5 years of marriage! March 17th

I know this blog is usually all about Will, but I had to give a quick anniversary tribute to my husband, who is a truly wonderful all-around person as well as husband and daddy. So much has changed in the past year alone, but we've been through some interesting times in the last five. Here are some pictures from our dating days all the way up until recently. There are some gaps, but I tired to span most of our marriage. A lot of my early pictures aren't digital, so if they're on here, they may be scanned and poor quality. Hope you enjoy seeing a glimpse of our life. Happy Anniversary, Brian! Oh, and it's best if you start at the bottom of the picture series and work your way up. That way, it goes in order from earliest to most recent.

July 2008, at a going-away party for a friend.  

Late June 2008 - I loved this stage of pregnancy.  We're at a cousin's birthday party.  

The Barrister's Ball aka "Law Prom" 2008.  This was a month and a half before we found out that we were expecting.  

At a military ball in Nashville - fun times (2007)

Acting goofy on our deck in Clarksville - trying to get a picture for our Christmas card.  We never took one good enough but we had fun trying.

Six months later - he's home for GOOD.  I made a special t-shirt to wear and had a big sign waiting on him in the yard.  This was the happiest day of my life next to Will being born.  I can't really describe in words how happy I was to see him.  He had sent me a journal weeks before that he had kept for me during his deployment.  It was so sweet.  My husband may be a macho-man, but when  times get tough, he can be a true uncover romantic.  I bet he'll cringe a little as he reads this.  Cat's out of the bag honey.  :-)

Flash forward quite a bit - this was from the summer of 2006 when Brian came home from Iraq for two weeks.  It was the most difficult thing we've ever been through, and having two weeks was bittersweet since he had to return for another 6 months in Iraq.  My husband hates to smile for the camera, but believe me, he is HAPPY but TIRED.  He had rented a car in Atlanta to drive home just to see me several hours before he could if he had waited for his flight.  I thought that was so sweet.  

Grand Canyon - we drove there when we lived in Arizona.  Although I absolutely hated living there, we had some good memories of going to Tombstone to go to saloons in costume and hanging out with friends in the little mining town of Bisbee.  We expanded our "family" in Arizona by giving Rocky a brother, Mick.  

Brian's 2004 graduation commissioning ceremony. Mom and I pinned him, and Daniel Hartzog came to give him his first salute. He tried to look all military-stern, but he's really happy. Afterward, our family and friends ate Mexican and then went out to the Sneaky Tiki.

This was shortly after we were married at the ROTC ball at Ole Miss. I love this picture of us, although my face could definitely use a little sun (or darker make-up)! We had just gotten our puppy, Rocky, a few months earlier. Living in Oxford was really fun. Some of the most memorable times included eating crawfish at Aden's Grill and meeting friends at Parish's.

Later that night, a lot of our friends and us went out to a place on the reservoir.  We even had the same cab driver that I had for my bachelorette party.  It was awesome to see our friends getting along so well.  Many had never met each other  (college friends/high school friends/ Brian's college friends, etc.), but everyone had a blast.  

At our reception in Jackson when we got home.    Almost all of our friends and close family members were there, and we were able to relax and visit since the wedding was over.  The food was great and everyone seemed to have a good time visiting.  

Our whole trip was a blast - some of the best memories ever.  

What a beautiful setting!  Our ceremony was so special - just us and a Bahamian minister (plus the people laying out in the sun who watched).  I am so glad we went away to get married.  

Our wedding: 3/17/04, Nassau, Bahamas.  I love my dress.  Love it.  Still take it out of the closet from time to time to stare at it.  

This was at my 2003 Vandy graduation.  Little did I know that Brian would propose several weeks later.  He told my mom, sister, and sister-in-law on the way up to Nashville.  I was so sick in this picture.  The air in the gym wasn't working well and my sinuses were killing me.  

Back from our dating days - this is in about 2002/2003 era at Brian's old college apartment.  We went to college 4 hours apart, so we'd take turns every few weeks making the drive.  I miss the drive from Nashville to Oxford during the fall, going the cut-through way through Jackson, TN.  It was always beautiful.

End of maternity leave, last week left

This time next week, I’ll be getting ready to start my first work week since early December. It will be hard to leave Will, but he will be in the care of someone who will spoil him with lots of attention. With state testing and 8th grade “graduation” activities, I know the 9 weeks will fly by. I’m going to rely on a lot of my old activities from last year and hope I can get by fine without ever staying late. Come 3:10, I’m out the door and on my way to pick up my little man! I met with my substitute the other day to find out where I need to pick back up on things. A lot of the students seemed really happy to see me, so that lifted my spirits about coming back. Hopefully after the adjustment period, both Will and I will be fine. He’s in such a good routine, but the times will have to change starting next week. I may try to wake up early for the next few days to test out the schedule and see how it goes. He’s not the best napper in that he does not want to nap in his crib. The great thing is that he’s an EXCELLENT night sleeper. He sleeps from 9 p.m. until 7:30, and this has been consistent for over two weeks now. It feels amazing to get good quality sleep. When he was a newborn, I briefly wondered if I would ever sleep well again in the next year! Of course, I knew I would eventually, but I really didn’t anticipate that it would happen so soon. I feel like I’m jinxing myself even talking about it. I’m sure once he starts teething and feeling uncomfortable, he might have different sleep patterns.

These days, Will is smiling like crazy. We’ve learned just what to do to get him going. His absolute favorite song is Steve Miller Band’s “The Joker.” For whatever reason, he loves it. He seems to like it even more when his daddy sings it. He has also begun laughing, although it’s still a small “heheheh” at this point. I’m just waiting for the day he erupts with giggles. Some of his favorite things include Sandra Boynton books (thanks Mandy for introducing us to this silly author!), puppets (especially when the puppets sing, dance, or read), the floating fish in his little “aquarium,” the blinking star on his playmat, and of course, his gurgling, glowing, musical seahorse. As for activities, kicking his feet is his newest pastime. I think he might have a sense of rhythm because he kicks and moves his arms even more when I turn on the radio. He still isn’t a huge fan of tummy time, but we try it daily anyway since it’s important. Lately, when he drinks his bottle, he wants to hold both of my hands. It’s so sweet and it melts my heart when he stops drinking his bottle to smile at me and grip my fingers.

Motherhood is absolutely the greatest thing. I knew I’d love it, but I just never realized how deeply I would feel. I’ve never been more at peace with life. Sure, there are days when I’m tired and I have spit-up stains on my shirt, but it’s the most fulfilling “job” I could imagine. It is also wonderful to see Brian with Will. He gets the biggest smile when he comes in from a long day at school and sees Will. Will has tons of fun with his daddy, and you can tell that they’ll be big buddies as time goes by. Even though Will is more grown-up, he still looks like a little mini-Brian. After comparing baby pictures, we determined that Will has my baby smile, cheeks, and chin, and well … everything else is pure dad. His eyes are getting a lighter blue, and they’re so pretty.

I’ll probably blog a few more times this week, as I’m sure after next week they’ll become more infrequent due to work. Enjoy a few pictures. I’m a picture-taking maniac, but I’ll confess that we’ve been slow to pull out the video camera. At least I’ll have tons of stills!

Today was a beautiful day. The weather is finally spring-like and we're making the most of it by strolling in the neighborhood. We are fortunate to have really great neighbors. Afternoons during the spring and summer are marked by kids playing in the cul-de-sacs and adults gathered around driveways, chatting in lawn chairs. Next year, Will will be running around with the little ones, but this year, I'm still trying to get him out and about. Our stroller is SO heavy with the infant seat in it, and it finally occurred to me that maybe he's big enough to be in the main stroller without the carseat attachment. Well after looking in the manual and consulting the message board I frequent, I determined that if I still left him in a somewhat reclined position, he would be fine since it has a 5-point harness. We gave it a shot and our stroll was GREAT! He liked it so much better since he could actually see the world. He kicked his feet and looked all around. Here are some pictures of Will. How cute is he in his little hat?






Today we also had Will's first official photo shoot. A friend of mine recommended a photographer, so I decided to have some 3 month pictures done. I'll share the link when they're ready. Jessica, the photographer, was so sweet. She was very patient with Will, even as he grew tired and cranky. I can't wait to see how they turn out! Will conked out for a nap after she left. I guess it's a busy day for a 3 month old!

Happy 3 month birthday!

Here is my little man on his three month birthday. As you can see, he's wearing St. Patty's Day PJs. He actually has a little Scotch-Irish in him from my side of the family, but the real reason I love St. Patrick's Day has more to do with the other holiday we celebrate on the same day - our anniversary. I love that our wedding anniversary falls on such a fun holiday. What's odd is that Will's due date was Dec. 17th, and St. Patty's is March 17th. Luck of the Irish? I think so!

Will still loves bath time and enjoys being under the warm water. I love comparing pictures to see how much he's changed. Before I sign off for the day, here's a photo of Will's bath last night vs. his first real bath at almost 6 weeks old. He's in his 12th week now.  That uncertain look from week 6 is long gone.  

4/3/08


Will's first bath about 6 weeks ago.

That's all for today.  Until next week ... 

Snow day

For the first time since we've had Will, we're having a snow day. Talk about weird Alabama weather!  We woke up to a blanket of white snow, and it came down for several hours this morning. Everything was coated, but now it's melting away.  Thankfully, we took a few pictures to document Will's first snow.  It was still coming down pretty hard when we took these, so we tried to capture it from inside the house.  I hid my face since I had just woken up, but you can see how short my hair is.  I went to get it colored and cut yesterday while Will and Brian had some father-son bonding time.  Apparently Will had a good time while I was gone, napping on his daddy's chest, smiling at silly conversations, and learning the lyrics to some new rock songs.  

I can't believe it's March already.  The end of maternity leave is rapidly approaching.  Although I dread leaving my little man during the day, I know that it won't be long until summer break. Also this month is our 5th wedding anniversary.  Maybe we'll find a babysitter and have "parents' night out."  Those are rare these days, so we'll truly enjoy it if we're able to make it happen.  

I hear little sounds over the monitor hinting that Will is waking up from his nap and will want to be fed soon, so duty calls.  As usual, here are a few pictures of Will's latest activities. 

This picture shows my clever combination of two really popular baby products - the Bumbo and the Boppy.  He is still a little wobbly in the Bumbo, so I added the Boppy for more added support.  He likes it for very short periods of time, and it helps him strengthen his muscles.  

 

No, he's not really napping on the daybed.  He fell asleep on me while I was rocking him, so I put him here for a quick photo op. before placing him in the crib.  You can see the snow in the background.

I love watching him sleep.

Looking at the snow in the cul-de-sac

Someone recently told me after seeing the blog that it seemed like Will was always smiling.  Well, not exactly.  I usually only post the best pictures, and he definitely is showing his range of facial expressions these days.  This one shows his "mad" look.  He pouts out his lower lip and gives me this glare.  He gets even more mad when I laugh, but I can't help it; it's so cute!  

  

A few new pictures

I wanted to do a quick picture update.  Everything is good here in Will-ville.  We are just enjoying our last month before I return back to work to wrap up the school year.  Will is growing so fast.  Tonight, he is wearing 3-6th month sized pajamas.  I can hardly believe it.  We've had a busy day.  At 3:30, we visited the nice lady who will be keeping Will while I'm at work.  Then, he was in such a great mood that Brian and I decided to try taking him to one of our favorite restaurants, Jim N' Nicks.  We hadn't been there since November, so it was nice to enjoy their yummy BBQ.  Will was awake the whole time but just sat quietly in his car seat next to me and smiled while I chewed my food (he recently started finding entertainment in watching me eat).  This weekend he also attended a birthday party for a coworker's little girl.  Will actually slept through it as I "wore" him in the sling, but it was nice to show him off to my coworkers.  I'm getting more comfortable getting him out and about, but it's still nice to hang around the house most of the time.  I'm trying to soak it in while I can.  It's bedtime, so I'll sign off with these pictures from the last week.  Love to all! 

nap time!

A rare pic. where I'm actually in front of the camera

Sleeping in his momma's arms

Hanging out in his robe post-bath

 

Trying to engage him in a little "tummy time" to strengthen his muscles; he looks thrilled, doesn't he?

Smiling at mommy - ah, melts my heart every time!

Helping daddy proofread a law review paper

New experiences

Time is going too fast! I can’t believe it’s already February. Will just went on his first road trip. We decided to go visit Grandmonty, but first we stopped by Monticello to visit Mark, Kim, Sarina, Alyssa, and Levi. We also got to see Aunt Jane, Uncle Jimmy, and Betsy and Cody. In Hammond, Aunt Maury and cousins Raylee and Darby were there to greet us, along with many other cousins and Aunt Elizabeth and Uncle Jules. On our way home, we stopped by Lora’s house for a quick visit. We didn’t get to see everyone, but we tried to see as many people as possible. Overall, it went really well. I packed everything we might possibly need, so my car was fully loaded with baby gear! Traveling with an infant is very challenging, but I’m glad to took the plunge. Will enjoyed the attention he received from everyone, but I think he was happy to be home and see his daddy. He also missed his baby bathtub, as the travel one just wasn’t the same!

We’ve been spending the last few days just recuperating from our trip and playing around the house. Will just discovered that he likes his play mat/gym. He smiles at the flashing star, looks at himself in the mirror, and bats at the chime toys that hang down. It’s amazing to watch. I can almost see his little mind churning. Last night during “tummy time,” we watched in amazement as he rolled from his belly to his back. Unless you’ve been a parent, you probably can’t understand why this would be exciting. We were cheering and smiling as if he hit a home run or brought home a great report card.

Will is changing so much. He finally has the tiniest little rolls of fat on his legs. It’s such a welcome sight, as he was so fragile and thin at first. He’s probably in the 10 pound range, which is still small for his age. His 3 month clothing is going to be tight soon due to his length, and I can’t believe we’ll have to go up the next size before I know it. We haven’t heard him laugh yet, but he smiles all the time now. He has pretty good head and neck control, but he still bobbles just a bit. It’s really fascinating how much they change in such a short amount of time. I’m just trying to savor each stage while I can.

So enough of the update. Here’s what you really want to see - a few recent pictures of our trip and from around the house. Enjoy!

Will on his play mat

He's smiling at one of the little toys

I never get tired of seeing that sweet smile!

Swinging while mommy cooks supper

Will and his favorite toy, his seahorse

Will loved to smile at Grandmonty

Will with cousins Alyssa, Sarina, and Levi. Will is smiling because Alyssa is being silly.

Will with his future buddy, Cody (Betsy's little boy).

Cody looks confused as to why Will wouldn't play and just wanted to sleep. Give him some time Cody, and I'm sure he'll be a great play mate soon!