Wednesdays With Westynn

A new feature...every week a new picture of Westynn!



Westynn is starting to enjoy bathtime {even though you can't tell from his face}! I love what he smells like after his bath...

*baby wash
*clean diapers
*baby lotion
*sweet, sweet baby smell

I am definitely in love!

CRAVING!

I have about jumped off the wagon several times since yesterday's post about "Kickin' the Habit".

I have decided that the person who first invented soda must have been a mother looking for some way, ANY way to keep up with her children.

It's like Melissa and I were talking last Friday, you almost feel like you have to have the soda for the stamina you need to keep up with your family.

I keep trying to look to the future and how glad I will be when I have reached the 21 day mark and what a difference it will make in my life, and hopefully the rest of my family as well.

Traci commented that she finds my challenge inspiring, crazy, but inspiring! I definitely agree that this is crazy and HARD. Inspirational....glad she thinks so!


{Image from Rhonna Farrer}

Starring...

...the many faces of Westynn!









{This smile is gas related!}

These are all from last Wednesday!

And I am so excited because last night Westynn smiled at me for the first time! A HUGE smile and some cooing to go along! There have been a few more smiles this morning and I am so hoping I can catch one tomorrow for this weeks Wednesday photo!

Homecoming '09

Last Friday night Preston participated in the South Central Homecoming festivities. As a kindergartener, he was able to help, along with the rest of his class. His job was not all that exciting, but he sure had a fun time doing something outside of the "regular" school setting with his classmates.



This is our babysitter Alyssa and she is the kids favorite! When Preston saw her he was very excited and was waving at her. But when I said I wanted to take his picture with her, he got all shy and acted like girls were the most disgusting thing EVER!

And now just a few more shots that I thought were worth sharing!


I like the irony of high heels and cleats!


The king didn't secure the crown to the queen and it fell off!

Kickin' The Habit

No, I'm not a smoker!

And I don't tip the bottle!

So, what habit am I kicking?

SODA!

That's right, I am giving up pop. There are several reasons for this. First of all, I had to give up Dr. Pepper becaue the caffeine adversely affects Westynn. So I was drinking soda's without caffeine...like Root Beer and Caffeine Free Coca Cola. They were okay, but not the same as my first love Dr. Pepper.

Second reason, it gets expensive.

Third reason, the kids see me drinking soda and think they need to as well. I know it's not good for any of us, so we are all going to quit.

Fourth, I have a few more pounds to lose and this should make that a little easier.

So, what am I doing instead? Drinking decaf iced tea for one thing and also trying to keep myself occupied during the 1:00 p.m. hour when I would normally drink my soda. That's why I am posting right now...accountability!

On this website she posted about the 21 day challenge and I am going to refer back to her posts to keep myself motivated. I am also making a list of other habits that I need to stop or good habits that I need to start. Hopefully I can make a small change each month and create a better, healthier me over time!

Anybody else have a habit they want to kick or start in the next 21 days?

I gladly welcome you to join me!

Haircut...Now Playing

Front


Back

I LOVE the back because I can just let it do whatever it wants! Yeah for time savers!


P.S. For some reason it is really hard to smile when you are photographing yourself...so no comments on the non-smile please!

Haircut...coming soon

Okay, just wanted everyone to know that I do in fact like my new haircut, but Westynn has not given me a chance to take a photo in the last 24 hours. Yesterday evening was a rough one and it has been a rough day, starting about 7 am. I have managed to get a quick shower, but my hair has not been addressed. Hopefully the day will get better and by this evening I can get something done with it and a picture.

Fair Day

On Sunday we loaded up the Suburban and headed to Hutchinson for the Kansas State Fair. It turned out to be a decent day and it was the last day of the fair, so there were LOTS of people. A fun time was had by the entire family...here's the highlights of our day.

Preston's favorite part

riding the motorcycles. This was the first time the kids have been on "carnival" rides and they thought it was a lot more fun than I thought they would.

Cambree's favorite part

a $5 ride on Tonto the pony! After round two she told me she was done, but at the end of the day, she told me this was her favorite part...silly girl.

Westynn's Favorite part of the day!

being pushed around in the stroller and getting to sleep all day!

Sara's favorite part

riding the carpet slide with Preston and Cambree. They thought this was tons of fun, but the best part was on the climb up. Preston stopped on one of the platforms about halfway up and said, "Wow, look at that view!" I was trying to hold on to three mats as well as Cambree, plus I am not a huge fan of heights, so I was definitely not going to stop and enjoy the view...I was terribly afraid of dropping a mat or worse yet, Cambree loosing her flip-flop over the side! The kids voices and faces on the way down were priceless....I am considering building one of these in our backyard!

Grandma Robin's favorite part of the day




watching the kids try and keep up with the super-fast melting ice cream cones that Papa Jene bought for P & C! It was Nitro Ice Cream and while it was really tasty, it also melted REALLY fast. We ended up have to ditch the cones and go to cups and spoons! I think we probably went through an entire package of wipes trying to clean everyone's hands up, notice the ice cream dripping from their fingers! It was quite comical!

Papa Jene's favorite part of the day

Okay, I didn't officially consult papa on this, but he seemed to enjoy helping the kids feed the animals at the petting zoo. I think his favorite part was actually the getting home part, but I don't have a picture of that!

It was a great day had by all and before we had even made it through the gates on our way home, Preston was asking, "Next year at the fair can we..." This kid is too much like me; likes to plan ahead!

Here are a few more pictures from the day that I just like!


Cambree talking to the pot-bellied pig!


Me & Cambree waiting on Tonto to gitty-up!


P & C riding the roller coaster!


More coaster happiness!


Jeremy...what more can i say?


Papa Jene...I think his face is funny! He was thinking, "Sheesh! $7200 for a mower might be more than even I am willing to pay!"

We can't wait for next September and another year of the State Fair!

P.S. I am getting my haircut in under an hour...if I like it I will post pictures this evening...if I don't, I won't be making public appearances for the next 6 months! Wish me luck!

Wonderful Wednesday

It's been four weeks since Westynn made his arrival here in the world. I can't believe it has been this long already. This time it may be going more quickly than the previous two. Probably just seems that way because we have so much more going on around here.



It doesn't seem like there is near enough time to just sit and snuggle and be still and quiet. That is why I am really thriving on our night time feedings. While I do wish I could get a little more sleep, these few nightly moments are the only ones that I get to have Westynn all to myself. It is quiet {except for Fox News in the background}, there is no one asking me to get up and do something and there isn't anyone that I have to get after for being all up in my nursing business.



Westynn's Papa Jene is over the moon with this little boy and I think if it was up to him we would have lots more babies in this family. This Wednesday picture was actually Papa's idea. One evening he mentioned that he should wear his Harley Davidson shirt and Westynn could wear his and they could take a picture. Papa Jene bought this shirt for Westynn while he was still in the womb and we just thought it was adorable...it's too bad that little chubs is already about to outgrow it.



And did you notice that Westynn is wearing shoes for the first time. They are officialy OSU Cowboys shoes that Uncle Russ got for him, but they matched the HD shirt with the black and orange so it was fate that he had to wear them. Plus I figured this way I had proof that in fact Westynn did wear them at least once! Don't worry though...he does have a pair of OU shoes as well, they just won't fit him for awhile!

There are so many things that I am trying to enjoy about Westynn right now. The thing that I get the best kick out of is the way that he holds his hands while he is nursing. Sometimes he rests his hand on his own belly, sometimes it's resting on my belly and every once in awhile he grabs ahold of my shirt. That last one just cracks me up because when he does it, it looks like he is holding on for dear life!

The other thing that I have a hard time enjoying, but I am really trying hard is all of Westynn's grunts! You should hear him...he sounds like an old man. Most of it occurs while he is having a bowel movement or while he is passing gas. The downfall of all his noises are that I don't rest well because of it and that when his tummy is bothering him he is very restless. I am slowly starting to figure out the things that upset his stomach as well as the things that help relieve his pain. Mylicon has become my best friend as well as lots and lots of rocking and holding tight.

I am sure the next week is going to fly by. Before I know it, it will be time to post his 5 week picture!

Weekend in Pictures

Here are some of my favorite photos from the past weekend!

This girl jumps in front the lens anytime she can!


I love the angle on this, the bokah and the fact that Jace is playing in the dirt...what little boy doesn't have this same type of picture in their photo album?



I love the expression on his face, the boots and the enjoyment of remembering our afternoon of kite flying!


This little chubba is going to love having her picture taken some day!


Cracking up over Jeff saying I should post this photo and the words "White Supremacy" as a post. I told him I was pretty sure I would be contacted by the White House and told to remove the post! I still think Westynn is hilarious in this picture.



A game of football in the front yard...and no injuries!



Tomorrow Westynn will be FOUR weeks old! I can't believe it. I have a pretty neat Wednesday picture up my sleeve, so check back tomorrow night or Thursday morning and see what we have done!

A Conversation

Here's a conversation that the big kids had in the car on the way home from the ranch last night.

C: Is God real?

P: Yes.

C: Does He live in the sky?

P: Yes

C: How did he get up there?

P: He's just been up there a long time.  Like more than 100 years.

C: Does he have a house?

P: No. Yes. Maybe.  I don't know.

C: God is real in the sky?

P: Yes

a day late and a goody

Here's Westynn's Wednesday picture from this week.  Our cousins Jace and Jordyn are here from Iowa and we are so excited to see them again and introduce them to baby brother.  We are definitely going to be tired by the time Sunday rolls around though!


Here's part of the goody that I worked on today.  Can you guess what it is?  I am trying to get some projects done while I am home...sometimes easier said than done!



Here's what it is! Who likes it? I even made myself a new camera strap cover out of the scraps!


I just LOVE aprons and I think everyone should have a cute one!  I am thinking about making several and giving them for Christmas presents...what do you think?  I have even entertained the idea of making some and trying to sell them....don't know if I have that much time though.

Okay, it is off to bed for the night because I know a little boy who will almost certainly be awake at 5:00 am and I know a momma who will most certainly NOT want to wake up!

Blessings

As I was going through the pictures that I had taken over the weekend these pictures of my parents really struck me. These were just some quick snapshots I took while they were sitting there...nothing that was planned. When I saw them I immediately thought of this quote that had been on a card we received with a baby gift.



These two are HUGE blessings to our family and we are all so lucky. Our little family is so blessed to be just across town from them. My kids get to see them almost every day and honestly, I think everyone would be lost without our daily contact.

And they just give and give. Not only were Russ and Megan here this weekend, but we had some friends from college here to meet Westynn and my mom's sister and her husband were here on Monday to meet Westynn. My parents never even entertained the thought of NOT fixing lunch for the entire clan on Monday.

And they didn't just fix part of the meal, the fixed the entire thing! Papa grilled some of the best burgers and dogs and earth and mom fixed all the fixin's...potatoe salad, coleslaw, beans, dip, mac & cheese...and it was soooo good! To add to their giving, mom delivered three take out meals that day as well...to people she corresponds with on Facebook {that's a whole other post and we give her plenty of grief about Facebook}.



A huge thanks to Megan for taking a family photo with our newest member Sunday after church! I just love these pictures...all of us together, dressed up, and usually all smiles! I don't think there will be a time when I won't whole-heartedly say how important I think it is to live near your extended family...especially when your kids are young!

Thanks for being such a blessing to our family and for always taking such great care of us. We have to be some of the luckiest kids on the planet!

Love,
Sara

Lots going on!

Here is Westynn at two weeks old! I can't believe we are only two days away from 3 weeks!



On Friday morning Cambree started gymnastics! She was so excited about it and wasn't shy at all about doing the activities.


{FYI: Preston took this picture while we were having class...he might have a future here!}

The FREEZE part of the freeze game. It took her awhile to figure out that she actually has to listen to the music to know when to stop!


Friday evening we attended the first South Central football game of the year! It was in Coldwater and the kids couldn't wait to go.




Somehow I always end up being the "community" mom at ballgames. And I admit that this time I ended up sending kids back to their parents because I was just too tired to make everyone else's kids behave! At one point I even mentioned that I was the mom who just had a baby two weeks ago. Needless to say, I didn't feel too bad about sending everyone on their way in the third quarter...In the boys defense, they did have fun and were all happy to see each other! And they were funny to watch and listen to {for awhile anyway}!

This is funny family joke now! My brother Megan brought home his girlfriend Megan!

Russ: you knew I would post this on my blog, so no rude comments!

Russ came home to meet his newest nephew and to bring his girlfriend home to meet us and so we could meet her.


Megan & Preston trying to get Russ back during a Wedgie War! What are uncles better for than teaching their nieces and nephews to give wedgies??


Today Cambree, Westynn and I are just hanging out at home, trying to get the laundry caught up. Westynn has been having some tummy troubles so we are also trying to work those out and get some much needed rest around here.

Aunt Janelle and Uncle Jeff, Jace and Jordyn will be here later this week and on Saturday, so we need to get rested up so that we can play with them when they get here! We have heard that Jordyn is walking now, so it could be a real zoo!

It Finally Happened!

Look closely!

Can you tell what shinanigans Cambree played on Monday?

Yep, that's right!

She CUT her hair and it only took her about 1.2 seconds of being un-supervised for it to happen!

About 2 minutes after Jeremy left to go back to work from lunch, she disappeared into her room while I was changing Westynn. Upon her return, I noticed her new do and asked, "Did you cut your hair?"

C: "No"

Mom: "Who cut it?"

C: "No one."

Mom: "Well someone did, I can tell by looking at it. Did you do it?"

C: "No."

Mom: "I think you did cut it. Why did you cut it?"

C: "It was in my face."

Logical explanation for taking the safety scissors from the school box to your hair! Don't ya think?

All I can say is thank goodness she seems to have some natural talent in this area and she cut it on the angle and it isn't a blunt cut right across the front. It is actually kind of cute, but it is definitely going to be in her face now!



It was too cute to get upset over and this is the sad part...my first thought was this is going to make a great blog post! Every little girl cuts her own hair {or her brothers on family picture day} at some point. Why not document it for the entire world to see!