I mean look at this face... what did he ever do to me? (Besides steal all my good sleep...)
After a clean diaper and jammies, Will entertained himself with daddy's shoelaces while I cleaned up the kitchen from dinner.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
The poop face
Well, sorry to disappoint, but I deleted the poop face pictures. Craig thought it was wrong and I feel a little bad for embarassing my poor child. (Besides, I'm pretty sure I make a similar face, so who am I to judge?)
I mean look at this face... what did he ever do to me? (Besides steal all my good sleep...)
After a clean diaper and jammies, Will entertained himself with daddy's shoelaces while I cleaned up the kitchen from dinner.
I mean look at this face... what did he ever do to me? (Besides steal all my good sleep...)
After a clean diaper and jammies, Will entertained himself with daddy's shoelaces while I cleaned up the kitchen from dinner.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Have Toddler, Will Travel.
In two days, we're leaving for a vacation in North Carolina. We're renting and staying in a huge beach house (6 bedrooms) with my family for a week. The agenda for the trip is to relax, enjoy the pool and beach, cook out, etc. Should be very enjoyable. We're planning to leave Friday night and drive through the night - long road trips are much easier with a sleeping toddler! Packing, however, is a bit daunting. This is not the first trip we've taken with Will. Last year, we took a similar vacation to a small cottage in Grand Haven, MI with my sister and brother in law... and we totally overpacked. So this time I'm trying to be practical.
The place has a pack 'n play for him to sleep in, which is a huge help. So here is my tenative list - I've been working on it for weeks so that it's complete and well thought out, to make packing less stressful:
1) car seat - DUH!
2) umbrella stoller
3) Ergo carrier (it's a baby carrier that allows me to carry Will on my front or back) - he's not an expert walker yet, so I figured this will be helpful for outings or morning walks on the beach
4) travel feeding seat - I LOVE this thing! Attaches to any chair, dishwasher safe removable trays, adjustable height - worth every penny
5) baby monitor - we're sleeping in the same room with him, but this should be helpful when we're outside during his naps
6) sheets for the pack 'n play, sleep sack (wearable cotten blanket), and a lightweight blanket for the car
7) sippy cups, kiddie silverware, bibs and travel snack containers
8) snacks: graham crackers, cereal bars, puffs, fruit (we're mostly buying food there, but I want to have some stuff on hand)
9) a few small, portable toys and books - for sure the stacking cups and his play cell phone
10) pool float and beach toys from his birthday, beach towel, bucket hat, sunscreen, rash guard, washable swim diaper, swim shoes (for the beach)... yep, I'm a totally overprotective first-time-mom, but hey, skin cancer runs in the family
11) bug spray
12) wet wipes, Tide-to-go stick, hard-surface disifectant spray
13) travel placemat for restaurants
14) 5-6 diapers per day (6 to be on the safe side) x 7 days = 42 diapers, travel changing pad, tub of wipes, butt paste, hand sanitizer
15) hooded bath towel (we have to bring our own linens), several baby washclothes (we use these ALL the time for meal clean up and baths), baby wash, lotion
16) toothbrush
Are you laughing yet? I'm fully aware that that list is far from short, but I really don't think I can scale back. Babies and toddlers require a lot of gear! And that doesn't even include his clothes or any of our stuff! Ah well.
Switching gears: here are some pictures from our dinner at the Riedemans last night. We cooked out for Craig's mom's birthday.
A kiss for mommy.
Look at this one - he looks so sweet and dainty in his daddy's old high chair:
But wait... the eating etiquette declines:
Priceless:
And I forgot his sippy cup, so this is what we came up with instead :) - it was the only thing a lid. He actually did pretty good!
Cute tootsies.
A birthday kiss for grandma.
"Where's your tongue, Will?" (with Aunt Kelly)
Playing with grandpa.
The place has a pack 'n play for him to sleep in, which is a huge help. So here is my tenative list - I've been working on it for weeks so that it's complete and well thought out, to make packing less stressful:
1) car seat - DUH!
2) umbrella stoller
3) Ergo carrier (it's a baby carrier that allows me to carry Will on my front or back) - he's not an expert walker yet, so I figured this will be helpful for outings or morning walks on the beach
4) travel feeding seat - I LOVE this thing! Attaches to any chair, dishwasher safe removable trays, adjustable height - worth every penny
5) baby monitor - we're sleeping in the same room with him, but this should be helpful when we're outside during his naps
6) sheets for the pack 'n play, sleep sack (wearable cotten blanket), and a lightweight blanket for the car
7) sippy cups, kiddie silverware, bibs and travel snack containers
8) snacks: graham crackers, cereal bars, puffs, fruit (we're mostly buying food there, but I want to have some stuff on hand)
9) a few small, portable toys and books - for sure the stacking cups and his play cell phone
10) pool float and beach toys from his birthday, beach towel, bucket hat, sunscreen, rash guard, washable swim diaper, swim shoes (for the beach)... yep, I'm a totally overprotective first-time-mom, but hey, skin cancer runs in the family
11) bug spray
12) wet wipes, Tide-to-go stick, hard-surface disifectant spray
13) travel placemat for restaurants
14) 5-6 diapers per day (6 to be on the safe side) x 7 days = 42 diapers, travel changing pad, tub of wipes, butt paste, hand sanitizer
15) hooded bath towel (we have to bring our own linens), several baby washclothes (we use these ALL the time for meal clean up and baths), baby wash, lotion
16) toothbrush
Are you laughing yet? I'm fully aware that that list is far from short, but I really don't think I can scale back. Babies and toddlers require a lot of gear! And that doesn't even include his clothes or any of our stuff! Ah well.
Switching gears: here are some pictures from our dinner at the Riedemans last night. We cooked out for Craig's mom's birthday.
A kiss for mommy.
Look at this one - he looks so sweet and dainty in his daddy's old high chair:
But wait... the eating etiquette declines:
Priceless:
And I forgot his sippy cup, so this is what we came up with instead :) - it was the only thing a lid. He actually did pretty good!
Cute tootsies.
A birthday kiss for grandma.
"Where's your tongue, Will?" (with Aunt Kelly)
Playing with grandpa.
Monday, July 28, 2008
The beloved stacking cups
If there was ever a toy that could top the phone or the remote, it is the stacking cups. They are by far Will's most favorite toy right now.
Ah, the stacking cups. With their sleek lines, bright colors and graduating sizes, they nest so nicely together and stack so beautifully into a perfect tower. You can scoop and pour water in the bath tub or water table, carry them around, bang them together and give long spans of attention (read: 15-20 minutes - an eternity in baby time) to just taking them apart and putting them back together. The possibilities are endless!
We have several video clips and pictures of Will playing with his stacking cups. He looks so happy and excited when they're stacked up... so much so that he's afraid to touch them. So he just smiles at it and his hands just hover around the tower in anticipation. It's so funny. Craig's teaching Will to carefully pluck the purple one from the top without knocking it over. But sometimes he just can't resist the two in the middle. :)
Oh, and here are some funny pictures of Will eating lasagna and broccoli. I was surprised he liked it considering he's not a fan of cheese... or tomato... or certain pastas. :) By the end of it, he had a lasagna facial going.
Also, sorry for the long span of time without posting pictures. It's been a busy week and weekend! On Sunday we had Kelly's bridal shower, so most of my weekend was consumed with party stuff. Here's a photo at the shower.
And later Sunday evening, we finally got to relax for the first time that weekend by going to dinner at our friends home. Two of Craig's best friends from high school are each married with one child - just like us. So it was fun to catch up with them and see how each of the kids have grown... and how each child looks JUST LIKE THEIR DAD! It seems us girls didn't have very strong genes!
Ah, the stacking cups. With their sleek lines, bright colors and graduating sizes, they nest so nicely together and stack so beautifully into a perfect tower. You can scoop and pour water in the bath tub or water table, carry them around, bang them together and give long spans of attention (read: 15-20 minutes - an eternity in baby time) to just taking them apart and putting them back together. The possibilities are endless!
We have several video clips and pictures of Will playing with his stacking cups. He looks so happy and excited when they're stacked up... so much so that he's afraid to touch them. So he just smiles at it and his hands just hover around the tower in anticipation. It's so funny. Craig's teaching Will to carefully pluck the purple one from the top without knocking it over. But sometimes he just can't resist the two in the middle. :)
Oh, and here are some funny pictures of Will eating lasagna and broccoli. I was surprised he liked it considering he's not a fan of cheese... or tomato... or certain pastas. :) By the end of it, he had a lasagna facial going.
Also, sorry for the long span of time without posting pictures. It's been a busy week and weekend! On Sunday we had Kelly's bridal shower, so most of my weekend was consumed with party stuff. Here's a photo at the shower.
And later Sunday evening, we finally got to relax for the first time that weekend by going to dinner at our friends home. Two of Craig's best friends from high school are each married with one child - just like us. So it was fun to catch up with them and see how each of the kids have grown... and how each child looks JUST LIKE THEIR DAD! It seems us girls didn't have very strong genes!
The dads and their kids.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Believe it or not...
...my husband reads my blog... every day!
This is funny for 2 reasons:
1) We live in the same house and he lives/sees first-hand all the stuff I write about.
2) HE is the one that told me blogging is for geeks (remember the Star Trek comment?). So the fact that he faithfully reads my posts... well, what does that make him?
P.S. I love you Craig!
This is funny for 2 reasons:
1) We live in the same house and he lives/sees first-hand all the stuff I write about.
2) HE is the one that told me blogging is for geeks (remember the Star Trek comment?). So the fact that he faithfully reads my posts... well, what does that make him?
P.S. I love you Craig!
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Summer Fun
Will's friend Addison let us borrow her water table to play with outside this summer. Will had fun using his toy fish and net. Thank you Addison!
This afternoon, while Craig was golfing, Will and I went to the park for a walk, a picnic lunch, and some play on the playground. I love Pearson Park. It's been my favorite place to run since my cross country days and I just don't get out there as often as I'd like. When you run the trails there, everyone greets one another pleasantly ("Good morning!", "Hi there", etc.) as they pass and it just makes you feel good. Plus, it's shaded and beautiful.
This afternoon, while Craig was golfing, Will and I went to the park for a walk, a picnic lunch, and some play on the playground. I love Pearson Park. It's been my favorite place to run since my cross country days and I just don't get out there as often as I'd like. When you run the trails there, everyone greets one another pleasantly ("Good morning!", "Hi there", etc.) as they pass and it just makes you feel good. Plus, it's shaded and beautiful.
Things that I love, Part 1
A few things I love:
1) Will's version of sign language. We've been working on just a few signs for meal times to help him communicate. So we sign "eat", "drink", "more", and "all done". He's got "all done" down and I've seen him do something that resembles "eat" occasionally. Mostly when he's hungry he'll smack his lips at you like he's tasting something. The other day I was sitting on the floor folding laundry and Will decided it was time for a snack. He crawled into my lap, stood up on my legs with a hand on each of my shoulders, put his face close to mine and smacked his lips. I love it!
2) Craig's weekend morning to sleep in. We take turns. Yes, of course, I love sleeping myself. But Will actually goes down for a nap at about 9 a.m., just a couple hours after he gets up. So if Craig's still sleeping, and Will is napping... my house is silent... temporarily.
3) Getting down on the floor to play with Will. One thing I used to worry about before becoming a parent, was that I wouldn't take the time to get down on the floor and just play with my kid. I always feel like I can't stop and relax until my work is done. So most of my down time is late at night when I feel I've sufficiently accomplished all I need to for the day. Obviously that doesn't work in "kid-world". But I'm happy to say that I've surprised myself and I'm not that way at all. Actually, Will doesn't allow it and I'm grateful for that! He interrupts every task I attempt many, many times just keeping him out of trouble. So I keep my housework to short spurts and pause frequently to play. We crawl around, play hide and seek, practice walking, read stories, sit on the porch and watch the cars go by, play pretend, etc. Yesterday I layed on the floor face down and pretended to sleep. Will crawled over and kept pushing my head up, climbing all over me. Every so often I would pop my head up and say BOO! He thought that was hilarious.
4) Will's sudden obsession with books. He's always liked them for short periods of time. But now I will find him in his room laying on his belly with 10 board books surrounding him and just turning page after page, sometimes pausing to look at the pictures. He knows which way the pages are supposed to turn and he does pretty well at turning one page at a time.
5) Will's special spot. He has a favorite position in my arms and he always wiggles and squirms his way to get there. I love it.
1) Will's version of sign language. We've been working on just a few signs for meal times to help him communicate. So we sign "eat", "drink", "more", and "all done". He's got "all done" down and I've seen him do something that resembles "eat" occasionally. Mostly when he's hungry he'll smack his lips at you like he's tasting something. The other day I was sitting on the floor folding laundry and Will decided it was time for a snack. He crawled into my lap, stood up on my legs with a hand on each of my shoulders, put his face close to mine and smacked his lips. I love it!
2) Craig's weekend morning to sleep in. We take turns. Yes, of course, I love sleeping myself. But Will actually goes down for a nap at about 9 a.m., just a couple hours after he gets up. So if Craig's still sleeping, and Will is napping... my house is silent... temporarily.
3) Getting down on the floor to play with Will. One thing I used to worry about before becoming a parent, was that I wouldn't take the time to get down on the floor and just play with my kid. I always feel like I can't stop and relax until my work is done. So most of my down time is late at night when I feel I've sufficiently accomplished all I need to for the day. Obviously that doesn't work in "kid-world". But I'm happy to say that I've surprised myself and I'm not that way at all. Actually, Will doesn't allow it and I'm grateful for that! He interrupts every task I attempt many, many times just keeping him out of trouble. So I keep my housework to short spurts and pause frequently to play. We crawl around, play hide and seek, practice walking, read stories, sit on the porch and watch the cars go by, play pretend, etc. Yesterday I layed on the floor face down and pretended to sleep. Will crawled over and kept pushing my head up, climbing all over me. Every so often I would pop my head up and say BOO! He thought that was hilarious.
4) Will's sudden obsession with books. He's always liked them for short periods of time. But now I will find him in his room laying on his belly with 10 board books surrounding him and just turning page after page, sometimes pausing to look at the pictures. He knows which way the pages are supposed to turn and he does pretty well at turning one page at a time.
5) Will's special spot. He has a favorite position in my arms and he always wiggles and squirms his way to get there. I love it.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
A trip to the county fair
Will got to spend the afternoon and evening at the county fair with his Aunt Kelly (Craig's sister) on Friday. Craig & I met up with them after work to celebrate Craig's dad's birthday and it was an extremely hot day.
Will got to see lots of animals, ride around in his wagon, greet lots of new people and practice walking. He also ate LOTS of sugar (ice cream, snow cones, brownies) in a matter of 6 or so hours. He's not used to that and he ate way too much so some of it came back up! Poor guy.
Our little buckeye.
Mmm! Brownie!
Oops! That might have been one bite too many!
It's too hot for clothes.
Sweaty curls.
Will loved walking to Susie.
Proud of his accomplishment.
Thanks Aunt Kelly for a really fun day!
Going for a walk to see the baby animals.
And saying hello to Great Uncle Jim - another buckeye fan.
Will got to see lots of animals, ride around in his wagon, greet lots of new people and practice walking. He also ate LOTS of sugar (ice cream, snow cones, brownies) in a matter of 6 or so hours. He's not used to that and he ate way too much so some of it came back up! Poor guy.
Our little buckeye.
Mmm! Brownie!
Oops! That might have been one bite too many!
It's too hot for clothes.
Sweaty curls.
Will loved walking to Susie.
Proud of his accomplishment.
Thanks Aunt Kelly for a really fun day!
Going for a walk to see the baby animals.
And saying hello to Great Uncle Jim - another buckeye fan.
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