The Knutsons

Wyatt's Birthday Card is Famous!

2011-12-29T15:58:00.007-06:00

Wyatt loves the preschool channel Sprout and every day they celebrate those having a birthday. So, I knew I wanted to see if they would celebrate Wyatt's especially since his birthday is the day after Christmas. I want to always make it special and to see yourself on tv has to make the year unique, right? We went online to see what we needed to do. They only accept "HANDMADE" birthday cards. As a graphic designer, I thought no problem I can make a really nice card and print it out. Then, after seeing the instructions I thought that is not handmade so I needed to go "old-school." I got out my glue, construction paper, markers, and stickers etc. and got to work. It took me way too long to make, but I was so invested I had to do it and see if it makes it on the air. I had to mail it 2 weeks in advance! I procrastinate so if you know me it was a piece of "love" the night before or should I say early morning of the mailing.

I actually woke up first on Wyatt's birthday and headed straight for the tv as the show starts at 8 am. The boys quickly followed. At 9:30 am we captured the 2nd round of the birthdays and as the video above shows...we were excited to see Wyatt's card was first! PRAISE! I could have cried at the sight of it. Actually, at first I had kind of forgotten what it looked like to be honest. I am still in awe that his card made it. I love how you can hear Wyatt over my exclamations commenting on the card. He really does appreciate it all which makes it so worth while to me!

I can't believe he is 3! Time flies!

Wyatt's birthday card makes it on tv!

He's 3!

2011-12-27T20:38:00.003-06:00

The holidays were CRAZY this year. You would think I would be used to the new routine of non-stop celebration, but I am not any better at it 3 years later. Ken is a saint to put up with me because I embody the word stress. However, the holidays were fabulous for us. Spending time with family is just the best because we are so blessed to have an amazing family support system.

Wyatt's birthday theme was picked: Mickey Mouse. I quickly chose denial! Waiting to December to order decorations etc. Having a birthday party the day after Christmas does pose some challenges...so we do it all. Decorations, balloons and of course the cake. I did feel a bit of pressure after last year's truck cake. Several people kept asking me so what are you going to do this year for Wyatt's birthday. Yikes. I actually tried to steer Wyatt into picking Mickey as his theme and then once he did I thought he is a world-known character how are you going to match a three year-olds expectations...okay really my own. I quickly realized within the 2nd week of December that a Mickey cake pan is not available in stores when you need one. Plus, do I want to purchase one for one cake? I decided to give up on the pan and try to convince Wyatt that a "Mickey Ears" cake was the way to go. By the grace of God Ken's co-worker who has everything Disney heard of my plight and came to the rescue by lending us the pan. Okay...have the pan...now what! The internet helped in a big way. I also flew to the Wilton store (12/23) for the official coloring for the icing. To put it all in to perspective for you...I had finished our shopping very late in the evening on the 22nd. We need to do all our wrapping (team effort) on the evening of the 23rd. Which left me Christmas Eve to do the cake...not a problem...I can start it and finish Christmas night. We found out on the evening of the 23rd that we were having a showing of our condo mid morning. Yikes! I was lucky enough to bake one of the cakes before heading to church that afternoon and then on to a family dinner...which lead to this progress.

December 24, 2011 - Mickey Cake progress begins...

One chocolate cake Mickey...face down and crumb coated.

I know you are confused. Wait for it.

Christmas Eve night. I bake a white cake and his face is flawless! He earns the top layer.
Now, I am terrified to flip this cake on to the other. Ken offers but I knew if cracked in the process that it needed to be my fault. If you know what I mean. :)
I show Mickey's progress to Wyatt on Christmas day and he is not that impressed.

December 25 - Mickey's progress continues...

After a less than satisfied coloring of black with the official Mickey black coloring I go with the one store bought can that I had so I could only go so far at 2:30 am. Still needed more black icing and the face (skin tone) to go which was the part I was most nervous about.

December 26th - Mickey is finally done at lunchtime! Whew!

Ken ran out to get me more icing in the morning and I was able to mix up Mickey's skin tone which turned out great. However, my icing bag and tip or icing would't cooperate and looked runny so I had to literally paint on his face with a brush. By lunch time he was done with Wyatt climbing up in the chair beside me because he constantly wanted to be by Mickey when I was finishing him. He loved it and that makes it all worth it!

I worried about where to place the candle. In the end it had to be less about my cake-art and more about Wyatt's Birthday.

The video below all of his family who came over to celebrate. It was intimate and great! I really need to start planning for next year!

I will post some Christmas photos later on this week. I am doing things a bit backwards.

Hope you all have a glorious New Year!

Ours will start off with lots of new changes. Stay tuned.

First Day of Preschool!

2011-09-13T21:39:00.007-05:00

First Day of Preschool - Thursday, September 8, 2011

Even though I knew exactly when the first day of preschool would be...months to prepare...I found myself running around the night before like it was sprung on me at the last minute. I was definitely more nervous than Wyatt that he was going to Preschool. Making me think, "Who's first day of school is it?" Funny because he went into the classroom like he has done it everyday. I had hoped that our few visits to see his room and peek through the window would pay off and it did. Wyatt did fabulous...a few children had some separation anxiety, but it didn't phase him one bit as he found the table with the tools on it. Wyatt was so interested in all the toys that our presence was not need at all. Which is exactly what the teacher told us when she said, 'whenever you can make your exit...please do so.' A.K.A. Wyatt is doing great so you are free to go. I knew she was right because it has always been my practice to get him in and make my exit and his has always done great because he knows I will be "right back." Wyatt kissed us quickly and we found ourselves walking out of the room in slight bewilderment. Don't get me wrong I was ELATED that he took to school so well...answered prayers. Today was day two and we were early and had to wait to get into his room. He kept telling me, "I want to go in Mommy." Music to my ears. He ran in and began to play not even needing to say goodbye. Tonight as Ken was getting Wyatt ready for bed Wyatt told us he wanted to go back to school tomorrow. Now it just doesn't get better than that.

Hope you all are having a great week!

So long Summer...

2011-09-07T21:54:00.031-05:00

Thank you for sticking with us even though I inadvertently took the summer off. Not sure I can redeem myself, but I thought a photo montage of our summer might help a little bit. So, it will be a little less commentary and MORE photos!

Here is our summer in a nutshell!

It was a steamy summer!

It was a summer of a few firsts...Wyatt took his first carousel ride at Brookfield Zoo. He wanted to ride the giraffe but someone got to him first. The seahorse turned out to be perfect!
We had a Knutson family musical!
Wyatt enjoyed his first lollipop during his first Pet Parade!

Father's Day 2011 - Kane County Cougars Game

Off to run the bases after the game.

Father & Son running the bases = Priceless

Home Improvement - not all homes have two handymen.

Have you heard? We put our condo on the market in July 2011. Click here if you are interested in a 3 bedroom condo.

Wyatt and his BFF Brutie!

A visit to Morton Arboretum in August 2011.

He will model for lollipops!

Ah, a boy's paradise: the treehouse.

Ginza Festival in oldtown Chicago.

We all were mesmerized by the talent.

Ken was dressed for the festival, but boys will be boys!

Playing at the park after the festival.

You would be crazy not to try the Starbuck's Cake Pops.

Sunday afternoon at the Knutson's

Wyatt before he was buckled in for his first bike ride - September 2011. Funny how the trailer only fits on Mommy's bike. LOL.

Coming soon: Potty Training and Preschool!

Is It Summer Yet?

2011-05-31T22:22:00.002-05:00

Life has been a little crazy for me lately so my apologies for anyone who checks to see if there are any postings. My plan is to get better as the posts are my way to chronicle Wyatt's childhood in a sense. So, I am going to go from more recent to past items in this posting.

Ah, the holiday weekend...it was a nice mixture of family and relaxation. Wyatt recently acquired a lawn mower thanks to a dear friend who found a deal and it is used inside and out! If you push or ride it he loves it. Sometimes the lawn mower doubles as a vacuum cleaner.

Memorial Day - 2011

As parade season is upon us...I asked Ken to make sure that Wyatt was ready to enjoy the ride that I loved as a child...riding on my Dad's shoulders. Considering how tall Ken is I knew that it would be awesome and the look and sound of joy and laughter that was expressed said it all. Wyatt loves being on Ken's shoulders and it will be the best seat on any parade route.

The key is to make sure Wyatt holds on!

Ahh...Jump Zone! Our small group met there to let our children play together and have fun. It was Wyatt's first time really to experience one and he took it all in. Mainly, he watched a lot. He loved to sit in the car video game chairs because of the steering wheels of course. Could this be a glimpse of the future?

Okay so you are wondering...did he love jumping or sliding down the huge inflated slides? Hmmm. Not so much. When one of the bouncy houses was absolutely empty I coaxed Wyatt to get in and got this photo. We will be back and I am sure as he gets better at climbing he will be more comfortable and more adventurous.

Wyatt is showing more signs of "being 2;" however, we are still blessed to have such an amazing little boy. I have signed him up for preschool for two days a week coming this fall. Wah! I think he will love it, but time is flying too fast for me. Right now, Wyatt is very into balls and running. He loves to be outside and mostly going to the park...climbing but not sliding down the slides. Swings have always been a favorite and release ultimate joy for him. He loves his Cubs hat and will just wear it around the house even in his pajamas. We got him some play tools recently and he is always fixing things around the house.

I am thinking about writing down the phrases I say to him that I never thought would ever come out of my mouth for example, "no lawn mowers in the bathroom."

Hope you all had a great May...we are looking forward to the summer!

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T21:05:00.006-05:00

We have had a full and blessed weekend! Our Saturday morning was pretty routine as the guys got up to eat breakfast and I slowly followed much later. This past Saturday marked a milestone for us as Wyatt had his first swimming lesson...maybe I should say Ken and Wyatt had their first swimming lesson. Of course Ken knows how to swim, but this is prime Father and Son bonding. I took a quick photo as they hurried on to their first lesson...Wyatt running down the hall saying, "bye Mama." I wondered how it would go as Wyatt is usually timid about entering the water at first without a bit of coaxing. I am told that he did extremely well as the lesson included: paddling, kicking and splashing...what two-year old wouldn't LOVE that for 30 minutes. He is anxious to go again next week.

After a insanely busy work week for me, I finally invited my family to Easter brunch the day before Easter. Yes, terrible of me...right. They all graciously accepted the invitation. We pulled it all together and it was really nice. Add to it that I missplaced the plastic eggs so Wyatt searched for about 5 eggs this morning till Grandma came to the rescue and had a basket full plus another bag as she and Wyatt's cousin placed them throughout the condo for him to find. He was still finding eggs into the evening. However, putting on his Easter outfit was definitely one of my favorite moments of the day not to mention walking into to church early with the two best looking guys in the world. I promised photos and even included a family shot...hmmm Christmas card? Maybe if I get desperate.

Yes, I got him a blazer. He has worn it twice and more to come. He actually loves it!

A nice smile...what a blessing.

We are all smiling!

The entire trio looking at the camera! Watch out Sears...here we come. LOL.

I like to brag that Wyatt eats his vegetables...but what two-year old likes to eat them frozen? Ours! My Mom had mentioned to me that he wanted one once when she had them out and then he continually requested them. I laughed about it and was just thankful he would eat vegetables no matter warm or cold. Today it happened to me...request after request...why not, right? Especially when a majority or all of his two year old molars are/have broken thru.

Hope you all have a great week! Blessings to all.

A Cut Above the Rest!

2011-04-17T22:24:00.005-05:00

Before

After

Can you see the difference? I wish I would have taken his bib off before I took either picture, but the eyes on the "before" and the smile on the "after" was just too good to pass up. We took Wyatt for his spring haircut and I had to document the results. His hair was getting so long and driving me crazy. So, yesterday we headed to the mall to get his haircut. Along with Grandma and Pa we have been talking up the "cut" big time. You know to the point were he is now telling us he needs one. In case you may have forgotten getting a haircut in the past was not - I repeat not one of Wyatt's favorite things. I quickly dreaded the day myself. If you were walking by at the time you would have thought we were torturing him. He would just cry and cry and try to bust out of the taxi or train that I/we had chosen to put him in...because his choice would have been to not go at all. The cartoons that are shown for the children's entertainment were never a factor for him, nor was any toy or food item I tried to use to distract him. Nothing seemed to distract him from this lady touching his head. During his last haircut, I sat with him on my lap and he did remarkably better...tip wear a cape too. I took my own advice and wore a cape this time. We were not the only ones that decided a haircut was the "thing" to do on Saturday so the car, train and horse were all taken by perfectly content children getting their Easter do's. So, not really planning on it I said "he can just sit on my lap." I am HAPPY to report that he did not cry at all! He was entertained by the boy that came to sit next to us in the train that was crying and trying to escape. Ah the good ol' days...not. My heart went out to the stylist and Dad...been there done that and now look at my son I thought to myself. Our stylist asked me about clippers versus scissors and I have always been "pro" clippers especially since Wyatt has not liked the experience and we can go about 3 months between haircuts so it has always been worth it. Although, I do like for them to use scissors on top. This time she threw out an added clipper question to me a "3 or a 4" thinking shorter means we can wait longer to his next cut I quickly chose 3. The clippers numbers is something Ken always mentioned when going to get a haircut and I had never been asked when it came to Wyatt...um, I will take the toddler clipper size please. Well, she started to use the #3 on the side of his head and the amount of hair that came off with it made me wish I could hit undo like I do on my computer. Wow...that was super short! "I went too short" I thought immediately..."he will have no hair." "Does he have the head shape for a crew cut" as I looked to the boys around me who all seemed to be getting them. Since, you can't "undo" hair I had to sit and watch as she continued. I thought "what have I done" as she continued and hair fell the ground. Even the lady cutting said 'he has a lot of hair.' However, as she continued and moved on to cutting the top with scissors I was relieved to see that it was perfectly short. He looked so different Ken and I couldn't believe how much older and adorable he looked and pair it with that he sat on my lap without incident...now this was my child! I mean this was our child! It was actually fun...we cut, we walked, we saw the Easter Bunny (from afar) and rode a little car with the thanks of Daddy's quarters and went home for lunch. A perfect start to a Saturday after Ken's blueberry pancakes of course.

We went to church and celebrated Palm Sunday today and Wyatt is starting to understand why he came home with a real and man-made palm...he loves to wave them. Next week is Easter and I will definitely post a photo of his Easter outfit. I can't wait to see it myself.

Hope you all have a wonderful holy week. Blessings to all.

Watch Out for that Cute Shark!

2011-04-07T20:55:00.003-05:00

Sorry, has it been two and half weeks since I have last posted! I have been sick and this cold has been horrendous...I am still not over it, but at least my voice is back. I am just praying that Wyatt won't get it. So far so good. He has a new molar and somewhat of a runny nose but not a cold that I can tell. I am praying that he stays healthy. It is hard to stay your distance from a two-year old that wants to be in your arms at all times. He is now saying "hugs Mama and a kiss." Melt my heart.

Well, let's see what have we done since my last post. We took Wyatt to the restaurant where the train delivers your food. It was a huge hit. Considering it was a Saturday...about the busiest day to go we got seated at the counter quickly and since Wyatt is such a people watcher coupled with the trains running around it was a huge hit.

Last weekend, Ken and I were asked to be on a marriage panel for a pre-marital seminar. Having lost my voice I was nervous to attend but luckily I had enough of a voice to participate. The questions were great and it was fun to recount the days of being newly married and our "growing" pains. It was a lot more fun than I thought it was going to be...yet another reminder that I am so blessed to have the husband that I do. One question that we were asked is what is the most surprising thing that you discovered about your spouse. I immediately knew my answer. "How INCREDIBLY thoughtful he is." Not that I didn't know he was thoughtful when we were dating or engaged, but how truly incredibly thoughtful he is on a daily basis or even what an amazing Dad he is to Wyatt...that it continues to surprise me after almost five years of marriage. I don't tell Ken that enough and it was nice to be able to say it to a room full of engaged couples. You really think you know your spouse, well guess what? It can even get better.

We also had lunch with wonderful friends from out-of-town. They were gracious enough to give Wyatt an early Easter basket. In the basket was an adorable personalized shark bath towel that Wyatt adores. I captured a couple of the photos (shown above) right after bath time as he couldn't wait to wear his new shark towel.

Wyatt's latest passion is numbers and seeing them change on the clocks in the kitchen. He will stand and wait for the minutes to pass just to see the numbers change. It can be quite handy when you need to comb his hair. LOL.

This weekend we are to have spring and summer like temperatures...can't wait.

2011-03-20T21:51:00.002-05:00

A short update on my favorite little person. I promised that I would capture the "dance" that Wyatt does when he likes food. Seriously, when he hears that we are having pizza, chips or better yet anything he really likes he does this "dance of joy." You know the dance I will be doing when March Madness is over. Opps, did I just say that? Anyway, Wyatt did this dance (view the short video above) after his first taste of Cinnamon Roll (okay might not be his first, but it was the most memorable).

A huge blessing that I enjoy is sleeping in and Ken gets up with Wyatt...okay I don't sleep but rest my eyes and listen to the two of them is heaven to me. Ken often makes pancakes but recently he made waffles and bacon and could hear the excitement in Wyatt's voice while waiting for the desired breakfast to hit the plate. My favorite was his "Mmmmmmmmm Mmmmmm" that was repeated over and over as he ate his waffles and bacon. Of course "more bacon Daddy" was a common request.

Another funny thing Wyatt likes to do especially when we are coloring...he likes for me to make something that is big and something that is "teenie meenie" and he shows me with his fingers just how "teenie meenie" it needs to be. Popular requests are for a big heart and a "teenie meenie" heart or a big sun and a "teenie meenie" sun. He laughs everytime he says "teenie meenie"...too cute.

Do you know a child that has an imaginary friend? Now you do...Wyatt has one maybe more. I have confirmation on a red bunny who pops up at our house and Grandma's house frequently. Grandma and I have noticed that the red bunny (rare bunny in these parts) is always hiding under the dining room table no matter what house he is in. Wyatt either calls him loudly or goes under the table to persuade him to get out. Along those same lines Wyatt has even named his large white teddy bear this week. He was "big teddy" and then out of the blue he started to call him "Archie." I found out that a little neighboring dog that lives near Grandma's house is named Archie; however, they had not seen him in quite awhile. Too funny, but the name fits perfectly.

Today, we ventured to the zoo with Wyatt's three cousins which was fun to see Wyatt run after his 5 year old cousin following her wherever she went...she even got him to go down the slides at the zoo with her (holding hands and in her lap). Priceless. So, cute to see all the cousins running and playing together and looking and laughing at the animals and one another.

It looks like winter may return this week so I hope it will get it out of its system so we can get used to some spring-like weather. May you all have a reason to do the "dance of joy" this week.

Mama Whatchya Doin’?

2011-03-14T23:27:00.007-05:00

Blessings in the midst of UGH!

This past Sunday as I was putting Wyatt’s coat on to go to church he looked right into my eyes and said ‘We have a big house Mommy.’ My immediate thought was “our condo/our house?” Just as I was about to reiterate this statement and needed him to clarify that he could not possibly be thinking of the small space we live in; I watched as his eyes began to scan up and down our hallway. Taking a breath and zipping up his winter coat, I smiled and looked into his eyes and said, “Yes, we do live in a big house don’t we. We are so blessed.” Wow, nothing like a two-year old for God to place things into perspective for you. I get teary thinking about it because like so many others I long for that HGTV dream home that has beautiful bathrooms and kitchen along with a yard and maybe two cars. Ugh, did I just admit to that…well it is true. Now back to reality which if you look at it is even better than the dream. So, I am counting my blessings which is really what you should do during Lent anyway. I did give up chips, but I have decided that I really need to add something to my every day routine to find God in my every day. Some days are a LOT easier than others. Although, when I stopped to really look, it wasn’t that hard to see Him. Have you ever had a moment where someone sacrifices greatly (life-changing) to help you? This just happened to me a couple of weeks ago. I am still wrestling with it just because it is such a huge gift to wrap my mind around that I was and am left speechless. No amount of thanking could ever be enough. A Lenten message? I got it. Really look at your life…can you see how blessed you are? To stop looking at what you don’t have, what you want, what could be more and look at what is truly good in your life. I have and it is extremely humbling.

This week with the incredible devastation in Japan our hearts and prayers are with all the people there. Ken actually taught in Sendai so this is even closer to home for him as he has such a love for Japan and its people. I am just heartbroken as I watch the coverage and can’t help but immediately think “what if” this would have happened when he was living there. We are so thankful to hear that our friends in Japan are okay and were not near the hardest hit areas. Please join us in praying for Japan and its people...they need it now more than ever.

Wyatt will help me end on a couple of light notes. Wyatt has a new phrase or better yet a question that he likes to repeat often and by often I mean multiple times per minute. The phrase: "Mama Whatchya Doin’?" Riding in the car is the one place that it can drive my a little batty and of course I am not the one driving. Ken also gets the question, but not nearly as often as I do. I deserve it. My question to my Mom was "What's that?" Can you imagine? My Mom would open her mouth to answer me and I was pointing and asking it multiple times with a minute. Wahh. So, yes...I am due. Also, it is no secret that Brutie (his stuffed dog) is Wyatt's best friend, and I am always finding new ways to make him laugh and Brutie is always a BIG help in making this happen. On occasion Brutie likes to crawl under Wyatt’s shirt to tickle his tummy and this past Sunday, Tigger also joined in on the fun and I captured a few photos. Dare you not to laugh. Enjoy!

Honestly, this was at his request!

A few years later...opps I mean a few minutes later after running around laughing.

Ta-Da! Tigger and Brutie.

Brutie always gets kisses.

Shakin' your Bacon!

2011-03-06T21:35:00.009-06:00

No matter what type of week or day I have I know I am blessed with Wyatt's outlook on life. He undoubtedly will make me smile and laugh reminding me of how lucky I am. Ken currently plays basketball one night a week and this week Wyatt ran to his closet with him when he went to get ready and well...

Defense...no problem!

Well...as long as he doesn't wear his Daddy's hat.

Wyatt assures me he could work around it.

Wearing his Daddy's hat and shoes...priceless.

Ready to go!

Daddy you ready?

Is it a coincidence that Ken shot the game winning free throw at the game? Hopefully, Wyatt will have Ken's athleticism.

You are probably wondering so what does the "Shakin' your Bacon" title have to do with basketball, right? Actually, nothing at all. Wyatt is currently on his way to eating what we eat...sorry Gerber. Not totally there, but I think we can see the light at the end of the tunnel so to speak. Wyatt's new LOVE is bacon. I mean he LOVES it. Yes, he is my child for sure. I didn't think it was that memorable, but when Ken made us bacon a week or so ago I did a little "shakin' your bacon" dance. If it gets a laugh...I will pretty much try it...just to hear his laugh. Now Wyatt likes to tell Ken that he loves bacon and he does a lil' shakin' his bacon dance as well. Sorry, I don't have a video...yet! Did I mention that he also does a dance when he gets a tortilla chip? I need to capture that as well. Some people's taste buds dance and others just need to dance when they eat something good. Hope you all have a moment this week that just makes you dance!

Ahhh...Paradise!

2011-02-26T21:00:00.011-06:00

Well, this photo could say it all...after three long years without a significant vacation we were lucky enough to be invited to Florida. A popular question asked is how was your weather? Well, in a word PERFECT! I have never been on vacation were the weather was better...80 degrees and sunny everyday. Absolutely heaven.

To say I was nervous to fly with Wyatt is an understatement. I realized I just needed to let go of the anxiety as I couldn't control what would happen and I just need to roll with it. Our plane left on time and even made time in the air so we landed early. Our only issue was changing Wyatt in the airplane bathrooms. I could probably blog about this separately and I can see the humor in it now...that it is over. Changing a toddler on a plane is the perfect kind of torture and add-in that your two year old is horrified by the idea does not make it any easier. Yes, my laid back toddler hates to have his diaper changed in most places. Finding the bathroom with the small tray table was the first challenge. While waiting for that bathroom to become available Wyatt was crying and everyone else waiting thought we were in the back of the plane to console him. Once inside, Wyatt made it clear that he was not laying down anywhere. Can't say I blame him. After singing "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" multiple times - I had to change him standing up (not my first time) and found out that he did not need changing after all the drama. Are you kidding me I ask him. I just had to laugh. Ahhhh yes. I guess I needed that experience...next time I think Ken will enjoy it. LOL.

We landed and after some late lunch we headed to the beach for a our first glorious sunset. Ken was able to play some golf on the trip and Wyatt enjoyed everything! Just wearing shorts and being outside was the best. I must say I rather apply sunscreen than wear a coat and gloves any day. The warmth and the sunshine was blissful. Just to see sunshine, green grass and blue skies everyday was glorious. It was just fun not to worry about having to be anywhere and to just be outside. Wyatt did wonderful with the time change and napping/sleeping in a pack-n-play.

We were invited on a friend's boat to take a ride and we found out that Wyatt loves boats as much as we do. The day was beautiful and we were so thankful to enjoy the day with such amazing family and friends and make some fabulous memories for Wyatt.

Don't you just love the hat!

The guys were able to drive the boat.
Wyatt loved the horn and still talks about it.

This was a common face...I guess he needed his own sunglasses.

Too cute.

We even saw some dolphins!

Boating in paradise is exhausting!

Look at me I am on vacation!

On our last day we had to make sure we went back to the beach to see the sunset. Wyatt saw some older boys make a sandcastle and wanted to make one. So of course we did. It was a family project. Below is the finished product and some photos of the making of...

Wyatt's favorite part was washing off the seashells before placing them on the castles.

So how big can we make the sandcastle?
I brought my truck.

Daddy are you sure the wall is big enough to protect the castle?

Ahh to use your rake in the sunshine on the beach!

Probably not our Christmas card, but it was nice to get a family photo to remind us a wonderful vacation.

The ride home on the plane was just this easy. I couldn't believe he fell asleep and stayed asleep for almost half the flight.

Why was I worried about Wyatt flying?

Wyatt saying goodbye to Florida and enjoying the airport.

To everyone who made our vacation possible...we can't thank you enough!

We hope you all are blessed as you have blessed us.

It was just what we needed. I REALLY needed it.

Counting down the days until it is like Florida here.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T23:01:00.003-06:00

We hope you all had a great Valentine's Day! Having a lil' voice tell you "Happy Valentine's Day Mommy" is really priceless and just the best gift. I must say leaving Wyatt three days a week to go to work has been easier because he spends time with my Mom and she loves him almost as much as I do so that is such a blessing. It always pulls at my heart to say good bye to him as I get out of the car to board the train into the city. This week especially was priceless as I opened the back door as I usually do and he tells me, "its slippy Mommy be careful" and I assure him I will and I kiss him and say I love you and he looks right at me and says, "I luv you, Mommy." My heart melts just thinking about it. I am beginning to transfer over to Mommy on occassion from Ma-Ma. A couple occassions I have been Mom which is just too soon to hear so I tell him it is Mommy. I only have a couple years to enjoy it so I don't want him to skip over it.

Wyatt's valentines were very generous to him this year so many thanks! He loved everything. The photo above shows what Ken and I got him for Valentine's Day. I must admit that it was kinda of selfish that we got him a backpack. I have a diaper bag that I have despised for awhile now and I am anxious to let it go so 'hippity hoppity" is a welcome site. What is so surreal is to see him wearing it because he looks like he is ready for school and so grown up.

May you all feel loved today!

Out and About...

2011-02-08T21:21:00.003-06:00

We ventured out! The photo above is from our walk/sledding excursion this past weekend; however, the sledding was pretty much non-existent although Ken did give Wyatt a short ride. Our sidewalks no longer exist so we had to stick to the streets which were in great shape. The snow is over Wyatt's head so unfortunately he couldn't play in it.

The flu is behind us . Although, we walked right into new molars! At least, that is my assumption since eating certain "favorite" foods is now not happening. I try to look in, but Wyatt has not approved a viewing of any new teeth at this time. Eating has never been issue for us so my heart goes out to those who encounter this on a daily basis as I am assuming our small challenge will be short lived as he is teething. One unusual side affect has us scratching our heads so if this is common please let me know. Wyatt has these bouts of blotchiness. All of a sudden redness will appear on his cheeks or anywhere on his face and as soon as it comes about it will leave just a suddenly. It is weird enough to freak you out, but since it is very fleeting I tend not to worry about it too much. Since it is on his face I would like to think it is related to the teething.

Okay, yes it is past Christmas but Wyatt loves his Santa shirt and requested to wear it and since we are in a winter wonderland I thought Santa would appreciate a little face time after Christmas. Anyway, Wyatt got a Mr. Potato Head and well he likes to wear his glasses. Believe it or not it happens daily. It is amazing how a toddler will use the pieces to a Mr. Potato Head...eyes to fix cars, hats to adorn his stuffed animals...etc. I have also found that Wyatt loves to be in the kitchen. Now if I could just figure out how to hold him and make dinner at the same time.

Have a great week!

"It" Arrives at Our House…in more ways than one.

2011-02-02T22:44:00.006-06:00

Last Friday, it came to our house and for about a month I had known we were living on borrowed time. What am I talking about? The flu. Yes, Ken and I were out with our small group when the bug arrived so we rushed home to relieve our #1 Babysitter. Nothing can compare to that feeling of knowing your “baby” (Yes, he will always be my baby even now that he is officially a toddler.) is ill and you can’t do anything to stop it. Wyatt is a trooper and was in good spirits considering…luckily it was the weekend so it didn’t truly “rock” our schedule. It is weird to tell your two year old that he can’t have milk or fruit…etc. and know you are giving him awful news. I felt like I was on pins and needles all weekend just waiting for "it" to turn its ugly head again and again. We survived…maybe I should say I did…I think I was the one the most stressed about it. Did I mention that he never had a fever and hit his head about an hour and half before we left on Friday night so we had to call the doctor for a consult to make sure it wasn’t a head trauma of some sort. Ah, yes…a first time Mom. Add in a couple calls to Grandma to double check that my thoughts on what to feed my patient were actually a good idea. Grandmas are priceless and excellent consultants. Anyway, we are back to milk and starting back on regular foods. Whew. Wyatt did have a first…he tried his first popsicle. It took a bit of coaxing but I believe he likes it and will try it again.

What end do I start with?

The orange popsicle was his favorite.

As you can see in some of the photos above...you need to try both flavors…just to make sure.

Well, the blizzard hit us full force so stay tuned for Wyatt enjoying his first blizzard's snow. I had hoped to include images of him outside, but when a two year old watches the wind at 50 mph he decides that he won't be putting on his snow pants. So, we hope to get better images of him outside this weekend. In the meantime, here is what I saw when I ventured out and the one above of Wyatt from the window.

Over 18 inches!

It was going on noon and still no plowing on our streets.
Residents started to use their snow blowers in the streets.

This is outside our garage that leads out to the street.
Believe it or not this pile of snow is right in the middle of the street.

We had power and heat (praise), but lost cable and internet from about 9 pm on Tuesday night till 5 pm on Wednesday night. We were thankful to be in a condominium because we don't have to do any shoveling. However, the entrance to our garage is still piled high with snow. So, all in all not a bad blizzard.

Many people commonly ask me what is Wyatt learning these days. Well, we are working on the alphabet by recognizing and associating letters to words. For example: U = Uncle Matt or Uncle Kurt. D = Daddy or Doggie. M= Mommy. It is remarkable how he is starting to associate with the different letters. Numbers too…it is fun to see him recognize a number in the weather report on tv or in a magazine/newspaper. Wyatt’s imagination has really taken off as well.

Hope you all can see how you are blessed this week. Having a heated home and able to work remotely are big blessings in my life that are precious to me this week!

Shoes and socks off...no problem! A haircut...well...that's another story.

2011-01-23T14:53:00.003-06:00

Now that Wyatt is two I am trying to get him to do more and more on his own. Potty training is coming soon, but not just yet...maybe this spring or summer. My idea is for him to put all his toys away himself. Which, I am happy to report he does somewhat but we have a ways to go. However, his idea is to now take his shoes off and put them on by himself. Taking his shoes off has been accomplished as you can see by the photos and he can now do socks as well. Putting shoes and socks on is a bigger challenge but he has done one shoe and even a boot so I am sure he will be doing it in no time.

These photos are also for everyone who thinks Wyatt's hair is perfect all the time. It will also show how badly he needed a haircut. I am sure I have mentioned before how much he dislikes getting a haircut. If you see his hair getting long it is not that we have decided to grow it out just that his Mom is reluctant to go. Anyway, this is also his "before" picture as today we all headed to "Snippets" for Wyatt's new hair do.

Ta-Da! Here is Wyatt's "after" photo. Isn't he adorable. It is worth the drama. This time Wyatt recognized where he was going and did not wish to go in. When it was clear that he was not going to sit in the car or train...I volunteered to hold him. Ken told me afterwards that he didn't think Wyatt would be as good if he held him. Well, we won't know until we try...nice try but you will get your turn too Daddy! Wyatt clearly does not like the "buzz clippers" and was trying to peel himself away from me everytime she used them on him, but no such luck. He did great when she was just clipping the top of his head and bangs with the scissors; but turn on the clippers and he wants nothing of it. He was great and thanked the lady; however, we were both covered in hair. God bless Sunny as she was so nice to him and worked fast! I don't know how she does it but they are great at Snippets...we walked right in.

The photo below is what Wyatt thinks is smiling when asked...at least he will stop and stand where I ask him to....so that is nice. Sears get ready because we are coming soon.

Wyatt has been incredibly good lately...my angel. I had a very busy work week and he was absolutely amazing for me when I worked from home. He loves his trucks and cars...and loves to have a pan and a wooden spoon as well. Maybe he will be the next Iron Chef!

It was funny because he walked around the mall with a little confidence strut after his haircut and a lot of people said "Go Bears" to us and "nice shirt" to Wyatt. Hopefully, Wyatt's Bear's shirt will be lucky today. Here's hoping...GO BEARS!

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T19:29:00.007-06:00

How did you spend New Year's Eve?

If you said, "the zoo"...then we are sorry we missed you. We decided since it felt like October out we better take advantage of the nice weather. Since, it had been raining all day we were ready to enjoy the zoo lights. Wyatt got to see the Bears and Penguins so it was a huge hit. Not to mention the fact that he

got to walk a bit in the dark!

Wyatt loved that he could name everything on the sign.

Wyatt got a Wheelies ramp and garage for Christmas and he loves to flip it over to "fix" it.

Did I mention that he loves to fix it with the eyes

from Mr. Potato Head? Priceless.

You can't fix it without sticking out your tongue.

It's a mechanic's secret.

We wish you all a very Happy New Year!

May we all concentrate on our blessings in 2011.

Merry Christmas and then Happy Birthday!

2010-12-27T21:48:00.009-06:00

Can you have a incredibly wonderful holiday and be utterly exhausted? I wouldn't have changed a thing except for my late nights of preparation. I need to get better at organization if I am going to survive future Christmas holidays followed by my son's birthday the next day. I am fully committed to making it "his" day and not the birthday that followed Christmas. I must say my "hat" is off to Wyatt and Ken for dealing with me stressed. I think I am getting better and I hope to develop a system soon so it is not at all stressful....okay...let's say so stressful.

This blog entry is mainly a photo journal (so it is long - be prepared) that starts with our trip to Santa. The photo above was taken at the Santa brunch that Gigi and Papa took us to and we all had a great time. Did Wyatt sit on Santa's lap...not this year, but he did say "hi" to him often. Wyatt was also given a gift from his cousins...An Elf on a Shelf. All Mom's should have one if you celebrate Christmas with Santa. You have to name your elf and Ken and I tried to think of something clever. Ken came up with the perfect name...Nutso (take the K and S off of Knutson and you have our elf's name. It was fun to see Wyatt look for him each morning and now after Christmas he still asks about him.

In trying to take photos for our Christmas cards these two photos show what an amazing job Ken did at picking out our tree. He has gone to get it on his own for the past 3 years and he is amazing at it. It smells wonderful (like we live in a forest) and it is so perfectly shaped that you would think it is artificial. However the needles shedding show that it is real.

Last year, I had a funny blog that told the story of trying to buy Wyatt a hat...he is a head above the rest in size and so this year I got him one that will fit next year too.

My Uncle John is a master with wood and he made Wyatt a big surprise this year! He made him cars and trucks out of wood that fit perfectly in their own little wooden box...shaped like a tool box. Wyatt couldn't get them out of the box fast enough.

He immediately started to play with them.

Lining them up is very important...traffic you know.
In this photo you can see the box made to carry them in.

Did I mention they have circles for windows? Perfect shape for his fingers.

Brutie (Wyatt's BFF) loves to play with them as well.

Thanks Uncle John!

December 24th - Christmas Eve Arrives!

I start to make Wyatt's birthday cake. A Dump Truck Birthday Cake. Have I made any sort of theme cake before. Nah! I'll look online and see a few photos...I can do that, right. I quickly saw I was way over-my-head, but my drive and Ken's confidence in me I decided to dive in. The grocery store is open the day after Christmas, right?

I had this image in my head as to what Wyatt would wear on Christmas Eve to church and I could have cried in delight when on my late shopping spree to Wal-Mart to get birthday supplies led me to an outfit with a red velvet vest with tie (pants and shirt that were included in purchase not shown in this photo). I already had black pants and white button down shirt...I just needed the finishing touch. This is by far my favorite photo. If I had it when I did the Christmas cards this would have been it. I will never forget this Christmas...he looked so adorable.

I think this should be a yearly shot...Wyatt and Pa enjoying Pa's train under his tree.

December 25th - Christmas Day

Wyatt helping Ken to put together his Wheelies Ramp.

Before we head off to Ken's folks for Christmas I had to get going on the cake. Is it beginning to look like a Dump Truck yet? I was beginning to wonder...will I have enough icing?

We had a glorious Christmas and in all the hype I did not take any photos.

I meant to take more photos of the dump truck cake creation, but once I got going I couldn't stop. It was a late night, but before I went to bed on Christmas Night...okay it was Sunday morning before I went to bed...the cake was done and the decorations were mainly up. Ken is great with decorations and as he puts it...wants to see my vision come to life. Who wouldn't love to hear that?

Ta- Da! Here is Wyatt's 2nd Birthday Dump Truck Cake.

Not exactly my vision, but I stopped before I thought I may ruin it. Less is more, right? I did run out of black icing, but Wyatt didn't notice. For those curious...two and half 9x13 sheet cakes (2 = white cake and 1 = chocolate). The wheels are ding dongs. Orange lights on the top of the truck, red brake lights in the back of the truck and the door handles were all M&Ms. In the dump truck after icing it was crushed Oreo cookies, chopped up Snicker bars (just about 2-3 snack size bars) along with a few brown M&M's. The dirt around the truck is crushed Oreos.

Trucks had to be the theme as Wyatt is all about trucks!

A view from the back. The license plate is also just icing.

I have to tell the story of Wyatt waking up on his birthday. Ken went and got him up as he woke before us around 8 am. Always anxious to be the last one out of bed and since I was up quite late I had closed my eyes for just an added bit of shut-eye. Since, Wyatt commonly comes into our room I thought I had a second or two and was surprised when Ken had gone into another room and Wyatt went into the living/dining room and saw all the birthday decorations and the "truck cake."

His absolute delight in the streamers and seeing the truck cake...'oh, Mama come see...look at the...look at the'...(assuming he is looking at streamers) then he saw the cake...'Oh, Oh, Mama the truck cake...come see.' I couldn't get out of bed fast enough. He was so excited...it was worth every minute and any stress.

Since all our immediate family was coming at 3 pm - Ken took Wyatt sledding (so far it is a yearly tradition) so he would be ready for an early nap. All bundled up and ready to go.

Believe it or not...after touring around they headed to the park and Wyatt went on the swings! Who doesn't do that in late December in Chicago?

Right before the singing and candle is ready to be lit!

We had been practicing blowing out the candle. I was holding his hands because he wanted to touch the cake with the candle being lit.

Wyatt was anxious to dig-in!

Pa took this video after we finished singing and you can hear him trying to blow out the candles. So adorable! I must thank all of our family who come to our small abode and squeezed in to celebrate Wyatt's birthday. They flooded him with love and gifts! Wyatt is in heaven...so much to play with and everything he loves.

Christmas will always be amazing for us. I will forever be humbled by the gift that God gives to me each day and especially the precious gift of Wyatt in our lives.

We hope you all had a glorious Christmas and Happy New Year. Wyatt is now 2 so 2011 shall be full of fun!

Mr. Fix It!

2010-12-10T23:37:00.002-06:00

This week the nasty common cold caught up to Wyatt but you wouldn"t know it by his energy or attitude. Although, I think it did affect his shoe choice...he loves to play in our closet and last week I brought home my summer shoes from the office and Wyatt noticed them immediately. As you can see by the photo above they are easy for him to try on.

Wyatt is definitely a boy in all aspects of the word and is now into "fixing" everything around our home. This is his favorite spot to fix. So if you are in need of a handyman let us know...his rates are quite reasonable.

This weekend we will be visiting Santa...can't wait to see if my coaching of "we smile when we see and sit on Santa's lap" pays off. Stop your laughing and stay tuned.

A Day in the Life...

2010-11-30T22:23:00.006-06:00

Wyatt's personality is starting to really form and my guess...he is going to have a really funny side. This "kodak moment" (strainer on the head) is a common sight in our house...I just had to capture and share it. If only he would have worn the head piece at Halloween. LOL. Along with added head accessories, Wyatt is perfecting his favorite song at the moment. Wish it was seasonal, but maybe come December we will have another song to add to the blog. His current favorite is "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and even though this video doesn't do him justice because he really does know the song, but it is cute just the same. He tends to get caught up in the fact that I am filming him. Ken's back-up singing is spot-on! I am finding that I am singing it to myself lately. Enjoy!

Hope you all have a great week! Blessings to you all.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz!

2010-11-30T22:15:00.003-06:00

When is the last time you had a really good night sleep?

Even Wyatt's best friend...Brutie looks like he is enjoying a good night's sleep. I miss footie pajamas...so warm.

A Date with the VeggieTales!

2010-11-21T22:42:00.003-06:00

Wyatt and I at the VeggieTales show - Wyatt's 1st show!

I took the day off on Friday to spend some quality time with Wyatt and to take him to his first LIVE show...the VeggieTales came to our church. We had tickets to see the 11:30 a.m. show, unfortunately that show had been cancelled so our tickets were upgraded for the 2:30 p.m. show. So, nice to have the upgrade. We had a great morning and a very short nap (1 hour) but things were going smoothly...always better than no nap at all. We arrived at church about 15 minutes before the show and sat in the fourth row. To my complete surprise Wyatt sat on my lap for the entire show. Yes, my almost two year old sat on my lap for the show...well, when he wasn't standing in it. Wyatt loved the singing and the "light show" that played on the ceiling in shapes. The show was really Wyatt's introduction to VeggieTales and I think they will be a hit in our house. We had been listening to cd's in the car and he loves the music and asks us to sing along.

No smile, but the characters in the background make me laugh as they all seem to be peeking out from around Wyatt.

The show had one intermission and well...we should have probably ducked out at that point. The lack on nap started to affect him at the end. However, we did make it. The opportunity to meet the characters for a photo op afterwards did not happen. We tried, but the line was long and he was "done" about 15 minutes or so before the show ended so I tried for a few photos in front of the banner in the lobby. Thanks to our good friend "Miss Lorri" who was volunteering at the show and gracious enough to take our photo to document the occasion. Tip: take some photos before the show when everyone is fresh and hopefully in the mood dto smile! : )

The show was great and still under the age of 2 he did so great. Loved to people watch as much as the show. So, friendly to everyone around us. I was so proud of him and so glad I took him. Our first official Mommy - Son Date!

This week is Thanksgiving and we are hosting so it will be a lot of fun! Wyatt will be able to have all the trimmings this year so that will be great to see. We are so blessed and thankful! Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooo...

2010-11-17T20:19:00.005-06:00

Are you counting down? No worries...I will do it for you. One month and eight days till Wyatt is 2! In so many ways he is already there. We are currently in the "nooooooooooo" phase. His general answer to everything is "nooooooooooooooooo" unless you ask him if he would like cheese and then he will run to the refrigerator ahead of you. However, with the "No" phase also comes the milestone of being able to eat by himself. I must admit I have been avoiding this milestone because of the mess. Yes...I am a neat-nick. Being the only female in the house, I am the clean one and am known for it.

I had a fear of going Wyatt's doctor appointment next month for his second year check-up and having to tell her that he is not eating by himself yet because I have a of fear giving him the spoon. Get over it, right! So, I went out and bought him new utensils, bowl and a plate that practically suction cups to his tray. The bowl in this picture is a dream come true...and I documented the first time I put applesauce in a bowl and gave him the spoon and walked away. As you can see he is a natural and neat!

November 17, 2010 - Wyatt ate 90% of his applesauce by himself!

Loves his new spoon!

Wyatt's Mom loves his new bowl!

Look at that form!

This week holds one more milestone that I know about for sure. Wyatt will be attending his first live show...VeggieTales! Friday we will be sitting down front...I know the songs will be a hit and hoping the LIVE show will be an attention grabber because tv/dvds are just not something Wyatt pays attention to for long...so we shall see what he thinks about the show. Stay tuned.

All smiles...

2010-11-07T21:40:00.003-06:00

Wyatt is growing up so fast...I am feeling compelled to capture the moment daily. He looked so adorable in this outfit that I had to snap a shot of him...and he actually posed for me!

Wyatt has been quite the humorist lately and even loves to walk backwards down the hallway or walk on his toes to the laughter of his Dad.

Wyatt wore this to church today and I still can't get over that he will be two at the end of next month. I am just not ready...in more ways than one. Just like I am not ready for all the boy exploits that I will encounter. This weekend we have survived falling off the bed...tripping and hitting his head and fingers stuck in a door. All extremely minor...no injuries, but the drama of it all may have shortened my life a bit. LOL. However, with the drama comes the love for our hugs and kisses and the joy in seeing/being with Mommy and Daddy. Have a great week...the rumor is we are to have one last stretch of warmer weather. PRAISE!

An Apple a Day...

2010-11-04T22:16:00.003-05:00

You just never know when you are going to encounter a "first." I am truly blessed to be able to work from home two days a week and it allows me to spend time with Wyatt I would otherwise not have at all. Today, I had fed him lunch before Ken had come home for a quick lunch. As Ken was getting things out of the refrigerator he had an assistant. Well, I had put an apple on one of the shelves and Wyatt immediately grabbed it. Ken told him he would cut it up and would give him some...with those words still hanging in the air, we watched in awe as Wyatt started to bite into the apple like he eats them all the time. I thought he must of seen "Pa" (my Dad) do it because I don't believe he ever saw Ken or I eat a whole apple without slicing it. We really didn't think he would break through the skin, but were amazed to see him enjoying the challenge.

Before we knew it...he was quite proud of himself as he got past the skin and into the middle. He ate 25-50% of the apple all by himself. Luckily, I had the camera nearby and captured the moment.

Wyatt was so excited to have the apple all to himself...you can even see the apple juice on his chin. Maybe it was just the excitement of wearing a Northwest Missouri State University sweatshirt for the first time...okay...nah, it was the apple. My sister-in-law gave me the sweatshirt as I had given it to my niece...now both Wyatt and I can wear our NWMSU sweatshirts.

Hoping you all have a fabulous "first" this week! Blessings.

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T18:41:00.006-05:00

Happy Halloween to everyone! As the sunsets on this Halloween, I consider it Wyatt's first really...since he had an opinion on his costume and we carved a pumpkin. As you can see "Plan B" was/is a Train Conductor/Engineer. Trains are a passion of his so it fits his personality as well as having a costume that is "fur-free." Although, trick or treating was not too easy to understand and going up to front doors was not a favorite part of Halloween this year. He did like meeting new people.

Wyatt as a Train Conductor/Engineer - 2010

Posing while standing still is always a challenge!

He has two little pumpkins that were a big hit!

I knew that this year we had to get a pumpkin and carve it. I wish I would have recorded Wyatt's expression when we lit the pumpkin and turned off the lights it was priceless!

Ken and Wyatt scooping out the "innards."

It's so ewww let me help.

Our finished product!

The Happy Conductor! The Hat makes the costume.

Trick or Treating at Grandma and Pa's!

We hope you all have/had a happy and safe Halloween!

Boo Hoo Hoo!

2010-10-28T21:41:00.003-05:00

Happy Almost Halloween! Don't worry...I plan to post Halloween photos. Isn't this photo too cute. I still can't believe how old he can look in certain clothes...how time flies. Okay this post is just a true toddler teaser. I planned ahead this year to get him a Halloween costume...I researched to find what I thought was the perfect costume to fit his personality or his current passion. Then I found what I thought was perfect...a dog costume. I got such a deal and when it came in the mail I was so proud of my shopping achievement and was so anxious to see Wyatt in it. Well, the furry costume looked so perfect...I was nervous about the head piece fitting since Wyatt leans towards a larger hat size. I went to put on the head piece and it was welcomed by Wyatt's alter ego that we quickly found out strongly dislikes fur head pieces. Slightly disappointed, I vowed to gradually warm him up to the costume idea. So, I started by wearing the head piece myself (are you picturing it...good because you are going to have to use your imaginations...no photos are available) and running around barking like a dog. He loved it, but it didn't convince him to try the head piece. It just made he want me to wear it more. However, I did convinced him to try the paws (hands and feet) on. I captured the fleeting moment.

Yes, in his pajamas and wearing only the paws. Is he smiling or humoring me?

Picture Wyatt in the paws and me in the head piece running thru our condo barking like dogs. Wyatt had a great time...okay true laughter and barking by both of us. Then he agreed to try on the head piece...ta da...a photo of the glorious moment. Okay, I convinced him to wear it. That lasted...hmmmm...a minute tops.

The head piece on and a smile!

Since that fateful day, I cannot get him to wear any piece of the costume. Under distress (backing away from me when he saw me with it) we did try on the suit and it was too large. Incredibly sad for the perfect costume, I hope it will be met with excitement next year so I went out to search for Plan B. Wyatt is weeks away from being two...less than 8 weeks! I must say the rumors are true...the terrible two's have peeked their way into our lives a little early. Not too bad, but we are so used to our mellow, laid-back Wyatt so it is a surprise to see him get frustrated and impatient when he doesn't get his way.

I hope Plan B is a hit...stay tuned!

2010-10-11T23:20:00.003-05:00

Where does the time go? We are now in October and soon the holidays will be upon us. I am not ready! My blogging has gone monthly...so sorry to anyone who follows us. I promise to do better so get ready for more postings.

We have been incredibly blessed as my boss was clearing out clothes that her son has out grown. Wyatt's wardrobe has multiplied and the clothes are so ADORABLE. (Including the one he has on in the shot above.) Seriously, wait till you see these outfits. Many, many thanks to their generosity and thinking of Wyatt.

Not much is new with us. We are just busy with everyday stuff. Wyatt weathered his flu shot better than his haircut (new photos coming - looks so much older). He loves to run now and knows his name and his ABC's. Grandma is taking him to the library to enjoy story time once a week and he LOVES to get new library books to read with her. Thank you Grandma! Wyatt also loves to find matches on his blocks. All his blocks have letters with illustrations on them and he loves to find the ice cream and find another to match it...or leafs or ducks....etc. It is so much fun to see him learning.

Tonight, I bought his Halloween costume...I know I was pushing it on timing. I tend to do that. Anywho, it was a fabulous deal so we shall see how it looks and if he will be willing to wear it. I know you are saying...so what is he going to be, right? Come on...you will have to check back and see.

This coming Sunday...is the CROP walk. Thanks to all who have supported us...they say it is to be a beautiful day...74 is the predicted temperature. Have a great week everyone!

Dunes: An Introduction to Sand

2010-09-10T14:07:00.008-05:00

This past Labor Day weekend we had a family engagement party to attend in Indiana so we decided it was so close to the Indiana Dunes that it would be the perfect opportunity to introduce sand to Wyatt...or should I say introduce Wyatt to sand.

Sand on the hands was definitely not popular with Wyatt. However, watching the other beach-goers and Seagulls were a big hit! We had many beach toys and a truck that I know will visit the beach again and again.

Wyatt thinking...does she go anywhere without the camera?

Squatting means you don't have to sit in the sand.

(I am hoping he will have his Daddy's thighs.)

Too cute and frameable!

It was very windy, but we were lucky enough to get in some good photos.

What is this a family photo and everyone is looking at the camera! Priceless. Close to being our Christmas Card, but my hair is just a little too out-of-control.

We really had a great trip. Wyatt had many firsts...first time staying overnight at a hotel (and slept...even though he was in his pack-n-play), first road trip over an hour, first time seeing a lake, first time at the beach, and first time visiting the outlets...etc. I think as usual I was more anxious about the trip and was thankful that Wyatt is so incredibly good-natured and easy-going. He loves people and loved being at a hotel or walking along the beach and especially eating in a restaurant...anything to see new people and talk to them. Ken and I decided that the dunes is just to close not to enjoy them more often...so we will be planning more day trips next summer.

Hope you all had a great holiday weekend!

Zoorrific!

2010-08-23T22:31:00.005-05:00

Hi! I am back! Sorry for the delay in blogging. Days seemed to melt into each other and before I knew we are at the end of August. Our family has many birthdays in August and we have been doing some celebrating...including my birthday. However, the week before my birthday, Ken and I took our first trip alone since Wyatt was born. Both sets of his grandparents were gracious and took care of Wyatt so we could have a getaway. It was so nice to be together and even though we had one day of rainy weather we had a wonderful time. Who had separation anxiety? Me - of course! Wyatt had a glorious time and didn't even know we were even gone.

After our trip, I took my birthday off and Wyatt, Grandma and I went to the zoo. A perfect day and going first thing in the morning sure did change the amount of crowds. We were able to go to the new Bear attraction and even had a front row to all the action that the adorable Polar Bear could dish out. If you haven't been to the new "Teddy" World as Wyatt would call it...we highly recommend it...go first thing in the morning to avoid the crowds. The pictures in this blog were all taken outside of Tropic World! Wyatt had so much fun that he fell asleep on the way home.

Wyatt is now days away from being 20 months old. Wow...just a few months shy of 2 years! Time does fly. He is now our "lil' mocking bird" as he repeats our conversations while in the car...too funny. My favorite thing now is hearing Wyatt's laugh when he humors himself. It would make you laugh to hear it and at the same time I hope he loses it by the time he starts to date...if you know what I mean. The need for discipline has also begun so that is fun too. So stay tuned! Blessings to you all.

We are family...

2010-07-26T21:52:00.003-05:00

This past week we have been all about family! We have been lucky enough to have my cousin and her family visiting from Ohio and Ken's Aunt in town from Texas. We have celebrated 3 birthdays just last week and have just as many in August. So, our partying has just begun. Some families dance on tables we rather have fun underneath them. I captured Wyatt in one of his favorite places...underneath the dining room table. I noticed tonight as he tried to get Ken to follow him under the table. Not an easy feat for a man 6'2. No doubt Wyatt will continue to dart under there in hopes Daddy will follow.

Climbing is definitely Wyatt's passion at the moment...furniture of all kinds. Luckily, he still listens when encouraged not to climb on certain items like the coffee table. He is constantly talking and telling us what he sees...it is so incredible to see him grow smarter before your very eyes.

These videos are for our Knudsen cousins in Ohio! Wyatt absolutely LOVES his fire truck puzzle. A puzzle with a truck and a dog...it has all of his favorites. Thank you so much for thinking of him. We loved seeing you all.

2010-07-20T21:30:00.003-05:00

Happy Birthday to Ken! Okay, it was this past Sunday, but the streamers are still up in the living room so I think Ken may want to leave them up to my birthday next month. I can guarantee that they won't make it that long. Anywho...we went to dinner at Ruth Lake CC with Ken's parents and of course I needed a photo of my guys. Wyatt is now doing this face that pretty much says...plllllllllllllease Mom another photo! I still think it is cute. He is stuck on "Daddy's Day" so I was trying to get him to say "Happy Birthday Daddy" all day and was successful twice, but he was still stuck on Father's Day and is still telling him "Happy Daddy's Day! Daddy." Ken of course loves it.

Wyatt's yellow truck is a big hit this summer as he loves to play with it and on it constantly! I really need to get a photo or video of him reading my "Real Simple" magazines. No longer is Dr. Seuss a priority he is addicted to my magazines...probably because they have a million pages and tons of pictures and he knows them all. Okay not all but an amazing amount.

This video is dark but so funny of me trying to get him to move to see the final tower, but he mimicks my face instead. Now he makes his own towers, lines up his stuffed animals and tries to feed them, etc. Wow. Time is flying by. Blessings to you all this week.

Just Horsing Around!

2010-07-11T13:05:00.003-05:00

You just can't take your eyes off of either of them even for a minute! Wyatt loves it when Daddy wants to play. The laughter is just contagious. We have successfully made the switch to one nap a day and as of this morning Wyatt has a new shorter summer "do!" Our schedule for the weekend made it easier to go after church this morning for a haircut and since the mall doesn't open till 11 am we went right in to Snippets. Wyatt sat in the train this time and did so much better. Still tears but he lasted a lot longer and it was worth every minute! So cute. God bless those ladies. I will snap a photo to show you all...it is always better with a little suspense, right? Last week was very hectic so we are hoping for a quieter week. I took Wyatt shopping with me yesterday and he is really great about being out and about...I feel so lucky.

Ken and I finally updated our phones - I know shocking, right. It is so great to have a better phone/technology. Now, we just need to learn how they work...ha. ha.

Ken's birthday is next Sunday so I will be sure to take some photos of my two favorite guys.

Blessings to you all in the week ahead.

Happy Birthday, America!

2010-07-05T22:10:00.004-05:00

Happy Fourth...opps Fifth of July! Wyatt attended his first parade and it was beautiful and HOT! We had great seats and were joined by ALL of Wyatt's grandparents. Thanks to both of Ken's bosses who saved our seats, provided water and place to cool off. What a multitude of blessings. Except for the loud sirens I believe we have a parade goer on our hands. If you haven't experienced Hinsdale's Independence Day parade you need to put it on your calendar for next year. You won't be disappointed.

I feel like Wyatt is growing leaps and bounds daily. Last week, we went for his 18 month check-up (time flies) and he now stands to be weighed...so long baby scale. Granted he liked it a LOT more. Here are his latest stats:

Height: 33 1/2 inches

Weight: 25 lbs. and 6 ounces

We are down to one nap a day...another sign he is growing up before our eyes.

The photo above is Wyatt's latest style choice in footwear. He LOVES shoes. It started with him favoring my side of the closet, but I was happy to see him go for Ken's shoes. This weekend he began to wear them and the first time he did it I captured it. Today, he put both feet in the same shoe, but I missed the moment on camera. Too cute. I have tons of photos of me wearing my Dad's shoes too. We all want to be like our Dad!

I love to see Wyatt building his own towers. Although, he still loves for me to build them so he can knock it down. Now he explores and is thinking things thru and you just sit back in awe when he accomplishes something or says something.

Hope you all have a glorious week.

Mommy's Version of Camping!

2010-06-23T23:07:00.002-05:00

Wyatt received this MEGA Playground set that comes with these pop-up like camping-type tents and believe me it is the type of camping that I like to do. Probably because it is away from mosquitos. He is really starting to like to go in this one in particular that is in his bedroom. We got them as a gift and since he is post exersaucer I wanted something different for him to play with especially on days I work from home. You will see a new friend - White Bear or my name for him Blackwell that Wyatt has become very close to along with Brutus his stuffed dog. Hope you all are keeping dry and safe after all these severe thunderstorms.

Wyatt's version of the pop-up tent.

He is such a flirt!

Our boy is Bilingual!

2010-06-18T22:36:00.002-05:00

Believe it or not...I taught Wyatt to say this and not his Dad.

Have a great weekend!

A One, Two, A Three...

2010-06-16T23:37:00.003-05:00

Wyatt is changing so fast and seems to learn something daily. In the past week he started to count by himself. Honestly, he can count to ten and I will get it on video because I know you are saying to yourself...you are dreamin' Shar he is too young! It is true and I will get it on video. In the meantime, this short clip shows Wyatt enjoying his favorite fruit...blueberries! Fruit far surpasses any sweets for him. I wanted to catch him on video so you could hear him say blueberry and do a little counting, but eating was more important. Hmmm...who does he get that from?

It is more than ice cream ("i-ceam")...

2010-06-07T22:42:00.003-05:00

I just had to capture Wyatt requesting dessert on camera.

He is definitely our son...if he only knew how many flavors of he has yet to taste.

Hoping you are able to enjoy a treat this week.

Plan B: Rainy Day

2010-06-06T15:07:00.004-05:00

These two are just to cute, right? Well, we were going to take Wyatt to his first parade on Saturday, but the rain started as we got into the car and by the time we were in the town were the parade was held it was pouring. Luckily, we were tardy or we would have been drenched. I reminded Ken this is one time that being married to me paid off to be a little late. (I am commonly tardy although I am trying to change that habit.) Unlike many loyal parade onlookers we do not have that "magic" plastic stroller cover where the child can enjoy being out and about all while staying perfectly dry. Add in that the parent would be soaked to the bone either way...not my choice for the first parade experience. So, we headed home for a nap instead. Wyatt woke up, had lunch and since the rain had stopped we opted for "Plan B"...The Morton Arboretum! Thanks to Wyatt's grandparents we have a membership so we can go for any period of time and whenever we want...talk about fabulous. So, we headed out and found that many stayed away due to the rain and it was like having the arboretum to ourselves. We stopped by the childrens area that is soooooooooooo incredible great for kids of all ages. I had to take some photos of my boys having fun. It was a wonderful afternoon, the sun came out and we enjoyed the amazing sites. Hope you all had a great weekend a week ahead.

Wyatt looking through the leaf.

A family photo in the silver ball!

Wyatt gets this from his Daddy.

Ahhh...May!

2010-05-31T22:19:00.002-05:00

This month has been a busy one and I am behind on my blog. This memorial day weekend we went to the pool and had so much fun that I forgot to take photos. In a word...spray sunscreen is genius and a true blessing to a Mom. Wyatt also loves to play peek-a-boo so we snapped this photo tonight. Other than that we went to the park and stayed in due to the heat or pouring rain.

Last weekend, we took Wyatt for his first visit to the zoo. Thanks to Gigi and Papa we will be able to go back again and again this summer. We stopped by the petting zoo and Wyatt absolutely loved to pet and get up close and personal with the animals. We had a great time!

My boys and the bison!

Ever have a week in which you realized how blessed you really are...not just a little or lucky, but incredibly blessed...I had one of those weeks. So, I look forward to looking ahead and seeing how we can spread that to others. Have a great week!

The First Straw

2010-05-16T14:46:00.004-05:00

Talk about a crazy week...it is flying by...a mirror of last week. Last Sunday, was Mother's Day and I can say that hearing my adorable son run into our bedroom with a smile on his face and saying "Hi, Mamma" was priceless to me. Ken really gives me Mother's Day everyday by getting up first to get Wyatt. A gift I get every day and I do not take it for granted. We went to a Mother's Day brunch at my brother-in-law's mother's house. We had a fabulous time! Then we came home for a short nap and then we were off to dinner at my parent's house. A day full of good food, family, laughter and fun.

Wyatt is changing everyday...he surprises me by what he can learn and how fast he can learn it and remember it. He is now using 2-words and just recently 3-words together at a time. Examples: Mama Choo-Choo, Cheese Pease (Please) Dada and I see Mama...etc. He will try to say anything we do so we now need to be careful because our lil' parrot is always listening. He has had a cold, but it is practically gone and it has made its way thru our house so we are all sleeping better. Our big news...Wyatt is now drinking out of a straw! (See photos below.) Many thanks to Grandma who gave it a try this week (12th) and he loves it! I have also been playing "chase" with him before putting him to bed and he loves it. I run with him following me and I hide and say boo when he rounds the corner...he squeals with laughter and says more. I think he may be the type that will like scary/horror movies and laugh at them. What would normal scare other little children makes him laugh hysterically.

Wyatt trying on his new sandles! He loves shoes.

He took to the straw right away this week. Loves how much drink you get out of it.

Wyatt has been very blessed lately with the generosity of his grandparents. Gigi and Papa brought him back a LOT of clothes from an adorable store in Florida...our summer blogs will be sporting the greatest outfits so stay tuned. Grandma and Pa also bought him his sandles (photos of him trying them on shown above) so they will be the perfect accessory to his new clothes. What a lucky little boy!

This week is Grandma's birthday! A very Happy Birthday to Wyatt's Grandma who we love and adore for ALL she does for us. Have a great week!

Just a Snippet!

2010-05-01T22:36:00.004-05:00

Have you guessed it? Yes, on Friday we conquered our fear...I think it was really my fear. Wyatt received his first professional haircut! After days of feeling like I was giving him a bath when I did his hair...I decided it was time to let a professional do the trimming. We dropped Ken off at work after lunch and headed to the mall. We had many recommendations and handsome heads that said this was the place to go. We walked in and within minutes Wyatt was sitting in a yellow taxi cab. Unfortunately, I did decide not to have a dvd of the experience...just thinking only his future wife would really enjoy watching it. We had a few tears and a couple tries to escape, but with a few puffs he did fabulous...granted he was used to Mommy being his stylist. I was only able to grab my camera and grab this shot at the end...well it was the best out of the three and he was ready to exit his cab experience.

This morning he felt you all would like a profile shot of the new "do".

I found that I was really the nervous one about getting his haircut. Not sure why, but I will definitely take him back because it was just a few minutes and his "new" stylist was fast and fabulous. I can't get over how much I love the cut. Why did I drag my feet for so long? He loves to touch it and say haircut. I also love that it looks good when he wakes up in the morning...I'm jealous.

The warmer weather has let us breakout the short sleeves! We are constantly going to our park and pond that is just steps away from home to swing and see the ducks. Wyatt really loves being outside and can't wait to swing! Some new words have come from going to the park: mulch, light, sky and flag.

Tomorrow is a special day. Three of Wyatt's friends are turning two..Happy Birthday! Plus, Gigi and Papa are celebrating their 40th Wedding Anniversary...Happy Anniversary! We all love you both. Grandma and Pa return from Florida...hopefully rested and relaxed.

I loved being home with Wyatt this week...how I love that little boy...he is joy to me. I also got a couple of jobs done around the house. A special thank you to our niece who has become Wyatt's #1 and favorite babysitter.

Have a great week...may it be full of blessings for you all.

16 Months Old!

2010-04-26T23:07:00.004-05:00

16 Months old today...time really does feel like it is flying. 16 months came with a lil' drama. Wyatt woke up Sunday morning with his right jaw swollen back to his ear. I of course looked through my book to see what it could be. It said Mumps...no kidding. Ken and I decided to wait to call the doctor till today (Monday) to see if it was still swollen. Well, I called because he was still swollen; granted not as bad but still significantly swollen. After two call backs we all (doctor, nurse and us) are stumped. His doctor thinks it may not be out of the question that he has a molar coming in. If sucking your thumb non-stop is a sign then that must be it. Wyatt had no other symptoms so we will wait and see. By the time he went to bed tonight the swelling was down significantly as you can see in the photos.

This week, I am home with Wyatt all week...which I am relishing. I am still working on Tuesday and Thursday but I am off the rest of the week. Yeaaaa! Today we took a long walk and went to the park twice. He loves the swings and all things outside...even tasted the grass when I wasn't looking. I could get used to this schedule!

Wyatt enjoying the new pajamas that Ken got him.

I rearranged our kitchen so the tupperware is within Wyatt's reach instead of our food and you can see he loves his new toys...especially the strainer!

Have a glorious week! I hope to blog more since I will have a little more free time although my to-do list is getting longer by the day.

Growing up so fast!

2010-04-22T20:15:00.003-05:00

This week has been full of moments like, "did he just say that" or did that just happen? The months just seem to melt together and before you know it you are brushing his teeth and chasing him around to get his coat and shoes on.

Wyatt is no longer biting my finger...so I am happy and proud!

This week, I had a Mom-moment that I decided to share to give you all a chuckle. I was taking a shower while Ken gave Wyatt his breakfast. I finished my shower and had slid the shower curtain open to reach for my towel when the door popped open and Wyatt was standing there. "Hi, Ma-ma!" Yes, you read that right. Our tall 15 month old can open doors! I have seen him do it a couple of times, but not every time was he sucessful so I had no worries. Luckily, I had not stepped out in ALL my glory so his innocence is still intact. I did have to call Ken to save me as Wyatt walked all the way in to see what Mommy was doing with the shower curtain as a towel. Too funny.

Well, tomorrow (Friday) is date night after 3 months...true! Have a great weekend!

Next week, my parents are going to Florida for a well deserved break and we pray some beautiful weather. I know Wyatt will miss Grandma, but we will get to spend the week together and I am excited to spend some fun and quality time just the two of us. God gave him the greatest laugh and I plan to hear it a LOT!

Monkeying Around!

2010-04-18T22:31:00.003-05:00

This weekend started off low-key, but a visit to Monkey Island definitely helped Wyatt let loose today. Even though he was too young to jump in the bouncy houses, climb thru the mazes or slide down the huge inflatable slides we did find the toddler side/size of things and he even played peek-a-boo with a nice lady from another party. Wyatt also enjoyed his first taste of chocolate with a delicous cupcake in honor of his nieces birthdays.

Wyatt loved the freedom! Monkey Island is HUGE and we could let him walk and go wherever he wanted...he LOVED it.

Here Wyatt had to convince Ken that he was too big to go in the bouncy house.

This week we noticed that Wyatt is now our drummer. (I will get a photo of this soon.) We have started to save small containers for him to play with and noticed that we have a drummer boy on our hands. I gave him one of my spatulas since he loves to be in the kitchen with us. Well, he started to partner the spatula with a plastic container and he enjoyed the noise so much that his play pan and spoon have also become part of the band. Another small tidbit from this week was too funny to me. Working from home twice a week, I am attached to my laptop and Wyatt has noticed the photo of himself on my wallpaper and he calls it "baby." So, every time I am on my laptop he needs to see the baby which has introduced the lesson of "that is you" which has helped with his love of mirrors. Also, he is doing a lot better with brushing his teeth. I think he is understanding that the brush is attached to Mommy's fingers and not to bite. Yea!

Have a great week!

Ahh, April!

2010-04-13T23:00:00.003-05:00

Forgive the delay in posting, it seems like the days just melt into one another and before I know it weeks have passed by. Easter was a wonderful day and Wyatt enjoyed going to church and looking for plastic eggs (well, after he found out there were treats inside each egg). I was going to go all out and get him a basket, but then I thought his attention span is short and the egg hunt will last all day and it did. So, the basket will come next year when he is enthralled in the hunt. This year it was a bucket and he loves to carry it around and look thru it. The shovel is a big hit as well.

Wyatt discovering his Easter bucket!

Enjoying Easter at Grandma and Pa's! A one-year old loves to be the center of attention.

The above photo is Wyatt's most recent passion. SHOES! I thought it was cute that he found Ken's shoe and put his shoe inside. I am not joking when I say Wyatt is passionate about his shoes. He is constantly carrying them around....or mine or Ken's.

This photo above really doesn't do Wyatt justice. I work from home two days a week...a true blessing because we get to spend more time together that I just cherish. It is a challenge at times, but worth it. I commonly work at the dining room table and he loves to sit underneath and play peek-a-boo with me. He started to crawl out from under the table, but I was able to capture him just in time. He is walking so fast now it is amazing. Also, this month he can stand up in the middle of room without holding on to anything. It is so fun to just take a walk and hold his hand. He just loves being outside and pointing and naming what he sees. I am truly amazed by his vocabulary...he will try to repeat anything you say. Most recent words: umbrella, basketball, and tulips (his version is just too funny).

It has been too long since I posted a cute sleeping pose. Here Wyatt and his dog (Brutus).

Wyatt loves it when I clean..."more" he insists whenever I am done. Hmmm...maybe that is a sign. Ha. ha. Swiffer Dusters and Sweeper are his favorites. The photo above is not the best because of the light, but I had to capture the moment when he decided to dust...you can't start too early.

I hope you all are having a great week and are able to see the blessings in your life like I have today. Enjoy our warm weather. Loving this spring weather in Chicago!

15 Month Check-up!

2010-03-30T21:26:00.003-05:00

Today, I took Wyatt for his 15 month check-up. Seeing the little babies in the waiting room helps put it into perspective as he walks from chair to chair. Wow...the last year has flown by. He did great despite two shots and having to sit in a diaper for a half an hour while someone measures you etc. It was a proud moment for me as I described his vocabulary for the doctor and then he started repeating the words after I said them. Then in the waiting room another Mom was amazed with his talking. Wow, how did going to the doctor for him get fun for me. Anywho...here is the latest stats on Wyatt.

Height: 32 1/8 inches (75-90th Percentile)

Weight: 24 pounds, 11 ounces (50-75th Percentile)

The above video is for everyone who is interested in seeing how fast he is in getting around now. The ending is for Gigi and Papa...we miss you! Have a great week!

Ahhh Spring...is it?

2010-03-16T22:57:00.003-05:00

An absolutely beautiful day! The sun was shining and living steps away from a park will definitely have its advantages in the months to come. Wyatt and I enjoyed WALKING to the pond to look at the ducks and stopped by the park to enjoy a ride on the swings.

Wyatt is still teething (you wouldn't know it except for the desire to put everything in his mouth) and Ken and I thought this was humorous - chewing on a choo-choo.

There is one thing about Wyatt that really reminds me of Ken and I want to mention it before I forget to write it down. Wyatt just cracks himself up...laughing about something that he believes is hilarious and this really resembles Ken to me. This weekend they both did (separately), but only hours apart and I just couldn't believe how much Wyatt resembled Ken at that moment...he does it all the time...I was just distracted by the cute laugh to notice it. How is Wyatt like me? Hmm...he is a dream child. Ha. Ha. Okay...okay...he sucks his thumb and LOVES his stuffed animals. No doubt my influence. You can hear him in his crib laughing and talking to his animals. That he definitely gets from his Mom.

This is his new favorite past-time...here carrying a chicken, but will carry an animal or object for tours or laps around our coffee table. He is on the move! He is now walking steps by himself - only a few at a time but more often. It is surprising to look up and see him walk across the room without holding on to a wall or piece of furniture. It is so nice that he really does listen to me when I ask him to do something...sometimes he does it anyway, but most of the time he listens and does what I ask...at 14+ months...incredible! Wyatt's vocabulary is absolutely extraordinary. He is putting words together now and said "Hi, Ma-Ma" to me on the phone earlier this week. Melts my heart just to think about it. He will try to say anything. Latest word - "airplane." I am working on a list so I may post that soon.

This week a possible first...a haircut. Yes, I have cut his hair, but I think it is time to get it cut by a professional. Plus, it is time to shop for his Easter outfit. Time is flying.

Have a great week!

Teething Gold Medal!

2010-02-20T21:09:00.015-06:00

This week has been busy, but by the grace of God we...okay I made it through. I am sure some of you might be saying, "huh?" Well, Ken is back to work at the Hinsdalean (PRAISE) and I am still working three days in the city and from home two days a week. However, this means that I am doing it solo for the first time ALL day long. Wyatt is close to walking solo, but was gracious to me this week and was so incredibly good. He is usually a fabulous napper (two a day at two hours each), but this week has decided to do one at an hour and skip the other entirely. Today, he was back at two at about an hour and half each so I am hoping he is back to his old schedule. Anywho...working and watching a 1-year old is a bit challenging, but I am blessed with a little boy who will play independently while I work...phew.

We are anxiously awaiting a visit from Gigi and Papa as they will be home next week from Florida. So, of course I need to do a post before they come home so they won't question their decision to come home to all the snow they are predicting and to leave a warmer Florida climate.

So, thankful that Wyatt is over his at least two week cold. However, he is teething and he verified it when we saw him chewing on the knobs of our coffee table (we have trays that pull out on the sides)!

One of my favorite things to hear is Wyatt's laugh...I'll will do crazy dances and sing some wacky made-up songs to hear it. Sorry, that will never make it on video if I have anything to say about it. ha. ha. So, when we realized that my cheering "USA" for Shani Davis during one of his olympic races today made Wyatt laugh hysterically we had to capture it. I must say for the video I tried to do it quietly so you will just hear him laughing. Dare you not to smile or laugh...

Thinking we only had limited chances to go sledding before the snow was gone we took Wyatt out sledding last weekend and took this photo. More snow coming? Not so good for the adults, but we will have to have him experience the snow coming down instead of waiting for it to stop and then sledding on it.

Have a great weekend!

We are a SIPPY CUP household!

2010-02-08T22:43:00.005-06:00

Saturday, February 6, 2010...Milestone achieved! Praise! The boy who decided on his own to ditch the pacifer was a bit stubborn about the sippy cup. There was no doubt in my mind that he knew how to drink out of it...he just chose not to do it. I believe he thought if he chewed on the lids that it would count in my eyes. Sweet but sorry no. He liked drinking juice out of the cup, but struggled to let go of his good pal "ba-ba" when it came to drinking milk. Do I wish he liked the "non-spill" sippy cups...yes! His cup of choice is the free flowing (especially when they hit the floor) tupperware sippy cups that will easily transition to just the colored cups when he is ready to just drink out of the cup. Actually, he is quite good at that with assistance. Once we are super confident, I will re-introduce the other models in hopes that our "non-spill" friends will be a welcomed addition to Wyatt's sippy cups of choice.

Wyatt is saying new words at what seems to me at "genius speed," but I am a bit bias. His favorite and immediate word the minute he gets into his high chair is "cracker." He loves them and would make a meal out of them if I would let him. I just love to hear him say it. I thought you all might as well.

It is the small things that can be so incredibly joyous! Mine just happens to now walk, talk and drink out of a sippy cup! Not to mention has a laugh that would make your heart sing.

Have a great week!

Growing Up Sooooooooooo Fast!

2010-02-06T15:17:00.011-06:00

I am still trying to take that "perfect" photo for my Dad to represent the fun and love Wyatt has for his horse. He is constantly riding it with the blinds open watching the snow fall or the cars go by.

So, far the photo above is just too funny not to share it.

Believe it or not this is the photo that is to show Wyatt eating his first jelly sandwich (or blueberry perserves),

but it was gone before I got the camera.

These two photos represent Wyatt's favorite activity...
playing on Mommy and Daddy's bed.

Our floors have yet to wear out, but I thought you all might enjoy these two very short videos.

Could walking alone be in the near future?

College Fund?

2010-01-26T23:09:00.008-06:00

Many friends have encouraged us or suggested that Wyatt should model...especially after the hat and scarf shots on a previous blog. Well, we did enter him in a local tv baby contest which was sweetly supported by our circle of friends last year. We were not planning on entering any more contests, but many have suggested that we enter him in the Parenting Magazine and Regis and Kelly Baby Contest to win a college scholarship. At first, I smiled and appreciated the compliments that many thought we would have a chance with all the beautiful babies out there. I asked Ken what he thought...and we decided that for a such a large college scholarship it was worth a photo submission. So, we did it...we entered him in the contest today and we shall see if it goes anywhere...God's plan. So, if you watch Regis and Kelly in the morning...you may just see Wyatt.

FYI: I am making up for lost time in my posting. Please see the blog archive posts for January on the right hand side to read the other three blogs that I posted tonight.

Hi, Snowbirds!

2010-01-26T22:55:00.005-06:00

Many people wonder and ask..."who does Wyatt most take after?" Hmmm. My vote lately would land on Ken. These photos will show you just how much. Without a doubt, one of Wyatt's most favorite past time is reading. Ken could read multiple books at a time. I like a good book myself, but Wyatt can't read enough and that is just like his Dad. The Elmo books especially the "So Big" book that Gigi and Pappa gave him rank at the top along with "Goodnight Gorilla." Dr. Seuss and his fabric books are strong leaders as well...I could go on. We have a basket full of books that he is constantly reading.

Is this too cute!

Reading is just fun!

Sundays...Dadda is reading and so is Wyatt. Priceless.

Ken's parents have returned to Florida for the winter and we miss them! So a big cyber-hug to them and I will do better to post weekly.

No More Formula!

2010-01-26T22:02:00.002-06:00

At the end of December Wyatt was given the "okay" to drink milk. Praise! So this is a photo of him finishing his last bottle of formula. He made the "switch" without incident. Yet another example of how lucky we are to have such a good baby. He also stopped using his pacifer on his own right at Christmas. No need for the Pacifer Fairy to come. Wow. Now if only the sippy cup would be well received. Loves to chew on it, but drinking...nahhhhhhhhhh! Feel free to send me your tricks and tips on how to get a toddler to drink from a sippy cup.

The Birthday Party!

2010-01-26T21:37:00.008-06:00

My own pony! Thanks Pa!

A couple more photos of the party. My Dad (Pa) made him a rocking horse. It is beyond beautiful and you know any boy named Wyatt loves his horse. He loves to ride on it and Ken has taught him to say "yee-haw" well his version of it. I will try to capture it on video soon. He loved his cake and even thought it would be good for the hair follicles. Thanks to GiGi (Ken's Mom) we have these photos. Enjoy!

Messy and loving it!

Before the mess...the singing!

What pony's don't like cake? I'll have his piece!

Happy 2010!

2010-01-02T16:23:00.003-06:00

Happy New Year to you all! It will probably take me the entire year to post the photos from Wyatt's birthday party and of him enjoying all his gifts. Here he is enjoying the largest truck his Uncle could find! He is all boy and loves it. It is a dump truck that holds large legos and anything he can find to put into it or you can lift up the back and it serves as a back rest while he rides it!

We went to the doctor this past week and I am sure you would like to check your guess as too how big he actually is...

Well, I thought it would be fun to compare his

2008 New Year stats to his 2009 Dec. 30th stats.

2008: 22 inches long, 7 pounds and 6 ounces.

2009: 30 and half inches long, 22 pounds, 12 ounces!

Wyatt enjoying the hat and scarf Ken's Aunt Phyllis made him!

"Thanks Aunt Phyllis...I love them!"

This is a daily sight in our home...Wyatt now does laps around the coffee table. He is all about being in motion! If he isn't walking he is crawling or pulling himself up on everything. Also, we love milk...no more formula buying for us. PRAISE!

Hope you all are enjoying your New Year holiday weekend! Blessings to you all in the year ahead.

Happy First Birthday - Wyatt!

2009-12-28T22:08:00.005-06:00

(Wyatt enjoying his first birthday cake.)

It is hard to believe that Wyatt is now a year old! How fast the first year flies by. The joy in our lives overflows with his addition to our family.

Poor thing has his birthday the day after Christmas. Ken and I will always strive to make Christmas entirely separate from his birthday. No combo gifts unless that is his wish.

Feeling better...he was back to his old-self on his birthday. We had a family birthday party in the afternoon and our condo was packed full of fun and birthday wishes and presents! Wyatt loved having everyone sing to him. He loved his cake and so did his hair! Too cute. Ken decided that his birthday should be his first sledding experience. No coincidence that he got a red sled from his parents for his birthday. Since, we had a winter wonderland it was a perfect way to close the party festivities.

(Wyatt being pulled on his new sled by his cousin!)

Many ask me what is Wyatt up to now...so here is a quick summary...Walking with assistance (really good at it around Thanksgiving). Crawling (the week before Christmas - rather walk)! Loves to pull himself up on...well anything he can! Wyatt's vocabulary seems to double weekly. He can now say: Mama, Da-Da, Gigi, Pappa, Pa, Bye-Bye, hat, apple, up, out and car. He can wave and do a couple sign language signs and of course tell you how old he is. He also loves to twirl his tongue. Genius, right? He gets it from Ken. Okay the tongue thing...I used to do that too.

This week, he visits the doctor for his one year check-up. Any guesses for height and weight?

Happy New Year! Blessings to you and your family!
I hope you will continue to join us on our journey in 2010.

Happy Holidays!

2009-12-28T21:45:00.006-06:00

(This was our Christmas Card this year.)

December has been a whirlwind for us and I have been lack on my blogging. Please forgive the delay in posting. We hope you all had a glorious Christmas!

I am frequently asked if Wyatt ever cries...well I was tempted to delete these photos from the camera, but thought you all might get a kick out of seeing the pre-photos before getting the shot that we decided upon for our cards. I really thought we might not have a photo card this year, but luckily our cover boy just needed another Christmas accessory to turn the photo shoot around. Praise.

(Wyatt not enjoying our Christmas Card photo shoot.)

(This was a close 2nd for our card, but the hat and smile

combo made the other photo a winner!)

Ken and I realized that Christmas Eve and Christmas will no longer be a calm holiday for us. We enjoyed our Christmas Eve day...baking and doing last minute Christmas preparations/crafts. Wyatt was so good. We then went to our first Family Christmas Eve Service at our church (no more candlelight services for us for awhile) and had front row seats for an incredible service full of music and singing. Wyatt loved watching the band and the children perform. We then headed to Grandma and Pa's house for the evening.

During dinner Wyatt seemed tired so he had a nap as the rest of us finished dinner and had dessert. He woke up in good spirits, but was very warm and running a fever so we quickly opened presents and headed home where we were relieved that he no longer felt like he had a fever. So, into his pj's he went...he seemed hungry so I gave him some fruit and yogurt since he did not finish his dinner at my folks. Well, minutes after that snack he was sick and continued to be through the late hours of the evening. Nothing can prepare you for the helplessness you feel when your baby is sick. I told Ken that I thought it was a toss up between labor and his being sick. I'd rather be the one in pain. Seriously. I now have this incredibly empathy for Wyatt and Ken since Wyatt's birth. It is crazy...if they feel ill so do I...I know it is in my head, but I am not used to it. Ugh. I made it. Anywho, I was up with Wyatt thru the night. He woke up on Christmas morning in a better mood and obviously feeling better. No fever. I got my Christmas wish. Although, not feeling too comfortable because he can't tell me if he is still feeling ill. A morning nap, but not willing to take an afternoon nap and we were on our way to Ken's folks for Christmas. Wyatt did great and we had a wonderful time. He of course is spoiled by all his Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles and cousins. Many thanks to them all. We are blessed!

Winter is here!

2009-12-03T00:22:00.004-06:00

Wyatt is not a huge fan of putting on the winter

garb, but isn't he cute!

Snow is in the forecast...so we had to break out the warm coat and hat. I swear I can see him growing each day. Not to mention the talking. Saying new words ("up" and "out") and catching on to walking as well. Wyatt's laugh still is my favorite thing to hear and he is ticklish so it is easy to get him to do it. Reading is also a favorite past time....hmmm...a mini-Ken! He loved getting his Thanksgiving card from Gigi and Pappa. Have a great week!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-25T22:00:00.006-06:00

Wyatt enjoying some toys given to us from a lady I

work with...many thanks he loves them!

Sorry, it has been so long since I have made a post. A cold has and is making its way around our house and add to the mix that I had a big project for work as well. It is hard to believe that we may get snow and that the holiday marks Wyatt's 11 month. So, you know what that means...his Mom better get her act together in regards to Christmas and his 1st birthday! WAH. I was trying to remember back what I was feeling a year ago. Most definitely thinking I better be prepared for his arrival...so not much different just insert birthday party in its place. I have bought a few items today so I am further along than I was yesterday. Still a long way to go.

We have some new milestones to report! Wyatt now can sit up on his own...if you lay him on the floor...you turn around and "wow" he is up and sitting looking right at you. When he is sitting up in his crib it still surprises me. Wyatt is now getting really good at waving...so cute. I believe Ken is his favorite person to wave at...hi and bye. Today, I bought Wyatt new shoes so he can get better at standing and hopefully walking in the future with more of a sole on his shoes. Yes, I said walking - even though he is not really crawling yet. He can move in a circle but the legs haven't caught on yet. Once they do we are in trouble. He gets up on his knees and rocks so I thought any day. Maybe that day will be tomorrow. In the meantime, I am encouraging standing and walking. I doubt he will spend much time crawling because he loves to stand and jump in place. He loves to talk and babble...I think we could have a talker on our hands.

We hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving and will take time out to step back from whatever you have planned to take a moment to give thanks. This year our cup overflows.

SPECIAL NOTE:

To Gigi and Papa in Florida...we miss you and look forward to seeing you soon.

We love you both!

Ruff!

2009-11-12T21:57:00.003-06:00

Let me introduce you to Wyatt's new buddy, "Pary" graciously given to him by Ken's Aunt for Halloween. He is definitely a treat as Wyatt loves his animals and an added treat is that he loves to hear Ken and I say "ruff" in regards to what a dog says. The laughing is contagious so I will have to remember that when it comes to holiday photos.

Not much is new with us...we are working on some new milestones, but nothing to report. Well, this is one I am excited about - Wyatt will now hold out his arms when putting on his jacket. It really is the small things that are the best. He really loves to see and call out to cars and "rucks" (trucks) now. Tonight, he was sitting on the blanket playing with his toys as Ken and I ate dinner. I was amazed how he just sat there and didn't attempt to go anywhere. He sat and laughed and laughed...talk about cute. I can't wait to see if the laugh changes with age...it is so adorable.

We are blessed and hoping your week shows you that you are as well.

Did He Just Say...

2009-11-05T22:00:00.002-06:00

Each day we feel like Wyatt is doing something new. I could post many photos or video clips of him eating cheese, yogurt melts, puffs or bread by himself with ease and confidence; but I have held back. Now the following clip is not the best but hopefully you will get a taste of what we are now "wow-ed" with Wyatt thanks to my Mom. I know I have said it before but Grandma's are fabulous! Wyatt is blessed with two that just love him to the moon and back again! My Mom takes care of Wyatt and is great about teaching him things and like his Dad this boy is smart. My Mom told us last week that he said "car" because he loves to look out their living room window to watch the cars go by and she says car each time they see one. Wishful thinking...that is what you are thinking, right? Well, I did too at first...then we were in the car and from the back seat we heard it and then again at my Mom's when a car passed by. WOW! He is saying CAR! The camera throws him off but you can hear him say it.

I really thought crawling would be next (since he is up on his knees often and rocking back and forth), but words are soooooooooo FABULOUS! Honestly, we have heard the rumblings of his next word...truck...a little hard to say, but the framework is there. I also hear "duck" when he sees one and his version of quack - quack. Once they are perfected I will try to get it on camera.

Have a great weekend!

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T14:31:00.003-05:00

Roar!

Did you guess dinosaur? Many thanks to friends for loaning us this adorable costume...Wyatt is a dinosaur for his first Halloween. We already went trick-or-treating at our cousins and plan to make a few more stops after nap time this afternoon. It is quite chilly and windy today, but the sun is shining at times so that is nice.

We hope you all have a safe and Happy Halloween!

2009-10-29T21:49:00.008-05:00

Today, we started with a seasonal flu shot (not H1N1) and Wyatt was not affected by the shot (God bless that nurse), but he did not like the fact that he had to lay down to get the shot and get weighed (start guessing his weight the answer will be under one of the following photos). We will go back after Thanksgiving to get his follow-up booster shot. The only after affects to the shot or for today was that he would not nap...just played in his crib. He went to bed at 7 p.m. so maybe he is just ahead of the time change. Hopefully that will mean an easy day for Grandma tomorrow.

Okay...so today a shot, we lowered his crib because pulling himself up is not far off, and finally I CUT his hair! I have been talking about it and procrastinating because I was worried that he would look like...well, that "I cut his hair." Wyatt needed a bath so I thought hopefully the rubber duck would keep him occupied. Worked pretty well. Well, you be the judge...but I am pleased that he still looks good...could I be a baby stylist? ha. ha. Hmmmm...

Have you guessed his weight yet?

It was a quick weigh-in but he is now over 23 pounds.

I also made homemade natural applesauce...with many, many thanks to Maryann my co-worker who generously gave us apples from her trip to Michigan and to Gigi and Pappa who contributed many as well. If you don't mind peeling them (thanks Ken for helping - it made it go by so much faster). It really is a piece of cake to make if you have a crockpot...I really need to make more in that magic pot. It was done after Wyatt was done eating, but tomorrow he will get his first taste and I must say...Mmmmmmmmmmmm!

I joined facebook this week - yes it is true. It is fun to reconnect with friends and family that I rarely get to talk to and it is amazing to know what is happening with all of them when they are hundreds of miles away. I believe my cousin in Texas read this blog and was humored by Wyatt's sleeping style. She wondered if Wyatt had a monkey...well...of course...but believe it or not it is because of his cousin Mary has given him two of his BEST friends (Maynard = the large monkey and Dangles = the small guy in the photo below). Growing-up my cousin shared a love of stuffed animals like I did...my monkey was white and named Flake (his nickname from Snowflake) and his was my favorite and traveled with me to college. So, I took a photo of Wyatt's pals for her!

Tomorrow, Wyatt goes to his first Halloween party! Don't worry I won't forget to blog on or before Halloween with Wyatt's first costume. Have a great Friday!

Anything BUT Milk!

2009-10-27T22:10:00.009-05:00

I am going to try to blog more since Gigi and Pappa are in Florida and will be checking-in to see what excitement we have going on here. So, I will do my best to add new and fun tidbits.

Every night, I check on Wyatt countless times before turning in myself. Seeing his sleeping positions are so funny. Prior posts can attest to that as well. I told Ken that we needed to take a photo of him sleeping with his legs up on the crib slats. You really can't enjoy it unless you see it so I finally documented it so he would know when he is older the common way he fell asleep. Too funny.

Now that Wyatt is ten months old it is really fun to see him pass milestones so quickly by learning daily. Feeding him is so entertaining...we can break off pieces of bread or give him puffs and he will eat them by himself with ease. My Mom treats him to Cheerios and tells me he is excited at the sight of the box. One of Ken's favorite things to feed him is pieces of banana and Wyatt LOVES it! I tried giving him parts of a grape and he ate it with veteran speed. Cheese is next...that texture should be entertaining.

"Mmmm!"

More banana - Da-Da!

This Thursday, Wyatt will get his flu shot so pray we have the nurse that we had at our last pediatric visit...no crying with our last shot so here's hoping for a repeat performance.

Halloween is Saturday...have you guessed what Wyatt will be? Hmmmm.

Chompers...

2009-10-19T22:15:00.008-05:00

Sorry for the lapse in blogging. This Sunday, we all walked in the CROP Walk (walk for hunger) with a few teens from YoungLife (christian outreach for teens) as Ken has been volunteering with them. Many thanks to all who supported us in our walking whether it was financially ($250!) or in prayer. We had an absolutely beautiful day which was welcomed after the awful cold and rainy weather we have been enjoying. Above you will see my handsome co-walker and roller!

Wyatt's front teeth are now visable and coming in nicely. He will look different next month when they are all the way in. Is this photo priceless...I caught him doing it!

Hmmm...hungry? Wah.

He is also a grinder...yes...hibbie jibbies for me to hear him grind the bottom and top teeth together even though they are not full in. Wah. I deserve it though because when I was young...yes...you guessed it! I am a recovering teeth grinder.

We have been blessed by the outpouring of love to Wyatt as we had not needed to buy him clothes. This is true. Just a few things here and there. So...it was time and this past week, Wyatt and I picked the sqeakiest shopping cart at Kohl's and were on a mission for pj's, winter clothes and a jacket and snow pants. No shoes in his size, but the sale was awesome. Footie pajamas and some fleece sweats etc...and we were heading home with a bag full of goodies. He was great in the store so he must be a mall baby too...we shall see.

My brother and his family gave Wyatt a set of pajamas for the season...Halloween that is...our lil' monster is so adorable.

Hope your day is blessed!

We are also lucky enough to borrow a Halloween costume from friends so I will try my best to do a trick or treat blog on Halloween. Ken and I both doubled over in laughter to see him in costume. Half the fun is the anticipation...

Having a Ball!

2009-10-05T22:20:00.004-05:00

October is here...the air is crisp and fall has appeared...at least that is what Wyatt tells me as he looks into his crystal ball. Ha. Ha. Seriously, this is a common view as Wyatt enjoys his exersaucer. He is our studious one. This is how I know he takes after Ken...he loves to study people, objects...everything! How do they get those little balls in with the fish? Hmmmm...

Saturday, Wyatt and I found ourselves inside for the day...too crummy to go outside at all. So, I got out his new favorite toys (many thanks to my co-worker and her boys for giving them to us - the fun lives on) and was amazed when he picked up a ball and placed it in the hole that it is to fall thru. Okay...he didn't let go of it, but he placed it there enough times that I was able to get this photo. I was ready to capture the moment! It didn't happen, but if you let go of the ball you can't readily suck on it. Makes sense, right?

Ken and I can see the little boy emerging daily...his laugh is so infectious it is crazy. How is it possible to love someone so much....a love that is just indescribable.

Got teeth?

2009-09-30T21:56:00.004-05:00

Isn't this cute?

Last week, Ken and I celebrated our three year anniversary and went out to dinner just the two of us. Wedded bliss can make time fly by when you least expect it. Three years...wow.

As we reached a milestone Wyatt soon followed. Turning 9 months old on Saturday...I could tell he wanted to have something for everyone to talk about...so we are proud to report that Wyatt is now experimenting with sign language. He is smart like his Dad! So far we have taught him two signs: milk and more. He understands the milk sign with enthusiasm and might have attempted it a few times to me, but it could have been wishful thinking on my part. Recently, he began signing "more" in his highchair and once for me while we were getting ready yesterday morning. We are not sure if he is mimicking us or if he truly understands the meaning. Either way he can do it in his own way which is very exciting. He is also clapping which with the signs we are teaching him is all very familiar so we shall see how he can hone in on his skills in the future. (Many thanks and love to Grandma for helping him with his Patty-Cake skills!)

Wyatt is also in the midst of getting both of his front teeth on top which will go nicely with the two he is sporting on the bottom. Tuesday, we went to the doctor for his nine month check-up so start figuring how tall you think he may be or if you have held him recently if he will surpass his two-year old cousin on the scales. No crawling yet, but that may be on the horizon any day now as well.

Nine months old!

Can you see the teeth coming in?

Do you have your guess ready?

Wyatt is now 22 pounds and 7 ounces and 30 1/8 inches long!

Hope you all are having a wonderful week!

3 for 1! Yes...Three Blogs in One!

2009-09-20T21:52:00.011-05:00

Frameable!

Too cute! Four teeth? Sorry, no it is just the flash.

Steppin' Out!

Sorry for my delay in bloggin'. A crazy week is behind me and I am blessed. I have to talk about what I did with Wyatt last weekend...on Grandparent's Day. Last Sunday, it was beautiful and Ken went to play 9 holes of golf with his Dad and I decided that Wyatt and I were not going to spend the day in the condo. We were going to take a walk and enjoy the day. So, about 11:30 a.m. I got him in the stroller, packed a bottle and away we went to take a nice long walk. Now, I was going to wait till the end of the blog to say how far I went, but I think you all need some "WOW" factor to continue to read. We walked a total of 7.5 Miles! Yes, you read that right. Believe me around 6 miles I was ready to be done and was definitely thinking why did I decide to walk this far.

Wyatt and I walked to downtown Hinsdale and I must say it is just one of the cutest little towns near us and on Sunday it is quiet, but certain spots bustle with a weekday mentality. We sat on one of the middle school benches across from a church and Wyatt enjoyed a drink while watching all the cars and listening to the chimes of the church. It was quite sunny and this bench was under a large maple tree and not only provided ample shade, but a perfect breeze as well. We just had the best time. I am thinking that we need to get in a few picnics before the weather gets too cold. I had not brought anything for myself, but in the future I will pack "Ma-Ma" a treat too.

My main concern was diaper changing...what if he needed one? I had the supplies, but where would I do it? On someone's lawn? That is really all we passed until we got to the downtown area. Luckily, my son loves to walk and this was not an issue...this time. We got home around 3 p.m. Yes, again you read that right.

Does Wyatt get antsy has been a popular question. Believe it or not...not at all! When he is tired he dozes off for an hour and wakes up to new sights. He just loved it. Ken couldn't believe how long we were gone and how far we went...well a Mom just needs to get out of the house. ha. ha. So, I think we will do it again.

I am also proud to report that we have given the Grandparents a new photo of Wyatt to grace their 5 x 7 frames. Ken's sister gave Wyatt this adorable short outfit and he looks so adorable in it...I just knew he would be photogenic in it. The 2nd photo above is not the one that made the "frame cut", but if the flash had not bounced off his tongue to look like he had buck teeth it would have been "the one." The 1st photo is the "chosen one." I was the photographer and so excited that he sat so sweetly for it. Don't get me wrong...I definitely worked to get this photo. Hard to believe that in just a few days he will be 9 months old. Wow. Time really is flying. "Ma- Ma" is at daily frequency now and I am loving it!

Loving the high chair!

You read that right. Wyatt has graduated to his high chair. Yes, Wyatt has sat in a high chair before...at GiGi and Papa's house. We got out his new chair...a big thank you to all my co-workers who bought it for him. HE LOVES IT! It is hard to believe that we are days away from Wyatt being 9 months old. Thinking that he is almost as old as I was pregnant with him...wow...that timing is different. He is such an incredible joy and I can't believe that soon I will be cutting up food and dumping cheerios on his tray for him to eat by himself. This weekend, I decided I needed to actively get him to hold his bottle and tonight he did it pretty much by himself. Sometimes it is too heavy, but I knew he could do it.

Wow...what will this week bring in milestones?

Green Thumb?

I am not a green thumb in any definition of the term, but this year we have flowers! Ken and I decided that we wanted flowers to enjoy when we are on the deck. The black dirt was just not that exciting. Although, having a baby changes your priorities and your "want" to spend your "free time" digging in the dirt. Okay, I was lazy, wanted flowers and was willing to take a chance to get them. So, we tried out the Roll n' Grow! Have you heard of this? If you are a gardener...my apologies because you will not like this blog. At the beginning (first two to three weeks after the "unroll," I was not impressed...granted we were late in planting it...okay laying it in the dirt.) I had seriously thought I had wasted our money. Ken deserves all the credit to the amazing flowers because he was committed to watering it and we have flowers today. Oh and maybe to my adding Miracle Grow flower food on the rare occassion may have helped a little. This is what it looks like today...

Impressive for rolling out a blanket of seeds and just watering them, right!

This past week has been good and not-so-good, but it has been a great reminder to me what is important in life. I am truly blessed and loved and that is an amazing feeling when you realize it and concentrate on it.

I hope you have a great week!

Ma-Ma!

2009-09-09T23:32:00.011-05:00

Aren't holiday weekends fabulous? Many would consider our long weekend as uneventful, but to me it was ABSOLUTE HEAVEN. Am I getting old and boring? Maybe, but I am loving it. We went on long walks, saw family, my handsome husband cooked and we relaxed a LOT! I slept in....thanks to Ken. The weekend was really nice. Working from home the day after is also priceless. You know you are blessed when you work in shorts and a t-shirt and can get up from your desk and see your baby boy sound asleep in his crib.

So the title of this blog piece is Ma-Ma. I am not afraid to say that I am anxious to hear Wyatt call me "Ma-Ma" and not something "close to it." "Na-Na" is not my dream name coming from him. I think it is so adorable to hear Wyatt saying "Da-Da" over and over every morning in different pitches. Not to mention the bazillion times he says it during the day. So, like I did for "Da-Da" I am campaigning hard for Wyatt's next word to be "Ma-Ma." He gives me a wide smile every time I say it to him...making me think he is truly loving my efforts and a bit humored by them...knowing he is in control. Today...it happened. September 9, 2009 around 7:30ish p.m. He said it twice tonight right to me and I can't hear it enough. Does he say it like he knows it is my name...don't think so, but I am not picky at all. He will.

He is also tilting his head and doing this face or rather a "sniffing" thing with Ken that is too funny...the photos above document it. I need to get it on video, but his fascination with the camera is keeping him from doing it "on film.". It all started when I was trying to clear his nose one night and said to him it would just be easier if you just could blow it out and I demonstrated it for him. Well, you would have thought it was the most funny thing he has ever seen...he laughed hysterically every time we did it. Hoping it was the new thing to make him laugh Ken continued to do the sniffing and he exaggerated wrinkling up his nose to get him to do it and well the little guy just mimicked him. They love to do it to one another...it is like their secret language.

I knew I was making an impression on Wyatt when I went in to see him sleeping surrounded nightly by his stuffed animals and how much he LOVES to play with them. I loved stuffed animals as a child...who am I kidding I still do! So, no doubt his love for his furry friends comes from me including them in our play time. Brutus his stuffed dog is one of his favorites alongside his monkeys (Dangles and Maynard) and his Bears. I caught Wyatt and Brutus in such a cute pose I had to share it with you all.

Have a wonderful week!

Smile...

2009-09-02T22:43:00.006-05:00

I had this dream or expectation for myself as a new Mom that I would get Wyatt's picture taken at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months to document his first year of growth. So at 3+ months we headed to Sears and came away with two adorable shots of him smiling! Gave them out to Grandparents and family with the plan that we would update this photo in the future every 3 months. So along comes the 6 month milestone. Hmm...and there it went...and the calendar shows 8 months coming up fast. I tell myself that I need to wait till Ken is home from Japan to get the photos because it is more fun if both of us are sweating it, right? Da-Da is Wyatt's own personal rock star anyway so I thought we couldn't go wrong if he was there. Plus, we should get a family shot as well. Are you laughing yet in anticipation?

The 22nd of August would be the day! All of us dressed casual and in corresponding colors yet not matching. I didn't want the most adorable family photo to be too "awhhhhhhhhh" if you know what I mean. So, we get there on time and wait for our studio to be ready. We start off with the family shot. I realized that it is difficult to get your 7 month old to smile at the young photographer when he is sitting on your lap. Trying all the tricks I can think of and then be composed to look normal myself. What is "normal" anyway? We finish the family shots thinking we have some great photos.

Now it is time for Wyatt's solo shoot. I had brought the squeaky wrench that gets him to smile everytime and had already given it to the young girl taking the photos. So, I position Wyatt as instructed and he sits stoic for every shot as the young girl clicks away. Hello...I want a smiling photo. I am artistic and can understand that those can be great photos, but trust me this boy can smile and I love it when he does! It doesn't help that I want the perfect shot and having a digital camera...I delete a LOT! So, if you can picture me literally sweating to get Wyatt to crack a smile...which he won't. He rather lay on the backdrop with his head down...I think he wanted to sample the texture of the fabric with his tongue. All the while the young photographer is clicking away like these are the best photos. No matter what Ken and I tried he just wasn't feeling it. So...we are done (literally) and I know I don't have one shot of him smiling, but have hope for the family photo. Now we wait as she adds borders and text to different shots so we can buy those as well. As a graphic designer those are not my favorite. Wyatt and I take a few dozen laps around the baby department as we await the viewing. Ken waves us over and I say to Wyatt..."this shall be fun...I bet you didn't smile in any, right?" I hate it when my Mom's intuition is right. The family photo is kinda okay. So we got it. We got one shot of Wyatt, but I don't even know why we did...I won't be giving it out.

That brings us to my dilemma...do we go back at 9 months and try again. I shouldn't give up, right? One bad time shouldn't taint how I feel about going back. The lady photographer we had the first time was awesome so maybe we could get lucky and get someone like her again. I think I will take my own photo shoots as well as a back-up. I may do one outside this weekend to make-up for the "lost shots" and the bad ones which are ready for pick-up! Yea.

Maybe Wyatt felt the pressure because I told him he needed to smile for all the photos because future girlfriends and his wife will be viewing these photos so they needed to be cute. Whoops...too much pressure. The photo at the beginning of this long story is days after the photo shoot and if you look closely you will see he is sporting his two adorable bottom teeth.

Have a wonderful long weekend! Happy Labor Day to all.

Back to Bloggin'

2009-08-23T22:23:00.013-05:00

Hi! I am back...I wish I could say we were on vacation or something, but unfortunately nothing that exciting. Well, that is not entirely true. I had a birthday. Before I start on that...the first couple of photos were from August 11th...see I was trying to get photos to update the blog, but the "blogger" let life take over. So, those who visit to see if I wrote something new...thank you for your patience. Truly work has been crazy and that is no excuse except day and night it really has been hectic. Which is good for any consulting company with the economy the way it is...so I am not complaining (at least not after the fact) if it means that my job is getting more secure by day. Did I mention having Ken home is heaven. Honestly, he is one amazing Dad and husband.

Wyatt agrees with me!

My birthday was Monday the 17th after I had worked through the weekend...I was happy that I had taken the day off! I awoke to awesome decorations, breakfast, flowers and presents! What more could a girl want? Yes, I still say girl! Stop laughing all of you that know the truth. Isn't Ken amazing...he is hiding some talents I didn't know about and plan to tap in the future. Seriously, do you see the balloon centerpiece! I am better about my birthday than I use to be. I can't even begin to tell you about people I pray for daily that are really struggling with health issues. Why would I think to shun a day that people sing to me, call me or send me cards (thank you to so many friends and family that filled my dining room table with birthday wishes) to celebrate my life! So...I have decided to always take the day off and enjoy it! I would like for it to be one of "our family things" that we do always.

I know I am not in many of the photos on the blog so for my birthday I had Ken take a photo of me and Wyatt. I think I will put more photos of me on the blog from time to time to remind me that I need to get back to my old self and to hold me accountable. Blah...Blah.

What did I do on my birthday? In two words = Kohler Spa! It was my birthday so I went all out. My Mom and I enjoyed the lavish pampering with a lemon drop pedicure. We never had masques put on our legs before...they love it..so try it! I took my Mom because not only is she one of my best friends, but I love her more than I can ever express. She voluntary watches Wyatt and that is the GREATEST gift to me/us. So, there is no doubt she needs pampering too and I would not be here without her! (Give birth and you will definitely love your Mom in a whole new way.) I can go to work and never worry and know Wyatt is getting all the love in the world and that is priceless to Ken and I. Wyatt is so blessed with 4 INCREDIBLE Grandparents that just love and adore him. Who am I kidding...we ALL are blessed!

My Mom treated me to a fabulous lunch. Ken and I went out to dinner in Oak Brook at a restaurant that has incredible views of Chicago. So a lovely day that ended with a date with my handsome husband and not one meal to make or dish to wash!

This photo is just because he looked so cute...he sat for an hour in his bumbo, talked to me and helped me cook dinner. No joke! Did I mention I cut his hair. I should have video of it...with scissors...not an option with "Mr. Curiosity." Plus, it is not my gift and I was incredibly nervous that he would look awful. True story...I used my eyebrow shaper. It worked...thinned it out where it needed it...and it was like combing his hair...not a peep out of him. It took awhile and several sessions, but he looks better.

Isn't this the best. Even Brutus (stuffed dog) tried to mimic this move. Yes, Wyatt is now rolling over in his crib and sometimes falls asleep in fun positions. This was too funny not to document.
I see I got a bit winded so I will end it here and tease you with the subject for my next blog. Wyatt/Our Family's latest photo shoot at Sears.

Hope you all had a great weekend and were able to get some rest like we did!

Splish...Splash!

2009-08-10T21:41:00.007-05:00

Ahhh...Summer! It finally has arrived. Aunt Mary came to visit and so did the summer temperatures. Thanks to Gigi and Papa we were able to have a few firsts over the weekend. A new colorful and stylish bathing suit and a visit to the pool to keep cool. Sorry, I didn't know Ken was going to dive off the diving board or I would have had the camera in hand to capture it for all of you. Despite the photos...Wyatt had a great time in the kiddie pool. I think he thought it would be one place Mommy would not take the camera. Hard to believe that next year, we will be trying to keep him from running around the pool. Hmmm....no photos of Shar in a bathing suit...yes that is correct...this blogger is in control! Ha. Ha.

Da-Da and Wyatt after the "big dive"...a perfect 10!

We had a great time over the weekend (many thanks to Gigi and Papa)...with family and especially Aunt Mary. It was so great to see her and catch-up. We are counting on her visiting again in October.

I had a milestone of my own and I am not afraid to mention it. It is not easy having a baby late in your 30's especially when weight loss has never been easy for me...a bigger challenge now more than ever. Anywho...I squeezed into shorts this weekend that I haven't worn since B.W. (Before Wyatt)! Yes...I think I did a dance or two. Squeezed is the primary word here, but I can breathe and sit in them! YES! Sizes (plural is correct) smaller than pants I wear to work...ah yes...clothes for women where you can wear a size 6 in one thing and a 14 in another. I can thank my squeezing due to practically two weeks of salads or baked potato dinners I had when Ken was in Japan. I am not near where I want to be size wise, but I am on my way...by the grace of God. Now, if you see me you won't notice the difference but my shorts do and it helps with my self confidence especially with a birthday not too far off.

As you can see my blogging is back to once a week (I will try for more) with Ken back from Japan. Thank you all for the support and prayers while he was gone. Wyatt and I could feel them all...after all we SURVIVED!

Wyatt tidbits: He is teething again...not sure what teeth, but my guess is up top. He is rolling and will rock back on his knees although no crawling yet. He is babbling more than ever and practicing making high and low sounds. His new babbling word is Na-Na...many want to believe he is saying Ma-Ma, but it is clearly a "N" so maybe soon. He is a FABULOUS eater...I think we will be adding another solid food feeding soon to the two he is presently getting because he is just devouring his meals. Each day is a new adventure...can't wait to see what this week will hold.

Have a glorious week!

2009-08-06T22:18:00.004-05:00

Da-Da is HOME! It has been awhile since I have posted mainly due to my work load. So, I have been sleeping when not at the computer...actually that is almost true. Anywho...Wyatt and I are just elated that Ken is back home. It was adorable to see how excited Wyatt was when he saw Ken. Da-Da is his personal rock star! Not much new with us. Wyatt is now getting up on his knees on occassion so I am sure crawling is not too far in the future. I am back to taking relaxing showers - I just don't know how single Mom's do it...they are truly amazing Mom's. I missed Ken...having him back is priceless to me.

This weekend Ken's Aunt is in town so we will be having lots of fun and family gatherings so we are looking forward to spending time catching up with her.

My Mom was incredibly generous with her time while Ken was away and moved her schedule around to accommodate mine, taking me to the train...picking me up...watching Wyatt...etc. etc. Wyatt and I felt so loved! Many thanks Grandma...you are the best!

Have a great weekend! Stay cool...

We are Ready for the Weekend!

2009-07-30T21:26:00.015-05:00

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!

2009-07-28T22:09:00.006-05:00

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...

2009-07-27T21:18:00.007-05:00

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!

2009-07-26T21:12:00.005-05:00

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!

2009-07-25T21:14:00.006-05:00

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!

2009-07-24T22:14:00.006-05:00

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!

2009-07-23T21:05:00.008-05:00

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!

2009-07-22T15:45:00.007-05:00

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!