Will at 21 Months

What a fun little boy we have!  He makes us laugh so much.  And those terrible two tantrums are peeking through too, I can't lie.  And trying to guess what he's saying...it's like a game of charades.  The other day he was trying to tell me, "bagel" but what I heard was "bowl" and boy he was not happy about that!  So I think I have that "ba-yu" term committed to memory now.

Another "funny" moment was our trip to SAMs this weekend.  I let Will hold the umbrella on the way in.  When we got inside and in the cart, I told him it was time to close the umbrella.  Well, he was not a fan of that idea!  So, there I was, that parent, with a screamer for the next 3 minutes.  Then I realized I had raisins and that was the end.  Always carry snacks.  That's the rule now.  

Will had a nice meeting of his face with the concrete at the pool last week.  Those scratches look like Mike Tyson's face tattoo.  

We went to a much bigger pool today, without a gated toddler area and I might as well have worn sneakers because I was running after this dare devil constantly.  And he just laughs and thinks its a game!  I promptly ordered a life jacket online.

Will discovered shadows last week.  He points to mine and says, "Mommy" and points to his and says, "you".  I guess the English language is pretty confusing.  I refer to him as "you", so why would he call himself, "me"?

For a month now, I have not been able to get this kid to drink anything but milk!  Not water, juice...nothing but milk!  It started when we began our 2 week journey mid-June and I can't break him of it.  So now when we're out, I also tote around a little lunchbox with an ice pack and milk.  Oh, the things we do for them!

Everything is green and we have two of them.  

"Will, what color is this?"  

"Geen!" (It could be purple)

"Will, how many ducks do you have?"

"Two!" (There are three)

He has started organizing toys and lining them up.  I looked up the other day and all of his Little People were lined up on the train table staring at me.  Same thing with his stuffed animals in his crib.

He says Heidi's name a lot and points to his belly when he says it sometimes, too.  Not quite, bud!

We head to the pediatrician later this week and my guess is that he's still just over 30lbs but has certainly grown taller.  He is growing out of his 2t pajamas and most of his size 6 shoes.  

Kitchen Reno

Still a lot to be finished up, including countertops and moulding, but the change so far is amazing!

First there was a wall:

Then no wall!

Not sad to say goodbye to old cabinets, a sagging ceiling, laminate flooring and a plastic sink.  Will is especially pumped about the crushed ice option with the new fridge.

24 weeks

Baby Heidi is now about a foot long and just over 1 pound.  Seems pretty skinny to me, so she has about four months left to fatten up.

2014:

(Will with a mouthful of fig newton)

2012:

We've been in NC for over a week now and Billy/Patton come tomorrow.  Traveling with Will is generally not easy, but here, they have 2 high chairs, 3 cribs, tons of toys and books, and under the house is nice and shady for us to play in the afternoons.  Will's sleep isn't much different than home(terrible all the time) but here, there aren't any black out curtains, so he's up before 6 just about every morning.  

He calls my mom Gram-Gram and my dad, Gaamp.  We'll see if they stick, but it's pretty cute right now.  During this extended stay, they're also getting to see all sides of Will: the whining, crying and stubbornness too.  Billy keeps asking if they want us to leave yet.  I'm pretty sure the answer is no.  

Trains and Automobiles

We made it!  Will and I made it to our final destination: Grandma's house.  So much more fun than our house.  Helicopters, airplanes, boats, frogs, THE BEACH!  It was quite a trip here though.  On Friday, Billy dropped Patton off at the boarder and we loaded up the Tahoe to head to DC for his buddy's wedding.  Such an easy drive and we got to Aunt Connie's house near Dupont Circle in almost record time.  Nana came over, and Will had so much fun running around her five floors of house and her backyard park.  After he went to bed, Billy and I even had a chance to take a stroll around our old stomping grounds and remember what it was like to be young, and not go to bed at 9:30. 

Cue: Crazy Saturday.  We woke up to rain, but walked around with Will in the stroller a bit anyway.  Around lunch, Billy hopped on the Metro to Bethesda and I headed to Falls Church to drop Will off with Georgia.  Luckily, he caught a nap en route and I somehow got him into her house while still sleeping.  I seriously never have that kind of luck!  After some time for him to get acquainted with his surroundings, I tearfully left him in really the best of hands!  The pictures GA sent for the next few hours showed me that he was having way more fun without me!  I was able to make it back up to Bethesda to get ready, attempted to straighten my unruly hair, and get to the church just in time...to find standing room only!  Pregnant in heels is not my game!  A very nice man insisted I take his seat, so I obliged.  The ceremony was AN HOUR and mostly in Armenian.  I should have really just taken a nap in the hotel.  Two and a half hours of waiting around later, I got through my salad and decided I didn't know any of the 300 people there, and headed back to Georgia and Will.  Good decision and one which should have been made much earlier!

Sunday morning, we played with the munchkins before Will and I went to retrieve his extremely hungover father at the hotel.  We then set out to Bristow to see the Gellners and their new addition and the rest of the crew.  Will had a blast terrorizing their Boston Terrier!  A good time was had by all, and then we headed 50 miles back east, to check into our Union Station hotel.  We lucked out and found a pizza place and a playground to spend our time before bath/bed for Will.  Bonus: overnight parking in our hotel was $50!  We found a place for half the price around the corner.  Seriously, we aren't in West Virginia anymore!

Monday: We packed up our things, went for a walk around town with Will(the kid was beside himself with all the trucks and buses) and headed to Union Station to check in for Will and my train ride to NC.  We had no idea what to expect.  After seeing the 100 person line for the train to NY, Billy arranged for a service which allowed him to walk us to the train door, before anyone else was permitted to board.  Will screamed until I broke out the cheez-its and he realized he was ON A TRAIN!  Like Thomas!  I could have had him ride on my lap, but on Amtrak, kids ride for half price, so for both of us, the price was $100.  Two seats was absolutely the way to go and there was SO much more room than an airplane!  We could also easily walk between cars, sit in the dining car, and generally roam free.  Five hours was a bit long, but I was able to get him to nap for over an hour.  Overall, two thumbs up to Amtrak to get us to NC.

So now we're here.  Our kitchen at home is being renovated over the next week or so, so it just made sense to come down here.  We had planned to be down here a week later anyway, and Billy/Patton will join us for the regularly scheduled vacation.  So far, we have gone to the library for story time, the beach, and tomorrow we're headed to the aquarium!  Looking forward to this extended time in our favorite place to be!

21 weeks

So I don't have a 21 week comparison from last time, but I think we're good for here on out.  Billy is convinced that we will have less pictures and documentation of baby #2 and he's probably right!

Our neighborhood pool opens this week and I am pumped! I have a sweet farmer's tan that I need to get rid of by next weekend's wedding.  I know summer just started, but I'm already dreading the end of it!  

City mouse to country mouse

When we moved to this little corner of West Virginia, I ran into a few people in Pittsburgh who actually knew of this area, and all told me there was nothing to do here.  I have found that to be so untrue!  We don't have the big museums of a big city, but there is an active community here, to be sure!

                               

This morning, I went to a Mommy and Me fitness class with Will, which was pretty hilarious.  Any other day of the week, you could find us at one of two library's story time, Kindermusik, MOPS, Moms Club, DAR, Gymniks(like little gym) or even a church activity.  A park is being renovated a block from our house, where movie nights will start this month, there are farmers markets, strawberry fields, ferry rides, an art museum with kid and adult classes, trails, pools, and endless parks.

    

Now, with a grain of salt, I really cannot speak to the adult life here.  I've been nursing or pregnant pretty much the entire time we've lived here and we have never hired a babysitter. Lame, I know!  But for being a small area, in this state that has a certain reputation, I am seriously impressed.  

20 weeks

Halfway there.  Twenty weeks down now and time is going fast!  Being pregnant in the summer is great, because of shorts, sandals, and loose clothing!  I would feel like a sausage in winter, I think.

I told my mom yesterday that I thought I was smaller this time around, but judging from these two pictures, it appears that I am mistaken!

2014:

2012: