Dear Wills

Dear Wills,

A year ago, tomorrow, your dad and I left our home as a family of two. We headed to the hospital, excited, nervous and eager to meet our little boy. I daydreamed about your smile and your eyes, your personality, and the sound of your cry for nine months, and I couldn’t wait to get to know you.

After a very long day and night, you were born at 10:21 pm, weighing 7 lbs. 14 ounces and measuring 20 ¾ inches long. You were perfect. As I held you in my arms, with tears in my eyes, I thanked God over and over for the moment and for you. We took you home on September 27th and began our life as a family of three.

A year has gone by, and although it feels quick, I’ve held on and savored so many memories. Watching you grow and change from a squirmy, squishy baby to a sweet, funny little boy has been the highlight of my 28 years. Each new month has brought more “firsts,” more laughs, and more challenges. But every memory, from spending time at Land’s End, celebrating your first Christmas, and even the simplicity of bath time, and watching you play with Finn, has brought us so much joy.

You are a sweet, friendly little boy. You smile and wave at everyone that passes by. You give big, open mouth kisses and hug so tightly. You reach out for toothless strangers, crawl towards big dogs, and never look back at Mother’s Day Out. You wave and scream out at the Saint Mary's students as they walk down the side walk to chapel.  You see the world without judgment and love every one you meet. You teach and show your Mommy this every day.

You are a happy little boy. You barely ever shed a tear. Your teachers at Mother’s Day Out ask if you ever cry. You don’t. The second you hear a beat of music, you begin to dance. Regardless of being hungry, with a wet diaper, or tired, you dance. I hope this never changes.

You are a simple, grateful little boy. You see beauty and find joy in swinging on the front steps, playing with Tupperware, loving on Finn, going for walks, and sharing afternoon snacks.

You are a curious little boy.  You strain your neck and eyes to see new people in the grocery store.  You turn completely around in your high chair to stare at others in restaurants.  If you hear a noise in another room, you race in there to see what's going on.  Some may call it nosy.  But, we love this about you and love watching you learn and discover the world around you.

You are a big and strong boy. You are bigger than your peers and already stronger than you realize. I hope you always stand tall, hold your head high, and stay strong in your beliefs. When you fall or bump your head, you get right back up; you keep right on moving. Keep getting up, sweet boy; never stay down.

You are a funny little boy. You laugh when we chase you and when we play peek-a-boo. You mimic our noises and do a great monster impression (Maddie taught you this.) You make silly little faces and show off all your “tricks.” You have a sweet little excited giggle when we ask you if you want some milk, and you squeal in delight when we come get you in the morning. You probably won’t always squeal in delight when it’s morning and time to get up, so for now, I’ll cherish it. :)

You are a fearless little boy. You crawl fast and hard. You head for stairs, dunk your head in the bath tub and pool, climb on top of anything, slam the drawers and cabinets only to move your fingers at the last second, stand up in the bath tub (even though you’re not supposed to), and drop food over your high chair knowing your hand will be popped. Although I’m sure at times I will worry, I hope you live unafraid of change, chasing big dreams, and taking risks (small ones, please.)

You are a perfect sign of God’s love for us, and we can’t thank Him enough for choosing us to be your parents. You are loved, sweet boy, by so many. And although today brings emotions and a few tears for your Mommy, most of all, it brings gratitude and excitement in getting to watch you grow and in seeing what the next year has in store for us. I hope you enjoy your birthday!

I love you, Wills.

Love, Mom 

First Day of School

Today was my sweet little boy's first day of Mother's Day Out.  I can't believe how grown up he is!  

I took the day off to go with William to take Wills to school for the first time.  He did great!  And so did I!  I got a little emotional on the way there and right when we left, but I kept it together, waved bye bye and headed out to spend the morning running house errands with my hubby.  We made a lot of progress picking out tile, paint colors, and brick.  We ended our "date" with Jimmy Johns's, and I headed back to pick up our boy.

I have to brag for a minute.  His teachers said he was perfect!  Not even a whimper.  They promised me that if I decided to have any more children there was no way he or she would be as good and as easy as Wills.  Great.  :)  He played outside on the swing, ate all of his lunch, waved to all of the other kids, and danced his booty off.  I was so proud.  He was even excited to see me when I walked through the door.  Thank goodness!  Otherwise, I would have cried.  :)

I love him to pieces, and I am so thankful he had such a good first day!

11 months

Wills turned 11 months old last Saturday!  I can’t believe we are a month away from a year.  I am busy planning his 1^st birthday party full of choo choo trains! 

Not too much has changed from 10 months.  He is still on the go, crawling on his knees, and pulling up on everything.  He will let go and can stand for a few seconds on his own.  It won’t be long until he’s taking those first steps.  He is still a dancing machine.  This boy has rhythm!  He is becoming more distinct in his sounds of mama and dada.  He seems to be more aware of who he is talking to when he babbles this.  He yells at the dogs, which is pretty hilarious.  If they are barking or being rambunctious he clearly mimics what we tell them while pointing to them.  He also loves to be upside down. He puts his head down on the floor or on us waiting for you to lift his legs in the air.  He does this over and over and over again.  As soon as we say the word upside down, his head goes down and he waits for us to lift his feet.

He wears size 24 months, size 4 diapers and size 5 shoes.  He is sleeping from 7:30 at night until about 6:30 in the morning.  We are starting to add whole milk to his formula to help the transition.  He is still drinking milk three times a day, but two of the times (usually) are out of a soft tip sippy cup which makes me sad that he is growing up.  But, he still gets a bottle before bedtime. 

He’s getting a little picky with his eating.  I’ve added ketchup to a few things and that seems to work for now. 

He starts Mother’s Day Out this week.  I am really excited (and a little emotional) about this step.  I can’t wait to hear how he interacts with other children and away from us.  He is such a happy boy, and doesn’t seem to have any attachment issues so far, so I am optimistic that he will transition perfectly into this new environment.