It's a bird! It's a plane! NO...

It's SUPER RYLEIGH! I was getting ready for church yesterday and told Ryleigh I was going to get her brother ready and then she was next! She said okay. And then got quiet. When I finished getting Wesley dressed, I went into Ryleigh's room and she was not in there. I called out to her, to which I heard giggles in response, coming from my room.

Apparently, she got into Daddy's workout bag and thought it would be fun to put on swim goggles, a bike helmet on her head, two swim caps and a couple paddles on her hands, and of course, a winner's medal around her neck.

When she asked me, ever so sweetly, if she could wear it to church... I considered it. After all, what church wouldn't love a Super Ryleigh? But then I figured Jesus is all the Super Hero a church could ever need, so I nicely declined and helped her pick out a dress instead.

Little mister: 9 months

So, last month I swore he was teething...and I was RIGHT! Wesley's two bottom teeth popped through this month, and he has had quite a fun time, sticking his tongue out and feeling them. I'm going to have to start calling him lizard boy if he continues to hang out with his tongue halfway out his mouth.
Sitting? Officially mastered. He can push himself up to a sitting position and everything. And most of the time, seems totally content to sit and play or watch a Baby Einstein video. Or just laugh at whatever silly thing his big sister is doing at the moment... :)

And crawling? Yeah, we have opened the can of worms. Wesley has started the army crawl, and boy, he is getting quicker every day. He doesn't seem real concerned with the fact his belly drags on the floor. In fact, he has mastered the army crawl SO well, that I'd be willing to bet the army would enlist him now if he were about 18 years older.

Let's see, fun things for the month. It has been a little hectic around here, and luckily Wesley is pretty chill when it comes to being toted around. We did chill out a few days and watch the World Cup (boo on the US losing to Ghana), and Daddy got all excited about getting to teach him how to play. As a matter of fact, this picture must have been taken by Daddy, because I certainly did not take it! I guess they were having a little soccer game one afternoon.

At Wesley's 9 month well-baby visit, we confirmed what I already knew. He is still small. Weighing in at 17 lb 8 oz, he was in the 10% for weight; and measuring 26.5 in, he was in the 10% for height. I tried to "up" his foods, feeding more solids throughout the day and transitioning from the stage 2 foods to the stage 3 foods. No go. Wesley (sadly) inherited Mommy's gag reflex and immediately threw it all up. I have tried small finger foods and the Gerber baby finger foods, and he still gags and throws them up. His pediatrician said to keep trying, but some babies just have a harder time learning how to chew. Hopefully he will not need some sort of therapy to teach him how to chew and swallow.

I did finally bump him up to his 9 month clothes, so his pajamas fit much better now. And can I just say, Carters makes the CUTEST pajamas ever. Period.

Overall, he is doing just fine. Healthy, happy baby boy!
I still cannot believe 9 months have already gone by. When he was little, he used to curl up on my chest and nestle his head between my neck and collarbone. His little legs would be tucked up under him, and he could sleep for hours. Now, he still likes to cuddle with Mommy, right up under my neck, but his head is bigger and his legs don't tuck as well. He has started doing the straddle-sit when I rock him.

Not sure why, but it makes me a little sad. As much as I know he is growing, it is certain realizations like that which seem to remind me that time flies. And before I know it, he'll be grown. Too big for rocking. No desire to cuddle. No longer sticking his tongue out or showing me how dirty the floor is by the dirt on his shirt (while crawling). I know I'm going to miss these days.

More on insecurity

Several of you have made comments about my last post on insecurity, or asked if I'm okay. YES, I'm fine...same as I have always been...insecure. And the reason for my post was more or less to open up in an area that I think we all share. Insecurity might manifest itself differently in everyone, but it is still there. I thought perhaps we could all jump in the battle against it together.

To that end, I have started reading one of Beth Moore's books, So Long, Insecurity. I'm only on chapter 3, and wow, this book has me nailed. My highlighter has been put to good use already, if you know what I mean.

Here are just a few of the statements that have jumped off the page at me:

"...is there no validation for our womanhood apart from a man?"

"Men are not the problem; it's what we are trying to get from them that messes us up... We use guys like mirrors to see if we're valuable."

"...we're attempting to get security from a gender that doesn't really have much to spare."

"Are we honestly going to insist on drawing out security from people- men or women- who are oblivious to the inordinate amount of weight we give to their estimation of us?"

"We all have insecurities. They piggyback on the vulnerability inherent in our humanity. The question is whether or not our insecurities are substantial enough to hurt, limit, or even distract us from profound effectiveness or fulfillment or purpose."

"...one specialist's definition of insecurity: Insecurity refers to a profound sense of self-doubt- a deep feeling of uncertainty about our basic worth and our place in the world. Insecurity is associated with chronic self-consciousness, along with a chronic lack of confidence in ourselves and anxiety about our relationships. The insecure man or woman lives in constant fear of rejection and a deep uncertainty about whether his or her own feelings and desires are legitimate."

"Not everyone who is sensitive is insecure, but make no mistake: everyone who is insecure is usually sensitive to a fault."

"Insecurity's best cover is perfectionism. That's where it becomes an art form."

"The insecure person also harbours unrealistic expectations about love and relationships. These expectations, for themselves and for others, are often unconscious. The insecure person creates a situation in which being disappointed and hurt in relationships is almost inevitable. Ironically, although insecure people are easily and frequently hurt, they are usually unaware of how they are unwitting accomplices in creating their own misery."

Again, I'm only on chapter 3, and I'm totally hooked. I want to move past this. I want to grow more confident and stop placing unrealistic expectations on other people and things to esteem me or provide a certain sense of self-worth. I jumping in the battle head on, and I thought that perhaps you might want to too. Let's kill the vicious cycle before we unknowingly pass it down to our daughters. I for one, do not want Ryleigh crying every time we head to a dressing room at the mall. I do not want her chasing guys to fulfill some desperate need to feel attractive or loved. I do not want her to place unrealistic expectations on her girlfriends, setting every friendship up to fail, so that in the end she has no friends. I don't want her to ever see the cycle, much less, become entangled in it.

Anyone else out there ready to dive in? Why don't you go pick up this book and we can read it together? I'll hold you accountable, if you will do the same for me.

Each of you out there who read this blog have a special place in my heart. I genuinely care about each of you, and esteem you more than you know. I think you are all amazing, strong, and beautiful women...and I want you to know it and feel it down in your soul too. C'mon. Take the journey with me.

What do you have to lose?

Just the insecurity.

"Just a Ryleigh"

This weekend, my mother-in-law noticed that Ryleigh was intently watching the doctor's on the movie. The following conversation came shortly after:

Ryleigh: RaRa, do you see those doctors?

MIL: Yes, Ryleigh. What are they doing?

Ryleigh: They are helping people to feel better.

MIL: You're right! That's very nice of them. Do you want to be a doctor when you grow up?

(Ryleigh looks at her like she is crazy.)

MIL: No, huh? What do you want to be when you grow up?

(Ryleigh thinks for a minute.)

Ryleigh: Umm, just a Ryleigh.

If it's not one thing, it's another: Vehicle Edition

Jesse's truck:

Last week we had a pretty huge rain storm. It rained non-stop for 24 hours~ no, I''m not exaggerating. There was a LOT of rain. Rainy days = hunkering down for this Mama, so needless to say, by the end of the evening, I needed out of my house. I walked to the mailbox through the drizzle for the chance at 60 seconds of peace and quiet.

But there was no quiet to be found. In fact, it sounded like our neighbor was blasting music while sitting in their car. I do not know our neighbors very well, but they certainly do not seem like the type to sit in their car, in the rain, listening to blaring music. It made me pause. And then I realized that the music was not actually coming from their car. It was coming from Jesse's parked truck. His truck that was parked in the driveway, turned off, where it had been sitting for hours.

I came inside and told Jesse, who immediately panicked. There was no explanation!! He pulled the truck into the garage and tried to work on it, to no avail. At one point all of the instruments on his dashboard just stopped working. He had pulled out wires from everywhere, and I just watched helplessly wondering what in the world could be wrong.

We went to bed frustrated and with no answers. I fully expected to wake up in the morning to find my car gone and his truck sitting stranded in the driveway. But, no, my car was parked in the garage. Apparently, everything worked absolutely PERFECTLY when he started up the car. Not a trace of a problem.

Fast-forward to yesterday. Another massive rain day, and it did it again. Jesse thinks that water is getting in somewhere and causing something to short out. We don't know where and we don't know how to fix it. Personally, I think the truck might be possessed. At least that was my impression when I originally heard the loud, rock music blasting through the (parked, turned off) truck. Weirddddd.....

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Melody's SUV:

My inspection sticker expired in May. I went to go get an oil change and vehicle inspection last week, at which time the man told me that since I no longer live in Harris County, my inspection requirements had changed. However, until I re-registered my SUV in the correct county, the inspection done would not stand. So, I held off on the oil change and inspection until I could make it to the tax office to update my registration and Jesse's expired registration.

Tuesday, Ryleigh had MDO, so I figured it was a good opportunity to run up to the tax office in Bryan and take care of the registration, and then go get my oil changed and my inspection done. I had my paperwork ready to go, went to the tax office, only to be sent back out to my car to retrieve the official registration sticker off my window. I got the sticker, went back into the office, waited again, and finally got both vehicle registrations done.

Afterwards, I was ready to go take care of the oil and inspection. However, it was raining again, so I changed my plan and just went home to wait the remaining 45 minutes before picking up Ryleigh. 45 minutes came and went, and I loaded up Wesley to go pick up his sister. It was still raining, so I was driving cautiously and still managed to arrive in the parking lot 10 minutes early. But when I looked up in my rear-view mirror (as I was pulling into a parking spot at the church), I saw flashing lights. Talk about a shock! I had not even seen him pull out behind me or follow me all the way into the parking lot!! I was mortified, considering all the other moms were also pulling in and heading to pick up their kids.

The cop came to my window and pointed at the missing place where my registration sticker had been securely stuck, only an hour before. In fact, my pile of paperwork, including the new registration sticker were sitting right beside me in the passenger seat!! He still proceeded to write me a warning, taking his own sweet time in his car, lights still on, while I saw fuming and embarrassed.

The crazy part? My inspection sticker had officially expired (in May) and he didn't even mention it. The registration sticker, which had never expired in the first place and was only being updated to change county, was sitting right there on the dashboard (just not stuck to the window yet, because I wanted to clean the residue from the old sticker first), and that is what I got in trouble for. Seriously?! Get a life, buddy.

UGHHH. Frustration.

Insecurity

I have really struggled lately, thinking over and over my thoughts and feelings concerning personal insecurity.

How can you feel so secure in something one moment and then insecure in the next?

How can you feel so secure in one aspect of your life, and totally insecure in another?

How can you give off the perception of security, when in reality you feel insecure?

And if I do all that, does it somehow make me non-genuine? Shouldn't I be the same person, with the same control of my feelings in all aspects of who I am? Shouldn't I have the confidence to know that even though I might not be perfect in something, that I can still be confident that I try my best? Should I expect this confidence to come from the response of others- or should it be a quiet inner confidence? But doesn't too much confidence quickly turn into pride and arrogance? Where is the line?

Let me give you an example. When I first started working in my career, I would often meet with product teams and engineers who knew I was new to the business; not because I blatantly told them that, but I might as well have with the big "I'm scared to death" sign I had stamped on my forehead. I spoke softly. I let them run the show. I did not have confidence, therefore they did not trust that I knew what I was doing. I'm not sure when along the way I realized that this scenario would no longer work, but at some point, the phrase "fake it 'till you make it" became my new reality. I held my head up. I acted confidently. I asked intelligent questions and was no longer the shy, quiet girl in the room. My confidence carried over to my understanding of the product, my writing, and ultimately my interaction with everyone at work. Now, there is not a product team out there that walks over me, and most enjoy working with me because they think I'm intelligent. (Ha! I've got them fooled...)

The whole "fake it 'til you make it" worked for me. Five years later, and I AM confident in my work. I don't have doubt or insecurity in the work world. Sure, I still have questions. I learn something new every day and will no doubt continue to learn more and more. I realize I'm still very young in my career and do not know much in the grand scheme of things. I am confident that I can learn what I need to. I know that I am a hard, good worker. And because of that, I know I can, and will, succeed.

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


Where am I going with all this?

Life. How can I be confident in what I do, and yet not confident in who I am? Shouldn't my actions be a direct result of the things I do? What about those people who can put on the great front and do all sorts of seemingly good things, but all with the wrong inner motivation? Can the opposite also be true? My actions aren't always good, but inner intentions were honest. Does that count for something?

Why do we seek approval from others? You know those people who always manage to end up in those emails titled "People you see at Walmart?" (BTW, are those things seriously true??) Do those people wake up in the morning, dress themselves, look in the mirror on their way out the door and say, "dang girl, you are lookin' fine!" Do they seriously have that much personal confidence that they genuinely do not care what anyone thinks about the way the dress, the way they walk, the way they discipline (or don't discipline) their kids?

I struggle always trying to be good. Not the best. Not the prettiest (thank goodness, right?!) Not the smartest. Not perfect. In fact, if you would ask Jesse, he would tell you that I constantly say to him, "it's not perfect, but its better than it was." I want to improve. I want to be a good person. I want to work on my short comings. I want to learn how to be a sweeter wife. I want to be a more patient mom. I want to make decisions for my kids and not second-guess myself. I want to have a clean, welcoming home. I want to succeed and learn in my job.

So, if I know I'm doing my best, why should I care if someone else thinks its not good enough?

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I don't remember the exact details of the conversation, but recently, I was with my sister (Susan, I believe), and we were commenting on what some stranger was wearing. It was completely inappropriate for anyone to wear, and this person certainly should not have been wearing it. It made me really uncomfortable!! If I'm scared to wear sleeveless shirts, for fear of my chubby arms, and avoid wearing a swimsuit so no one has to see this body, and I live in t-shirts to hide from the world, how in the world could this lady go out, in public, wearing that?! And Susan calmly said, "you can wear anything you want to, as long as you have the confidence to pull it off."



I want more confidence. I want to feel 110% secure in who I am as a person, as a wife, as a mom, a daughter, a sister, and a friend.

I know that I am NO WHERE close to perfect. I mess up weekly, daily, hourly... but I do try. I do have good intentions. And I love my family and friends dearly. I'm going to be confident in that.

I don't have a perfect body and will never show up on a Victoria's Secret magazine. But I should be confident enough to at least put on a swimsuit to take my daughter to the pool.

I don't always have a clue what I'm doing as a wife or a mom. There is no manual on how to grow the perfect family. But I must be confident that whatever I do, I did to the best of my ability. I must have confidence in that, because I'm learning that my confidence feeds my family.

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Goodness, this post could go on forever. Slightly scattered, huh? I told you I have been wrestling with a lot of thoughts lately!!

I'm going to work on being more secure and confident.

You should too. <3

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?