chance for the kiddos to have something fun at school is cool with me. I thought it would be fun to make Ryleigh's valentines this year and give out to her friends. Yeah, they looked MUCH different (and better0 in my head. I had her color one side of the paper, and then I added a few finishing touches to make them look like post cards....only, they totally don't look like post cards. They look like cheesy, horrible attempts. Apparently my creativity does not spill over into active results. Next year, I'll just buy the cute ones instead and save time, effort, and frustration over my lack of perfection.

Want to know something else crazy? I signed up to bring heart-shaped PB&J sandwiches for the class party. The reason I signed up for these? Because I have all the "supplies" on hand, due to the fact that Ryleigh refuses to eat them. So guess the first thing her teacher said to me when I picked her up? "Ryleigh sure LOVED your sandwiches! She ate three for lunch!!" Umm, WHAT? You mean, Miss Picky Eater at home, goes to school and eats the one thing I have tried to get her to eat for over a year, without fuss? Amazing. Now she asks for them at lunch...and dinner...and occasionally even breakfast, though her go-to meal is still the "ce-weal ba."

Ryleigh is going to be three in a few short months. I absolutely cannot believe it. She is my favorite friend and my biggest headache. I have the most fun times with her, and the most frustrating. She makes me laugh like no one else, and also cry. She is growing up, and yet still my baby.

Anyway, I'm off on a tangent, and I need to get moving! Hopefully you feel a little more caught up on my active toddler. She's a hand full, for sure, but a sweet and fun girl I would not trade for anything in the world.

A picture is worth a thousand words

Yes sir, as a matter of fact, I do.

~Melody