wesley videos and more

Finally, a Wesley update!! Some videos to tide over the Grandmas:

Here is our joyous Christmas morning. We did all we could to get him to um, talk to US, but apparently no, he was too intrigued with the trains. This was the first time he saw his very own train set. The kid loves trains.

On New Year's Day we took Wesley to a hockey game. He had been to a game before (when he was much smaller), but this one he definitely was more alert for. He LOVED it. He talks about it all the time. "Go to another hockey game?" And when Shane turns on the TV and asks Wesley if he wants to watch football, Wesley says, "watch a hockey game?" He had a great time. We had great seats and it was a blast... so we definitely will be going again before the season is over. Anyway, this video is of him mesmerized by a hockey game on TV :-) So cute!

The other night Wesley was wired. My new thing is to let him "dance." We put on music and prance around the house; it wears him out really well. He laughs and squeals and is all-around thrilled at dancing. We like to twirl and go in circles, which kind of evolved into Ring Around the Rosie... and now he does it all. the. time. We parents can't keep up. It's so cute. And seriously, when I do try to keep up, it is an intense cardio workout.

The star of this video is actually Amia, our little friend we were watching one day. I love how she's doing my dishes. But Wesley loves playing in the water... turning it off and on, filling up cups and pouring them out, etc. So this is standard Wesley fun.

Last one. (Did I mention we got a new Internet connection and it's lightning fast and these videos are uploading in record time? I suppose the Grandmas will have to bug me for more videos more often since it's a cinch!) This is our "borrowed" cat. He is younger than Gabby so more active, and Wesley can have a dang good time with him. We considered keeping him permanently although he is totally high maintenance so in reality I'm glad his owner really wants him back. At the moment I'm thinking I can't get him outta here fast enough, but we're being patient. More on that in another post. For now, here is Wesley laughing and saying his name, "Stidean" lots. Pets are fun. Too bad you have to pick up their poop.

I love this adorable little boy of ours!! He talks so much and just has fun doing everything. Of course we are struggling with the awful things, like him throwing his toys at our heads or running over his train tracks with his push toys, but we're trying. It's all standard little boy stuff.

Here are 10 of the latest and greatest:

1. Counts to 20... he skips 15 and goes from 14 to 16, not sure why.
2. Skips his nap a couple times a week, but sings in his crib instead
3. Is starting to drink from a cup (we're working on it, since they use cups in preschool and nursery)
4. Loves loves loves to push the stroller. Sometimes I just take him out in the parking lot and let him push it around. I may go to Church tonight to play basketball and if I have to take him with me I'll bring the stroller and let him push it all over the stage for an hour. I also let him push carts around stores, like Joanns, Walgreens, etc. He's good at letting me guide him. Bartells is the BEST because they have those cute little kid-sized carts. Maybe I have a picture of that somewhere.... ah yes:
   
   


5. Jumps on the bed. I've got to get a good video of him singing "Five Little Monkeys." He knows ALL the words! And says them! With no prompting from us.
6. Surprises us with what he eats and when. Last week we went out for Mexican and he only ate chips and wouldn't touch his chicken quesidilla. The next day for lunch he inhaled the leftovers. I'm glad we saved it! I sometimes get him to eat sugar snap peas (vegetable victory!) but usually he asks for crackers and cookies and is devastated if we refuse him. (I think he thinks communication has its perks, and if he can tell us he wants cookies we should oblige!). Today in the car I told him we were going home to have chicken nuggets for lunch, and he said "and maybe crackers too." It was SO FUNNY. Because we say that kinda stuff, "maybe crackers," you know, so he doesn't get his hopes up. HAHA!
7. Has graduated from the high chair to a booster. He loves to sit at the table. We tried phone books in a pillowcase but they were too slide-y. We broke down and bought a real booster seat.
8. Has discovered coloring. Which essentially means he likes to dump the 24-pack of crayons all over the floor and "help" mommy pick them up. But he has two coloring books to choose from (monkeys or Elmo's birthday) and we color together. Crayons and markers are fun utensils of creativity, but his favorite, to my chagrin, are ball-point pens. Why?
9. Is still sleeping in our room. Sigh. I will be thrilled when this "re-construction" is over. Some nights he's up way late singing and talking and goofing off. One night, man I was tired, but Wesley didn't want to sleep. He started saying "Little Buddy" (his lovey, an elephant-star) over and over and over and over again. I had to stifle laughs for a really long time. Finally I was so tired I thought I'd start counting (like his "Little Buddy"s were sheep, right?), and I got to 129 before he stopped. And he'd been saying them for awhile. Hysterical.
10. Is now in a "preschool." The big news is, yes, we put Wesley in a preschool/daycare for 8 hours two days a week while I go to work. (It's really a daycare but *I* call it a preschool so I feel better about working. Funny, huh.) Shane is back to five 8-hour days at Boeing. This place we found really rocks. He LOVES IT. The other night at bedtime I told him he could go to preschool "tomorrow" and he said, "preschool today?" and I kept having to say, no preschool tomorrow, preschool tomorrow, go to sleep and you can go to preschool tomorrow... and he cried when he had to lay down and go to bed. Yes, he loves preschool. We tested the waters a couple times before we actually dropped him off, and he never listened or followed directions, and the instructors there said it was OK and a lot of kids take some time to adjust. For a while I thought well, maybe this will be a good thing and these people will teach my son to listen since obviously I didn't do it. BUT on his first day things went so well. They said he listened and followed directions and sat in a circle, and you'd have no idea it was his first day. Huh. The only thing they struggle with is him not taking a nap and singing too loudly from his little mat and disturbing the other kids. Haha.... anyway. My favorite part is that they write up a little report every day telling me if he ate all his lunch and what they learned and how he did and what he enjoyed. It helps me feel more connected, you know? It's a cool place. I'm glad he's adjusting well.
    

OK, that is all for now. We love our Wesley!