Let's Play Outside!

Wes loves to be outside.  This time of year, it's perfect.  We are loving our new yard and screened in porch...they make it so easy to enjoy being outside.

Day (Grandaddy) built him this sandbox in our backyard.  I love it because it's under a huge shade tree.  I can sit underneath the tree and watch him play.  Occasionally I get to show him a Grandaddy Long Legs or ant crawling by, and he loves to say hello to them. He'll even introduce himself: "Hi Ant, I'm Wes."

I snapped these pictures of Wes playing in his sandbox this week:

The new sandbox (built by Day):

He loves to lay down in the sand...you can imagine how dirty he gets!

Getting up close and personal with an ant.

Showing me where he is.  "Ant, go see your mommy and daddy!"

Ultimate concentration.

Allie watches from the porch.

~Kristina

Sing Song...

Wes is now singing! Out of the blue.

Yesterday Neil said Wes saw a picture Neil had drawn of Allie and said Spider! (heh) Then he just lit into "The Itsy Bitsy Spider." The whole thing. News to us that he knew this one!

He sang it for me when I got home. Every time he sang, he got a bit bolder, louder, more confident. Finally when we were putting on his PJs, he belted it out and even added a little sing-song tone to his voice. After two rounds of Spider, we sang Twinkle Twinkle Little Star (the song that caused the tears last weekend), the Good Morning Song (a preschool song that Neil and I don't know), and Max and Ruby. Then he started requesting, "Cars song! Cars song! Drive!" I asked, "Life is a Highway?" and got a "YES!" So we sang Life is a Highway from the movie Cars about three times before bed, too.

I will be visiting Itunes later today to download some of these songs for him! I only know one line from Life is a Highway and it's getting a little old. :)

Our Nashville Visit.

We had such a fun time in Nashville for a long weekend (Thursday evening until Monday afternoon!). Wes is still an incredible traveler. On the plane ride over, I was clutching Neil's hand and doing a little deep breathing, and Wes was just laid back looking out the window. The rest of the weekend was great. Wes continued to prove that he is the sweetest boy alive. He took right to his other grandparents, and started calling them "Bapa" (Neil called his grandpa Bompa and this is Wes' version) and "Marme" (Bapa, play trucks, too? was heard many times over the course of the weekend.)

And Wes LOVES his cousin Diem. His first word every morning was, "Diem." We heard a lot of "Diem, sit here. Play trucks." Of course, Diem just wanted to take the trucks and run, and he didn't even mind that too much. There were lots of hugs and kisses, and even more chasing and laughing. We laughed about how much fun they are (and how tired we were) and how quiet it used to be in the house.

The plane ride was so much fun.  Wes is the BEST 2 year old flyer in the world.  "Mommy, I like airplanes!!!"

We got right to playing when we got there.

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The park was fun...

We also ate a LOT (this is 9 layer dip...)

Wes got his very own pumpkin.  

We played some more (Bompa can make these cups spin!!)

Bompa loves to carry sticks to the park, too!

We tried to take a picture of the two cousins but it didn't quite work out.

The Nashville airport has a great playground!

We can't wait to go back to Nashville and visit at Christmas!!!

An Update.

Another busy month and of course, the blog gets neglected. Sounds like we need an update!

September came and went in a blur. Wes started preschool two days a week, and so far, after the initial tears when I leave, he is loving it. His language is taking off, too...he speaks in sentences now, and tells us, "I need nuggets. I need ice cream." (I have tried to explain to him the difference in want and need...so far he's not too interested.) He also loves to tell Day what he has just done. "Day, I ate cupcake!" "Day, I finished puzzle!"

We are loving every minute. From the hugs and kisses to the "I love you mommy" moments, we take it all in and enjoy it. We are commanded to "dance on the stars" (the rug in his room) and read Max and Ruby "one more time" at bedtime and we do it every time. If it's possible, Wes has actually gotten sweeter as he has reached his terrible twos. :)

Here are some pictures so we can play catch up!

At Meet the Heels at Kenan Stadium:




On the playground at his preschool:


Playing cornhole with Uncle J and Craig:


First day of school:


Walking to the park:


Having fun with cousin Diem:

"Mommy, reach. Too high."

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!

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