We are Ready for the Weekend!

It is almost Friday so we can almost see the "Weekend Light!" This week has been crazy for me so I know I will be looking forward to a little downtime and I am sure Wyatt is as well. Our little boy was incredibly good for me today and since I did not blog yesterday I feel I need to make up for it. The photos above were taken while Wyatt was in his ExerSaucer...he loves the mirror and I was standing behind him and realized he was looking at me...it was just too cute not to document.

I received an email from Ken today...loving technology...it just makes my day to see that I have an email from him. Add to it that he misses us and I am like putty. He asked if Wyatt still says "da-da"...hmmm...of course! I think he may think that if he says it enough that Ken will appear. We are counting down the days!

Wyatt is really rolling now and will roll from back to stomach pretty much immediately when you place him on the blanket and will now continue to roll from stomach to back as far as you will let him go or unless furniture stops him in his path. I did my best to catch it for you all to see and especially for Ken...he is really quick and proud of himself! Enjoy.

Have a great weekend!

K - About 97 hours and counting! Yes...we are counting. We miss you. Have a wonderful weekend..."hi" to all from us. We love you! S and W

Rollin' with Wyatt!

It is only Tuesday? Ha. Ha. This week has been so busy it feels like it should be later in the week. Today, I worked from home, but was swamped with work requests. Throw in a 7 month old that I think has teething issues and we had a "fun" afternoon. Although, I can't really complain because I have an exersaucer and frozen pacifers. Praise. Both work like a charm every time. I was up very late working last night and Wyatt not wanting to nap long today added to both of us being sleep deprived. We made it and enjoyed a long walk early this evening to walk off the day. I included a photo above because today was a milestone day...Wyatt rolled over in his crib for the first time! I had to document it for Ken to see. I was so surprised to see his little face peering over the railing at me when I went in to get him from his nap. He was so proud of himself. He really flips fast now if you lay him on his back...flipping from front to back is not a priority at the moment, but I am sure it will follow soon.

Ken is at Mt. Fuji and unfortunately the rain is "camping out" as well. We are praying for sunshine as the team reflects from a successful and spirit-filled camp. Hopefully, he will have some fun with old friends and some Japanese cuisine before he heads for home. I get excited just writing it...yep, can you tell I am the wife that gets sappy at the drop of a hat. If he sends me an email I am so excited! It is the little things with me. I kept telling Wyatt that "da-da" will be home this time next week.

Wyatt and I hope you all have a fabulous Wednesday!

K- Have a great Thursday...know you are loved and thought of constantly...oh and talked about too..."da-da...da-da!"

Seven Days and Counting...

In all honesty this photo is for Da-Da! Wyatt always says "Da-Da" repeatedly before bedtime and in the morning while I am getting ready. So, I told him we would take his photo in his pj's so Da-Da could see him. Ken wrote me an email today that I very much needed and made my heart smile. A week to go and I miss him so...he is doing well and having fun outside of camp by rafting. Tomorrow, (which is already today for him) is their last day of camp and God is stirring so I pray as camp ends that students hearts prod them to learn more.

Since, I was at work today my Mom had Wyatt so I don't have too much to report before he had to go to bed. However, he LOVES his carrots...it is so fun and fast to feed him now. Pears and yogurt are up next so here's hoping our little bird will love those as well. I am so excited that when he is in his exersaucer or car seat that I can clap my hands and reach out to him and he will smile and lift his little arms in the air knowing I am going to get him out. It is so fun to teach him something and to see him "get it."

Work has been a little hectic lately so I am off to do a little pre-work in hopes to have a lighter/less hectic day tomorrow. Blessings to you all!

K - We send our love to you! W & S

7 Months Old and Still Swinging!

Wyatt turned 7 months old today, so I thought we should do something special since it was such an incredible day. After church (many thanks to all the ladies and girls that have held and entertained Wyatt so we could worship...you all are a blessing to us...Thank you.), we had some carrots and a very short nap...so we headed outside. We have an adorable little park just steps away from our complex and I have been eyeing the swings. They were my favorite park attraction when I was a little girl. I decided today we would stop there and see what he thought of them or if he was still too little to try one out. It was a bit too big, but he seemed to like it. Funny...I had the camera to document the moment.

I decided to take him for a long walk because napping has not been his "thing" this weekend. Of course it worked like a charm...so I walked for a good hour and a half. The fresh air must have done the trick because he went to bed about twenty minutes early. Maybe he knew his Mom could use an extra couple of minutes.

It seems the big question today was 'when is Ken coming home?'...Tuesday, August 4th. Yes, next week at this time we will be counting down the hours till Da-Da's return. Ken wrote me an email and all is well with him and his students..."God is stirring" he said. Praise.

Tomorrow we are back to our routine...so I will be working in the city and the morning routine will come too quickly so I am off. Have a great Monday!

Ahhhhh Saturday!

A very happy birthday to Papa! We love you! We had a very lazy morning today...and then headed over to Grandma & Pa's. Grandma offered to watch Wyatt while I got my haircut. My hair has been driving me crazy lately and when I called for an appointment and found out I could go today and not have to wait for weeks...I jumped at the chance. After getting my hair cut and having a late lunch with Grandma and Pa we headed home for a nap...that never happened. So, I decided we might as well head to the grocery store...Wyatt's first time. So, you can guess what happened, right? He fell sound asleep in the car. Yep...I was all prepared for his 1st ride in the shopping cart and how exciting that would be for him. Nah...he slept in his car seat the entire time till checkout. The beeping awoke him. Then...of course he was awake for the ride home. Too funny - maybe next time.

After putting groceries away it was dinner time and I decided that tonight Wyatt would try carrots. Applesauce and peas have not been his favorite, but he would eat them. He loves carrots...it was like feeding a little bird tonight. So refreshing! Maybe he was just relieved not to have peas or applesauce. I did my best to capture the moment one-handed.

(Today he kept crinkling his nose.)

After dinner it was time for a bath (he loves to kick his feet in the water) then some exersaucer time while I ate, a bottle and off to bed. I had recorded Wyatt earlier in the week laughing as I tickled his feet...tonight, I tried something my Mom mentioned to me...tickling under his arms...so cute...he laughs so hard! I will try to record it soon. We are so incredibly blessed with a healthy and good baby.

Camp has started for Ken and they had sunshine! Praise...God's blessing on the event. We pray that God works in miraculous ways as camp continues and all those attending and teaching see Him at work throughout the week to come. I miss Ken so much, but hearing Wyatt continually say "Da-Da" reminds me that I have an adorable piece of him with me. Have a glorious Sabbath!

K - We love you!

It's WEEKEND!

It is Friday night and weekend is here! Actually, the week went extremely well and virtually stress-free. Who would have thought...Shari on-time in the morning and actually early. God is good and so is Wyatt. Today, Wyatt and Grandma went to a party for a dear friend of my Mom's... so he was fawned over by many...lucky little guy. I hear many, many laughs as well. I feel so blessed that my Mom takes care of Wyatt while I am working downtown. In our commute home we missed Da-Da's call to our extreme disappointment. However, it meant that Ken left a message on my voicemail so I played it on speaker phone so Wyatt and I could listen to it at the same time. (Wyatt is still wearing his bib in the photo above because I had just finished feeding him when I went to get my phone out of my work bag and saw I had a message.) Luckily, the camera was on the table as well so I could capture the look on his face when he heard Ken's voice. He was so excited his feet were going a mile a minute as he stared at the phone listening to Da-Da. It is so great that Ken can view this blog and get emails while in Japan...amazing that technology can help keep us so close together while we are miles apart.

I took the photo below last night when I went to go check on Wyatt. He is consistently taking off his right sock...the left foot is a bit more of a challenge, but I don't doubt that he will master it in no time at all.

The weekend should be low-key; which will be nice. I am hoping the rain here is leaving the skies sunny in Japan.

K - Sorry, we missed your call, know we play your message often. We love you...have a great weekend! S & W

Mission Accomplished...Only 5 More to Go!

We did it! I was nervous about this morning...especially since I received a S.O.S. phone call from work last night right when Wyatt was being put to bed. I ended up falling into bed around 1:40 a.m. with my alarm set before 6:30 a.m. Well, sleep deprivation works for me because I awoke before my alarm to the sweet sounds of Wyatt talking to his stuffed animals. I got him up and dress and fed before 7:10 a.m. I finished getting ready and was out the door by 7:30 a.m. Yes...you read that right! I was at Grandma's house before 7:50 a.m. which was my goal. Day 1 - Mission complete...get to the train and work on time! Whew. Realize how much you miss and love your husband for waking and feeding our son each weekday morning...PRICELESS! Actually, I already felt blessed about that fact. Here's hoping we can make it a repeat performance tomorrow morning as well...God willing! 5 More work days in which we will have today's routine and I go into the office to work!

Since, I worked in the city today...I only get to see Wyatt for about 3 hours in total waking hours. It doesn't count the multiple times I go in to check on him throughout the evening as he sleeps. However, my Mom and Dad watched Wyatt today...yes, he was lucky enough to get all the attention and love from both Grandma and Pa today. My Dad (Pa) made a surprising and funny discovery. While playing with Wyatt he was telling him that he needed to go shave for the day and took his arm and rubbed his whiskers...which really made Wyatt laugh! I hear that Wyatt would continuously hold up his arm for Pa to rub his whiskers on him. Too cute. I like a clean shaven man myself, but everyone has their preferences...and Wyatt loves Pa's whiskers.

I don't have a photo from today, but one I snapped from yesterday. Wyatt loves his "buddies" which are his stuffed animals that watch over him while he sleeps. He hasn't really interacted with them that much, but yesterday they were all playing together. I got a kick out of how "Dangles" (little monkey) was positioned when Wyatt was sleeping. Adorable.

For Ken in Japan they are 13 hours ahead of us so it is already Friday morning for him as I write this...and thinking of him as English Camp begins today. Praying it will be a dry day, full of sunshine as they welcome 23 campers...many which are women. God has blessed them with a handsome and funny American man to share his gift to teach...I would want to be in his class for sure. May God be present as the team shares the word of truth and their gifts to all who come to learn.

Just for Laughs!

Hope you all had a wonderful Wednesday. Wyatt and I did...just a lazy day playing, going for a walk...etc. We talked with Ken tonight and he is doing great...preparing for camp to start. It was so wonderful to hear his voice. Wyatt was sleepy and in bedtime mode so he would not say Da-Da for him although he had been saying it all day. Even though he can't say it...I believe Wyatt is missing Ken. I think it helps that I have a picture of Ken and Wyatt together for him to look at from Father's Day.

It was fun to be with Wyatt today because he showed signs of what is to come...crawling! He rolled over from back to belly and then pushed himself backwards with his hands. He was so proud of himself that he laughed out loud. Also a new Wyatt discovery is if you tickle the bottom of his feet he laughs real hard. I taped it for Ken to see...and Wyatt did it for the camera. His laugh is so cute!

Wyatt loves being in his exersaucer and has somehow found out how to get this one flower toy out of it's hole. I have yet to see how he does it, but took a photo of where I found it...along with Ribbit and Bear.

Tomorrow is the true test...back to work I go. So, I am praying we both can get through our morning routine with ease. Did you read that without laughing? Bet Ken did not. The goal is to drop Wyatt off, park my car in my old spot and walk about 3 blocks to the train. Here's hoping that I walk those blocks...in my "single" days I did a LOT of jogging and that was without a baby to drop off. No doubt my next blog shall be entertaining.

Love you K!

Da-Da...Da-Da...is in Japan!

Hi, Everyone...it is nap time so it is blog time. Wyatt and I started our day with a phone call from Japan. Ken made it safe and sound after a very...very long flight. It was so good to hear his voice. I really miss him...so much already. I am not saying that in regards to being alone with Wyatt because we are having fun just spending time together. I feel like a teenager who's boyfriend went to camp for the summer or something. Although, I am proud to report that I did not make a scene at the airport when we dropped him off. God gave me the strength to do it dry-eyed.

The photo above is from this past Sunday...Wyatt is wearing his kimono-onesie that a missionary couple that is joining Ken on this trip were so kind to give to Wyatt. Sooo cute! (Click on the photo and you can see it much larger.) Yes, you guessed it from the title...we are saying Da-Da! I am so glad that Wyatt said it before Ken left. I shot this for Ken today to play when he wants to hear Wyatt saying "Da-Da." Forgive the photographer...I was watching Wyatt and didn't realize that he was going out of the frame. Sorry!

I had tried to get Wyatt to laugh and record it for a recordable card that I had made for Ken...after days of trying to get Wyatt to laugh and the card to work...unfortunately that surprise never made it into Ken's luggage. Oh well, I tried. I am uploading this video it will show you what happens when I try to get him to do it on cue. I will get it one of these days. Off camera...laughs abound...he knows when he is being recorded. It is still cute.

Sorry, this is so long...I didn't blog yesterday. Today, has flown by like yesterday did...we got up, ate, talked to Ken, got dressed and went for a walk to the post office in Western Springs, more walking, ate lunch, did an errand and came home. So, we have had exercise and excursions already. We shall see what tomorrow brings...stay tuned.

Ken - We miss you more than we can say...hope you enjoyed the videos and photos...we will do our best to keep them coming so even though you are on the other side of the world you feel like you are still here with us. Love you! S & W

A Week to Go...

We had a great weekend...full of birthday celebrations. Summer is a busy time for us...especially with birthdays. The three of us went to see Ken's Grandma to wish her a happy birthday and then we went to a festive and fun party for an adorable little girl who turned 1! Ken's birthday is this coming Saturday and Papa's is the following weekend...then August arrives and we have 3 more. Summer is one big party!

So, why did I title this blog "A Week to Go" you are probably asking yourself. Well, it is not because of Ken's birthday...although that would be a great reason. Monday the 20th is when Ken departs for Japan on a mission trip for about 2 weeks. There is no doubt in my mind that Wyatt will have a little separation anxiety - missing Ken. I know I will! I am so blessed to have friends and family volunteer to assist if ever I need anything. If you know me...you know I am Leo and can do it all by myself, no problem. I say this of course with no experience in being a solo parent and with the cushion of knowing I only have to do it for 14 days. I would love a little prayer for both Ken and myself...not to mention Wyatt. The first 3 days should be easy...as far as a routine goes because I am taking those days off to be with Wyatt and just enjoy a little time off this summer. Ken will have internet access while he is in Japan so I hope to blog on the days I am at home so he can feel like he is here with us.

Wyatt loves his Jumpster and we are very close to having to put it away due to the fact that he is getting too big to jump in it. It is a shame because he loves it so...you will see what I mean if you watch the video. I have never taken a video with our camera before, but I thought I would give it a try. So bare with me as I learn to use the technology I have...I believe it is under a minute so it is not that long...forgive my poor commentary.

Thank you so very much to all who have voted for Wyatt in the beautiful baby contest and continue to vote for him...you all are a blessing to us! Many Thanks!

Have a great week!

Your Vote Counts!

Isn't he a cutie! Looks like his Dad. As I mentioned in my previous blog...we entered Wyatt in the WGN Beautiful Babies Contest. The website had difficulties due to the overwhelming response and now all is fixed and they cleared the slate clean so everyone can vote now. The voting will go through Monday, August 4 Midnight EST. If you feel led to vote for Wyatt please follow this link to go directly to his photo to vote.

http://beautifulbabies.trb.com/wgn/babies_home_gallery,0,6303296,permalink.ugcphotogallery?u=Kenari

I promise this is my last blog about voting. Thank you all for your support and love...we will see what God has in store for us.

Have a great weekend!

First Fourth and We NEED Your VOTE!

Hope you all had a Happy Fourth of July! Even though the weather was crummy it was truly nice to have a day to remember how blessed we are to live in a country where we are free! So many men and women fight daily to give us that gift and we enjoyed the holiday as a family...just the three of us. Wyatt goes to bed around 8:30 pm so fireworks are seen via the television for us until he is awake and able to join us. So, this year we went/saw the Washington fireworks. WOW!

My company gave us the gift of Friday as holiday with the 4th falling on a Saturday this year, so it was so nice to have the long weekend with Wyatt and Ken. A day off means even more now that I am working mom...it is a day that I can just be a mom and wife - I love it! I love my job and have the ability to work from home (God bless America, my manager and co-worker), however; being with just Wyatt and Ken and not having anywhere else to go or do is just heaven to me. The holiday weekend was blissful.

BIG NEWS...or better yet...your VOTE could mean BIG NEWS! Ken and I have observed many of our friends win contests over the years...so we decided to enter one ourselves...well, we entered a little bit of both of us...Wyatt. Our friends and community can help him win...honestly...WE NEED YOUR HELP to win. We entered Wyatt in WGN's (local tv station) Beautiful Babies Contest and he needs tons of votes to win. I am going to see if Ken will put Wyatt's link on his facebook page as well. So feel free to spread the word to others. We would love the votes, but it is God's plan if he wins. Not sure of what he wins, but if it is money it will go into his savings account and if there are prizes he can use...great! If we have no need for it we will be donating/giving away anything we can't use.
Please visit Wyatt's page starting July 6th and vote for him if you feel led to do so. The winner will be announced in August, so please vote Chicago-style - early and often! Thanks so much and Blessings to you all!
http://beautifulbabies.trb.com/wgn/babies_home_gallery,0,6303296,permalink.ugcphotogallery?u=Kenari

At the moment the website is having issues...please wait to vote...we have till the end of the month. I believe you can only have one vote per email address. THANKS!