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:

Christmas!

First, I want to apologize for the lack of blogs. It's been a very busy month! Will had his second Christmas, but it really felt like the first since he was only about two weeks old last year. We decided to stay at home for Christmas and travel the day after to see family. It was nice being at home and letting Will play all day with his new things. Among his gifts were a Fisher Price Learning Home, a Little People farm set, a little guitar, lots of cool books, his own little chair, a Scout puppy, ball popper, shape sorting blender, a little steering wheel toy, and a few others! The boy LOVES his toys! Here are a few pictures of Christmas morning. I love seeing his sweet face early in the morning, especially when he has sleepy squinty eyes! It was a great day. Holidays are so much more special with children, and we are so thankful for our not-so-baby anymore "baby boy."

Flashback: Will last year:
Now compare the last picture with the next one! Crazy - It doesn't look like the same baby at all!

Wearing his Christmas pjs

Checking out his Santa gear in his new chair. The guitar was an instant favorite, but later he preferred playing with the Fisher Price House.

Here are a few more pictures I forgot to post earlier in the month: Will with Santa.