Wesley Scott Coburn

New Blog

2009-11-15T20:03:00.000-08:00

Hi Friends! I've started a new blog for both Bailey and Wesley instead of trying to maintain two separate ones. I hope you'll follow me on the new blog www.wesandbailey.blogspot.com

Mama's Boy? Daddy's Buddy...

2009-11-04T19:42:00.001-08:00

Wesley has been so much fun lately. His personality fills the entire room. He is walking and talking all over the place. He said "ball" for his Grandpa Ivester, "Hello" into the fake phone with his Grandma Coburn, and most recently...are you ready for this one?..."squirrel" for his Daddy. Squirrel? Really? He is a genius. And he was actually referring to the squirrel outside the window. Did I mention he's a genius?? :)

The last week had been a crazy one for the Coburns. We welcomed our newest member, Miss Bailey on Wednesday, October 28 at 2:49 AM. We moved into an apartment on Friday, October 30. We are in the process of wrapping up the sale of our house and have put an offer on a new house this week. I came home from the hospital on Thursday afternoon, and we went directly to my Dad's house to camp out until Jedd got us moved and unpacked into the apartment. He did an excellent job, and when we arrived on Saturday, it was as close to "home" as it was going to be.

Needless to say, my little guy has had a lot of change in the last week. But I must say, he has proven himself to be one of the most laid-back, adaptable people (not even going to put him in the child category of humans) I have ever known and I am oh so proud of him. While I was in the hospital, he was showered with grand-parental attention. On one day, he woke up to a house with all 3 Grandmas in it! He had no idea what to do or where to go or who to hug. My dad became his new best friend. I was full of delight by all the attention my boy was getting.

Now we're "home" and things are still different. I am not allowed to pick him up for two weeks so Jedd is working from home to help out. I have night duty with Miss B, so Jedd gets up with Wesley in the morning and gets him ready for the day. Jedd puts Wesley to bed at night. Wesley is quickly becoming a Daddy's Buddy, and I love it! He is still my boy, climbing onto my lap frequently and preferring me to rock him at naptime. It has been a little difficult to relinquish a lot of the control over his care, but I am delighted that Jedd is getting this opportunity to take care of Wesley, especially since the bond they are forming as a result is a blessing to both of them. They've always been close, but this is different. This is beautiful!!

Wesley is 14 months Old

2009-11-02T11:42:00.000-08:00

Wesley is a Walker!!

2009-11-02T11:20:00.000-08:00

Hunt Club Farm

2009-10-25T17:09:00.000-07:00

We went to Hunt Club Farm today to celebrate the Harvest Season! They had a petting farm that Wesley really enjoyed. When he is older, we will take him back because there is so much for kids to do. They even have a little carnival with kiddie rides. I loved being there. It was a nice family day!

There was so much to look at!!

I love this picture!! His face is priceless!

Hanging with the goats!

His Daddy thought it would be fun to chase the chickens!

He was so fascinated by everything!

In the chicken coup...I didn't go in. Ew.

On a tractor with his Dad!

He obviously prefers the pumpkin in my belly!

I am so in love with this little guy!!

Cuddle Time with Daddy

2009-10-25T17:03:00.001-07:00

Wesley and his Daddy have been doing lots of cuddling lately. Super cute!

Little Tid-Bits

2009-10-23T16:44:00.000-07:00

So my camera is in my hospital bag which is in the truck because we are anxiously awaiting the "moment." Anyway, I won't have cute pictures of my gorgeous boy to make this post more interesting, but I wanted to update on all things Wesley.

He is getting so big! I really feel like I enjoy him more every day. Despite the slapping phase we have entered. What is that? How does a parent handle that? To me, it is not logical to smack his hand for smacking my face. Then we're both doing wrong. I tried squeezing his hand and saying "No," but "No" is usually the impetus for the slapping so that doesn't work. We've given him stern eyes and that seems to make him cower, but again, not really the goal. Suggestions anyone??

Now to the more positive stuff that's going on...he's walking! Walking is still not his favorite form of transportation -- if he's on a mission, he'll crawl. But he thinks it is quite exciting to walk from one piece of furniture to another or one parent to another. He always looks up so proud of himself and laughs. Until today, I couldn't quite picture him walking. I knew it would eventually happen, but I had no visual of it. It is super cute. He's taken steps for the past week or so, but only a few here and there when begged. Yesterday and today, he's just taken it upon himself to walk. Pretty exciting!!

He has decided that he doesn't like vegetables, so in order for me to get him to eat them, I have to give him baby food veggies. I think that is way grosser, but whatever. I just want something green in his mouth.

We hit a little hiccup in the sleeping through the night. On any given night, he will decide to wake up between 1 and 4 and cry. Most nights, I just let him cry and he works it out and goes back to sleep, but there are other nights, that I've given in and rocked him for a half hour only to have him cry for another hour once I put him down. I'm not sure what that's all about and am hoping it's a random phase and will go away soon, very soon. Like before Bailey gets here.

I want him to learn another word besides "no." He knows tons of jibberish, but "No" is the word he knows best. And about an hour before bedtime, he says it with such passion and volume in response to everything.

His personality is vibrant, and I fall in love with him every day. It is so neat to watch him figure stuff out. I am so lucky to be his mom. This is a fun time for me.

Wesley's 12 Month Check-Up...a little late (as usual)

2009-10-04T18:22:00.000-07:00

Wesley had his 12 month check-up on Friday (at 13 months and 6 days). In my defense, his 9 month check-up was late due to rescheduling because of a cold and I wanted to make sure there was sufficient space inbetween visits so he wasn't getting his shots too close together.

Anyway, here's the stats:

My boy is 22.5 pounds, 33.5 inches, with a 19.5 inch head.

He did super-well and talked the doctor's head off!

Wesley is 13 Months Old Today!

2009-09-26T16:40:00.000-07:00

My New Favorite Thing To Do

2009-09-21T09:04:00.000-07:00

Wesley has a lot of books. He LOVES his books. He loves them all at once. His favorite, and daily, thing to do is to take as many of those books off of his bookshelf at once. Sometimes I see him trying to put them back on the shelf, which is super cute, but he's not as good at putting them back as he is at pulling them down. I have resigned to let the books lie until the end of the day, otherwise all I would accomplish each day is putting books away and putting books away and putting books away...

A Letter from a Year Ago

2009-09-16T05:30:00.000-07:00

I found this letter I wrote to Wesley in his journal a year ago today...I swear it feels like yesterday. I remember all of this so clearly:

You are 3 weeks old today! And what a 3 weeks it has been! Every day, I feel like I get a little more used to being a mom and you get a little more used to being in the world! You are sleeping pretty well at night. You wake up about 3-4 hours to eat. Yesterday, I decided to start pumping my milk and feeding it to you in a bottle. I have been trying everything to make your tummy as comfy as possible. I think my let-down is too quick, so we're trying this to see if it helps with the fussiness at night. It also helps me see how much you are eating, and Daddy gets to feed you, too! I still nurse when you wake during the night though. We also got thrush...probably because you were on antibiotics during our hospital stay. So I have to give you Nystacin four times a day after your feedings. Neither of us like doing that. Only one more week though! I hope it goes away soon. I also hope I don't infect the breastpump with it. Oh, I worry about everything. You have really done a number on me, Son. I have never been so afraid of failing or hurtng something in my life!! You are such a blessing, and I can't believe you're here and ours. I hope you always know how much I love you!

You've been awake more lately--well, awake AND happy, I mean! I love to watch you stare at things. Everyone always comments on how alert you are. And how cute you are! I can't wait to show you off in person. We still haven't gone anywhere together. I'm still nervous to do it my myself. Eventually, we will. xooxoxxo

I think it is so neat to look back and see how far we've come! I remember when I was so nervous and afraid to mess up. It was such a blessing for both of us (and probably those around me, too) when I just trusted myself and relaxed! I still get nervous sometimes, but I probably always will. He is just so precious...how could I not be so careful with him?!?

Baby in a Box

2009-09-15T17:10:00.000-07:00

Fun Weekend

2009-09-07T12:32:00.000-07:00

We had a great 3 day weekend! Jedd was busy, as usual, but still had time to hang out with Wesley and me. Saturday morning, he and his dad fixed some tile in our master bathroom (will this project ever be done?), and Grandma Coburn came along to spend some time with Wesley. She read him his favorite monkey book, and it was neat to watch him actually sit still and listen!

Yesterday, we all went to Plaza Azteca for a late lunch and then off to Mt. Trashmore so Wesley could play at the park. I let Wesley try some chips at Plaza, and it didn't go over to well later that night. YUCK. Stinkiest poo. Ever. It smelled like someone was getting a perm!

Off to more fun, pleasant topics...aren't Jedd and Wesley so cute playing together?

Wesley and I rode the airplane. I think I had more fun than him. He wasn't too sure what to think of it.

Today, it is raining, and I declared it "Pajama Day." So Jedd and Wesley are getting in some long overdue snuggle time, and I am getting some long overdue ME time :)

I'll Keep The Change

2009-08-31T16:10:00.001-07:00

Wesley learned how to put coins in his piggy bank! Now that he's out of the oral stage, I was less afraid to let him try. He loves doing it, and it only took him a few tries to figure out how to get the coins in. Now it's a daily thing...Daddy comes home, leaves his change on the counter, and we swipe it and put it in his piggy bank!

Thank You!

2009-08-28T05:33:00.000-07:00

Wesley got a lot of nice things for his birthday, so I wanted to make sure his thank you cards were special. I remembered how cute it was when I got a thank you card from my friend 's little girl (who turned 2) that was in her child's voice, complete with crayon scribble. So I went to Walgreen's yesterday and purchased blank blue note cards and a pack of crayons. I put Wesley in his high chair, and he "wrote" his thank you cards!

Montage of Cuteness

2009-08-26T20:11:00.001-07:00

Happy 1st Birthday Wesley!

2009-08-25T19:23:00.001-07:00

I had no idea when I first held you that my heart could hold so much love. During those first few long and sleepless nights, I had no idea how short this year would seem. When it felt like I would never have time for anything else again, I had no idea how much more time I would want. There could never be enough. You are my greatest blessing, Sweet Baby Boy.

Today is Wesley's birthday!! ! We started the day off by busting into Wesley's room this morning, singing "Happy Birthday." He just laid there confused, looking at us out of the corner of his eye, but I think he was happy to have both of his parents in his room before having to let us know he was awake!

Then we quickly got dressed so we could set off for our first annual "Birthday Breakfast with Daddy." Jedd's Dad took him to breakfast on his birthdays and it meant a lot to him, so Jedd wanted to do the same for our kids. I tagged along this time so that Jedd could take a trip to the buffet and leave Wesley at the table.

Wesley had some cheerios, peaches, a french toast stick, eggs, and I even let Jedd give him morsels of bacon, sausage and ham. He loved it all!!

This afternoon, I am taking him to JCPenny's for his one year studio pictures!

A Monkey Party

2009-08-25T17:54:00.001-07:00

Here are some pictures from Wesley's Monkey Party at Gammy's house!

Welcome to Monkey's 1st Birthday!

There were monkeys everywhere!!

And here's the cute monkey "cake" we made for him! My mom found this on ebay. It was so easy, just make the cupcakes, ice and arrange :)

And no first birthday is complete without a special little cake for the special little guy!

But he wasn't quite sure what to think of it!

He got lots of presents...

And lots of presents wrapped in Monkey paper!

Grandma Etta sent him some books from Missouri!

He didn't know what to think about all of the new toys just for him!

Aunt Boogie got him his first fishing rod...that made Daddy very excited!

And the CARS movie...that made Mommy very excited :)

Uncle Pook gave him a jack-in-the-box that had a sock monkey instead of a "jack." Super cute!!

The ABC train from Grandma and Grandpa Ivester was a big hit! Thanks to the "little man" inside, Wesley will learn a lot from it!

Jedd and I got him this chair (among other things) :). He is so cute in it!!

He loved all of the attention he got!!

And lots of people came and showered him with love and kisses!

With his Gammy (the one who made his party so special!...she cooked all the food and decorated her house to complete monkey madness!!)
And his Grandpa...

His Aunt Boogie...

And his proud parents...

All Things Big Boy

2009-08-25T17:10:00.000-07:00

The last couple of weeks with Wesley have been filled with all kinds of big boy activities. I think all the sleep he's getting is making his awake time more fun and productive. His appetite makes me very happy, and he's all about the sippy cup! Oh, and a person cannot cross his path without a big, friendly "HHHHEEEEEEYYYYYYY!!!" I love it!

One of Wesley's favorite things for breakfast is a whole grain waffle with strawberry cream cheese. Can you see the glaze in his eyes??

I finally got over my fear of pizza crust being a choking hazard and let Wesley try it...see the glazed look? He loves it...

What bottle? Just kidding. He still takes a 4 oz. bottle before his nap and an 8 oz. before bed. Other than that, he's all sippy cup.

We went to dinner at Chili's, and Wesley played with the crayons and children's menu while we waited for our meal. Wesley got the grilled chicken platter off the children's menu. He thought it was mmmyyyyummmyyy...

And the big boy moved into his big boy carseat...long overdue!! He loves it. I love it, too. It's so nice to be able to turn around and chat with him at stop lights. He loves looking out the window and telling us about everything he sees!

Wesley turns one tomorrow. I can't believe it. We celebrated his birthday at my mom's house this weekend by throwing the Monkey a monkey birthday party. That will have to be its very own post though.

I finally wrote the "Letter from Mommy" for Wesley's baby book. Here it is:

Dear Wesley, As we approach your first birthday, I am overwhelmed by how quickly this first year of your life has gone by. You have filled our hearts and days with much more love and joy than we ever imagined one person could feel. It has been so much fun watching you grown and explore and learn new things. Your personality is a little more vibrant every day! You are enthusiastic about the world around you, and you delight in everyone you meet! You have my temper--it comes quickly and leaves even quicker. You are loving and affectionate and smart and strong. You make me wish days passed a little slower! Yet, I look forward to every new day! I imagine you walking and talking, learning to ride a bike, writing your name, and singing your ABC's. I cannot for one moment imagine my life without you in it, and I can barely recall my life before you. You, my love, are such a precious gift from our Father, and I thank Him for you every day. I also pray that He will guide me to be the Mommy that you deserve. I love you Sweet Boy. Love, Mommy

New PJ's, New Attitude

2009-08-17T17:00:00.000-07:00

Saturday, Jedd and I went to Toys R Us to pick out Monkey's first birthday presents. While we were there, I perused the clearance rack and found a special pair of jammies for a special boy who has been doing so well sleeping in his crib. Sunday night, we put them on and they were magical...there was no crying at all! And this morning, I had to wake him at 8am so we could get ready to go to my doctor's appointment. Tonight, there was no crying either. I am so thankful!!

Doesn't he look so cute in his new PJ's??

Sleepy Boy

2009-08-14T13:01:00.000-07:00

Wesley has slept through the night, usually 11-12 hours for the last 3 nights. Getting to bed is still a little stressful because he starts crying as soon as we go to his room to put on his PJ's and read bedtime stories. But once I leave the room, he only cries for about 5 minutes. I keep praying that it will just keep getting easier. Even though it is working, it is still so hard for me to walk away.

He wakes up pretty mad at me, so this morning I decided to wake up before him and wake him up so maybe we could start the day on a happier note. When I woke up, it was 7:40! I couldn't believe we had slept that late. I rushed in his room, and this is what I found!

I decided to wait until 8 to wake him up. My plan didn't work. He was still mad, but he got over it quickly. Oh well, I guess we can't all be morning people :)

Big Fat Love Moment

2009-08-12T18:06:00.000-07:00

Today in the grocery store, Wesley pointed to me and said, "Mama." What a wonderful, beautiful gift he gave me. Why do I even try to explain how very much I love this kid???

Crying It Out

2009-08-11T20:41:00.000-07:00

So I decided (after much turmoil and prayer) that before I resigned myself to sleeping in a separate bed from my husband once Bailey gets here so that he could take over sleeping with Wesley, that I would just try to let Wesley cry it out. That way I never wondered what if and I knew I had tried everything. As you well know, I have tried everything else. So yesterday, Jedd left for Texas and I prayed that if I should do this that I would have the courage to do it.

Going into his room last night, I wasn't prepared to do it. I was prepared to sit by his bed for hours while he figured out how to go to sleep. I lasted about 45 minutes. At one point, Wesley hung his arms over the crib, snot running down his nose, and said "Ma Ma Ma Ma." I lost it. This seemed like more torture for both of us, than me simply telling him good night and walking out of the room. So I told him good night and walked out of the room. I decided he had 45 minutes, and if he was still crying, this was a done deal. He stopped crying in 26 minutes.

I wish I could say that he slept through the night and awoke refreshed and ready to play, but he didn't. I'm pretty sure he slept sitting up, and he woke up frequently, but never fussed for more than 5 minutes. When he started fussing at 6:45, I popped out of bed, eager to go grab him and hug him and start our day. He got so mad when he saw me...wasn't exactly the reaction I was expecting. Fortunately, he got over it quickly. Today was tough because he was so tired, and I was so tired. I felt like we were both a little dazed and cranky.

As bedtime approached tonight, I was overwhelmed with anxiety. I've never wanted to give up on something so bad. I just keep telling myself that I can do this until Friday, and at least at that point it will work or I will know that it doesn't work.

Wesley cried during each phase of our bedtime routine because he's so smart and knows the part where I put him in the crib and walk away is how the routine ends. I prayed and prayed and prayed while I fed him his bottle. I just wanted this to be as easy as possible for him. When I walked out of his room, he was crying so I rushed to my bedroom and closed the door, turned on the fan and got my PJ's on. By the time I walked out of the room, a minute had passed and Wesley was no longer crying! He started crying when he heard me step into our squeaky hallway, but once he realized I wasn't coming to get him, he stopped. The whole process took 3 minutes. He has since fussed a couple of times (the phone rang or I walked down the squeaky hallway to go to the bathroom), but it's never for even a minute. I am hoping that the vast improvement tonight is an indicator of how the middle of the night will go. That's the hardest part.

I am truly hopeful that this works. Jedd and I can sleep together again. Wesley will get uninterrupted sleep, and I can have a little bit of "me" time before Bailey arrives.

As for naps, we're letting that be right now, and we'll continue to take them together until we get night time sleep figured out.

Hopefully, this is the last week that I will have so much to say about sleep.

August and Everything After...

2009-08-10T18:39:00.000-07:00

Friday was the "year anniversary" of my last day at work. I was super emotional. Not about missing work or anything like that, but just that a year had passed since I left work to prepare for Wesley's arrival and my new adventure of being a Mom. I cried because this year went by incredibly fast. I remember when Wesley turned a month old. I cried because I thought 'if all the months go by this quickly, he'll be a year old before I know it..." People thought I was silly, but I was right. I'm not sad that Wesley is growing and learning new stuff. He's actually a ton of fun to hang out with these days! It's just that it goes by too fast.

I was bombarded with cliches when Wesley arrived. I recall one in particular that really annoyed me "Enjoy every moment." When I read that, I was mad because at the time, most of my moments were trying to figure out why my baby was crying and how I could get him to go to sleep. I vowed I would never say that to a new mom because I wouldn't want her to feel guilty for not enjoying every moment. But here I am, a year later, with a better understanding of how true cliches can really be. Those moments, even the frustrating ones, are fleeting. They grow and change so quickly in the first year, that it would be easy to forget all those little things if you don't make an effort to savor them. I still haven't said that to a new mom, but I almost do a lot. And I would mean it. But I think I would offer a disclaimer, too :)

Wesley's First Kiss

2009-07-30T18:20:00.001-07:00

Wesley and I went to Miss Jaala's birthday party on Sunday, and we had a wonderful time! Wesley was quite smitten with her, as he should be (she's adorable)! Her mommy asked Jaala to give the baby a kiss...Wesley waited patiently for it, and then went in for it, too! He usually crawls to the other side of the room when Mackenzie tries to love on him so I was quite surprised that he was so interested! The good news is, Jaala's mommy got it on camera!

Fun with Junk Mail

2009-07-28T15:45:00.000-07:00

Everything is more fun with Wesley...even junk mail. Before tossing it, we just threw it on the floor, crumpled it, tore it, and giggled!!

Wesley is 11 Months Old

2009-07-25T07:51:00.001-07:00

Wesley is 11 months old today!

He just keeps on getting more and more fun! I feel like we've had a lot of little victories lately. Sleeping and eating is usually such a challenge with him. But, we have been able to find a few new things that he enjoys eating. Gammy brought him some Danimals Yogurt Smoothies. He thinks those are the best. Breakfast is much easier now that whole grain waffles with applesauce is on the menu!

Wesley is also doing better with a sippy cup. He still prefers the bottle, but he takes the sippy cup about twice a day!

He also likes apple juice with animal crackers as an after-the-pool-snack! He hums the yummy song whenever he eats his animal crackers! I love it!!

Sleeping is still a challenge. We're still trying. He is more likely to sleep in his crib than he was 2 weeks ago, BUT we don't count on it. I've stopped stressing out about it. I only have a few more months of just me and Wesley time, and I don't want this time to be one big battle. We'll figure it out.

Wesley got his 7th tooth without me even noticing that he was teething. That was a nice surprise, considering his last 6 teeth have come 2 at a time and were very painful...for both of us!

The separation anxiety has eased up a lot. There are still a few fits here and there if he's super tired, but for the most part I can leave the room for a few moments now! I still don't get to go to the bathroom alone, but that's okay. Maybe he'll remember my examples in a year or so and potty training will be a cinch?? :)

We still enjoy our walks, swinging and going to the pool. The pool is even more fun for both of us because Gammy brought Wesley a penguin float. It's also been neat to watch Wesley rediscover his toys and books. He is just so much fun to play with! I had to laugh last weekend because I was playing with him, and I remembered how annoying I must have been when he was just a newborn and I was dangling all these toys in front of him, afraid he would be bored or starved for attention. Good news for Bailey...she'll get a little more down time :)

Oh, and as if Wesley couldn't get any cuter, Gammy also brought him some rain boots for the fall. They don't fit yet, but I had to go ahead and take his picture in them!

I think it's funny how delighted a Mom can get over little victories like your baby finishing his peas and getting to grab the laundry without an emotional breakdown. I think it is wonderful how delighted I am most days of my life...

Thank You, Grandpa!

2009-07-23T13:58:00.001-07:00

We came home to the sweetest gift on our doorstep! Grandpa Ivester made Part One of a book about Wesley. It is this blog (months November - December) in book form. My favorite part is the introduction. It makes me cry every time I read it. I sat and read the book and remembered those first few months with my little guy. What an absolutely incredible gift. Thank you Dad/Grandpa. We love you.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-07-22T10:39:00.001-07:00

Wesley's 9 Month Check Up...at almost 11 months!

2009-07-21T10:32:00.000-07:00

Wesley finally had his 9 month check up yesterday...a month and half late! I scheduled his original one a little late, but then we had to reschedule it twice because of his chest cold. Anyway, everything was great...he was 31.5 inches, 21 pounds, 4.5 ounces and his head was 18.5 inches. He's a big boy...a big, skinny boy! :)

Words on a Wednesday

2009-07-15T18:52:00.001-07:00

Okay, so I'm totally breaking my new rule of "Wordless Wednesday," because I have something important to say, and guess what? Yep, it's about sleep.

So we're on Day 2 of Week 2 of Wesley's sleep training. Tonight, I tried Hogg's Up/Down method. Basically, you lie them down to go to sleep and pick them up when they cry, once they're calm, lie them back down. You repeat the process as many times as necessary. She had to do it 126 times on the first night with one of the children she helped train. But then the next night, it only took 30 times and the next 4 and the next once. It gave me hope.

I talked myself out of doing anything today because Wesley didn't take a real nap today, and I was exhausted. I just wanted to go to sleep and "pause" the sleep training. But something in my gut said to try it, even if it was just to fail. So I decided that I would try it up to 126 times and after that, we were going to bed in the guest room.

It took only 30 times. That's still a lot of work, and my pregnant back is killing me. But it worked. From experience, I know that he may wake up in an hour, but I also know that this is progress--a glimmer of hope, and that I have to keep trying.

I know that God has a lot of important and more crucial prayers to answer than my grief over Wesley's sleeping habits and my anxiety over having another baby soon. But I also know that my Lord loves each of us beyond our own understanding and that he delights in every detail, even the smallest ones, of our lives. I have been consumed, obsessed if you will, over getting Wesley back into his crib. And God knows that. Once Wesley was asleep, I sat in the glider, watching him, knowing that I would probably miss our snuggle time tonight, and just prayed a prayer of unbelievable gratitude that my Savior cares about me so much that he was taking just as much delight in that quiet moment in Wesley's room.

Sleep Training Day #7

2009-07-13T16:50:00.000-07:00

Could you stop talking about sleep already? That's what I think Wesley was thinking when he first put his mouth over my mouth in the middle of me telling his father one of my many new revelations about getting Wesley to sleep in his crib. I chalked it up to a kiss and continued talking. But it was obvious, that it wasn't a kiss, it was an attempt to make me stop talking, whenever he just took his hand and put it over my mouth. Jedd and I laughed so hard I cried. I'm kind of tired of talking about it, too. But then, I'm also obsessed with it.

But I have something VERY important to say...Right now, at this moment, Wesley is asleep in his crib! Thank God!

I got in his crib with him and gave him his night-night bottle. He drank half of it, messed around with his mobile and aquarium, and then came back for the rest of the bottle. He was super frustrated because there wasn't a lot of room in the crib (who knew)? So I sat up indian style in the middle of the crib, held and rocked him while I sang his night-night songs. I gradually laid down with him, etc. I was petrified that getting out of the crib would wake him, but it didn't. Then I was scared that pulling up the sidebar would wake him, but it didn't. At that moment, I just bowed my head and prayed...thankfulness and that I could please get out of the room without waking him. His door is super squeaky...but I did. Once I got to the living room to show Jedd that I was not holding a sleeping or crying Wesley, I just started crying. Relief and disbelief and anticipation overwhelmed me.

I have no idea what I'm going to do if/when he wakes up, but at least for now, Jedd and I can enjoy some grown up time without being afraid that Wesley is going to roll off the bed.

And most importantly, progress has been made. Praise God!!

Sleep Training Day #3

2009-07-09T17:59:00.000-07:00

More of the same. But better. I ended up picking him up because we were basically hugging and slow dancing over the railing. I was able to get him to lie down for a few moments here and there. The thing is when he's ready to fall asleep, he wants me to hug/hold him. Anyway, I picked him up and did the up/down/up/down thing with him. I finally gave up and put him to bed in the guest room because he really needed to go to sleep. At least tonight didn't feel as traumatic as the last two nights. Perhaps tomorrow will be better and so on. I do believe he is getting more comfortable with his crib...obviously not comfortable enough to sleep in it. But he doesn't hate it anymore. He even snuggled with his Lovey-Lamb. That was sweet to watch. I can do this. Tonight gave me hope. A little hope anyway.

Sleep Training Day #2

2009-07-09T07:27:00.000-07:00

So last night was a little bit better than the first night. He still ended up in the guest room bed, but he lasted an hour in his crib before the meltdown. I even had him lying down, and I stuck a bottle in his mouth. (I wasn't concerned about creating that bad habit...I'd deal with it later)...I was praying "Please God, please God, please God." Unfortunately, it wasn't a full bottle, there was only an ounce in it because he had already drank most of it at the beginning of our night-night drama, I mean routine. Anyway, perhaps if there were a little more milk, he would've fallen asleep? I'll keep that in mind tonight.

Anyway, I felt discouraged because he was ready to go to bed by 7:30, and I had him in there around 7:20. An hour later, he was completely frazzled (as was I) and it took a whole additional hour to get him to sleep...AND he wasn't even in his crib! I wanted to say forget it today so I could make sure he actually went to sleep when he needed to, but I promised myself I would give this 2 weeks.

If at the end of 2 weeks, we are in the same boat, I am seriously considering the crib mattress on the floor. It's worth a try.

At the end of the day, the worst case scenario is that none of this works and Jedd and Wesley have to sleep in the guest room once Bailey gets here. I made Jedd promise that he would continue to be in love with me and devoted to me if it came to that, and he promised so everything will be okay.

And really, I see so many heartbreaking prayer requests about these sweet little babies who are fighting for their lives and then I look at my little guy and feel so humbled and blessed that he's healthy and happy! At that point, I'm like sleep-shmeep...psshh, who cares? :)

Wordless Wednesday

2009-07-08T08:42:00.000-07:00

Sleep Training Day #1

2009-07-07T18:01:00.000-07:00

Poo. This is awful. So the challenge is getting Wesley out of our bed and back into his crib. I reread Elizabeth Pantley's No Cry Sleep Solution. I followed her suggestions leading up to the big day--sleep with the crib sheets so it has my scent, spend time in the crib playing, cuddling and laughing so there is a positive association. I did all of those things. She also suggested moving the crib into my room and gradually moving it foot by foot back into his room (not gonna happen). I combined these tips with a post on Dana Obelman's blog about moving your baby back into his crib...which includes sitting in a chair beside his crib for however long it takes while your baby is in the crib and finally falls asleep. Three days later, you move the chair three feet away until eventually you are out the door.

Okay, so I put Wesley in his crib. At first everything was fine. He played with his aquarium. He watched his mobile. He hugged his bunny. He stood up and put his head on my shoulder. Again and again and again. I coached him to lie down. To go to sleep. To rest. Again and again and again. Thirty minutes into this, he had a complete meltdown. I tried for 15 more minutes to calm him down and keep the crib in the equation. And I broke.

We went to the guest room, had a bottle and he is out. Asleep in the guest bed. Again. AND, he is still making that noise that you make after you've cried really hard, and he's been asleep for a half hour.

I'll try again tomorrow. I'm hoping that eventually the comfort level with the crib increases. I am praying and hoping and wishing and praying that this works. Soon.

If not, I guess I'll just put his crib mattress on the floor and put up a baby gate?

Will you say a prayer for us, too? :)

Wesley and Mackenzie...hangin in his crib!

2009-07-05T08:31:00.000-07:00

Peek-A-Boo

2009-06-30T06:16:00.000-07:00

I get emails from Productive Parenting that gives me an idea of games or activities to do with Wesley based on his age. I don't do all of them, but sometimes they are pretty creative and/or easy enough to just do. You can go to their website and sign up and they can send you emails, too. We recently got Peek-A-Boo. Pretty basic, but pretty fun!

PEEK

A

BOO!!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-06-30T06:13:00.000-07:00

I got this idea from Kelly's Korner

So I'm going to give it a try each Wednesday...just post a picture, no words. I mean, they say a picture is worth a thousand words, right?!

Sunday Funday

2009-06-30T05:47:00.000-07:00

I love Sundays! Except that they make Mondays even harder. This Sunday was especially wonderful! We were all home, the weather was beautiful, and we were all rested! We left after breakfast for the park and a walk. First Wesley had to put on his new shoes he got from Gammy!

Wesley loves going for walks. We usually go for a walk every day. Here he is all sunscreened-up and ready to go...

Since it was close to his nap time, we decided to go directly to the park to make sure he would have time to swing before he fell asleep. (He often falls asleep on walks...I would too if someone were pushing me!!)

Unfortunately, the chain only goes across and not inbetween his legs at our neighborhood park so I had to have my hand over him the entire time. (We went to Mt. Trashmore's park on Monday and those swings were perfect, so he got to swing higher, faster and a little more independently).

Anyway, Wesley still had a blast (did you check out his face in those pictures?!). I guess it looked like so much fun that Jedd had to try out a swing, too :)

Wesley especially enjoyed watching that!

And as we predicted, when we got home and went to take Wesley out of the stroller this is what we found...

Jedd took this opportunity to snuggle and nap with Wesley, and they both napped for 2 more hours...but they were up in time to watch the race. I conceded and allowed Wesley to wear the Jeff Gordon shirt his Gammy got for him. It actually brought #24 some luck that day because he probably would have won had it not gotten rained out. Still, 2nd place is not too shabby...You're welcome, Gammy.

Wesley is 10 Months Old!

2009-06-29T16:48:00.000-07:00

Wesley turned 10 months old on Friday...I can't believe it!

Wesley's First Vacation

2009-06-24T09:24:00.001-07:00

Wesley and I had our first vacation together in Emerald Isle, NC last week. Jedd was unable to go because he was traveling for work. Gammy was super sweet to let us join her on her week at the cottage. What a week! It was obviously very different from every other vacation I have ever taken, but nonetheless, eventful and relaxing, as a vacation should be!

It all started last Saturday, when we headed to Mechanicsville for Uncle Pook's high school graduation.

Wesley did not attend the ceremony, but he did live it up at the celebration party! He "chilled" in the baby pool with his cousins!

Sunday, we left around 11 AM on our 5 hour journey for Emerald Isle. Wesley did exceptionally well...until the last 45 minutes of the trip, at which point, I had to join him in the backseat and make funny faces and sing songs to entertain him until we arrived!

Monday morning, we headed out to the beach. I had no idea what to expect since I had attempted to put Wesley in a sandbox a few weeks before and he refused to play in it, pulling his toes up with a disgusted look on his face! I sat him down on a beach towel while I got our stuff situated, upon which he immediately found a shell and stuck it in his mouth. Fortunately, that was the last and only time he tried to eat anything off the beach! He preferred the water to the sand. We hung out at the shoreline, and he slapped the water each time it came up. It was a lot of fun! Gammy later came out and held him up to "body surf" the approaching waves.

After an hour of some very serious fun, Wesley took a nap in true style...

We didn't make it back to the beach until Thursday when the Flinchbaughs came and visited us! Wesley especially liked playing with Elliott!

On Friday, after taking Wesley to the Emerald Isle Medical Center because he had a cough and had been exposed to bronchitis, only to find out he was fine, we hit the beach again. This time, Wesley was immediately ready to play and crawled all over the beach! He "body surfed" with Gammy again (I have no pictures because my camera is not waterproof) :)

Later that day, we went to the Emerald Isle Aquarium, and Wesley had a fantastic time.

I think that if you asked Wesley what his favorite part of vacation was, he would say the hammock swing. We spent a lot of time in that swing!

He even shared it with his cousin, Mackenzie...

Who might be his second favorite part of vacation!

Here they are in their matching hats and tourist t-shirts from Gammy (they're holding hands!!)

Taking a nap together...

Playing with bubbles...

Drinking together :)

Even separate rooms couldn't separate them!

Wesley Eats Like A Big Boy

2009-06-11T17:28:00.001-07:00

Wesley has been a pain in the rear when trying to feed him food. He takes both hands, crosses them and blocks his face. When I put his hands down, he turns his head and buries his face into his chair. So I started giving him bite-sized food and letting him feed himself. I'm not sure how much he actually gets in his mouth, but at least he's learning and we're not fighting...

Eating cheese and crackers (half of it ended up on his lap)

Eating Mixed Veggies and Mac and Cheese

Wesley Goes To The Swimming Pool

2009-06-09T07:04:00.000-07:00

We visited our neighborhood pool for the first time this weekend. It was a little cloudy and not very warm, so we only stayed for a few minutes. He loved it! I knew he would because he loves the bathtub! We went again yesterday afternoon, and we had even more fun since the sun was shining!

Wesley's 9 Months Old

2009-06-09T07:00:00.001-07:00

So I'm a little late on this post, but here's my little guy on his 9 month birthday...

My First Mother's Day

2009-05-14T08:04:00.000-07:00

I had a wonderful Mother's Day! Wesley and I came home from my mom's house Sunday morning to a clean house and an eager Jedd waiting to spend the day with us. The weather was beautiful, perfect for the day's plan to go to the Zoo. Jedd gave me a very sweet card and the Mother and Child Willow Creek plaque. I collect Willow Creek figurines, so this was perfect.

But not as perfect as the rest of the day! I love the zoo. I love being outside in the sunshine, and I love being with my guys. This day was all of that at once. I felt so special and honored...honored to be Wesley's Mama.

That night I said to Jedd as I say to God every night, "Thank you so much for giving me Wesley."

I always knew I wanted to be a mom, but it wasn't something I thought about or imagined. It was just one of those things that seemed like it would be a natural thing we do, eventually. We even put it off a few times, clinging to our freedom and independence. One summer we put it off because I won Busch Gardens passes, and I wanted to be able to ride the roller coasters! We were meticulous about getting everything in perfect order so that we would be positively, 100%, absolutely ready for a new addition to our family.

By the time we started "not not trying," I was chomping at the bit. When I finally got that positive test, my whole world changed. Everything was about this little person inside me. And when I finally held this little guy, my whole world changed even more. I had absolutely no idea how perfect and pure love could feel. I had no idea I was capable of the feelings I was feeling. I quickly realized there was no planning possible to prepare yourself for all that a little baby brings into your heart, your home, your soul, your prayers with the Lord, your relationship with your husband, your mom, your sister, your dad, the person behind you in line at the grocery store. To say 'a baby changes everything' is too simple.

I truly believe that I was put on this earth to be a mom. It is the greatest job I've ever had. I am constantly learning and growing and failing and trying. I still look at my little man in awe, probably more now than ever before, that this little guy is the idea I obsessed over for months, the wonder that moved and kicked and grew inside of me for 9 months, the joy that overshadowed my fear of hospitals and delivery, the helplessness and strength I felt at once when I first held him...the prayers I pray a hundred times a day of gratitude and for wisdom and patience and strength...this little guy, this huge blessing, is why I was honored on Mother's Day...and really, the honor is all mine.

Wesley Crawls!!

2009-04-27T17:43:00.000-07:00

Wesley is 8 Months Old!

2009-04-27T08:56:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a gorgeous day and quite productive, too! We were able to leave my parents' house at a reasonable time yesterday morning so we still had a regular Sunday afternoon at home. (Kudos to me...I am no good at getting my tail into gear so this was a great feat for me :))

Wesley loves hanging out in the middle of the floor in a sea of his toys. He likes it better if I sit on the floor with him. No problem (for now anyway...). I took some pictures of him just being his cute little self to mark his 8 month birthday. I swear he gets cuter every day!!

A list of interesting firsts...

2009-04-21T09:37:00.000-07:00

In the last week or so, Wesley has experienced a lot of "firsts," beginning with a very uncomfortable one for Mommy! We were taking our usual walk to Farm Fresh one sunny afternoon, when Wesley decided he didn't really feel like hanging out in the stroller. Up until this point, I have always just placed Wesley in his stroller, unstrapped, and he would lean back and prop his cute little feet up on the drink holder. Well, on this particular day, I don't know if the sun was in his eyes or he just got a case of the squirms, but I looked down and my son was hanging from the stroller!! The lower half of his body was literally out of the stroller inbetween the tray and he was hanging on with his top half. I cannot explain to you how quickly this happened! I screamed and ran around to pick him up. Of course he was crying, but only once I screamed and freaked out :) Anyway, I put him back in the stroller and fastened him up nice and securely. I almost vomitted once I continued our walk, just thinking about what could have happened. When we got home I realized my cute little guy had a scrape on his face. My little scarface...so here is his first boo-boo.

On a more interesting, relaxing note, Wesley had a way yummier first this weekend! Jedd and I took Wesley to Danny's Deli in Newport News. And of course, he had to try his very first yummy-oh-so-delicious-Danny's Deli-PICKLE!! Lucky boy, I had to wait 20 years until Jedd took me there on our 3rd date to get that kind of first :)

Jedd puts a little pickle in his mouth...

He likes it...this face is more of a result of the flash on my camera :)

The next day, we took Wesley to the Boardwalk on the Oceanfront...his first visit to the beach! First feeling of sand between his toes and salt air in his nose! He loved it!!

Jedd was showing him what sand is

He decided to feel it for himself

And he liked it a lot!

But it's not all fun and sun for Wesley...oh no! He is a very active member of his community. He also attended his first Tea Party on Tax Day, but he slept through it. And he participated in the 2009 Walk For Life to benefit the Crisis Pregnancy Center of Tidewater. He enjoyed dancing with his Mama to Halogen at the pre-race ceremony, but again, he slept through the actual race.

Wesley also tried juice from a juicy cup...not a big fan yet and much prefers Mommy to just hold it for him.

Oh, and in addition to his Houdini-squirming-skills, he is improving his "crawling" skills. He still does his army crawl, but it is less gimp-like these days. He is actually doing the correct crawling motions! And last Wednesday, he actually crawled, belly up, crawled, but only for a moment, before he realized that dragging his belly was much easier. He also hangs out on his hands and knees in the crawl position and rocks back and forth with a big ol' smile on his face. Oh, and I'm pretty sure he can do more push-ups than me...

"Firsts" can be bittersweet mostly, but they are so much fun. The world is more like a playground...watching Wesley see and feel and taste and hear and smell new things have made my own senses much more alive than ever before!

Wesley's First Easter

2009-04-19T09:15:00.001-07:00

We packed up and went to Gammy and Grandpop's house on Good Friday-Eve. Jedd had fishing plans with Eddie on Friday and Saturday, and I just love love love every minute that we get to spend at my parents' house! Stacy and Mackenzie came over on Friday, and Gammy pulled out the wagon that the Easter Bunny had left at her house earlier in the week!

After getting over the cuteness of the babies just sitting in the wagon, we decided to put it in use and Aunt Boogie (Stacy) pulled the babies. Mackenzie held on and rode along like a professional, while my little guy relaxed...a little too much.

He fell asleep before we even made it a block!

That's my boy!

Saturday, Gammy pulled out even more stuff the "Easter Bunny" left for the babies. She handed Wesley a Redskins Tote Bag, and unlike Christmas when he was more of a witness to others (me) unwrapping and showing him his presents, he dug in. He pulled out a dozen outfits, sandals, books, sippy cups, and the most important surprise of all: his very own cell phone, complete with Gammy's recorded voice squealing her signature "WESSSEEEE Boy! Gammy loves you..." Perhaps now, I will actually be able to talk on my cell phone in peace? Perhaps not. Wesley wants the cell phone (or remote) that is in use, despite having his very own in his hands.

We were all set to go to church Easter morning, but Mackenzie ended up in the emergency room Saturday night with a very high fever and Jedd and I were up all night with Wesley who could not breathe through his nose. My clan slept until 10:15, while Stacy's clan were dressed in their Easter best and ready to go to church by 9:45. Oops. But, Mackenzie (and Boogie) looked beautiful in their Easter dresses. Pretty dress or not, my Mackenzie girl crawled and climbed all over Gammy's house, obviously feeling much much much better. Praise God.

We still gathered together and had a wonderful Easter dinner. We praised God for all that he is doing in each of our lives and most importantly for dying for our sins and rising again so that we may have eternal life in HIM!! I love Easter!!

P.S. My camera was lost for a week or so so I have no pictures of Wesley's Easter Fun...Gammy does so they do exist, but I don't have them to share with you right now :(

Too Cool for School

2009-04-06T11:24:00.000-07:00

Check out Wesley in his cool shades...He kept them on all day and didn't mind them at all!

Wesley visits the Easter Bunny!

2009-04-06T11:14:00.000-07:00

Jedd and I took Wesley to see the Easter Bunny at Bass Pro Shops in Hampton on Saturday. It was free (a way to get me in the store so Jedd could spend money on fishing stuff...genius marketing) :) Anyway, I was nervous that Wesley would be scared of the Easter Bunny...he's a little older now and doesn't just go to everyone, and I think Easter Bunnies are scarier than Santas. But not my boy. His curious spirit led the way! I put him on the Bunny's lap and he looked up with awe, then found the cameras pointing at him and smiled!

They gave us 3 cards with codes on them so we could pick up the professional pictures online. It takes 72 hours though so I still don't have them. Anyway, I think it's a cool deal. They have crafts and egg hunts for older kids.

Wesley is now able to sit in shopping carts, and he loves it. So does Mommy because lugging that car seat around with my 18 pound baby inside wears me out! He looks like such a big boy in the cart. He loves all the different things he can see, and it is fun to watch him "see" stuff. Grocery shopping is a treat these days :)

Jedd also took this opportunity to show Wesley all the different kinds of fish there are to catch...

A Year Ago Today...

2009-04-03T07:58:00.000-07:00

we found out Wesley was a boy! Here is what I wrote in his journal:

You're a BOY!! And we are naming you Wesley Scott. We'll call you "Wes." Today, your heart rate was 133 bpm. You weighed 14 oz. They couldn't see exactly how long you were, but the average length of a baby at 20 weeks is 7 inches. We got to see your face close up, and your arms and legs were close to your face. I think it looks like you have your Dad's nose and mouth, but he says we can't really go by the ultrasound. We'll see...

When the technician said you were a boy, it was very anticlimatic. She just went, "and there's the winkie..." Everything else is good, too. So far, we're both healthy. I love you.

He's been our Wesley ever since! I'm still not able to call him "Wes." Maybe when he's 30?...Or maybe not. :)

He is such a blessing!!

Every one was a baby once...

2009-04-02T09:06:00.001-07:00

Wesley's personality seems to get more vibrant every day! He is always talking and taking in things around him. He is curious and enthusiastic, cuddly and suddenly serious. I love my life...I love this honor of being Wesley's Mama.

Earlier this week, I had to go to the DMV. Wesley chilled out in his car seat just taking in his surroundings, racking up compliments from strangers on his cuteness and how good he is :) I know. Anyway, while I was there, I saw a mom with her teenage son who was getting his license. I'm not sure if it was motherhood or pregnancy hormones, but I just got choked up! It's like now that I have my Wesley, I realize that every kid/teenager/adult was a baby once. My heart swelled for that mom--she looked proud and sad all at once. I am so excited that I will have the experience of watching Wesley grow and learn new things, but I've never been good at letting go. Fortunately, as a mom, you get little moments of letting go every day so maybe by that time I'll be able to handle it...??

My favorite sound...

2009-03-29T10:07:00.000-07:00

We've been busy!

2009-03-26T15:29:00.000-07:00

We just returned from an awesome trip to Gammy's house! We went up for the weekend, and Jedd had meetings in Richmond for the beginning of the week so we stayed until yesterday! I am pretty confident Wesley understands that Gammy is the one on the other end of the phone squealing her signature "WESSEEE BOYEEE" :)

It was extra fun to watch Wesley and Mackenzie play together this time since Wesley can sit up on his own. Gammy got some good pictures of the two of them playing, but I don't have them. But trust me, it was oozing with all the cuteness you would expect! Mackenzie went for Wesley's eyeballs as usual, patted his head with approval, and Wesley sat unphased and chill as ever.

She even taught him how to close the lids to the toy that little figurines pop out of when you turn or press buttons. That was neat to see. Wesley was also checking out her crawl, and seemed to perfect his army scoot while we were there.

Sunday was sunny so Stacy, Gammy and I took the babies to the park up the street. It was Wesley's first visit to the park and he didn't know what to think of the swings at first. But he grew to enjoy it!

We also introduced him to slides...a big one with Mommy and a little one on his own, sort of...

Today was our first morning home, and I had to be reminded of the date!...Wesley is 7 months old today!! So of course, I took these cutie-patootie pictures of him!!

Two Teeth for Monkey!

2009-03-15T10:48:00.001-07:00

Wesley has two teeth! His first tooth broke through on Friday, March 6, 2009. The next morning, I thought his second tooth had already come through, but with a second inspection, realized that a thin layer of gum tissue was still covering it. We had a really tough week with sleeping, because this tooth was causing my little monkey a lot of pain! It took all week to finally break through, but finally Wesley's sleeping pattern went back to normal on Thursday night so I had a hunch that the tooth had finally broken through. He looks so cute when he smiles (well, he always does), but it's just different now. He does this funny thing with his tongue now...he sticks it out and moves it across his teeth. I guess it would be weird to get used to having teeth?...Anyway, I'm just glad we're through this...Wesley really had a hard time with that second tooth!

And there goes the sun...again

2009-03-12T07:50:00.000-07:00

So within a week, we have gone from 19 degrees to 79 degrees, and now we're well on our way to 40's and rain...poo. But us Coburns thoroughly enjoyed the sunshine this weekend! Wesley and I had a picnic on Saturday afternoon...Jedd was working on stuff outside, so Wesley and I lay down some beach towels and hung out in the front yard with him. He had his carrots in the sunshine...and all over his face!

Fresh Food Feeder Fun

2009-03-12T07:42:00.000-07:00

Last week I went to Target to get a few things, and I picked up the Munchkin Baby Food Grinder. It came with a free fresh food feeder. At first, I wasn't sure about it...I'd never heard of it and it took me a minute to figure out how it worked. But now, I think it is genius! I put a little frozen peach and strawberry in it and give it to Wesley after his lunch. He loves it, and I'm sure it feels so good on his little gums! I highly recommend it!

Baby Boot Camp...Again.

2009-03-09T06:24:00.000-07:00

Sigh, so we're a big old mess at the Coburn's house. A couple of weeks ago, Wesley and I went to my mom's house for a few days. While we were there, I just let Wesley sleep in the bed with me. That would be the first chapter to the nightmare that is sleeping for us these days. So when we got home, that week was a full one. Wesley and I both had a doctor's appointments, he was teething, and I have first trimester exhaustion, so I would just give in, bring him to bed with us so we could sleep. What a mess. That sleep isn't the best sleep, and I'm having visions of a growing belly, and it just isn't going to fit in our Queen sized bed! So I made a commitment to myself that starting last night, no matter what, I wasn't giving in, Wesley would sleep in his own bed. Well, here's what the "no matter what" was: he went to bed at 8:40, woke up at 10:40, and he fought sleep until 1:30AM! Then he woke up at 3:30, went back to sleep at 3:45, and woke up at 5:30, went back to sleep at 5:45 and woke up at 6:45. At 7, I just started our day. We both look like zombies, and at this moment, he is supposed to be taking a nap, and he is fighting it like a UFC champ. I keep telling myself that if I can just make it through this week, it will all get back to normal. I feel guilty for ever letting him in our bed because this is so hard for him. He wants to sleep...he's exhausted. But he also wants to be with us. I am pretty sure he got his stubborness from me, so I'm trying to hold out longer...eventually, he has to sleep, right?

Anyway, last night, inbetween a gazillion prayers for patience and sleep, I remembered Darius Rucker's song "It Won't Be Like This For Long." It was perfect on many levels...

Wesley's a big boy...

2009-03-07T08:33:00.000-08:00

and he's going to be a big brother! Yep, that's right, Mommy's pregnant again. This little one is due October 27, 2009. So my babies will be 14 months apart. I'm so excited...I can already imagine this incredible bond between the two of them! The new little Coburn has a blog, too.

Now, back to my little guy being a big boy...he's doing all sorts of new stuff these days and getting stronger every day! Just this week, he has shown us he can sit momentarily without assistance. So we've been practicing this new skill a lot...the Boppy and Momma's legs are building up little Wesley muscles!

Yesterday was an extra-exciting day...his first tooth broke through! You can't see it very well, but you can feel it! And he has learned some new funky way of moving. It looks like yoga to me :) While he is on his tummy, he gets up on his elbows and his tip toes with his butt raised up in the air, then when he comes down, he's an inch further than he was when he started.

I laugh and cry a lot because I'm so proud of him and excited for him. But part of me just wants him to slow down...I say this so much because it is so true: time has never passed so quickly...

Wesley's 6 Month Studio Photos

2009-03-03T12:01:00.000-08:00

Wesley is 6 months (and some) old...

2009-03-02T11:48:00.000-08:00

My Little Wesley turned 6 months old on Thursday, and I cried. It's just not fair how quickly this time is flying. I'm trying to hold on with all my might, but time keeps moving...

To properly celebrate this Half-Birthday, Wesley had his first studio photo session. He did so good! It was hard not to spend a small fortune, but I was well-equipped with coupons, and only spent a smaller-sized, small fortune. I get those pictures back on Wednesday and will be posting the absolute cuteness that is my son!

Wesley had his 6 month well visit this morning. He is 29 inches long (97 percentile for his age group)...the nurse said that according to her chart, he is the length of an average 10 month old. He weighs 17 pounds and 3.5 ounces (50 percentile for his age group). My boy is still tall and skinny...he totally gets that from me, er not! :)

I have a picture of him from his actual 6 month "birthday," but it's on my camera, in my car, and it's snowing, and I don't have any shoes on right now...so, I'll add that later. Rest assured, he is adorable, his saucer eyes are still bluer than we can explain, and his smile will melt your heart!

Here they are:

"Trinity of Grandparents"

2009-02-22T17:37:00.000-08:00

Most of you know that my parents divorced when I was 5 years old. These days I count it as one of my greatest blessings! Sounds weird, I know, but it is so true. God blessed both of my parents with perfect partners...my "step"Dad and Jackie have added so much to my life that it is really hard for me to imagine how my life would have turned out had my parents stuck it out. I also got even more brothers and sisters out of the deal, too. Everyone who knows me knows family is so important to me. And mine doubled in size, and I've been enjoying the "perks" of a larger family more recently than ever before!...Getting to watch these parents who mean so much to me love all over my boy delights my heart! Jedd calls all of Wesley's Grandparents the "Trinity of Grandparents!" I chuckled when he said it...I just had to blog it!

My maternal Grandma and Grandpa were such an instrumental part of my childhood...they half raised me! The relationship I have with them is still one of the most important and special ones in my life! So watching Wesley with all three sets of his makes me excited that he has the opportunity to experience that three-fold!

Here is Wesley boy enjoying all of his Grandparents:

Wesley with Grandpop and Gammy

Wesley with Grandpa Ivester and Grandma Jackie

Wesley with Grandma and Grandpa Coburn

Jesus Loves You...

2009-02-20T10:11:00.000-08:00

My sister and her husband got Wesley a "Jesus Loves Me" CD that has children's praise music personalized with Wesley's name. I love this CD! We listen to it all the time. There is one song in particular that is my favorite. It is called "Jesus Loves You." It just gets stuck in my head, and I hum it throughout the day. I cried the first few times I sang it to my boy because I was just so overwhelmed with our Father's love for us and my love for Him and Wesley. It also made me think how easy it is to believe the words of the song for Wesley, compared to how difficult it is for me to believe these things for myself. I think it is because as a parent, you naturally feel that your children are more worthy of our Creator's love. But in truth, they are not. None of us are worthy of His amazing love and grace and mercy. It made me make a conscious decision that as I continue to share the love of our Savior with my little boy, I would also remind myself that I am also His, and that song could be personalized with any of God's children's names! Again, Jesus used my little blessing-boy He gave me to draw me closer to Him. As I teach Wesley about Jesus, Wesley teaches me, too.

Here is the song:

Wesley, you're special, God wants you to know
that He will be with you wherever you go.
Whenever you get worried or when you are sad, He will cheer you up and make you glad.

Wesley, do you know Jesus loves you?
24 hours a day, He's thinking of you.
Jesus is your friend...
His love will never end!
Wesley, do you know Jesus loves you?

Wesley, you're special! You're one of a kind!
There's no one quite like you that you'll ever find.
God made you just like you're supposed to be,
And I'm so glad that He made you and me!

You can change all the "Wesley's" to your name, because Jesus loves you, too!

Wesley Says Mama

2009-02-20T06:27:00.000-08:00

So my little lovebug gave me the best Valentine's Day gift ever...he said Mmmmama. Please understand that I know he has no idea what he is saying, but all the same, my heart melts every time he says it!...which is usually when food is involved :)

Wesley's First Valentine's Day

2009-02-15T01:17:00.000-08:00

Today was Wesley's first Valentine's Day, and we decided to start a tradition of giving him a prayer for Valentine's Day. We also got him some yummy teething cookies (baby candy).

Here is the prayer Jedd and I wrote and prayed for him:

Dear Wesley, our sweet love--oh how much we love you! To celebrate Valentine's Day, we would like to begin a tradition of celebrating you and our love for you by writing our prayer for you... We pray that you always know how much our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ loves you. Even now, we hope that our relationship with Christ lays a foundation for you to know Jesus and lead you to have your own relationship with Him as you grow older. We also pray that you know how much we love you. You have become the brightest part of our universe! We know how blessed we are that you are our son. We pray that you always know how important and special you are. We pray that you never lose your curious spirit! May you always look at the world around you with the same awe and wonder that you have now! You have shown us our world through a new lens! Our lives overflow with laughter and excitement, even at the most ordinary things. We pray that God continues to bless you with a healthy body...that you keep growing big and strong. We pray that you always greet the world with a smile, and that we can be your favorite people for as long as possible. We pray that you continue to find delight in your Daddy's presence--watching hunting and fishing shows and playing "dancing baby..." and that you always find comfort in your Mama's arms. We love you, Wesley. We thank God for you every day. Happy First Valentine's Day, Sweet Boy! Love, Mommy and Daddy

Wesley Visits The Zoo

2009-02-12T05:54:00.001-08:00

Yesterday, Wesley and I met Miss Mandy and Ava at the Norfolk Zoo! I have been bugging Jedd to go with me since we moved here 4 years ago, but we never went, so yesterday was my first time, too! I think I may have been more excited than Wesley because as you can see, this was Wesley when we got to the entrance...

I was afraid he was going to sleep through the fun, but he woke up happy as soon as we got through the gate!

The first thing we saw was the rhino and the zebra. The zebra came all the way over to where we were standing! It was so cool! I'm not sure that Wesley actually saw it...he was more interested in the plant life on the other side of the railing. But again, Mommy was excited!!

Next, we headed towards the giraffes! Wesley and I love giraffes! We hung out with the giraffes for a while. He actually noticed the giraffes and smiled at them. As always, it is so much fun to see him see stuff! I am having so much fun with this little guy!!

We also saw elephants, lions, a cow, a pig, wandering peacocks, snakes, monkeys, and the ugliest sheep in the world! We'll definitely be returning to the zoo!!

Let The Sunshine In...

2009-02-02T12:54:00.000-08:00

It was 61 degrees today!! Oh happy day! Thank you Jesus for a glimpse of Spring in the middle of Winter!! Wesley and I broke out the jogging stroller today and went for a 2 mile walk/run. I have a long way to go before my fitness level compares to the pre-pregnant version of myself. But, I have to say...pre-pregnant Jamie never had this much fun on a run! It was so neat to be out and about with Wesley! I told him when we would go faster, when a bump was coming. I asked him if he saw all the trees and houses...only to find, that I had bumped my boy right to sleep!

Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures because I couldn't find my camera quick enough. It was a sight though. When we got back to the house, he was hunched over and snoozing soundly. He slept through me taking him out of the stroller, removing his hat and putting him in the crib. I mean, I did all the work here, but I wore him out!

Anyway, while we were outside, I got really excited for the real Spring to arrive. I mean, I don't want to rush through a single day I have with Wesley. I truly try to savor each of my moments with him, especially since they seem to go so fast. But, I am looking forward to being out in the sunshine with him...taking him to Mt. Trashmore, the Boardwalk, and the beach. I really am so blessed to get to spend my days with Wesley. I know how lucky I am!!

Tomorrow, it will be in the thirties again. But as I've said before, this is the warmest Winter I've ever known!

mohawk!

2009-01-30T12:51:00.000-08:00

I combed Wesley's hair into a mohawk...it is super cute!!

taking his hairdo very seriously!

Look at that grin!

Chunky Monkey Arms!

Playing with Wesley

2009-01-30T12:30:00.000-08:00

It has become so much fun to play with Wesley. It's been neat to watch him prefer some toys and books to other toys and books. Usually, we just throw down a blanket in his room, pile some toys on the floor and go to town. Here are some pictures from our playtime on Tuesday. You'll be able to tell from these photos that Wesley's favorite game is throwing his toys and watching Mommy pick them up...

First, there are two rings...

So I throw one on the floor...

Now, there is one...

Where did it go?

Now there are none so...I'll just eat the tray...

Look how big I am!!

Wesley is sleeping like a baby...

2009-01-28T06:07:00.000-08:00

Jedd and I went thrift-store shopping this weekend to try and find a book shelf we could fix up for Wesley. We were unlucky in the book shelf search, but we both found some good books! I got Elizabeth Pantley's The No-Cry Sleep Solution and read most of it before going to bed that night!

What an awesome find! Especially since Jedd and I are not able to do the Ferber Method or any version of crying it out. We all ended up crying the last time (only time) we tried that!

Anyway, this book was really reassuring to me. It made my desire for Wesley to feel secure and comfortable feel normal. Plus, there were specific scenarios for nursing moms, and that was helpful, too.

The book suggests doing what you do, but gradually decrease the time and contact you spend with your baby to try to get them to sleep in phases. I can handle phases!! Another important nugget is setting up a routine during the day and right before bed. I have to admit, that since I am staying at home with Wesley, I sort of just let him be my alarm clock so we weren't getting our day started at the same time every day. Pantley explains the importance of setting our biological clocks, so I started setting my alarm clock this week. It also gives me a chance to get myself together before flying into mommy-duty. So, I know it's only Wednesday, but so far so good!! He's been going to sleep between 7:30 and 8:00 PM, waking up for a midnight feeding and then sleeping until morning. My alarm goes off before he wakes up. Our days more closely resemble a routine, a flexible one of course, but we both know what to expect.

He takes a 2 hour nap in the morning and 2 one hour naps in the afternoon. In the evening, he has his dinner. Then we change his diaper, and I give him a baby lotion massage and put him in his jammies. We go to the couch and Jedd and I read him three books: Time For Bed by Mem Fox, If You Were My Bunny by Kate McMullan, and On The Night You Were Born by Nancy Tillman. He's usually yawning before we start the third book. Then I take him to his room and say a prayer for him while I give him a few ounces of breastmilk in a bottle. Then I put him in his crib, turn on his mobile, tell him I love him, close the door and he's asleep.

Our challenge wasn't so much in getting Wesley to sleep, it was in keeping Wesley asleep! And sometimes those midnight feedings became all night grazings. But so far, since starting these routines, the midnight feedings have been just that and he goes right back to sleep afterwards. I think he has a better idea of the difference between a nap and going to sleep at night now.

I am prepared that a wrench could be thrown into this routine at any time since, according to Pantley, babies don't fully develop their biological clock until 40 weeks. Obviously travel, teething and sickness can mess it up, too. But at least we are developing a foundation. I am just oh so proud of him.

This morning when I was using the restroom and getting started for the day, I heard him in his room just cooing and talking to himself. Whenever I go in there, he looks up at me from an upside down angle and his eyes just light up! He's brighter than sunshine!!

Warm Winters

2009-01-27T07:23:00.000-08:00

I found a youtube video of a song that was very special to me last Winter while I was carrying my Wesley in my tummy. Many of you know that last winter was a turbulent season for me...without rehashing the details, I will say simply that I cried a lot, worried a lot, and hurt a lot. I woke up one morning and said, "I just want Jesus to hug me."

Around that time, I discovered a new song posted on Kendall Payne's myspace and listened to it. The music became that hug I ached for...the words of the song were the reminder and reassurance I needed that God was in control, and I would come out of this season. As I listened to the words, I was overwhelmed with how much Jesus loves me and how much I already loved my baby. Through the blessing of my pregnancy, I was finally able to achieve a concrete understanding of how much Jesus loves me. I quickly found the words to the song and emailed them to my mom, writing, "I am so full of purpose right now. I'm going to be okay. This is God's love song to me, and this is my love song to my baby."

I still cry every time I hear it, especially because soon after, Spring arrived. The winter haze on my heart lifted, and I was able to embrace the daily blessings God granted. Baby Coburn was growing and moving inside of me...all the while my heart was swelling with love for my baby and my Saviour.

I just wanted to share this song because it means so much, especially now, this Winter...Baby Coburn is here; I am stronger than I've ever been in my life and thankful for the warmest winter I've ever known...

It is called, "I will show you love" by Kendall Payne

Love Love Love

2009-01-26T10:30:00.001-08:00

Wesley is 5 Months Old

2009-01-26T05:08:00.000-08:00

Wesley is 5 months old today...I can hardly believe it. I was reading an article in my BabyTalk Magazine, and I noticed I had to shift my eyes to a whole new section in the Baby Steps Section...5-8 months. I cried. I think Jedd thought I was crazy, but I just realized that in no time at all, I would be shifting my eyes again to the 9-12 month section...

I try so hard to savor this time with Wesley, but my how it flies! And time really does fly when you're having fun! And what fun we have...I feel super blessed to be able to be home with him. There is just so much to miss...too much to miss! He is doing all sorts of fun stuff these days...lifting his head up when he's on his back, talking up a storm, playing peek-a-boo, reaching for things, playing with things, helping turn the pages of the books we read to him, squealing and giggling...he can roll over, but he usually doesn't. He sits up with the help of his parents or bumbo. He is just so much fun!

Wesley Says "Da Da"

2009-01-25T15:55:00.001-08:00

Jedd and Wesley spent the day together so I could go see a movie with one of my girlfriends. I'm guessing they mega-bonded because when I got home, Wesley said "Da da." Not to Jedd, but to me. I shouted in excitement to Jedd, and in moments we were both standing over the changing table saying "Da da da da da da da" to him. Wesley laughed, but didn't copy us, until moments later when I was feeding him and Jedd was again, not in earshot, Wesley said "Da da." Again, I shouted in excitement to Jedd. He hurried to the kitchen, and we both stared at him saying "Da da da da da da," and Wesley said a lot of other jibber jabber, but no "Da da." I wonder if he thinks I'm his Da da, or if he just thinks it's fun to watch his parents turn into wide-eyed, babbling fools for him...

Growth Spurt?

2009-01-23T08:32:00.001-08:00

Baby oh Baby, what a week!?! I woke up on Monday with a sore throat, but didn't give it a second thought...until Tuesday when it was much worse and more debilitating. Of course, I was more concerned about passing any sickness along to Wesley than feeling sick. I was annoyingly paranoid about the strep throat and flu. Jedd had to reassure me constantly that mucus is mean, and I was losing a battle with it. Anyway, I was definitely not my jedi-Mom self, but moms don't get sick days so I did my best...

Of course, this would be the week that Wesley, my big boy, decides to go through a growth spurt! Growth spurts for a nursing baby means a lot of nursing for the mom...sometimes hourly. It means fussing while nursing because the milk doesn't come out fast enough. It means waking up way too many times in the middle of the night to nurse some more. It means not a lot of sleep for Mom or baby. Thankfully, they only last a few days.

I think it is over now because last night, we were all back to normal. Wesley went to sleep at 9pm, woke for one midnight feeding and slept until 8:15. And wouldn't you know, I feel the best I have felt all week?!?

Lessons for Mommy

2009-01-23T08:18:00.001-08:00

I turned 30 on Sunday and am looking forward to my thirties, especially since I have this little guy in my life. I've grown up so much already just since he arrived 5 months ago. He has taught me an abundance of important things...like what's actually important and what's not...that I really don't have to procrastinate--I'm not biologically doomed to put things off after all--and upon being forced over and over again, I have now mastered the art of using my time wisely--one would think it came naturally to me.

My favorite teacher has also taught me that laughing really is the cure all for most things...spontaneous dancing makes everybody happy...snuggling and spooning is good for the soul...I remember more nursery rhymes than I thought...I don't actually need as much sleep as I thought, and I can go more days than I ever imagined without washing my hair and no one will know...It's important to take care of myself because an important person needs me...prayer is such a blessing--I don't know what I would do if I couldn't just talk to God every time I felt the urge!

He also taught me that I'm capable of more love than I ever thought possible...and he has confirmed what I knew down deep in my soul all along...that I was meant to be a mommy...and most importantly, that I was meant to be his mommy.

Anyway, equipped with all this new found wisdom, I am so ready for my thirties...

Wesley reads The Very Hungry Caterpillar

2009-01-18T19:05:00.001-08:00

I keep telling everyone he's a Baby Genius!

Love at First Sight

2009-01-17T10:22:00.001-08:00

A year ago today, I first laid eyes on my little guy...we had our first ultrasound that morning. I could hardly sleep the night before. I was excited and scared...excited to catch a glimpse of proof that there actually was something in my womb and scared that there wouldn't be.

There was...

We had no idea if he was a boy or a girl, but we knew Baby Coburn was our greatest blessing and it was so special to get to see him. It was a wonderful birthday present. We could see his heart beating, and with that, I cried!

The technician gave us printouts of the ultrasound, and I couldn't stop staring at him. I was full of anticipation of our life together.

Here is an excerpt from a letter I wrote to Wesley about the experience:

We saw you for the first time on January 17 (one day before my birthday--what a present!) and you were so small and still. We didn't hear your heartbeat, but we saw it. I cried. I still can't describe in words what I was feeling when I saw you! Just knowing that you were inside of me, growing every day made me feel stronger and more full of purpose than ever before. I want to be every bit of the mother you deserve. I am so excited to meet you. Sometimes it feels like forever until you get here, and other times it feels like we don't have enough time to prepare for you! But I know we'll be ready for you when you get here...

That feels both like yesterday and a lifetime ago at the same time.

Pictures of Wesley

2009-01-16T12:43:00.000-08:00

Wesley and I had our own home-studio photo session...I'm telling you, modeling agencies are going to bang down my door...

The Name of My Heart

2009-01-16T12:29:00.000-08:00

I think Wesley grows more every day. I think I do, too...not on the outside, but on the inside.

I remember how terrified I was when he first got here...in the hospital, I was scared that if I didn't do every little thing perfectly that they wouldn't let me take him home. I felt at their mercy to hold him, to be the one to take care of him.

When we got home, I had all this information from the books I read in preparation for him swirling in my head, drowning out that instinct that God blesses mothers with. I was afraid that every little decision I made would impact the rest of our lives...would he be a happy child? would he have high self esteem? would he know he is loved? would he remember that I had no idea what I was doing?

And then I relaxed. And we both started smiling. He is my child. I am his mother. God is in control, and I have been so blessed with this little life who will call me Mommy. I started trusting myself, and I did a much better job at being his Mommy...

Now, Wesley smiles, talks, laughs, sits and stands (with assistance), holds his head up--each of these milestones a reminder of how far we've come. I still read books for baby knowledge, but mostly, I follow his lead and trust myself. And he gets happier and smarter and bigger and cuter every day.

I still get scared sometimes, but mostly, because this is going by incredibly too fast...

Teething Cookie

2009-01-16T11:47:00.001-08:00

Gammy brought Wesley some teething cookies. Love isn't the word for Wesley's affection for them. He has to indulge with adult supervision and only for a limited time, but I do believe from the look on his face that it is the most delicious taste he has ever experienced...

Wesley went to G-Vegas

2009-01-16T11:32:00.000-08:00

Wesley and I went to Greenville last week so we could visit Aunt Kerri and Elliott. Wesley was an excellent travel companion, and he enjoyed meeting another small person. He had a little bit of a meltdown on the second night, but Uncle Mike sang him to sleep, and he slept the rest of the night.

It was neat to be sitting in Kerri's living room with our little guys. At one point, I said, "Oh my goodness Kerri, we are sitting in your house with our babies! We used to sit in your bedroom and draw voo-doo stick figures of mean ex-boyfriends!!" It is neat to grow up with someone...to have that one constant love that stays the same while everything around you changes. Even though they change, too, they are somehow a forever reference point at how far you've come.

I hope Wesley is blessed with a lifelong friend, too...

Hanging, not Jumping, in the Jumparoo

2009-01-04T19:17:00.000-08:00

On a whim, I put Wesley in the jumparoo yesterday just to see what he would do. He's not ready for jumping just yet, but he liked it a lot. And I'm excited because it's like vertical tummy-time!

Playtime with Mackenzie

2009-01-04T19:07:00.000-08:00

Wesley cannot sit up just yet so the playground is not completely level, but thanks to the Bumbo chair, we have created some equilibrium! We were all at my mom's house for dinner on Friday night, and we put Mackenzie on the ground with Wesley in the Bumbo. His eyes dance whenever he sees her! They coo and squeal back and forth...and they are so polite...they always wait for the other to finish before they start! It's like they really are having a conversation that we can't understand :) We still have to keep a close eye on them, but it is so easy to keep a close eye on them...they are super cute!!!....

Yummy Sweet Potatoes!

2009-01-04T19:05:00.000-08:00

Wesley tried sweet potatoes today! He loved them so much he wore them! This solid experience is so much fun! Next, we are trying green peas. I can already picture it...

4 Month Check Up

2009-01-02T14:17:00.000-08:00

Wesley had his 4 month check up today...he was 27 inches long (97 percentile for his age group), 14 lbs, 15.5 oz (50 percentile for his age group) and his head was 16 7/8 inches (50 -75 percentile for his age group). Dr. McPhee was very impressed (as we all are) with his strength and balance. And the nurse was smitten with his flirtatious grin and songlike coos...

Here's a picture from his 1/3 birthday (December 26 ) :)

Beautiful Song that reminds me of Wesley

2009-01-01T19:57:00.000-08:00

Wesley and I were listening to the Contemporary Christian channel on Digital Cable during our playtime today, and I heard the most beautiful song. It is called "In My Arms" by Plumb. It made me squeeze my boy a little tighter and savor the art that was singing my heart...I love it when something or someone comes close to describing the explosion of love inside of me because I am usually too overwhelmed to try...

Your baby blues
So full of wonder
Your Curly Que's
Your contagious smile
And as I watch
You start to grow up
All I can do is hold you tight
Knowing Clouds will rage in
Storms will race in
But you will be safe in my arms
Rains will pour down
Waves will crash all around
But you will be safe in my arms
Story books Are full of fairy-tales
Of kings and queens
And the bluest skies
My heart is torn just in knowing
You'll someday see
The truth from lies
Clouds will rage in
Storms will race in
But you will be safe in my arms
Rains will pour down
Waves will crash all around
But you will be safe in my arms
Castles they might crumble
Dreams may not come true Cause you are never all alone
Cause I will always Always love you
Hey I Hey I Will always love you...
Clouds will rage in
Storms will race in
But you will be safe in my arms
Rains will pour down
Waves will crash all around
But you will be safe in my arms
In my arms

Wesley is eating cereal!

2009-01-01T19:48:00.000-08:00

We started Wesley on rice cereal on Christmas Day. He loves it! He hums the 'yummy song' between bites and sometimes helps me put the spoon in his mouth by grabbing my hand and shoving the spoon towards his face! Once again, my Wesley is more prepared for a new milestone than me. Will that ever change? Here are pictures of his first feeding and the adorable faces of contentment that followed...

Wesley's First Christmas!

2009-01-01T19:27:00.000-08:00

Wesley had a wonderful Christmas! It was jam-packed full of family and fun and food and presents! Jedd and I gave Wesley his Santa Claus gifts on the 23rd before we left for Jedd's parents' house. He got the Fisher Price Super Star thing...he loves it...of course, it plays music and has a mirror! He also got some bibs, a camo pacifier, teethers, a book , an ornament, Baby Einstein DVD, and a mobile for his car seat. It was fun watching him open everything!

Later, we went to the Coburns for Christmas Eve. Wesley didn't sleep so great, but he had a good time during the day! He got to meet his Great Aunt Linda, hang out with his grandparents, and uncles and Aunt Kendra. He got lots of presents and lots of attention!

Then we went to Gammy and Grandpop's house where he opened a ton of new toys and books and clothes. He had a good time pulling the paper off the presents.

We put Wesley and Mackenzie in matching pajamas...they were even the same size...9 months! I got me a big boy!!

Christmas is definitely more Christmas-y with babies!! How blessed we are!!!

My Little Love

2008-12-23T08:56:00.000-08:00

"Before you were conceived, I wanted you...Before you were born, I loved you...Before you were here one hour, I would die for you. This is the miracle of love." - M.Hawkins

A year ago, Jedd took me to eat Thai food. I love Thai food, and Jedd is not a big fan. This was a restaurant victory for me as we pulled into the parking lot. Then I ordered my food. "This smells like dog hair. I can't eat it." I sat there miserable as Jedd finally realized he does in fact like Thai food.

We got back in the truck, and Jedd said, "That was weird." "I know," I said, "That sucked." I continued to pout, wondering if I would be sick for Christmas. Jedd said, "Didn't you say you were late?" But I was always late. Oh well, I thought, let's just take a test so I can show myself, once again, that I'm not pregnant, just late, like the half a dozen times before...

An hour later, I was hyperventilating in the bathroom..."Oh my gosh! I AM pregnant. Oh my God, Oh my God, Oh my God." I trembled with excitement, disbelief, shock, fear, joy, love. Yes, love. It was immediate. All of a sudden, it was as if a lightning bolt of greater purpose and selflessness knocked me in the head. Finally, I was going to be a mom.

That Christmas was an exciting one. We got to give our parents the best gift we'll ever be able to give them...a positive pregnancy test. I kept thinking how different our Christmases would be from now on. I beamed with happiness. I glowed :)

Now here we are, a year later, on the threshold of those Christmases that will forever be different. And oh how it is. I understand now why my parents never really cared if we got them anything for Christmas. Our joy is their gift. We are their gift. Wesley is our gift.

I'd like to think I could try to write in words something that sort of explains the expansion of my heart in the last year. I have loved him since that scary, exciting moment in my bathroom a year ago. He has been our Wesley since we knew he was a boy. We prepared for him and anticipated him; wrote letters to him and read to him; sang to him and prayed for him; waited for him and begged for him to finally arrive! And now he is here, and these past months have been more than we could ever really prepare ourselves for. How could one possibly know the love their hearts are capable of?

And in just these last 4 months, he has transformed before our eyes, all too quickly, from a newborn with only moments of awake time and shrills of confusion at night to our little boy with a curious personality, a gummy smile and a contagious laughter that makes you forget you were tired or had dishes to do.

My whole life changed a year ago, and it just keeps getting better every day.

I thank my Lord for my Wesley-blessing. He was worth the wait, and finally for the first time in my life, I am okay with not really being able to explain it all...

Wesley unwrapped his first present!

2008-12-21T08:00:00.001-08:00

Last night, we gave Wesley his present from Miss Ava. We sat him down in front of the present, I poked a whole in the wrapping and directed his little hands to the paper. We were unsure what he would do, if anything. He pulled! YAY. It was so fun to see him unwrap it, ever so slowly! I am totally saving the first little piece of paper he tore off. I think we were way more excited than him, but it was a fun little Christmas preview of the fun and excitement that Wesley will bring to Christmas for years to come!

Coleman's Nursery No More...

2008-12-21T07:47:00.000-08:00

The first Christmas that Jedd and I were dating, he was eager to take me to Coleman's Nursery in Portsmouth. The annual visit was a family tradition for him. His favorite memories included the hay covered cold earth that crunched under his chilly feet, the smell of Christmas in the air, and all the brightly lit Christmas figurines. We were certain it would be a tradition for our family, too.

So you can imagine our excitement as we planned to embark on the first visit of our first planned tradition of our new little family. I dressed in a Christmas sweater, and Wesley wore one of his Christmas onesies with his Santa hat. We were ready to be a little chilly, to smell Christmas, and to watch in awe as Wesley would see all the bright lights and moving figurines. Just one quick check on the internet for a reminder of how to get there.

It wasn't there. Coleman's Nursery is gone. It burned down in 2004. What? But, some of the figurines were salvaged and they're on display at a museum. Okay, this could be even better. I thought it would be the same, but not as cold, which is fine with me!

It wasn't. Something was missing. It didn't smell like Christmas. It smelled like a museum. It was sad.

But the redeeming part was that we still got to see our Wesley see the moving figurines, Santa and some flashing lights. He quickly fixed his curious stare on each new scene before him. And while it won't be a tradition and there were disappointing parts, our Wesley confirmed again, that everything is better now that he is here.

Tummy Time Just Got Easier

2008-12-21T07:39:00.001-08:00

Wesley hates tummy time.

But not for long...he is actually giving it a chance now that he has his new Aquarium Mat from Grandma and Grandpa Ivester. In fact, since receiving this Christmas present, it takes him almost 5 minutes to whine now!

Wesley Discovers New Things!

2008-12-21T07:30:00.000-08:00

Wesley has been very busy lately...he got his first cold :( Which is why I haven't blogged in a couple of days. He handled it very well, and so did I. The very saddest sound was my hoarse baby crying :( Needless to say, the whole sleeping in the big boy crib went to the birds during this time so we're pretty much going to have to start over. Oh well...

It seems like Wesley is learning and doing new things every day. He has a full on giggle now...a multi-syllable laugh!...especially when you tickle his ribs or collarbone. It is the sweetest sound and brings out my heartiest multi-syllable laugh as well!

He has also discovered his feet! He hasn't inserted them into his mouth yet, but I'm sure that will happen any day now. But he grabs them and holds onto them like a security blanket when he's lying on his back.

Toys make him happy. There are a select few that make him happiest...the cell phone that sings the ABC's, the squeaky girrafe, and his mirror. Here he is with his squeaky giraffe!

As always, we are having so much fun with our little guy and falling more in love with him daily!

Wesley Thinks He's Cute!

2008-12-09T19:11:00.000-08:00

This evening, Wesley and I were hanging out in his room, reading a story. Instead of holding him, I lay down beside him on his play mat and held the book over our heads. He paid way more attention to the book this way so I'll probably try this move again. He looked up and smiled at all the bright colors in the pictures. After reading the book twice, I decided to hold a mirror over our heads. Oh, did he get a kick out of that! He laughed and cooed and smiled and stared, fascinated with the cute baby in the mirror. It was so much fun to watch!

Thursday, I am babysitting Miss Mackenzie so I'm excited to see if Wesley gets as excited to see a real live baby's face! Hopefully, I won't have to hold her over our heads!! :)

Happy Baby, Happy Mommy!

2008-12-04T07:34:00.001-08:00

So Wesley has spent 3 nights in his big boy crib! The first night was wonderful as I shared in my last post. The next night was not. He woke up at 1:45 to nurse and didn't fall back to sleep until 4 AM! It took everything I had not to just give up and take him back to my room. Finally, at 3:45, I walked away and promised myself that if he was still crying (or making that 'my name is wesley and i'm fighting sleep' grunt) then I would go back and pat him or rock him some more. We both fell asleep and woke up at 8:30...he in his crib, me in my bed.

Last night, he was acting fussy and doing the grunt at around 8:30ish, so I put him in his crib AWAKE (gasp)...I know this is the way you're supposed to do it, but I really didn't think my Wesley would ever go for that. I turned on his mobile, gave him a paci (breaking "book rules" but oh well), patted his tummy and said our prayers. He fell asleep and woke up at 6AM this morning! YAY. When he went down for his morning nap, I put him back in his crib, awake and drowsy, and he fell asleep again. I'm trying to create good habits. Plus, my husband is sleeping in the guest room...I'm making this work, otherwise it was for nothing!!

Wesley woke up so happy this morning. I'm sure his crib is more comfortable for him. I'm glad I made myself allow my little guy to achieve this milestone. We will both be happier for it...and so will my husband :)

Wesley moved to the big boy crib, and I was a big girl about it.

2008-12-02T15:21:00.001-08:00

So I begrudgingly decided that this week would be the week that Wesley moved out of our bedroom into his nursery. Jedd moved into the guest room so he wouldn't be disturbed when I had to be strong-willed and not bring Wesley back to our bed to keep Wesley from crying quicker. There would be no excuses, Wesley was going to stay in his bed all night!

I put Wesley to bed around 10:15 last night and prepared for a long night for both of us...it's uncomfortable to adjust to a new situation. But he adjusted just fine! He didn't wake up until 6:15 this morning. Me, on the other hand? I woke up at 1:30 and 4:30. I mean I had to use the restroom, geez.

So tonight is another night. Soon this will be normal and easy, right? Someone told me that milestones are bittersweet. I understand perfectly.

Wesley Met Santa Claus!

2008-12-01T16:28:00.000-08:00

Jedd and I took Wessy Wes to meet Santa Claus at Bass Pro Shop the night before Thanksgiving. He did so well. He was fascinated by Santa's furry cuffs. Wesley sat so contently on Santa's lap that Santa suggested Wesley stay so he could show the other kids how to do it! I was so proud of him. I cried as we walked away. This little boy just fills me with joy and gratitude. He makes everything so special!!

I was very impressed with that Santa...he had a real beard and a natural jolliness about him. However, he couldn't compete in the cuteness department with the cutest Santa I've ever seen!