44 Weeks

Now that Will is 10 months old, I see one year on the horizon!  In many ways, this year has gone fast, but in other ways, when I think back to winter when he was so little, and it seems like forever ago!  It's almost hard to believe he's the same baby.  I remember being SO excited when he started to roll over, and now he's doing something new all the time.

Being close to one year also makes me think about the next baby.  Ideally, I would like to have kids less than two years apart, but that only gives me a five month window from now, and with Will still nursing, that may not happen.  Last week, he started eating more solid food, and nursed less during the day, but not any less at night.  Especially with more teeth pushing through right now!  He is doing better with a sippy cup, and I even bought him another since Amazon sent us a bright pink one. :)  PS- Babies R Us price matches Amazon now!

I did find some mold in one of my pump parts yesterday - yuk!  So down the drain all the milk went.  It may be free, but the time it took to get it all is so valuable!  Speaking of mold, I have been meaning to mention this Boon duck that came in a Citrus Lane(thx, GA!) box.  The description that came with it was so funny, and made me rethink our bath toys.  The manufacturer says, "Not your average rubber ducky. Kids are all different shapes and sizes, shouldn't rubber ducks come that way too? Meet Slim, Bob, Jane, and Squish. We're not trying to encourage a rubber ducky smackdown, but Odd Ducks are PVC-free unlike those other mucky ducks. And ours do not hold water, so they won't grown that black mold that kids always try to suck out."  And what do you know, I sprayed the water out of his other toys - and the mold squirted right out with it.  Why are they made with that air hole??  Now I'm super careful that he isn't spraying the water from the toys into his mouth.  I had just never thought of it like that before!

10 Months

Will is ten months old today!  He ripped his 10 sticker in half almost as soon as we started our pictures.  He's so cooperative!  ;)  

He has eight teeth and is holding steady around 27 pounds, which he has been for almost 3 months.  I can tell he is getting taller and more trim now, because he has grown out of most of his sleepers that we had been using for months.  His clothes are almost all 24 months, and some are 2T.  I can't imagine him growing out of those anytime soon!

He's a clapping machine!  Now he takes my hands, and claps them too.  Because obviously, he's the expert now!  He says "bye bye" and "dada" a lot too.  I say, "Will, say mama" and then he says, "dada".  

He likes to taste a lot of food, especially whatever we're eating, but not necessarily eat it.  A few bites with each meal is about all we get right now.  This week, blueberries and cheese are his favorite!  Also, this week he started walking with his walker without my help.  He has been cruising on furniture for a few weeks now.  

He loves to watch older kids!  We had a Moms Club playdate at our house this week and he was so entertained by the 3 and 4 year old boys.  The same thing happened at the pool yesterday - he didn't want to play with me, or his toys; he was content watching all the action.

He's an energetic guy and always on the move!  This morning he climbed all 13 of our basement stairs and gave me a nose bleed while we were playing!

Two more monthly updates to go!

43 Weeks

We had a very traumatizing start to the week last week!  We were walking our normal route with our walking buddy and her baby through a trail in the woods.  When we reached the end, we turned around and started back.  I pointed out a deer...er...THAT IS NOT A DEER!  We only saw the back of it, but it had a long tail and we ran so fast in the opposite direction, convinced that it was a mountain lion!  We flagged down a city park vehicle, and they sent Animal Control in to check it out.  I'm sure they were having quite a laugh, thinking we were just a couple of paranoid moms.  I know that mountain lions are extremely rare around here, but it's not totally impossible and I just can't think of what else it could have been.  A very small part of me wishes I would have stayed just two seconds longer to see the front half of the animal...but I'm pretty glad we got out of there like we did.  But then...we were stranded, and our only walking option was on a busy road.  So her dad came to pick us up in his truck...obviously no car seats!  I quickly weighed my options...getting eaten by a large creature vs. a quick ride home.  I believe I chose the less dangerous option!

Then on Tuesday, we woke up without running water in our house!  Thankfully, I had showered the night before, but poor Billy had to take a sponge bath with the cold water we have stored in the basement.  So anyway...back to cute baby pictures:

It was so nice, even in the afternoons this week, that we could go to the park and play on the swings.  We have a swing in our backyard, but for some reason, it is a mosquito haven, and the park is not.  It's just a nice break to leave the house, now that he's pretty much down to one solid(one hour, people) nap, per day.

He's still trying new foods, but only in very small amounts.  This week he tried broccoli, cauliflower, blueberries and chick peas.  Both times I gave him broccoli, I found a floret that he was in the back of his mouth an hour later.  You can see the green in his mouth in the picture below.  Saving it for a snack?

 Our little buddy turns 10 months old this week!  I can't believe it!  He is changing so much, so fast.  He's more fun and growing independent in many ways.  Some nights, he'll get up, and not want to go back to sleep.  So he'll just play with his toys by himself.  The kicker is that he won't do this in his crib, and I have to be in the room.  So yay for independent play, BOO for 3am!  Good thing he is cute!!!  I tried giving him a sippy cup with a straw, because he wasn't understanding the "bottoms-up" concept and he could suck up the milk, but then spit it out.  We'll keep trying!

42 Weeks

The weather here is getting cooler and I can see the end of summer in sight.  Boooo!  I do like fall, and with Will being able to walk in the near future, I think it will be fun to be outside more.  I plan on making him run sprints and chase sticks with Patton.  Because his energy NEEDS to be burned.  This baby is exhausting!  Changing his diaper and putting on clothes is becoming an Olympic sport because he will not sit still!  The other night, I had to lay him on the floor and pin his arms down with my legs put to get his PJs on.  It is sometimes sweat inducing.  He does make us laugh a lot through it all though!  I have been calling him Hurricane Hudgins.  Look at this mess!

This week he learned to climb the stairs.  That is probably a milestone that could have waited!  :)  I also gave him some cheese, which he loved!  Mmm...yes, he's my child.  Last night, he did "bye-bye" with the wave unprompted from me, and he seems to be saying "dada" in reference to Billy now.  No "mama" though.  He is a clapping machine.  In the store, at church, in the morning, at night...even while he's nursing.  I was trying so hard to get him to sleep yesterday, and then he pops up and starts clapping!  Gahhhh!

He's standing for a few more seconds at a time, and always seems so proud of himself!  I'm proud of him too!  We were at the craft store this weekend, and the cashier said he reminded her of her now-40 year old son and she started to tear up right there!  Very sweet.

Billy made slow-cooked pork fajitas this weekend and asked me if I liked them.  I am not a picky eater, and if someone else is making my food, then yes, IT IS GOOD!  He cooked the pork in beer, with cumin, chili powder and red pepper flakes in the cast iron dutch oven.  I recommend!!  I hope everyone had a good weekend!!

41 weeks

After two weeks of fun in North Carolina, we're headed home to WV. This will be our first trip with a layover...which may be a good thing. I'm armed with puffs, toys and even downloaded a fe pw Sesame Street podcasts in case of emergency. I'm so scared of having a screaming baby on an airplane! And if you have ever met Will, you know he's not one to jut sit on my lap for an hour. But what  9 month old is?

This week, he had his second boat ride, which was a miserable experience, so we turned back home pretty quickly. His cousin, Lucas was a sleeping angel though! When we got back from the ride, we pulled up the crab traps, fired up the steamer and had a mini crab feast. Yum! The funny thing is that a few weeks ago when Billy was eating crabs in Annapolis, they were paying about $80/dozen for crabs. Yikes! Our crabs were obviously free!

It was so fun seeing the baby cousins together. I would have bet that they would barely acknowledge each other, being 9 and 6 months old....but not so! They were both interested in touching each other, grabbing hands, and taking toys. They were a pretty constant source of entertainment. And my brother got a taste of how exhausting a mobile baby is going to be.

Will started cruising on the couch this week, and we sort of got him to say "bye-bye" and wave. In the two weeks we have been here, it seems like he has progressed quite a bit. Probably from thconstant attention he was getting. He even learned how to open the cabinet and take out all of the contents!  You're welcome, Grandma!

So fun and I'm so glad we were able to have the extended time with my parents, grandparents and my brother's family. Not an easy feat, when we are spread from New Jersey to South Carolina!  The picture below just cracks me up!  Lucas is saying, "Will, you need to sit back down!"

And lastly, I would be remiss if I didn't mention that August is breastfeeding awareness month. I'm so glad it's something I chose to do, it worked for us, and at nine months, it still works for us.  In West Virginia, only NINE percent of mothers still breastfeed at six months.  A number that baffles me.  It's not easy, I know, especially in the beginning, but having the support of friends, relatives, doctors and nurses is so key to success if it doesn't seem like it's working at first.  So in light of being aware in August, here is this funny little guy: