For my memory...

I know that this blog has basically become defunct. I did a long post with pictures in May that somehow disappeared. But I need to jot down a few things that have happened since March... and hopefully this post won't also disappeared. Then if I ever get in front of my laptop at home again I'll upload some photos for this post too.

First, Wesley took his first unassisted steps on April 22. He is now running around like a crazy toddler who has been walking all his life.

Two, at his 15 month appointment back in the beginning of May, he weighed 17 lbs, 14.5 oz... he was in the 2nd percentile weight. He was 31 1/2" tall, making him in the 50th percentile for height. I just took him back to the doctor last week for a weight check and he is 18lbs 12oz, having fallen back off the chart but still gaining (rising with the chart, just below it). We also put him on Singulair in order to hopefully help with his allergy-like symptoms. He also had his blood drawn at his 15 month appointment to make sure that everything is ok (since he's so skinny). All was fine except his iron levels were low so he is now also on iron drops.

He cut his first set of molars on the top last week, bringing his teeth count to 10. However, his eye teeth on top are also poking through so he'll soon have 12!!

Mid-April

So, here we are in mid-April. That means that Wesley is 14 and a half months old! It's funny how we never think we'll forget things... but we always do. So, I wanted to chronicle just a few things that Wesley is doing right now so that I don't forget them.

One thing Wesley is not doing yet is walking. He is creeping along the edges of furniture. He'll hold on to something with the most cavalier nature, with just a few fingers grasping the edge of the piece of furniture or your fingers. But so far, he hasn't dared himself to let go and walk... yet. He is, however, climbing like he was born to. He gets up (and back down) from the sofa. He has successfully climbed the piano bench. He not only climbs the two step footstool in the kitchen but will push it around the kitchen, climbing onto the kitchen table and the counters. He LOVES the stairs and will go up and down them as many times as we let him in. In fact, if he puts at the babygate to the stairs and we tell him "No, not right now" he will throw himself down on the floor in a most pathetic little puddle (sometimes even backing it up with real tears).

Wesley is communicating more and more every day. He can successfully say mama, dada, that a dog says "wa-wa" and a cow says "moo." He makes the sign for "all done" (though it honestly means "I'm bored" as he makes it when he's in his high chair and wants down even if he's still hungry). He waves hello and goodbye and nods his head yes in agreement. He'll hold a book up wanting you to read it (even if you've read it multiple times to him already). My favorite is that he and I created a signal for nursing. He looks at me and then pats his chest with both hands. Much better than pulling down my tank top at Walmart!

He is doing a great job of being gentle with our pets and is understanding perrimeters more and more. In fact, he will now look at the dogs' water bowl and then look at us before heading towards it. And when we tell him no, most of the time he'll just head off in a different direction rather than trying to splash in it!

He LOVES reading books together and will sit through just about as many you will read to him. Some of his favorite titles include "Hurry, Hurry", "101 Dalmations" (which we've nicknamed "Pepper", the main character) and "Can You?" a book of questions about things that animals can do (such as "Can you stand tall like a meerkat?").

He will eat just about anything, though he still doesn't eat much at any one sitting. We went to a Japanese restaurant this past weekend while in Denver and he loved both the gyoza and the gari! As both are very strong flavors I was pretty surprised. His favorite vegetable is definitely green beans and so far the kid hasn't met a fruit he didn't like!

Cute Wesley Mid-March

Here are some cute Wesley pictures!

It was warm today... so we did what all little boys do! We went outside and played in the dirt!

Cool dude! Referring of course to his penguin sweater!

Look where Wesley can climb up to! He pushed the footstool over and climbs from it onto the table. At this point he was going through the mail for us! (please ignore the purple shirt with red head scarf... I promise I don't go out like this!)

"I'm tough!"

And cute!

Another Month Down...

Wesley takes his job as remote holder very seriously.

And no more posts. Already, so I'm just officially a bad blogger.

Being away from Wesley for the week of the Festival was hard... but not as hard as I thought it would be. He and Reid got into a schedule that worked for both of them. He apparently only woke up in the middle of the night the first night and after that slept soundly (proof that he doesn't NEED to nurse in the middle of the night... he just likes to some nights). I, however, did not sleep all that well while I was there which I think is pretty funny. I had a whole bed to myself, no husband or baby to disturb me and yet I tossed and turned... guess I need them as much (or more) than they need me!

I got back very late Saturday night from the conference and slipped into bed with Wesley. He didn't wake up. Sunday morning, he rolled over and smiled up at me like I had never been missing. The next week at school for him was a little challenging as he cried every time I left him.

He had his 12 month check-up on the Monday after I got back. In retrospect, this was not a good time to schedule a physical that includes a weight check, since he hadn't been regularly nursing and had been stressed. At the exam, he was 30.5" tall (up from 29" at his 9 month check-up) and only 16lbs7oz (a weight gain of 6 oz. since his 9 month). So, he is still in the 50-75th percentile for height and has officially fallen off the scale for weight. We've scheduled another weight check at the end of March and he'll hopefully (with mommy here so he has no reason to stress) be back on the scale by then!

However, his health has not been positively contributing to his weight gain. Last Monday he was back at the doctor's office. He had a blown ear drum from an ear infection. He was prescribed oral antibiotics and ear drops. He only had a temperature of a little over 100 so we thought that would clear it up. Wednesday afternoon his daycare provider called me to tell me that he had a fever of 103.5. We kept him home from school the next day (after a very restless night). He was doing better in the morning but by afternoon had worsened. Around 4:30 he started vomiting. So, despite the hour, we called his pediatrician who let us bring him in. We were there until 6pm. They swabbed him for influenza (negative) and then gave him an injected antibiotic. He went back to the doctor the next day for one more dose of the injected antibiotic. By Friday evening his fever had broken and he was, indeed, on the mend. We started him back on the oral antibiotic Saturday which he's been on ever since. He still has a runny nose but it is all back to being clear which is a good sign and he's back to being his perky, high energy self. He hates the oral antibiotic but luckily this evening will be his last dose and hopefully he'll be healthy for awhile! Of course... Reid is now home sick so I'm not going to hold my breath. Wait... maybe I should hold my breath so that I don't get sick!

And that brings us up to now. Wes turned 13 months just a few days ago. He is so interesting! He mimicks a lot of our behavior now; things like waving hello and goodbye, cocking his head as if to say "I'm so cute," etc. He is walking while holding onto our fingers with increasing confidence and every once in awhile will forget what he's doing and let go of furniture standing all by himself. But... so far, no walking on his own. That will come in its own time.

He still loves music and most of his favorite toys include some sort of musical component. He also loves electronics and has managed to use my cell phone to both call my mom and text message my brother-in-law!

He's not much of an eater. It's not that he's picky in that he'll eat almost anything... but only about five or six bites at a time. He lets you know he's done with it by taking a bite and then spitting it back out at you. And this week he has learned that the dogs are under his chair. He throws them pieces of food off his tray and then giggles hysterically as they run around and get it... so much for having skinny beagles! He does love fruit of all varieties and has yet to meet a bean he didn't like.

He has started to show his frustration when things don't go his way. That generally results in a meltdown that includes crying, putting his head either in his hands or on the floor. Luckily they don't last for very long. He is pretty easily distracted.


He loves looking at pictures of his loved ones. In fact, we can't walk by the wall of pictures or the calendar of he and his cousin without stopping to identify people.


He is a major climber! If we let him, he climbs into the fridge. He also loves to use the two step footstool to climb onto the kitchen table. So far we've been right there every time he's done it... hopefully it'll stay that way. He climbs up and down off the sofas like a pro and is mastering climbing onto the footstool and then onto the sofa from that. Also, if we move his high chair down to a lower setting he can climb into that himself. All of that to say, look out Cousin Raley! You'll have a climbing buddy soon!

Wesley "helping" with the toilet paper...


One of the only times he wore his winter coat... it's just too bulky. He can't put his arms down!

Wesley "helping" to reorganize the shelving unit next to the backdoor. "My work here is done."

Messy faced baby!

Wesley, sleeping sideways on our bed!

Doing "snort face."

One of my favorite photos...

Ninja in the fridge!

Wes' Birthday

Here are some photos of Wes' birthday... we certainly had fun!

"What am I supposed to do with this?"


"Hmmm... this tastes good!"


Rockin' the icing moustache and goatee

"I'll take another!"

Wesley LOVES his piano... he frequently plays it with his drumstick :)

Playing under a chair with presents on top of it... The boy can amuse himself!

Playing with his portable train and track from Aunt Sarah and Uncle Dan

More presents for me??

"Thanks for the paper!"

"I really love to eat it mommy!"

I finally got Wes' one year pictures taken today. For once I bought the CD (along with a bazillion prints). So, I'll post some of them when the CD comes in a few weeks. I think they turned out really well.

Tomorrow I head to Cheyenne, Wyoming (about six hours away) for the Rocky Mountain Theatre Association's festival. Though excited to see some good theatre and to present Two Rooms (the show I directed last fall which was chosen as a showcase performance for Friday night), I am beside myself with how much I am going to miss Wesley... oh, and Reid too. :) Reid, however, I can talk to on the phone. Wesley's cuddles and impish grins don't translate much over the telephone. We're going to try to Skype, if there is time and if our connection here at home will let us. But, as the grandparents know, that just isn't the same either. I'm worried he's going to feel like I'm abandoning him ('cause I am!). I'm worried that he'll go on a nursing strike when I get home and decide he's done nursing (which I am not ready to give up all together). I'm worried that at night when he's used to nursing he'll be incolosable for Reid and neither of them will get much sleep. I don't have a choice... but I can't wait for Saturday to get here so I can come home to both of them!

To Make Up...

To make up for the lack of photos in December and January... here are a whole bunch from the middle of January to Wes' birthday, all told from Wesley's point of view. Birthday photos to follow in another post.

Yum! This guitar is yummy...

Wait, I'm NOT supposed to eat the guitar? Artistic differences...

I REALLY want your computer...

How about if I distract you by wearing my right hand as a hat... that way you won't notice my left hand grabbing this cord!

Oh Gollum... you're so misunderstood...

Tricksy Hobbitses!

This is what I think of Social Security (and probably about what it will be by the time Wes is old enough to collect it)...

Aren't my striped PJs SOOOO cute? I look like a little person and not a baby at all!

A box from Aunt Sarah = Best present EVER!

Don't disturb me... I'm practicing my Bach!

Examining my sandwich (Grandma Annie... he's really rocking the Einstein look with the hair in this photo! So much of it and it sticks out in every direction!)

Hello in there! (mommy just loves those blue eyes!)

Wesley is 1!

My baby boy is 1!!

His party was a success... pictures and update tomorrow as I'm currently uploading flip videos and the computer doesn't like to do both!

Pictures of the first half of January at home

Tater still thinks he's the baby... this was where we found him after a pit stop on our way home from LA!

Wesley modeling the hat I made him while in LA

Side View

Playing in the water bowl... one of his favorite sneaky habits!



Teasing the dog... That is a Wesley toy that Winston REALLY wants to play with but isn't allowed.

Trying to get in touch with his inner cat!

" Hey... this new Wii thing is for me, right?"

He is REALLY in touch with his inner cat!

Look where Wesley can climb now!

2 Months, No Post

So... it has been a long time since I posted. I just took my blog off auto-publishing to facebook. I think one (of the many) reasons I haven't posted is because it going to facebook (and thus having potentially 300 people I know read it) seemed a little too personal. Now, of course, any of those people could if they wanted to saunter over here to this blog and read it anyway... but the truth is that most people won't.

Mainly I haven't posted because I've been wicked busy and I have a baby who every time I try to sit down to get on the computer he wants to get on the computer. That means rather than being able to leisurely post, I have to fight over baby fingers and inevitably deal with a crying fit (mine or his, I'll let you decide).

And I also haven't posted because I've been daunted by just how much I've missed posting about. So, rather than trying to go back and recreate all that I have missed... I'm just going to move forward. Suffice it to say, we had a fabulous Christmas and New Year's in LA with my family and Reid's family and I wished that it could have gone on for a lot longer! There are a few pictures at the moment and I might post more some other time... or probably not :)

Now for the Wesley update... Wesley is SOO close to walking on his own. He just climbed up onto the sofa this weekend by himself for the first time! He was so proud. He "knows" that he is supposed to roll over onto his tummy and then swing his legs down to get down... but in the excitement of being on the sofa of his own accord he frequently forgets to do so. This means that mommy and daddy need to be sitting really close by!

He is the MASTER of interesting faces. Lately he has taken to wringling his nose with his smiles. He also tilts his head to one side and smiles at you, almost as if he knows that his cuteness is too much to be resisted! Going along with that, he will frequently lean in to whomever is holding him and cuddled his head against your chest. This doesn't last for long because he's so busy but it truly is one of the sweetest feelings in the world.

What else? He still LOVES music and will bob and dance to just about any type, from mommy humming to his baby CDs to the hard metal that is on one of daddy's PS3 games! His hand/eye coordination is getting extremely good. One of his favorite toys is a funnel that you throw balls into and they set off music. He can fit the ball into the top opening (which has maybe an eighth of an inch opening) and he'll do it over and over again. He has also started using a spoon! He gets as much on himself as he does in his mouth but he's very proud of himself.

He loves to play follow the leader, especially if he's leading! It usually consists of "Hands up!" "Hands down!" "Flap your arms like a bird" and "Clap." Sometimes waving gets thrown in for good measure too.

Despite having been out of daycare for almost four weeks, he took to it like he was never gone. He loves his teacher and his classmates... but I love that he is always super excited when he sees mommy or daddy in the doorway in the afternoon. No matter what he is doing, he drops it and crawls at full throttle towards the doorway. Man, I love that moment!

I can't believe that he turns one this coming Sunday. That just seems impossible and yet like the time has flown by. We're having a gathering at our house with cake and ice cream for his birthday on Sunday and I can't wait to see him with a piece of cake all his own (since the cupcake we tried to give him at his 11 month birthday was not eagerly received, due to him being so sick).

The next few weeks are very busy for me. The show I directed last fall (Two Rooms) was selected to go to the Rocky Mountain Theatre Festival which is great! But it means this week and next week I'm back in rehearsal. This week it is from 7-10pm. Next week it is from 3-6pm (because there is a student show performing in the evenings). And then comes the actual conference, which is in Cheyenne, WY). We'll be leaving on a Tuesday and not be back until very late Saturday night. I know that I will have fun seeing so much theatre and presenting our show... and I'll be very busy as we always are. But, man, I am going to miss my husband and my little boy SO MUCH! The longest I've been apart from Wesley so far is 15 hours... and that was too long. I can only console myself with the thought that he is too young to remember it. So, it will just be hard on mommy (and daddy who has to be solo-parent for almost a week)!

Wes sleeping Christmas morning... before the craziness started!

Wes in his adorable Christmas pjs, checking out his cousin's new play kitchen


Christmas is exhausting! Mid-day nap with mommy

Waving leaves around in Great-Uncle Jack's yard. This boy never sits still so I love this picture in motion!

Eating his first cupcake... too bad he was running a temperature and not very intersted in eating it. We'll be trying this again this weekend for his birthday!