So Happy Together...

Way back in September Beach Trip!

2011-12-16T11:10:00.001-06:00

In September, Will and I headed to the beach with my parents! It was a super fun trip and Will LOVES the sand and ocean! The weather wasn't overly fantastic, but sunny enough. Think....put the baby in swim trunks/swim diaper, put sunscreen all over baby, load up towels, chair, umbrella, toys, snacks, hat, cooler, etc. and haul all of this down to the beach...with the baby. Set up all of the above.......and then dark clouds and sprinkles/rain. Reload all of the above and head back inside. This sequence happened a couple of times and as soon as we would get everything back up to the condo, the sun would come out again! Ha! Thank goodness for the indoor waterpark (which Will also loved!).

Anyway--we still had plenty of nice weather and best of all, Kyle was able to fly over for the weekend to visit! It's so nice to get away and Will loves being spoiled by Grammy and Poppy D!

Toes in the water!

Will loved the ocean and "jumping" the waves!

He wasn't walking yet, so he used his floaty as a "walker" in the baby pool!

Going down the water slide with Poppy!

Splash!

Again! Again!

Will loved being out on the beach!

Crazy clouds and a storm rolling in!

Playing in the sand!

Crazy clouds another day!

Daddy came to the beach!

Date night at the beach!

Getting ready to ride the Skywheel!

Walking on the beach with Dada.

He would, seriously, crawl straight into the water

until it was over his head if you didn't grab him first!

Playing in the sand!

Fun Friday Photo!

2011-12-16T10:11:00.000-06:00

Will loves to read!

2011-12-16T10:03:00.000-06:00

Will has always enjoyed reading books. We read books before every nap, before bedtime and often throughout the day. I've caught him several times in his room, hunched down next to his overflowing basket of books, turning the pages and "reading" them. Recently, though, he's really taken to them more than ever. He will go into his room, pick a book and bring it to us for us to read. He likes to sit on the couch with us while we read or sit in his own chair and look at the books by himself. He likes to point to the pictures and have us tell him what it is or we will ask him where something is and he'll point to the picture.

He looks so big in his chair!

Remember when he was this little?

Will's 1st Haircut!

2011-12-16T09:45:00.000-06:00

*sniff, sniff*

Will had his 1st haircut at 15 months. It was much needed, I guess! Kyle said he was getting a mullet. So, off we went to do the deed. Will was great for the whole 4 minutes that it took to complete (obviously, I didn't let them cut much!).

Catching up! Our Staycation!

2011-12-16T09:38:00.001-06:00

My sweet boy is with his Grammy and Poppy in Maryville for the weekend, so I'm trying to post a few quick updates while I have some time to myself (I know, exciting, right?)!

Back during the beginning of November, Kyle took a much deserved week off of work (who knew "busy season" was August--December?). Wait.....let me stop here and give Kyle a HUGE shout out for passing the CPA exam in September! Whoo-hoo! So proud of him!

Instead of planning a trip somewhere, we decided to stay home (save money!!) and do some things around Nashville. The weather was beautiful that week and we were able to spend some time outside. It was a great week of family time and relaxation!

The Nashville Zoo!

We caught the elephants getting a drink of water.

My boys and the giraffes!

Love that sweet face!

Petting the goats.

He was so cute chasing them around.

Petting the camel!

My blue-eyed baby boy!

Goofing off with Mommy!

Will pushing Mommy around on his toys!

It was so funny!

Hiking at Radnor Lake!

Do you see the deer?

Mommy and her buddy!

Love the colors on the trees! Glad we could get out and enjoy the beautiful weather!

Family pic!

And the love affair with ranch begins...

My cute buddy after his Sunday nap! Love his "big boy" outfit!

Thanksgiving

2011-12-14T10:10:00.000-06:00

This year, we spent the Thanksgiving holiday with Kyle's family in Nashville. I will say, it was very nice not having to pack up everything and travel somewhere. We had a big family meal over at Kyle's Aunt Cyndi's house on Thursday and then on Saturday, we had another meal at his parents house. Here are a few pictures from the holiday festivities.

Will is ready to play ball after his big meal!

Getting in on the action with Olivia and Robert.

"Throw me the ball! I'm ready!"

Will's version of cornhole!

An attempt at a family picture.

Wrestling off the calories with Daddy.

Will and sweet Olivia in their Christmas jammies.

Will with his cousins and Aunt Anna.

Eating his first rice krispy treat.

Playing with his cousin, Thomas.

Will at 15 months!

2011-12-09T10:15:00.001-06:00

Will turned 15 months way back at the beginning of November, but once again, I'm late posting. As most of you know, a 15 month old keeps you very busy! We had a scheduled 15 month well check visit that turned into a well check / make sure he is okay sick visit. The poor little guy came down with the nastiest stomach bug that lasted 7 days. After several days, I became worried that something else was going on, but the doctor confirmed that it was just a lingering bug.

It's tons of fun watching him discover and learn something new each day. I've noticed that he is now following simple commands like, "sit down", "bring mommy your paci/milk", "go get a book and bring it to mommy." There were even a couple of times that I asked him to bring me a specific book and he went to his room, found the exact book and brought it to me! Also worth mentioning this month is the fact that Will has turned into the pickiest eater! What happened to my good eater?? So, mealtimes have become somewhat stressful, but I'm trying to relax and just let him eat or not eat. No wonder he is so tiny....he barely eats! Lastly, he started cutting his molars...which may be contributing to the eating issue and has caused several nights of restless sleep. Otherwise, a fun month of go, go, go with a toddler that doesn't like to sit still!

15 month stats:

Weight: 20 lbs 3 oz (14th percentile)

Height: 30 1/4 inches (18th percentile)

Head Circumference: 47 cm (56th percentile)

At 15 months:

~sleeping from around 7pm--6:30am-7am

~continues to take two naps / day, but I sense that we are beginning to transition to one nap.

~running around like crazy! He does not like to sit still, cuddle or be held for more than a few seconds. Only at night will he allow (mostly Kyle) to rock him to sleep.

~has turned into a picky eater. I'm not even sure what his favorite food are anymore because one day he will eat something and the next day he won't have anything to do with it. He does, however, seem to really like the squeezable pouches of applesauce and mixed fruits/veggies. He LOVES his milk!

~Mickey Mouse and puppy dogs are his favorite!
~sticks his little tongue out when he's concentrating on something (so cute!)

~doesn't care to watch TV except the beginning and end of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.

~Still not talking much---dada, mama, his version of woof-woof, his version of oopsie and sometimes oopsie-daisy and shoes.
~signs all done and milk.

~had his 1st haircut!

~really likes Mommy's attention and doesn't like to play by himself for very long.

~his little personality is coming through more and more. He has a little temper that can show when he wants something or doesn't get what he wants. He's so sweet, though...loves babies and loves to wave hello at anyone who will look his way!

Will at 14 months!

2011-11-07T17:08:00.001-06:00

Once again, I'm late with updates on Will at 14 months! I would totally skip this month (as he is now 15 months), but it was a VERY monumental month for him!

At the forefront of his updates at 14 months, is the fact that at exactly 14 months (to the day!), Will took his first steps! Now, this could be disputed by his Grammy T., as she saw him take several steps while keeping him one evening several weeks prior; however, Kyle and I had not witnessed him taking any steps until October 2nd. We were at life group with our dear church friends and Will just decided to start walking! He took 6-7 steps, most of which I missed because I wasn't paying attention until everyone gasped! He continued to take a few more steps that evening and from then on out, he went from 7-10 steps to walking! It happened just as everyone predicted: he just up and started walking! He's so tiny (literally!) and it's so cute to see him "toddling" around! One negative about walking, and being mobile in general, is that Will seems to be picking up every germ possible! From birth to 12 months, Will had one very mild cold (which probably isn't even worth mentioning). From 12 months until 15 months, he's been sick four different times including hand, foot and mouth and a nasty little stomach bug that lasted 7 days! So, we are making up for lost time in the sickness department.

Otherwise, he is doing great! It is such a fun age to watch him discover new things and learn new things.

At 14 months:

~IS WALKING!

~began saying Mama. Well, it's more of a sound of mamamamamamama....but, I'll take it!

~continues to sleep 11-12 hours per night.

~still takes 2 naps/day for the most part. I do get some push back on the nap thing occasionally!

~is becoming ever increasing particular about the foods he eats. Overall, he's a pretty good eater, but it depends on his mood as to whether he will eat a particular food on any given day. While he will eat almost anything, some of his favorite foods are: oatmeal, bananas, applesauce, refried beans, milk, scrambled eggs and spaghetti. Oddly enough, he won't have anything to do with chicken--no grilled chicken, no fried chicken, no chicken tenders, no chicken nuggets (even Chick-fil-A!).

~has several push toys and LOVES to push them around the house.

~signs "all done" and seems to know what it means.

~waves "Hi" and "Bye" to just about anyone who will look at him.

~doesn't say too many words yet: Dada, Mamamama, and makes a sound that means "woof woof"

~LOVES puppy dogs!

~LOVES Mickey Mouse. He won't watch TV more than 10 seconds, but he gets very excited when Mickey Mouse Clubhouse comes on TV. That is the only show that he seems to recognize. He still won't watch it more than a couple of minutes, though.

~has shown significant improvement in the church nursery. He continues to cry when we leave him, but I'm told that it only lasts for a few minutes and then he is fine! Thank goodness!
~still loves his paci. Interestingly, he will only take the 0-6 month pacis. I have numerous pacis that are designed for 6+ months and he won't have anything to do with them. He knows, by sight, which paci is one that he likes and he throws the ones that he doesn't like (without even putting them in his mouth) on the ground.

Halloween Festivities

2011-11-07T16:39:00.000-06:00

We enjoyed celebrating Halloween with the cutest little Mickey Mouse that you'll ever see! I found Will's costume way back in March and it has been hanging in his closet ever since. Through the months I would pull it out, look at it and think that Will would NEVER be big enough to fit in that costume. Well, he was and he is!

Unfortunately, Will had been under the weather for about a week, so we weren't able to capture many of his smiles (of course, I wanted him to have a "magical" day!); but for the most part, he went along with all of the activities. The night before Halloween, we went to Ghouls at Grassmere (the Nashville Zoo). The zoo does a great job with the Halloween festivities and I highly recommend it for all of you with kiddos. Will seemed to enjoy people watching, aka kiddy watching, just as much as anything. On Halloween night, our good friends, the Creamers, came over and we trick-or-treated at a few houses in our neighborhood. Will and Mason could care less about dressing up, trick-or-treating or the candy, but fun was had by all of the adults!

Trick or Treat!

Have a Magical Day!

The monkey and the mouse!

Will and Mason trick-or-treating in the wagon!

Mommy and her Mickey Mouse!

Ghouls at Grassmere

Will wants to walk all by himself!

Riding the carousel at the zoo.

Will loved his 1st ever Krispy Kreme doughnut!

Will at 13 months!

2011-10-09T15:42:00.000-05:00

I'm a month late on this post, but am going ahead in order to have it in the book! I never got around to taking Will's "official" (and by official, I mean the 13 month sticker) 13 month picture, but I have plenty of pictures of him at 13 months.

September started off with a bout of Hand, Foot and Mouth disease.....yes, definitely sounds like something disgusting, but not really so. Basically, he ran a high fever and had a rash covering his body and in his little mouth. Bless.His.Heart! He couldn't really eat or drink for several days and, deservingly, was pretty whiney. After about 72 hours, he started feeling better again and after about five days, he was back to normal. Happy Labor Day weekend to us! :)

I took him to the doctor at 13 months and he weighed in (with diaper and clothes) at 19 lbs 10 oz. We don't go back for an official visit until 15 months.

Toward the end of September, Will and I ventured off to Myrtle Beach with my parents for a little sun and relaxation. This is always a fun trip and a separate post will come one day.

So, a little run down of Will at 13 months:

~continues to sleep pretty well...11-12 hours/night.

~takes 2 naps on most days, but has started fighting me occasionally on the afternoon nap.

~At 13 1/2 months, we finished up our last scoop of formula and he is now completely bottle free!

~On Sept 10th, under Grammy T's supervision, Will took 5-8 steps, but Mommy and Daddy did not get to witness it nor have we since seen him take any additional steps.

~He loves pushing his push toys, going down the slide and dancing to his Laugh and Learn Puppy.

~He is becoming a little more particular on what he wants to eat. His current favorite foods include bananas, apple sauce, cheese, spaghetti and crackers/puffs/yogurt melts (if those even count!). He will eat just about anything if his mood is right!

~Not really saying much more than Dada, hot, what sounds like "I do it" and his version of "woof woof."

~Loves to dance and clap his hands!

~Has a severe case of "Mommy-itis." We continue to struggle with the church nursery.

~Had his first injury that included blood--he fell and hit his mouth and bit his tongue.

It's fall y'all.....finally!

2011-09-16T09:47:00.000-05:00

September has been a bit more low key than previous months! We've taken advantage of the cooler temperatures by playing outside, going to the park and enjoying an evening ice cream outing or two. We've also enjoyed having Daddy around since he took his last (fingers double crossed!) CPA exam. Here are a few pictures of Will enjoying a beautiful, Tennessee fall!

Here I come!

Places to go and people to see....

Are you ready?

Here I come, Daddy!

Again! Again!

Mommy's big boy!

My very first ice cream cone ALL to myself!

Why do I eat like this??

Bedtime routine includes reading books with Daddy...

and playing with all of my "animals."

Couldn't resist this one! Sorry, buddy! :)

Ruth Elizabeth Boshers Downey

2011-09-05T16:07:00.001-05:00

On August 12, 2011 my beautiful grandmother left this world to go home to her Father in Heaven. I've been dreading this post for quite sometime because, honestly, I just don't have the words to eloquently express what a wonderful person she was, how much she was loved and how much she will be missed.

I am an extremely lucky girl in that my family is very close. Most of my childhood memories include not only my immediate family, but also my grandparents. They lived just a few miles away, we shared meals together each week, we went to church together, my grandparents attended my school programs, cheerleading events and birthday parties (in fact, all of my birthday parties were at their house using their swimming pool!) and we took vacations together. Again, I can't even begin to express what they both mean to me and how much they have influenced my life. My grandmother was a wonderful, loving Christian woman. Her life was devoted to her family and to God. She loved my Granddaddy more than anything in this world and their marriage was one that I will spend every day of my life trying to emulate. They were happily married for 65 wonderful years. I know that she was proud of me and I am so proud, thankful and grateful that she was my grandmother. Her life and her example encourage me to be a better person each and every day.

I have so many memories of her that I have been thinking about over the past several weeks. Each time I think of something, I share it with Kyle. I want to begin writing them down so that not only will I not forget, but that I can one day share them with Will. It breaks my heart to think that he won't have the privilege of knowing her personally, but I will try my hardest to make sure that he knows every memory and story.

On August 15, 2011 we laid her to rest. It was the hardest day of my life thus far. I know that she is now in Paradise, but I continue to miss her each and every day.

Grandmommie--thank you for your life, for the way you lived, for your Godly example and for your unconditional love. I will love you and miss you always.

Ruth Elizabeth Boshers Downey

December 28, 1925--August 12, 2011

Quick Beach Trip!

2011-09-05T15:22:00.000-05:00

In mid-August, Kyle and I took a long weekend beach vacation with our good friends, The Creamers! I had been looking forward to this trip for several months! Kyle and Ashley have a precious 6 month old and we had both decided to leaving our kiddos with the grandparents! It was, however, going to be my very first time spending a night away from Will, EVER. As the weekend approached, I felt this dark cloud coming over me as I anticipated leaving him. As I've mentioned previously, he's been a real momma's boy lately and the thought of him being upset caused me to have anxiety. BUT, miraculously, we dropped Will off at my sister's house, his cousins whirled him away to play and I ended up being okay! Thank you so much to Kyle's parents for keeping him and, I'm sure, spoiling him the whole weekend! That made it so much easier for me to leave him behind.

Honestly, it was so nice to be able to get away for just a few short days!! I have totally forgotten what it is like to have my own schedule--eat when I want, shower when I want, go to bed when I want, make an unexpected stop here or there to window shop or just completely lay around and do nothing! Being a parent is hard work and we owe it to ourselves to spend just a small amount of time recharging our batteries! I will say, though, it wasn't near as hard leaving the beach when I knew that I would soon get to see my little guy's sweet smile.

Thank you so much Kyle and Ashley for inviting us to the beach! We can't wait to do it again soon!

Will at 12 months!

2011-08-31T12:21:00.000-05:00

Now that Will is going to be 13 months in only two days, I will try and squeeze in his 12 month post! I did, however, manage to take the pictures on his 12 month birthday...so, at least those are on time!

Wow...12 months! Really? It overwhelms me to think that it has already been a year. It's unbelievable how much they change in a single year. It's like, overnight, I woke up and my baby is now this little boy. What a fun and exciting year it has been! Having a baby makes even the little things more exciting...and sometimes frustrating! :) Each stage is difficult in its own way, but, oh how each stage is so much fun! I can not even begin to imagine our life without Will. He's been the perfect addition to our family.

12 month stats:

~Weight: 19 lbs 3oz (6th percentile)
~Length: 29 3/4 inches (51st percentile)
~Head Circumference: 46 3/4 cm or 18.41 inches (63rd percentile)

It's practically impossible to get him to sit in his chair AND smile at the same time...even with two people!

At 12 months:
~Sleeps 12 hours per night
~Is down to only 1 bottle of formula/day. We cut out the two daytime bottles immediately after leaving the doctor's office for his 12 month well visit. About a 10 days later, I cut out the morning bottle. We're down to only the bedtime bottle and as soon as I run out of formula, we'll say goodbye to that one, too!
~Began whole cow's milk on his 1 year birthday. He's liked it from the very beginning.
~Still eating pretty well. He will eat just about anything (including creamed spinach), but some meals he is more particular than others. One meal he won't hardly touch anything and the next meal, you wonder where all of that food is going???
~His favorite foods continue to be fruit (specifically bananas!) and bread! He's tried tuna and liked it and he loves grilled cheese and cheese quesadillas! Surprisingly, he doesn't really care for chicken, but he loves ground beef! He will never turn away spaghetti!
~Has cut four teeth in the past month! He now has four on the top and four on the bottom. He's got at least two more getting ready to push through on the bottom as well. Literally, within one week, he cut 3 teeth!
~Still not walking, but will "cruise" around the furniture, let go for several seconds and then realize he is standing by himself and sit down. He will, occasionally, also walk holding just one of our hands.
~He loves to walk around the house pushing two of his push toys. He's gotten pretty good and can even maneuver around the furniture and turn around.
~For the most part, is still a momma's boy and doesn't like to go to anyone else when I'm around. The church nursery continues to be a problem for us.
~Will (and I) survived our first time being away from each other overnight. Will stayed with his Grammie and Poppy T. while Kyle and I took a long weekend vacation to the beach. He did great (and so did I!)
~Isn't saying too many words at this point. He is saying Dada, Hey, Hey Ben (or at least mimics the sound of ben) , hot, Tess and bye-bye (just in the last 2 days).

pushing one of his walking toys

1st visit to Dollywood!

My big boy riding the pigs!

Riding the ducks!

On the bumble bees (that go up and down!)

Driving the car with Poppy!

The flying elephants (that went really high and were kinda scary!)

Carousel with Grammie and Poppy D.

Swinging at Grammie and Poppy D's house!

Bath time!

We love you sweet buddy!

Will's 1st Birthday Party!

2011-08-31T11:40:00.000-05:00

I've got A LOT of catching up to do, so here we go!

Almost a month ago (eek!), Will turned one and we celebrated with a "little" birthday party! I had been planning and working on his party for weeks! The party was held at Wayne and Vickie's neighborhood pool and it was a great idea due to the summer heat! It rained off and on all morning before his party, so I couldn't get over there to decorate until, literally, right before the party was supposed to start. So, to say the least, it was a little chaotic when everyone began to arrive. The theme was "Under the Sea" and it turned out really cute!

Here are a few pictures of the fun party!

Will's 1st birthday!

2011-08-03T14:09:00.000-05:00

Happy Happy 1st Birthday to my sweet baby boy!

The past year has just flown by! Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined loving a little person as much as I love him. He has completely stolen my heart and he fills each day with such joy. God has truly blessed Kyle and I with one of life's greatest gifts--a child!

We celebrated by playing and eating cake all day long! Debbie, Greyson and Maddox came over with a GiGi's cupcake and Kyle came home with a balloon and more cake! We are having a party on Saturday to celebrate with family and a couple of close friends! That means, MORE CAKE! :)

Here are a few pictures to capture the monumental day!

Let's open presents!

Waving bye-bye and ready to take a ride!

Yay! That was fun!

Not so sure about the milk!

Birthday lunch!

Clapping for cake!

Daddy kisses!

Mommy kisses!

Dig in!

By the way, it's pink because GiGi's only sells pink birthday cupcakes...boo!

Mmm...this tastes pretty good!

Thanks for the cupcake, Greyson and Maddox!

Dig in!

Birthday balloon from Daddy!

Love to pull on the balloon!

Mommy and the birthday boy!

Let's try this milk thing again! He decided he liked the milk!

Let's eat cake, again!

Mmmmmm!

Yummy cake!

For the rest of the week, I am in major party planning mode--i.e. To Do Lists for this and To Do Lists for that--Overall To Do lists and Each Day To Do Lists, To Do Lists for Food and To Do Lists for Decorations.....so many, many lists! :) However, after ANOTHER list this morning, I'm starting to feel a little bit more organized!

Will at 11 months!

2011-07-22T14:28:00.002-05:00

So, I know that I say this every month, but I CANNOT believe how fast time goes by! And, I CANNOT believe that this is my last monthly post before my baby turns ONE! Will has turned into this precious little boy right before my very eyes and I can't pinpoint exactly when it happened? I just keep thinking about "this time last year...." This time last year, I was anxiously awaiting his arrival...wondering if he would come early? This time last year, we were putting the finishing touches on Will's nursery and trying to get our new house in order. This time last year I was washing tiny, little newborn clothes, getting them ready for the big day! This time last year we were wondering what life would be like with this new little person in our family.

At 11 months:

~sleeping 12 hours per night--7:30pm to about 7:30am.

~still takes 2 naps per day

~drinks 6 oz in the morning and 4 oz every 4 hours. Sometimes, he will drink 6 oz before bed for a total of 20 oz/day!

~LOVES food! He loves pretty much any type of fruit (bananas, mandarin oranges and watermelon are his current favorites). He also loves green beans, pinto beans, carrots, spaghetti. However, he's going to have a sweet tooth like his Mommy, because he goes crazy over ice cream!

~Feeds himself, but doesn't show any interest in using a spoon.

~At exactly 11 months, he finally began crawling on his hand and knees. No more army crawling! Over the past 3 weeks, he's gotten pretty fast, too! He loves to be chased!

~Jabbers ALL of the time, but still only says dada.

~Waves "hi" and "bye-bye"

~Can sign "all done"

~Hears the garage door opening in the evenings and takes off to the door to wait for Daddy! So cute!

~Knows how to "give Mommy kisses"--which means he opens his mouth really wide so Mommy can give him kisses! Melt my heart!

~Has really taken a liking to Ben the Bear in the past month or so. He gets so excited and crawls up on him squealing!

~Is still having a hard time in the nursery at church :(

~Has 4 teeth (3 on bottom, 1 on top) with 2-3 (1-2 on top, 1 on bottom) starting to push through.

~Started chewing on the crib! I put on a rubber crib rail protector (after he left teeth marks in the crib), so then he moved to the side rail and started chewing on it! Do I have a puppy?

~Started clapping. He claps after everything he does and looks to you for affirmation! It's really cute!

~Loves to roll the ball back and forth (claps after each time he rolls it!)

~Does not like to sit still and has an attention span of about 2 minutes!

Here are a few pictures at 11 months:

(which, by the way, are becoming ever so increasing difficult!)

"Can you see my teeth?"

Alaska Vacation continued...

2011-07-22T10:34:00.000-05:00

Back to Alaska....

After our weekend in Seattle, we boarded Holland America's MS Oosterdam for a 7-day cruise through Alaska and Canada. For the first two days, we were at sea. On Tuesday, we sailed up through the inside passage to Glacier Bay. It takes all day to go up through the inside passage and the scenery is beautiful. At the top of the bay is a ENORMOUS glacier. The ship rotates around (does a 180) and then you sail back out of the passage. It was nice to have a few days without the hustle and bustle of sightseeing, schedules, excursions, etc. There are plenty of things to do while on the ship...casino, games, eating, movies, eating, a Culinary Institute, a Kids club, eating, shopping....did I mention eating?

Getting ready to board the ship. Bon Voyage!

Maddox and Will

Daddy and Will at dinner

The girls!

Is someone the center of attention?

Glacier down to the water.

Do you see the bald eagle? The first of a TON that we would see on the trip.

Will snuggled up and sleeping during the inside passage.

And, finally, he wakes up!

Mommy's little reader!

2011-07-14T14:01:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, I let Will wonder off to his room to play while I finished doing whatever I was doing at the time. After a few minutes, I noticed it was awfully quiet! So, I tiptoed into his bedroom to see what he was doing.

It was the sweetest thing ever. He was sitting next to his basket of books....turning the pages, patting the pictures, lifting the flaps and talking to himself. Precious!

Later on, I found him in the kitchen...

Happy 3rd Anniversary!

2011-07-14T13:35:00.000-05:00

On Tuesday, Kyle and I celebrated our three year wedding anniversary! On one hand it seems like yesterday and on the other hand it seems like way more than three years! Our celebration this year was pretty low key--dinner, grocery, Lowes....ha! In all seriousness, I'm happier now than I was three years ago. I am blessed, by God, with the most perfect man for me! Looking forward to the next 50 years!

This past week...

2011-07-11T15:06:00.000-05:00

July has started off with a bang! We had a lot going on this past week and here are a few pictures from our activities...

July 4th weekend @ the lake!

Enjoying the Relaxation Station!

Scrub-a-dub--dub, Will's in the tub!

Crazy sleepin' hair!

Otter Creek Cookout!

Will's best buddy, Mason!

Little Shrek!

Latest addition to the nursery.

Will eating a fruit/grain bar and laughing SO hard!

He thought it was soooooo funny!

Quick Cupcake Post!

2011-07-08T09:12:00.000-05:00

So, obviously, with a baby, cupcakes have definitely taken a back seat....if they even have a seat in the car...maybe the trunk? Anyway, I've done a few orders here and there since Will was born. Several weeks ago, I made cupcakes for a baby shower. She sent me a picture of what they wanted and I was able to duplicate it! Here is the picture I received along with a few pictures of the cupcakes. I'm hoping to get a picture or two of the final product put together at the shower.

Alaskan Vacation!

2011-07-07T17:11:00.005-05:00

Okay, here we go....

This will probably take numerous posts to ultimately get through the whole vacation, but I've got to start somewhere! My parents (God bless 'em) took our entire family on a cruise to Alaska (all 15 of us). This was a 8-day/7-night adventure that started and ended with a couple of days in Seattle. Boy, did we have a fantastic time! First of all, the weather was PERFECT! We were in Seattle for four days total and it never rained! It was beautiful! I was completely prepared for rain throughout the trip and lugged along my heavy, take-up-too-much-space rainboots and it never rained in Alaska, either! We had one day where it was overcast and some sprinkles came down as we were leaving the port in Ketchikan, but that was it!

Will did great on the almost 5 hour flight out to Seattle! He had a minor meltdown that lasted about 2 minutes and then we were able to get him to sleep. He also did great with the time change. I was really stressed out about both of these things and was so pleasantly surprised!

During our 1st weekend in Seattle, we visited the Fish Market, Bainbridge Island and the Space Needle. We also did a super fun Duck Tour which takes you around the city on both land and water---all in the same vehicle! I was expecting it to be super cheesy (and it was a little) but it really ended up being tons of fun. We got to see lots of things that we wouldn't have seen on our own! Here are a few pics of our first weekend in Seattle....

Famous car wash that Elvis visited during the Seattle Worlds Fair.

Snow-capped Olympic Mountains in the background!

Park in Seattle where the Amazing Race TV show

either started the race or ended the race?

Space Needle

Seattle skyline

Will sleeping through the Duck Tour on Grammy and Poppy.

House from Sleepless in Seattle!

Duck Tour boat (and bus!)

Pike Place Market

Famous fish market

Throwing the fish

Yummy fresh fish and seafood

1st Starbucks...ever! The line was RIDICULOUS!

Fish market!

On the ferry to Bainbridge Island

Will wearing his sunglasses like Mommy and Daddy

Mt. Rainier

Bainbridge Island

Will is the center of attention with his cousins!

Cruise ships in Port! Getting ready for us to board in a few short hours!

Love the snow-capped mountains in the background.

Top of the Space Needle

Qwest Field (Seahawks) and Safeco Field (Mariners)

Will's nap time!

Kyle's 1st Father's Day!

2011-07-06T09:45:00.000-05:00

I'm so far behind, but wanted to post a quick note about Kyle's 1st Father's Day! We had a great day going to church, celebrating with family and relaxing! We had a wonderful lunch at Kyle's aunt Cyndi's house and were able to visit with his dad and grandfather on Father's Day. We came home and relaxed for the afternoon before going out to dinner to celebrate as a family of three!

Kyle is such a great daddy and I love watching him interact with Will. He's such a hands-on father and he is willing to do anything! Will adores his daddy and his face lights up whenever Kyle walks in the room. I'm so blessed to have such a wonderful partner in this journey of raising a child! What a great example Will has of a Christian father!

Happy Father's Day Dada!

Matching love :)

Four generations of Tomlinsons

Will and his great-grandfather!

Also, Happy Father's Day to my Dad! We couldn't be together on Father's Day, but I hope that he had a wonderful day, also! I love you, Dad!

Will at 10 months!

2011-06-25T16:39:00.002-05:00

Ten months! Already? Really? I am definitely wondering how in the world could my little baby be turning into a little boy so quickly! This month has been very busy. The day after Will turned 10 months, we hopped on an airplane and headed to Seattle for an Alaskan cruise with my entire family (more on that in a separate post at some point). We were gone for 11 days/10 nights! That is a LONG time to be gone....to pack in a suitcase that is going to be weighed at the airport and to try and think of EVERYTHING that you might possibly need for the next 11 days (you can't run to Wal-Greens when your on a cruise). Will, however, did GREAT! I'm not sure why I was anxious about it because he's been a great traveler on our previous trips.

I am starting to see his little personality more and more! He's such a happy little guy and for the most part is pretty "go with the flow." However, he does have his moments when he will throw little fits if he wants something. He is CONSTANTLY moving! No wonder he only weighs in the 5th percentile. Everything that he eats gets burned off immediately! Even when he's sitting in his high chair, his legs are kicking the entire time. Whew! It's exhausting watching him.

Since we don't get to go to the doctor at 10 months, I'm not sure exactly how much he weighs. Historically, he's gained about 1 lb per month. So, I'm estimating that he weighs around 18 pounds.

At 10 months:

~Sleeps from 7pm-7am.

~Drink 6 oz in the morning and 4 oz at each other feeding.

~Has 3 teeth on the bottom with one on the top just starting to maybe come through?

~Still does the "army" crawl, but will start on his hands and knees and go about 4-5 moves forward before he drops to his tummy and takes off. He crawls all over the house and if I move from one room to another, he will chase after me.

~Is doing much better eating table foods! He LOVES bananas, green beans, carrots, guacamole, goldfish, cheerios and puffs. He still likes his baby oatmeal with baby fruit in the mornings and will occasionally eat some other baby foods, too. We go back and forth between baby food and table food.

~Still takes 2 naps per day that are usually 1-2 hours each.

~Is having some separation issues....he's becoming a little bit more clingy and is having issues in the church nursery.

~Has just started (at 10 1/2 months) to pull up. He hasn't figured out how to move his feet underneath him and will get "stuck" with his legs spread apart while standing.

Trying to take pictures is getting a little more difficult....

Love you little buddy!

Will at 9 months!

2011-05-20T17:19:00.005-05:00

This has been an exciting month! There are several fun, new things that Will is learning this month. We attempted to start some table foods at the beginning of the month and for the first few weeks it was a little rough! Will eagerly picked up the food and put it in his mouth (or let me feed it to him), but he wouldn't seem to swallow anything. Several times now I have dug noodles, green beans and chicken out of his mouth WAY after dinner was over. But, if at first you don't succeed, try try again! And we did. After several weeks, he is doing much better! He is now eating a variety of foods! He even got to experience a few TINY bites of a Chick-fil-A nugget! Mmmmm!

My little guy has also started the army crawl in the past week. He was slow moving at first, but after a couple of days he is much quicker and it is now time to baby proof the house! Yesterday, I caught him with his hand in the fireplace and a mouthful of tiny fireplace rocks. YIKES...something else that I had to dig out of his mouth! His 3rd tooth has popped up in just the past couple of days....all on the bottom!

9 month stats:

~Weight: 16 lbs 15 oz (4th percentile)

~Length: 27.25 inches (17th percentile)

~Head Circumference: 45.6cm / 17.95 inches (59th percentile)

We must bribe him to sit in the chair!

"Can you see my teeth?"

"Are you talking to me?"

What a BIG boy with his feet on the ground!

Wasn't it just a few months ago that I could lay him across the seat of the chair???

Peek-a-boo!

"Mommy, I'm comin' to get ya!"

"Ready or not, here I come!"

At 9 months:

~He is so happy! He smiles and laughs almost all of the time!

~Sleeps from 7pm--around 7am!

~Has 3 teeth!

~Finally moved into size 3 diapers, although they swallow him!

~Drinks 6 oz of formula in the morning and three 4oz bottles the rest of the day.

~Doing the army crawl and not yet pulling up.

~LOVES to eat! He loves puffs, yogurt melts, bananas, veg-all and wheat bread. He still really wants his baby oatmeal and rice!

~Says Dada ALL of the time! Jabbers all of the time, but not really saying much else.

~Waves bye-bye

~Can give you 5, but you have to say, "pat pat pat."

~Can put all of the rings onto the ring stacker.

~Loves flap books.

~Thinks it is very funny when he sneezes or when Mommy sneezes. Ah-choo!

~Takes 2 naps per day: Morning = 1-1.5 hours and Afternoon = 1.5-2 hours (and sometimes more!)

~Really LOVES his Daddy! His face lights up when Daddy walks into the room!

This is how I found Will at the end of nap time. Time to lower the crib...!

Army crawling everywhere!

Let the baby proofing begin!

Reading his books :)

His, now lowered to the bottom setting, crib...*sniff, *sniff....how does this happen so quickly?

1st Mother's Day!

2011-05-19T10:23:00.000-05:00

I had the BEST Mother's Day! Kyle was so sweet to do some very special things for me. Before Will woke up that morning, Kyle got up, went to Starbucks and came back with coffee and some of my favorite treats! It was a special occasion in our house to have Starbucks! Kyle is always so sweet--especially on Sunday mornings. He takes charge of getting Will up, fed and ready for church so that I can have some time to myself and, actually, get myself ready without too many interruptions. This particular Sunday was no exception. I'm in the bathroom getting ready and around the corner appears this:

Will brought a rose in for me!

And Daddy was thoughtful enough to remove the thorns on the rose before giving it to Will :)

After church, Kyle had made reservations at Amerigos and we enjoyed a yummy meal! Will was on his best behavior through the entire lunch! Next, we headed to Spring Hill to spend some time with Kyle's parents and grandparents.

Kyle's mom made this precious outfit for Kyle when he was a baby and Kyle wore it on his 1st Easter! Now, Will is wearing it on my 1st Mother's Day! :)

After coming home and enjoying a lazy Sunday afternoon, we walked to the park and enjoyed the nice weather. Here are some pics of the sweet things Kyle and Will got me for Mother's Day:

Kyle & Will made this sweet card for me!

I'm blessed beyond measure to be able to celebrate Mother's Day!

My cup runneth over!

Disney Day Five

2011-05-16T09:15:00.000-05:00

This was our last day at Disney, but before we hit the road we had breakfast at Chef Mickey's and spent a few more hours at the Magic Kingdom! For me, more photo opps (which is the whole point, right?) and another chance to ride the People Mover...twice!

"Can someone please get me some food!"

Get Mickey's nose!

Get Pluto's nose!

Will and Anna!

"I get to grab Mickey's nose, again??"

Will's last ride on the monorail.

"Are you talking to me?"

A stop in Chattanooga for lunch on the way back to Nashville.

Thank you, again, Wayne and Vickie for a wonderful trip! It was great getting to spend time with Kyle's family!

Disney Day Four

2011-05-16T08:42:00.003-05:00

On our last "official" day at Disney we went to Hollywood Studios....home of the best roller coaster at WDW (thank you Steven Tyler!). I love walking around and seeing the street performers and I always want to walk through every shop as if they might have something that I haven't seen in every other Disney store. Kyle broke down and bought will a Mickey Mouse fan that also mists water (of course, we waited until the last day to buy this small luxury). As it turned out, Will HATED it....money well spent! Every time we pulled it out, he would start crying. Hopefully, he'll warm up to it by the summer and we can get our money's worth at the pool. We finished the day with a yummy meal at Mama Melrose and a quick ride on the Tower of Terror!

Will was always sleeping by the time we got into the parks.

Awake just in time for Disney Junior!

Mishka Mushka Mickey Mouse!

Kyle trying (uncomfortably) to sit indian style.

Will getting ready to ride Toy Story Mania. He wasn't too sure about the 3D glasses.

Daddy, Grammy and Will

Hangin' out with his legs propped up!

Disney Day Three

2011-05-11T08:57:00.000-05:00

On our third day, we visited EPCOT. They were hosting their International Flower and Garden Festival while we were there and the flowers and topiaries were beautiful! I wish my landscaping looked like that! I think this day was the hottest of our vacation. Kyle, Will and I left a little early to go back and cool off at the pool and let Will take a little nap. But, we went back over to the Magic Kingdom for dinner, since it was within walking distance from our hotel. I love the Magic Kingdom and especially at night!

Will looking at the dolphin and fish.

Yummy lunch in "Mexico!"

HOT HOT HOT!

Time to cool off!

Waiting for the monorail...still doing great way past his bedtime!

Disney Day Two

2011-05-06T17:12:00.000-05:00

Day Two at Disney was spent at Animal Kingdom! There isn't a whole lot to do with an 8 month old, but we thoroughly enjoyed the Safari and lunch at The Tusker House. Oh....and how could I forget Expedition Everest?? One of the three best rides at Disney! Because of the heat, we ended the afternoon with a little pool time! A perfect amount of relaxation before our DATE NIGHT! Thank you Vickie and Anna for watching Will, so Kyle and I could go to dinner at my favorite spot, Le Cellier!

Another day living the life!

Mama elephant and baby elephant!

Tree of life!

Robert, Will and Olivia with their sunglasses!

Anna, Katie and kids with the Jungle Book animals.

Add Kyle and Will...

Will loved the characters....he loved to kiss/eat their nose!

1st time eating mac 'n cheese and mashed potatoes!

Will fell asleep during The Lion King show.

Back to the pool to cool off.

Will loves to splash in the water!

The Lown fam.

One of Will's favorite things to do....get Daddy's sunglasses!

Will and his baby cousin, Thomas!

Date night at Le Cellier! The best steak I have EVER put in my mouth! YUM!

Disney Day One

2011-05-03T09:54:00.006-05:00

Last week, we traveled to Disney with Kyle's family for a wonderful vacation! Will was on his best behavior and did great in the car to Orlando and back and did great at the parks everyday. I'm not sure if it was unseasonably warm or if the temps are always that warm in April, but it was HOT HOT HOT! The temperature was in the 90s almost everyday! After countless $2.50 bottles of water and a $17 Mickey Mouse misting fan, we were good to go! As we overheard someone else say...."that Mickey Mouse sure is a good businessman!"

Thank you Wayne and Vickie for a great vacation!

Magic Kingdom

Let the Memories Begin!

Main Street, U.S.A.

Riding the carousel with Daddy!

Getting ready to ride Snow White.

Will fell asleep while riding Snow White. The first of many cat naps!

All smiles on The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh ride.

Okay, now we have to buy this...how can we resist??

The Jungle Cruise!

Living the life...laid back with a fan!

It's a small world after all....It's a small world after all...

With cousins Olivia and Robert.

Thank goodness, Will LOVES his stroller!

Mommy's favorite ride at the Magic Kingdom...seriously.

Too much excitement! :)

More to come!

An early Easter!

2011-04-20T16:22:00.001-05:00

Since my parents were in town this past weekend and Kyle, Will and I will be at Disney on Easter, we decided to do our usual Easter lunch celebration a week early. I couldn't wait to eat at yummy Mere Bulles for their Sunday brunch! Mmmmmm! Unfortunately, Will woke up with a stomach bug and wasn't feel too great (equally unfortunate is that Mommy caught that bug just 24 hours later and is still trying to recover...and may never eat Mere Bulles again!). He was trooper, though and we were still able to make it!

All of the cousins!

Grammy D and Poppy D with all of the grandkids!

Grammy and Poppy D!

Eight Months in a camera flash...

2011-04-20T16:14:00.002-05:00

Some cute pics during month Eight!

You can see my teeth!

Peek-a-boo!

Can you see my 2 teeth?

I love beets just like my Mommy! (Grammy T is so proud!)

Rollin' around!

Ready for The Masters!

Trying to pull up on my basketball hoop!

Will at 8 months!

2011-04-20T16:00:00.001-05:00

Once again, the days quickly turn into weeks and the weeks fly by way too fast! April started off fairly calm, but it is quickly turning into a whirlwind! In just a few short days, we leave for Disney with Kyle's family! However, there is much to be done between now and then and with the stomach bug rampaging through our house, my To Do List is a little behind! I tried taking Will's 8 month (well, more like 8 1/2 month) pictures today and I don't believe that either of us was really in the mood. None the less, 8 months has been a really fun month! Kyle and I love to sit back and watch Will discover his surroundings. Everything is SOOOO interesting to him. I love to watch him play with his toys and make himself laugh....the best sound that I have ever heard!

Since we don't visit the doctor until our 9 month checkup, I don't have any stats on his weight / length. But, if my ability to carry him around for long periods of time is any indication, I believe that he is definitely growing!

At 8 months:

~is completely on formula. I think it was a mutual decision although I second guessed myself, I don't think that Will did...he was ready.

~drinks about 4 ounces every 3.5 hours or so. I feel like this is such a small amount, but I've tried giving him more and he refuses. One or two times, he's taken 5 ounces but it is VERY rare! A lot of the time, he won't even drink all four ounces!

~our fun/happy diaper changes have turned into a struggle. He wants to turnover and reach for everything in site. It's all I can do to get his diaper on!

~this kid loves to eat! There isn't a food that he's turned down so far....including beets! I think that he prefers some things over others, but he won't turn anything down!

~is somewhat particular about the consistency of the food. If it's not completely pureed, he doesn't really seem to care for it.

~eats three meals/day

~loves his puffs and MumMums!

~rolling all over the place. He can get to anything that he wants by turning himself around and rolling until he gets to his destination.

~is a great sleeper! Still sleeps 12 hours! *ahhh!*

~had his 1st stomach virus (and proceeded to give it to Mommy!)

~can wave bye-bye

~loves other babies! He gets so excited every time he sees a baby.

This face looks familiar?? And I don't think it's a Kyle face.

More beach photos...

2011-03-24T13:37:00.000-05:00

Playing at the park is exhausting!

Will's 1st carousel ride! This is the exact same carousel that I rode on for the 1st time when I was a baby!

Riding the whales at the Pavilion.

Beach time!

Will loved the indoor water park.

Floating around in the lazy river.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Will is a McCutie!

Exhausted from shopping!

Exhausted from playing on the beach!

Sliding at the park with Mommy!

Spring Break Beach Trip!

2011-03-24T13:25:00.002-05:00

Last week, Will and I ventured off to Myrtle Beach with my Mom and Dad for Spring Break. My parents go every year in the spring by themselves and I decided that Will and I would invite ourselves for this years vacation! Kyle is working a ton because it's busy season for him, so I figured that Will and I could get away for a change of scenery and two extra sets of helping hands!

We had such a fun time and, as I mentioned before, Will was on his best behavior. How could he not be when you have constant attention for 10 days!?!? The weather wasn't too warm, but we managed to get out on the beach a couple of times. Because of the cooler weather, we also managed to get to the shopping malls ALOT!

Thank you Grammy and Poppy for a fun, relaxing vacation! We (especially Mommy) appreciate you letting us crash your vacation! Will misses you already!

P.S...when is your October beach trip planned for again????? :)

Yay! Finally made it to the beach after a very long time in the car!

Reading the morning paper!

Will loves his Grammy baths in the sink!

Grammy and Will

Ready to go shopping?

I have a feeling food is coming....!?!?

Reading books with Poppy.

Ready to go to the pool!

I love my blue bucket!

Swinging on the playground.

Going down the slide with Poppy!

Will's Six Month Photos

2011-03-23T22:04:00.000-05:00

About a month ago, we had the fabulous Jocelyn Smith come over to take Will's six month pictures. As a proud Mommy, I wanted to share a few of my favorites! Enjoy! :)

Will at 7 months!

2011-03-22T16:23:00.004-05:00

Seven months has quickly come and is too quickly coming to an end before I can blog about it! In 10 short days, he will be eight months! I, finally, managed to take his 7 month picture yesterday, but swear that he has hit a growth spurt in the past week or so. This month has been super busy so far! I came down with H1N1 at the beginning of the month. Thank goodness that no one else in my house caught it from me! I managed to keep nursing despite the swine flu with a lovely surgical mask!

Will and I then headed out for 11 days to Myrtle Beach with my Mom and Dad. We had such a fun trip and Will was on his best behavior for Grammy and Poppy. He made it in the car for 10+ hours and never cried (amazing!) and he also managed to eat out 2 meals every day without any major meltdowns.....okay, just one, but it really was our fault for letting him get overly tired.

I don't have the typical stats this month because I've decided to forgo the $20 well-visit copay to just get his weight checked every month. Maybe if someone has a digital scale, I'll come over to your house and weigh him. Though I did take him to the doctor the weekend that I got the flu, just to make sure that he was doing okay. They weighed him with his little diaper and clothes on, so it's not completely accurate. But, he weighed in at 15 lb 13 oz.

Seven months has been so much fun! Will laughs, squeals and babbles (ba-ba, da-da) all of the time. He's beginning to get a little clingy and does not like to be left by himself. This makes for some long days! At 7 1/2 months, he finally cut his 1st tooth.....teeth! Both of the middle bottom teeth came in at the exact same time. I didn't even realize it because he wasn't fussy or anything! He's sitting up much better by himself, although, we still have to put some pillows around him when we are on the floor. At this point in time, he does not like to be on his stomach for an extended period of time. Usually, he will roll right back over to his backside if you lay him on his tummy. He may never crawl since he has no interest in being on his stomach. I think he is much more content with standing all of the time. I have finally witnessed him roll from his back to his belly a handful of times. It doesn't happen often, but I've seen it and therefore, I can check that milestone off the list, right? He's such a good sleeper! He's still sleeping 12 hours at night and absolutely refuses to be rocked anymore (*sigh*). I guess that I should not complain since I can just lay him in the crib and walk out of the room. He usually plays for a few minutes and then falls asleep on his own. We are slowly transitioning into the 2 naps per day, but there are some days were Mommy needs 3 naps :)! He's eating all of his fruits and vegetables, rice and oatmeal. There is nothing that he refuses at this point, but I think he prefers some foods over others. We still haven't given him any real table food. While at the beach (where his first 2 teeth came through), I started giving him those mum-mum crackers. He LOVES them! I LOVE them! They occupy him for just enough time that I can eat my meal while it is still warm (most of the time!).

We've had a lot of firsts this month!

1) first trip to the beach

2) first experience at the K&W--well, his first 9 experiences at the K&W

3) first two teeth

4) first time sitting in the highchair at a restaurant

5) first time in the swimming pool/lazy river

6) first time swinging at the park

7) first cold

8) first time having teething crackers

I love you little buddy!

Will's Baby Dedication

2011-02-21T13:14:00.002-06:00

We celebrated a very special baby dedication yesterday at Otter Creek! It was such a special time for us to commit Will to the Lord and commit to raising him in a Christ-centered home. It was also a day that our church family commits to walk beside us and to support and encourage us as we parent this precious baby. I was happy that our family could attend and be a part of the day. Otter Creek also planned a very nice lunch after church for the families of all 31 babies who were part of the dedication! Yes, 31! That means that Will is going to have a TON of friends his age!

Poppy T led the prayer over the babies!

cute table decorations!

Will and his girlfriend, Everleigh!! I'm starting to believe in arranged marriages! :)

Will at 6 months!

2011-02-21T12:42:00.006-06:00

So. Much. Fun! Six months is such a fun age!

If I could only slow down time as it is passing by just too quickly! I think that my favorite part of the day is first thing in the morning when I go into his nursery and peek over the crib. His little eyes light up and he gets so excited. It's as though I've come to rescue him. Every couple of days, I feel like he is doing something new. First, it was this squeal that was piercing! Next, he started saying his "b" sounds. It was almost as if he was saying "bye bye." So, I guess I will call that his official first word even though he has no idea what it means. Then, it was this funny thing where he would blow his paci out of his mouth and laugh!

Lots of things have changed over the last month. We've started baby food, we've cut out the 10:30pm feeding (yay!), he is now sitting up all by himself and we've broken him of the swaddle!! Oh, and how could I forget, I believe that he is cutting not one tooth, but THREE teeth! It's almost incomprehensible how much love you can feel for your child. I feel as though each new day, I'm in love with him more than I was the day before!

Happy 6th month birthday little buddy! You have brought more joy to our life in the past 6 months than we could have possibly ever imagined!

6 month stats:

Weight: 14 lb 15 oz (7.5 percentile)

Height: 25 1/4 inches (9th percentile)

Head Circumference: 17.6 inches or 44.6 cm (71st percentile)

At 6 months:

~still breast feeding 4-5 times per day

~have started baby food--sweet potatoes, green peas, green beans, carrots, butternut squash and, just today, pears! He loves all of them and never acted like any of it was anything new to him. Just opened his mouth and swallowed! :) He loves to eat his food and will cry from the minute you put him in the hair chair until the first bite of food goes into his mouth!

~can sit up all by himself, even though he still falls over sometimes

~we've cut out the 10:30pm feeding and it never phased him! Sleeping from 7pm-7am! I even got 10 hours of sleep last night, myself!

~no longer is sleeping with his arms swaddled (it was a rough week, but we are now back to normal!)

~ taking a morning nap, sometimes a lunchtime nap if we are home, and an afternoon nap

~After countless tries, Kyle and I have concluded that it is impossible to go out-to-eat for dinner. We have every restaurant phone number programmed in our phone for take-out.

~still not rolling from his back to his stomach

~LOVES to standup

~is cutting teeth and from what I can tell, three of them! This is rough on all of us.

~knows how to put his paci back in his mouth!

~loves going for rides in the stroller

Will at 5 months!

2011-01-18T22:30:00.005-06:00

I thought that the newborn stage was my favorite, but I have to say that I am having so much fun right now! The smiles, grins, giggles and squeals are so rewarding! I'm having fun watching Will learn to do new things. He has just recently figured out how to "jump" in his jumper! It is the cutest thing ever! He has so much fun jumping and I am excited to have another "tool" in my tool belt....if you know what I mean! I still find it so hard to believe that five short months ago, he was this tiny baby that could barely hold his head up and, now, he's almost sitting up on his own! Unbelievable!

The doctor was happy with his weight gain this month! Will gained 1 lb 4 oz! He's still only in the 5th percentile, but the doctor was very pleased!

5 month stats:

Weight: 13 lb 7 oz (5th percentile)

Height: 24 3/4 inches (15th percentile)

At 5 months:

~still eating every 3 hours (we're trying to put some weight on this boy!)

~sleeping from 6:30-7pm to 6:30-7am! Still eating at 10:30pm, but he never wakes up!

~napping about 3 times per day. Two longer naps and one shorter nap.

~LOVES eating rice cereal or oatmeal! The minute I sit him in his highchair he begins to whine until that first bite goes into his mouth.

~much to his Mommy's dismay, he has started taking the occasional bottle! I'm having to learn to let go!

~fits perfectly into his 3 month clothing :)

~is starting to become a Momma's boy. He doesn't like to me to be out of the room.

~is almost sitting up on his own. He'll sit for a few seconds and then starts to fall over. I'm hoping in the next couple of weeks he will be sitting all by himself.

~is SO MUCH BETTER about riding in the car! Whew! I have give major props to Ms. Pattycake! Although I hate having those songs in my head ALL DAY LONG, the CD definitely works and I will do anything to not have to listen to a crying baby in the car!
~rolling from his tummy to his back and will still only roll from his back to his side.
~has learned to squeal at the top of his lungs! Church nursery....here we come!
~LOVES to blow bubbles and make Mommy and Daddy laugh.

~has two books that he loves to read over and over.

~favorite toys are George the giraffe, his new car toy, a baby einstein ball that Kyle picked out for Christmas, exersaucer and jumper.

Laughing at Mommy!

First time in his high chair!

He looks so little!

Mommy's little preppy baby!

Christmas Day!

2010-12-28T17:03:00.001-06:00

I can't believe the we, actually, woke up to a white Christmas this year! I was super excited that it had snowed AND that it had snowed on Will's 1st Christmas! That HAS to be good luck, right? It was so much fun to share in the excitement on Christmas morning this year! Having a child really has brought a new meaning to the holidays! Although Will had no idea what was going on, we were very excited for him. Santa was very good to Will this year even though we told him to take it easy! Needless to say, Will is going to have no problem finding a toy to play with in the upcoming months. The day after Christmas, we scraped 8 inches of snow off of our car!

Daddy and the presents that Santa brought Will!

Will's 1st Christmas morning pic!

He's very excited to eat rice cereal before seeing what Santa brought him!

Will's 1st White Christmas!

Look how cute I am in the Christmas jammies that Poppy bought me!

Will and his gifts from Santa!

All of the cousins (+Max) on Christmas morning.

Ellie and Will

a White Christmas in Maryville!

Getting ready to open presents.....where is Will???

Oh, there he is! Snoozing! We had to wait until he woke up to open his presents!

Apparently, Poppy must have needed a snooze, too!

Will and G-daddy

Tess, Ellie and Will

I think Will's gifts were the hit of the party!

Ellie and Maddox reading to Will. Do you think he gets enough attention?

Christmas Eve

2010-12-28T13:10:00.001-06:00

My family has a tradition of doing a HUGE dinner on Christmas Eve. The whole family gets together at my parents house and my mom makes the biggest meal that you've ever seen. If, at any point in time, you have mentioned a favorite dish, it's on the menu! There had to be at least 15 different dishes! A few of my favorites are creamed spinach, red hot cinnamon apples and crockpot dressing! Mmmm! I can remember, as a little girl, sitting around the dining room table and our family fitting around that one table. Now, we have been so greatly blessed with new family members, that we have to put people in multiple rooms. This year, we added two new members to the family---Tess and Will!

Will's 1st Christmas!

Kevin & Debbie

Emily & Paul

The great meal!

Tess lovin' on Will!

Will and his great-grandmother!

Will enjoying his Christmas Eve dinner....rice cereal!

Tesute and Will

Cole and his massive turkey leg!

G-mommie and G-daddy!

Will's 1st Visit with Santa!

2010-12-27T22:30:00.003-06:00

Nothing like waiting until the last minute! We FINALLY got Will's picture with Santa on the afternoon of Christmas Eve! Thank goodness, Will was just in time to get his requests into Santa! Even better (for Mommy and Daddy), we didn't have to pay to get his picture (thank you Foothills Mall--Maryville, TN!). Will did tell Santa all of his requests for toys this year, but I'm predicting next year might be a little bit more "scary!"

Telling Santa what he wants for Christmas

3rd Annual Tomlinson/Hand Christmas Dinner!

2010-12-27T22:01:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago, our good friends, Jason and Amy Hand came over for our 3rd installment of the Annual Tomlinson / Hand Christmas Dinner. We had a great meal that included stuffed mushrooms, beef tenderloin, yummy twice baked potatoes, creamed spinach and delicious pumpkin cream cheese squares (wow, I'm getting hungry thinking about it!). It's always great to spend time with such sweet friends! With the arrival of little Will, it's harder for us to make plans with friends, so we truly appreciate the time that we do spend with them.

We weren't very good at taking pictures this year...so, we only got one pic.

Love you guys!

Will + Laney

2010-12-22T09:24:00.002-06:00

One of my best friends, Laura, came into town for a girls get-together this week and she and little Laney stayed with us! Of course, we stayed up until midnight chatting and reminiscing about "the good 'ole days.". Laura was my "little sister" in college and then we were roommates for a couple of years after college. Some of my funniest and best memories are of the two of us together. It's funny to think about all of our good times living the single life and then now to be sitting on the couch with our babies talking about poopy diapers. Ha. My how times change but great friendships never do!

We decided to take some pictures of little Will and Laneybug! Oh my goodness, they are so cute. I look at these pictures and immediately think of the movie When Harry Met Sally. They remind me of a little old couple sitting together. Enjoy!

"Will, let me tell the story...."

"So, we met when our Mommy's were best good friends..."

"I really like Laney. I hope she likes me, too!"

Holding hands...

Laney telling jokes to Will

This one reminds me of a church directory picture if they were 50 years older!

Will trying to love on Laney. Donald has done a good job of telling her to stay away from the boys :)

Kyle's Birthday

2010-12-21T23:27:00.002-06:00

We celebrated Kyle's 29th birthday last week! Thank goodness he will FINALLY be joining me in the 30's next year. I cooked his favorite dish, chicken enchiladas (the very 1st meal I ever cooked him and won him over!), and we had yummy triple chocolate cake! On Friday night, the Hammonds kept little Will so we could go out to dinner and celebrate by ourselves. Happy Birthday Kyle!

Will helping Daddy read his birthday card!

Learning how to open the presents...

Will these shoes fit me?

Happy Birthday Daddy!

This item was really on his wish list.....!

Getting ready to go out and celebrate!

More chocolate cake!

Happy Birthday to my amazing husband! I hope that Will and I made your day special! We love you!

Santa Will!

2010-12-21T23:16:00.002-06:00

Grammy and Poppy T bought Will the cutest Santa outfit! It was perfect for some really cute pictures and for our Christmas card. Kyle and I looked silly lying in the floor making every possible sound to get Will's attention and to smile for the camera.
Oh, the silly / crazy things you do for a photo op!

"You mean I get to be Santa Claus?"

Will's 1st Snow!

2010-12-21T23:08:00.000-06:00

We were pleasantly surprised to get a few inches of snow before Christmas! We didn't get a chance to play in the snow, but Will enjoyed watching it through the window!

He really preferred to just stay warm in his cozy jammies!

Will at 4 months!

2010-12-21T22:56:00.004-06:00

I've got to do a better job of posting Will's monthly stats on time! He's now 11 days away from being five months old and it's hard for me to remember exactly what he was doing at four months. However, what I do know is that I am so in love with this baby boy that I could just squeeze him! Someone pinch me! His smile just melts my heart and I'm in for a world of hurtin' when he gets older! At his four month checkup, Will got his 2nd round of immunizations. I'm happy to report that both Will and Mommy did great! Will hardly seemed to notice. By the time that he started to cry, the nurse was finished. I'm proud to say that I did not require any kleenex this time around. The doctor was slightly concerned about Will's weight because he has dropped from the 13th percentile down to the 5th percentile. We started him on rice cereal (which he loves!) and we are trying to add in an extra feeding each day. We will go back at five months to have his weight checked. Otherwise, he's doing great!

Thank you God for choosing me to be Will's Mommy!

4 Month Stats:
Weight: 12 lb 3 oz (5th percentile)
Height: 24 inches (15th percentile)
Head Circumference: 16.6 inches or 42.2 cm (46th percentile)

At 4 Months:

~Still eating every 3 hours.

~Rolling from tummy to back!

~Sometimes rolls from back to side.

~Sleeping from 6:30pm to 7:00am (or sometimes later!)

~Still eats around 10:30pm before Mommy goes to bed.

~Eating rice cereal 1 x day and eats as much as I will give him!

~Takes 3 naps per day and each are 1-2 hours.

~Smiles anytime Mommy looks his direction but will also smile for Daddy and complete strangers.
~Laughs and coos ALL of the time!
~Still loves to have his diaper changed and lay on his changing table.
~Had his 1st little cold (although it was minor compared to what I've heard from some of my friends).
~Loves his exersaucer and has just now been introduced to his jumper.

(I apologize in advance for all of the pictures! There were just too many cute ones to choose from!)

Showing off the fat rolls on his legs!

I love rice cereal!

Christmas Decor

2010-12-01T21:34:00.001-06:00

I had all of the plans in my head of how much fun decorating for Christmas would be this year. With a new baby, holidays bring on an entire different meaning and I was more excited than ever! We would turn on the yule logs with Christmas music from OnDemand (thank you, Caroline, for introducing me to that!), have a fun drink and "Christmasy" snacks (you know, sausage balls, etc) and be merry while decorating the house for Christmas as a family.

Well, it didn't quite work out how I had planned it. Kyle was feeling under the weather and didn't feel like pulling down all of the Christmas decorations. So, we pushed our decorating back a day. The next day, I wasn't feel too hot either. But, we both decided that we would go ahead and try to get some of it finished--sans the sausage balls, fun drink and being merry :( We did get to listen to the yule logs crackling and the Christmas music BRIEFLY...until, guess what? Yep. The Titans came on TV.

Oh well, maybe next year :)

You decide.....??

2010-11-30T12:54:00.000-06:00

When Will was born, he was a spitting image of his Daddy. Now that he has a grown a bit, I'm wondering if he is starting to look a little bit like his Mommy? I don't know...

You decide!

Will-newborn

Kyle

Will at almost 4 months

Megan

Hmmmmm.........! Either way, it doesn't matter to me! :)

Will's 1st Thanksgiving!

2010-11-30T12:30:00.000-06:00

We had a very relaxing Thanksgiving with Kyle's family at their lake house in Centre, Alabama. The main attraction in Centre, besides the lake, is the drive-in movie or the Super Wal-Mart. Katie and I (with some help from Jay) prepared the meal because Vickie, unfortunately, came down with a bug and wasn't able to make the trip until Friday. We ended up leaving for the 3-hour drive to Centre at 9:30pm and it worked out great! Will slept the entire way (you may recall he is not a very good car rider). He also did great sleeping in the crib at the lake house...only a handful of "having to put the paci in the mouth" encounters. It was a great holiday and I'm glad that we were able to spend time together as a family. Kyle and I have so much to be thankful for this year--a wonderful and supportive family, good friends, good health and a good job. We are especially thankful for the addition of our healthy baby boy! He is such a blessing to both of us and we thank God for him each day.

On Will's 1st Thanksgiving, he told Daddy that he is thankful for the following:

Mommy

Daddy

Charlie

Max

and the milk :)

Will playing with Charlie

Daddy and Will on Thanksgiving morning

Cloudy and wet but still a great day!

Our yummy Thanksgiving meal:

the pecan pie that I made!

Kyle's parents leave this week to go to Russia to FINALLY get Anastasia and bring her home. Because of the timing, they won't be here with us for Christmas. We will have to celebrate Christmas with Grammy and Poppy T and Anastasia a few days late this year.

Will at 3 months!

2010-11-23T09:35:00.002-06:00

Again, time is flying by and I can't believe my little guy is three months old (well, almost four months because I'm so late on this post). Three months has been much easier than two months! I'm learning to distinguish between the different cries and whines and this helps TREMENDOUSLY! I've now read BabyWise and Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child. I'm happy to report that Will is sleeping from about 6:30pm to 6:30am. We are on a much better schedule and now that I can recognize when he is sleepy, it makes the whole napping/ going to bed experience much better! I'm already looking back at his newborn pictures and can't believe how much he has grown!

3 Month Stats:

Weight: 11 lbs. 8 oz. (13th percentile)

Height: 23 1/4 inches (21st percentile)

Head Circumference: 16.34 inches (55th percentile)

At 3 Months:

~Still eating every 3 hours

~Sleeping 12 hours at nights from around 6:30pm--6:30am (the time changed has messed us up and I can't seem to get him back to 7am). Still wakes up occasionally during the night and we have to stick the paci back in his mouth. He will put himself back to sleep.

~Can now go down for a nap and bedtime "drowsy" and will go to sleep on his own! YAY! This has been a life changer!!

~Smiles whenever Mommy looks his direction! He laughs more frequently now and it is the sweetest sound I've ever heard!

~Smiles and giggles when we are changing his diaper. He loves to be on the changing table.

~Has learned how to pull his paci out of his mouth and it's his favorite thing to do!

~Much better about riding in the car. He only melts down about 40% of the time.

~Is very alert and interested in his surroundings.

~Not quite rolling over yet--we are working on it!

~Has discovered his hands and he is fascinated by them. In the past couple of days, he's starting to discover his tongue--so cute!

Looking at my hands

Holding my head up like a big boy!

The big game! Mommy was the winner this year!

Playing on my activity mat!

I love my changing table!

Pulling my paci out of my mouth!

Mommy puts the smocked outfits on me even though Daddy doesn't really like it!

Fell asleep while pulling the paci out of my mouth!

Love this little guy more than anything else!!

Happy Halloween!

2010-11-01T21:06:00.002-05:00

We had a fun Halloween.....low key and laid back! I'm sure this is the last year that we will be able to say that for many years to come! Obviously, Will didn't have a clue what was going on except that Mommy kept putting him in this hot outfit and taking it off over and over and over again! He was the cutest little lion that I've ever seen! We celebrated Halloween at the Agee's house with our life group. It was a fun time with good friends.

Next year, however, bring on the "Trunk or Treating!"

The Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-28T21:10:00.000-05:00

A few weekends ago, we headed to the pumpkin patch at Walden Farm in Nolensville. It was a great little farm with a corn maze, hayride, petting zoo and a "lawnmower train." After arriving, Kyle asked if our visit was purely a photo op and I replied, "umm..yes!" Maybe next year, Will can enjoy some of the activities.

Will at 2 months!

2010-10-11T21:17:00.001-05:00

Two months already? It is going by way, way, way too fast!

We are settling into somewhat of a routine these days....a forced routine, maybe? But, it is nice to have a little bit of predictability in my day. I have to confess that month two has been much harder than the first month. Although Will still sleeps quite a bit, he is no longer in that "newborn" phase where he is sleeping 20 hours out of the day. We've had a handful of nights where he has, actually, slept through the night! The first time that happened, I woke up in a panic thinking something was wrong with him! With all of the hardships come the most amazing moments! Will now smiles ALL of the time. I can just look at him and he grins the biggest toothless smile you've ever seen. That, in itself, makes all of the stress go away! Just when I thought it couldn't get any cuter, Will has started to laugh. Wow--I've never heard anything so sweet in my life!

2 month stats:

~weight: 10 lbs 3 oz (16th percentile)

~length: 21 3/4 inches (10th percentile)

~head circumference: 39.4 cm (35th percentile)

At 2 months:

~eating every 3 hours

~settling into the eat, wake, sleep routine

~has slept through the night 5 or 6 times

~only gets up one time per night to eat if he doesn't make it all night

~smiles and coos all of the time! He even has started laughing!

~has good control of his head and neck

~can lift his head 90 degrees and lift his shoulders off of his activity mat during tummy time

~has started taking good naps in the swing (although he must be asleep when I put him in the swing)

~we are working on going to bed "drowsy"--some nights it works...other nights....yikes!

~has grown enough that he can now wear several outfits which makes for fun dressing up!

~never cries when he is having his diaper changed but hates having his clothes changed!

~took his first road trip to Grammie and Poppy D's house and did well in the car for 3 hours

Mommy's little frat baby!

Laughing out loud at Mommy!

Do we really have to do this EVERY month?

Is this thing going to eat me?

Sweet baby face!

Love his precious little feet!

Daddy's pride and joy!

Kyle's dream come true!

Littlest Titan fan!

Cheering at the Vandy game!

Family photo at the Vandy game

He slept through Vandy's biggest win in years!

More in love with my baby boy each and every day!

Getting so Big!

2010-09-27T10:15:00.000-05:00

Will is ALMOST two months old and I can't believe how much he has grown! To be honest, it makes me sad. I've already had to put away some little onesies & preemie clothes that are now too small on him and I almost cried. What is wrong with me? It's going to be a long road of sadness if I don't get over it soon!

On the other hand, he is FINALLY able to fit into some of the clothes that I had packed and taken to the hospital for him to wear when he was born. I'm now getting to experience a little of the excitement of dressing him in cute clothes. I'm a baby person and love the little baby stage; however, it has been so fulfilling and heart-warming to watch him develop. He is smiling ALL of the time now and it just melts my heart. Last night, I was putting him to bed and he opened his eyes when I laid him in his moses basket. I sat down to pat him for a minute and he started smiling so big that he couldn't keep his paci in his mouth. It was too cute! He is also beginning to make sounds and coo. It is adorable watching him discover his voice and try to talk. Ahhhh...the joys of being a mother!

Trying to get a family picture

Playing with his cousins--Robert and Olivia

Singing songs with Aunt Katie

Trying to talk

Smiling!

Will at 1 Month!

2010-09-08T23:08:00.004-05:00

Has it really already been a month since my little guy was born? Time really does fly! Honestly, I can't even remember what life was like before he arrived (except for remembering that I got to sleep all night without interruption..oh, and that I got to actually eat my meals while they were still warm!). We are settling into somewhat of a routine and each day is a new adventure!

1 month stats:

~7 lbs 11 oz --7th percentile

~21 inches long -- 22nd percentile

At 1 month:

~eating every 2.5--3 hours during the day

~sleeping for 4--5 hours at night (Mommy only has to get up 1 time each night!!)

~loves his paci (or his fingers if his paci is unavailable--he's a sucker!)

~likes to be held when he is awake

~in the past few days, he has started to lie on his activity mat for about 10 minutes at a time

~like the swing (sometimes!)

~doesn't really care for the bouncy seat (sometimes I can sneak him into it if he is asleep)

~went to church for the 1st time at 3 weeks!

~went to his first football game at 4 weeks!

~has already been to a lot of Mommy & Daddy's favorite restaurants!

~is really starting to smile at Mommy (especially in the mornings after I feed him--this is our time to cuddle!)

~still isn't fitting into ANY of the clothes that I have for him. We only have about 3 outfits that fit him!

Here are a few pics of Will during his 1st month--

Watching my 1st Titans game with Daddy!

Meeting Mr. Charlie for the 1st time!

Meeting Max for the 1st time!

Happy Birthday to Mommy!

Sleeping with Daddy!

Ready for my 1st stroller ride to Starbucks!

Daddy is taking me to the Vandy football game!

Daddy says, "Go Dores!"

Fun Friday Photo

2010-08-20T15:03:00.000-05:00

Remember the gigantic stuffed bear?

I'm sure that Will and Ben (the bear has officially been named!) will soon become best friends! We hope he won't choose Ben as the stuffed animal he wants to take everywhere he goes! That could be a little cumbersome! Ha!

In other news--Will's cord fell off today! Hooray! We're moving on to "real" baths!