Perfect Easter

We just had the most fun weekend - arrived Friday night at Nanna & Grandpa's house very excited about all of the festivities.

On Saturday morning, with rain in the forecast, we took W to the PSU Ag Arena for an animal expo - there were booths with displays from everyone from local wildlife rescue groups to little zoos. We saw bunnies, camels, horses, a TIGER, lots of birds, etc. William, of course, loved it. He decided NOT to partake in the pony rides because he didn't like the idea of the helmet that they tried to put on him. Maybe next time! He was tearing around the place, beaming, pointing, and laughing.

Later in the afternoon we headed to the country club for the nicest event - a kids' egg hunt and party. When we arrived, everyone had their own reserved table with a bucket and tons of decorating supplies to design their own egg pail. William was surprisingly very involved and interested in the stickers, easter grass, etc. Lunch and drinks were served, they had games for the older kiddos, and then the Easter Bunny himself arrived! I was so proud (and shocked) that William didn't cry or seem too scared of him. He was reserved at first, but when he got up close, he reached out to touch his nose. Our big boy!


Next we were ushered upstairs to several rooms where eggs had been hidden for the littler ones. William had a great time peeking around corners, sprinting up and down hallways, and reaching behind chairs to collect his eggs. I can't believe he really participated so much; he's just not my little baby any more! He adored the day, complete with play time out on Grandpa's golf course, and even getting to check out the golf carts, which was heaven on earth to our little "vroom" addict.


Back at home, William got to do something we've been talking about for months - ride Grandpa's tractor! Nanna & Grandpa have a huge yard, perhaps unluckily for Grandpa, but fortunately for William, who as we all know, is beyond obsessed with tractors. Every time we talk about Grandpa, he instantly says "RAC-nuh!" (William speak for tractor) and we cannot walk past the garage during our visits without spending a few minutes gawking at the John Deere parked inside.

On Sunday a.m., after William opened his gifts from the Easter Bunny (a sandbox! a water table! so excited for Summer!), we went to church, and yet again I was so proud and pleasantly surprised by our little guy's great behavior.

The McCombies came from Clarion for Easter supper and we spent a great afternoon eating, drinking, chatting, and of course having a family egg hunt for William. Uncle Andrew, Grandpa, and Pop-Pop hid the eggs and we all watched as WW happily ran around pointing at the hidden eggs, plopping them into his pail, and running to the next one, yelling "Muh! Muh!" (more).





We had so much fun with everyone and it was a perfect family holiday spent with our loved ones. We missed all of William's Great-Grandparents, of course (all in Florida!) and Uncle David, who is finishing his last month in Spain. Happy Easter, everyone!

Bluebonnet Baby

Click to enlarge these... the quality is pretty bad when they are shrunken down.

And I had to include this one... about half an hour before we left for the park we were just hanging out in our shirt and dipe. :)

Belated 17 Month Pics

It's getting harder and harder to get a good shot of William. He's speedy, which makes good focus a challenge, and he's usually chattering away 99% of the time, so his facial expressions are silly (cute!) and all over the place.

The past week we have been hearing a new "word" and I cannot figure it out for the life of me. He is saying "baggle-buh" - what IS that? Basketball? Baklava? Bagel bite? He smiles and sometimes laughs when he says it, over and over, and when we repeat it, he looks up and his face lights up. I am dying to know!

17 months

Shame on me! It has been the busiest week I can remember, and I missed our weekly Monday post.

William turned 17 months old this past weekend - in a month, he'll be a year and a half! Six months until TWO? What?!

He's really blossoming and becoming more and more of a big boy, all right before our eyes. He is now very clearly saying "Hi" and "Bye-bye" (which are more like "HAAAA!" and "Bah-bah"), and every time I hang up the phone with someone and say goodbye, he chimes in, no matter what he's doing, with his own "bah-bah." Sometimes he doesn't even look up from his train or new lawn mower - just keeps playing, but it reminds me that he hears everything and understands nearly all of what we say, too.

We're having a bit of a separation anxiety problem. Poor little guy. He's right on track developmentally, as "they" say that this can begin around 17 months. He will start to wail "Maaaama! Mum mum mum mum?" if I start to walk out of the room, and has been known to have a complete meltdown when Esch takes the dog out for 2 minutes. He's still very shy in groups at first - at the gym, library time, or playgroup, it takes him about an hour to warm up to the situation, but then he's off and happily exploring.

On the flip side of the separation issue - which is very sad - it can also be pretty darn cute. In the morning, as SOON as he wakes up, he starts calling for us. He's not scared or worried in his room, he just immediately wants to see us. I love hearing that soft little "Ma? Ma? Da?" come from the nursery. It's so nice to know that he loves us, and that his whole world revolves around us. Or, that when he's sad, simply our presence can make everything all better.

He's still taking 2 naps a day, which I can't believe. Such a good sleeper, and always sleeps from 7 p.m. - 7 a.m. unless he's teething or not feeling well.

I've always thought that he loved music, but lately it's gotten even more obvious. He begs me to turn on his songs, and happily "dances" (bobs his head and bends his knees up and down). When I sing him a song (his favorite of the moment is Old MacDonald) he says "muh!" repeatedly when I'm done, which means "more." He is starting to learn and like to do motions to his songs, too - when the CD plays 5 Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed (you know, "one fell off and bumped his head") he has started to pat his head and look concerned. It cracks me up. He also claps his hands for If You're Happy and You Know It and looks very, very pleased with himself.

By far the most endearing thing he's doing is giving kisses on request. He will gently put his little lips on our cheek and gives an adorable (sometimes a little sloppy) smooch complete with smacking sound. It absolutely kills me. I could get 50 kisses a day from William and still ask for another.

He goes through phases of getting into everything. He's very interested in the bathroom and the toilet (wonderful) and this actually prompted me to get a potty for him. It's early, but some kids can start to go to the bathroom on their little seats at about this age. We aren't stressing it or even really talking about it, but just have him sit on the potty in the bathroom while we're filling up his bath. He loves it, and we figured that it can't hurt to have it there for him to get used to.

Another new thing this month has been a sudden (overnight - just happened one day) attachment to his bear blanket. It's just a soft, blue blanket that we put in his crib for naps and at night, and he's always liked snuggling with it, but a strong love affair has now begun. He asks for it (by way of "roaring" like a bear because I have always called it his bear blanket... oh dear. He uses animal sounds instead of the real names and has for some time now!) and we now take it everywhere. God forbid we go from the nursery to the living room without the "rawr-rawr" or leave for a trip in the car without stuffing it into the diaper bag. He pets it, hugs it, and drags it around the house.


Our little guy is getting BIG. People are constantly commenting on how tall he is, or asking if he's two. He was in the 99th percentile for height at his 15 month appointment and I'm curious to go back for his 18 month visit.

This weekend I'm going to Austin to visit our friends (Esch is already there) and will be leaving W for 2 nights in a row for the first time ever. I am really, REALLY anxious about it. I know that I'll have fun, and he will have a GREAT time (Gula and Pop Pop are coming to stay with him!) but I can't bear to think about it.

I was just telling my Mom how much I love this age. I think I've been saying that for months, but he just keeps getting more and more fun and lovable. I sometimes get baby fever for #2, and daydream about W as a big brother, but that is still in the future. Can't wait, though. Just love him and this time so much!

Hippity hoppity

My little bunny is very excited for Easter. We've been reading books about Easter, bunnies, ducks, and all of those wonderful Spring things.

Things have been busy around here with weekend trips, photo sessions (5 to come between now and Monday, for example!), and life in general.

WWM will be 17 months old this weekend, which is alarming to me as it means he's almost 18 months. One and a half. TWO is looming!

He is an absolute pleasure lately. I'll save the "big" update for his 17 month post, but there are lots of fun developments and changes happening that we can literally see from one day to the next.

Just a little something to make you smile... he was LOVING the bunny hat I made him. He would pet it, run around to show us, point, smile, and generally was very proud. What a little cuddle bunny he is.

Happy Birthday, Gran!

William Wesley is very sorry that he missed you on the phone. Here he is, a minute after we left our message, trying to figure out how to call you back again.


Hope you are having a great day in Florida! We love you!

Happy Birthday!

I love April Fools' Day

Growing up, I loved April 1st. My parents and grandparents would always play little tricks on us. It entertained my brothers and I to no end.

April 1st, 2009 happened to be my first OB appointment when pregnant with William. It was a long wait from getting a positive test in March until that first trip to the Dr.'s office to see if everything was ok, and that there was in fact a little baby coming to join our family. What made the wait even more torturous was that we were saving the news until MAY - Mother's Day - to tell our families in person. So Esch and I had this wonderful "little" secret that we knew was going to change our lives forever.

April Fools' Day 2009 was, at that point, the single most exciting day of my life. Esch was coming from work, and almost missed the first ultrasound due to traffic and parking at the hospital. You know, the first one - the one where you get to see your little bean for the first time, and see that flickering heartbeat. The nurses and Dr. were so nice and held off on beginning the ultrasound until the Daddy-to-be came flying into the lobby, and they ushered him quickly back to my room.

A few seconds later, the screen turned on, and we saw this:


And the world stopped. Everything was perfect so far. There was our baby. The first time we "saw" our William. There was his little tiny heart beating away. It was shocking, and amazing, and wonderful. I felt out of my body, and giddy. We were so happy.

And then the months flew by, and life happened, and it was April Fools' Day 2010.

And this was the little face we saw every day:


And now it's April 1, 2011. Here he is.






No tricks here. Happy April Fools' Day!