pumpkin fest

We went into Franklin again this year, hoping to enjoy the Pumpkinfest with Pops and Bertie.  First of all, it was SO crowded...I think I almost had a panic attack with all the people!  It was insane! We had to look FOREVER for a parking spot.  Eating lunch was craziness! AND SOMEONE didnt want to wear his costume once we finally got there! More on that later....

Jack and Daddy listening to the musicians

Chunky Monkey at the Pumpkinfest

try saying this 5 times fast "Chunky Monkey has very Chubby Cheeks"

when he didnt want to wear his costume I tried not to get too frustrated, because I KNEW we had a secret weapon....BERTIE! I just KNEW Bertie would talk him into wearing it....and SHE DID!

potty humor....2 year old style....

Wesley has a pair of pjs with trains and the words "choo-choo" all over it. The other day he was "helping me" change Wesley's diaper and asked me what Wesley's pjs said, and I told him "Choo-Choo" and in the next breath I said something about Wesley's dirty "shoo-shoo" diaper..well of course it took only about half a second for Jack to put the two together as "shoo-shoo train" and boy did he get the biggest kick out of it! Potty humor starts EARLY now!
While I take a shower each morning, Jack gets to watch a show or 2 on tv. He REALLY wanted to watch Sid the Science Kid and I told him he could when I went to take a shower, but right now, I needed to write an email. He kept asking me if I needed to take a shower yet....and I told him "I guess I do....are you saying I smell bad? What do I smell like?" He got this adorable mischievous look on his face and thought about the stinkiest thing he could imagine and said "Yes Mommie, you smell bad....you smell like shoo-shoo!" He's so good for my self esteen!

The things he says!

This past Saturday Jack and I got to get out and enjoy running errands, getting some lunch, just the 2 of us...it was so wonderful! He was so well behaved, and it amazed me how much easier it is to get out with him....maybe because it takes so much effort to get out with 2 kids, or maybe because he is older and easier to handle....I was telling Josh the other day that I almost feel like I have missed out on a year of Jack's life...not that I have missed that much, but just with getting out and having fun with him...since about a year ago was when I got pregnant with Wesley and started feeling yucky, then it was cold and wintry, then I was VEEERRRRYYY pregnant with Wesley, then we had a sick baby and a new baby and stayed in.....that it really seems like it has been a year since I have felt up to getting out by myself with him and enjoy myself...and he is so much bigger and older now....anyway...
We were at Walmart the other day. I got him some "big boy" shampoo (aka NOT Johnson's Baby Wash) and while we were shopping he got bored and he started fidgeting with the shampoo bottle. I told him to stop squeezing it, because it would make a big mess. He stopped, thought about it for a moment and said "Yeah, shampoo might make a big mess and then everybody will fall down" I was puzzled, and it took me a moment to figure out that he was talking about the soap making the floor slippery. Pretty clever connections!

He enjoys reading "The Gingerbread Man" at naptime. We like to repeat over and over "Run, Run as fast as you can't catch me, I'm the Gingerbread Man!"....well, this morning we were trying to rush out the door to church and I started saying "Run, Run, as fast as you can..." to which he added "Can't catch me, I'm a......RACECAR!" I thought that was smart....it shows that he really knows what he is saying, and the meaning behind it.

Another Walmart Story: we were checking out at Walmart. He was very interested in all the Halloween decorations, some of which I thought were a bit scary! While we were checking out he caught sight of a huge rubber/plastic RAT with red eyes and a long nasty tail...I was pretty creeped out, but he asked to see it. In order to appease him while we were in the check out line, I agreed, insisting that we WOULD NOT be taking the rat home....and also figuring that once he held the creepy thing in his hands he would lose interest....well, instead he got more interested and asked me  (with mischief in his eyes) "Can I eat the Ferret?"....um....NO! What a strange thing to ask....and still not sure why he called it a ferret! how random!. YUCK!

Mommie has super strength!

Words I never thought I'd hear:
"Mommie, please put Daddy DOWN!"
let me explain...
One day while we were driving around town I gave Josh a call. Of course, as soon as I got him on the phone, Jack decided he needed to tell me something VERY IMPORTANT! I told him I would talk to him as soon as I was done talking to Daddy, to which he said
"Mommie, stop talking, and PLEASE put Daddy DOWN!"
I had no idea of my own strength!

anything look strange?

see anything strange?

how about now? need a closer look?

it's a FROG....hanging from a ceiling fan...

why, you may ask?

whenever we go to Daddy's office Jack gets to rummage around in the treat drawer....whether he has been "looked at" or not. One day he got this frog who's eyeballs squish out when you squeeze it.  Daddy decided to be silly and hang it from the ceiling fan in Jack's room.  Jack thought it looked pretty cool hanging from the fan. We asked him to tell us about it.
Daddy-"What's that in your room?"
Jack-"A Frog"
D-"What's the frog doing in your room?"
J-"Just hanging around!"
We CRACKED UP! Where did he learn that phrase?
whats the frog doing?
just hanging around

Wesley is 4 months old!

Today was Wesley's 4 month well-baby appointment. According to Dr. C everything looked really good. Wesley weighed in at 18 pounds 11 ounces (definitely above 90th %ile) and 26.75 inches long. At first he measured 26.5 inches long, and Daddy thought that sounded too long, and asked that they measure again, and he measured LONGER! Wesley got 2 shots and did great! He didnt even cry with the first shot, but really wailed with the 2nd one! Jack and I both also had to get flu shots, very important since Wesley isnt allowed to get one until he is 6 months old, so the rest of us need to stay as well as possible for him. Sadly, Wesley did NOT fare so well with his immunizations over the next few days....he didnt have any adverse reactions or anything, just really Really, REALLY fussy! Thankfully, it only lasted about a day and a half.

big brother brought hot wheels to entertain himself



yum!

not hard to believe he's above the 90th%

So what is Wesley up to these days? He is wearing 6-9 month clothes, he has totally outgrown his size 2 diapers, but we still have lots leftover, so I am valiantly trying to use them up here around the house, while using size 3 diapers overnight and while we are out of the house. He is holding his head up really well and he really loves sitting up (with help). I have been hoping to get him a Bumbo seat so he can have a little help sitting up, he doesnt really enjoy sitting back in his swing or baby seats anymore. We got out Jack's exersaucer and Wesley seems to enjoy sitting up in it for short periods of time. He has started really paying attention to Jack and I know it is just a matter of time before he cracks up at his big brother just like I do.  He smiles ALL THE TIME, LOVES being talked to and is still not a great napper. Lately he has been taking MAYBE a one hour nap once or twice a day if I am LUCKY, but this doesnt always happen....not sure if that is just because he isnt a great napper, or because big brother doesnt let him nap much. He still doesnt enjoy sleeping during the day in his bed, but he still sleeps great at night. He will usually go 4ish hours between feedings during the day, and if I am lucky he will go 5 hours at night...usually closer to 4. I am glad that he is so sweet and agreeable during the morning so that I can get a little something done around the house, because during big brother's naptime, Wesley usually INSISTS on being held the. whole. time! If I am lucky he will fall asleep in his swing for a little while and I can maybe catch a nap or get a little something done around the house, but most of the time I am sitting and holding or chatting with him. At night though he will often go to sleep around 7 or 8 (just in time for us to put Jack down for a nap) and then sleep in his bed until I wake him up around 10pm to feed him his vitamin bottle of milk and nurse before we all go to bed.
He is such a different baby from his big brother, but he is so amazing and so wonderful...I am loving having this baby in our family!!!!

A Penny for my thoughts...

um....you really dont want to know MY thoughts about this penny....long story....

Brother Love


I can tell that Jack is just itching to really PLAY with Wesley...I try my best to facilitate some playing between them...right now he (Jack) LOVES playing with all the baby toys (the ones from when he was little) we have unearthed for Wesley. Josh said "who needs to buy NEW toys for Jack...we are just recycling the old ones! I can also tell that Wesley is starting to really pay attention to Jack and watch his movements and even give him some grins...can't wait to really see them interacting!

Jack crawled up to sit with Wesley..and he was very careful and gentle!



going in for the HUG!

holding his hand

Amazin Acres part 2

enjoying the superfast slide

the boys....kodak moment, and of course no one is looking at the camera...I've learned you can call that "Artistic"

CHEEKS!

he's now big enough to fit in the tall face hole that Daddy usually peeks through, sigh....my baby is getting so BIG!

MORE CHEEKS!

checking out the piggies...he wanted to feed them corn SO BAD!

playing in the corn crib

so be honest, do you think he looks like me? most people are saying that he does...but I think its just because Jack looks SO much like Josh, and since Wesley isnt a carbon copy of his daddy, they assume he favors me...gotta get a good look at my baby pictures to make a decision.....

on the tire swing like a big boy, carrying on a conversation with a first grader....

group shot

punkin' head....Wesley, not daddy!

punkin head checking out his hands...hmmm...they look tasty!

excited to be on the "hay bales" aka Hay ride

how Wesley chose to spend part of the hayride...guess all the bumping and jostling could be kinda like rocking to sleep....

 2 cute boys!

3 cute boys

MORE CHEEKS!

this is how Wesley spent the rest of the hay ride...YUM!

Amazin Acres part 1

We made our yearly trek to the local Pumpkin Patch. The first year we went, it was super cold, last year it was wet and dreary and still cold, but today it was very sunny and almost hot...but thanks to a nice breeze, we were comfortable most of the time in our short sleeves. It seems like every year I wish that we had come a little earlier in the day or that we had a little more energy, just to stay and have a bit more fun...maybe next year if we arent carrying anyone around, we can stay a little longer, because there is SO much to do here....these pictures dont even show half of it!

Honestly, the scale is a bit off, just like last year, just look at how far down his feet are from the bottom of the sign...I am KICKING myself that we forgot to prop Wesley up here! Grr!

still not looking at the camera, but there IS a lot to see!

checking out the goats

petting the bunnies

finding the cows

scoping out the chickens and a duck

enjoying the hay loft, they have mattresses hiding under the hay so it is super SPRINGY! He was SO much braver than he usually is...it was exciting to see him enjoy himself so much!

big boy climbing up into the hay loft

about to slide down the super fast slide

Daddy and Wesley...maybe next year he can play in here too!

Doughnuts with Daddy

I was really excited that Daddy decided to take Jack to a special breakfast one Saturday morning....until I realized it meant I wouldn't get any doughnuts....but I am so glad that they had a good special time!

Can you tell who picked out this particular Doughnut



CHEEKS!

He's so beautiful! Before he came along, I really wondered if any baby could be as beautiful and adorable to me as my firstborn....now I know....it is totally possible! I've never been so happy to be wrong!

We start them young around here!

 Wesley tips his hat to VANDY!

Daddy's Alma Mater

just like big brother

we love Vandy around here (Can't you tell how much Jack loved them when he was itty bitty too?)...we have to....Papa John might disown us if we succumb to the Big Orange!