Christmas Recap

What a glorious week it was!  Mom and Dad came Christmas Eve and left this morning.  Will was loving all the extra attention...and making me look like a liar, when I tell them about his toddler episodes of banging his head on the floor and loosing his cool at dinner time.  He was on his best behavior!  But now the house is quiet again, and he's stuck with only me.  We went over to a friend's house today and we have a few other things to do this week, so hopefully he won't be too disappointed that he's back to reality!

 Christmas morning was a good time!  I would have to start opening the gifts for Will, but he would finish them and then not realize he had 25 more to open.  He wanted to play with, or read what he had just opened.  So we would hide that gift, and move on to the next one.   The kid was WORN OUT.  He took a three hour nap, which has never happened, in the history of Will.  I was tempted to re-wrap everything and do it all again the next day!

Some of the toys that he has really taken a liking to are the Little People Airplane, cars/trucks, foam blocks, Duplo blocks and drums that light up.  My grandfather built Will a giant toy chest, so we have a place to store all these fun new toys!

Will got his first haircut, and while the end result is so handsome, the process was awful!  He must have sensed it as soon as we walked in, because he started to cling to my leg before we tried to bring him to the chair.  It took two adults to hold him still, while the nice lady speed trimmed his mullet off!  It was quite a show for anyone watching!  I know that I will not be able to take him next time alone! But check out the before and after:

The week was a little bit of a blur, because I can't even tell you what we did to keep busy.  A few shopping outings with Mom, Billy built a new fence with Dad, a couple walks with the stroller, and a lot of good food!  I haven't stepped near that scale since last week!

Some funny things Will started doing:
-Becoming obsessed with turning on/off lights.  There are a couple he can reach, and one is on the stairs.  :/
-Christmas cards.  He points at them, and wants us to take them all out, so he can look at them.  And then he hands them all back to put away.
-Putting his clothes in and out of the hamper.  He can't yet grasp that they stay in there.
-For a while, every animal sound was "baaaa".  Now it is just the sheep and the dog and cat sounds are just barely recognizable, but mostly only to me.
-He tried to hand my dad blocks/toys while he was snoozing in the chair.  Sleeping on the job, Grampy!

Random Monday

This is pretty random...as my mind is scattered with Christmas just next week!

Have you seen the new coke ad? It is the perfect description of new parenthood. Even Billy said, "spot on." http://www.fastcocreate.com/3023400/this-new-coke-ad-totally-captures-the-reality-of-early-parenthood?utm_source=facebook

I really don't know what kind of expectations I had of becoming a parent. I really didn't know much and had not been around babies. I had, of course,  made myself an expert in how other kids should behave though!  I had to laugh at myself last week, when Will was being a little dramatic about not having my phone. I don't know if it was a tantrum or just an outburst. But Of course I recorded it and sent the video out and thought, if someone had shown it to me pre-parenting, I would have wondered why they let their child act that way. LET a one year old act a certain way? Hahaha. That came right back and bit me, didn't it? 

I had a friend and her two year old over this week and it's so funny to be that the kids really only acknowledge each other when one of them has a toy that the other wants.  But let's be real, play dates are for parents as much as they are to socialize the kiddos.  And thank goodness for them! I learn a lot by talking w other moms too...back to the previous paragraph...I have minimal experience!  And now that the COLD is here to stay, outside time is pretty limited so I'm having to find other things to do to get out of the house.

Not much going on this week though. My first outing w friends...at night...without Will is happening this week. And I'm fairly confident I won't get a frantic call to come home from Billy! He has started to take over the bedtime routine a few days/week and it has been going so well. It only took 14 months!?!

Now that I have Will helping me emptying the dishwasher, loving the vacuum and putting his clothes in the hamper, I'm thinking his future wife is going to owe me a big thank you! One minor hiccup is that he tries to empty the dishwasher when there are dirty dishes too.

He started using the sign for "all done/finished" at meal time! I have to pay attention, because if I miss it, the food starts being thrown on the floor. Progress, though! I have to say I am enjoying having a one year old far more than a tiny baby!  He's cutting about five molars right now, and they don't seem to be bothering him as much as they did when the first ones were coming through.  Can I get an amen on that one?  

Christmastime!

Christmas time is here!  I took a few things out the day after Thanksgiving, but we waited until Will was in bed on Saturday night to take everything else out of the basement.  We thought about letting him participate, but then thought better of that idea!  It worked out much better with him seeing the lights and the tree in the morning!

Billy and I have our yearly squabble: colored vs white lights.  I'm on the colored lights wagon, especially right now while we are in little kid mode.  I agree that the white lights look more classic, but that isn't my goal right now.  Having a fun tree, that is touchable is more where I think our house is at right now.  So we stuck with the colored lights again, and decorated the bottom half of the tree with unbreakable ornaments.  So far, he has been pretty gentle, and takes them off the tree and either hands them to me, or tries to put them back on.  And yes, we have mismatched ornaments, and things collected since I was small.  That is what I want decorating to be in our house...things that are ok to touch - and of course, memories.  I'm not saying I would turn down any Pottery Barn decor, but I like what we have now just fine.

One of my favorite things to pull out is our nativity sets.  I have a large ceramic one that my grandmother painted, a smaller white one, a teeny one that my aunt brought back from Honduras(maybe?) and this year we brought out the Little People set that Will received from my parents last year.  We have had the most fun with the Little People.  Roberto, the truck driver has joined the manger crowd, a donkey is sometimes on top of the manger, and baby Jesus has even been found in the dump truck.  Will is obviously too young to understand everything now, but it will be good to have over the next few years.

Christmas Cookies aren't exactly my forte, but I broke out the cookie press this weekend to make some Christmas trees for a Moms Club cookie exchange this week.  The press was my grandmothers and still works like a charm.  The cookies are pretty fool-proof too!

To kick off the season, we got our first real snow this weekend too.  It snowed Saturday and Sunday, and I took Will out on Saturday for a walk around the yard and a wagon ride around the block.  The cold didn't seem to bother him.  He was pretty focused on just eating the snow.  Gotta stay away from the yellow snow - good advice from Grampy! 

 Christmas shopping/ordering is almost complete.  With our siblings, we decided to forgo gifts for each other and only buy kids gifts.  I love thinking about kids gifts - there are so many options!  Especially compared to boring adults! ;)

We've had the Christmas Pandora station on since Thanksgiving.  Will has started dancing.  Which is really just stomping his feet up and down quickly.  Every time I try to record, he stops and just wants the phone.  Surely, everyone has seen this Little Drummer Boy video by now.  So good, and now my favorite Christmas song.  And oldie, but goodie.

Now, for a couple weekly Will highlights:
-He has been somewhat efficient at eating his oatmeal out of a bowl with his spoon.  The baby forks aren't really functional, so I give him an adult fork, and he can stab some foods and make it to his mouth.  Under supervision, of course.
-I bought him a coloring book and crayons at the Dollar Store.  After trying a marker earlier in the week, I decided a crayon was a better option.  But here's a tip, don't buy crayons at the Dollar Store!  They pretty much all broke and don't color very well.  A fun activity for a little while, though.
-Now that I have realized he understands quite a bit, I've been assigning him more "chores".  I asked him last night to put his dirty clothes in the hamper(we were in the bathroom) and he went into his room and opened his dresser drawer to put them away.  A for effort!  Typical boy though, wouldn't you say?

Thanksgiving Recap

Whew-isn't cleaning up after guests a lot more consuming then cleaning before?  I haven't even started yet because I still have a guest!  My MIL got pretty sick on Saturday, and had to switch her ticket to Monday evening.  I haven't really had to cook because we have so many left-overs, and really, no one feels like eating big meals.  I'll take it!

My first Thanksgiving dinner was pretty successful.  Billy took care of cooking the bird, while I did the rest.  My most proud dish was the cranberries.  Simple, yes.  But I had not planned on making them until last minute, when I asked a lady in the store where the canned berries were.  She then shamed me into making them.  All it took was a bag of Ocean Spray cranberries, some boiling water and a cup of sugar.  Done and done!  Will was a fan, too!

It was so nice having Billy's parents here.  First of all, because Will became attached to my FIL, who I didn't even know was good with kids.  Seriously, I can't ever get this kid to sit next to me and be calm, but my father-in-law is like the baby whisperer.  Will would follow him around like the Pied Piper.  I did not mind one bit!  He slept pretty soundly when they were here, because he was so worn out!  They brought their little dog too, and Will loooved her.  The feeling was not mutual!  Ha!

They offered to stay home with Will on Friday night so Billy and I could go out.  Well, we all started drinking a few beers and we never left the house.  Missed opportunity!  I can't believe we did that, but we had fun sitting around the table with our Blue Moons anyway.

I did take the opportunity to have my photographer MIL take our Christmas card photo.  What a lash-up it is, trying to get a toddler and a 100lb dog to sit still for more than a 1/2 second.  There is not one picture where we are all looking in the same direction.  Also, not one picture of Will cracking a smile.  Thanks, little buddy!

So just for my record, here are some fun things Will is doing now:

Helps me empty the dishwasher by handing me the silverware

Gets me his socks and shoes

Puts his toys away in a bucket

Puts the cans back in the kitchen cabinet when I ask

Comes when called

Signs "more" but it mostly means "food"

Takes a one hour nap in the morning and afternoon, if we're home

Loves kiwi and cheese.  We still have to hide the shredded cheese bag.

For most of these things, I am shocked.  I didn't necessarily teach him to do these; he really just picked up on what we do daily, and my narration I guess.  The putting the toys away, I think he learned in Kindermusik.  After every task, the teacher sings a song and the kids all put the toys back in her container.  Next, I will teach him to vacuum!! ;)

Happy Cyber Monday!!

Thanksgiving is coming to us, this year!  I have never hosted this holiday meal before, but I have to start somewhere.  The joys for being an adult.  (And yes, I get that I've been an adult for about a decade now).  My inlaws are flying in from California on Wednesday.  The closest major(ish) airport is about 90 minutes away, so thankfully, they decided to fly into our tiny regional airport about 10 minutes away.

My father-in-law is a vegetarian, so I need to be sure I have enough filling choices, besides the turkey.  People are really in it for the sides anyway, right?  Everything will be pretty traditional, but we went to Sam's Club on Sunday and they were out of turkeys!  Last year, when we waited last minute(the day of) to buy a turkey, Billy ended up bargaining with the poultry department on an organic bird.  So along with cleaning, and cooking, I also must locate a turkey for us this week.

Cleaning shouldn't be bad.  I think it's the cooking that could get tricky.  The goal is to have everything hot, still be hot when it's time to eat.  So with a not so large kitchen, and one oven, I'll have to think this one through.  That would probably be the only time, ever, that I would want a double oven.

And then four weeks later, it's Christmas?  Are they always this close together?  I've been keeping gift ideas for people on my phone, when I think of them.  As I was browsing a few weeks ago, I saw a few good deals, and then saw they were comparable to Amazon prices.  But with then shipping(because everyone is far!), it really jacks the price up.  For my FIL's birthday, it cost me $9 to send him a cup to California.  The conundrum is, that I often feel like the *click & send* option of online shopping for gifts is so impersonal.  I LIKE to send things in the mail...I just feel like it is more thoughtful, and shows the recipient that I made the effort to shop, wrap and send it rather than just a few clicks of the keyboard.  Know what I'm saying?

So cheers to a short week, and time with family and friends!  Look below and see that Will and Patton are becoming fast friends:

Pinteresting

This week was the monthly MOPS meeting, and I left with such great food for thought. MOPS has been great because it's not just a play date group; in fact, they provide childcare while the moms meet separately. I mean, how often do you have a chance to chat with friends without keeping one eye on a kid?

This month's topic was about mom comparison. It was something that I didn't think I really got involved with, but the more I thought about it - oh yes, I do.  And social media makes it so easy to get sucked in!  Not just with parenting skills, but who looks more well-rested, the bigger SUV, house, cuter kids clothes, more creative lunches, time for crafts, vacations...it literally goes on and on.  

Now, I love facebook and it is how I keep in touch with many friends and look at their pictures(not for comparison purposes).  But how many people on there are I not close with?  And how do I spend my time...cruising their pictures too.  And when am I doing this?  During down time, when nothing really exciting is going on in my house.  Say...taking a break from laundry...oh look, so-and-so is enjoying a cocktail in the Caribbean.  Does that generally make me feel thankful for what I have?  Not as much.  And, I seem to often forget that we are looking at a VERY edited view of someone else's life.  It's easy to keep the ugly out.  Have you seen a picture of my messy house?  Obviously, not.

The more I began to think about it...the more my brain starting churning...how much time am I wasting looking at this on my phone?  SO MUCH.  So after the meeting, I deleted the app from my phone and have been far less distracted, and able to focus more on playing with Will and direct all of my attention to him when we're playing.  And guess what - I don't think I've missed anything.

Circling back to the social media and comparison topic...we talked about Pinterest too.  Someone said it is the devil's website - ha!  I'm not as big into pinning as other people, but I do find it useful for finding new recipes and some DIY and craft ideas.  It can see how it would get pretty easy to get carried away on Pinterest though...pinning new kitchens, bedrooms, vacations, and other things that we don't or won't ever have.  I think goals, and dreams are healthy, obviously, but it probably does not make me appreciate what I do have.  And let's be real - who is doing even 5% of what they pin?  Salads in mason jars?  Really?  Last week, our pastor had a great quote, which stuck with me and has great application to this topic - The degree to which I am blessed staggers me... the degree to which I take that for granted shames me.

What I think helps combat a lot of the comparison is connections with other moms/women.  Once you get to see their REAL life, you realize that they have similar struggles and vulnerabilities and it's not as perfect as the facebook photos.  We are all trying to keep it all together, and I think when you see that others aren't perfect - or don't have a child sleeping through the night either, you gain a sense of relief.  At least, I do.  It's a comfort and for me, provides a lot of support once everything isn't so hidden.

One last little note and then I'll get to then the weekly dose of Will pictures.  One person noted that she never wanted to have people over because her house was a mess.  Someone else said that people should leave your house feeling better about themselves, not feeling better about you.  Haha - well, folks, come on over to my house and you'll feel great about your own messes, I promise!

So a little bit of a soapbox this week, but I thought it was good to think about.

This week, sleep has not been too great.  Thank you, molars!  One day, my child will sleep through the night and I will rejoice!

Thanks for tuning in! :)

Around The House

I've been thinking about what to do with the blog now that I'm not doing the weekly first year updates.  I mean, are there things to talk about other than my baby?  ;)  Surely, I will be able to keep this up, even if it is just once a week.

So this week I'm going to share some helpful things that I have discovered for around the house.

First, item: this Bissell Steam Mop. I mean, who likes to mop?  Oh that's right, no one.  But this makes the chore a lot more bearable.  No more going back and forth to the sink or dragging a bucket around.  With a dog in the house, a baby with a leaky sippy cup, and a lot of food from the high chair on the floor, I needed to mop the floors once a week.  It's literally plug and play, and comes with reusable/washable scrub pads.  For wood floors, I think this is the answer, so water is not sitting on the wood, getting absorbed and warping.  So yes, if one must drag out a mop, this is the way to go!

I don't know if these little buggers are regional, but it seems quite a few people have these camel crickets(don't click if bugs gross you out) in their basements.  We had been chasing them around with the shop vac, thinking we were making a dent in the population.  We couldn't figure out how to get rid of them, and I was threatening Billy with chemical spray.  Until we discovered...DUCT TAPE!  They eat the adhesive and then get stuck.  I won't tell you how many we've caught, but it is a LOT.  Easy, and cheap if you need to tackle this problem!

Hard water problems?  Our dishes and glasses were coming out so foggy from the dishwasher.  So, everyone has hard water around here, and our neighbor pointed us in the right direction.  Lemi Shine!  I didn't know we could fix the problem, but it has worked it's magic!

Instead of lugging our giant vacuum cleaner for easy jobs, this Shark cordless vacuum has been great.  I have no idea why Billy came home with this, and at first I was against it.  But I use it all the time and lightweight enough to carry it upstairs without a problem.  Will likes to chase it around while I am using it too.  Even for just catching the stray dog hair tumbleweeds, I've used it enough to justify the purchase.

Ok, this last one is baby related, but has made our walks a lot more bearable for Will as the temperature has gone down, and especially on windy days.  If you have a Bob, or any jogging stroller, don't buy the $40 Bob brand wind shield.  Hop on down to BRU and buy this generic shield.  It has been awesome, and saved me from having to go to the mall to walk on less than ideal weather days.

Obviously, I will still post weekly photos of Will, too!
He started going down the slide in our backyard this week:

 He loves looking out the back door window:

 My preppy baby...who just tries to eat the zipper on his vest.

The Burgh

Last week I made a little trip to Pittsburgh for a mini-baby tour.  As I was driving across the Liberty Bridge and looked left into Heinz Field, and right, at my old office, a wave of nostalgia hit me.  Don't get me wrong, I'm liking West Virginia and the friends I have made. People are friendly, it has a small town atmosphere, without being too small and always seeing the same people, and is a very safe community. But oh, I do miss Pittsburgh! I think unless you have spent some time in the city, you may have a certain impression of it....run-down steel town. But not so! There is a lot to do, there are many parts of the city that are beautiful, and is actually rich with culture!  I am now only 2.5 hours away, so if we wanted to do a day trip for the zoo, aquarium, museums with Will when he gets older, it would be a pretty easy trip.  So here are some of the things I miss:

Pizza. Its everywhere and its almost all good! You will have to search for a chain pizza place, because there are few. And Papa Johns just doesn't compare!  Here in WV, we're back to Pizza Hunt or PJs. So sad.

Pierogies. Most grocery stores have one, maybe two varieties of pierogies in the freezer section.  Pittsburgh brings it to a new level with a whole section for pierogies. And churches typically sell them during lent. And you can't forget the pierogie race at Pirates games!

Speaking of the Pirates...Pittsburgh sports!  Even the Pirates stepped it up this year. And no one really cares that they are typically a losing team because the Penguins and Steelers are the real stars of the city!  Ok, so maybe not the Steelers right now.  I made the mistake my first game day in Pittsburgh, not wearing black and gold...just to the grocery store! There is some serious pride. But if you want to get a bunch of errands done, do it during a game. Stores are like ghost towns!

Mt. Washington. Where we lived. While the rental house we lived in left a lot to be desired, it had an amazing view, at the head of Emerald Park Trail, was close to the incline, and a dog park out our front door! So those are a few things wrapped into one bullet: unique public transportation, green space, and pet friendly! We loved our street and our neighbors. To our surprise, we found Pittsburghers to be extremely friendly. I think it's because of the common love of the Steelers...always something to talk about. This southern transplant assumed the northern crowd to be rude. You know what happens when you assume...

Ed and Med: this former steel town reformed itself for newer industries. There are a ton of colleges...Carnegie Mellon, Pitt, Duquesne to name a few. Which is why it was so easy for me to find a job. And there are about 10 hospitals in 5 square miles of the city proper. Perhaps more. But they are outstanding and people come from all over the country for Children's Hospital. The one I delivered Will at is one of the top women's hospitals in the country.

Shopping: ok, maybe this isn't much different than any other big city. There isn't anything lacking and there are plenty of options in every direction of the city. Even Ikea! But let me say that I had 3 Targets to choose from in a 10 mile radius. Here in WV: ZERO. I have to travel an hour to the state capitol for my Target fix. The silver lining is that I'm probably spending less money.

Fireworks: All the time and we had an awesome vantage point on top of Mt. Washington.  Seriously, the city must have a massive fireworks budget because every time the Pirates played, Bret Michaels was in town, or it was Saturday, it seemed like they had a show.  Eventually, I stopped going outside to watch.  Billy never tired of them though!

I'm sure I'm missing a few gems, but those are the major bonuses to living in the city that come to mind.  We miss it so much, but we do see the benefit of living in WV for now.  

In other news: I gave Will some mandarin oranges and he is a fan!  He is eating so much more now that he is just drinking milk from the sippy cup and not nursing.  In the morning, as I'm getting breakfasts for everyone and coffee ready, as soon as he sees me grab a banana for him, he starts making all kinds of excited noises.  He also mastered the standing up on his own and is walking pretty much full time now.

Best buds!

Weaning Week

It happened, but I wasn't planning on it. Will is only drinking cow's milk now. The day after his birthday, we had his 12 month well visit at the pediatrician. I was explaining to her that he still ate very little table food, still woke frequently at night and he nursed to sleep. She recommend I let him cry it out for bedtime instead of nursing to sleep, and that is something I didn't think I could do.  But I needed to do something.

So later that day, I went and bought a carton of whole milk, put it in sippy cup and held my breath. I was shocked that he chugged it down without hesitation. With that, I sort of knew that weaning was near. That night, I decided to switch up his routine and nurse him before his bath. He was so exhausted(and probably pretty ticked) after his bath, that I was able to rock him to sleep pretty quickly. A first for me! I don't think I had ever been successful in getting him to sleep at night w/o nursing.

So after I realized that it could be done, I thought that maybe it was time to just try to stop nursing and see what happened. So cold turkey, the day after he turned one. Not something I ever imagined doing, I thought it would be more gradual, but now being on day four, everything seems to be just fine. Really it seems like Will doesn't even notice.  So it's been a little of don't offer/don't refuse too because he really hasn't seemed like he wanted to.

He still wakes at night, but not nearly as much because he's more apt to go right back to sleep on his own. I haven't figured out how to get him to nap easily yet though. Thursday he slept in the stroller, Friday he fell asleep in the car, Saturday, Billy got him down with some gospel music and rocking, and Sunday I did the same.  One step at a time, I guess.  I'm still a little shocked that he isn't no longer nursing to sleep!

This is a new era.  One with more freedom.  Maybe one of these days we'll actually try a babysitter.  Ha!

Here's the big boy at his dr. visit last week:

One Year

Some quick year old stats:

Weight: 27lbs for the 4^th month

Height: We’ll find out on Wednesday

Clothes: 24month/2T

Shoes: Size 5

Diaper: Size 4

Officially a walker!

 One year ago, Billy was trying to coerce me to put my Steelers jersey on to go to the hospital.  It seems like so long ago, more than a year.  But wow, how much has changed in a year and how much I have learned!  You can read, listen and watch all kinds of things, but I’m not sure anything really prepares you for being a mom.  The shock of the sleep deprivation, the constant feedings, and so many diapers!  What a blur that first month was!

 

I really don’t think I knew anything about babies before having Will.  Even after he came, there was(and is!) a huge learning curve.  I remember forgetting to wash his belly button, trying to feed him a bottle, and the pacifier, learning to swaddle, cloth diaper, diaper rashes, the list goes on.  For such a tiny being, there are a lot of moving parts!

As I look back on the year, I have such a feeling of gratitude.  I’m thankful for Will’s fun personality, his health, his demeanor, and the very close bond we have.  I’m grateful that I have been able to nurse without any issues, and we made it to a year…and according to Will, there is no end in sight.   Ha!

I couldn’t have imagined how much I am enjoying this time and this season of my life.  I never pictured being a stay-home-mom or thought I would ever have the opportunity.  Will has brought so much joy to our life this year.  SO MUCH.  Sure, there are days that are trying, and difficult, but they are few, and the good days outshine them.

He has changed so much and I as I was pushing him in the swing yesterday, I was amazed at how much he has grown in a year.  Born at 8lbs, 7oz, he is now at 27 pounds and looks like such a little boy.  We have more fun with him each month, as he learns to interact more.  I don’t think we could have imagined a better fit for our family of three.

As I look back on the pictures, some of them make me laugh so hard.  The chunky baby finally has a neck!  Happy one year, little buddy!

One Year Old Tomorrow!

Just a few quick things for my own record...

As we round the corner to one year,Will is sick for the first time.  I started to notice it last Wednesday and here we are five days later, and it's still around.  We went to the Dr. on Friday, and she diagnosed it as Croup.  He has a nasty cough, and I'm sure the mucus is dripping down into his stomach, making him feel terrible.  I feel so bad for him, but there isn't much I can do to make him feel better.  Giving the medicine to him involved basically putting him in a headlock, which is no fun either.

One FUN thing is that Billy's youngest sister and her husband surprised him for his birthday on Friday.  He thought we had intruders, so he brought his gun to the front door.  The weather this weekend was awful, and of course, with Will being sick, we couldn't do much, but it was awesome having them here!

Will is walking so much more now.  I would say more than crawling now.  He just makes me laugh so much.  He put his arms out, hunches his shoulders and sort of stomps around like Frankenstein.

We started receiving presents for Will's birthday in the mail and we love checking the mail!  Sometimes there is a bit of confusion if it's addressed to "William", it being Billy and Will's name.  Billy is convinced Will is stealing his birthday checks. ;)

Poor, sick, baby!

51 Weeks

Here we are - one week from ONE!  This weekend, Will was baptized and we officially joined our church.  My parents came up for the event, and Grandma was the official photographer.  My dad gives her a hard time about all the pictures, but aren't we all happy to have them when all is said and done?  I say yes!  But Will was such a good boy for the ceremony, for the pastor, and even managed to make it through lunch without a melt-down.  He was feeling the spirit, surely.  ;)

 You know what the good thing about having your parents visit?  Not sweating about cleaning as much as when the in-laws visit!  Believe me, they know how messy I can be, so as long as they're not finding piles of laundry hidden in the closets, it's an improvement.

Will is making progress with walking, although he still prefers to crawl.  This week he started to stand without pulling up on anything.  So, sort of getting in the downward dog position, and then pulling his torso up on his own.  Seeing him walk is just hilarious to me, and he always looks like he is so proud of himself!  I love it!

Last week was a busy one with MOPS and Moms Club, but I love those days!  Will gets to interact with other kids his age, I get a break, and I always leave feeling so energized.  Not in a motivated-I'm going to clean the whole house now kind of way, but more of a feeling that, yes, other people are going through the same things I am - whew!  And of course the bonus is that Will is always exhausted by the end!

Here's to one more week of my baby!

50 Weeks

Hello, October!  The month of celebrations.  Up this week, is Patton!  General Pattycakes, that is.  He's going to be four!  Then on Sunday, we have Will's baptism, followed by Billy's birthday, which he shares with his dad and his sister's anniversary, Will's birthday, which he shares with his great-uncle, and my mom's birthday.  There are actually a few other extended family birthdays thrown in there too.  October is a little tough to keep up with!

This week, I gave Will hummus, which was pretty funny.  The first day, he tried to stick his face in it, and was a little frustrated.  The next day, he figured out how to use his hands to get it into his mouth and there was no turning back!  I had just never plopped a paste like that on his tray, so he was a little confused at first. He has been eating a little more lately and most days this week, he went 4 hours between nursing which is a vast improvement from TWO!  And he figured out the sippy cup!  Big things here at the Hudgins house!

He took a few more unassisted steps this week, which was fun to watch.  He looks a little drunk...all wobbly and overstepping.  He will walk between Billy and I and has only ventured to Patton outside of that.  We work on it a few times a day and I know he'll figure it out soon.  I know it's going to be so weird seeing my baby walking!

We started Kindermusik this week. For the first half our or so, Will was just taking it all in.  After he got his hands on a maraca, he loosened up a bit.  We're in a 1-2 year old class, so he is the youngest and the only non-walker.  I really enjoyed the class, and I think it will be good for me to learn different things to do with him.  The teacher uses a lot of sign language and does a great job with tailoring the class to the age group.  Two thumbs up, so far!

Truth

49 Weeks

Looks like we're getting closer to 52 weeks!  And look...we have a climber!  I turn around to put some clothes away, and Will thought he would get a better view from his rocking chair!  I need to keep my eye on this one!  He really needs to learn how to clean up his room too. ;)

We hit our area's semi-annual consignment sale this weekend.  Billy does not like me to buy second hand, but let's be real.  I got a snow suit for $4 and snow boots for $5.  I would pay AT LEAST four times that if I bought it at retail, and chances are that he'll only wear them a few times.  Will is now stocked up for this fall/winter.  In size 2T.  That's right, big boy.  Look how big he looks in this picture with his snack cup!

 Another consignment win was this elephant ball shooter.  Pretty much endless entertainment.  I have seen on other blogs where kids have been scared of this toy. Not this tough guy!

He took a few steps this weekend.  We kept trying to get him to do it again, but he would rather sit or crawl than play that game with us.  But it makes me think we're so close to having a walker!  I so look forward to it so we can play more in the park and do more outside before it gets too cold!

In my (fruitless) attempt to wean Will, I went to a breastfeeding group on Saturday morning.  I felt like introducing him as, "This is Will, and he is addicted to the milk."  I picked up some more helpful tips like having just Billy give him his food, always offer it before offering to nurse, and keeping him busy doing other things outside of his room.  The tough part is many nights, Billy doesn't make it home before Will eats dinner.  He just still isn't really into eating solid foods(except cheese) and I can't force it down his throat.  So I'll just keep dicing it up and eventually he'll it more....or so they say! :)  My Dad says to cut him off cold turkey.  Ha. Ha. Hahaha.  I'll let him babysit for that day.

Heard Around the Hudgins House

Me: Look at Will's new outfit!
Billy: Stop dressing him like he's in the Sound of Music.
------
Monday:
Me: You need to be home early on Thursday
Billy: Ok

Tuesday:
Me: You need to be home early on Thursday
Billy: Ok

Wednesday:
Me: You need to be home early on Thursday
Billy: Ok

Thursday:
Me: You need to be home early today
Billy: Oh yeah, I have to go out of town tonight...
-----
Me: Will only got up twice last night!
Billy: Did you nurse him back to sleep?
Me: Yep
Billy: I thought we weren't going to do that anymore.

Uhh...we?  Thanks for the input.
-----
Me: Will, say "mama"
Will: Dada

11 Months

Will is 11 months old! He has been crawling for three months now and cruises on all the furniture - and Patton!  He still likes pushing his walker around the basement and crawling up stairs.  We may have a walking baby by next month...it's hard to tell.  He stands on his own for about 10 seconds.

He eats pretty much what we're eating now.  I did make the mistake of giving him some of our enchiladas this week, without realizing how spicy they were!  Will likes to share his food with us and with Patton.  It is nice to have a dog for all the clean-up!

Will also likes to share his toys, but then wants us to share too.  He likes to play with whatever we have in our hands. I noticed that in the church nursery too.  We'll have to explain to him that is not how to make friends!

I took him to the playground a few times this week.  He got on the firetruck for the first time and seemed to like "driving" it.  He isn't too sure about the slide yet though!

I also noticed him pointing recently, and he did it a few more times today.  Sometimes, he surprises me with what he can do.  Last night, Billy was showing him how to put the blocks in the shape sorter, and he was learning fast!  

We have enjoyed each new stage with him and he really is an easy-going baby.  With the exception of the rare melt-down at Kelly's wedding, that is!  

47 Weeks

What a weekend.  Nothing like some quality family time...during 18 hours in the car!  On Friday morning, we hit the road for Billy's sister's wedding in Norfolk and somehow, got checked-in, ready and to the rehearsal by 4.  Will is a pretty laid-back guy when it comes to a schedule and going with the flow.  We even had time to go out to dinner.  Something Billy and I rarely, if ever, attempt to do.  Will was a total team player though!

 Everyone, in try Hudgins fashion, stayed up late late late on Friday night, while I went to bed at 8:30 with Will.  Good thing, because he was up at 5.  As soon as the sun rose, we hit the pavement and strolled nearly four miles through the Norfolk waterfront.  The weather was awesome and Will fell asleep in the stroller.  When we got back to the hotel, we saw most everyone at breakfast...but then found Billy still in bed!  So we were sure to wake him up!  Thankfully, thinking ahead, I packed gatorade and motrin.

Yadda yadda...anyway, we had fun the rest of the gorgeous day outside.  We got to the church, and everything was copacetic. Until the bridal procession started and Will lost it.  I went to the back of the church.  Then the lobby.  And then outside.  I had never seen him cry uncontrollably like that.  I tried to feed him, rock him, hold him, put him down...everything.  I missed the whole ceremony and all the family pictures.  As soon as I got him back to the hotel and in his pajamas, he was out like a light.  Poor guy was just probably overwhelmed with all the travel, people and out of his environment.  Billy's sweet cousin came to relieve me about an hour into the reception.  I'm sure everyone was wondering why I would even attempt to bring a baby to the wedding.  But under different circumstances, I think he would have been ok and I wanted all of our extended family to spend some time with him.  Ugh, lesson learned!

It was our last trip for the summer.  We have been to NC back and forth twice.  DC back and forth twice.  And this time to VaBeach.  No mas!  I set a date for Will's baptism for next month, so Grandma and Grandpa will come visit us this time!  

46 Weeks

The temperature has been so perfect on our morning walks lately!  It is probably my favorite time of day and Will is usually a team player the whole time.  I give him some ice to suck on and he's a happy camper.  We have had to change our route because of the mountain lion sighting a few weeks ago.  The image is still too fresh in my mind to venture back in there anytime soon!  

 It seems like lately Will has started playing with some of his toys, rather than just chewing on them. ;)  He has a couple trucks that he was moving back and forth across his room last week.  Billy thinks Will gets bored with his toys, but I think he's just easily distracted.  We cruised through Toys R Us last week and honestly, I wouldn't even know what toys to get an almost-one-year old.

Will tried a lot of new foods last week.  The funniest was ravioli because he would suck the cheese, and then spit the pasta back out of his mouth.  He also tried cous cous, hard boiled egg, pickles(did not like!), pork, and green pepper.  I stocked up on blueberries and grapes and froze them because they are about to go out of season and he loves them both. Ok, me too.

Big week ahead of packing for our trip to Va Beach to see Aunt Kelly get married.  Just the mental list of what we have to bring for Will is pretty lengthy!  And I still have not decided on his outfit either.  What does a baby wear to a black tie optional event?  I found a cute sailor outfit and ran it by Billy...and he thought I was joking, so that got the veto.

I bought the book, the No Cry Sleep Solution, hoping it would give me some answers.  Right now, I'm still in the research gathering stage, writing down when he naps every day and when he wakes up at night to see if I can see a pattern.  So far: no.  There are just too many variables, especially with teething, for me to really try to "train" him.  This book has a lot of small suggestions, that can assist in better sleep, without crying it out.  So when we get back, I may buckle down to try to employ some of them.  I mean, there has to be some middle ground between CIO and just living with a terrible sleeper, right?  Good thing he's so cute!