A Onesie A Day . . .

Everyone at Wiley's baby shower decorated a onesie for him, and it's time to show them off! He'll be sporting one a day for the next several days . . .

#1: "We shall not all sleep but we shall all be changed 1 Cor. 15:51" made by Cilla Radcliffe and Megan Berk

Wiley's Disappearing Act

Aden is at the age where he believes if he can't see us, then we can't see him. To hide from us, he often covers his eyes with his hand, or simply turns his back to us, and waits to be found. He is beginning to be more creative in hiding, squeezing himself into cupboards or under the table and calling out, "Mommy! Where Aden go?" We play along and call out for him, showing surprise when we locate the boy who belongs to the voice. At church this past Sunday, Aden noticed Wiley with his eyes closed, peacefully sleeping. He looked at Mommy and said, "Where Wiwey go?" Mommy gently whispered back, "He fell asleep," to which Aden responded, with all the awe a two-year-old can muster, "Wow!"

Happy Day To...

Aden's birthday was on February 18th, and it was a BIG day for him (and all of us). Last week, mommy and daddy began trying to help him realize what was going to happen. By the end of the week, Aden was saying things like, "Monday, birthday, I'm two!" or just "My name Aden. I'm two!" And singing, "Happy Day to...You!" On Saturday (just in time) we received boxes in the mail from both grandparents that were full of gifts. The stage was set... Because there were quite a few gifts to open, Aden got to open gifts during each meal of the day. The first meal being his favorite pancackes, even getting to help mommy stir. That was before he fell off the stool sending him and the bowl of flour to the floor. He bounced back though and we started a new batch with new flour. Aden is quite dramatic when opening gifts which makes watching him all the more fun. Even when he opened a gift to find clothes, he would say things like, "Wow! Shirt! Daddy, look!" The rest of the day was filled with fun things like a trip to see the dump truck at the hospital worksite with Aunt Judy. This was great because he got to see the dump truck actually unload the dirt. In the afternoon, it was a bicycle ride with Bubu Jim. This is always fun. For dinner, we had a party with the Radcliffes and McCoys. Hide and go seek with Jo, Lydia, Cilla and A-Bu (Uncle Bill) was a highlight before dinner. We had a mexican fiesta with homemade tortillas and all of the stuffings. Mommy had the idea to use Aden's toy dump trucks (he has several) as serving dishes for the toppings. It was really good! The cake was great too. It was a chocolate chip white cake with cream and crushed oreos on top. There was a toy backhoe on top with some crushed oreos in it's bucket (as dirt). It was really cool! The presents were all fun to open and we had a great time...Today was back to reality though. The first thing Aden said when he got to the breakfast table was "open gift, please!"

Wiley's Big Splash!!

Trips into town for grocery shopping are not usually the highlight of the week. It's hot in the stores and cramped in the car. So, it can be quite a treat, not to mention refreshing, when we get to include the hotel's poolside restaurant in our lunch plans. Yesterday, we did just that. The swimming pool is free to use while there, so we were able to take advantage of that and cool off while having pizza for lunch. It was fun to get to go on a car trip with (as Aden calls them): Bubu Jim ('bubu' is pidgin for grandpa), Kah-tee (Kathy), See-ya (Cilla), Jo and Ee-ya (Lydia). Aden, who has not shown a lot of interest in water, was not too thrilled to go for a dip in the pool, although he did get up the nerve to put his trunks on. Daddy took him around the shallow end, but the whole time he was saying "No, no, no." You actually can't blame him since the water in this pool is always pretty cold. He was glad to get out and happy to just play with a ball in the grassy area near the pool or on the swing and slide that are also near the pool area. For Wiley, it was the first time to test the waters, and he seems to like the water more than Aden does. He had a swimsuit just his size and he loved getting wet! We didn't have our camera, but fortunately Daddy had his phone that can take pictures. Here is Wiley with 'Bubu Jim', one of his namesakes. They had lots of fun playing in the water, and I have a feeling it won't be the last time.

Valentine's Day

Aden and Wiley joined the MK School to celebrate Valentine's Day on Thursday. Aden helped Mommy decorate cookies for the occasion, and Wiley supervised from his blanket on the floor, with smiles of approval. They made a cookie bouquet, with one cookie for each student, and also put together a cookie bouquet for Daddy. All the way to the office Aden practiced saying "Happy Valentine's Day, Daddy!" . . . but when he delivered the valentine all he could do was give a big smile. Aden was thrilled when his efforts paid off and he got to eat one of the cookies that had his name on it!

Wiley Weighs In

Wiley had a "well baby visit" on his 4-month birthday yesterday.  He and Mommy went to see Dr. Susan at the hospital and Wiley talked through the whole appointment (until the vaccinations at the end).  He now weighs 6.3 kilos (13 lbs, 14 oz) and is 63.5 cm long (25 in.).  He is doing so well and is gaining weight nicely.  He is happy most of the time and loves to laugh out loud.  We are so thankful for our healthy, growing baby!