Harrison Family

Just one of those days

2012-01-23T17:02:00.000-08:00

I am way behind on my blogging but I wanted to post something about today instead.

Wesley and I met up with some friends at a Crepe place to celebrate my birthday (I'm so thankful for great friends). While we were there Wes had a massive blow out. Of course I was not prepared with a change of clothes. To make things worse the restaurant doesn't have a changing table so I changed him on a bench outside. I'm sure people passing by thought I was insane and the ones that saw my little boy dressed like this probably thought I was a horrible mom that only put my son in a vest for the day. Needless to say Wesley was very happy and thank goodness for Texas' warm weather in January.

I love that Wesley could care less about being basically naked outside. It was just one of those days.

Christmas

2012-01-04T08:25:00.000-08:00

Christmas morning Wesley was sweet and slept in until 8am. Phil and I were so excited to see his reaction to his new toys. Wes was so cute and walked right to his pile, he knew it was for him. We skyped with my parents so they could see his excitement and so they could watch him see his rocking-horse my Dad built and Mom painted.

Soon after seeing presents from Santa, Phil's parents and brother Todd came over for breakfast. We exchanged gifts and had yummy pancakes, fruit, eggs, an bacon. After breakfast we all went to church together at our ward for a beautiful musical Christmas program. I wish Christmas was on a Sunday every year.

Wesley got spoiled this Christmas from both my family and Phil's. He was such a happy boy on Christmas and loved every bit of it.

Rosie and her loot.

That night we all went over to Mom and Bob's for dinner. Phil's mom made a delicious turkey and ham dinner with all the fixings. We brought some cookies and a yummy banana cream pie.

Busy Wes getting into Grandma's Fridge.

Phil's sister Natalie sent him and his mom BYU snuggies as a joke. Little did she know they would actually love them. Phil seriously wears his all the time.

Wesley is such a sweet boy and loves giving hugs.

Christmas was perfect. We are so thankful for our Savior and that we could celebrate his birth. We just wish we could have been with ALL of our family on this special day.

Christmas sneak peak

2011-12-29T17:27:00.001-08:00

Phil and I have been having so much fun while he's been off that I haven't wanted to sit down to blog. Here's a sneak peak into our Christmas morning. I'll post more next week.

My dad built this rocking horse. Wesley loves it!

Chuck E Cheese

2011-12-27T07:24:00.001-08:00

Wes got invited to a friends birthday party last week. He had so much fun. He is getting way too big! It's so cute seeing him play with his friends.

Here are a few pictures from my phone.

Ugly Sweater Party

2011-12-21T08:08:00.000-08:00

Last Friday my friend Ashley and I threw an Ugly Sweater Christmas Party. She has wanted to have an ugly sweater party and I have wanted to have a reason to do a hot cocoa bar so we combined forces. It was so much fun. I loved everyones funny sweaters and so thankful for fun friends. We had a contest for best sweater (which I won for the girls- I think it had something to do with the nasty wreath turtleneck I wore underneath ha-ha) and played Christmas Minute to Win-it Games. The Games were hilarious.

Ash took a picture of everyone by the Christmas tree. Somehow this pose seemed proper for the event.

The hot cocoa bar-yum!

Holiday Kiss-

Hang the ornaments by kissing both sides. I couldn't stop laughing at first.

Notice Phil's hand placement? He was trying to keep me focused.

Face the Cookie-

Using only the face, move cookies from the forehead to the mouth.

It was a great night and we are so glad so many people were able to make it.

Phil's Work Christmas Party

2011-12-14T14:35:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday we went to Phil's work Christmas party. We had a blast. Last year we only stayed about an hour since it was our first time leaving Wesley and he was only 8 weeks old. This year we were having so much fun that we didn't notice how late it got. Someone said,"wow it's 11:30pm already" we about died and booked it to the car. Thanks to Phil's parents for watching Wesley and not being mad about how late we got home!

They had a fun photo booth set up. I couldn't get my scanner to work so I just snapped a picture of this right off the fridge.

They had great food, dancing and mingling. We were able to catch up with a lot of great people and Phil was able to introduce me to some more co-workers I hadn't met last year. It was a great date night. Thank you PWC for providing the entertainment.

Putting up Christmas

2011-12-09T11:37:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday morning we turned on some Christmas music and decorated the tree. We got a new tree this year and I love it! The past few years we used this $20 Walmart one that was like 4 feet and pretty see through. Our new tree is nice and full and I couldn't be happier. The first time we put it up the lights wouldn't work. I almost thought we weren't going to have a Christmas tree since it was the last one and we had gone to several stores. Luckily while I was at a meeting Phil replaced the fuse and saved the day.

Wesley was our little helper and loved playing with these jingle bell balls. I have actually been impressed that he doesn't bug the tree at all. It probably helps being in the front room.

I love this time of the year. Everything seems so happy and warm. (Even though it is actually FREEZING here in Texas).

14 Months

2011-12-08T07:44:00.000-08:00

Wesley turned 14 months yesterday! I weighed him yesterday and he was 22 lbs, so he has gained 2 lbs since his 12 month checkup! Wesley is such a fun, busy and crazy kid. He is ALWAYS getting into something. His favorite spots are the pantry, the dog food, my vanity (he gets on his tippy toes and tried to get something out of the drawer), the DVDs in the entertainment center, pushing buttons on the dryer, opening the dishwasher and climbing on it to get dishes out, and much more. Like I said he is busy.

Wesley also likes to push this step stool around.

He LOVES books and especially loves nightly story time with Dad.

Loves any chance to stand up in his high chair, naughty boy.

Isn't walking yet but has taken a few steps. He is such a fast crawler who know when he will walk. He is very close though.

I love this goofy boy.

The rest of these pictures are from my phone so not as good of quality.

Wesley's best friend is Rosie. He loves her so much. He follows her around, tries to get her on the couch, and is always petting (pulling) her hair. Rosie puts up with a lot but isn't always Wesley's biggest fan. And yes poor Rosie needs a haircut.

I find him quite often flipping through his books, I love how much he likes books.

Naughty boy again, yes I have finally learned to buckle him in.

This one really should have been in the last post but oh well. Wesley sure loves being Daddy's buddy.

Some other things about Wes:

He loves cars. He has a new obsession with Hot Wheels and always has one in his hands.

Turns all of his larger toys upside down to play with the wheels.

Only has his binki at night time, I am dreading taking it away completely.

Has started to get an opinion about what he wants to eat- not fun.

Has started feeding Rosie his unwanted food- also not fun.

Loves playing with other kids.

Loves to play with anything that has a button or plays music.

Plays peek a boo. I love when he covers his face up, so cute.

Waves all the time.

Says Dada, Momma, Ball, Uh-oh, Papa (twice), Hi, and pretty sure he says Bob.

Signs all done and just grunts when he wants more (still working on that sign).

Favorite show is Yo Gabba Gabba, sometimes that is the only way I can make dinner.

Loves being center of attention and tries to get into the conversation, normally by laughing.

We are so blessed to have Wes in our families.

Utah Trip- part 2

2011-12-07T14:57:00.000-08:00

Wednesday- We had a play date with the Holman's and they introduced Wesley to Hot Wheels and building towers. He had so much fun with the cousins!

Thursday- Wesley got to go to his first movie. He loved it and laughed the whole time.

Wesley didn't know what to eat first from his Thanksgiving feast!

Wesley loves his cousin Jack. He kept putting his head into Jack's lap and wanted him to pat his head. Silly boy.

Beautiful Auntie Tina with Jack.

Grandpa and Grandma Hughes

Friday- Grandpa got Wesley a walker and he loved it. He ran around pushing it all morning.

Cute cousins in matching pajamas.

Wesley loved playing piano with Sage.

That night we went over to Ann's house and had dinner with her and Phil's Dad. Wesley enjoyed some cuddle time with Ann while he drank his milk.

Saturday- That morning my parents took us out to breakfast. Wesley loves giving Grandpa hugs by putting their foreheads together, so cute. After breakfast we packed up our stuff and hoped on a plane.

We had so much fun while it Utah and cannot wait to visit in January again.

Utah Trip- part 1

2011-12-02T07:52:00.000-08:00

Saturday & Sunday- My sisters and their families came over and spent the night. We took family pictures, played with the babies, and enjoyed each others company. It was so nice having that time to just hang out.

My Mom bought the boys matching pajamas, cute boys.

Jack Jack after church.

My parents tried to teach Wesley how to walk using chocolate chips.

Monday- During the day Wesley and I hung out with Ashley and Charlotte. It was so fun having the day with them and it makes me so sad we don't live closer. Wes and Charlotte followed each other around and chased the cat. We did the usual shopping and lunch and then sadly had to part because Ashley was leaving for MD for Thanksgiving. Thanks for playing with us.

We went to Grandma Harrison's that night and got to see Phil's Dad, Ann, and Grandma Harrison. Phil's cousin Elliot even stopped by for a quick chat. Wesley loved playing with Grandpa and Ann.

It was great visiting with Grandma Harrison. We love her lots.

Tuesday- We spent the afternoon at Nana and Grampa Kjar. We love spending time from them. They are amazing and so thankful Wes gets to know them.

We went to Josh and Morgan's that night for dinner. We had so much fun catching up with them and their boys were so sweet to Wes. He followed them around the whole time.

After Josh and Morgan's we stopped by Travis and Lindsay's to drop off a gift for the little girl on the way. We are so glad we got to see them and that Wes made it that late! The only picture I got of the boys playing together was on my phone.

I'll have to do the rest of the week in another post.

Ewell Family Pictures

2011-11-30T20:37:00.000-08:00

My Mom's friend took our pictures while we were in town. We love how they turned out and it's nice to have a family picture that is not at one of our weddings.

Fall Festivities

2011-11-02T15:02:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was so busy! We packed in as much Halloween fun as we could!

We went to The Oil Ranch with a play group. Wes got to ride his first pony. It was so funny, he wasn't sure what to think about it.

It POURED while we were there (notice the big dark cloud behind us).

Wes was so tired that on the walk back to the car he passed out in his stroller. Poor guy, playing is hard stuff.

Saturday night we made some yummy caramel apples with friends. It was so much fun. Wesley was so cute and played the whole night with the kids, didn't even want to be by us. He even taught himself how to climb stairs at their house (since we don't have any).

(I stole this one from Sunnie's blog)

On Sunday morning I made Halloween pancakes.

Wes ate with a plate for the first time and did very well... until he was done eating the pancakes and he tried to throw the plate.

On Halloween night we sat outside and handed out candy. Wesley thought it was fun and even tried to get some candy from the bowl.

Rosie even dressed up...

Here's the little werewolf crawling around.

The weekend was so much fun. It is nice to slow down for a bit though.

One year portraits

2011-10-27T14:13:00.000-07:00

We had family pictures the night before Wesley's birthday. I won't post the family pictures until after Christmas since we are using them for our Christmas cards. After taking enough pictures of the family we gave him a cake and let him go at it. He was in heaven with his first taste of sugar.

At first he didn't know what to do with the cake...

After I gave him a little taste he dove right in!

I am so glad we documented his first taste of cake. Thanks April for the great pictures!

Papa and Grandma Ewell's visit

2011-10-16T17:29:00.000-07:00

This past visit with my parents was so fun (as always) and went way too fast. Here are some pictures of the weekend. We love you guys and cannot wait to see you again!

Wes loved tackling Papa.

Wes showing off his new tie Auntie Heather and Uncle Kyle got him.

While they were here we went to a little pumpkin patch.

Wesley loved sitting in the pumpkins.

He wasn't sure about the rest of it though, wouldn't even crack a smile.

Grandma and Papa let him pick out a pumpkin.

That night we went to Rainforest Cafe for dinner. Wesley's mood changed completely. He LOVED it.

I love this picture because it shows how goofy he got at the restaurant. He was loving everything about it.

On Monday we went to my Mom's favorite restaurant, Lupe Tortillas.

I snapped this picture because Wes was being so cute in his new car seat. Of course right when I took it he gave me this disgusted face like he was "so annoyed of me taking his picture".

Wesley was Papa's buddy... My Dad is a baby hog.

One year health check

2011-10-12T10:14:00.000-07:00

Wesley had his 12 month health check this morning. I'm not sure if it was more traumatic for him or for me (ok probably for him). I felt so bad having to hold him down to get shots. He seriously screamed anytime the Dr or nurse would come near him, even if it was just to listen to his heart or measure his head. He's taking a nap now and then I'm taking him (or me..) to get frozen yogurt, hopefully that'll make things better :).

His Stats:

Length: 29.5"- 39%

Weight: 20 lb 12 oz- 19% (grew quite a bit considering he was barely 1% at 9 months)

Head: 29%

Yesterday Wes wanted to play with his drum and the walker at the same time. I watched him do this all by himself. He walked around banging on the drum, too cute.

He loves books, especially this church one my sister Heather made him.

For his birthday we got him a new car seat and turned him around. He loves it and thinks it's so cool to see everything.

He is still incredibly goofy...

He took a quick break from destroying things so I could take his picture.

Wesley is seriously so much fun. He cracks us up all them time.

Some other things he does:

Crawls incredible fast

Can stand up on his own

Cruises on all the furniture- he wants to walk so bad

Still LOVES Rosie, Rosie doesn't always feel the same. She knows to steer clear of him

Gives hugs by taping his head against ours

Has this new shy phase which is really just for show when he meets new people

Gets into everything

Books it to the front door when Rosie notifies us that Phil is home from work

Has a contagious laugh

Is so cuddly, especially in the morning and before bed time

Is very ticklish

Is fearless, he will dive off of the couch head first

Is a very good eater, he'll try just about anything (except mashed potatoes, he hates those)

Dances to music and moves his head to the beat

1st Birthday

2011-10-08T08:00:00.000-07:00

ONE... How can this be!?! Now that the party is over and Wesley is tucked in bed I've had time to reflect. I feel like the time has flown by and somehow I no longer have my little baby. After my parents leave I'll write a post about what he's been up to. For now, here are some pictures from the party so you can feel like you were here.

The birthday boy before picking up Grandma and Grandpa Ewell from the airport.

The invite we made

The spread

The cake

The banner I made, one picture for each month alive. It was hard to capture in a picture but I LOVE it.

Wesley's entourage, he loved having them all around him.

I LOVE this photo, all of the kids are so sweet to him.

The kids thought it was magic when we cut open the cake. That reaction made all the time put into this cake well worth it (btw- this was the 2nd cake, the first one failed).

He LOVED the cake.

The only picture we got of the 3 of us...

The party favors

After all his friends left Wes just wanted to hang out with Papa and play with his new toys.

My little explorer

2011-10-04T06:18:00.000-07:00

We have been going to weekly playgroup more lately since Wes is more mobile and is getting bored just hanging out a home. This past playgroup was at a cute splash pad. Wes had so much fun. It was crazy to sit down and just let him play, can he really be that big?

Wesley waiting for the water to shoot up.

He was so happy playing in the water. A few little girls poured water on him with their buckets and he thought that was the coolest thing, seriously no fear.

My favorite of the bunch, he couldn't get enough of the water splashing his face.

Here are some other recent pictures.

Wesley got this for Christmas from his Grandma Decker last year but hasn't been able to use it until recently. He is seriously obsessed with this rocket ship.

To show you how crazy he is.. notice the bruise under his right eye? Yeah he fell pretty hard onto a toy.

He loves pulling out his books and toys from this shelf in the family room.

I found him looking through his books the other day, too cute.

We sure love this fun, silly, wild kid.

Final post of the Kenner visit

2011-09-29T14:43:00.000-07:00

We brought Jack to the Zoo for his first time. It was so fun seeing the boys faces light up and see new things.

I loved the gorillas. This guys was our favorite. He came close to the window and just plopped down. Apparently he is the elder of the group.

Wes passed out towards the end.

The boys favorite part of the zoo was the aquarium. They loved getting close to the glass.

I got the boys matching t-shirts. They wore them the next day. Aren't they so cute together, can you believe they are 6 months apart?!?

Wesley LOVED that Jack was in his jumper. He was so happy for Jack and kept trying to show him the toys on it.

We had so much fun with them and glad they were able to visit.

More fun with the Kenner Family- Sunday and Monday

2011-09-25T14:02:00.001-07:00

Here's the boys playing around Sunday morning.

Wesley all ready for church.

I love how goofy Wes is in front of the camera.

I love these series of photos. They show how much Wes loves his cousin Jack.

We went to the Galleria on Monday. We spent 5 hours there! Now that is some serious shopping. Well the Kenner's did all the shopping :)

Cute Jack got a hamburger toy at the mall. He LOVED it and played with it the whole time.

That night we went to Lupe Tortilla for dinner, YUM!

Phil tried to teach Wes how to color. Wes just wanted to put the crayons in his mouth

Chris, Brittany, and Jack.

I still have one more post to do of their trip. We took tons of photos!

Kenner Family visit

2011-09-21T19:37:00.000-07:00

My sister and her family visited this past weekend and stayed 5 days! We sure packed in the fun.

Friday: Picked them up from the airport, ate a late dinner, and went to bed

Here is Wes and Jack's first embrace. It may look like Wes is hurting Jack but he's not. It was the cutest thing. Wes wanted Jack to be as close to him as possible. He kept pulling him close.

Jack is getting so strong!

Saturday: We went to the beach in the morning for a few hours. It was perfect weather and so relaxing. Thanks Mom and Bob for letting us use your van!

The boys fell asleep in the car and yes they have the same car seat.

The boys loved the beach.

Wes loved crawling around and getting REALLY dirty.

Jack wasn't sure about it. Soon after this picture he fell asleep in his mom's arms while we sat in the water.

Cheesing it up while we pack up to leave.

After the beach the boys took a bath together. Jack ended up peeing in the tub and that was the last bath they took together.

Dinner at Spring Creek BBQ that night.

Goofy kid!

The Kenners gave Wesley his B-day gift early.

He loved all his gifts, thanks Kenners!

Just hanging out with Dad before bed.

I'll post more of the fun soon!

Lately...

2011-09-16T12:02:00.000-07:00

Wes has made lots and lots of messes

We had some friends over. No worries Ash I pulled Wes away as soon as I snapped this pic. Calvin was not harmed :)

Hung out in the jumper every morning so mom could shower.

Relaxed with Dad

Has been really goofy and starting to get pretty chubby cheeks.

Smiles for the camera

Pulls up onto everything including me.

Rosie got a hair cut finally, she was looking pretty shabby.

Is getting his front teeth and is pretty grumpy. This is why he is laying on the ground watching yo gaba gaba. I love how Rosie lays next to him even though she knows he'll pull her hair.

Fun stuff happening in the Harrison home :)

Celebrating Grandma

2011-09-14T10:01:00.000-07:00

Phil's Mom's birthday was yesterday but we celebrated with them on Sunday. We had them over for dinner and dessert. I decided to make cupcake instead of a cake when I came across a recipe for rolo cupcakes, yum. Something you may not know about Mom and Bob is that they enjoy playing Lego Star Wars on the Wii, they are so fun. So we thought that would be our theme.

We are bad judges of time and we pushed it to the limit. Luckily everything turned out! This is me putting the ganache on top of the caramel butter-cream frosting.

Because of the time crunch I was only able to cut out a few of these cupcake toppers of Lego Star Wars characters. They are still cute.

Phil and I made the lego heads the night before. They are marshmallow with a M&M on top and then dipped in colored white chocolate. The only editable writers we had were water based so they were really hard to use on the chocolate. But I think they turned out cute.

Wes helping Grandma open her gift.

Phil was on breadstick duty and they turned out great. We realized last minute that we were out of white flour. We substituted whole wheat flour instead, yum. I do think they would have been lighter if we added a little white flour to the dough.

The Lasagna was amazing. I tried a new recipe out of our best bites cookbook. It seriously was so good. Phil had it for lunch everyday this week. Somehow each piece is only 250 Calories. I also love that is had zucchini, carrots, and celery in it. Plus I just put some in my food processor to chop it up a bit and Wes was in heaven.

Birthday girl eating her dessert.

We love you so much Mom. Thanks for all you do. We hope you had a great birthday!

Rise and Shout

2011-09-12T17:32:00.000-07:00

While BYU didn't win it was fun watching our little fan so interested in the game. Cougar fan at 11 months!

Can you see his bottom tooth? I love it!

Labor Day Weekend

2011-09-09T07:32:00.000-07:00

We had a fun relaxing Labor Day weekend. On Friday we got a few things done around the house and ran some errands. On Saturday I worked and then we went to Chili's for dinner. Sunday we went to church and just relaxed. And on Monday we went to the zoo, swam in the neighborhood pool for the last time, and had dinner at Phil's parents.

Here are some pictures from the Zoo. Wes had a blast. You can't tell by the pictures though because in most of them he is so focused on the animal and wasn't in the mood to preform for the camera.

The giraffes were my favorite. They were so lively. They ran around and played with each other. I have never seen giraffes run or how the process they have to take to sit down. AMAZING animals.

I think all of the animals were out and happy because the weather was FINALLY cool. I love the baby elephants.

The lighting is horrible in this picture but I love the chimp sitting so close to the glass. I think this was Wesley's favorite exhibit.

The rhinos

He loved the petting zoo. I was amazed at how calm the goats were.

Finally letting us capture a smile, even though he's not looking at the camera.

Being goofy in his stroller.

Eating cheerios at the park while we waited for Phil to pick us up.

We really didn't want Phil to go to work on Tuesday. We knew it would mean his hours would pick up and that our fun summer was coming to a close.

11 Months

2011-09-07T08:31:00.000-07:00

Wesley is 11 months today! It's amazing how long pregnancy seemed and how fast his first (almost) year has gone. He has brought so much joy to our family.

Wes prefers to feed himself. Sometimes he'll refuse to eat off a spoon and I have to put it on his try just to get him to eat. This is what happens with non-finger friendly foods. He makes a mess.

Wes loves story time. He loves turning the pages and looking at the pictures. Sometimes I'll find him on the ground flipping through books on his own.

This toy box is one of his favorite things. One day I was in the kitchen and he was in the family room. Wes started calling out "maaah maa" several times in a nervous tone. I ran in the family room and found him upside down in the toy box. He had fallen inside from trying to reach a toy. I thought it was so cute that instead of crying he called out for me. Now I wish I had a picture of it but I was too frantic to get him out of the box.

Wes gets into everything! He is so grabby and thinks everything is his. Yesterday I didn't have any fresh fruit so I got out one of those fruit squeezers and let him try it. After he had a bite I set it on the island to let him eat his fish and started doing dishes. After finishing the dished I realized how quite he was being. I looked over (he was seriously right next to me) and he had grabbed the squeezer off of the island and was chowing down. He got it everywhere but had a blast.

Some other fun things Wes does:

Has great crawler form- he has finally realized it's faster than the bear crawl he was doing
Pulls himself up on everything
Is fearless (this scares me) he tries to dive to the ground from your arms, the couch, etc..
Loves music and starts moving to the beat
Is a great eater and wants everything we eat
Loves Rosie and chases her all around the house
Has stopped wanting naps (not so fun) he will still take at least 1 good nap but last week he was still taking 3
Has one tooth

I'm hoping this month goes really slowly because I am not ready for him to be ONE!

Bed Head

2011-09-04T08:19:00.000-07:00

Wes woke up from a nap the other morning with some awesome bed head. It was so crazy I had to put water on it to calm it down.

It's hard to get pictures of a moving boy.

I love his wave.

Shopping buddy

2011-08-31T14:28:00.000-07:00

Wes was being so cute while shopping yesterday. He was all smiles and talking away. Of course right as soon as I pulled out the camera he became pretty goofy.

My little helper

2011-08-29T19:12:00.000-07:00

Now that Wes is mobile he is everywhere and gets into everything. Most of the time he is right by my feet following me around the house. He is so fast and as soon as I open the fridge, a cabinet, the dishwasher, bedroom door, etc he is right there trying to explore it. I love this stage. He is learning so much every day and I can see his mind racing trying to figure things out. I love this little man. By the way if you cannot tell he is not as little as he used to be. He has gained 3 lbs this month, crazy!

Here he is helping me with the dishes.

Pulling up the rug because he pushed a card under it.

Getting a little loopy before bedtime. He loves Rosie and is trying to get her. Rosie is terrified of Wes but still loves him.

Crazy kid showing off his teeth! Yes the almost 11 month old has a bottom tooth breaking through.

You cannot tell by that picture but he has been super grumpy the past few weeks. I am glad to know there was a reason and that his teeth are coming through.

Hanging out with his Dad after Phil got off work.

Auntie Heather

2011-08-28T13:03:00.000-07:00

It's my sister's birthday this week. I love giving gifts. I seriously could spend every last dime buying gifts for others (but I don't.. Phil would probably kill me). It has to be one of the funnest things ever. I love seeing peoples reactions, I love making their birthday special, and I also love showing my love for them.

My family is throwing Heather a party tonight and I cannot attend since we live in TX. This makes me sad. However I am so glad to have her in my life. She is amazing. She is such a great example to me. I am continually amazed by her strength to overcome trials, her positive attitude, her love for others (especially my little man), and her good heart. I love you sis.

This is a book Wesley and I made for her B-day. Heather and Wes have a special relationship. She is amazing with kids. ALL kids love her and Wes is her biggest fan. He seriously lights up when he see's her.

Click here to view this photo book larger

Gpa and Gma Ewell visit

2011-08-14T19:10:00.000-07:00

It is always so much fun when my parents come in town. Wes played all weekend, went to Lupe Tortilla, did some shopping, and then went to church on Sunday. Monday morning we he hopped in the car and drove to San Antonio (a special thanks to Phil's Mom for letting us use her awesome van). While in San Antonio we walked the Riverwalk, went to the flee markets, toured the Alamo, ate some great food, shopped the outlets, and toured the San Antonio Shoes Factory. We had a blast and I cannot believe how much we did in 3 days.

This is how Wesley signs "all done". We accidentally taught him the wrong sign for it but it works well. He does it for everything now, not only when he's finished eating but getting a diaper change, etc.

At Salt Grass Steakhouse. Wes wouldn't look at the camera but of course as soon as the waitress goes to take it he pulls off this cheesy move.

The Riverwalk

Wes loved the river tour

Wes was obsessed with the drawers at the hotel. It was so sad when he smashed his fingers in them though.

He was not cooperating with pictures this day... He had enough of the heat.

At the Alamo

Grandpa gave Wesley a roll and he was in heaven.

At the SAS Factory. Wes couldn't go because of the fumes so we stayed and played outside.

They loved the tour and the the store was so neat. My dad and I got some nice shoes!

On our way home (well about 30 minutes off the freeway) we stopped at Black's BBQ. My dad saw this restaurant on food network and had to got there. The food was pretty tasty.

We enjoyed the food as well. If you cannot tell he got a little goofy. He was so happy to be eating food off of our plates.

We are so glad they came to Texas and we had so much fun going on a mini vacation with them. We cannot wait until the come out in October!

Proof he's trouble

2011-08-11T18:47:00.000-07:00

Wesley is enjoying his new found freedom and bear crawls everywhere. He still cannot crawl in correct position but he can definitely get around the house. He just drags his feet along and pushes off with his toes. It is pretty cute watching him explore more and try to figure things out. He is trouble though and finds every opportunity to get into something he shouldn't.

I was putting away dinner one night while I had Wes on my hip. I saw him reach out for the salad bowl on the counter and hurried to move his hand. I didn't however realize he already had a good grasp on the bowl. This is what happened to our leftovers. At least it happened after we already ate dinner. I'm also glad the bowl was plastic.

The other day I sat Wes in his high chair to drink his milk (yes he prefers to be reclined while drinking.. ha ha). I heard some wrestling of plastic and wondered what in the world he could have gotten into sitting way up in his high chair. Apparently he managed to get the garbage bag out of the trash can and was playing with it. Good thing Phil had just took the trash out so there wasn't much in the bag. I'm glad I was nearby.. plastic bags and babies.. danger. I like how he looks so proud of himself.

I think we are starting to see what is in store for us in the future. He is definitely a busy little boy.

10 Months

2011-08-07T21:11:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe my baby is 10 months. I say this every month but he is just growing way too fast. He is so much fun, I am loving this stage!

Recently he:

Smiles at EVERYONE and waits for their response
Has started bear crawling and is pretty fast
Gets into everything. We have finally started baby proofing
His favorite toys are anything he shouldn't have such as dog toys, cords, cell phones, etc
He says Da-Da, Momma (drags it out like mom----ma), Uh Oh
Loves everything we feed him. Some of his favorite foods are black beans and quinoa, berry smoothies, sweet potato bites, and anything he can pick up himself.
Has started to get separation anxiety. I'll seriously walk barely out of his sight and he'll start to cry, oh dear!
Laughs easily and is very ticklish
takes at least 2 two hour naps and sometimes adds another 1 hour nap in there.
Sleeps from 7 pm to 7 am most nights- it's awesome.
Loves bath time
Is the happiest boy and pretty predictable.

He seriously could play in the tub all day.

He is my little swimmer and prefers to lay on his tummy in the bath so he can blow bubbles in the water.

Likes standing up and sometimes forgets he has to hold on to things and will fall right down.

I love how he knows to get stuff out of the toy box.

He has funny sleeping patterns. I'll lay him in his crib and he'll roll right onto his tummy. We had to leave for church the other day so I went to wake Wesley up from his nap and found him laying all twisted on his belly. Most times we find him on his tummy, knees curled up and with his butt in the air.

He is so proud of himself when he can get into something.

He has a fake cough that he does all the time and thinks he is hilarious.

Last I weighed Wes (about a week ago) he was 18.2 lbs. That's 2 lbs in one month! Guess he is finally growing, good job buddy. I stopped breastfeeding about 3 weeks ago, maybe I do produce skim milk haha. Once he started on formula he bulked up. He is getting some chubs and is starting to look more like a toddler than my little baby. It is so sad and exciting at the same time. Love this boy!

First Haircut

2011-08-05T19:05:00.000-07:00

Wesley has been needing the front of his hair trimmed for a while now. Something about cutting his hair though has made me sad and I've been reluctant because it makes him seem older. Well after getting multiple comments about how long the front is... I decided to trim it.

Before:

After:

I didn't take off much but I love it. Can you tell how goofy my little boy is?

Man I just love this boy!

Friends

2011-08-03T07:33:00.000-07:00

I had a little bit of time to visit a few friends. It's so hard living away from so many people we love. There never seems to be enough time to see all of our family and friends when we visit.

While my Mom was at a Young Woman activity I met up Tricia and Brittany.

I loved every minute Wes and I spent with Charlotte and Ashley. Of course it reminded me how much I want to live by her.

I love that they were basically on the same schedule. Don't they look so relaxed drinking their formula.

Wesley loved playing in Charlotte's jumperoo. He's playing in just his diaper because he already spit up on one outfit that morning.

We tried to get a picture of them together. Instead they both wanted Charlotte's rattle, naughty boy!

The only one we got of them both looking up!

On my way to meet my sisters for dinner I stopped by Nana and Grampa Kjars for a quick visit (real quick, only 20 min). It was nice seeing them.

The last night in town we met up with some family friends we haven't see in a while. Every time I come out we want to get together, we finally made it happen this time. It was so fun.

The girls

I cannot wait until we visit Utah over Thanksgiving. I didn't get to see Phil's dad this visit and I know Wes would love to see him as would Phil and I.

Rodeo

2011-08-03T05:30:00.000-07:00

It's a family tradition to go to the Days of 47 Rodeo. We've missed out the past few years because we live in TX but we were lucky enough to be in town the first day it started. My Dad works for Sara Lee who is a big sponsor for the rodeo so we got VIP treatment. We got free dinner and ate with the contestants. We overheard the cowboys talking about Wesley in his Wrangler pearl snap. I thought it was cute that they even noticed my cute boy and talked about him among themselves. Wes loved the rodeo, he couldn't take his eyes off of the events. He sat with my Dad most of the time and had a blast. He did such a good job even though it was WAY past his bedtime. He ended up passing out in my arms before the rodeo was over. Thanks for the fun Mom and Dad!

We didn't know they were holding hands until we looked at the pictures. Cute cousins!

Can you tell how much fun he was having?

Family Fun- Utah Continued

2011-07-28T21:51:00.000-07:00

Before the wedding my mom and I braved the Nordstrom sale with two babies. At one point I had Wesley in the stroller and Jack in the baby bjorn and shopping all alone. It was pretty exhausting. We had to stop in the mother's lounge and feed the boys. Wes thought Jack's bottle looked pretty good ha ha.

We only had the weekend with my Dad ( he's currently working in Colorado). We made sure to pack in the fun and make sure Wesley got plenty of time with his Grandpa.

We went on a picnic with my parents and sister Heather. It was so nice to be outside and not be drenching with sweat.

Right after this picture was take Wesley managed to open the sunscreen and it was all over his mouth. I was so scared and hurried to get it all out of his mouth and rinse it out. Maybe letting him play with that wasn't the best idea.

Grandpa took a bite out of a peach and let Wes go at it. He was in heaven.

Later that day we went to the zoo. It was so much fun seeing Wes take it all in. He loved every minute of it.

After the zoo we went to a a family favorite restaurant, Cowboy Grub. Wesley had a blast chowing down on Cheerios.

Sunday night we had dinner at Kyle and Heather's new house. The have a great place, I am so glad we got to see it.

If you can't tell Wesley LOVES his Auntie Heather.

Morgan's Wedding

2011-07-23T16:54:00.000-07:00

Wesley and I flew to Utah this past weekend for my cousin Morgan's wedding. It was a beautiful wedding and so fun to reconnect with family we haven't seen in a while.

Here is Wesley with his Uncle Kyle. Wes got to hang out with him for a while before the ceremony started.

The beautiful bride Morgan meeting Wes for the first time.

Trying to get a group shop with my cousins and mom.

The Hughes wedding party.

My family minus Phil.

My mom got the boys matching shirts for the wedding.

Wesley loves my cousin Sage. Isn't she gorgeous?! She's starting her Sophomore year in High School this fall.

The babies played with my sister Heather and Dad outside of the reception.

They thought it'd be fun to lay the boys in the grass. They both hated it.

I am so glad we were able to attend their wedding. So happy for the newly weds.

9 Months!

2011-07-12T11:08:00.000-07:00

Wesley had his 9 month check up today and to say he hated it is an understatement. He missed his morning nap and was not happy about the nurse taking his temp or his measurements. He did however give the doctor a few big smiles before breaking out into tears from her touching him. A little temperamental today? Thinking about my little guy growing up makes me want to cry! 9 months, that's 3 months away from a year (I'm good at math huh)! Wes has been a ton more active the past few weeks. He is no longer happy just sitting on my lap during church and is always busy.

His Stats:

16 lbs 4 oz- 1.60% (skinny boy)

2' 3.5"- 23.15%

Head 17.32"- 14.78%

Since he is so small she wants me to start supplementing with formula until he is a year.

He was so proud of himself for making such a mess. He pulled every video game out of that basket.

Trying to take a pic at the pool and he just wants the camera.

First time playing at the park. Wes loved it!

He thought the swing was so cool, he couldn't stop looking at the chains.

He loves bath time still and is quite the splasher.

Lately Wesley:

* Rolls everywhere and is pretty good at getting where he wants to be

* Has started to creep on his tummy

* Reaches for everything

* Loves Rosie and if she is around he is on top of her grabbing her hair and pulling her ears- poor dog.

* Loves food and has decided he no longer wants the pureed baby food.

* Started eating beans and turkey

* Says DA-DA-DA-DA all the time

* Waves

* Signs "all done" when finished eating solids

* Gives us big hugs

* Loves his toys and books

8 Month Pictures

2011-07-10T08:00:00.000-07:00

Wes has changed so much since his 4 month pictures! I cannot believe how fast babies grow. We had our friend April take some pictures of our little family and of course the star Wesley. I love how they turned out. We will cherish these pictures of our little man forever. Thanks April!

I keep looking through them and cannot decide which ones to frame!

Wesley's Room

2011-07-07T05:31:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to post pics of Wesley's room since I added wall art back in March. I just kept forgetting to take pictures. I love how his room has turned out. It's not quite done I still need a window covering and a new fan (the baseball one from previous home owner isn't doing it for me).

I wanted to hang something over his crib but didn't want things to fall on him. So I found these vinyl transportation abc's on etsy and I love them! (side not- I put Wes there. He cannot or doesn't even try to pull himself up.. so no worries).

I fell in love with this airplane before Wesley was even born. However it was from Pottery Barn and way too expensive. Luckily I waited and waited for it to go down in price and got it on sale for a 1/3 of the original price- score! (the pile of clothes to the left of the dresser are ones he has grown out of and I need to put away)

I got this mobile on etsy as well. Once I received it I realized I could have made it. Oh well I still love it!

I love these prints! They are on the wall to the left of his crib.Sorry not the best picture, glare and all.

I've posted this pic before but wanted to include in here. I made those wall hangings. Wes loves them, he talks to them like they are his friends- so cute! (the changing pad was in the wash btw)

Happy to have a room for my little guy. There's a few more things I want to do to it but for now this is it!

Fourth of July Weekend

2011-07-05T19:24:00.000-07:00

Phil had been working a ton so this 4 day weekend was much needed! I also love that we stayed home. We are never home when he has time off and this was amazing!

Friday we went to the Surfside beach.

As you can tell Wesley LOVED being outside and playing in the sand.

On Saturday we went out to Spring Creek BBQ and hung around at home (no pics).

Sunday we went to church and then had dinner at Phil's parents. Here are some of the patriotic treats we made.

Patriotic cupcakes

I put them in cute mason jars to give to a few friends.

Such a happy boy!

At church Wes was playing on the ground and fell over. He fell right on his head and got a big goose egg. Poor baby!

Monday we enjoyed some Red Robin burgers and ran some errands. Later that night Phil went golfing and Wes and I went swimming with some friends. Here are a few pictures I snapped of Wes in his 4th of July outfit.

He was more interested in Rosie than taking some pictures.

This kid LOVES Rosie.

It was so nice having Phil home for 4 days straight. Don't be jealous but he gets another 4 day weekend this week! I can totally handle him working 2 days this week!

Pool Time

2011-07-04T13:48:00.000-07:00

With the temperature close to 100 everyday and the humidity weighing us down the ONLY thing we do outside is swim. I brought Wes to the pool a few weeks ago for the first time and he had a lot of fun. He needed his little rubber ducky to help him feel comfortable though. We've now taken him several times and he is getting more used to it. While he loves being in the water it still makes him a little nervous and holds on tight to us.

This is the rubber ducky.

He loves sitting on the pool chairs. I tried to get him to smile at the camera but he was too busy staring at the people next to us.

Notice how he has the ducky again?

Happy boy drying off after swimming.

I love introducing him to new things and seeing how he reacts. Such a fun little boy!

Recent Happenings

2011-06-29T19:20:00.000-07:00

Lately Wesley has been...

Hanging out in a muscle tee- so hot here!

Lovin' on Rosie. This boy cannot get enough of her.

Getting stronger standing up- he'll kill me some day for this picture. Can you blame me? Cute little bum

Tried a whole wheat bagel- loves them.

Helps with laundry.

Plays with his favorite toy- the tool bench.

Is super smiley, smiles at everyone... so cute.

Loves spatulas, measuring cups, and remotes. He even has started to throw a fit when I won't let him play with my phone- really? we're already starting that?

It is so much fun seeing Wes learn new things. I love this little guy so much.

Father's Day

2011-06-22T08:45:00.000-07:00

We are so blessed to have so many wonderful Fathers' in our life. My Dad, Phil's Dad, Phil's Step Dad, and both of our Grandpas . We feel so blessed to have their love, influence and example in our life. Thank you to all our Fathers and Grandfathers we love you.

This father's day was especially important because it was Phil's first father's day since having Wesley in our family. Phil is a great Dad. I love the sweet relationship he has with Wesley. I love that it is different than my relationship with Wes. I love that Wesley lights up when he walks in the door. He doesn't take his eyes off of Phil until he picks him up (even if he is nursing). Wesley LOVES his Dad. Thank you Phil for being a great husband and amazing father. Thank you for always being willing to help out. Thank you for doing the nightly bath time routine and letting me relax for a minute. Thank you for working so hard to provide for us and for allowing me to stay home with Wes. We are truly blessed to have you in our lives.

We went over to Mom and Bob's for Father's Day dinner. Wesley and Rosie always have fun playing at their house. Rosie was outside most of the time because she loves their backyard.

Wesley loves grabbing Rosie's hair. Yes my kid isn't wearing a shirt. He spit up all over it. I am pretty sure he went home in just a diaper too. ha-ha

Rosie's new outfit from Grandma.

My men

The yummy cake I made

Phil's Father's Day and Anniversary gift. I put tools inside too!

California Trip- Meeting the Cousins

2011-06-21T12:56:00.000-07:00

We have been wanting to visit Phil's sisters in California ever since we got married. After having Wesley we've been dying to have him meet his cousins. Well we FINALLY made the trip out there a few weeks ago and it was so fun. I loved chatting with Phil's sisters and seeing all the cousins play together. How fun would it be if we lived closer to them?!?

The day we flew in Natalie and little Shannon picked us up from the airport and went on a tour of San Francisco.

We crossed the Golden Gate bridge

Saw some sights at pier 39 and walked along the wharf

San Francisco sourdough, best bread.

We attempted to get a picture of all the cousins...

Saw Whitney and Lauren at gymnastics

Wesley loved Annie, especially her long pretty hair.

Went to the Jelly Belly Factory, Phil was in heaven.

Yes, even Wes HAD to wear a hat. Pretty funny that they made babies wear them.

I loved seeing these two together.

Can't get enough of these two, especially in their diapers!

The 3 youngest cousins- Ella, Wesley and Shannon.

It was fun seeing Phil with his sisters.

We had so much fun in California. We miss them all already.

Memories

2011-06-15T14:24:00.000-07:00

Today is our 4 year wedding anniversary. I cannot believe it. It's hard to remember a time before Phil and I were an us. And yet it feels as if we just got back from our honeymoon. I thought it would be fun to show pics of our journey since meeting each other. I have framed it as if I were talking to Phil BTW... it's kind of lengthy...

Remember When...

We were single

Started dating

You met my family

I flew to Texas to meet your family

We drove to California and I met your Dad

You proposed

We got married

We went on our honeymoon

We dressed up like pirates

We went snowboarding

I got to show you around Maryland and DC

Visited the Temple

Went to a Color Festival

Stayed at my parents cabin

Went to Las Vegas

Played softball

Played tennis

4 wheeled in the mountains

You graduated

I Graduated

We moved to Texas

Got a puppy, sweet Rosie

Went on a cruise

Had Monday night dinners at Mom and Bob's

Visited Utah

Had a baby

Cute Wesley

It has been an amazing 4 years. I cannot wait to see what our future holds for us. I am so lucky to have Phil as my husband and Wesley's father.

Grandpa Ewell

2011-06-14T09:28:00.000-07:00

While in California we were able to meet up with my Grandpa Ewell and his wife Mary Dell. It was so nice seeing him, I have missed him so much. He lived with us since I was in 2nd grade and until he got married my 1st year of college. He is so special to me. He is an amazing grandpa, great example and I am so lucky I grew up with him. Now that he lives in Utah I wasn't sure when he'd get to meet Wesley. It was such a blessing to get together for a few hours and catch up. Wesley loved his Great-Grandpa and I was almost in tears seeing the two of them together. Here are some precious moments we captured over lunch.

Wes reached right out for him.

this was Wes about 90% of the time on Grandpa's lap. He kept arcing his back to look up at him

He loved Grandpa's hands

Grandpa being surprised by some of Wesley's talking. Wes had just squealed really loud.

I will cherish these moments forever. We love you Grandpa!

My 8 Month Old

2011-06-12T18:56:00.000-07:00

* I still need to post about our California trip but I wanted to document my baby turning 8 Months first! Here's a picture on the airplane. On our way home Wesley got his own seat and LOVED it. He is becoming too independent. Don't you love a baby in Pajamas?

8 Months, how can this be!?! I feel like time is flying by way to fast. I do not like that there is only 4 more months until he is 1.. actually let's not think about that (way too sad). Wesley has grown so much over the past month it's amazing. He gained 2 lbs in the past month and is sitting just under 16 lbs. I haven't measured him lately but I know he is taller because all of his clothes are getting tighter in the length.

This past month Wesley:

Mastered sitting up (however gets lazy sometimes and lays down).
Growls like crazy. Maybe Rosie taught him this? It's his favorite from of communication.
We swear he is saying some form of mama when he wants me.
Is quite the wiggle worm.
LOVE LOVE LOVES his Dad. He'll stop nursing to look at his Dad walk by.
Gives me big wet kisses.
Has started waking up at 4am and wants to nurse (what happened to sleeping through the night?)
Is my best bud and has started crying when I leave his side.. oh no!
Has the best belly laugh.
Is very vocal when he wants something.
Has gotten better at the pincher grasp and can feed himself snacks-yogurt melts and puffs.
Rosie is his favorite and she is starting to learn to stay away from him or he'll pull her hair.
Sits up in the bath now (this is so sad.. he's too little for this!)
Reaches for EVERYTHING.
Grunts and cries if you take something away from him that he wants.
Can scoot on his belly in circles and backwards.
Tried more foods including quinoa, pasta, yogurt, watermelon, and cantaloupe.
Started waving in California.
Is such a flirt, he smiles at everyone.

We sure love this little guy. No more growing buddy!

Quilting

2011-06-08T20:35:00.001-07:00

I have been sewing up a storm lately. It has been so relaxing and fun to do while Wesley is napping. I started some big projects this past month and after a few scares (thinking I completely ruined them) I finished two baby blankets. I wish I had got better picture of them! I love the soft minky on the back, so soft and cuddly.

This one was for little Shannon (Phil's sis Natalie's baby)

This one was for sweet Ella (Phil's sis Heidi's baby).

These were so fun to make and I am so excited to start my next project. It is so nice having a hobby and something I can keep getting better at.

Final Day- Friday

2011-06-01T15:01:00.000-07:00

Friday morning was spent for me packing and napping for Wesley. We then met my Grandma Hughes and Auntie Tina up for lunch at Nordstrom and looked around the sale. Luckily there wasn't a lot of good deals. I had no room to fit anything else in my bags. I did find this beauty though. It's a diaper bag and I love how much room it has for traveling.

After lunch we headed to the airport. My dad was able to catch an earlier flight so we hung out for about an hour until it was time for Wes and I to head through security. My parents walked with me until it was time to go through security. We didn't think this through too well because I wasn't prepared to go through it alone. All of a sudden everything including Wes was dumped in my arms and I had to scramble to get everything in a bin without dropping Wes. Yeah I probably should have put him in the Bjorn prior to all of this.

Wesley LOVED Auntie Tina.

I'm so glad we got to meet up with these 2 lovely ladies. They are amazing. Tina has the magic touch, Wes went right to sleep on her shoulder.

Enjoying some final time with Grandpa and Grandma. Wes got so excited when he saw Grandpa at the airport- too cute.

We didn't get home until 9pm and were both exhausted. We had so much fun visiting with my family and cannot believe how fast it went!

Family Fun- Wed. night and Thursday

2011-06-01T05:56:00.000-07:00

We had dinner at my Grandparents Wednesday night and then my sisters, Jack, mom, Wesley, and I had a big sleep over. Team Britt and Mom got a lot less sleep with Jack and wanted to switch babies in the middle of the night. We kept our baby though :) On Thursday I taught them how to make cake balls, Heather taught us how to make earrings, we had lunch at spaghetti Factory, and shopped.

Loves his Grandma

Playing at Great-Grandma Hughes'

I love my Grandpa. He is amazing and loves the babies.

Great-Grandma and Wes. Best Grandma Ever!

I love this because you can see just how busy Wesley is. He is always grabbing something.

Spaghetti Factory

The earrings we made.

Some of the cake balls we made.

Trying out some chairs at Pottery Barn Kids.

We had so much fun with my Grandparents, Mom, Sisters, and Jack. We wish we got to see them more!

Girl Day- Wednesday

2011-05-31T13:10:00.000-07:00

Ashley and I have been friend since high school. We were roommates in college and are still close as ever even though we live in different states. She also had a little girl, Charlotte, 2 months after me... perfect! We really need to live by each other one day. What a dream it would be to get together weekly instead of every few months. I would love it if our kids grew up together. We normally only have a few hours when I visit Utah but we were able to block out a day this time. We did fun normal things like went to Target, grabbed lunch at Red Robin, got diet cokes at McDonald's, AND went to the Park City Outlets. It was so great having a much needed girls day and to be able to talk in person. We talk on the phone so much that it always feels like I just saw her and I love it that way.

Luckily they BOTH slept on our way to Park City. We tried to get them both in the picture- unsuccessful.

Wes tried a lot of new things this trip. His first time sitting in a high chair at a restaurant.

LOVE the big open smile.

He's been making this scrunched nose face lately. Maybe he wasn't happy about being in Charlotte's stroller.

He thinks he is so cool now that he can sit up (this is in the dressing room).

I wanted to capture a few pictures of them next to each other. This is how it started.

Then this...

Result= this... one sad baby and one happy baby. Wesley was happy touching Charlotte but NOT okay with her touching him. Notice the tear running down his cheek?

Thanks Ashley for a fun day. It will have to last us until July :)

Just the 4 of us- Tuesday

2011-05-31T10:40:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday Britt, Jack, Wesley and I hung out. Everyone else had to work so we just played the day away. Brittany wanted to decorate some of her rooms in her house so we went to several stores to get ideas. It was so fun to hang out with my sis and so fun to experience motherhood together. Unfortunately we were so busy shopping we forgot to take pictures of the boys together. I'll need to get some of the pics she took. Later that night I got to stop by my friend Tricia's for a quick visit before my mom got off work. I LOVE this lady and it was so fun to see our kids play together.

This was Wesley's first time riding in a shopping cart. He wasn't sure at first but ended up LOVING it.

We stopped by my Mom's work on her lunch break and it was so fun seeing her juggling two boys. She wanted both of them and this is how she managed that.

Tricia's boys with Wes. They were so sweet to him and I wish I had got a picture of the pile of toys that the made around him. They were so good at sharing :)

Meeting Baby Jack- Monday

2011-05-31T10:22:00.001-07:00

My younger sister Brittany ( I can no longer say little because she is a mom now!) had a baby recently. He was 5 weeks early and born in April. I have been DYING to meet him and to see my sis. She flew Wesley and I out for a few days and we sure did pack in the fun. We landed around 2pm on Monday and went right over to Brittany's house. It was so fun to see my parents and sisters.

These two are best buds. Wesley adores his Auntie Heather.

My dad was only in town for one night while we were in town. Wes LOVES him.

Can you see why? Grandpas are so much fun!

Not the best picture but it was so cute to see Wesley study Jack and try to figure him out.

Proud Grandparents.

Story Time

2011-05-19T12:59:00.000-07:00

We joined some friends for story time this morning at the library. It's so fun introducing Wesley to new things. He seemed to really enjoy himself. Most of the time he was gazing at my friend Julia, he is such a little flirt! After story time we let the kids play with some of the toys. I brought Wes over to some toys and couldn't believe he was holding himself up while playing. My baby is growing up!

"Don't bug me mom I'm playing"

While Daddy's Away...

2011-05-18T12:51:00.000-07:00

...Mom and Wesley MUST play!

Phil flew to AZ Sunday afternoon for work and got home late late late last night. Even though it was only 2 nights it seemed like he was gone forever. Wesley and I did lots of playing while he was gone. We even went on a lunch date together (yes just the 2 of us). He's a good buddy to have around. I HATE sleeping alone in our house but luckily I had Rosie sleeping by my side to protect us. Here are a few pictures of our adventures. BTW- notice how big he has gotten? Little man has gained 2 pounds this month! Way to go buddy. He is now 15 1/2 lbs and 27 in.

He is amazed every time the car goes down the ramp.

Kicking Rosie... always fun.

Chubby buddy

Karate time? He's been doing this move lately when he rolls over.

Now that he has a belly he is getting so much better at sitting up.

I just realized that all these pictures were from Monday alone. I just can't get enough of him and his sweet face. We had some fun play time together but so glad Phil is home.

Mother's Day- a little late

2011-05-16T12:19:00.000-07:00

Motherhood is truly amazing and I am so thankful for the joy it has brought to my life. Wesley is such a blessing and having him has taught me so much about myself. I am so thankful for all the Moms in my life. I have such great examples (my Mom, Phil's Mom, Grandmas, Aunts, Sisters, and friends). We feel so lucky to have all these fine women to reach out to for advice and comfort.

Phil treated me like a Queen on Mother's Day. He showered me with roses, made breakfast, gave me a sweet card, let me take a nap, and got me an awesome buffet platter. I'm a lucky gal. Later that night we went to Phil's parents for a wonderful dinner. Unfortunately no pictures were taken.

I forgot to take a picture of the gorgeous roses but here is the platter (the 3 sections can be separate). I used the platter for a Teacher Appreciation night for YWs. The YW requested cake balls, I love how they turned out (pic taken on my phone so poor quality).

7 Months

2011-05-08T20:38:00.000-07:00

Yes it is true, my son is 7 months old! How did this happen?! Wesley is learning new things everyday and we are continually amazed by his development.

Lately Wesley:

Rolls around like a tumbleweed. He is never in the same place I leave him and enjoys his new form of transportation.
No longer wants to be swaddled
Pulls Rosie's hair and smiles when she is around
Sleeps on his side
Loves playing with his toys.
Has tried over 20 different fruits, vegetables and grains. Were are adding legumes this week. I still make his food and he is a great eater... except green beans (hates those).
Uses a sippy cup and has his own signal for when he wants it.
Smiles and laughs at everybody
Can sit up but sometimes loses his balance
Loves story time and follows the pages while you read
Sleeps 9-10 hours a night
Talks up a storm but no words yet
Plays with his feet and loves sticking them in his mouth
Bath time is still his favorite
Has a mind of his own and will let you know if he does or does not want to do something
Loves giving hugs and thinks it the best thing when we kiss him

We sure love our little man and while we are not ready for him to grow up we are excited for the road ahead.

Here are some pictures from this past week

Recent Crafts

2011-05-03T15:03:00.000-07:00

I have been bored during Wesley's nap times and thought it would be nice to pick up a hobby. Phil got me a sewing machine last year for Mother's Day and I hadn't used it very much until now. In the past I have been intimidated to sew because I want things to be perfect and the chances of trying something new and them being perfect is pretty slim. Anyways my sister showed me how to make some burp rags and then I helped some friends make a few car seat covers. It gave me the boost I needed to pick up sewing again.

3 car seat covers were made but this is the one I sewed. I think it turned out pretty good!

My younger sister Brittany recently had a baby (Jack) so I made this one for her. I was amazed at how fast I got this one done. I sent it home with my mom for her and this is it on her car seat.

I made this blanket for Wesley last week and he loves the soft minky fabric on it.

I'm enjoying my new hobby! Unfortunately I didn't choose the cheapest hobby to pick up. Fabric can be so expensive! I got a bunch of fabric the other day and may have started too big of a project... we'll see. I'll post pictures if and when I finish it.

Grandpa and Grandma Ewell visit

2011-05-03T08:13:00.000-07:00

My parents were in town over this past weekend. We had so much fun and I loved seeing them with Wesley. He sure loves them. Sad they had to go home. Here are some moments we captured.

He thought Grandpa was so silly.

On our way to the beach we stopped and had some yummy food at Spring Creek Barbeque.

Wes loved playing with Grandpa's hair

Such a cute little sitter. Love this boy!

Wes loves his Grandma.

Story time with Grandpa, so cute.

Lunch at Rudy's, more BBQ of course.

We found them sleeping on a bench at the mall.

His 1st football. Thanks Grandma, he loves it!

Easter Night

2011-05-01T07:01:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed a nice Easter dinner with Phil's parents and brother Todd. After dinner we opened some Easter treats and watched Finding Faith in Christ. It was so nice to reflect upon what our Savor has done for us.

Cake balls

Truffles I made

Dinner, everything was so yummy.

Wes loves his sunglasses from Grandma and Grandpa Decker.

We had a wonderful Easter weekend. We enjoyed spending time as a family and reflecting on the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Easter Morning

2011-04-28T12:17:00.001-07:00

We had a wonderful Easter weekend. We took so many pictures that I thought I better make two Easter posts. Here is Easter morning. Wesley was so excited when he saw his basket. I have no idea what he was thinking but he was all smiles looking at all the fun stuff in it.

Bib Auntie Heather made.

Easter outfit

Best Friends

2011-04-26T13:29:00.000-07:00

Wesley and Rosie have become very close recently. Rosie has always been really interested in Wes and quite jealous of him. The past few weeks they have become close friends and I just love it. Wes smiles, laughs and tries to grab at Rosie when she walks by. He loves her hair and Rosie patiently lays there while he pulls it. I think Rosie is liking all the attention and tries to be on her best behavior when he is near. Every once in a while she sneaks in a little lick (eww gross).

This one is my favorite. One of Wesley's favorite things to do is to kick Rosie. Every time he does it he laughs his head off. (I'm not sure why his romper is unbuttoned lol)

Photo Dump

2011-04-19T18:25:00.000-07:00

He loves sitting in his Bumbo.

Just chillin after eating breakfast.

He loves spending time with his Dad.

I love this sleeping baby.

Wanting more food

Wes wants to crawl so bad.

Hanging out at Grandma's. I think he was mad about having to sit up.. ha ha.

This is how I found him one morning. He loves this teddy bear.

Loves bath time.

First time trying prune juice. Hopefully it will help his bowels (I'm sure you wanted to know that).

Ball Game

2011-04-14T08:18:00.000-07:00

We took Wesley to his first baseball game this past Saturday to see the Astros. Wes loved the fresh air, staring at the field, and of course the jumbotron. It was so fun to do something different as a family and to see Wes studying all the new things. I forgot my camera so here are the best pics we could get with Phil's phone.

This is him mesmerized by the Jumbotron.

Throwing a shower

2011-04-13T12:51:00.001-07:00

A few friends and I threw a shower for our dear friend Julia. She has two sweet little girls and is now having a boy! I am so excited for her to have a little boy and excited that he can be friends with Wes!

The invite

Me, Julia with daughter Gracie, and Ashley. Unfortunately Marguerite had already left before we took this.

Most of the guests.

There was so much yummy food and desserts. I didn't realize until the shower was over that I didn't get a picture of the whole table spread. Here are some of the yummy desserts though!

*edit* Marguerite sent me a picture of the spread, yay! above the table was a diaper garland that looked like bow ties, it was pretty cute.

I LOVE how it turned out! Thanks to all that came and helped out. It's so fun to celebrate a new baby! Oh and thanks for the pics Julia (I took them from her blog, I totally forgot to take pictures).

6 Months Already!?!

2011-04-07T14:47:00.001-07:00

Wesley is 6 months today and had his 6 month appointment. The Dr's isn't the funnest thing to do on your half birthday but Wes did so good. He was sad when get got the shots but quickly got over it.

Hanging out at the Doctors

His Stats:

Weight: 13 lbs 9.6 oz (1.79%)

Height: 26 inches (35%)

Head: 16.54" (10%- no wonder the infant hats are still too big for him)

I was so excited to see what he would weigh I really thought he was at least 14.5-15 lbs. I couldn't believe it when she said he was only 13 lbs 9 oz. I swear he eats and eats a lot for that matter. He even has a cute belly that we thought was getting large- ha ha. Here are some pictures I took of the 6 monther today. I cannot get enough of my little boy.

Can you tell how much he LOVES his feet? Right before I took these he had his whole right foot in his mouth, yum.

Bath Time

2011-03-30T19:18:00.000-07:00

Wesley's favorite time of the day is definitely bath time. He gets so excited when I start the bath water and start to undress him. Bath time is when I get the best laughs and smiles from him. It's the cutest thing ever!

He also likes getting ready for bed and getting his pajamas on. He especially loves playing with his towels while we dry him off. Last night we tried out this robe. He LOVED it, what a ham.

Lately

2011-03-25T20:00:00.000-07:00

Wesley has grown so much over the past week and has become a lot more active. I cannot believe he is almost 6 months! Here are a few pictures I took of him this week.

Getting ready for bed.

First time eating a blueberry and apple puree. He LOVED them (he is sitting in his car seat because I forgot his Bumbo when we went to Phil's parents' house).

He loves jumping and playing in this.

Just hanging out on the couch.

The Aquarium

2011-03-24T11:10:00.000-07:00

We went to the Aquarium with some friends earlier this week. Wesley had a lot of fun looking around at the new things. I definitely want to go back when he is a little older.

the gang

Wes loved the train ride. It went in a tunnel and he liked looking at the sharks.

Trying to get 6 kids in a picture.. nearly impossible. So here are 5 of them and the best we got.

Silly Sleeper

2011-03-23T15:06:00.000-07:00

I love sneaking into Wesley's room when he is sleeping. I find him in lots of different positions and wonder how he got there. Plus there is nothing like a sleeping baby!

He fell asleep on my bed one morning while I got ready for the day

I love his hands.

I heard him grunting during nap time and went to check if he was OK. I found him with his head turned looking for his binky. As soon as I put it in his mouth he was fast asleep again. Don't worry I straightened out his neck after taking this.

It looks like he broke his arm out to get that hat off his head.

I love my sweet little man.

Saint Patrick's Day

2011-03-19T20:19:00.000-07:00

I LOVE holidays! I love doing fun things and making these days special. My Mom made a big deal out of holidays growing up and it's been something that I remember and cherish. Saint Patrick's Day has always been a fun day for our family. My mom would get us a little treat/ prize and make a fun green dinner. She even sent us a package this year full of green gum and shamrock socks! I have made us a green dinner every year we have been married and didn't think it was going to happen this year. Phil's been really busy for work lately and I wasn't going to do it for just me. I found out at 3pm that he would make it home. I hurried and threw something together and we brought it over to Phil's parents to watch the BYU basketball game. I didn't make as big of green dinner as I would have liked but it was still fun. We had pesto chicken with spinach tortellini , zucchini, limeade, and green sherbet for dessert. The night before Phil and I made some yummy cake balls for his work. They are so fun to make and taste so good!

Had to make green ones of course.

Wesley eating his green dinner. We couldn't give him his peas fast enough!

Playing at Grandma's house. Don't you love those thighs?

This was taken tonight while watching another BYU game. They won again, GO BYU!