Pool time with Granddad

We went to the pool today with Granddad and Will had a fantastic time.  Granddad took some awesome pictures of Will loving the water!  These are some of my favorites...

Size 7

It wasn't that long ago that I wrote this post.  In the 3 months since that post, Will went from a size 5 to a size 7 shoe.  Seriously. 

He started to grow out of each pair of his sandals - which apparently must have run big.  Upon our return from San Diego, I bought him a pair of size 6 shoes - I thought they would last a while since I skipped size 5.5.  However, within a few weeks, say three, his toe was at the end of his shoe.

Since we live in Texas, I suspect Will will wear sandals through the better part of October.  So yesterday I went shoe shopping for him.  The first stop did not have but one pair of sandals that I didn't think were cute, so I figured Stride Rite would be the best place to go next.  A kids shoe store - surely they would have options!

Apparently sandals are off the shelves in favor of fall shoes.  Mind you, the car thermometer read 106 degrees when I was driving.  It is clearly still sandal weather and will be for a while!  So while we were in the store (and after Will rode a mechanical shoe - his first "ride" I guess), I asked the sales rep to measure Will's foot so I could look online for sandals.

Size 7.  Size 7!  What about all those cute fall shoes I bought in a size 6?  My shop-ahead philosophy failed me here!  Now I am off to replenish the supply of shoes so my son doesn't have to go barefoot to a party this weekend!

It's a girl!

Yesterday we got the news - we are having a baby girl!  She apparently is very lady like - she had her legs crossed for most of the sonogram.  We could see her little feet crossed over each other and we could even count her toes!  She was very busy moving all around the entire time we were there.  We are thrilled she appears to be a healthy little girl! 

We are so excited!  Will isn't sure what to think, but I think he will be a fantastic big brother!

Last night, Aunt Leen babysat and Chad and I went to dinner to celebrate.  After dinner, we went to Pottery Barn Kids to buy Baby Girl her first pink item.  We got her a blanket to match the blue blanket we got for Will the day we found out he was a boy. 

We are busy thinking of names, and we have a short list of 2 we are debating between for now!  I just cannot stop thinking about girly things...bows, dolls, dresses, etc.  This will be fun! 

Escapee

Guess what this little guy did this morning?

He got out of his crib!

And that was pretty much the expression on Chad's and my face when we walked in and saw him standing in front of his crib crying.

It was one of those mornings when we decided to go get Will together.  We had watched him on the video monitor and he was standing up (our cue that he is ready for us).  So, we walked down the hall to get him and about midway down the hall we could hear him crying which isn't typical, but we certainly did not expect to see him standing in front of his crib!  He was crying - he must of scared himself because he didn't appear hurt.  I'm not totally sure how he did it, where he landed, etc.  It will just be a mystery. 

So, we are looking into getting a crib tent.  While we plan to move him in 9 or so months, his new room will be the room we currently use as a guest room and we have some guests coming in the mean time.  We will try to keep him in the crib, and if worst comes to worst, his crib converts to a toddler bed (somehow).  I would just prefer to keep him contained a little longer!

Self Service

Tonight we let Will loose with a full yogurt and a spoon.  Quite a bit made it in his mouth despite the amount you will see on his bib.  He seemed to like feeding himself and only turned the yogurt upside down when it was almost gone.  We are making progress!

Such a sharer...

Will has become quite the sharer.  This morning he tried to share his milk with Maggie. 

Sleepy fighter

I just found this picture from our trip to San Diego.  Will looks like he was fighting to stay awake - he even has his fists clenched! 

Bathtime

 Will loves his bath, and recently he has started to enjoy drinking from the faucet.  I wouldn't think this would be a hit, but he keeps going back for more!

Walking Maggie

Will discovered Maggie's leash, and now he loves to walk her in the house.  He thinks it is pretty funny.  I'm not sure what Maggie thinks, but she tolerates it since Will also likes to feed her his leftovers.

Puddles

We live in an area with lots of parks.  The parks are really nice - they have great playground equipment and lots of open space to run and play.  Many are on a creek, so there are lots of ducks to watch and feed.  However, today none of this struck Will's fancy.  Instead, it was this large puddle.  We played here for a good bit of the morning. 

I look forward to buying him some galashes so he can stomp in the water! I think he would love that...

May the Force be with him

Will's first foray with Light Sabers (which I cannot stop calling light sticks - I think it makes Chad cringe every time).  I think he might be a future Star Wars fan!

Cozy Coupe

Will loved Miller's Cozy Coupe.  I think this is going on the Christmas wish list...  How can I resist that face?

Water Slide

I dont know if this is true of all boys or not, but Will has no fear! Yesterday Will went down his first water slide while at Miller's 3rd birthday party, and he loved it! I was there to catch him in case something happened, and he clearly did not need me.

Starting him young...

Will got mail!  We signed him up as an AAdvantage member when we bought him a ticket to San Diego, but now he is an offfical card carrying member.   As a mileage collector/hoarder, I am excited that he is already on the road to a free trip!

August Weekends

I used to not mind August.  Sure, it has always been a beastly, living-on-the-sun kind of hot, but I stayed indoors.  I would run errands in the morning before it got too hot, and then relax inside during the heat of the day.  It was a great month to catch up on movies, tv and sleep.

Then came Will.  Those lazy August days do not exist anymore.  Will is happiest when he is outside - regardless if the temperature is 50 or 100 degrees.  He doesn't seem to be phased by the cold or heat.  We have spent a good part of the summer on our back deck playing with the water table and little pool.  However, it is now too hot to even do this! 

So, this weekend, if I had to write a list of things I am thankful for, the neighborhood pool and splash park would be on the top of my list.  We went both Saturday and Sunday and stayed for a few hours both days.  Will has no fear of water.  In the beginning of the summer, he was more interested in the trash can than he was the water, and now the tables have turned.  He still loves trash cans, but he puts his love on hold now while we are at the pool.

Some of the best things about the kid pool are that it is shaded and there are lots of toys.  I think all of the parents are in this one together... we all bring toys, and our kids play with each others toys.  Will shows no interest in the toys we bring - everyone else's toys are cooler and new.  At the end of our time at the pool, we try to locate the toys we brought, sometimes successfully and sometimes not, but it is all worth it.

The other great thing about the pool is Will's 3-hour nap that follows.  These days I am enjoying that nap as much as he does!

Will's big news!

It's true!  Will is getting a baby brother or sister in February.  I am due 2/11/11 but will have the baby a week or 2 early - I am shooting for 2/2 and then Will and this baby will be 22 months apart to the day!

On Tuesday, 8/8, I knew I was pregnant.  I just knew.  I can't explain it, but I knew.  So, that night I wrote a little card for Will to hand Chad if my pregnancy test came back positive.  On Wednesday morning, the results were in!  I had Will walk in the kitchen that morning carrying a little card that said "Dad, Great news!  I am going to be a big brother!"  Chad read it and looked at me in shock.  It was a perfect moment in time that I still enjoy reliving. 

At our first appointment they did a sonogram so we could hear the heartbeat - always a special and confirming moment at every appointment.  Then she showed us the baby and said "I think there might be 2".  I wasn't ready for that news, so I responded "please say that isn't so!"  Not the best reaction - especially if we were really having twins!  Anyway, it turns out there is just one baby (phew!), as we found out the next day (24 hours of wondering!).

Aside from one miscarriage scare, some extreme tiredness, and a case of strep throat, I have had a great first 13 weeks.  Most notable is that my vision has improved significantly.  I don't wear contacts or glasses anymore, and I have worn them daily for probably 15 or so years.  It's hard to know if it's a permanent change or not, so I will just enjoy it while I have it.

So I named this blog Wednesdays with Will for a fun reason you can read about here, so sadly, baby #2 will likely be shortchanged and not get a mention in the URL.  Sigh.  And so it begins for our second child.  As a second child, I can joke about these things.  I don't have much of a baby book and my parents cannot seem to remember the details of my childhood like they can for my older sister.  Like when I asked them recently when it was that I got my first tooth.  Answer..."You?  Well, you know, I'm not sure.  Kathleen was 7 months old and we were in the car on a road trip.  I looked back at her and suddenly there was a little tooth there." 

I get it now.  I can only imagine how busy Will is going to be at 22 months when baby #2 arrives.  Baby #2 will probably seem easy by comparison!  By the way, I look forward to the day (maybe August 23!) where we find out the sex so I won't call Baby #2 Baby #2 any longer!

16 Months old!

Will is 16 months old!  As usual, this has been my favorite month.  Will has so many new words and he just gets more fun everyday.  He also has some opinions and ideas...usually involving being outside in the 100+ degree heat so that is a constant battle which will continue through the month of August.  Here is the latest on our little guy.  This month, Will....

* got lots of new words - "cracker", "comicon" (that was short lived, but hilarious to hear him say it), "snack", "can", "juice", "ahma", "bapa" and probably many more.  He repeats many of our words.

* got 2 top molars.  We didn't even know they came in.  For Will, I think the teething pain happens months in advance.

* moved to 1 nap!  This happened in San Diego and we are continuing it here.  Naps vary from 1.5-3.5 hours.  We are he will settle in around the 3 hour mark.

* still has a passion for trucks and trash.

* loves to put lids on things and transfer water from one object to another.  We spend a lot of time at the water table doing this!

* likes to smell flowers.  Including ones in books.