Summa, summa, summa-time!

(Yes, the title is my attempt to be gangsta. I'm about as goody-too-shoes as they get. Give me a break.)

SUMMER IS HERE! And we are loving it. Well, at least Ryleigh is loving it.

The heat has arrived in full force, but considering my little diva rarely likes to wear clothes anyway, she has not really seemed to notice. Playing in the pool, going to the park, the library, the splash pad, the children's museum... this girl is all about summer.

Her birthday present from Granddaddy and Gaga has certainly come in handy for Mama and Aunt Julie, who is helping watch the kiddos this summer, going back and forth to the park. Even Wesley enjoys sitting up in the new wagon and going for a ride.

Don't they both look so BIG in this picture? Kills me. Anyway, let's not kill the mood.

Back to summa, summa, summa-time! Sunscreen, lemonade, and fun await you!

That one takes the cake!

May is the month of birthdays in our family... Jesse's is on the 10th and Ryleigh's is on the 24th. Needless to say, we eat a lot of cake during May.


This year, I ended up making both their birthday cakes (with the help of Julie on Ryleigh's cake).


Jesse got a double-layered chocolate cake, with chocolate frosting, and chocolate-covered strawberries. Don't ask me why; I honestly don't know. Truthfully, Jesse is not a huge a chocolate lover (he is becoming one since marrying me...) Ryleigh helped me decorate, adding red sprinkles all over the top. Pretty, huh?
Next, it was Ryleigh's birthday. Julie made two cakes, so that we could again, double-stack the cakes. Well, I got a little impatient wanting to decorate the cake before she woke up from her nap, and tried to pull them out of their pans before they had cooled completely. And yep, you guessed it, one of the cakes totally fell apart. You should have seen me scrambling to put it back together, only to eventually admit defeat.

I would have liked to come up with something clever for the side... had this happened on Jesse's cake, I could have made a hill and joked about approaching the side of the hill (aka:30th bday). But unfortunately, it didn't happen on his cake. Sooooo, I pretty much decided to color like a 3-year-old instead. And this is how it ended up.

Nice, huh? Check out the side view. HA! I don't think I'll be entering any cake decorating contests any time soon.

At least they both Jesse and Ryleigh got to blow out candles, and both cakes tasted pretty good.

-BUT-

I can say with most assurance, next May, I'm heading to Great American Cookie Company instead.

A HAPPY birthday indeed

Happy birthday to you,

Happy birthday to you,

Happy birthday, dear Ryleigh,

Happy birthday to YOU!

3 years ago

my smile grew a little brighter, my heart a little bigger

3 years ago

your daddy stood a little taller, walked a little prouder

3 years ago

our family grew from two to three

3 years ago

we were changed forever

because of you.

If you would have asked me 4 years ago how I thought having you would change my life, I dont think I could have imagined all the ways. I am a different person, inside and out, because of you. You made me a mom. You made me feel love like I had never known. My emotions ran overboard and I felt the swell of my heart unlike had ever imagined. I didnt think I could feel love stronger.

And now, three years later, you daily remind me that I'm "your favorite Mom" or "the best Mom ever!" You walk up to me and plant a huge smacker right on my lips. You throw your arms around me. And without prompting, you walk into the room and say, "I love you, Mommy." And my heart? Well, it is still swelling. Some times, it feels like it could just explode with the love that you, my sweet girl, give me unconditionally. I have learned more about me, from you, than I ever thought possible. Isnt it supposed to be the other way around?

Ryleigh, you are such a blessing and a joy in my life, and cliche' as it might sound, I truly cannot imagine my life without you in it. I love you, sweet girl, and I wish you the "best third burt-day ever!"

Love,

Mommy

Eight months

It has started. Well, perhaps not started, but man, the train is really moving down the tracks now. It is official. Wesley is growing. And changing. This month marked a lot of changes in my little boy's life.

He started sitting, and quickly became a pro. In fact, he likes sitting so much that he refuses to recline at all anymore. It doesn't matter whether I put him in a swing, bouncer, high chair, or infant bath tub...the recline position no longer applies. After walking in the room to find him sitting (and reaching) in his swing, I sadly packed up the swing and bouncer and realized he was officially too big.

And my baby who previously has shown no interest in moving around, suddenly has realized that is it fun to scare mommy by hiding from her. Still no real action in the crawling department, but who needs to crawl when you can simply roll across the room and still make it to your destination?

We have been spending more and more time outside this month, and Wesley has now experienced the pool on several occasions. He seems happy as a clam most of the time and is content to sit in the (very) shallow end and splash around. Especially when he accidentally splashes Mama. I typically try to remember to keep his hat on him, since he is so fair skinned, but I wonder if his hair will lighten by the end of the summer if we continue to hang out outside everyday?

I know you wont believe me, but seriously, the boy is teething. I know I have said it for MONTHS now, but I can officially see little buds under the gums. Any day now, one of those pearly whites will make an appearance. Until then, Wesley goes to town on anything he can fit in his mouth.

Another big change? He has officially weaned himself from Mommy. I'm sure it probably was what the experts would call a "nursing strike" or whatever, and had I been a die-hard nursing pro, I probably could have pushed through it and made it out on the other side. But it was getting frustrating. He was clearly not interested, and would rather look around the room, laugh at Ryleigh, pull on my shirt, swat at my face...pretty much anything other than nurse. I was lucky if I could get him to eat on one side. So, we weaned. Luckily, he had already had bottles of formula, so I was not introducing him to anything new. Within a matter of days, he was holding the bottles on his own, happily chugging his milk four times a day.Wesley has grown. He is filling out more, looking more and more like a little boy and less like a baby. We bumped him up to size 3 diapers this month, and some of his 6-month pajamas are starting to fit snug. I'm about to pull out the 9-month clothes and get them washed and ready. He has started to babble, though not very often and not very extensively. Though I hate to admit it, his main sound/word is Dadada, which of course lights Jesse up and I often receive the gloating grin from a proud papa.

Can't say I blame him.

Who wouldn't be proud of this cutie pie?

He is still a Mama's boy though, loves to cuddle and give me kisses, essentially trying to eat my face, leaving a trail of slobber and drool all over me.

And I love it. Every bit of it.

A new rock star is born!

Hey there! This is Wesley, signing in to send a big shout out and wave across the nursery to my new friend Caden Cruz!! My Mama told me some other cute rock star was born yesterday, and though I was slightly jealous at first, when I realized it was YOU, I just got excited and started flapping my arms up and down trying to make sure you could see me waving. I'm beyond pumped that you made it here safe and sound, buddy. Hold tight to your Mama; she loves you more than you can begin to understand. At least that is what my Mama always says.

Well dude, I'm sure you're pretty busy these days...eating, sleeping, and hopefully pooping all over the place (Daddies love that), but I can't wait to meet you, throw a football around, or possibly pull out our guitars in an all-out jam session. Give me a buzz whenever you're ready.

Love ya, man!

~Wesley

CONGRATULATIONS MIKE AND SHELLEY ON YOUR LITTLE ROCK STAR, CADEN! WE SIMPLY COULD NOT BE HAPPIER FOR YOU GUYS AND YOUR SWEET LITTLE FAMILY. LOTS OF HUGS AND PRAYERS FROM OUR FAMILY TO YOURS!

Its a work in progress

Anyone who has ever bought a house, knows that it is a constantly evolving thing. (And if that is not the case with you, just don't tell me, because I like to think we are normal in this respect...)

When we moved to our new house, we got rid of a lot of the things we had in our old house. Either:

1. The style didn't match the style of our new house.
2. They just flat out did not fit.
3. They were pieces we bought that were cheap, and we just used to get by. We wanted nice stuff in our new home.
4. We just did not like them anymore.

So, needless to say, our new house looks pretty empty. And it has looked empty for a LONG. TIME. NOW. When we moved here, I had idea after idea of how I wanted to transform the house into our new home. But, after realizing that everything requires time and money (two things we are short on), I sadly came to terms that my house would remain empty for awhile. And by "came to terms with," I mean that Jesse pretty much told me to back off and trust that we would get what we could, when we could!

We have now been saving for months. I must say, when we do make big purchases, it feels good. We get to pull out our wrinkled envelope, stuffed with cash, and feel a since of satisfaction. And I do feel proud knowing that we didn't spend outside of our means. We saved. We paid in full, in cash. And we waited until we found exactly what we wanted. Now, that being said, we find something we want, we jump in with both feet. Hence Jesse's new truck last Fall... we were out looking and gathering ideas on a whim, and left the lot with a new truck (again, paid for in full, in cash) a few hours later. He knew what he wanted and when he found it, he jumped.

Which brings me back to our house. When we moved in, we slowly but surely set up and decorated the bedrooms. No, they are not perfect or done up to the max. But they are cute, comfortable, and functional. They look and feel like bedrooms. Our living area (kitchen, living room, and dining room)...not so much. Empty. The pieces we do have, don't really go with anything else. I would have loved to spend bookoos (yes, it is a word) to start from scratch, go pick out everything I want, and re-do it all at once. But, that is not how we do things! It is hard to resist, and it frustrates me to no end most of the time. Nevertheless, we feel that for us, it is the right way to do it.

So, instead, we save and save, and do a little at a time, as we can. One piece of furniture here. New curtains there. A new picture over there.

This week, we added to the collection.

Jesse found this random, unique furniture store out in the middle of no where, and we went to check it out. After walking the (massive!) store, our eyes landed on this rustic piece. We have had an idea in our heads of what we wanted to find for that wall since we moved in late last summer. I cannot tell you how many different furniture stores we have browsed, looking for the perfect piece. We have debated how we could adjust certain existing pieces to make them work for us. We had even settled on a more traditional piece from Star furniture and had it ordered (on back order). But when we saw this piece, we were both sold. And jumped right in.

I pulled out the wrinkled envelope, signed on the dotted line, and they delivered it to our living room a few hours later. No contracts. No waiting for weeks. No hassle.

And now, our living room has substance. A new building block.
There is still a lot to do. We have to hang the TV on the wall above it, and move the DVR and DVD player into the cabinet below, once we drill out a hole for the wires. We need some more color in the room. I need to get a rug and curtains and accessories to make it homey, but hey. It is starting to come together. After all, home building is a constant work in progress.

Wordless...Monday?

Yay! Mr. Big Boy is sitting by himself!

Sorry, and catching up!

I'm sorry I have been absent this month. It has been a crazy month complete with a week of being sick and out of it.

Then, I finally started to catch up, and stinkin' blogger wouldn't let me upload any pictures! Errr. Anyway, I think I'm caught up now.

Enjoy!

To make up...

...for this, feast your eyes on THIS:

GIG 'EM AGGIES!

Seven months

Wesley is SEVEN. MONTHS. OLD.


Where does the time go? Seriously! I know I say this every month, but I truly cannot believe how fast time is flying with this son of mine. Before I know it, he will be 16, leaving the driveway in a rush, in his big maroon truck. (Ha, yes, I'm sure his dad's preferences will no doubt rub off on him...) But let's not think about that today. Today, he is seven months old.

He is filling out nicely, eating more and more, and nursing a little less. It makes me nervous, wondering if he is still getting enough, but no complaints from him, so I guess he is okay.

Wesley is a (knock on wood) GREAT sleeper. Not so much during the day...he is more of a cat napper during the day, but at night, that boy can sleep up to 9 hours at a time. I certainly cannot complain! Sure, he has the random nights of wake-ups, but again, no complaints from this mama. I love how he nestles up in the corner of his bed. And in this shot? Covering his ears, no doubt, making sure that Ryleigh's squeals down the hall did not disturb his morning siesta.

This boys melts me.

I cannot say it enough. He really has the sweetest disposition and it content to play and chew on things. Sure, he has his moments when he wants attention and cuddles, in which case, you know I do not mind to oblige.

This month Wesley celebrated his first Easter.

And took his first plane ride to Minnesota (outside of the womb) to meet his new baby cousin. He is officially a "big" cousin! And while there, he also went to his first hockey game to cheer on Uncle Brent.

Seven months already? Oh my soul. Growth and change, and I know we are on the tip of the iceberg. I believe we will soon see signs of little teeth, sitting unassisted, trying to crawl, and running to keep up with his big sister.

I'm gonna go ahead and brace myself now for all the "boy" moments to come. Because Lord help me, I know they are coming. Faster than I realize.

New dinner sides

If your family is anything like mine, you probably have a few standard "go to" meals. The one you pull out when all else fails. The one everyone will eat. The one you always have on hand.


Well, what about side dishes? The standard salad? Canned vegetables? Maybe a loaf of crusty bread?

It is no surprise to most of you that I enjoy trying new recipes, and lately, my taste buds (and my family!) have been begging for something new. So, I have been trying new things. And, there are two of the side recipes that might become a family meal staple.

If you're bored with your veggies, you should try these! Super easy and really good!

Southwestern Corn

• 2 cups fresh corn kernals (~3 ears of corn) or one 10-oz package frozen corn, thawed and drained
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
  

1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Add corn, and stir until beginning to dry and brown, about 8 minutes. Transfer corn to small bowl.
3. Add oil to skillet and heat through.
4. Add bell pepper, onion, and garlic and saute about 5 minutes.
5. Add cilantro and chili powder to the skillet.
6. Add the corn back in. Toss all together and saute until heated through.
7. Season with salt and pepper.

Green Beans Almandine

• 1 lb fresh green beans, trimmed and cut
• 1 small shallot, minced
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds (I used the prepackaged kind for salads.)
• 1 tsp low fat margarine
• salt and pepper
  

1. Blanch the green beans (boil in salted water for 3-5 minutes, then submerge in ice water).
2. Melt the margarine in a large saute pan, then add the shallot and garlic. Saute until translucent.
3. Stir in the green beans and sliced almonds, saute until heated through.
4. Season with salt and pepper.

Should've knocked on wood

(Intro: About two weeks ago, Ryleigh came down with pink eye. Naturally, I had been cleaning out the gunk in her eyes, and Jesse was sure I would come down with it.)

Jesse: You better be careful, Mama, or you will catch it!

Me: Ha, um no. Mom's dont get sick. Do you even remember the last time I was sick? No! I never get sick.

Jesse: Okkkaaayyyy....

I SHOULD HAVE KNOCKED ON WOOD.

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

Sunday: Woke up with a fever, body aches, the works.

Monday: Still fever and feeling bad. Called doctor and went in to see what was wrong. He looked me over, said everything looked fine, despite the fact that I did still have a fever. Told me if anything popped up, to call him back.

Tuesday: Fever has passed. Still feel bad, but cant really put my finger on what hurts.

Wednesday: Full on congestion and pressure, complete with a miserable headache. I've now been taking Tylenol 'round the clock, with no relief.

Wednesday night: Laying in bed, crying in pain, as the pressure in my head continued to build. My right ear hurts like nothing I have ever experienced, and I am sure that I have busted my ear drum. Jesse is out-of-town, and I am contemplating loading up the kids in the middle of the night to go to the ER. I'm certain that my ear is going to explode out the side of my head.

Thursday: My mom comes in town and convinces me to call the doctor back. My ear still hurts and I can no longer hear out of it. The doctor calls in a prescription for an antibiotic, assuming that I have a sinus infection and ear infection.

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

I was so miserable, I let my parents take Ryleigh for the weekend and go see my grandparents. I would have loved to go with them, but I seriously could not imagine getting off my couch. I hurt and all I wanted to do was lay around, cry and moan, feel sorry for myself, and receive some sympathy.

Which is exactly what I did all weekend. Taking only a few moments to smile when I looked over to the other couch and saw these cuties cuddling and laying low with me.

It is now Monday, and I still cannot hear out of my ear. Never again will I say that "I never get sick." I now remember how miserable it is feeling sick, and I wouldnt risk it again for anyting. AND, more importantly, I will never again think that when my kids have a small ear infection, that it is no big deal. It IS a big deal. THEY HURT.

Thank goodness for antibiotics!

Happy birthday Dad!

Dad's birthday was celebrated...perhaps not in the usual fashion, since Mom was out-of-town and unable to host the festivities, but Julie and I were determined to make sure Dad knew he was loved and celebrated on his big day.

And really, what says love, like a dinner date at Gringos?

Ryleigh going to town on the chips and queso...

...singing and clapping...

...Dad turning beet red...Ryleigh starring as if they were crazy...

...and Wesley laughing along.

There were cards and presents to open, butterscotch pie to eat, and lots of smiles and laughter. It might not have been traditional, but it sure was fun.

Happy birthday, Dad! We love you and are so blessed to have you in our lives!

Who knew?

That playing with a cardboard box could be so entertaining?

Meeting my niece

FINALLY. I got to meet my beautiful niece, Miss Peyton Gabriann.

Tell me she is not the cutest thing you have ever seen?! Oh man, I could eat her up.

The weekend went by way too fast, as these weekends always do. But luckily, it was full of family time, laughter, babies, and lots of cuddles.

Gaga was all too happy to cuddle her two newest grand-babies in their matching "first Easter" jammies she bought for them. Who doesn't love a bunny cotton tail on the bum of a baby?

It was fun watching the cousins get to know each other. Well, at least Wesley was trying to get to know Peyton...ya know, eating her hands, grabbing her face...the usual ways to get acquainted.

We spent most if Friday and Saturday laying around, enjoying the time together. Julie and I took turns cuddling Miss Peyton in between feedings, and we all all loved watching Susan be a mommy.

Saturday night, Peyton got to go to her first hockey game and meet all of Daddy's team mates. She did so well at the game, and it was super cute watching Brent come out so quickly after the game to get his daughter and go show her off to the locker room. Can't say I blame him. Look at this face!

The game was a lot of fun, and I liked getting to see what their life looks like in the hockey world and put faces to the names I hear all the time.

Sunday came way too fast, and Julie had to leave. It's never easy to leave, but its even harder when there is a new baby involved!

After we took her to the airport, we went to Olive Garden for dinner. And I must mention, how much my son "grew" on this trip.

Truthfully, he is really small for his age. But seeing him next to tiny Peyton was just a big 'ole reminder that time has flown. My son is still a baby yes, but he is not a newborn anymore. He is getting bigger. And its not going to slow down any time soon.

I can only imagine how big Ryleigh would have seemed next to two babies. I think I totally would have lost it.

Sunday night I soaked up as many cuddles as I could cram. And once again, Monday came too soon. We spent some time in the morning playing dress up with the babies.

And making Uncle Brent get in on the posing action.

The weekend was a lot of fun.

I must admit. I was a little nervous about going. Nervous about how I would feel. Selfish, I know. I said I was admitting here. Admission is normally not good or pretty. Bear with me.

I was worried that my feelings might not be as strong as I thought they should be. Worried that my kids would no longer hold a space in the spotlight. Worried that I would no longer be considered a good mom.

Man, I was retarded.

My niece is gorgeous. The rush of emotions I felt when I held her are indescribable in words. The love was instantaneous. There were no feelings of competition. I just loved her. Wow, how I love her.

And my sister? She was glowing. We always knew that Susan would be an amazing Mom, which is why it was so strange when I had a hard time picturing her as Mom during her pregnancy. The second I saw her with Peyton in her arms, everything made sense. It was perfect. Beautiful. Genuine love. My sister is an amazing mom. She is calm, nurturing, and it all seems to come natural to her.

Am I jealous?

ABSOLUTELY! After all, she gets to nestle those kissable cheeks everyday and snuggle with her little cuddle bug.

Am I happy?

No. Happy does not begin to describe it. I'm ecstatic. I love my niece and I love the fact that my sister is a mom. I love that I now have an understanding of what my own sisters have felt towards my babies. I love that Susan will now have an understanding of some of my feelings/actions in the past. I love that my kids have a cousin, and frankly, sharing the spotlight is GOOD. Keeps you humble. And takes a little pressure off too, if I'm being honest.

Meeting my niece was an experience unlike any other, and I'm so very excited for the birth of precious Peyton.