Top 5 First Greats!

Here are some top 5 great first moments (and it's not even Christmas yet!)

1. Wesley crawled for the first time Monday! All the way down the hall to his room! Who needs Denise Austin?

2. Today, he ate noodles for the first time! Ramen (minus the flavoring). He has gotten to where he doesn't want to eat unless he can do it himself (and he's only 9 months old - how cute is that!).

3. He also pulled himself up today for the first time (I'm talking all the way up to a full on standing position)! We were at mama's (Nana or Nanny to him), and he was playing with the toy piano when he decided to pull himself all the way up. Then he proceeded to sway to the music while leaning on the keys. Can somebody say Jerry Lewis (without the controversy)?

4. Wesley attempted to crawl down the steps leading to the Coca-Cola room two days ago. He ended up sideways on the second step, most unhappy. Okay, so maybe it's not a Great moment, but it was definitely a first.

5. His vocabulary has extended; in addition to Ma-Ma-Ma, theres BaBaBaBaBa, Ahbow, and Huhhhh. He's working his way up to skilled orator.

Ma-ma-ma - That's Me

Well, it's official; Wesley's first word was "Ma-Ma." Yay! He has been saying it for about a week now, and the other day, he actually looked at me and said it. My little fella is a genius at only eight months old! My favorite times are when he is in his bouncy seat bouncing up and down and saying over and over, "Ma-ma-ma, Ma-ma-ma, Ma-ma, Ma-ma-ma." Too cute!

Add to that the fact that he is now a champion scooter, and my life just got ten times more interesting. He has finally figured out how to scoot on his belly across the floor, and one of his favorite games to play is Pick up a toy, toss it, scoot after it, pick it up, toss it, scoot after it, pick it up, toss it, and so on. This is fun to watch, but blink, sneeze, or rub the eyes, and he is down the hall heading for the bathroom. Mama (his Nana) lost him in the kitchen the other day. Ha! Time to lose the granny stance and put on your running shoes! 'Course, what am I saying? I'm about to petition for a full-time babysitter just so I can rest!

PLUS he rolled himself up into a sitting position for the first time tonight! Complete nonchalance in his expression, complete pride and yay-ism in mine! What a pair!

Love that little boy.

Happy 1st Halloween!

It's Halloween, and my little fellow is nearing the eight month mark. Tonight, he was a pumpkin - the cutest little pumpkin in the world, Charlie Brown - and even though he is much too young for candy, Charlie and I took him down to the church for Trunk-or-Treat. Always observant, Wesley watched all the children in their costumes with great interest, the pumpkin carving, the cupcake walk (which I lost - BOO!), the kids' games, all of it. I have to admit to being really impressed with Trunk-or-Treat. Not only is the safest way to go on this bootiful holiday, but Cokesbury Methodist had games, food, music, and festivities to go along with the trunks full of candy. It seemed as if the entire community had come out to participate, and I am really glad that Wesley was able to get a little taste this year of what I am sure will become a tradition.

Besides being the most adorable pumpkin in the pumpkin patch, I have to note the changes in my little fella. He is sitting independently now and has just started rocking on his knees. Any day now he is going to rocket across the floor and boy! if I think I'm tired now . . . He is going to walk probably as soon as he learns to crawl, and all of this in time for Christmas. His teeth are coming in one right on top of the other. His two bottom teeth are in, and one of his top teeth arrived just this week. I noticed last night that the other top tooth has started to appear, so this explains the increased gnawing that has been happening lately.

At approximately 30 inches and 27 pounds, my little giant has been on solid foods for a month now; he loves sweet potatoes, squash, and carrots; applesauce and prunes. What he is not a big fan of is, of course, the green stuff, though he does warm up slowly to the string beans. Peas we don't seem to be having much luck with, and the pears didn't seem to be a big hit today (their first time out). Like them or not, Charlie and I believe in staying the course through one week's worth; that way, like the string beans, he has a chance to get used to the taste. He also enjoys his little teething cookies, vanilla flavored, and he is starting to get that whole hand-to-mouth coordination down pat, not to mention he no longer appears to trying to swallow said cookies whole and choking himself. What a smart little pumpkin!

Every day that I am able to share with that wonderful little boy is a blessing; watching him grow and learn and experience the world has given me brand new insight into life. Halloween is fun again, and I know it will only get more and more fun as the years pass. Now to teach him how to save those Reese Cups for his mama . . .

Proud Mama

My little fella has entered the "oh-my-look-at-how-fast-he-is-growing" phase. Aside from rolling over (on his own time, of course), Wesley is now eating rice cereal in addtion to his regular nursing. This had me worried, not because it meant he was growing up and I am in no hurry for that to happen, but because it has always kind of grossed me out to see babies with food smeared all over their faces. But that was before my baby came into the world. Happily, I can say that it doesn't phase me in the slightest to see white, milky rice smeared on his lips, cheeks, chin, nose, and yes, even the forehead. (Of course, I realize there's a BIG difference between white rice and pukey green peas, but whatever.) What makes this feeding so enjoyable is the fact that there are times when Wesley appears to be diving for the spoon, as though he has not been fed in days. He also has tried several times to dive headfirst into the bowl, which explains the nose and forehead food smears. This is a next big milestone step, but not the only one in which he has recently partaken.

Wesley is also almost sitting up entirely on his own. It's one of his favorite positions (the other being standing, which he isn't quite ready to do on his own but it definitely won't be too long before he is). He has even started trying to pull himself into a sitting position using his tummy muscles (ever heard of crunches?). Being the observant, brilliant baby that he is, he wants to sit up (or stand) all the time, I guess for fear of missing something. And sitting in the floor to play with his toys is becoming more and more a favorite of his.

Finally, I believe he will be a singer. Exercising his vocal cords is something he has gotten quite good at. The most recent example of this was last Thursday at Mother Goose time at the library. During the parachute play and song, Wesley, who is still too young to be in the floor with the older kids because he can't stand on his own yet, stood on my lap and crowed through both parachute songs. Not quietly did he partake in this activity but loud and proud. Many of the other mothers found this quite amusing, as did I and Mama, who had come along for the first time. Truth be told, I had never heard my baby sing to the wind as he did that day. With tremors in his arms and stiff little legs, he tried so hard to get in as much play as he good duing the parachute time. It was one of the best moments I have had with my son, for he let it be known that, regardless of age and ability, he could hang in there and sing with the best of them. Now that makes a mama proud!

And we are still waiting for that first tooth to break through. I wonder if Rome took this long to build . . .

Keep Them Babies Rollin'

Okay, so Wesley has rolled over on two different occasions, and I have missed both of them. Grrr.

The first was last Saturday. I was taking the rare opportunity to sleep a little bit and so missed the spectacular event. Charlie proudly informed me that not only had Wesley rolled from his back to his tummy (at 4 1/2 months even!), but that when he realized he was on his tummy (not his favority position), he got mad and promptly pushed himself back onto his back. At first, I was upset; I mean, I'm the mama. I should be the one to witness all milestones as they occur. I'm sure it's written somewhere. Then I realized I would live and that it was better than okay if Charlie witnessed this particular milestone because he would be returning to work in a few weeks and could possibly miss out on the rest of the milestones as they occur. (I'm taking this year off for that very reason.) So I got myself happy for Charlie's sake. It did me no good, for as soon as my back was turned (this was later in the day, mind you), Wesley flipped from his tummy to his back (no doubt in an effort to avoid tummy time) and lay grinning up at me as I feigned joy at this accomplishment, which I had missed yet again.

The second occasion occurred just yesterday at my parents' house. Wesley lay on the floor after having been changed, content to kick and coo at the ceiling fan spinning above. I stepped out of the room to retrieve his diaper bag, for that is where his toys were, and I heard Charlie exclaim half-happily, half-sadly, "Oh, no, Bookie! You have rolled over again!"

Peeking my head around the door, I saw my baby lying proudly on his tummy, giggling. "Poor Mommy," Charlie lamented. "You just don't want her to see it, do you?" Poor Mommy is right. So, of course, we tried the old "Roll him back over and he'll do it again" trick, but Wesley was having none of it. Once on his back, he found the ceiling fan again and nothing but kicks and coos and scooting himself off his changing pad.

Oh, well. I'm bound to see it sooner or later, right? Right. And until then, my one consolation is that he loves nobody better than me ... at least at feeding time! (Ha!)

On the Cutting Edge

My baby is all grown up.

Well, okay, not quite. However, as milestones go, we have hit on a biggie - the first tooth. Even as I write this, that little piece of hard bone is pushing its way through my baby's gum, the trigger for a mini-adventure for both baby and me (Daddy also, but he'll have to write his own blog).

For Wesley, the adventure includes a haze of confusion and pain - more like confusion on where this pain is coming from. He knows to gnaw, and it does it very well, as his fingers and my nipples will attest. Thankfully, he's not a screamer (yet); rather, he cries genuine cries that produce genuine tears. This is where my adventure comes in. I get to wade into the waters of "How do I comfort my baby and get him through his little adventure with as little trauma as possible?". That protective instinct in me just wants to reach in and magically erase all future teeth from existence. No teeth, no pain. But, since that's neither rational nor practical, I have to go with my other instincts and rock and sing; rub his gums; apply vanilla extract (a great old home remedy that actually works); provide chew toys, cold teething rings and washcloths; and administer baby tylenol whenever the need is the greatest.

The good news is this tooth should be in within the next few days. The bad news? There are how many more teeth to go? Oh, well. I guess there's something to those growing pains after all.

Love at One Millionth Sight

I love my baby.

I could leave it at that, but here's another reason to add to the list of about 100: Tonight, after another failed attempt to get him to sleep, I gave up trying to rock him and laid him instead on the changing table (for the obvious reason, but also because that's where we do a good bit of our socializing). After I had changed his diaper and his outfit (due to a lovely dose of spit-up), I leaned in and put my face just a couple of inches from his so I could talk to him. His big ol' smile disappeared as he studied my face.

Now, as part of our nighttime feeding tradition, I like to stroke his cheek as he nods off to sleep. Baby skin is just so soft, and I like the feel of his skin against mine. Well, tonight as we stared at each other on the changing table, his little fist came up and rested on my cheek. With a little pat-pat, that beautiful little fist then explored my chin, my nose, and my cheek while he gazed up at me. I could have melted right then except then I would have missed the whole experience. His little fist stayed on my cheek for a good two minutes as we talked back and forth, and when I stroked his cheek again, he beamed at me.

These are the moments that take my breath away as a mom. I love my Wesley.

Milestone Moments

It's been pretty exciting around here the last four days. Wesley has achieved a few milestones; my baby is growing up so well!

1. Thursday, June 4th - He put a toy into his mouth for the first time using his hands. His fists have been the object of choice for the last couple of weeks, and he has managed to push (with his flailing arms) his toy zebra up to his mouth to gnaw on its nose. However, now he is gripping an actual toy, his green teething doll (eco-friendly, of course), and putting its arms into his mouth. This happened for the first time on our way to the library for Mother Goose time; I saw it in the rearview mirror and had to force myself to turn my eyes back to the road instead of watching his happy chomping.

2. He is beginning to sleep longer at night (yay!). He pulled 10 hours straight Thursday night. Needless to say, I was giddy on Friday with sleep overdose.

3. Saturday, June 6th - my baby laughed for the first time! An honest-to-God laugh! The laughs were brought about courtesy of his daddy, who gently tickled his sides. Wesley giggled and laughed for nearly three minutes! He has giggled a couple of times before, but he had been asleep each time, and there was usually just one giggle as though someone had tickled him in his sleep. This, however, was the real thing, and there has never been a more perfect sound.

4. Is teething around the corner? There's been a lot of gnawing lately: fists, toy doll, Mama. Will update as details continue to develop.

Being a mom is the best.

The Wonder of a Child

Today I took Wesley to the public library for Mother Goose time, a special reading time for newborns up to three years of age. I had some worries that he might not do so well, being that in the carseat is not one of his favorite places to be, and he generally gets unsettled in strange surroundings and wants to suck on Mama for comfort. Add to that the fact that I had to wake him from his morning nap and I wasn't at all sure what to expect.

However, I needn't have worried, for he did beautifully! He sat on my lap the entire time and watched everything that was going on. Miss JeriAnn (the children's program coordinator) read two books, had the children do fingertime (clap-clap-clap, put them in my lap and Itsy-Bitsy Spider), pulled out a brightly colored parachute for the children to play with, and ended the time with musical instruments. She also passed out books to each child for individual "reading" time with Mama. Wesley never stopped moving his head from side to side, watching all the activity. He was fascinated with the big red, blue, green, and yellow parachute that the older children were shaking and flipping up and down in time to the music. He also responded to the musical instruments and watched as I shook the bright pink rattle.
Even though it was a lot of stimulation coming at him at once, he did not wimper, fuss, or cry during the entire 40 minutes. He did zonk out for a good hour afterwards, though.

For me, this was an amazing moment as I watched my sweet little boy experience his first social hour. It was even more special because he held onto my finger the whole time, as though to make sure of my presence in that strange environment. Having Wesley there allowed me to see this room full of rowdy, rambunctious children from a completely different perspective - that of a two month old baby who could only view the commotion with innocent wonder.

Motherhood's Greatest Gifts

In honor of Mother's Day recently past, I have compiled a list of the top five greatest aspects of motherhood:

1. Knowing that you are the number one source of comfort for your child - Wesley had his first set of immunization shots yesterday, and all he wanted was for me to hold him and rock him and sing to him all day. You can't get that kind of joy in a gift-wrapped box.

2. Seeing that your child gets his greatest joy from your attention - Wesley's favorite game is "Sticking out my tongue," which he will do if I stick mine out at him first. This, for whatever reason, makes him beam as we play, and that makes me feel on top of the world.

3. Watching the milestones as they occur - Wesley has begun gripping things in his hands: his blanket, his toy zebra, and his toy alphabet letters. While his hold isn't 100%, it's great fun for me to watch his fingers close around an object, even if he doesn't quite realize he's done it. Oh, and when those little fingers grip my finger or my shirt, that's one of the highlights of my day.

4. Finding out that I know my son - Wesley loves music; his little ears just perk right up whenever there's a tune, whether it's one of his CD's, the music from his jungle playmat, or his mama's (off-tune renditions, of course) singing. Whenever he gets fussy and can't be settled down by any other means, I just turn on the CD player and there is instant (well, almost instant) happiness.

5. Cuddle-time - This has started to occur during the nighttime feedings. After the feeding, Wesley just snuggles into me with sighs and good-night coos. If I try to lay him down before he is fully asleep, those little fingers have been known to grip my nightgown and the complaints begin. This is my favorite time of the day, believe it or not, because it's just the two of us rocking and snuggling, and I don't think life gets any better than that.

5 Weird Facts About Motherhood

1. The floor that never used to creak in the guest bedroom suddenly develops a creak as soon as the bedroom is converted into a nursery.

2. The creak just happens to be right in front of the crib.

3. Nursing (including the sore nipples; 1 am, 3 am, and 5 am feedings; and having to do it in public on occasion) is actually quite comforting for baby AND mom.

4. It's amazing how quickly modesty gets shoved under the rug when baby comes along - I mean, if having to push baby out while 3 or 4 people stand at THAT end and watch isn't enough to get a person over the modesty hump, then having to whip out a boob in public to satisfy baby's hunger pains will (although I do try a little decorum, such as heading to the ladies' room or to my car).

5. Sleeping in any position suddenly becomes comfortable. (It's a good thing the spine was meant to hold us upright while we sit; otherwise, I would spend half my time in a squishy pile with Wesley floating on top!)

Writer's Choice

The first thing the majority of people say when they find out I've written a book is "When did you find time to write?". This question always makes me smile; I find it humorous that anyone should be so amazed because, for me, finding time to write isn't any big deal. Yes, it has become a little more difficult since Wesley's arrival, but it's not impossible. I mean, writing is what I do; it's what I've done steadily and consistently since the summer before my eighth grade year. I can't imagine not writing. It would be like asking me to take a deep breath only to never exhale again. If I could have my way, I would write full-time.

I guess people are amazed at this accomplishment because I just had a baby and, let's face it, that in itself is a major feat. And now, of course, I am a full-time mother, regardless of whatever else is going on in my life. However, the writer in me refuses to fade quietly into the background. Perhaps that's why I started blogging; it's the quickest, easiest way to give the writer in me a little exercise while waiting for the baby to fall back asleep. It's necessary, like breathing; it helps me maintain my sanity, and while right now I may not get to story-write every day as I would like to, I still manage to squeeze it in.

What I have figured out is that we find time to do the things we love. We make the time if we have to. It does get complicated with baby, work, family, friends, and all the other obligations in life; however, I have learned that the day is never too short to squeeze in a little writing time. Yes, some other things have to fall by the wayside in order for the writing to get done (the dishes may sit for a couple of days, the laundry may pile up, the bills may get paid at the very last minute), but the writing gets done. It has to, or I wouldn't be true to myself.

Singing the Blues

Okay, so yesterday was a tough one. Wesley hit on an all-day fussing, don't-want-to-sleep binge. I now know what complete helplessness feels like because nothing I did made a difference, other than feeding him; however, since I am breast-feeding, that got a little tiring after about the sixth hour of having him attached (literally) to me. I did everything I could think of - I walked him, I rocked him, I talked to him, I sang to him (although with my voice, that was probably more discomforting than comforting, but whatever!). I took him outside, I put him in his swing (which, normally, he loves), I tried to let him play on his playmat. I swaddled him, I unswaddled him. And, of course, I fed and changed him.
The problem with the feeding was that he wasn't eating. He was more comfort sucking, which is probably why it got so tiring. A paci would not do nor would my finger, which he will take if he's calm. Now he might have had a tummy upset because he spit up three times. Then again, he might have just been uncomfortable in some other way. Regardless, by 3:00, this mama was pooped and frustrated and in tears. I actually called Charlie to come home, even though he still had track practice. Wonderful husband that he is, he was home by 3:45 and took my now calm baby (because Daddy was home and apparently that was what he wanted . . . at least for that ten minutes!) off my hands for the rest of the afternoon.

This did not stop Wesley's fussiness, however. Although he seemed comforted by Daddy more than Mama last night, he still acted as though something was wrong though he wouldn't eat or sleep or let himself be comforted with the normal routines. What worried me the most was that he would not go to sleep. One look at his sweet little face and it was clearly evident that he was exhausted. I figured I had just joined the ranks of all mothers out there faced with this dilemma: How do you get a sleepy baby to go to sleep when he is fighting it every step of the way? I still don't know.
The good news is that at about 8:15 last night, Wesley finally met with the Sandman and drifted off to dreamland. He slept through the night, only waking up once to eat, and eat he did. I figured that might be another part of his problem - that he was hungry but just wouldn't eat during the day. Maybe the heat had something to do with it; I don't know. What I do know is this morning has been much calmer for both baby and mama. I've got my fingers crossed that yesterday was a fluke (at least for the next few days).
Serenity is good.

Top 5 Happy Sounds

1. A baby's babble - Wesley is working on becoming as big a talker as his mama and daddy (God, help him!). This is a guaranteed picker-upper on a bad day.

2. A baby's almost laugh - Wesley has this down to a tee. His whole face lights up, and his grin is so huge you feel like a downright grump if you don't smile, too. His almost laugh ends up coming out a coo, which is just as perfect as that soon to be laugh.

3. A baby's cry - as ironic as it seems, this really is one of the sweetest sounds on Earth.

4. "Congratulations on the publication of your first book." This one is self-explanatory.

5. "Congratulations! You just won the lottery!" (Okay, so this is a pipe-dream, which is why it's last on the list, but one can dream!)

Over the Moon

There is nothing in the world that can compare to the smile on a baby's face. Wesley has the type of smile that lights up his whole face. He looks like he is trying so hard to laugh, like someone is tickling him everywhere. Combine that adorable smile with the coos and you've got a recipe for priceless art.
As I sit here at almost four o'clock in the morning, waiting for him to fall back asleep, I can't help but think that as wonderful as having my first book published is, what is making me smile the most these days is my son. He just laid on his changing table for over 15 minutes smiling, (almost) laughing, and talking to me in that sweet baby way, and this is what I will take to bed with me (whenever I go). He has also begun to discover his hands and how much fun it can be to chew on them. The coordination still isn't quite there well enough for the hands to stay in his mouth, but he is definitely starting to figure out a connection between the two. So between hand chewing and baby cooing, the last hour has been like a trip over the moon - priceless and worth every second of lost sleep.

Bottle Steps

Today we tried the bottle. This was not the first time we had tried to introduce an alternate form of feeding. Previously, such an effort had been met with loud protest (babies can be quite adamant when protesting). No way, no how is what he seemed to be saying, and he stuck to that frame of mind for 2 1/2 weeks.
However, tonight we switched tactics and used a nipple that resembles, well, a nipple. This strategy came courtesy of my sister, and it seemed to produce some success. At first, Wesley was still full of indignation that anything synthetic should pass his lips; but once he realized that what was coming from this nipple was the same stuff he got from his mama, he was willing to give a timid suck, then a more vigorous one. I would call this introductory meeting a success, so thanks, Kat, for the advice.
At the last breast feeding, however, Wesley not only latched on with his mouth but also his hands, as if to say there was nothing better than the real thing, and he was going to make sure the real thing didn't get away again. I tried to reassure him we would start slow, one bottle feeding a day, if possible, and work our way up from there. I'm not sure he bought it. But like they say, when approaching a new and unfamiliar task, 'tis best to start with baby steps . . . or, in this case, bottle steps.

Critic's Choice

They say everyone is a critic, and right now that is fine by me. Someone just posted a review of The Secret Keeper (my first one ever!) and he had only positive things to say! Yay! If you are not sure if you want to read the book, check it out on B&N. I am going to give a shout out to arthurrosewood, who wrote the review. You rock, arthur!
My head is really just reeling. First, I have a baby (the most precious little boy in the world) and then I get published and now I have a review (plus the weather is finally starting to turn more springlike). Really, someone tell me - what's a girl to do?

Top 5 Ways to View Clouds

1. From an airplane flying at 30,000 feet - this is the most awesome viewpoint because one is on top of the clouds, which is a whole other sightseeing experience altogether

2. From the roof of one's house - this not only puts one in contact with the air and sun but also allows for one of the closest vantage points to the clouds

3. From under a tree - this allows for a complete bonding experience with nature and a crystal clear view of the clouds

4. From the window of a moving car - after a while, it becomes hard to tell which is moving, the car or the clouds

5. From the bedroom window - this does limit the scope of what is seen to just what passes in front of the window, but when the clouds are on the move, it's a pretty cool picture

For more on the magic of clouds, check out my book The Secret Keeper by clicking on the link listed

The Secret Keeper

Okay, so I'm on a natural high right now. I just published my first book! This has been a long wished for dream. I've been writing steadily since the summer before my eighth grade year (and yes, that's a looonnnggg time). Cassia, one of the protagonists in my book, has been with me since eighth grade science class; at that time, I was more concerned with outlining (such as it was) Cassia's adventures than learning the element symbols. Needless to say, she has been through the ringer as far as revisions go, and now she has joined the masses in the world of books!
A little info about the book: It's considered juvenile fantasy fiction, although I think it's comparable to Harry Potter and Twilight (at least, that's what I was going for). It is the first book in a series of four. It was published by Wheatmark, so if you click on the link, it will take you to the Wheatmark home page; click on bookstore, type in the title, and it will be the fourth title on the page. I'm published under Elizabeth Carroll, so if you're looking for good ol' Beth, you may miss it. The book is also available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
Since Amazon offers the review section, please feel free to don the hat of critic. Also, please post your comments and questions here on the blog. Since there are three more books planned in this series, such comments and questions can only be useful. The second book is already underway (such as it can be with a 5 1/2 week old!).
I feel giddy; in the last 16 months, I have become a wife, a mother, and now a published author. I'm just not sure life gets any better than this! And just in case you've always wondered, the answer is yes - when you wish upon a star, dreams really do come true!

Everything I Need to Know I Learned From My Son

Sleep whenever you are tired!
Lesson #3 sounds like a "duuuuhhh" statement. I mean, Wesley seems to have no problem hitting the zzzzz's whenever fatigue strikes. And it is the advice the doctors give new moms when we leave the hospital (the actual advice is sleep when the baby sleeps). However . . .
Exhaustion seems to be part of the definiton of "new mom." Sleeping whenever I am tired just doesn't seem to work out very well. And sleeping when the baby sleeps seems like sound advice, except that because I'm usually wide awake when Wesley falls asleep, by the time I get to sleep, he's waking up for a diaper change and food! Nighttime has become my favorite time; ironically, I am, by nature, a night owl. However, now I look forward to darkening skies because it means Wesley will sleep for at least four hours at a stretch, so I'm guaranteed at least three hours in Dreamland.
Except for those nights when he decides that 4:30 a.m. is a good time to be wide awake . . .

Top 5 Annoyances of the Day

1. a leaky litterbox - 2 days in a row now, the so-called Cat-Genie has sprung a leak all over the porch floor. Nothing like cleaning up dirty water 2 days in a row with every single towel in the house.

2. washing clothes 2 days in a row - see number 1 for more details

3. having half my blog disappear before I posted - granted, I probably hit some random button; however, after I had been typing for over an hour, this just really put the icing on the cake - grrrr!

4. having the same unknown person with the same unknown number call a dozen (yes, I've counted!) times a day - whoever you are (can you say "solicitor"?), stop calling, or else, get a listed number!

5. cold, windy, gray, rainy days - I'm done. I shan't complain one bit about the temperatures this summer - bring on the heat and humidity!

Everything I Need to Know I Learned From My Son

Observe the world with the bright-eyed intensity of a one-month old baby!
That's the second lesson my baby has taught me. Wesley is just beginning to truly focus on objects, particularly those in his nursery. This morning, for example, he stared with great interest at the zebra on the valance hanging over his closet. This zebra has attracted his attention before on the bumper in his crib. However, after his study of the striped animal, which by the way is blue and white in nurseryland, he studied the rest of the valance's creatures, namely a giraffe, a turtle, an elephant, a monkey, and an alligator. These animals seemed to delight him, for he then looked at me and let loose one of those precious open-mouthed grins, as though he was trying to laugh but couldn't quite get it out. (This, of course, refers back to lesson number one - smile!)
Even more noteworthy, Wesley has started to focus on my face, to study it with curiosity, as if to say, "Who is this crazy woman making these goofy faces at me?" And yet, I still the same grin given to the zebra! Now how is that for a memory maker?

Everything I Need to Know I Learned From My Son

Smile!
That's lesson number one, and oh, boy! is it so easy to do with little Wesley! He turned four weeks old today, and he is beginning to smile that adorable little baby smile whenever I talk to him. I love how he will grin open-mouthed, then revert to a wide-eyed "what-just-happened?" look. Babies have such an amazing ability to make even the most blah of days sunny. It reminds me of the lyric in "You Are My Sunshine": "You make me happy when skies are gray." Wesley does that for me, and boy, oh boy! can we talk about some gray skies? In the literal sense, these last two months (Feb. and Mar.) have sucked! Wind, rain, cold, and gray. March hasn't been that bad since my little fella's arrival, but we could all do with some warm spring sunshine.

In the meantime, I'll continue to get my smiles from Wesley. I should follow his lead and find the simple joy in the sound of a familiar voice; after all, isn't sunshine the essence of our hearts where our loved ones are concerned?