Nine Months

Dearest, Sweetest, Most Wonderful Will,

It is simply unbelievable to me that you are now nine months old. You have changed so much and in so many ways since we first brought you home from the hospital.

You have become such a Little Man, your personality coming through more and more each day. You are learning so many new things each and every day. You especially like "dancing" with Mommy and giving Daddy high-fives. You have learned to clap and are this close to crawling.

I love that you are such a happy boy. When we go places, people compliment us on your good nature. You love to go on errands with me, especially places like Costco, where you try new things, like chicken nuggets, yogurt with fruit in it, and raviolis. You like to sit in the cart and swing your little legs back and forth, back and forth, smiling and flirting with anyone who comes within your smile-radius.

Speaking of food, this month you and I have started eating a lot of the same things. Breakfast is either pancakes or waffles, banana, sausage, and yogurt or oatmeal. For lunch, your new favorites include a grilled cheese sandwich or a cheese quesadilla! The other day, I thought we could share one, but you quickly corrected me and ate all but one piece all by yourself! For dinner, you like to eat some of what we are having, or sometimes all of what is on my plate. The other night, I sensed an ally and made something that I love and Daddy hates - meatloaf! Looks like we'll be having more of that, since you ate an entire mini-loaf by yourself, plus thought that the mashed potatoes that went with it were pretty yummy, too! Daddy does wonder about you sometimes, because even though you like pretty much any food, you have a clear preference for green beans! If there are a ton of things on your tray, you will always go straight for the bean!

You are so much fun to be with, whether we are playing a fun game, taking a walk, eating a meal, or just cuddling on the couch together. Every day that I get to spend with you is like an amazing gift. I am so thankful for you and so proud to be your mother.

Love,
Mommy

I Love Books

When Mommy was pregnant, she read to me every night. She had read an article that said that babies who heard the same books in the womb would be comforted by hearing them after being born, recognizing the rhythm and cadence of the familiar words. Although some people laughed at Mommy, when I was about ten weeks old, she and Daddy both noticed something peculiar.

I like books.

No, wait! I love books!

When I woke up in the morning, Mommy and Daddy would read my "Good Morning, Good Night" book, and I would stare in wonder. Then, Mommy found "The Belly Button Book," which I also found fascinating.

My love of books has grown through the months. I have all sorts of favorites. Reading calms me down and I like to point at things when Mommy and Daddy ask where they are. Reading together is something that we do before every nap and bedtime. Mommy also has books in my diaper bag for if I get grumpy while we are out. I am glad that there are always books around, especially at scary places, like the doctor.

One day, Mommy took me to the most wonderful place called a bookstore. It has a lot of books, even more than I have at home!

I was pretty excited about all of these books. . .


I decided that I loved books so much that I must kiss one. . .


I do love books!

Katie 'Fesses Up - You Can Catch Up

Okay, confession time. I cheated a bit and updated the last month of Will's life in one day . . . but changed the dates so a long time from now, you will never know the difference (and I will even delete this post in a few days so there will be no record of my sneakiness).

To catch up:

Fun in the Sun

Sick Little Boy

Happy First Easter

Happy Birthday, Uncle Robert!

Eight Months

I Love Visitors

Time Gone By . . .

And of course, there is a new slide show for your viewing pleasure! Thank you for keeping up with our family. We love each one of you!

Love,
Michael, Katie, & Will

Time Gone By. . .

He never did make the toy spin (in the video, anyway, he got to be a champ at in in real life), but this video is still pretty cute. Where did that Little Man go?

I Love Visitors

Grandma Jan and Auntie Lisa came to visit me today. We had such a great time!

I got to play with Auntie Lisa's ring. It is very pretty . . . and tasty!



I got lots of snuggles with two of my favorite people!

Eight Months

Dearest Will,

It is so hard for me to believe that it has been eight incredible months since you came into this world. Now, I know you are probably wondering why there hasn't been an entry since your last month's birthday, and I have to be honest, it is because you keep mommy so very busy! We have had a fun-filled, crazy month of fun, adventure, and sadly to say, even some sickness thrown in.

Daddy and I feel so spoiled by what a wonderful baby you are. You have such a cheerful disposition and sunny smile. Even when you were feeling so sick these past few weeks, you always were ready to smile and coo.

You have learned so much this past month. Probably the biggest achievement was learning to feed yourself finger foods. From Cheerios to waffles to noodles, you are loving finding new foods. You are especially fond of graham crackers. We have to keep buying the economy box of crackers because you go through them so quickly.

You have also learned to say your first word. . . Dadda! You will not say Mama, no matter how much I plead. In fact, a game that you find highly entertaining is when I entreat, "Say Mama, say Mama, say Mama!" You respond back, "Dadda!" and I say, "Noooooo! Mama!" You laugh and laugh! In addition to Dadda, you also babble a lot and love it when Daddy and I mimic your sounds.

You are not quite crawling. . . yet. But you scoot backwards and can get up on all fours, even if it's only for a few seconds. This has all just happened in the past week, so I am pretty sure you will be full on crawling soon. Now that you are getting more mobile, we never find you in the same spot in your crib in the morning that we put you down in at night. You also have a new preference for sleeping on your tummy, which makes mommy a tad nervous. We still put you down on your back, but usually you flip over to a more comfy position.

You love going places in the car and going to stores. You are a flirt, especially with women, and you bestow your smile on anyone who stops to chat with us. We have made many fun trips this past month, to the library, the bookstore, the pet store, restaurants, and more. We have such fun together and I love my little shopping buddy. I just have to make sure that I travel with some snacks, because sometimes you do get a little antsy, but a snack keeps you happy!

Little Monkey, I do not think there are enough words to fully describe all that you mean to your Daddy and me. Last night, after you had gone to bed, I was trying to describe my love to you to Daddy. There is just no way to really do so, only that my heart seems to have gotten bigger and so much more filled with happiness and love since you came to bless our lives. I hope you always know that no matter how many mistakes we might make, we try every day to be the best parents that we can be to you, the parents that a wonderful little boy like you deserves.

Love,
Mommy

Happy Birthday, Uncle Robert!

My Uncle Robert turned 16 this weekend. To help him celebrate, Mommy, Daddy, the dogs, and I all went down to Vancouver.

We had a great time! First, Grandma Jane made a wonderful dinner. And I had my first bite of steak (don't worry, Grandma Jan, it was a verrry tiny piece of steak, hardly enough to call a bite)! Mommy didn't take a picture of my meal, because she was too busy stuffing her own face!

Then, Grandpa Bob built a huge fire. It turns out that I like fire. A lot.



And I love Grandpa Bob, so it was a good combination.


Uncle Robert opened his presents. Rocky helped him. . . or maybe he just wanted to eat the OREOS?

I got to spend time with my Uncle Doug and Aunt Amanda. They are a lot of fun and like to play with me!
I also got to play with one of Uncle Robert's trucks. Hmmmm. . . I like trucks, too!


What a fun weekend! I even had fun on the ride home. We had so much stuff to pack in the Jeep that Mommy got to ride in the back seat with me!

Happy Birthday, Uncle Robert!