Holiday Update

It's been a while since I've blogged. No reason, just laziness. We celebrated my birthday last week. My parents watched Brody while Ryan and I went out to eat at Giuseppe's. Yum! I love that restaurant. We save it for special occasions, since it's kind of pricey. Then we went to Toys 'R Us to finish Christmas shopping. It was a nice night out.

Brody and I had a good time in St. Louis. Brody and Bryce had a blast running around the Hilton Hotel. I'm not so sure the hotel staff appreciated all of their fun. But, hey, what are 2-year olds supposed to do in that setting? They went swimming a couple of times, which was also fun. I really need to get Brody back in swimming lessons. He is a fish! Here's a picture of the boys hanging out in our hotel room eating a snack and watching a movie.

We also got all of our leaves raked just in time for the first snowfalls of the season. Brody loved helping with the leaves. You can really tell how much he has missed running around outside since the cold weather has come. He has a blast outside. Give the kid a ball, he's good for hours! Here are the most recent pictures of him. He's enjoying the Christmas season as well. Every house that is decorated for Christmas is a wonder to him! Ooohs and aaahhs all around! There is one house down the street where a reindeer pops up and down in a sleigh. We have to sit in front of that house for 10 minutes nightly to see the display!

It's Starting to Feel Like Christmas!

I love Christmas! It's my favorite holiday, but whose favorite isn't Christmas?? My birthday is next week too, which is always a nice little treat right before Xmas. Ryan is FINALLY starting to feel better. He had some strange virus that he picked up from UK Hospital. Who knows what it was. He thinks it started as a viral meningitis, and went into many other strange symptoms. He had blood-shot red eyes for a couple of weeks, body aches, headaches, severe fatigue, among many other things. But, it seems he is finally on the mend! We are all so glad to have him back to normal, or at least very close. It was a rough few weeks in the West household. Thanks to my mom and dad for helping us out a lot!

We have decorated our house for Christmas. The tree is up and decorated, the stockings are up, and all the knick-knacks we have acquired are up. We don't really have much, but I'm kind of glad. With moving next year, it will be nicer to just buy lots of new Christmas decorations for the new house. The only thing left is to hang the lights outside. We are waiting until Ryan feels up to it, since that part involves climbing a ladder! Speaking of our new house, I talked to the builder, and we are set to start building in February, '09! I am so excited! I just pray we can sell our house next year in a timely manner. That's what I'm really worried about, with the poor economy.

Brody and I are traveling with my parents this weekend to St. Louis. Tobin, my brother-in-law, has a basketball tournament there this weekend. Tobin is a Div. III b-ball coach at Hamilton University. His games are lots of fun to watch! I just hope Brody does ok! He will have his cousin Bryce to play with. But, if you know Brody, he tends to get a little bit excited around company. Bryce isn't so used to Brody's aggressive antics! So, usually it's a lot of "Brody, be gentle, Brody be nice, not so rough..." You get the idea.... But, we are looking forward to seeing everyone and having a nice trip.

Sleepy Days

This week has been kinda rough for Ryan. He has had flu-like symptoms (fever, chills, headache, muscle aches) for almost 4 days now. All tests are negative (mono, flu, strep throat). Of course, he never stays home from work. So, he's suffering it out. Hopefully he feels better soon. He is on call tomorrow night, and if he is still sick, it could be a really long night for him. I just pray the mystery virus doesn't spread to Brody or me.

I am blogging right now while my two boys are asleep in our bed. Brody napped for about 2 hours (hallelujah!!). When he woke up, he saw Ryan asleep in bed and wanted to climb in with him. He's been asleep since, about 45 minutes. Woo hoo! A nice treat for me. Here's a picture. I hope Ryan doesn't kill me for posting it!

The other day while I was in the bathroom taking a bath, I overheard a conversation between Brody and Ryan in the next room that was so precious!

Brody: Muah! (Kisses)

Ryan: Kissed Brody Back

Brody: I love you Daddy.

Ryan: I love you too Brody.

For all of the days when I want to pull my hair out, those little moments make it all worth it! Now that he is old enough, he tells us he loves us daily. It is so sweet and it warms my heart knowing we are teaching our son to be loving and affectionate.

Fall Leaves

Here are some recent pictures we took. The first ones are at Brody's favorite park. It was probably the warmest day we will have for a while. It was nice to be outside, Ryan was even able to meet us there on his way home from work.
These pictures below were taken at my parent's house. My dad was raking leaves, and Brody had a great time "helping."

Election = Over!

Yea! This election season has worn me out. I have been up every night watching the news shows and gathering information. I have kept an open mind throughout the whole process, and I feel that the country spoke loudly last night! I believe the right person won, and I think our country will move on from here.

What really bothers me is how hateful people are. Whether you are a Republican or Democrat, there were two really great men running for Office. It is so annoying to hear people being so negative about one or the other. Is that the American way? It's just so frustrating!

That's enough of my ranting. Brody is still not sleeping that well, however, we are starting to get used to it. So, whenever the day comes when he decides to stop the madness, it will be a GREAT gift to us all! Ryan has started Peds Wards, so he is on call every 4th night. Yuck! It always messes up Brody when Ryan isn't home at night. He doesn't understand why he's not home.

Here are some pictures of Brody Trick-or-Treating. He had a great time! He walked right up to the doors himself. He didn't always say "Trick-or-Treat" but always held out his little bag and made sure to say "Thank you!" He had a blast!

Jack-o-Lantern!

Last night, we carved Brody's pumpkin. I haven't carved a pumpkin in years, so I was looking forward to it! Brody wasn't as interested in it as I would have liked. But, Ryan and I had fun! I started out carving it, but Ryan soon took over. I knew he couldn't resist. He's the creative one! Here are some pictures of our night.

Tomorrow is Trick-or-Treat! Brody is going to be a Pittsburgh Steelers Football Player! I hope he has fun. Ryan is on call, so he won't be there. He had to work last year as well! I'll be so glad when there are no more call nights! We'll probably venture out in our neighborhood for a while to see all of Brody's little friends, then head over to my parent's house. Happy Halloween!

A'Hiking We Will Go!

On Wednesday morning, we got all bundled up and packed the car and headed east to Red River Gorge. Ryan and I loved to hike before Brody came along. We haven't gotten to go in awhile, because it's really not an ideal activity with a baby. But, Brody is now 2, and we thought he was ready to try hiking!

We went to Creation Falls, a really great hike for little ones. The whole hike was only about 1.5 miles. Brody loved it! He walked for about 2/3 of the way. The way back up the mountain was the hardest for him. He spent most of that time on Daddy's shoulders! It was so nice to get outdoors and in the fresh air. We took our time and let Brody do what he wanted, within reason! Ryan was in front, I was in back, so Brody was very safe. We can't wait to go again, maybe next weekend? Brody will LOVE it if his cousins come with us. He loves his cousins, and he will have a blast if they come along too. Hope you enjoy some of the pictures we took.

Sleep Issues

Ryan is on vacation this week, yea! But, he has been golfing both days so far, so we haven't really benefited from his presence yet. This week we plan on going to the pumpkin farm again, and then to Red River Gorge for a nice little hike. It will be fun, especially since the leaves are changing colors and the scenery will be beautiful.

Brody is doing well, except for his sleeping. He is afraid to fall asleep on his own now! Grrrr!!! Talk about frustrating. Yesterday, he screamed in his room for over an hour refusing to fall asleep for a nap without me laying next to him on the floor. I know he is not ready to abandon his nap, because when I lay with him, he will sleep for about 2 hours. At nighttime, same thing. He will finally cry himself to sleep, only to wake up 3 hours later and cry again. This repeats until about 530am, which is when I give up and bring him into my room until his normal wake up time, 730am. So, I am super grouchy, tired, and overall just pissed! I really do require sleep to function and to be a happy and loving mom every day. The last month or so, Brody has had this horrible cycle of sleep. Ryan keeps saying it is just a transitional phase, he will outgrow it. But, I'm having trouble seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. We have a consistent bedtime routine, nightlight, fan running for noise, blankets, stuffed animals, etc. Nothing seems to comfort him, except us in there. I REFUSE to have to lay down next to him for the rest of his life. I don't know if that's mean of me, if it is....I guess I'm mean. For those of you with kids and experience in this area.....any suggestions?? I am becoming very desperate.

I hope everyone is enjoying the fall weather like I am. I am so glad to put jeans and sweatshirts on Brody. It's always fun to enjoy new seasons and the new clothes that come with it!


Here are some pictures of Brody's trip to Evan's Orchard. I am also posting a picture of Brody with a black eye. He got it after he hit his head on the slide at the park. Black eye #1 down....many more to come, I'm sure.

S.W.A.T

OK - Here's the craziest story.....

My dad and Brody and I are in Perkasie, PA. We're visiting my grandma and aunt. We leave tomorrow morning. We've had a good time, but last night was unreal!

My grandma and aunt live in a townhouse subdivision. Their neighbor across the street has had a reputation for drinking excessively and taking pain medication. Let's just say, he's always trashed. His girlfriend recently moved out of the house, and he had a fight with his son. He also has several guns/weapons in his house. This is good background info for what happened Sunday night.

At 7:30ish, we started noticing cops outside the house, hiding behind cars, behind trees and mailboxes. My cousin was here visiting, with her dog, and they were trying to leave, but the cops said no one is to come or go. We had just ordered dinner, so there went our meal for the night!

After my aunt called around the neighborhood, we found out this crazy neighbor had called his girlfriend and threatened to kill himself. The girlfriend (ex-girlfriend) called the police, hence the police scattered all around the area.

At 8:30ish, Brody was getting tired, so I put him to bed. Shortly after, we saw a SWAT van pull up the street and all of these SWAT officers got out dressed in their garb. The van parked itself in my grandma and aunt's backyard! They had spotlights out and everything, all focused on the crazy guy's house. Two of them knocked on my aunt's door and asked if they could stake out in her bathroom, which had a window that overlooked this crazy guy's house. I started to get super nervous. Brody was upstairs, sleeping, not knowing any of this was going on. The SWAT guys told us to get downstairs in the basement. They were going to start negotiating with the crazy guy via bullhorn and were trying to get him to come outside. They said things could start to get hectic and they might have to shoot tear gas inside the house. Well, of course, I told them I am not leaving my son asleep upstairs by himself. So, I stayed outside his door, while the SWAT guys were upstairs in the bathroom window.

We could hear the police outside (there were like 20-30 of them!) trying to get this guy to come outside, answer his phone, trying to help him. This went on until midnight! Finally, I heard this BOOM! and they shot gas into the house. Minutes later, the crazy guy came outside and the ordeal was over.

We were all exhausted/excited/nervous/anxious the entire time. I can't tell you how strange it felt knowing that my 2-year old son was so close to danger. It was the worst feeling in the world. I just wanted to grab him and fly away to somewhere safe. I know horrible things like this can happen anywhere. That's what makes life so strange. We want our children to grow up safe and sound. But, as much as I try, I can't control everything. It was an experience we all will never forget. Thank goodness it ended as well as it did.

So.....crazy story, huh????

Welcome Fall!

We are so happy that Fall is here! October is one of my favorite months. Keeneland starts, yea! The weather is getting cooler, the leaves are changing colors, football is in full swing! Tomorrow, Brody and I are headed to the Apple Orchard. Pretty soon, it will be Pumpkin time! There are lots of fun things to do this time of year.

Brody had a great day of school today! I was so happy for him. He got dressed real nicely for pictures. He looked so cute, although I am pretty biased! He didn't cry at all until we got to his room. And, he stopped pretty quickly after I left. His teachers said he had a great day. Brody even smiled for his class pictures! They got to see a fire truck at school today, so he thought that was pretty neat. I'm just so happy that he is starting to feel more comfortable with school. Next week, I am going to leave him for the full time, and pick him up at 2pm. I think he is finally ready.

We all went to Brody's friend Audrey's 3rd birthday party last weekend. It was at Chucke Cheese. This was his first party there. He took a while to warm up, but after we ate pizza, he was running around like a crazy boy! When Chucke came out, he was a little reserved. He wasn't too sure about that big ol' mouse! He was very curious, just kept his distance.

Last weekend, Ryan and I met with our builder. We got to walk through a house recently finished that is the exact floorplan we will build. It was really awesome to walk through it knowing our house will look a lot like it! I am so excited and ready to move next year. We have really out grown this house. It will be sad to leave Lexington, but we are so ready to move on to a bigger and better house for all of us!

This weekend, we don't have much in the way of plans. UK plays Alabama, so we will definitely be watching the game on TV. Go Cats! Next week, my Dad and Brody and I are going to make the big road trip to Perkasie, PA to visit my Grandma and Shelly and Billy. I'm looking forward to seeing and visiting with them. It will be fun!

Friday Night Football!

Last night Brody went to his first football game! My mom and I took him to a Lafayette football game. Our intentions were to watch the first half of the game, see the band at halftime and then leave. It has been several years since I have seen the band, and we know a couple of kids in it this year. So, we got dressed in warmer clothes and headed out to my high school alma mater. Ryan and my Dad did not go. Dad said he put in enough hours of watching bands, he wasn't interested. Ryan really didn't want to go to a high school football game, and listening to marching bands is not one of his favorite pasttimes.

Walking over to the field from the band parking lot holding Brody's hand, he pointed out all kinds of neat things: the lights, the school buses, the whistles blowing, the announcer over the loud speaker. He enjoyed all of the new sights and sounds. It was such a strange feeling, walking to the stadium holding my son's hand. I spent countless Friday nights at that stadium during my high school years. It's kind of weird going back to where you grew up with your own child. We got him a popcorn (very good idea!) and sat down in the bleachers.

Brody loved the football game! He loved clapping for the team, saying "Go Generals," although it didn't quite sound like Generals, more like "Jenny-Rolls." The cheerleaders were right in front of us, doing the same cheers as 10 years ago. Brody tried to jump in with the L-A-FAYET-T-E Lafayette! cheer. It was pretty cute. He mainly got out a lot of T's and E's!

At halftime, it was the band's time to perform. He was very interested in what they were doing. His face was so cute. He was in awe. He LOVED the music and the flags and the drums. Those were his favorites. For me, it was so neat to watch the band again. I found myself tearing up, remembering all of my days in the band. At the time, I might have not liked it and wished I didn't have to go to practice every day and take private lessons. But, looking back, it was a huge part of my high school experience. I had a blast.

So, overall, our Friday night at Ishmael Stadium was so much fun! Brody loved every bit of it. He has grown up so much lately. He is talking soo much, says so many new things every day. He talks in sentences galore, and pretty much won't shut up the whole day. Brody is no longer my baby, but a little boy. It's sad to think that my little baby is now a walking-talking-opinionated-capable-smart-funny 2-year old boy! I can't help but to look forward to Brody's school days and all of the activities he will participate in. Ryan and I will be at every single event, cheering him on as my parents always did for me.

Wow, What a Week!

I'm managing to blog while Brody is still sleeping at 8:50am. Why is he sleeping this late? Well, that's because he was awake this morning from 3:30am-5:15am!! So, needless to say, I'm exhausted. But, I feel bad for him, because he is getting a cold/sore throat and it came from me.


A month ago, I started getting really tired and had a headache every single day. Advil or tylenol would do nothing. That lasted a week. Then last Monday, my throat started to hurt. I waited until Wednesday to go to the doctor. No strep throat, but they gave me an antibiotic (Ryan argued that, but what else is new. Why do I have a doctor? Ryan just second guesses every decision that is made. But, he's also soo helpful. Living with a doc has its perks too).


My throat got worse and worse, growing white spots on my left tonsils. It was excruciating to swallow. I couldn't sleep without feeling like my throat was closing up. I had ZERO energy. Combine all of this with watching a 2-year old boy every day, and that spells disaster!


I finally went back yesterday to the doctor. They did a blood test, and it turns out I have mono. So, at least I know I'm not dying of throat cancer, which is what I determined was my fate after day 8 of misery. So, today, my throat is getting better. Still popping advil every 6 hours, and sucking on cough drops, but it is much better!



Anyways, I am praying for a great weekend. Ryan is heading off to the Ryder Cup with my Dad on Saturday. They are both pretty excited. I am glad for them, it should be lots of fun (if you enjoy watching people play the most boring game ever). I'm sure I will be here trying to get my house back in order after 2 weeks of neglect. Sunday, I plan on leaving the house and not returning until dinnertime. I think I deserve that kind of a break!

Ready, Set, Explore!

Brody and I went to the Explorium this week. For those who don't know, The Explorium is a children's museum. We went last year, but I think Brody was still too young. I thought he would be ready to go again and really enjoy it this time.

He loved the water display, of course. Give the boy water to play with, he's gonna have a ball. Brody also got to play with the dinosaurs, which was really fun. There was a piano that you played as you walked over it. He thought that was cool. Lastly, he played with giant Lego Blocks before the Bubble Room. Overall, we both enjoyed it. It's a nice activity, especially in the colder months when going outside is not always possible.

I also wanted to post this really cute picture. Brody and I hang out with my friend Amy and her daughter Audrey a lot. Audrey is about 11 months older than Brody, but they get along really well. Last week, we were at the mall, and they decided to hold hands! It was so sweet. I got my camera out really quickly and got the shot before the moment passed. Aren't they sweet!!

School Days

Brody must hate school! Everytime I mention school at home, or he sees his backpack, he starts crying and says "No Mommy!" When we pull into the parking lot of the church, he knows where he is going and starts crying. :( I know it is an adjustment for little kids when they start school. But, I'm starting to think he is just not ready.

He's also having sleep issues since he started going. He wakes up a few times in the middle of the night, and just doesn't seem to get restful sleep anymore. This, from a kid who was asleep from 9pm-8am without hearing a peep! He's just 2, and this is really just a chance for him to get used to the whole preschool thing and to learn socialization skills. But, if he's crying the whole time, I don't see how it is any benefit to him. So, maybe I'm rushing it with him. I don't know! I'm so frustrated with it, I wish he enjoyed himself. It's so hard leaving him, when I really don't have to. It would be different if I had obligations or had a job. But, my job is to stay home and raise him.

I try to talk about it with him and tell him all the fun things he will do at school. We talk about his music class, and gym class, and his very nice teachers. But, he just seems to stress out whenever I bring it up. So, we'll see how this week goes. It's just one day a week, for 3 hours. Surely he can handle that! Motherhood.....nothing is easy, that's for sure! You feel guilty 24/7!

Brody's School

Well, I just got back from dropping off Brody at school. It's not really school, it's a Mom's Day Out Program at a local church. It is really nice, and I think Brody really needs it. He has never been left with anyone other than family. Of course, he cries everytime I leave him. It just kills me! I know he will be fine and he will eventually learn to like it (I hope?!?!). I just hope it comes sooner than later!

We are planning on moving to Paris, KY next year. We have owned a lot in Paris for a few years now, and we had our builder picked out, our houseplan and everything. But, now our builder is backing out of the business! Probably a good thing we found this out now! So, we're back to square one, trying to find someone to build our house. We're meeting with a builder this Saturday, hopefully, if Ryan is off work. I will be able to sleep better at night knowing we have things going and have a plan.

So, I guess I'm off to run some errands before I pick up Brody. I really hope he has a better day today than last week.

Go Cats!

We have had a good Labor Day Weekend so far. It has been really hot, so we have tried to stay inside as much as we can. That's pretty hard, with a rambunctious 2-year old! Ryan has gotten to play golf with my Dad a couple times in the last week. Lucky him!

Yesterday, we went over to my parent's house to watch the UK-UL game. I made dinner for us and we watched the game while Brody played in the "toy room" which turned out to be the game watching room as well. Let's just say, Brody has not learned how to watch a football game yet! When we would scream and cheer, he'd look scared and say "sorry." I guess he thought we were yelling at him! He knows how to do the motions for "touchdown" and "first down" so he's on his way! After a pretty uneventful game, UK managed to pull out a win, thanks to our defense! We headed home, gave Brody a bath, and relaxed until bedtime. All in all, pretty nice day!

Our Family Blog!

Hi everyone! A part of my morning routine is to sit down and catch up on all of my friends and family's blogs. I love reading about people's lives and seeing pictures. So, I thought I would start my own! I hope you will find it interesting and will keep coming back to stay updated!

Brody just turned 2 on August 15. He's growing so fast! He is definitely no longer a baby, that's for sure. We are always staying busy with him, he is a lot of fun! We call him Chatterbox. He talks NON-STOP (a miniature version of Ryan)! He's always wanting confirmation of what he is saying too, so you can't just space off while he's talking away. By the end of the day, I'm worn out and ready for Dad to come home from work to be Brody's audience!



Brody recently got his 2-year old pictures taken. He did pretty well. He would not pose on his belly though. The whole time, we kept trying to get him to lay on his belly and say "cheese!" No luck. When the session was over, he ate a snack while I looked at his pictures with the photographer. He layed down on his belly and said "cheese!" I got out my camera in the diaper bag and got a quick shot of him. Classic Brody West.....


My sister has had a rough couple of days. We are all concerned for her and her family. I know she will be ok, but if we all could say an extra prayer for the Anderson Family, I know they will feel all of our love and support.