Weston is 2!

I spent Weston's first birthday crying the ENTIRE day! I fared much better this year. He is 2 and he is perfect and he is totally a toddler. No denying it!
Weston is talking up a storm and loving life. He is fiercely independent and can even peel his own orange over the trashcan like a boss. And in case you were wondering, he can also open the fridge and thinks he can do almost everything BY HIMSELF!

This year he had an Easter birthday, so there were egg hunts galore. And Candy is one of his newest words! 

He is still very much the baby of the family despite the fact that he is quickly growing up! He wears a size 9 SHOE! I just cannot believe that. The older children continue to spoil him and let him get away with most things. We will be in serious trouble!

Happy birthday to my selfie-lovin, cake eatin, happy koala baby! 

Weston reaches 18 months

This is about that age when Jared and I start to breathe again as parents! Weston is now 18 months and life in general feels more manageable. Also, it helps that risks of choking on common household items, i.e., food and legos seems to decrease around this time.

Weston continues to hug the very top of the growth curve. He weighed in at 29 lbs 13 oz and is 34.5 inches long. Weston loves to eat chicken, bananas, applesauce, yogurt, cheese, and treats. He is pretty good at using a fork and prefers a regular cup over a sippy cup. Regardless of the type of cup, he always manages to spill it! Because of his extreme height it is a constant struggle to put things out of reach. I am beginning to suspect he has go-go-gadget arms!

Weston is learning to talk and says many words, including mama, woof, vroom, dada, hi, stop, mine, poop, what's that, see, and something I'm pretty sure is Miriam. He loves his siblings and getting them off the bus is his favorite time of day. Weston loves being outside and escapes whenever possible. He continues to be a snuggle bug which warms my mama heart.

He definitely has a mind of his own and speaks his opinion. If we have to travel somewhere and he doesn't want to go, he is grumpy and gives me a hard time about the car seat.

Weston thinks he is one of the big kids and does whatever they do!

First day at nursery at church went pretty well. He loves to play and I am glad that we don't have to chase him around the hall for two hours anymore. 

At the doctor! He's a healthy, happy boy!

17 Months

Weston is 17 months! His broken arm healed quite nicely and he is expanding his vocabulary. I'm pretty sure the "Huzzah" sound he makes is "lizard." He really is cute, but has grown so big I can hardly stand it. He's wearing 2 T clothing and size 8 shoes! He looks like a much older boy that he actually is. Weston loves being outside and really enjoys our big backyard. He loves to walk to the bus stop and yells and stomps his feet in excitement when he spots it coming. I guess he misses those big brothers while they're at school!

Helping out with the chickens.

After a morning shower! Sometimes the easiest way for mom to get a shower, is for everyone to take a shower. Haha.

Weston was my sidekick at open house. He loves to say "Cheese"!

16 Months

Just shy of 16 months, Weston simply fell (as babies turning into toddlers do) and received a buckle fracture in his left arm. We really didn't think anything of the fall because he falls A LOT! But the next day, he was so fussy and Jared felt he was favoring it. I set him up to climb the stairs to see if he could use his arm as usual. He couldn't. He kept falling on it. So, instead of going to church, I drove to the ED of the Children's Hospital in Orlando.

Aunt Stacey heard about where we were and surprised us. She even took care of lunch! I love her so much. I'm sorry, she really is the best sister in the world!

When we got their I couldn't quite identify where I thought the injury was. Weston is super cautious and doesn't love new people or doctors. So, he was very much complaining and uncooperative. They x-rayed his upper arm and shoulder and didn't find anything. The doctor was fantastic because after it came back clear, she talked more with me about why I thought something was wrong. She ordered x-rays of his lower arm and found the buckle fracture just above his wrist.

We went to Trader Joe's after our appointment with Ortho. Matt here was the first to sign his cast.

They sent us home with a soft cast and said that we would report to Ortho in a week and probably wouldn't need a hard cast. Well, I guess Ortho saw it differently and we left that appointment with a hard cast. The bigger kids were thrilled and couldn't' sign it fast enough.
Weston is really developing his sweet and funny personality. He loves to laugh at his siblings and talk to our animals. He especially loves the chickens and being outside. We continue to be so happy he is in our family!

His little cast is pretty cute!

15 Months!

At 15 months, Weston weighed in at 27.5 pounds and is nearly 32 inches tall. He remains our biggest boy. Weston still prefers Mommy, but is becoming more adventurous. He loves laughing and playing with his siblings. His favorite things are exploring the house, barking at Phoebe, admiring the chickens, drinking his milk, and snuggling!
We love our Westy-Woo and are so glad he is in our family!

He fell down pretty hard just before his month-day! That's life of a near-toddler.

Also, I have three bags of breast milk in my freezer. I am having a tough time, emotionally, getting rid of them or even letting Weston have them! I am such a sentimental sap.

Weston is 14 Months!

My Favorite Little Man is 14 MONTHS! Weston is growing up so quickly. He has learned a lot since his first birthday. He is a proficient walker and can even run and dance. He hasn't attempted climbing yet, but I'm sure it's only a matter of time. Weston loves the water and watching his siblings do exciting things. He has a sweet smile and loves to give out smooches and hugs. Weston also has a lovely singing voice. He sings in the car and when he is falling asleep. So stinking adorable! We love this little man!

Our Baby of all Babies is ONE

And just like that I have a one year old! This darling baby boy has been such a blessing in our lives. He is the sweetest little guy who really loves giving hugs and snuggling. We had family over on his birthday to celebrate with cake and ice cream. I cried most of the day, but in a happy/sad way. I have really struggled with knowing I am exiting the child-bearing years of my life. They were very hard, but they were the most meaningful years of my life. Looking forward to the next phase of life, but sad that it means this phase has ended.

Aunt Stacey delivered another delicious and beautiful cake!

And Weston really liked it!

Weston's First Haircut

Weston joined the ranks with the big boys over the weekend and got his first haircut. He was very curious as to what was happening, so it is a little uneven around the ears. Regardless, he looks so handsome! 

11 MONTHS

All I did was blink! Weston is 11 months old and loving life (as long as mom is within two feet)! Our big boy continues to get even bigger. He has five teeth and loves to eat yogurt, oatmeal, and most fruits. His siblings can really get him laughing. He loves to see and talk to and try to grab all of our pets, especially the bearded dragon, Alexandra. Still nowhere near needing a haircut. Which is so unlike all our others, that it is a little weird he still has so little hair. Mom is still his favorite person. He loves to be held, but has also discovered the joy that comes from crawling and cruising around the house on his own. He has let go while in the standing position and has stood on his own for a few seconds at a time. It's so cute and exciting. Weston loves music and is developing his own set of dance moves.  We love our Westi-woo, our little koala baby!

9 Months

Weston has been on the Earth for 9 whole months! In that time he has been growing so much.
Recently, he cut his two bottom teeth and he is much happier now that it is over with. I hate to tell him, he'll be cutting teeth for a little longer because it makes him so sad.

Weston remains my "Velcro" baby. He really loves me and occasionally lets me share him with others. I spend a lot of time holding him and wearing him because I just can't let him cry, which is what he does if I'm not holding or wearing him. I do have to let him cry from time to time, but I avoid it as much as possible. He is not all that mobile on his own. He can do the boot scoot boogie pretty well, but has no interest in crawling or rolling around. He hasn't pulled up on furniture, but he has pulled up on me and a few others in the house.

Weston loves music! If he is grumpy in the car, all I have to do is turn on the radio. If he hears music he begins to do this little baby dance that I find adorable. He has also discovered his love of food. He eats purees and yogurt like a pro. Recently he enjoyed gnawing on a pizza crust and chocolate chip cookie. He also made up his mind to finally get from laying down to sitting. Jared moved the crib down today so he can stay safe.

Weston is by far our biggest baby! He began wearing 18 month clothing two weeks ago. He's such an overachiever. At the doctor's office, he weighed in at 23 pounds and is 29 inches long. I'm 60 inches long, so I'd say he'll be taller than me by the time he is four.

We all love this brown-eyed boy so much! Landon is especially mindful of Weston. They sit next to one another in the car and share a room. Landon has made Weston's happiness his top priority. He sings to him, talks to him, plays with him. He is a great big brother and it melts my heart to watch the two of them together. Weston will miss Landon so much when he begins school next week.

Weston is 8 months

Weston turned 8 months! We love this guy! He is generally a smiley guy, but only if Mommy (or Gigi) is holding him. I purchased this beautiful wrap just so I could hold him and still get things done. He loves it and it helps me to carry him around longer. Although at 22 pounds he is still a heavy load.

One of my favorite things about Weston, are his eyes. My older four children have a version of Jared's dreamy blue eyes. I have a hazelish eye color and always feel so left out. The kids always assured me it was all good because the dog had brown eyes too. It really isn't the same. Weston's eyes are just like mine and it is just--Wow! I really have no words. It is like seeing into my own soul a little bit. I love that he is all Krause, but he shares my eyes. It is a beautiful combination.

Another favorite thing about Weston, is his cousin, Owen! Owen is exactly four weeks younger than Weston. Occasionally we can see each other on a "month-day" and get a photo. Here is a selfie of Owen (7 months) with Weston!

7 Months

I say it every time, but I really can't believe that Weston is 7 months.  For the last 6 weeks, this kid has really struggled with being away from Mommy.  It has been so hard on me. Seriously, he would cry any time I wasn't holding him. Even if Jared was holding him, he would begin to cry if I walked by and he caught a glimpse of me. I tried to make the most of it and enjoy all the extra cuddles. Thank heavens for a good woven wrap so that I could wear him and be hands free for my other four children.  

At 7 months, he is sitting up like a champ. He loves to chomp on just about anything and is a complete drool monster. Landon is probably his second favorite person, as he laughs at everything Landon does.  He had his first illness this week and although it was completely gross, he recovered quickly and managed to be super cute and snuggling and happy throughout it all.  Weston loves being a part of the action and is always happy to attend all the fun things his siblings are doing. 

6 Months

Weston is six months and I am loving this stage!  He is so alert and excited about his surroundings. He has started eating yummy foods and really loves squash, apples, and bananas.  He is also sleeping through the night (except for the last two nights when we were at Papa and Gigi's). We moved into 12 month clothing last week!

At his 6 month wellness check he weighed in at 20 pounds 12 oz and was 27 3/4 inches long. He's no longer gaining weight rapidly, but he continues to be at the top of the growth chart. I've decided to allow myself to rejoice that he doesn't have blue eyes. My other four have blue eyes like Jared and they are gorgeous. I have nothing against blue eyes. I was just feeling left out and tired of my kids trying to make me feel better by telling me the dog has brown eyes. Weston's aren't a true brown. They're more of a hazel and I LOVE them! I love how he smiles with his eyes and eyebrows. It's the best!

Weston can roll over, but hasn't decided he wants to be a mobile baby. He much prefers having mommy hold him and I am happy to oblige because he's our last baby. Although, at nearly 21 pounds, I do get wiped out pretty fast. I usually wrap him up and wear him, but his weight is too much for my stretchy wrap. Time to buy a woven wrap. I am also happy to say I only need to lose 10 more of my pounds to get back into my pre-pregnancy clothes. Woot Woot!