Football & Blankets

Today in church I had the great opportunity to watch our little Westley while Lindsey played the organ.  He was so well behaved and didn’t cry once.  It was so fun to play with him during the meeting and seeing him squirm and giggle.  He was so great that I decided to take him with me to priesthood Sunday School class.  He slept the entire time.  He is such a well-tempered little guy and such a stud. 

This last week has been full of ups and downs though.  A few downs that only time can help, but the biggest struggle is to find somewhere to live in Rexburg for the next two years.  There are a few apartments that we have looked at but everything is so expensive.  I hope we can find something soon because our contract here ends at the end of next month. 

Well, in fun news we took Westley for his first football game.  It wasn’t an amazing game, just the competitive intermural here on campus.  Since it was the championship game, the school wanted to make it fun.  They had a helicopter come during half time and drop hundreds of pig-pong balls over the field with people below trying to get them.  If your Ping-Pong ball had numbers on it, you won a prize.  We didn’t participate in that, seeing how Westley can’t catch them yet, but we videotaped it. 

Westley also received mail last week from his great-grandma Barbara.  He received his own baby quilt with an owl at the window.  It is a great looking quilt and he just loves it.  "Thanks Grandma!"-Westley  

Westley is still growing and getting more and more playful.  He is also getting more sleep.  He has let Lindsey get at least one more hour a night, which is good.  He is definitely my little buddy.  Lindsey and I often use the “I love you” sign language sign when we say good-bye or are just doing homework.  Sometimes I use it towards Westley.  Well, I don’t know if he understood what he was doing or if he was doing on purpose, but the other afternoon when I got home from class he looked up at me and positioned his hand in the “I love you” sign.  It was so cute, and then he smiled.  

This Week's Adventures

Well, it was Chris's first Fathers Day and I think he enjoyed it. He woke up to a double surprise of Belgian Waffles and a waffle maker. We have been wanting one for a long time, so I searched for one that was in our budget and lucked out! I made a special lunch and dinner (lunch was a special pasta with Olives and dinner was a Shrimp Stirfry). They both turned out well, but I think he enjoyed dinner a lot more than I did (I have always hated Shrimp, but took a plunge to eat one and I almost gagged!) Hahaha. My poor seafood-lovin' husband! He's very patient with my in-land preferences. He has convinced me to like Tilapia, however, although I'm told that is the "fish-haters" fish.

We enjoyed talking to my dad and family on the phone. They have had a very busy week because my little brothers Christopher and Joshua were both ordained to different levels of Priesthood responsibility this week. They help with administering and blessing the sacrament every week, among other duties. I'm always glad to hear their voices and know that they are all doing well. I'm grateful for modern technology that allows us to keep in touch with all of our loved ones. I spent a good part of the day looking at family photos that my Great-Aunt Judee gave my mother for Mother's Day. While doing so, I have felt a closer bond to those who came before me and realizing how vital our family relationships are.

Yesterday we undertook a grand adventure. We drove about 45 minutes out from Rexburg and went into the mountains. We went near a ski resort that Chris and I went to on our first outing together just before we started dating. It brought back fond memories even though the slopes were fully green from the summertime warmth. We always laugh about that freezing night in 2010 when we tried to go on the ski-lift together.

The story deserves re-telling... Chris was a novice snow-boarder and I wasn't much better as a skier. But we decided to go up on the ski-lift together. I was deathly afraid of ski-lifts, but I didn't let him know that. I thought to myself, "If I scoot close enough to him, I'll get on safely." Well, it did not turn out to be a graceful ascent, I can say that! Instead of scooting close to him, somehow I ended up on his lap!!! Since we were just starting our acquaintance and secretly both liked one another,  it was thoroughly embarrassing for both of us... especially because we ended up dangling from a ski-lift in a tangled mess of skis and snowboard, and they had to stop the whole ride to get us sorted out. When we got back on solid ground, we were shaky and decided not to try the duet again. When we both individually got to the top of the slope again, Chris suggested we offer a prayer together since we had been safe on our drive to the mountains and from our ski-lift mishap. I am pretty sure I fell in love with him at that moment.

Our hiking trip was a success! Westley was cuddled up in the front baby carrier and slept through the whole thing. Chris used to be an avid mountain-biker before we got married, so he took the opportunity to hit the tracks. He half followed, half preceeded, us on the trail and we really enjoyed it. The weather was so perfect, and the smells of fresh mountain life surrounded us with vibrant pleasantries. It was the biggest adventure we've had since little Westley came to us and we were grateful to have the experience. On our way home we swung by our favorite frozen yogurt shop, Kiwi Loco, and that made for a perfect ending. I actually got less yogurt than Chris did for once too! Haha! He always teases me because my yogurt portions always exceed his. But I won this time! ;)

Well, another week is ahead of us and it's going to be a busy one. School is very time-consuming for all three of us right now. I'm so glad it will be done soon.

Oh, and here are some videos that I hope I can upload right. I really hope they work!

Paparazzi

Lindsey and I are planning to write in our blog every week by taking turns as a family.  This is my week to write about and I can tell you that it was a rough week.   Westley and I got pretty sick with a bad cold.  I felt so bad for him, knowing that this was his first experience getting sick.  It made me wonder how he feels about all these first experiences that he is having.  I know that I can just shrug my shoulders and think, “He’s so young, it doesn’t matter”, but I really wonder how he sees this world in his eyes and mind.  I know he thinks about things because he is always so curiously looking around and trying to perfect his motor skills.  He reaches for toys, whacks me with his hands, and when he has tummy time, he tries so hard to crawl.  He can use is hind legs to scoot a few inches at a time, but he gets so frustrated that he can’t move more. 

I am enjoying being a father so much.  I work hard all day to understand all my science and math classes that it is so nice to come home and just hold and play with little Westley.  He and Lindsey always make my day. 

Today, Westley had a photo-shoot with one of our friends who is a photography major.  He did an amazing job letting Lindsey and her friend change his clothes every five seconds.    I got permission from our friend to post a few of the pictures if I list a link to her photography blog (advertising).   Here are a few that I really love.   

http://rebeccaleighphotography.tumblr.com/

Pictures for Grandma

Just the Beginning

Hello, everyone! We have started a family initiative to keep in touch better with friends and family. We figured this new approach might be a good idea, and a fun one too. We are hoping to take turns posting and updating this blog so you get a more varied perspective on our day-to-day events. This might also be a good place to share photos with our family and friends who don't have access to the ones posted on Facebook.

Chris and I are settling into some semblance of regularity in life, now that Westley is a month old and we know how to understand his cues better. He is a really good baby, hardly ever crying, and lets us know he's content with a bunch of smiles. His favorite things are his purple elephant toy, the Lamb Chop toy from Aunt Jenny, bouncing with Daddy on the exercise ball, running errands around town with Mommy, taking family walks with the stroller, and getting clothes on. He is very modest and hates it when his clothes are off! And he usually lets Mommy know it by giving her a shower... We really enjoy holding him and feeling the blessing he has been for us. Some time I will retell about the labor again, because it is funny.

School has probably been the biggest challenge for all of us since Westley came into our lives. Chris and I are both taking classes this semester, so we've been trying to juggle taking care of homework and switching off the little guy between classes. Luckily, this is my last semester before graduating with my Bachelors in Health Care Administration. It will be nice to not have to divide my attentions as much later. Chris is thoroughly enjoying his Chemistry class right now and has a great understanding with his professor, whose favorite students call him "Brother B." He likes how Brother B. breaks down the concepts to help the students really grasp them and encourages them to be better in every area of their lives, not just academically.

Westley is pretty patient with us as we learn how to be parents. He gave us a couple nights without sleep before we found a method that will charm any baby to sleep. There is a Youtube video that has recorded sounds that replicate what is heard in the mother's womb. We turn that on and he starts to smile, and then he is out cold in 2-5 minutes! It's wonderful and keeps us all a little saner and happier.

Oh, two more family events happened recently... Sarah (Chris's sister) and Brian had their wedding last Saturday! We were sad to miss it but our love was with them on their special day. And my brother, Cory, went into the Missionary Training Center to start his two-year mission. He will be transferred to his permanent area, serving in the Florida Tallahassee Mission, after three weeks of prep at the MTC. We are proud of him and await his letters eagerly.

Well, that's about all I can think of this week. Please know you are all in our thoughts and prayers, and we hope to be better at sharing our lives with all of you. :) ~ The Wymans