Random thoughts

Don't get me wrong I love, love, love summer - but I CAN'T WAIT for Fall!!! I love everything about fall, but most importantly FOOTBALL!!!! I also love the smell outside in the mornings and the leaves changing color. I love picking pumpkins with Troy which we have made a tradition for 5 +years. I love soup nights when it is raining out and Troy builds a fire. I can't wait to put Westyn in beanie caps and vests and buy her little Ugg boots to keep her feet warm. By this time she will be crawling (maybe) and interacting with her brother (Kenai) a bit more and we will be able to dress her up for Halloween - our favorite holiday. And I get to meet little Calum for the first time and give him a million kisses on his chubby cheeks and finally introduce Jen, Mark & Dett to Westyn. I can't wait to go hiking in middle September when it is still warm out but you can feel fall quietly coming. I am so excited for the Coug Football game which we have always tailgated (last year I was pregnant so I couldn't fully enjoy the festivities) and had the best time.

Who else is excited for fall -or am I the only crazy one???

This past week...

Not much to report on except that we survived this past week in the heat wave. Westyn was a little trooper as I know she was miserable as were we. We gave her cold baths every night and stressed about what to put her in for bed - and decided on just a diaper. Kenai was equally as miserable so we handed him off to my parents on Wednesday and they headed to the canal; I followed on Thursday. It was just as hot at the canal but with the breeze it felt much cooler. Troy took the ferry from work Friday afternoon and we once again had an amazing weekend waterskiing and swimming. Our friends Danny & Liz Walton came out on Saturday morning and we had a wonderful time with them floating around in the water drinking plenty of margaritas.

On another note, Westyn started swim lessons 3 weeks ago and is having a great time. Troy goes in the pool with her while I'm at the edge with the camera like a crazy Mom. Since these started we have taken her infant bathtub out and she now takes baths in the regular tub lying on a bath mat. This has given her much more freedom to play and move her legs and she really has taken to it - it's pretty funny to watch. We also started her on rice cereal a few weekends ago, not quite sure how to report on that....I think she liked it but she liked the spoon in her mouth much more.

Trying solids for the first time - but did it get in her mouth?

Swim Lessons with Daddy

She loves her jump-a-roo
playing with Aunt Christy

I couldn't get over how cute her bum looked in her swimsuit

Grandma & Westyn

Mommy and Westyn

Big smiles

Loving the salt water

Now that's what I call a perfect dinner...fresh King caught 2 weeks ago on the Kenai River

Amazing

There is nothing more precious than watching your Husband / Partner / Father of your child rock your baby for 20 minutes trying to get them to sleep in a 95 degree house while standing and making the shushing noise. Troy and I have truly become partners since we had Westyn and I am so thankful that he is the person that he is - I find motherhood and fatherhood more amazing each day.

All A's on the report card

I thought I'd post a quick update on our little beautiful baby. We had her 4-month well check on Tuesday and since Troy was in AK fishing I asked my Mom to come with me just for the fun of it. Westyn is growing so fast and has changed so much in just the past month. She is holding on to toys/rattles and in the last day has discovered her binkie (pacifier) which she is obsessed with. She never took one before as she always just sucked on her hands but I thought I'd give it a try yesterday and man did she love it. She is also holding the binkie by herself and when it falls out she tries so hard to put it back in her mouth and usually hits the target. She is rolling over both ways but more frequently from her stomach to her back. She also discovered her feet last month but in the last 2 weeks has been putting her toes in her mouth. I find myself at the end of the day with a tired mouth from smiling non-stop. She is the happiest baby (excluding the few minutes right before her afternoon nap) and I feel like my life has a whole new meaning... making Westyn smile & laugh.

The pediatrician was in awe of Westyn as she seems to be quite advanced in her development when compared to most babies at 4 month. We are starting rice cereal tomorrow as the doc said she is more than ready to have some fun - there is no nutritional value in rice cereal it's more for fun and experimenting with spoons and trying out a substance a bit more solid than breast milk. As far as her stats go, holy cow do we have a big girl.
She weighs 16 lbs 4 oz. and is 26 1/2 inches long, showing in the 97 percentile in each category.

I don't have any current pictures but will definitely have some this weekend after our Saturday morning experiment with cereal.

A special birthday wish to my beautiful friend

Jen,

More then you know I wish I could spend your birthday with you tomorrow because that would mean that you are FINALLY HOME, and only a few minutes away as opposed to an ocean away. Even though you are in another country, you are never ever forgotten - we are always thinking of you and keeping our fingers crossed that someday you will be back. On your birthday, I hope that you realize what an AMAZING person and best friend you are; always so thoughtful, thinking of others way before you think of yourself. I know I speak for everyone when I say that I strive to be the kind of person that you are and have become and I admire you immensely. I am so fortunate to call you my friend, and having esentially "grown up" with you throughout college and beyond has been some of the best years of my life. We have definitely had fun haven't we!!??

Happy Birthday to a very wonderful person!!!

I Love.......

.....that every Sounders game is sold out and soccer is once again making a name for itself in Seattle.

Yesterday afternoon Troy and I along with my parents and Brandon & Crystal, went to the Sounders v. Houston game at Qwest Field and had an awesome time in the BEAUTIFUL 85 degree Seattle weather. This was a Father's Day gift for my Dad but I was equally as excited to go as Troy and I have been wanting to see a game ever since they came back. It was pretty funny that I was the one explaining the dynamics of soccer to him whereas he is usually the one doing the explaining at sporting events - I was able to show off a bit with my knowledge of the game. My Aunt Peggy (my Mom's bestfriend) watched Westyn so we were also able to have a fun afternoon to ourselves. There's no way we would have brought Westyn in that heat especially since out seats were in the blazing sun for the first half.

On to Westyn updates:

*She is beginning to love her feet

*She now rolls over from her belly to her back

*She is now grabbing toys and actually 'plays' with rattles

*She absolutely loves her Daddy and watches his every move

*She sleeps through the night in her crib at least 2 times a week

*She is 4 months next Saturday

*We start her Waterbabies swim lessons on Tuesday

*She is such a happy smily baby

Troy and I were talking this afternoon about how we don't even remember the difficult/confusing/sleepless days we had with her when she was a newborn. It was all worth it to get to this point, and really when I think about it, it wasn't that hard. At the time I thought it was pretty hard but hey, we made it and so does everybody else that has a new baby I would absolutely do it all over again....but not for at least 2 years.

Such a fun 4th!!!!!

Definitely starting to look like Daddy

Friday morning we set off for the canal for what I thought would be a bit of a stressful weekend. It turned out to be anything but and was so much fun. I think the heat drained Westyn since she slept most of the day, both days, in her swing ( I nixed the crib naps this weekend), and then when her bedtime came which is around 7:30 nowadays she fell right asleep in her travel crib and slept right through the fireworks, and they were absurd this year. I would imagine it had to do with her white noise machine being right next to her ear but regardless she didn't wake up once, except for a quick snack around 4am both nights. This year was definitely the best as far as fireworks go, I think some houses down the canal must have spent thousands as they were pretty awesome.

It was definitely a crazy weekend with all the family spread out between our cabin and my Grandma's house but OMG do I have the best family ever.... They were so helpful and always wanted to take Westyn so Troy and I could swim or ski or go on a boat ride or whatever; anything to help out and let Troy and I enjoy eachother...which is exactly what we did. Of course it makes things easier that Westyn has just been so wonderful - smiling and laughing up a storm; she is getting so much fun and so incredibly animated. I think the best thing about her smile is that she smiles with her eyes - sounds cheesy but she just lights up the room.

As fun as this weekend was, I almost feel like I need another weekend to just unwind and relax. Since I'm usually in bed by 9pm these days, staying up until midnight around the fire drinking wine and roasting smores has definitely taken it's toll. I hope everyone had a wonderful and safe weekend.

Mommy & Westyn

playing on the dock

Getting ready to ski

Grandma making Westyn laugh

Daddy and Westyn having a conversation