Wes' language development really took off at the beach. I don't know if it was the fact that he was surrounded by family chatting him up all day, the new experiences, or if it was just time, but something clicked in his head. He's now asking for things in sentences and it's so weird. Yesterday he wanted a cookie for breakfast (of course). He went to the pantry, tried to reach it (they're on the top shelf for this very reason), couldn't, then turned to me and said, "Mommy, reach! Too high." I laughed and said, "No cookies for breakfast, Wes." (We did make a deal for a cookie later in the afternoon in exchange for him eating two good meals.) Anytime you try to reason with him now, he thinks about your offer and then says, "Um.....Deal."
This morning instead of the usual, "momaxruby" when Max and Ruby went off, he said, "Watch. More. Max Ruby." (How can you argue with that?) I'm loving this phase and watching him learn more and more by the day...and being able to reason with him is an added bonus.
A beach post will follow soon...I left the photos on my mom's computer, so I have to wait for this weekend when she returns!
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Just another day at the beach...
We're on day 3 of the beach and Wes LOVES it. I honestly didn't think he would like the ocean much, but I was dead wrong. He was amazed when he saw the ocean for the first time, and literally dragged Day and Daddy out as far as he could. Waves knock him down and he laughs and gets back up. And, of course, he's loving the pool. He kicks his legs and dips his face in the water and yells, "Splash! Splash!" We have a hard time getting him out of the water to take a nap.
More info to come, but here's a picture for now.
More info to come, but here's a picture for now.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Something else Wes has learned between ages 1 and 2...
How to properly eat a cupcake.
Happy Birthday, Wes!!
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Looking back on a year...
Yesterday was Wes' 2nd birthday. Sometimes I can't believe it's been two years, and sometimes it feels like it has been much longer. Either way, I can't remember what life was like before him. Even when he goes to "Camp" for a few days (my mom and dad's house) and the house is quiet and I can pretend like I have no responsibilities, the house seems so empty without him there. I find myself wondering what to do next and being lonely without him. The truth is, the chaos and cleaning up and teaching and disciplining are part of the wonderful joy of motherhood.
This was a big year. A lot of things change from the time a baby is born until he's one, but it's all predictable growth. You know about the smiles, the rolling over, and the crawling, and you're excited when they happen. But sometime around Wes' first birthday, he really gained a personality. He started to look like a little boy - no longer a baby. He did things to see how I would react. He finally learned to walk. And eventually, now, he gives me hugs and kisses and tells me what he wants for breakfast. Between one and two, he has become not only a boy, but WES.
He finally learned how to walk at about 15 months. We thought the day would never come. The truth is, he knew how to walk all along, but the perfectionist in him (don't know where he gets that) wouldn't allow him to take the chance that he might fall. So he held on to couches and chairs and coffee tables until he could walk perfectly. And when he did, he was a walker. No toddling stage for Wes. He went from holding on to walking perfectly in literally a day.
In January, he had tubes put in his ears. After about eight ear infections and some fluid that wouldn't drain out of his ears, we had to do it. Holding Wes while they put him under was the hardest thing I've ever done. But he was brave, it was quick, and the doctors and nurses were fabulous. Mr. Cow even got to go in the operating room. The day after his surgery, he had already learned five new words. With the fluid being gone, his language started to flourish quickly.
Wes is the most gentle, most loving little boy I've ever seen (I know I'm biased, but I think it's true). He kisses his animals, walks up and hugs us for no reason, and says the sweetest little things. We laugh together all the time. We hide under a blanket (and Wes steals kisses while we're under there) from daddy when he comes upstairs, we chase each other around the room, we dance and play the piano, we go to the park, we pretend, and we're silly all the time. These have been the best two years of my life, and I can't wait to see what's next!
Wes' first birthday, August 2008
On campus with mom, August 2008
First birthday party, with Molly Harrell
Cupcake time!
Ready for the first UNC football game
Little Tar Heel
Sweet smile, September 2008
With Thomas the Tank Engine
Could still dress him in pink at this point...
Loving the balcony at TOPO with Daddy
Bath time!
Messy, messy eater
Carving our first pumpkin
Halloween 2009
Starting to pose for the camera, November 2008
Thanksgiving 2008 and Christmas card photo session
Eyeing the Christmas tree
Christmas morning - Santa came!
Pushing his little cousin Diem around
A new ride, January 2009
Favorite food = Beans!! February 2009
Running up the hill at the park, February 2009
Sweet boy, February 2009
Cuddle time with Dad, February 2009
Wes' first big snow, March 2009
Wearing dad's shoes, March 2009
Easter Egg Hunt, April 2009
Playing at the park, April 2009
Mother's Day/Graduation Brunch
Loving to be outside, playing in the dirt and water, June 2009
Franklin Street fun with mom, July 2009
The Future's So Bright...August 5, 2009
This was a big year. A lot of things change from the time a baby is born until he's one, but it's all predictable growth. You know about the smiles, the rolling over, and the crawling, and you're excited when they happen. But sometime around Wes' first birthday, he really gained a personality. He started to look like a little boy - no longer a baby. He did things to see how I would react. He finally learned to walk. And eventually, now, he gives me hugs and kisses and tells me what he wants for breakfast. Between one and two, he has become not only a boy, but WES.
He finally learned how to walk at about 15 months. We thought the day would never come. The truth is, he knew how to walk all along, but the perfectionist in him (don't know where he gets that) wouldn't allow him to take the chance that he might fall. So he held on to couches and chairs and coffee tables until he could walk perfectly. And when he did, he was a walker. No toddling stage for Wes. He went from holding on to walking perfectly in literally a day.
In January, he had tubes put in his ears. After about eight ear infections and some fluid that wouldn't drain out of his ears, we had to do it. Holding Wes while they put him under was the hardest thing I've ever done. But he was brave, it was quick, and the doctors and nurses were fabulous. Mr. Cow even got to go in the operating room. The day after his surgery, he had already learned five new words. With the fluid being gone, his language started to flourish quickly.
Wes is the most gentle, most loving little boy I've ever seen (I know I'm biased, but I think it's true). He kisses his animals, walks up and hugs us for no reason, and says the sweetest little things. We laugh together all the time. We hide under a blanket (and Wes steals kisses while we're under there) from daddy when he comes upstairs, we chase each other around the room, we dance and play the piano, we go to the park, we pretend, and we're silly all the time. These have been the best two years of my life, and I can't wait to see what's next!
Wes' first birthday, August 2008
On campus with mom, August 2008
First birthday party, with Molly Harrell
Cupcake time!
Ready for the first UNC football game
Little Tar Heel
Sweet smile, September 2008
With Thomas the Tank Engine
Could still dress him in pink at this point...
Loving the balcony at TOPO with Daddy
Bath time!
Messy, messy eater
Carving our first pumpkin
Halloween 2009
Starting to pose for the camera, November 2008
Thanksgiving 2008 and Christmas card photo session
Eyeing the Christmas tree
Christmas morning - Santa came!
Pushing his little cousin Diem around
A new ride, January 2009
Favorite food = Beans!! February 2009
Running up the hill at the park, February 2009
Sweet boy, February 2009
Cuddle time with Dad, February 2009
Wes' first big snow, March 2009
Wearing dad's shoes, March 2009
Easter Egg Hunt, April 2009
Playing at the park, April 2009
Mother's Day/Graduation Brunch
Loving to be outside, playing in the dirt and water, June 2009
Franklin Street fun with mom, July 2009
The Future's So Bright...August 5, 2009
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Tuesdays.
Tuesdays are hard for me. I'm with Wes all day on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, and when Tuesday comes along it's hard for me to leave him. He wanted to go outside and see me off this morning. He and Neil walked along the side path and he yelled, "Bye-eee Mom-meeeeee!" and blew me kiss after kiss. It's hard to drive away from that.
At least I get to look forward to the "HEY MOMMY!" when I get home from work.
At least I get to look forward to the "HEY MOMMY!" when I get home from work.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Elmo?
Wes was such a funny guy today. He's picking up words faster than ever and constantly makes me laugh at his interpretations of words. Tonight was Taco Night, and even though Wes had already eaten dinner, when Neil and I made our plates he came in the kitchen and said, "Tato? Tato!" He ate the whole thing (must be a growth spurt coming along).
He seemed to embrace everything with a lot of joy today, and was talking the whole way. He spent most of the day in Neil's green hat (green hat! green hat!) and talked to all of his favorite TV characters (Dora. Boots. Franken (Franklin). Wonner Pets (Wonder Pets).) After the show would end, he'd look at me and say More Pets? More Max? More Franken? (That's usually when the TV gets turned off).
He was very concerned with the Boo-Boo that he picked up yesterday after the pool party. He'd never heard the word Boo-Boo, but Jen's mom used it to describe his skinned knee while she helped me clean it up and put on a band-aid, and it stuck. He spent a lot of time pointing it out and making sure I still knew it was there.
His Boo-Boo hurt in the tub tonight, so I gave him a washcloth to distract him. I had him find different body parts to wash with the washcloth and this turned into a game. Wes, wash your belly! Wes, wash your feet! We went through everything that he knew, and then I said, Wes, where's your elbow? He looked at me so seriously and confused and said, "Elmo?" Neil and I laughed and showed him where his elbow was. Now he proudly points to his elbow and yells, "Elmo!!!!"
What a great day.
Laughing with many wipes he pulled out when I was cleaning the kitchen this morning...
Mr. Mischievous
Working at his table in the green hat...
Talking to Allie in the hallway...
He seemed to embrace everything with a lot of joy today, and was talking the whole way. He spent most of the day in Neil's green hat (green hat! green hat!) and talked to all of his favorite TV characters (Dora. Boots. Franken (Franklin). Wonner Pets (Wonder Pets).) After the show would end, he'd look at me and say More Pets? More Max? More Franken? (That's usually when the TV gets turned off).
He was very concerned with the Boo-Boo that he picked up yesterday after the pool party. He'd never heard the word Boo-Boo, but Jen's mom used it to describe his skinned knee while she helped me clean it up and put on a band-aid, and it stuck. He spent a lot of time pointing it out and making sure I still knew it was there.
His Boo-Boo hurt in the tub tonight, so I gave him a washcloth to distract him. I had him find different body parts to wash with the washcloth and this turned into a game. Wes, wash your belly! Wes, wash your feet! We went through everything that he knew, and then I said, Wes, where's your elbow? He looked at me so seriously and confused and said, "Elmo?" Neil and I laughed and showed him where his elbow was. Now he proudly points to his elbow and yells, "Elmo!!!!"
What a great day.
Laughing with many wipes he pulled out when I was cleaning the kitchen this morning...
Mr. Mischievous
Working at his table in the green hat...
Talking to Allie in the hallway...
Caroline's Birthday Party!
We had a lot of fun celebrating with Caroline Bowman yesterday for her 2nd birthday. Wes has been warming up to the pool little by little, but yesterday he was a complete water bug. He marched right in and needed no hand-holding time with mommy. I was so proud to see him dip his nose in the water and splash with the other kids. He even went down the water slide (with mommy and daddy) three times! During adult swim, all the kiddies would go to the Splash pad and run around - that's where I caught some of these pictures.
Maybe all the energy came from this cupcake he devoured before the pool!!
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