Feed Me!

I love this stage of baby/toddlerdom. We're at the stage where Ryan really wants to eat. If it's edible (and sometimes even if it's not) he'll eat it! The only thing we've given him that he hasn't really liked is baby food turkey, and if you've ever smelled that stuff you'd understand why!

At his dr. appointment the other day, Dr. M. said we could give Ryan anything he wanted as long as it wasn't peanut butter, shellfish, eggs or honey. Last night Ryan sampled some of caramel ice cream. After the first bite he darn near attacked me while trying to get some more. We had the same reaction tonight with mashed potatoes and gravy. I think I might have gotten two bites of my potatoes and he ate the rest.

Sigh. I remember when Wesley was an adventurous eater. He'd eat almost anything too, but now it's the standard preschooler's diet. At least he throws in cottage cheese, dried peas and baby food prunes for some variety. And he'll still eat goat cheese, so I guess all hope is not lost. Maybe Wesley will try some new things if he sees Ryan eating them. Hummmm.....curry anyone?

Not As Cute As He Thinks He Is

Whenever Wesley is trying to show off, we tell him, "You're not as cute as you think you are." The thing is, he really is that cute!

Happy Healthy Baby

Ryan turned nine months old last Friday and had his "well child" check up today.

Height: 29 inches (75% percentile)

Weight: 18 pounds (15% percentile). I have to admit, the weight thing freaked me out a little bit. When he was at the doctor a month or so ago, he weighed in at 19 pounds 7 ounces. The doctor said not to worry though. As long as he continues to move up the chart, there's no cause for concern.

Wesley did an outstanding job at the doctor's office. He was so good that Dr. M. let Wesley use the stethoscope and other instruments to give Bear a checkup. Not only do we have a happy, healthy baby, but we have a happy, healthy bear too!

Crime and Punishment

I think I'm turning into a honest-to-goodness parent. Yes, I know that I have two children and that the oldest one is 3 1/2, but last night the whole "go to your room and don't come out" thing drove it home.

Wesley is not always the most careful big brother in the world. There's still a lot of jealousy there and at times that manifests itself as hostility. Wesley kicked Ryan yesterday and was put on the steps. After several minutes Wesley said he was ready to be nice and went back in the living room and gave Ryan a hug. OK, no problem. Later on in the day Wesley got mad at Ryan and shoved him over. After another trip to the steps I told Wesley that if he hurt his brother one more time, he'd have to go to his room and play by himself. That threat worked pretty well for most of the afternoon and evening, but at 7:30 Wesley hit Ryan with a plastic ice scraper.

Duane scooped Wesley up, took him upstairs for bath time and explained that after his bath, he would have to stay in his room until bedtime (essentially meaning Wesley would be in his room until morning). After a long bath, we put Wesley in his jammies, walked him into his room and told him he had to stay there because he hurt Ryan.

"Mommy, will you stay with me?"

"No, Wesley. You have to stay in here by yourself because you hurt Ryan. You can play with your toys or read your books, but you may not come out of your room."

"Then I'm going to sit right here by this brown door!"

And that's what he did. We put Ryan to bed, went downstairs and watched TV and didn't hear a sound from Wesley's room. I peeked in on the prisoner when I went to bed and, sure enough, he was fast asleep on the floor by the door to his room. I picked him up and tucked him in, and he slept peacefully until morning.

No Creative Title

I couldn't come up with a creative title for today's post. Sorry. I've been up since 5:30 this morning and we've already crammed A LOT into the day!

The boys had swim class again today. I'm learning that swim class is a great bribe! Wesley didn't want to eat any breakfast this morning. I told him he had to eat breakfast if he wanted to have energy to swim, so no breakfast meant no swim class. Boy, he sucked that pancake and bacon down in almost record time! He also "called" his teacher, Miss Kayla, on his toy phone. He asked if she was getting the pool ready for him and Colin, and that he was very excited for class.

Wesley is so excited to have Colin in his class. Kate and Duane sat in the stands and watched those two, while I swam and played with Ryan. I'm so glad we've started Ryan's classes earlier than we did for Wesley. Ryan will actually let me float him on his back and doesn't freak out when he gets water in his face. Water in the face was what they worked on in Wesley and Colin's class today. I guess they did pretty well with it.

I don't have any pictures of the boys in their swimsuits yet, but here are a couple from our unofficial snacktime in the lobby after class.

After class, Wesley decided he'd like to go to the zoo and since it was a beautiful day, we said, "Sure!" That was easier said than done. First of all, Ryan was asleep in the car seat but just as we finished lunch, packing the diaper bag, putting the double seat stroller in the van and trips to the potty, Ryan woke up. So then we had to change and feed him, send Wesley to the bathroom again and apply sunscreen to everyone. THEN we were ready to leave.

We hopped in the car and got on the freeway, only to get stuck in football traffic for OSU's Spring Game. We got through that traffic jam, then hit another one by the exit to the zoo. I think it took us at least twice as long as usual to get to the zoo and Wesley was asleep when we got there. We unloaded everyone and everything from the van and fought the crowds of people to the zoo entrance. It was nice, but really crowded! I think we were only there a little over an hour before Wesley started saying that he wanted to go home. Thank goodness for zoo memberships. We threw in the towel and decided to try another day.

I know it looks like I only took pictures of Ryan at the zoo, but Wesley gets funny about having his picture taken sometimes. And yes, Ryan is wearing two different hats. The ball cap wouldn't stay on, so we bought a bucket hat at the zoo.

Ryan might have one the battle of the still pictures, but I did catch Wesley singing along to a CD on the way home. The audio on this isn't great, but he's singing along to the song, "Henrietta's Hair" by Justin Roberts.

We're spending the rest of the day trying to recover from the morning. I straightened up the house, while Duane and Wesley went to do the grocery shopping. Ryan used some baby wipes to help me clean in the living room. Then we spent a little time playing in the caterpillar tunnel. Although, if I'm completely honest, I'd say that Ryan spent time chasing Sanders in the caterpillar tunnel.

Plans for the rest of the night? Make dinner and collapse on the couch with a good book!

Mommy Guilt

It has been a week of Mommy Guilt for me. Every day this week Wesley has cried and run away from me when it's time to get ready to go in the morning. Do you know how hard it is to get your child dressed and ready to leave by 7:30 when he has big fat tears running down his face and insists that he just wants to stay home with you? Rip my heart out, why don't you!

I hate that I have to tell him that Mommy HAS to go to work and since he can't stay by himself, he HAS to go to Grandma and Grandpa's or Aunt Cathy's. I hate that he often wakes up and sighs, "Where are we going to today?" He's always fine when we get to where we're going, but getting out the door has become my least favorite part of the day.

Almost every day this week I have sat at my desk at work and fought back tears, thinking of Wesley crying for us to stay home together. At least Grandma H. lives close enough to the library that they can come visit - which they did on Tuesday when Wesley told her, "I miss my Mommy!" And he has called me at work too, but I know it's not the same. I don't know what's going to happen when I go to New York for five days.

I keep telling myself that if we can just get through May it will be OK. Because Grandma H. is having knee replacement surgery, I am going to be taking a fair amount of time off work this summer (a week in June, a week in July, a week in August, plus other random days) and the library will soon close for summer Sundays. I'm planning on getting a family pool membership and have all kinds of fun stuff we can do, we just have to make it there first.

I know this is a phase. I know it will pass. I know I should enjoy the fact that Wesley wants to be with me so much. But when he tells me, "I missed you so much today, Mommy. I had big tears all over my face," it's hard to remember.

Sing Us a Song, You're the Piano Man

Not Me Monday

Following the lead of "My Charming Kids," it's another Not Me Monday.

I couldn't have been the parent who taught Wesley to call his little brother "Trouble." Nope! I'd never saddle my youngest with that sort of nickname. Talk about a self-fulfilling prophecy.

I know I didn't have to tell Ryan to stop chewing on my shoes, because that would just be weird. And it couldn't have happened on the same night Wesley and I were calling him a puppy because he was crawling around the floor carrying things in his mouth.

There is no way on earth I would be careless enough to forget to buckle Ryan in his carseat and not realize it until we reached our destination. If that did actually happen, I know I would have spent the next hour feeling incredibly guilty and like I was going to throw up.

I would never use my children as an excuse to go get ice cream even though I was the one who was hungry for it. And if you belive that, don't read my post from 4/17.

Sunny Saturday Split-Up

Duane and I did something kind of weird for us today. We did separate things, each taking one kid. I took Ryan to get the sunroof fixed, go to Target and out to lunch with someone, while Duane to Wesley to a parade and to the grocery store. It was strange to split up to do different things when we were both off work. I'm still trying to decide if I liked it.

Ryan did really well while we ran all of our errands. I decided to leave the baby seat in the car at Target and just carry Ryan in. It was the first time he has sat in the cart without being in his baby seat. HE LOVED IT!!! He kept laughing (especially if I went fast) and looked around and tried to grab things. It was like a whole new world for him.

Now as much fun as Ryan and I had, I think Duane got the better end of the deal. Not that the grocery store is super exciting, but the parade was pretty cool. Grandpa P. drove one of the Clippers players in the parade, so Duane and Wesley spent most of their time watching for him. But Wesley did end up with a baseball, an American flag and got to hear a marching band play "Take Me Out to the Ball Game."

It's too bad Wesley's day didn't keep going that well. He stepped on his plastic tool box (trying to use it as a stool) and his foot went through it. I didn't realize he actually hurt himself until he was still complaining about it half and hour later. Closer inspection showed a decent sized cut on his foot. Duane cleaned it up and put some Diego band-aids on it so it ought to start feeling better soon. At least you can't say our weekends are dull.

We All Scream for Ice Cream

One of the greatest things about having kids is having an excuse to act like a kid yourself. I woke up this morning in the mood for ice cream. The weather forecast was for warm and sunny and for me that means ice cream. But instead of owing up that and admitting I was in the mood for ice cream, I used Wesley as an excuse and asked if he'd like to go get ice cream tonight (knowing full well that Wesley would never turn down ice cream.) So after dinner the whole W. family headed to Graeters.

Of course the most difficult part of going to the ice cream store is deciding which flavor to pick. Wesley went back and forth between chocolate and strawberry, but when the girl behind the counter asked Wesley what he wanted and the pressure was on, he went with his old standby - strawberry. He proclaimed it delicious after the first bite.

Duane made what I consider to be the most boring of all ice cream flavors and got a double scoop of vanilla in a cup. I suppose he had good reason for going boring because he shared his ice cream with Ryan. Yep, Ryan had his first taste of ice cream tonight and it was a big hit! The first bite was following by a brief look of confusion, probably from the cold, but a moment later his mouth was wide open and he was begging for more. Duane could hardly shovel it in fast enough, and Ryan was really upset when it was gone. Wesley wouldn't share the last couple of bites of his ice cream with Ryan, but Duane stole a smidgen for Ryan when they went to throw the cups away. Apparently Ryan liked the strawberry even more than the vanilla. Guess we know what to order next time.

Brotherly Love

There are still a lot of times that I wonder what we did to Wesley by having a second child. Most of time, I wonder that right after Wesley takes a toy from Ryan, or shoves him over, or steps on him, or does one of a half dozen other things that big brothers will do to torment younger siblings. But then I see a look like this on Wesley's face and I know it will all be OK. Ryan has a big brother that loves him.

Wesley's Dictionary

Wesley's vocabulary never fails to amaze me. Last night he asked Duane what "assess" meant and this morning he asked me what "tackle" meant. So I now present to you "Wesley's dictionary"

Assess - to think about something and decide if it's good or bad. (definition by Daddy)

Tackle - to jump on someone and try to knock them down. (definition by Mommy)

Kewper - how a three year old pronounces the name of the cat he pretends to be. AKA "Cooper"

Faver - when one's body temperature is above normal - ie "I have a bad faver!" I can't decide if this is him not hearing the word correctly, a little speech impediment, or a continuation of the bad southern accent he's developed recently.

Life's a Party

...or at least it is in the W. household. Wesley loves to host pretend birthday parties. He waits for the "guest-es" to arrive and makes pretend cakes and puts up pretend decorations and everything. It would probably be pretty cute if it wasn't every single day several times a day. If Fluffy or Sammi has one more birthday this week, I think I'll snap.

Tonight Wesley said it was my birthday, but I've decided that we are celebrating something else. We're celebrating the return of the Weeble Castle. The Weeble Castle was one of Wesley's very favorite toys when he was a bit younger. Aunt Judy got it for him for Christmas when he was one and he played with it everyday for the next year and a half (at least). He kind of lost interest in it about the time he turned three and it's just been sitting in his room. Tonight we brought it downstairs for Ryan. He LOVES it - and surprisingly enough, Wesley isn't being territorial about it. Now if only it had volume control.

Happy Easter

Hope your Easter was as happy as ours!

Racing Towards Easter

We did the annual dyeing of the Easter eggs on Wednesday night. It went slightly better than last year in the sense that Wesley did not throw the eggs into the dye, so there were no casualties. Well, no causalities unless you count his favorite shirt and our carpet. Wesley REALLY wanted to help carry the cup of dye into the kitchen when we were done and some splashed on his shirt and onto the carpet. Thank goodness for dark maroon carpet! Nothing stains it! I wish the same could be said for Wesley's shirt. If anyone sees one like it in a 5T, please give me a heads up. It's green and white and says "Hawks MVP" in a baseball jersey script. It originally came from Target (in the fall). Poor little guy was pretty upset. I'm hoping a bleach stick will do the trick.

While Wesley was busy coloring eggs, Ryan was proving what a little daredevil he is. We dug out Wesley's old walker/rider and Duane proceeded to take Ryan for a spin (or 17) around the living room and dining room. Although Ryan does not look overly impressed in the first picture, I promise you that this is one of his new favorite things to do. He even crawled over to it and tried to get on while I was composing this message!

Dad, can we just go already?

Now THAT'S more like it!

Little Mommy Riding Hood

Wesley loves to watch Max & Ruby. Last night we (miraculously) saw an episode we had never seen before. It was Max and Ruby's take on several fairy tales, including Little Red Riding Hood. We must have watched it three or four times before Daddy and I said "Enough!"

Fast forward to this morning. When we got to Grandma H.'s house Wesley took all of his magnetic letters and put them into a plastic container with a handle. He told me it was a basket of cookies and INSISTED that I take them to work with me. Actually he said I had to take them through the woods (“through the woods is on your way to work, Mommy”) and make sure Ghost Bunny and the Big Bad Wolf didn’t steal them.

At least Grandma didn't have to clean them up today!

Who Said That?

Wesley had been in bed for about an hour when Duane and I heard him crying out, "Mommy! Mommy!" It's very unusual for Wesley to call for one of us at night, so we both went into his room. Wesley was sitting up in bed fighting back tears because he said he heard a sneeze. That's right - a sneeze. He's not scared of monsters under the bed or anything, but an unidentified sneeze sent him over the edge. I figured one of the cats had gotten stuck in his room, so I checked under the bed and Duane checked the closets. We didn't find any cats, but managed to convince Wesley that it was probably Fluffy (his imaginary cat) that sneezed. In all likelihood, it was someone outside on the sidewalk or front porch next door, but try explaining that to a three-year-old with an active imagination.

Turning a Corner

I think Ryan is FINALLY starting to feel a little better. His nose is still crusty, his eye still waters and he still has a nasty cough, but he can't feel totally horrible if he can smile like this!

Of course, I think Wesley is actually helping Ryan feels better. He's been great about sharing his toys tonight and has even read Ryan a book. What a great big brother!

I'd Hate to Meet the Bird that Laid THAT Egg

Not Me Monday

Following the lead of "My Charming Kids," it's another Not Me Monday.

There is no way I would have dropped the kids off with the grandparents for the entire day with only three diapers in the diaper bag. I mean, that would have been almost as bad as the day I dropped them off with no bottles, and I must have learned my lesson the first time around.

I couldn't have been foolish enough to smile the whole drive home after an attractive guy (who couldn't have been more than 18) smiled and waved at me at a red light. That would be silly and something a teenager would do - not a 35 year old woman.

I did not get into my skinny jeans, eat a healthy salad for dinner and wash it down with some Ben and Jerry's Cinnamon Bun ice cream. At least it was one serving and not the whole pint!

I know it wasn't me that held a VERY stinky Ryan out to Duane and asked how many brownie points I would get for changing him. That just wouldn't have been very nice.

Swimming Along

The boys had their first swim class today. The plan was that I would swim with Ryan (he's still sick, but I thought the humidity at the pool might do him some good) and Duane would supervise Wesley at his class. That was the plan until I tried my bathing suits on. YIKES! Last year I was wearing a maternity suit, so I have worn a real bathing suit since summer of 2007. Um...let's just say it was not a pretty picture and I just got back from buying two new swim suits.

Anyhow, Ryan did a pretty good job in his class. He whined a little when they first got into the water, but he got over it pretty fast. All in all, he seemed pretty content, even when Duane put him on the tummy. Maybe we'll have a second water baby.

Wesley did a great job. Today was the only day parents of his class were allowed to be near the pool, after today we have to wait in the balcony. The reason is that when the parents are right there the kids are more concerned with parental approval than with listening to the teacher. And sure enough, every time Miss Kayla would tell the class something, Wesley would check with me. After about 10 minutes, I made myself go sit in the balcony. I think it was one of the hardest things I've ever done. I did NOT want to leave him in the pool with a total stranger and bunch of other kids. I wanted to be there if he got scared, or hurt, or whatever, but I went and sat in the balcony like I was supposed to. And do you know what? Wesley did fine. In fact, he has such a good time that he didn't want to leave when class was over. I guess that was my test for when he starts preschool in the fall, but I have a feeling that will be MUCH harder for me.

Smart Kid

Wesley just informed us that he wants to be "just like my daddy when I grow up!" That was right before he hugged each of us in turn and told us he loves us. What a good kid.

How to Make a Baby Cry

After being home with Ryan the last two days, I have learned one more way in which he is like his big brother. Ryan hates to be told no. It doesn't matter if you are just saying it in a gentle, but firm voice, he hates it.

Scene #1: Ryan ripped a page out of one of Wesley's books (thank goodness it was an end page so maybe Wesley won't notice.) I looked at Ryan and said, "Ryan Kenneth. No. We do not rip pages out of books." Ryan looked at me with his big blue eyes and reached for the book again. "Ryan. Mommy said no." All of a sudden his little bottom lip popped out and he started crying.

Scene #2: Ryan tipped over the little trash can in the bathroom. "Ryan. No. Do not play in the trash. No." Same response from Ryan - lip out, tear falling.

I guess I should try to be positive and tell myself that at least he knows what "no" means. Instead, I just see another willful toddler to be - just like his brother was!

April Fools Laugh

I was putting Easter decorations up tonight when Duane made some sort of bad pun about "hopping" to something. I sarcastically said, "Ha ha. You're funny guy!" Wesley overheard me and decided to put his two cents in. "Yep! Daddy sure is a funny looking guy!"

I dunno, looks pretty handsome to me (no April Fool's joke there!)

Religious Experience

Today Wesley folded his hands in front of him and said, "This is the way we pray. See, Mom. I remember!"

"You're right Wesley. That is the way we pray," I said. "Do you remember what we say when we are done praying?"

Wesley replied, "We say 'Amen' and then something good happens."

I was smiling away, so proud of Wesley grasping the concept of church. I should have known better...

"Yep, something good happens," he continued. "We get to go downstairs!" Downstairs is where the nursery is and where he plays after the children's message!