Losing "Shut Eye" over Shutterfly!

Last night, I stayed up entirely too late. What was I doing? I spent several late-night hours creating a Christmas card on Shutterfly. It took me so long not because it was complicated, but because it was so easy to preview many different layouts. I liked them all and it was so hard to decide on "the" one.

See this?

Send Holiday Cheer Christmas Card

Shop Shutterfly for elegant custom Christmas photo cards.

View the entire collection of cards.

It took me about two minutes to make. It's not our actual card for this year, but a cute preview of what's to come.

Shutterfly an amazing assortment of cards and other fun photo projects you can create (like these calendars). Whether you want to share one photo or multiples in a card, they have tons of layouts to choose from. Their designs are some of the most unique & fun ones I've used, and it's very easy to edit them (a bonus for tech-lazy people like myself). I like Shutterfly's search capabilities and how you can narrow down the specific type of card design you're looking to make. Don't forget to check them out by clicking here! OH, and if you're late to jump on the Christmas card wagon, they have super cute New Year's cards.

19 months

I'm so sorry that I haven't kept up with this blog like I used to. Most of my family are on facebook now so they can view pictures/video that way. We've been staying so busy! This is such a fun and active stage of toddlerhood (and ok, very exhausting!). I've also gotten addicted to LOST and am watching it from the beginning episode by episode, so most of my post-Will bedtime relaxation time has been spent watching a show or two instead of blogging. I'll try to do better, starting with this video below of Will's favorite game.

Will Dancing

Click the video below to see his dance moves. He gets it from his momma :-)

Updates (pictures to follow soon)

I know that I've neglected my poor blog. To the family and friends who check it regularly, I apologize! On the plus side, I haven't had as much motivation to write because we've been out and about staying super busy! Here's some updates on the Noble household:

*Leave it to us to cram in several stressful experiences into one! During Brian's finals, we were planning a move! After all, what would finals be without a medical emergency, an early baby, or something else stressful but exciting? We've had a history of craziness during Brian's finals, and this year was no exception. Within a week, Brian finished finals, graduated (brag warning: SECOND in his class of 150-something, I'm soooo proud), closed on the house, then moved! A big thanks to my mom who helped so much with Will during the whole process. Also, thanks to the Jewell family for being so sweet and keeping Will busy - you all are wonderful friends. We are now located much closer into town near the Summit, so it will cut Brian's commute downtown tremendously. I'd easily estimate it will save a minimum of an hour each day, probably much more when there are traffic issues. Although we loved the house and community in Chelsea, we knew for our family, being closer would be the best thing.

*As of today at 4:40, Will is ONE AND A HALF! Wow! I can't believe he's on his way to being TWO. This is going by way too fast! Babyhood is disappearing before my eyes as each day he learns new things. He's talking much more. His new favorite thing to say is, "Bye Dada, Bye!" x100. He likes repeating himself :-) He also said "Night night" last night. Once he starts being able to say several "potty" related words, we plan to step up the potty training. We've traded in the baby potties for just putting him on the big potty during all diaper changes, and he goes almost every single time. When I catch him looking like he needs to go, I say, "Potty?" and he runs to the nearest bathroom to wait for me to put him on. I've always said that my early potty philosophies may not get him fully "trained" earlier, but I guess we'll see in another half a year.

*Will's attention span has grown so much. He's still not a big fan of most television shows, but he does love Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. When it comes on, he starts this little dance. He also dances during the "Hotdog" song at the end. It's the cutest thing and I MUST capture it on video. The other day, I left the room for one minute. Being that it's babyproofed and he was watching his show, I wasn't worried. I came back to check on him a minute later and found that he had gotten my diaper bag down from the counter, opened a snack, helped himself to it, then as I was trying to capture the moment on camera (he was too quick, I didn't get it), he heard the "Hotdog" song on t.v. He ran to dance in front of the t.v. That reminds me of another little girl's story of how she would dance to the 1980's Dunkin' Donuts commercial (as best told by my brother, Mark).

*Will has quite the social life. Thanks to my Mom's Group, we never have a shortage of fun things to do. From trips to the zoo and science center to playdates and ice-cream with friends, we stay busy. It warms my heart to see Will interacting with his little friends, and it keeps us both happy!

*Summer trip: We look forward to going to Destin later this summer to see the family. This is one of the few times when all my siblings and their kiddos, plus my mom, are all in one place. Add my aunt, uncle, and tons of cousins in condos at the same place, tons of yummy food, and it's bound to be a great time. Last year, Will wasn't sitting well on his own, plus he ran a low-grade fever due to teething. We spent a lot of time inside the condo, but this year, I hope we're able to be out and about with the exception of nap time. There will be lots of older cousins to help look after Will, so I'll enjoy helping hands. Will's newest cousin, precious Miss Jules, will also be there. This year, the age gap may seem big, but I hope in the future summers, they'll be beach playmates.

* "Terrible Two" Tantrums come early? While I'd love to act like Will is an angel 100% of the time, I will confess that he has his fair share of melt-downs. Usually this happens when we take our car keys or cell phones away from him. I know, the logical thing would be to keep them away from him. We TRY. He hunts them down and finds them even when we hide them. He loves buttons and will stop at nothing to have access to "real" buttons. He and Elias have also almost come to blows over the Fisher Price Little People Bus. That little bus is the source of a lot of competition, but luckily they took turns with it their last playdate. Will has also become a bit difficult in stores, which is good for cutting out extra spending since we try to get in and out as quickly as possible. The grocery store is the worst, as he does a bit better in his stroller instead of a shopping cart. Thank goodness for those stores that have little steering wheel cars on the front of carts! Those are the BEST! The boy loves his cars, big and small!

That's a run-down of the important stuff - more to follow soon, plus some pictures courtesy of Christy, who takes great pictures of the boys. We are off to grocery shop (hoping a car-cart will be available)!

Two peas in a pod

Will and Elias have been best buds for awhile, but recently, they had a quasi-sleepover thanks to his very sweet parents C&B (I say quasi because we picked Will up super late after they put him to bed at their place). C did a great job documenting the whole event, and here are some of the highlights of their night.

They started out the afternoon by playing and sharing everything from toys to cups and pacis. Will loved playing with some different toys and reported that Elias was an excellent host.

Then, they went out to eat Mexican. Yup, C&B are BRAVE. Luckily, the boys did great!

Apparently Will wasn't a big fan of bath time, but you would never know from these pictures. He looks happy as can be. He was even a little mischievous as he tried to feed Elias the bath marker.

W&E already owned these matching pjs pre-sleepover, but I couldn't resist packing them in case C wanted to make them twinsies that night. Of course, she did and the boys looked like such cute little space explorers. Oh, and to illustrate the "sharing" these boys do, I'll point out that the boys swapped pacis. Will looks worn out from playing.

their signature pose

We are so very appreciative for a late evening out and look forward to when we can return the favor and host Elias for a sleepover.

Easter

Lately, I've been wondering where my baby boy went. He's growing so fast and is a full-fledged little boy who makes dog noises, likes anything with wheels or buttons, and loves exploring outdoors. As sad as I am to see that baby boy disappear, there is something so exciting about this stage. He's learning so much and is able to interact more than ever.

The following pictures were taken at my mommy group's Easter Egg-stravaganza. Will had a good time playing with his friends.

Will and his best bud E!

Will wanted nothing to do with the playground - he wanted to explore.

This, of course, meant I had to chase him the entire time. I love this picture (compliments of Christy, who helped with the chasing)

Will had just a few treats in his Easter basket

Checking it all out

Doesn't he look like a big boy in his hat?

Video - pre-bedtime playing

Playing at McWane

Will humming and playing

15 Month Stats.

Will was not a happy camper at his appointment today. He was ticked off the moment they tried to measure him, and he was not happy until we were out of there. His growth has stayed consistent, and now he is 24 pounds, 32 inches long. The only thing my pediatrician said is that his vocabulary is a tad lagging. Will says "Dada" and "Mom", and tries to say dog, but otherwise it's a lot of babble. His babble sounds like conversation, and he does say words like bye or hi, but not in context yet and not on command. The pediatrician said to just keep reading lots, which we do already, and definitely nix the paci except for bed. Will LOVES his paci and stashes them for easy access (quite sneakily, I might add), so this will be a challenge. Still, I know it's important and it'll encourage him to talk more without his paci, so to the crib it goes, and ONLY the crib.

Here's some other random things he's doing and preferences he has at 15 months:

• He loves reading, but still reaches for his favorites, Are You My Mother?, Guess How Much I Love You,The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and So Big!. He will pick any of these books out of a bin, bring them to you with a smile, then plop down on your lap to snuggle and listen. It's adorable, and likely my very favorite part of the day.
• He has become a bit more picky with his eating. He loves crackers, mac n' cheese, peas, pancakes, bananas, applesauce, and meatloaf, cheese toast, and PB&J sandwiches. I can't seem to get him to like more veggies, but we try and try again. He drinks his milk easily and has been off the bottle since 12 months. He prefers the straw sippies over ones you have to hold up (he's a tad lazy in that way!).
• Elmo makes him smile, and he loves his "Best of Elmo" DVD. We restrict it to once a day, but he loves that 20-something minutes of Elmo singing and dancing. He also loves when Brian or I play with his Elmo puppet. Those Sesame Street people know what they're doing!
• We have received great snuggles lately. Will has become so cuddly. Of course, we've always tried our best to snuggle with him, but now he initiates it often. Nothing warms my heart more when he walks across the room to me, then gives me a giant hug and kisses. He does the same to his Dada. It's the best!
• Will likes his shoes. He'll bring them to me and hold up his foot. He wants to wear them all of the time. I guess that's a testament to Pedipeds and their comfort!
• He's a great walker even though he's only been at it a month. He is so fast and keeps me on the go during playdates. These days I cherish nap time as it's the only time other than when he's in bed for the night that I truly get to sit down for any length of time.
• The boy just might be musical! He hums to songs, especially "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star," and he is usually on pitch and has the same rhythm. Maybe this is completely normal, but we like to think he's got some talent there! American Idol 2016???? Ha!
• He is a little Linus! Never before has he had a real attachment to any one item to the point where he wants to drag it around until now. He's taken a liking to his baby blue minky-dot blanket (the same type of blankie his cousin Levi sports). In the morning, he'll drag that blanket around and rub his face against it smiling. It's really cute. I wonder if Target still has that same blanket - I may need to get a "backup blankie" if I think the attachment will stick.
• It's so clear how impressionable we are on this little boy. He imitates us and looks at us adoringly. It reminds us of the huge yet precious responsibility it is being a parent. We continue to improve ourselves to lead by example and are so grateful for our Will.

15 months old!

Will is 15 months old now! It seems like yesterday he turned one. Time flew before, but now that he's so active, it's going faster than ever. We have his 15th month old well visit at his pediatrician's Thursday, so I'll have a full report then on his stats.

This week, we have crammed in a few extra activities. The weather was beautiful Saturday, so while his daddy took a legal ethics exam, we met up with Christy & Elias at the park. We mommies don't get to truly visit as much as we used to since we're chasing our busy toddlers, but we still have fun. The boys don't look too happy to be sharing a swing, do they? After the park, we grabbed a quick lunch at a Mexican restaurant. The boys enjoyed sharing crackers and banging on the table. They definitely act like friends, and it's the cutest thing to witness them exchanging toys and snacks.

Sometimes just going through our daily routines can wear a guy out! Now that Will walks, I let him get out of his stroller in the gym during the last few minutes of Strollerstrides while we do our ab portion of class and stretches. He loves having such a huge open space to walk around, and it's allowed him to very quickly become a super fast and proficient walker. Even though he's been walking just a month, he seems like he's been doing it for much longer. All of that walking is exhausting, so he sometimes takes a catnap on the way home before lunch (see below).

Another fun thing we did this week was attend "Rascal Day" at the law school. It's basically a day where students can bring their dogs to class, so the entire law school area is packed full of furry friends. It's chaotic but fun, and Will loved looking at all of the different breeds. After the dog parade, we ate lunch and enjoyed the sunshine before heading home for his afternoon nap. This picture was taken shortly before we left, and you can tell he's getting very sleepy.

Those are the highlights of our week. I anticipate many more outdoor activities as this weather continues to warm.

Ring ring!

Will is a little sponge these days. It's increasingly apparent that he's studying the world around him, including the activities of his momma and dada. I rarely talk on the phone much around him. He usually tries to grab the phone and press buttons, and to avoid the tantrum that follows when I take it away, I try to avoid the situation altogether. Still, I do talk occasionally when he's happily playing, and I guess he thinks its fun to imitate. He's been walking around with one of two phones he has, pressing the receiver up near his ear. Funny enough, he won't walk around with the easier-to-carry play cell phone. Nope, he wants to drag the base around. It's hilarious.

Spaceship adventures

Will: "The alien vessel is closing on us...brace for impact!"
Elias: "Transferring auxillary power to shields...we're not going down without a fight!"*

*dialogue courtesy of my resident Star-Trek geek/hubby. Picture taken at McWane Science Center.

A personal letter

Dear Will,
You won’t ever get the opportunity to know your Granddaddy that you were named after, but I often think about how much he would have ADORED you. I have a feeling that he would have called you his little fella (which his own Papa called him when he was a child). He would have let you sit in the back of his truck when you were older for slow rides on the farm. He would have loved taking you on nature walks through the woods. I know he would have a huge grin on his face when playing with you, and he would beam with pride when anyone asked about you. Even though you won’t have the privilege of knowing firsthand how wonderful he was, I promise to always tell you stories about him. I promise to instill many of the same values he engrained in me. I promise to always make you feel as loved as I’ve always felt.

GrandMonty's visit & snow

Will is a happy boy after several days of "GrandMonty" time. My mom came in Monday and stayed until Saturday. We didn't do much, but it's always fun nevertheless. She played with Will and kept him while Brian and I went out to dinner (which we thoroughly enjoyed - thanks!). I love having Mom here, even if we just do normal things like running errands or watching silly t.v. shows. We had a snow day while she was here, although oddly enough, it snowed more south of us than it did here in B'ham. Here are some pictures of us on the snowy deck and afterward.

We're back in business!

So I broke down today and bought another camera. I had to document Will's early walks before he's running around like a pro. Here is our new little walker, 14 months and a few days old!

Camera is croaking ...

Forgive my lack of updates, especially picture updates. My camera has been eating batteries at an alarming rate, and lately it's gotten to where even with fresh batteries, it only stays on a few seconds. I'm going to have to bite the bullet and buy a new one I think. Will's cuteness must be captured.

I haven't done a lot of written updates either because I kept waiting for the big milestone - walking. I've been not-so-patiently waiting for months now, and he FINALLY really started walking today. His first real steps by himself were Jan. 13th, but he really started taking off tonight.

I'm hoping I can capture it on camera video to upload soon, because it's hilarious. He presses both of his hands on his stomach with is elbows out as he walks. I guess he's holding onto himself to steady his balance, but it looks so odd. We laughed and laughed over his quirky little walk.

Stay tuned. I promise to sort out my camera problem soon!

Will has a favorite song

If you know me well or read my blog, you might remember that I'm a huge fan of Sandra Boynton. We have tons of her books, and Will loves them. My cousin Mandy introduced me to the author by giving us Hippos Go Beserk and What's Wrong Little Pookie? Now we own most of her books, with some of our favorites being Hey, Wake Up! Pajama Time, Oh My Oh My Dinosaurs, and Snuggle Puppy. I always recommend this author to anyone with little kids, and I've gotten a few friends to become Boynton-heads too.

One night while searching Amazon (click here for the c.d. info), I discovered that Sandra Boynton had c.d.s of kid songs. They all looked pretty good, but her Dog Train c.d. really caught my eye. I actually recognized the performers! Remember that 90's rock song, "Two Princes" by Spin Doctors ("If you want to buy me flowers, just go ahead now..."? Well if you don't, I know someone knows the song I'm referring too. Well the Spin Doctors sing a song on the Dog Train album called "Tantrum." It's Will's very favorite song. When I put it on in the car, he smiles ear to ear, even if he was upset before. When he fusses at home, we sing it, and again, smiles. When we get to the fast part, he claps his hands and bounces. The boy LOVES it. It's definitely his first favorite song. Click here to listen to it and other songs from the album.

This is one kid c.d. that I actually like. The music is far better than any current radio hit, and the lyrics are clever. With titles like Penguin Lament and (Don't Give Me) Broccoli and performers like Blues Traveler, Hootie & the Blowfish, and even Weird Al, adults may find themselves listening to this even when their kiddos aren't in the car.

It also has a beautiful lullaby sung by Alison Krauss called Evermore. It's my go-to song if I'm trying to calm Will down or get him back to sleep. It's very sweet, and it will always remind me of rocking my sweet baby boy.

Will's One Year Pictures!

Check 'em out! I'm going to have a difficult time choosing.
Go to:
http://www.lindeymagee.com/
Click on "Enter Photography Site"
Then "clients"
Type in: Alabama

I'm thrilled with the photos. Can't wait to see our favorites on walls and in frames!

Click HERE to see what Will's been up to these days. He's enjoyed lots of play dates lately to fun places like McWane Science Center and iJump! We stay busy, and that little boy keeps me on my toes!

Visiting Louisiana & Mississippi

We headed south the day after Christmas. I look forward to this time with my family every year, and since we didn't travel last year with our newborn, I was especially excited about this year's trip. Will was a great traveler and didn't even fuss. I'm enjoying this while I can, because I know it won't last forever! At Grandmonty's, he was the center of attention, which he thoroughly enjoyed. Her house is so open, giving him plenty of room to explore. We ate wonderful food, played games, and had a great time. The sad part is that Will's bad momma didn't take a single picture in Louisiana! I know, I know - horrible. I guess I was preoccupied with making sure that Will didn't get into anything since the house wasn't exactly babyproof. I'm making it a New Year's resolution to take more family pictures when we're together.

After several days, we stayed a night in Monticello before heading back home. It was a busy day - Will had two playdates. Below is the ONE picture I got of him and Cody, Betsy's little man. I know - not a good picture but they didn't want to look at the same time. Under that one is a pic. of when they first met. See the difference now? There is about a 9 month difference between the two pictures. Now Will is almost as tall as Cody when he's standing up straight (we think within an inch or two judging from our last ped's visit). Betsy and I have been friends since we were about 3, so it's really special seeing our own children getting to play.

Will & Cody 12/30/09

Flashback: Will and Cody 2/??/09 (Will was two months old)

The next playdate was with Mindy's little girl Peyton. What a cutie pie! She was such an adorable ball of energy. Poor Will wasn't feeling up to playing much, so it mostly consisting of Peyton trying to get Will in a better mood. Sorry, Peyton! Maybe next time he'll be more up to it and not cutting those pesky top teeth. Thanks, Ms. Denise, for the pictures!

We also saw family - Will's Uncle Mark, Aunt Kim, lots of cousins, Aunt Jane, Matt, and Aunt Pi. Will especially enjoyed Aunt's Pi's bubble-blowing, which won him over instantly. I did manage to snap a few shots.

It was a good visit - short, but good - but "there's no place like home." As much as I love visiting my family, it always is nice to get back to our comfy bed and normal routines.

Will's One-Year Photo Session Sneak Peek!

These pictures make me SO very happy! I can't wait to see the rest. Will is only little once, but these pictures will capture this stage forever. I'm so glad we were able to arrange an appointment with Lindey. See for yourself by clicking HERE !

Best Friends - Will & Elias

Will loves spending time with his best friend, Elias. They share tricks (good AND bad, ha) and make their moms laugh. They aren't blood brothers, but as much as they've tried to swap pacis, I think it's their version. Here are some of the more recent pictures of the two buddies together. Aren't they adorable?











Now here are some flashbacks for old time's sake: