Days away ...

We have officially entered the birthday week. Friday is the big day. I tear up just thinking about it. My little man is growing up! We're going to celebrate with homemade cupcakes that I'm making (well, semi-homemade thanks to "The Cake Mix Doctor" recipe book), and I'm sure if Will is anything like his momma, he'll LOVE his first bite of cake.

Will is standing more on his own now and can cruise furniture like a pro., but when he's motivated to get somewhere quick, he still drops into a crawl. His newest trick is escaping the "fortress" we created in our living room to keep him in. We've tried filling in gaps with step stools, pillows, etc. but he always finds a way. He's quite the problem-solver.

I hate I didn't get a picture of him on his first Thanksgiving, but he wasn't up to photos since he was sick. Yup, sick on Thanksgiving, just before I pulled out the turkey. He was running a super high fever, and it gave us a little scare. After talking to the pediatrican on-call, we felt better and were able to get it down a bit. I was super disappointed that we had to cancel our holiday dinner plans with our friends (Will's best friend Elias and his parents). They still came over, but our leisurely dinner plans became a quick food swap (food was yuuuummmmmy). Our Black Friday was spent at the ped's office, where my suspicions were confirmed - ear infection. Although his sleep is still a bit unpredictable due to his discomfort, his fever is normal and he's feeling much better. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that tonight goes well. Otherwise, we may put in a call tomorrow to see if we need to come in for a follow-up. Will is supposed to go next week to his one-year checkup, so maybe we could just get it done early and have his ears checked all at once.

Stay tuned next weekend for birthday pictures of our small party for three. Until then, here are a few I snapped today. He's too busy to pose these days!

Here, he's moving the pack n' play in search of crawling freedom.

November is flying by

This month has gone fast! It's already Brian's birthday (Happy Birthday :-), then we have Thanksgiving around the corner, then Will's birthday, then Christmas. Whew, this year will be over fast. We've been on the go so much that I haven't been as good at taking pictures lately. Here are a few ...

Finally, a sippy cup he likes - plain straw ones.

Momma gets big smiles.

Will and my dear friend/coworker Jamelia, or "Jam-Jam" as Will knows her. She always lets him play with her phone, which he loves.

Will was not enthused about being at Strollerstrides this particular morning.

The quality of this video is poor, but it shows how Will pushes his little walker around. He's getting really good at it and can go much faster when given ample floor space. He's also standing by himself some now, which is very exciting. He can do about ten seconds before he reaches for something, someone, or the floor, but that is ten seconds that he couldn't do a week ago. It's amazing how fast they learn.

I'm going to sign off and eat a piece of Brian's birthday cake. He requested a Dairy Queen ice-cream cake, and I had them add a little bit of 'Bama to it. Yum!

One more old pic.

I need to snap some new pictures, but Mr. William and I have been super busy. I'm loving my mom's group, and that plus our regular 3 days a week of Strollerstrides keeps us on the go. Add in a few errands here and there and we are hardly ever at home all day. It makes us appreciate days we are able to veg out here at the house. Until a take some more pics., here is one that I LOVE LOVE LOVE! My friend Christy took this with her awesome camera. It's from the same day as the blog below, but I didn't have it when I did that posting. Doesn't this little face beg to be kissed? :-)

One month away from being a YEAR old!

It seems like these monthly updates go by waaay too fast! Will is officially 11 months old as of yesterday. Nothing huge has happened since our last update, but here are a few things I want to note:

• He stands very solidly now and cruises furniture with ease. He's not trying to walk yet though, but he will take a few steps while holding on to his push walker. I think we have a climber too!

• Will is finally getting better with the sippy cup now that we stick to ones with straws. The stinker STILL demands that I hold his bottle, but he will hold his own sippy cup (stinker!). He's still into the same foods, but he eats less and less baby food. Who can blame him when everything else is so much tastier?

• He's slowly growing out of some of his 12 month-sized clothes and is in mostly 18 month. I haven't weighed him lately, but I'm guessing he's about 22 pounds. One thing is for sure, he's long and lean! People comment frequently that he's a tall boy - something I'm kind of proud of since I've always been a shortie!

• The boy is a little HAM! He loves to bat his eyes, smile, and wave at people when in public. He's already stolen the hearts of many! I am so proud when someone stops to admire his adorableness. See the picture at the very bottom of the post, the one with him waving? He was waving at a cute little girl on the playground - no joke. What a flirt!

• His babbles are becoming more and more word-like. He still says Mama and Dada a lot (this week, Dada has been the favorite word, which makes Brian just a little bit proud). We've been working on the word dog, and I think he said it tonight although I'm going to wait until he's clearly repeated it several times before I'll let it "officially" count. Even though he's not saying more, he'll try to repeat what I'm saying. Often his babblings will have the same number of syllables of whatever I'm asking him to repeat. I'm fascinated by language development and enjoy seeing it in action.

• He loves his Dada - he lights up when he hears him coming up the stairs. He smiles and starts bouncing with excitement, then makes this funny squeal. He waves at him to say hello, then immediately crawls over to him so Brian can scoop him up. I've never seen Brian look more happy than when he sees his special little greeting. He loves his little man, and I love seeing the bond they have.

• Of course, he's still crazy about his Mama! He makes me feel like the funniest person alive. I can do the least little goofy thing and he falls over laughing. It's such an ego-boost, I must admit. I smile just thinking about making my little guy laugh. I also adore how when he wakes up from teething or just being plain upset, somehow my presence is like a magical power. All of the sudden, he's settled and snuggle-y.

• He's turned into a little bookworm! We're thrilled! He loves his books, and will hand me a board book to read to him. Lately, his most frequent choice is, Guess How Much I Love You. He can point to the pictures and even turns the pages on time (most of the time, anyhow!). I love this time together because he'll actually sit still for it - a rare treat these days! I really think I've read, Guess How Much I Love You five times a day or more for the past week! Yes, it gets a tad old, but I love that he's interested. Besides, I almost have it memorized which makes it much easier! I still prefer to read him any of his Sandra Boynton books (if you're unfamiliar, check out her books, they'll grow on you and they're really funny). Since I have my signature spin on several of the books, Brian decided that he needed some "Daddy Only" books. I guess when he tried to read some of my regulars, Will looked at him funny because he didn't do the voices like I do (oh yes, I do voices!). Now Brian has his own little collection of books he reads to Will, and Will enjoys his book time with Dada.

I'm sure I'll think of more stuff later, but that's the bulk of what's new. I'm sad at how fast time is passing, but each phase is more fun than the last. It just keeps getting better. Of course, I couldn't end a post without a few new pictures. These were taken today at one of the few toddler-friendly parks I've been to in the area. We met up with friends Christy and Elias, who I'm SO glad to have met. We have so much in common, and with the boys being the same age, it's such an easy playdate! Christy edited the picture below - isn't it precious? Enjoy!

Halloween!

We had a great Halloween! Friday night, we went to the "Boo at the Zoo" event. The only thing that really impressed Will was the Llama in the barn, but it was a fun, family-friendly environment. It'll definitely have to become a tradition. Will's daddy is camera shy, so here's a picture he took of us at the zoo (below). It was a warm night, so we put Will in his skeleton pjs instead of his very heavy fleece costume. It worked out for the best though - we put him straight to bed anyway once we got home (which, by the way, was 7:30 - late night for Mr. Will, who is usually in bed by 7!).

My neighborhood had a little party in the cul-de-sac Saturday. The adults mostly dressed up too, so I was a good sport and pulled out pieces of an old "Dark Fairy" costume. I figured it complimented the fantasy creature motif, as Will was a magical dragon. Here we are, smiling it up for the camera.

Then we went outside - no more smiles! This wasn't the worst face he made. He literally scowled for awhile. He was not a fan of being outside in his costume. He cheered up a little when I let him play with my fairy wand.

I knew he might cheer up when we went to visit to Baw-baw and Pock - the sweet couple that kept Will for the 9 weeks I was back at work in the spring. They loved seeing Will in his costume, and he was happy again - for AWHILE at least. He was in such a good mood, I thought we'd pop in and see our honorary grandparents, Pawpaw Bill and MawMaw Pat (Pawpaw Bill is the one who handmade Will's rocking horse and is Brian's brother, Eric's grandfather). Unfortunately, by the time we got there, Will was tuckered out and ready to call it a night. We said quick hellos, then I got the little man back home so he could have a bottle and hit the sack.

Overall, it was a great Halloween. Holidays are so much fun with children, and I'm looking forward to the next ones to come - Thanksgiving, Will's Birthday, then Christmas!

More "firsts"

Will has had a busy week. We went to his Aunt Maury's for the weekend, and she generously volunteered to keep him overnight so I could join my mom, aunt, and Fairman-family cousins in Gulf Shores for the annual "Cousin Condo" trip. This trip started decades ago with my Gram and her sisters, and although they have all passed on, their daughters and granddaughters carry on the tradition. It's a fun no-kids-allowed trip, so Will stayed with his Aunt Maury, Uncle Doug, and cousins Raylee and Darby. It was the first time he's stayed overnight with someone other than me or Brian, and it was only the second night I've been away from him ever! It went smoothly, and I had fun even though I missed him. It was also the first time anyone other than Brian or I drove him anywhere! They went to Darby's soccer game and to run a few errands, and he was content to be out and about. Of course, Will loved being the center of attention. He even got to see his Grandmonty for a day before we headed back to Birmingham. Brian was eager to have us back and spent the afternoon playing with his little buddy. I have to say, although I like traveling and love seeing my dear family, there's no place like home.

I'd love to post pictures of our weekend, but I forgot to pull out my camera. Maury was focused on making sure she had what she needed for Will for the day, so she forgot to bring her camera out Saturday. I think she got some photos back at the house, but until I get those, these recent pictures will have to do.

He's turning the t.v. on and off, on and off ... - his new hobby!

I almost feel bad posting this one, just because I don't have a picture of Will and Darby. Here is Will and Raylee playing in the washing machine box. Who needs toys when you can have a plain ole' box? Equally entertaining! Both Raylee and Darby love their little cousin and are soooo sweet with him. They're also a huge help! Thanks girls! We love y'all! I'll update this with more pictures if I can get them from Maury's camera.

Check out is crazy hair. I am sentimental about his puppy dog onesie shirt in this picture. A friend gave me some great hand-me-downs (Thanks MaryAnn!), and I found this top in 18 month size. Will had the exact same one in newborn size, and it was part of the outfit he wore home from the NICU after his jaundice ordeal. Seeing him all big and healthy wearing it now makes me nostalgic and proud of how far he's come. It's hard to believe he was a little 5 lb. 13 ounce baby at one time, and it's even harder to believe that was nearly a YEAR ago!

Playtime

Crawling non-stop

Will prefers electronics over toys, especially ones his daddy uses often

I never get tired of his cute little profile!

Now for a quick video - low quality but listen to that little laugh!  He's laughing at a water bottle!  

If you want a laugh ...

Check out this hilarious video my friend Christy made.  It stars both of our little boys and some other cute kiddos she knows.  Will makes a grand entrance.  First, look at Will's "Before" picture here: 


Now watch the video to see his spooky transformation! Thanks for the laughs Christy!

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What's Will doing at ten months?

Pj pictures never get old, at least to me!

Will at 10 Months

            This month is going by so fast.  Before it passes me by, I want to document some of what Will is doing these days.  It is an amazing time – active – but amazing. 

·          Food: Will is eating pretty much anything we give him.  I’m still paranoid and chop up most of his finger foods into tiny pieces, but he often puts multiple pieces in his mouth at once.  He still loves his bananas, but he also likes peas, mac n’ cheese, pancakes, potatoes, scrambled eggs, and pretty much any other table food.  He’ll still eat baby food sometimes, although it’s becoming more infrequent since he’s eating a bigger variety of table foods.  Cereal mixed with applesauce or another fruit is still a breakfast staple, and so is yogurt mixed with oatmeal.  Three times a day, Will still takes an 8 ounce bottle.  I can’t believe that he’ll be on cow’s milk in two months (hopefully).  Most pediatricians want babies off the bottle around a year, but I’m not sure that’ll happen 100% as he still plays with the sippy more than he actually drinks out if it.  He knows how and can do it, but I really don’t know if he’s ever thirsty enough to gulp down much. 

·          Sleeping: Besides a brief period when he was under the weather and woke up frequently, Will is still sleeping about 12 hours at night with two naps of about an hour to an hour and a half each.  I look forward to when he’s only taking one nap, as it will free up our schedule a lot.  He does ok with only one nap if we’re out and about, but if we’re at home, he has to nap twice.  Otherwise, he’s Mr. Cranky!  Sometimes, he wakes up at night around 10 p.m. for a diaper change, but he’s good about going straight back to sleep.  I have to admit that I never mind the brief wakeups if I’m still awake.  Sometimes I rock him for awhile before I put him back in the crib.  It’s one of the most precious moments of my day.  I know that when he’s older, I’ll remember rocking him cheek to cheek.  I appreciate it even more now than I did when he was a little baby.  Now, he’s so skwirmy and active when awake.  During our late night rocking sessions, he just nestles his head on my shoulder and hugs me.  Any mom, or parent, for that matter, knows that feeling, and that you just can’t describe it.   When I go to get him in the mornings, he's always standing up in the crib with a big grin.  As long as he gets his sleep, he's a happy camper!

·          Talking: His words, in order of “appearance,” are Dada, Mama, and yum.  It’s funny to see him eating and mumble, “Yum!”.  Also, Brian and I both swear he said, “Elm” when we were playing with his Elmo puppet the other night.  We said Elmo a ton of times while playing since Elmo talks in 3^rd period (like, “Elmo loves Baby Will …”)Well Will very clearly said, “Elm.”  Brian and I froze and stared at each other in disbelief, then agreed that he definitely said Elm for Elmo.  Like I said, I doubt it’ll happen again soon, but it was pretty funny!  Will says Mama more and more now, and it’s not just when he’s mad or wants something like it used to be.  It’s music to my ears, especially when he crawls over to me, then says it as he lifts his arms for me to pick him up.

·          Playing: Will is finally starting to really enjoy his toys that encourage standing and cruising. He’ll stand for more than ten minutes at one if he’s really into it at the moment.  Of course, he’d rather stand at the t.v. and push buttons if we let him, but we’ve try to barricade the area so he can’t do that.  Will loves anything with buttons, and he definitely knows his play cell and remote aren’t nearly as cool as the real things.  Peek-a-boo and making silly faces in the mirror are popular in our household.  Will loves sticking his tongue out, and he thinks he’s hilarious when we do it and he does it back. 

·          Other: Let’s see what else I can cram into this update.  Will is between 12-18 months in most of his clothes, except for pjs, which he wears 18-24 months.  Instead of waving when we wave, he'll now wave on his own when we ask him to.  He’s a good traveler and doesn’t mind the car seat or long rides as long as he’s well fed and changed.  Giving kisses is a new trick of his.  They're slobbery, but oh so sweet!  He still uses the potty and goes in it at least several times a day, sometimes more.  I finally gave up using the baby tub and let him take a bath in the regular one.  His first b-day party is going to be a party for three – just Brian, Will and me.  I debated on what to do and who to invite, and with it falling right in the middle of finals (which if you know Brian and how he studies, you understand that law finals are a full-time ordeal), we decided that we would keep it simple.  I plan on making and decorating the cake myself, and we’ll buy some cheesy hats and take video and pictures. That’s all I have for now, besides a few cute pictures of course!  

Standing all the time now - only crawls to get to where he wants to stand.

This last one reminds me just how much our boy looks like his daddy!  He has blueberry pancake all over him, but look at that face.  Mini-Brian all the way.

The Dog's New Workout Program

The dog's new workout program is .... running from Will!  Here is a demonstration featuring our faithful pup Mick.  We have another dog, Rocky, but he's a bit more selfish and tends to ignore Will's existence whenever possible.  Mick, though, is always wanting to be in Will's room.  He's not always allowed, but he stays right outside of the door where he can keep tabs on what's going on.  Although he's learned to run away from Will, I can tell that Mick likes the little guy.  In a year or two, I think they'll be best buds.  I even picture Mick sleeping at the foot of Will's big boy bed when he's older.  For now, Mick loves Will from a distance.  This video also shows how Will is full speed ahead with the crawling.  It's amazing how fast the milestones come, and once they arrive, there's no turning back.  It's as if he's been crawling for his whole life!  Thankfully for the dogs, they've had over 9 months of being able to easily avoid Will and his fur pulling.