Playing Outside

Will got to show off his slam-dunking, putting & stair climbing skills when Daddy was off the other day. You can see what remains of a huge cut on his face he got over a week ago after falling on a stick... Colin's been referring to him as Scarface. What is amazing to me is that he barely cried when it happened, nor does he scream much when he bloodies his lip/mouth every other day. Yet he'll scream for an hour if he's not permitted to climb in the dishwasher. Go figure!

Bye Bye Sanjaya

Colin & I are HUGE American Idol fans, so we were both thrilled when he sang his last song last night. I almost woke up Will with my whooping. For some reason, I hadn't actually voted until this week, so I made up for it by voting for my favs--Jordin & Melinda (& a few for Blake)--multiple times. You've got to love a TV show that entices more people to vote than in a typical presidential election.

Zoo

This morning we had a blast visiting the NC Zoo for the first time... I can't believe we've waited until now to check it out--it's only 1 1/2 away & such a beautiful, fun place. Of course, we became "members" on the spot, knowing that we'd be back many more times & might as well save on admission. Luckily, Winston is even closer to it. Will had an absolute blast, & ran all through the place--& it's big. It's getting hard to keep track of him in public---I might be looking into one of those "leashes" that are necessary for some kids :) He especially adored the polar bears & got very angry when we finally dragged him away from that viewing area. He got so keyed up that he wouldn't sleep on the drive home & instead kicked me in the head (while chuckling) while I tried to rest...so he's thankfully napping now. Funny kid. I'm glad he has a sense of humor & personality, as much as it can drive us up the wall sometimes. How I wonder what the grape-sized baby in my belly will act like, look like, be like...

He even liked the fake animals...wouldn't stop hugging this one!
Daddy & Will checking out some ducks...We saw zebras, elephants, lions, & baboons, but the kid was hugely fascinated with the ducks.
Back to the chimps...

Four G's

I guess we'll need to change our blog's name sometime soon... We've got another baby G on the way!

According to today's ultrasound, the due date is Nov. 15, the heartbeat looks great, & the little munchkin is 2 cm long. He/she has 31 more weeks to go, but we are excited to meet this one next fall. Well, Colin & I are excited...not sure about Will though :) Pray with us for this new addition's healthy development & that this pregnancy goes smoothly...as smoothly as a pregnancy can go, at least! We'll keep you updated, but as for now, I'm feeling all the normal (though unpleasant) symptoms of pregnancy & am growing fast. Gotta break out those maternity clothes a lot sooner this time around! We're thrilled to share this with you all!

Random Will Musings

I can't get over how that tiny baby below has grown to be such a tall, Buddha-bellied, tow-headed, strong-willed & strong-bodied kid. In only 15 1/2 months. I think his lungs have always been well-developed though :)


(Colin took the 2 pictures above when we were at the museum one day, playing with trucks, of course.)

--A couple of weeks ago, he figured out how to open the child-proof locks on the cabinets... He squeezes his chubby little hand through the narrow opening & presses down the lever to release the doors. A bit of a problem! I've put a different kind of lock on those cabinets with two knobs together, but he's almost figured that out too. This future Houdini has also learned how to pry open the door in the church nursery room. He's a sneaky one!

--His newest sounds are animal noises...It's cute--he'll do "mmm" for cow, "baa baa" for sheep, a strange gutteral variation of oink for pig, & an occasional growl for a lion/tiger. He also loves to pat his head, ears, & toes when requested. It's so amazing to me how he's grown up so much--he actually, visibly understands stuff now & (sometimes) even elects to do what I ask him to do. Mainly that's to find his shoes & go to the door...of course, he'll do anything to go outside.

--We do spend all day outside, either at parks, the museum, or in our own (or usually the neighbor's) yard. Will adores sand boxes & also gets a kick out of slides & the rest of the actual playground equipment...though every chance he gets, he tries to jump off the highest point of any playground. Scary! I definitely have to watch him every second--such a daredevil!

--He's very, very loud. When he's excited, & when he's mad. It shouldn't be a huge surprise to us...Colin & I both have loud voices, but I wish I could get Will to tone it down a tad. It's impressive what volume that little mouth can produce.

--Along with the above, we're dealing with MAJOR tantrums here. Will is extremely determined & knows what he wants, but he's also very impatient & easily frustrated (aren't all toddlers?!). So when he doesn't immediately get his way, get my attention, do what he's trying to do, or whatever is occupying his brain at the moment, he flips out. Crazy screaming, clinging to my body, throwing himself to the floor...it's painful to the ears & just aggravating. I know all kids throw tantrums--it's part of their development--but it's the frequency of Will's that drive us wild. I've tried ignoring them, but he generally just grabs hold of whatever part of my lower body he can & screams like a maniac until he gets his way... Colin once put him in his room & closed the door, but I don't think that worked all that well either. Will's pediatrician had recommended I hold him tightly but not give any attention, but he's too strong. He'll fight his way out of my arms. And generally it's over something silly...I'm trying to wash a dish, but he wants to read Clifford...I won't let him drink out of another kid's sippy cup...I actually (can you imagine) need to put a diaper on his rear end...Nothing out of the ordinary, just huge fights out of simple matters. All the time. Any advice or words of wisdom?? Let me know!

Richmond

My mom had a major surgery on her neck/spine a couple of weeks ago, & Will & I finally headed up to see how she was doing & visit the rest of the Seward clan. Due to Will's tendency toward high-pitched screaming & his impressive knack for destroying a house in a matter of minutes, we weren't desirable guests until now :) We were up there for a couple of days, spent lots of time outside in the beautiful weather, & hung out with my sister, grandparents, aunt, cousin, best friend... It's so convenient to have most all of my family in one place! Will even took a secret trip with his Granddad to Coldstone Creamery, where he consumed an entire cup of cake batter ice cream. That obsession with ice cream (and rice & beans, and pizza, and lasagna...) definitely comes from his mom. So we're back now, with a 3-legged dog. My mom wanted to spend a couple of weeks without the family dog, so he's temporarily down here with us. It's hard not to like the pitiful thing--he got hit by a truck a number of years ago, barely made it through, & now limps around without a functioning left front leg. We'll see how that goes...

Here is Will playing at the playground with Aunt Catherine... (You like the shirt? "What happens at Grandma's stays at Grandma's...")

One of his new Target trucks from Grammy...

Morning at the Museum

This morning we headed to our favorite local kid-friendly place--the Museum of Life & Science. We had a great time checking out the spaceships, train tables, sandboxes, snakes, woodchucks, goats, sheep, turkeys , wolves, & bears. All was well until I looked away for 2 seconds (I know, I should know better by now...) while we were near the bear habitat and Will found a small, muddy pond. Of course, he jumped right into it. The chillier weather didn't deter this adventure-seeker from taking a swim. He was perfectly content until I forced him out of it and tried to clean him off with diaper wipes (those suckers are miracle workers!)... Though this soaking, filthy child would've preferred to stay longer and wreak more havoc, we left. A naked little boy rode home in his car seat, chattering to himself about his next scheme...

BEFORE...


AFTER...

While Daddy's away...

...Will will play!... with his new "castle climber," trucks, cars, & his wagon. I didn't say he was always happy (see 4th pic), but he certainly wore himself out this overcast afternoon. Colin's currently in the ICU, so he's working hard & taking a lot of call--lots of time for just Will & me to entertain ourselves outdoors. So glad we live in the South, where Spring comes early!



He put himself in there...but to his dismay could not get out. He was screaming, but I couldn't help but laugh :)

Sold!

What a relief! Tonight we signed the contract to sell our house... It's so nice to have that done! It looks like we'll vacate this house on May 30/31 & move to our new abode in Winston. Then Will & I will live there by ourselves for a month, while Colin crashes somewhere else and finishes up his last month of residency at Duke. It's weird knowing we just have 3 months left here--Durham has certainly been a significant stop for us. It was the first new place we explored together as husband and wife, and our first child was born here. Yet I'm ready to move on... I do like adventure, and a new city is definitely that. In the meantime, we're still enjoying our Durham friends, church, favorite parks & pizza joint, playgroup, library story time, and Tommy's Mini-Mart (essential for milk & candy runs).

(New) Home Sweet Home

We found our new home! This morning, Colin, Will and I trekked to Winston-Salem to look at a couple of houses we noticed online, and as of this evening, this one is ours! It's exactly what I was looking for...a good family neighborhood, plenty of bedrooms, a nice backyard (with a creek for Will to play in!), carpets and paint jobs that don't have to be overhauled, and close to the hospital, mall, church, etc. The only thing we might do is build a fence to keep Wild Man Willie out of the neighbor's yard, but that's it. Whew. It's nice to have that checked off our list. So as of May 30, we've got a guest room just waiting for you!

Will at Play

I love Craigslist! This morning I purchased Will's new kitchen set & rocking horse from a woman whose children had sadly outgrown them, and she almost teared up when she saw Will already playing with her son's beloved horsie. I'd been looking for a kitchen for awhile--I refused to pay full price at Toys R Us, & it's not yard sale season yet...but now my boy can cook to his heart's content. Really, he crams as many trucks as can fit in the sink, attempts to disconnect the phone from its cord, and slams the oven door as hard as he can. He is a boy, after all. It's so fun to get him new stuff! Though I really don't know where to stick it all in our home...especially now that it's officially on the market. That's right--we have a big For Sale sign outside, and 2 couples have already been by to check it out. This whole process is a bit of a pain--I have to keep Will from wrecking the house (not an easy task, as he is a true force of destruction), his multitude of large gaudy plastic toys have to be placed as out of view as possible (never going to happen), and we have to find somewhere to go while strangers tromp through our home. Sure hope it sells fast.

Baby, it's COLD outside!

Must it get this cold? We live in the South--warm weather, along with sweet tea, "y'all," & friendly neighbors, is supposed to be one of its perks. I'm not loving it and am trying to find anywhere indoors to go during the day, so this morning we hit the mall. (Will is giving up his morning nap at the moment & only sleeps for an hour in the afternoon...so I really need to get out at some point every day...) There is a really nice mall in Durham, but we rarely go there because it's a bit of a drive. We choose instead to go to the mall minutes away, which has only a couple of decent stores & can be a little "rough" from time to time. I think it's great though--it's warm, there's a carousel & ride-on kiddie vehicles, & has a hobby shop with a train track inside. There's also a Baskin Robbins. Good enough for me! That's where we ventured this chilly morning, & Will even got some new Stride Rites out of the trip. I figured his current shoes might be getting small, but I felt pretty guilty when I was told he needed a full size up. He hadn't told me they were so tight :) Thankfully, there was even a pair on sale in his size, so that's what he got. And no more velcro--Will could kick those suckers off in a second. I got tired of picking up shoes & socks off the floor everywhere we went. The new ones are OK looking, not my favorites, but fine for three months--see below...

This afternoon we went for a walk in our new jogging stroller--I'm SO out of shape still but it's nice to run again, even if I stop after each few minutes to walk. Then we played outside for awhile and chased trucks down the driveway. Good times.

We're putting our house on the market really soon! Our realtor is coming over on Thursday, and I'm excited to get that ball rolling...

Question

Anyone have a jogging stroller that you love or hate?

I'm realizing that I do miss running... I did it regularly since my sophomore year in college, & it feels weird to be so out of shape. A treadmill isn't really an option, & I can't bear to leave Will at the only gym nearby with childcare (the supervision looks a little sketchy). It appears I need to hit the road again. Any suggestions on joggers?

We're Back!

Colin was on vacation last week, so we trekked all around & had a good ole time visiting family & friends. We started off in Richmond, where we got to hang out with my (Libby's) family, celebrate my sister's birthday, hang out with my best bud Kerri, see Colin's med school buddies & their wives (now with kids too!), go out to see Dreamgirls, & even (for Colin) to catch a UVA b-ball game in the new arena. Then we headed up to MD to spend an afternoon & night with my dear friend Corinne & her family. Again, Colin needed a sports fix, so he checked out a Wizards game, while I was perfectly content to go out to eat with my friend. Wednesday, our little family of 3 spent a few hours in Washington DC. It was fun--Will got to see the dinosaurs in the Museum of Natural History for the first time, we wandered around the mall (the grassy one--not the one I'd typically prefer), and we viewed the WWII memorial for the first time. Then off to Colonial Beach for a couple of days, where we ate lots & lots of tasty cookies & hung out with the Gallahans. After a quick visit with Colin's grandparents in Mineral, VA, we were back to Richmond. This time we ditched Will (in the loving care of my parents, of course) and spent a night & day in downtown Richmond, eating out in non-kid friendly restaurants, staying in a hotel & sleeping in till the glorious hour of 8 am, and feeling like we were Colin & Libby, not just dada & mama. (Meanwhile, Will was living it up eating ice cream for lunch and buying new trucks at Target, so no need to feel sorry for him.) It was a great week, and it was fun to catch up with so many different people. Now we're back (unfortunately with a broken water heater! yikes!) and ready to get back into the routine... Due to some hectic work months ahead for Colin, I don't think we'll be on the road again for awhile, but feel free to stop by & say hi :)
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SO cold!!

We thought we'd show Will where he might reside one day. Who knows...
Colin & Will in front of the T-Rex ( I think). Just pretend like you can see it.

Thank goodness for old friends!

I was so excited for my friend Amelia & her 2 girls to visit us this weekend...She was a freshman dorm hallmate, "apartment mate" sophomore year, sorority sister, bridesmaid & all-around dear friend. With many moves over the past few years between us, it's so good to have friends that have known us since before we were wives & moms. Since she's been living across the country these past few years, I hadn't seen her since before I was even prego with Will. Somehow she managed to drive 9 hours from Florida, without her husband, with her 2 daughters, to get to Durham--yippee for car DVD players, I guess! It was wonderful to hang out with Amelia, Ashley & Paige, though spoiled little Will didn't particularly enjoy sharing his toys. It's amazing to think of how our lives have changed since we were wacky 18 year olds climbing the walls of Nicholson dorm & heading off to parties in tube tops & silver sequin pants. Oh, the days :) Thank you, Gillespie ladies, for your visit!!

Below, we're visiting Williamsburg 1 year after graduation.

Ashley & Paige pushing their new boyfriend up the driveway

We spent Saturday morning at Durham's Museum of Life & Science (LOVE that place!)--Ashley was not so amused when a butterfly landed on her in the butterfly pavilion :)

Will was a happy camper while playing with the train set inside the musem.

On the Move

It may be drizzling today, but that can't stop us from playing outdoors. I can't handle being stuck inside for too long, and Will slams his body against the door & windows and screams until he can roam free outside. Thank goodness this winter has been so warm so far--I'm not thrilled about spending hours in 30 degree temps...if that ever happens down here. So anyways, we were frolicking around in the dirt and mud this morning. Will's new wheels arrived last night. For others of you with babies/toddlers, this car is fabulous! My back can't handle any more leaning over to push my little buddy in his other vehicles, so this one with the long handle is great.

I tried to snap a pic of Will running toward me in the yard. Too late.
Heading into the carport, where he circles my car repeatedly. I'm just glad he's releasing some of that energy...Maybe he'll actually nap :)

New Do

This Sunday, Colin & Will both got haircuts... Will now looks even more like a little man, though his "stylist" went a little crazy over the ears. It'll grow back, I guess. He now is running like crazy all over our house--it's hard to keep up!

Colin & I spent Saturday with a realtor in Winston-Salem, & we're excited about all the options. We're wavering between building in a new subdivision & buying a resale in an established neighborhood. We're getting excited about our new town!

Home Sweet Home

Christmas was wonderful, as always, except for the fact that Colin & I got a nasty stomach virus (originally thought to be food poisoning) and proceeded to pass it on to a friend, my parents, my brother, & 4 grandparents. Not the ideal way for anyone to spend the holidays. We're sorry, everyone! I know that wasn't the gift you expected from us. Hopefully you will still want to see us again sometime?!

We didn't take a single picture while away, but we did enjoy playing with our brand new video camera...Those things sure have come a long ways! Will must have been exhausted from all the excitement and people from the past week, & he actually took a 2 hour nap this afternoon. Amazing. It gave me enough time to take down all the Christmas decorations and attempt to organize all of Will's new loot. I think I'm going to need some large, ugly, brightly-colored plastic contraption to hold all his stuff, otherwise it's going to take over our home.

It was fabulous to see so many friends & family--we loved it!--but it always feels so good to be home again. Hope you all had marvelous celebrations of Jesus' birthday too.

Merry, Merry Christmas!

We're headed off tonight to begin the Christmas festivities...First to Richmond for a few days, then to Colonial Beach for the rest of Colin's vacation week. We can't wait to see family & friends in both places, & wish the rest of you a very joyous Christmas!

Chug, Chug, Chug

Now, Colin & I are not big drinkers. In fact, this can of beer has been in our fridge for over a year, and I recently threw out a bottle of champagne we received on our wedding day (almost 3 years ago). However for some reason, every time Will gets into our refrigerator he locates and pretends to drink this Bud Light. It's very strange...There might be several Diet Cokes and Dr. Peppers on the same shelf, but he will search out his beer. Let's stick with milk & juice for another 20 years, Will.

He's ONE, & He's off...

Friday was Will's first birthday--It's amazing how much he's changed over this past year! I know every parent says it, but they do grow up fast. He's truly becoming his own little person now... He looks like a boy--not a baby--and he's got a definite personality and mind of his own too. He interacts with the world now, which makes parenting so much more fun :) He claps to music, waves at anything (especially inflatable snowmen, Santa, & his daddy), has passionate conversations with himself of mamamama dadaada hehehee, reads his books out loud (in his own language, of course), and plays with enthusiasm. He also has graduated from those first cautious steps to full-fledged walking all over the house. He may look inebriated at times with a sometimes unsteady balance, but that boy can move. He especially likes carrying objects--masking tape, nail polish, daddy's pager--as he jets from room to room.

Though he still refuses non-baby food veggies, we've learned Will likes pizza & chicken nuggets. Colin & I ordered pizza Friday night, and Will couldn't keep his mouth off my slice. I think he just prefers food with flavor...seasoned beans, chili, greasy cheese...But he still mainly lives on yogurt, crackers, goldfish, fruit, and his Gerber vegetables. I'm beginning to wean him, now that he can drink whole milk, & thankfully he seems to be doing ok with non-mommy milk. FYI--He's 23.5 lbs & doing great, according to the doctor.

I think back on those first SIX months of interrupted sleep and wonder how we survived. I'm a girl who loves her sleep, & I was not a happy camper some days after getting 2 hours of sleep at a time. Maybe Colin is tougher than me, since he's used to staying up all night at work, but that was not pleasant for moi. Thank God that Will sleeps now!! What a difference that makes. And we put him down early--by 6:30pm--so that we have a few hours of non-Will time each night.

I have an amusing picture I'll upload later today, but for now my words will have to suffice. Happy birthday to our little munchkin, William Christopher.

What will he do next?

Apparently Will wasn't satisfied with the yogurt & fruit he had for lunch. While I was raking up leaves & Will was playing next to me, the boy decided to eat dog poop. I kid you not--the child was enjoying the remains of a neighborhood dog's droppings. I watch him carefully in the yard, lest he consume a poisonous berry or some toxic leaf, but I never expected this one. He often chews on sticks, and that doesn't bother me. I thought he was gnawing on a piece of bark until I found otherwise... I'm sad to say I even forgot to brush his little teeth before he went to bed.

Boys will be boys

Yep, it's cold outside, but that doesn't stop Will from wanting to play with leaves, dirt, & sticks. He does have several layers on (& normally a hat)--don't worry!



Here he is practicing his "downward dog" yoga pose. He does this often.


Will has also begun to throw tantrums--major ones. I naively thought this didn't start until the "terrible twos," but when Will doesn't get his way, he goes crazy. He flings his body to the floor, bangs his head, and of course screams. He's very strong-willed, so I've got to figure out how to best deal with that... Being a stay at home mom with only one child, it's obvious why he's so spoiled, but he can't have my undivided attention all the time. After all, a girl's got to use the restroom now and then, ideally without a child either in the room or angrily banging on the door!