One Year!

Well, we made it! We all survived Will's first year of life. Oh my...it has gone so quickly! Even though those first few weeks seemed like they would never end, the year ended up being a total blur. One minute I was holding my precious newborn, and the next minute I was chasing my toddler around the house, picking up the messes left in his wake. At least once a day, I think "when did my baby get so big?" Anyway, whether I believe it or not, a year has come and gone, and it truly has been the best year of my life!

Will had his 12 month well check, which included more shots. That is never fun, but he seemed to handle them pretty well this time. He weighed in at 20 lbs. 3 oz. and measured 29 1/2 inches long.  He is a great eater, and it definitely showed at this visit! He's finally out of the 5-10% in weight, even though he still seems pretty tiny compared to other babies his age. Everything else is great. He is very healthy, and for that, I am SO grateful.

Obviously the biggest thing this month was his first birthday! We started celebrating early, so we could celebrate with my extended family and Theron's extended family. Both celebrations were so much fun, and I know Will enjoyed every minute of it, even if he had no idea why he was getting to eat cake, cookies, and ice cream. He also got to celebrate his first Thanksgiving and absolutely loved all the yummy Thanksgiving food, too. He is blessed to have so many wonderful family members, and he ended up with more presents than any one-year-old really needs...especially right before Christmas!

The day of his actual birthday, we had a few of his friends and their mommies over for lunch. They played, made messes, and ate more cookies. It was a lot of fun.

I love his little personality more and more each day. He is constantly making us laugh. He has the cutest ornery look you've ever seen...and the personality to match! He is always testing us. When we tell him "No," he usually does whatever he isn't supposed to be doing with that little ornery look on his face. I usually have to turn away, so he doesn't see me laughing, before I can try to discipline him again. He loves showing off...especially for little girls. He tries to impress them with his awesome dance moves, but so far, they do not seem too impressed.

He is learning more words and often tries to repeat what we say, but he mostly speaks gibberish and LOTS of it. I am convinced he actually knows a foreign language, and I just don't understand what he's saying. He can talk a mile a minute, but goodness knows what he's trying to say. I can't wait for the day that all those words actually make sense! I always wonder what is going on in that little head of his. Sometimes, I'm not so sure I really want to know.

He loves to take turns chasing each other around the house, and I love his squeals as he runs to get away. He still loves taking rides in the laundry basket, and I only agree to it because it's great exercise for me! He has an obsession with socks. He will take them, put them in a pile, then move them to the laundry basket, then back out of the laundry basket into another pile on the floor. He will sometimes play with socks for half an hour. Whatever keeps him entertained. He also loves loading and emptying the dishwasher and emptying "his" cabinets and drawers that he's allowed to play in. Right now seems to be all about sorting and stacking, and I figure all of these messes spread throughout my house are only serving educational purposes, right?

He will also play with any kind of ball. He loves to roll them, throw them, kick them, and put them through the hoop on his new basketball goal. I keep telling myself he doesn't have to like sports. He doesn't have to play sports if he doesn't want. But I keep hoping, that he will want to without any pressure from his mom and dad. So far, it seems like I don't have to worry.

He still takes one nap in the morning for about 30 mintues and one nap in the afternoon for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours (unless we're at someone else's house!). He refuses to nap well when he's anywhere but in his bed. I can't say I blame him. I prefer to sleep in my own bed, too! I don't know how long his morning nap will last, but I'm going to hold on to it as long as I can. He goes to bed around 7:30 each night and sleeps until 6:00 or 6:30 in the morning...we even made it to 7:15 one day!

He gets so excited for bath time or "baa ta," but he hates having his hair washed. He DOES NOT like having his diaper changed, but will lay still just long enough for me to get the job done if I sing the BC Clark Christmas Jingle. He still doesn't like us to leave him anywhere, but he usually cries for just a little while and does fine after that. Most of all, he doesn't like to sit still! I cherish the moments that he is sleepy enough to sit on my lap for just a few minutes. Unfortunately, these moments are few and far between!

I could go on and on. I love him more than I ever could have imagined, and just when I think I can't possibly love him any more...I do. I constantly thank God for the blessing he is to my life. I know the years will only go faster and faster, and I hope I can live in the moment, through each and every unique phase and just soak them all up!

You are such a blessing to me, Will Cooper! I love you so much!

11 Months

OK, so I've been terrible about blogging lately. It's already been an entire month since I last blogged, and now it's time for Will's monthly update again. Maybe the fact that I have an 11-month-old has something to do with my lack of blogging. Did you hear that? I have an 11-month-old! Can you believe it? I know I can't. This month has been lots of fun and full of action!

Will is a full-time walker now, which means I do not sit down often. Thank goodness for nap time! I have come to realize that nap times are definitely more for the parents than for the child. Can I get an amen? Anyway, we do lots of running around. Will has even learned to "race." He stands at one end of the hall, and I say, "On your mark, get set, GO!" Then, he takes off, going as fast as his little legs will carry him, and ends by clapping for himself and looking very proud. It really is very cute.

He loves playing outside and going to the playground by our house. The swing is his favorite. The kid would swing for hours if I'd let him. Our visits to the park usually end in crying (Will's, not mine), as I tear him away from the swing and put him back in his stroller. He gets over it pretty quickly, though, since we have a nice walk to get back to the house.

This month has been all about messes. I thought that they were bad before, but I had no idea what was coming. This kid can make a mess, and he does it with such joy. He loves to throw all the books off the bookshelf. I hate picking up the books multiple times a day, but he just looks so happy as he's throwing those books on the ground. Plus, it keeps him quiet and occupied for a few minutes, so I can actually do something productive. He's also become a pro at opening cabinets and drawers and throwing the contents all over the room. Again, a big mess, but sometimes it is totally worth it. I love the sound of his "uh-oh" as he throws everything on the ground.

He is quite a talker. Most of the time I have no idea what he is saying, but he just jabbers away. I'm not sure how I ended up with such a noisy child, :). I love it, though! The sound of that sweet voice can just make my day. He has also started doing this crazy laugh. I have no idea where he got it, but it is hilarious. It's almost a cackle. I definitely need to get it on video, so I never forget that sound.

Will has always been and continues to be a great eater. Right now he wants to eat anything and everything that is on my plate. Slightly frustrating at times, but I'm glad he likes trying new foods. He loves pasta and baked beans. A boy after my own heart. He is only nursing once a day now. I have slowly switched one feeding at a time, and it has worked out well for both of us, so far. After his birthday, I think he will be ready to switch to drinking from a cup full time.

He seems like he has grown a lot this month, but it's hard to tell without official measurements. He unofficially weighs around 18 lbs., but I have no idea how long he is. He does not stay still long enough for me to measure. His 12 month check up should be an interesting one. I might have to sit on him in order for the doctor to do what she needs to do.

A few notables and favorite things from this month:
- Will destroyed another cell phone (almost)...it miraculously recovered after being thrown in water. He threw the first one in the toilet. The recovery was not so successful.
- He loves being pulled around the house in the laundry basket. He also loves putting things in the laundry basket and pulling them around the house.
- He likes to make piles of clothes (dirty laundry...yes, we consistently have piles of it) and jump in them. He actually just falls face first into them. It makes me laugh so hard every time.
- He also likes jumping on the bed. This probably wasn't the best thing to teach him, but he has so much fun doing it, so there's no going back now.
- He loves hugs. He sometimes scares other children with his excessive hugging. I, however, can't get enough of it.
- He likes to dance. At the slightest sound of music, he starts bouncing his little legs and waving his arms.
- He loves to wave at everyone in the grocery store. We make new "friends" every time we go to the store.
- He celebrated his first Halloween by going to our church's Fall Festival, dressed as the cutest lumberjack you've ever seen.

I just adore this boy. He is not the perfect child. He can be grumpy and whiny and clingy. He makes messes and breaks things and constantly gets crumbs all over the floor. But he is mine, and that's all that matters.

10 Months

Well, it's been awhile since I blogged, but you know I wouldn't miss one of Will's monthly updates! Wow, this month flew by. Just like all the rest. I'm afraid this post could get really long because I feel like SO much has happened this month. I'll try my best just to hit the highlights.

The major milestone of the month is that Will started walking! He is still a selective walker. He doesn't walk all the time...he actually still crawls quite a bit. I think it's because he can still get around faster crawling than walking. He is walking more and more each day, though, and I know crawling will be a thing of the past before I blink my eyes.

He is also picking up more words all the time. Along with the words he learned last month, he can say book, milk, more, done, and OOOOOOOOOOO U!

He loves to laugh and to tease Mommy and Daddy. He also loves to clap and cheer for himself. All the time. I'm pretty sure this kid won't have any self-esteem issues. He still loves to cuddle, and I can't get enough of his sweet hugs and kisses. He has a new pal...Mr. Bear. It is a stuffed animal his Aunt Molly gave him, and he loves to drag him around the house, push him in the baby swing, and give him hugs.

Will still loves being outside, so we try to take a walk every day, and most days we play at the park. We've also been meeting Theron at the park for lunch once a week, and Will loves getting to see his daddy at lunch time.

He is a VERY good eater. I've stopped giving him baby food because he loves feeding himself, and he's not quite ready to use a spoon by himself yet. It's quite a battle and a huge mess if I try to feed him, so finger foods it is! He is eating all kinds of foods and doesn't seem too picky...yet. We are still nursing 3 times a day. I honestly never thought I would really nurse for a full year, but now that we've made it this far, I'm determined to finish! I did replace one nursing session with a cup of formula or breast milk if I have any stored. He is doing really well with this transition, and I'm hoping gradually eliminating one nursing session at a time will make the change easier on both of us.

I have no idea how much he weighs now, but I know he is growing. He is wearing mostly 12 month or 12-18 month tops and 6-9 month bottoms. He is also wearing shoes most of the time now since he is walking, and he wears a size 3 or 3.5.

I really can't get over how much I love him. Even when he frustrates me. Even when he wakes up screaming in the middle of the night. Even when he throws a fit when he doesn't get his way. I still love him more than I ever could have imagined.

Dallas Trip

Every year our Sunday School department takes a weekend trip together. We started this tradition a couple of years ago, and I love it! It is the perfect chance to get away, forget about life back home, and just have fun. This year we went to Dallas, and we had a great time.

We left Friday morning. I'm not someone who just loves road trips, but I do love road trips with lots of friends! We loaded into a suburban and a church van and headed south on I-35. We stopped in Ardmore for lunch. I know you're asking, why in the world did you do that? We really did have a very good reason. One of the girls from our class recently moved to the Ardmore area, and we stopped to have lunch with her. She took us to this yummy little barbecue place where we proceeded to stuff ourselves before finishing our journey south.

We continued our trip to Dallas, getting there just in time before rush hour traffic hit. We checked into our hotel and immediately headed to the pool to hang out and lounge around until dinner time. For dinner, we went to Medieval Times. If you've never been, it's definitely worth going. I'm not much into the whole medieval scene, but it really was a lot of fun. You get a good dinner (eaten with your hands...no utensils are provided) and a show. When you come in, you are assigned a color and given a corresponding crown. This is your "team," and you cheer for the knight of the same color. Since I'm all about competition, I cheered wildly for our knight. Unfortunately, he was the first one to die. Such a disappointment. Even though our team didn't win, I still had a great time and would highly recommend visiting Medieval Times if you get the chance.

On Saturday, most of the guys headed to a Rangers game, and the girls went SHOPPING! We're not talking leisurely, walk around and look shopping. We're talking serious, put on your comfy shoes, walk until you feel like your legs are going to fall off shopping. It. Was. Awesome. We started our day at Ikea, also known as Heaven. We spent 4 hours at Ikea and probably could have stayed longer, but we were all pretty worn out and knew there was much more shopping to be done. I found some great stuff including a salad spinner for $2.99! I love that place.

After Ikea, we headed to Sam Moon...another one of our favorites. Who doesn't love cheap purses and jewelry? Then we were off the Stonebriar Mall to do even more shopping. By the end of the day, my legs were almost as tired as after running a marathon. But, I got some cute stuff and had a lot of fun, so it was well worth it. We ended our time at the mall with dinner at The Cheesecake Factory. Then, later that evening, a few of us walked to a nearby frozen yogurt place for dessert. A perfect ending to a great day.

Sunday morning, we packed up our stuff and headed to the pool for a brief time of fellowship. I could handle church by the pool every Sunday. Just saying. We ate lunch at Buffalo Wild Wings, which turned out to be a lot of fun, since it was the opening Sunday of NFL football. They had all the games on at one time, which was very crazy but pretty awesome, too.

That Sunday was the 10 year anniversary of 9/11. This topic really requires a post of its own, but there was a really cool moment while we were eating lunch. All of the football games had a tribute to 9/11 at the exact same time. They all had giant American flags that covered the entire field. At the exact same time, they all played Taps, followed by the National Anthem. Buffalo Wild Wings had been so loud that we couldn't even hear each other talking at our own table. We were literally shouting just to have a conversation with the person next to us. But when the music started, and Taps started playing, the entire restaurant was dead silent. Everyone sat with their eyes fixed on the nearest TV screen. Somber looks filled the room. Tears streamed down people's faces. And when the national anthem was over, the entire restaurant broke into a wild applause. It was one of the coolest moments I've ever been a part of.

After all that, we loaded back into our vehicles and headed home. Back to the real world. Back to work. Back to families. Back to whatever was waiting for us there.

I mentioned earlier that this trip would be the first time I left Will over night, and I'm happy to report that we both did very well! Theron's mom came to our house and stayed with Will, and I know they had so much fun together. She said he did great, and he was SO excited to see us when we got home. I held up pretty well, too. I definitely missed my baby, but I only broke down one time. I was able to really enjoy myself and have fun with my friends, which I think is important for parents to do. Our whole lives revolve around our kids, and I think it's nice to have some time for yourself every once in awhile. It was very refreshing, and I was so happy to see my baby boy when I got home! I think I might have even had a little more patience with him this week.

All in all, it was a great trip...just like always. I'm so thankful for our church friends. They are the best. I'm thankful for weekends away to act silly, have fun, and do ridiculous amounts of shopping. I'm thankful for a mother-in-law who came to stay the weekend to take care of my baby. I'm thankful for a chance to be refreshed and recharged. Now, I'm already looking forward to next year!

9 Months Old!

Tomorrow, Will will be 9 months old! He has officially been out of my belly as long as he was in there! Oh my goodness, it's gone so fast.

He seems to really be growing lately, and we've had to retire lots of clothes. Which is sad, but also fun because we get to buy new clothes! I think he's still somewhere in the 17 pound range, but we will find out for sure at his well child visit next Wednesday. He is now wearing mostly 9 month shirts and onesies, but he's starting to wear a few 12 month things. He is still wearing size 3-6 month shorts, but I'm thinking he won't be in them too much longer. We finally moved up to size 3 diapers. It was nice to actually be in one size for several months. That way I could stock up and not have tons of diapers leftover when he outgrew them!

His little personality just shines through more and more each day. He is so much fun. He loves to laugh and play games. His favorites are peek-a-boo and patty cake. He loves clapping for anything and everything. We watch Who Wants to Be a Millionaire and Family Feud a lot around here, and he gets so excited for the people on those shows. He claps his hands and looks so proud of them. It's the sweetest thing ever.

I have introduced a few signs (eat, more, and all done). I thought he was trying to sign more a few times, but then I realized he was just clapping. He claps no matter what sign I show him. Apparently, he is very proud that his mom knows baby sign language. Maybe he will "get it"  before too long.

He has also started saying more words. He will even repeat a few words after me. He can repeat mama, dada, uh-oh, and ball. Uh-oh is my favorite. It is very dramatic!

He is so close to walking. He pulls up on everything and cruises around moving from one object to another. We got him one of the push-behind walker toys, and he pushes it all over the house. He's not so great at steering, so he runs into a lot of walls. I go help him turn around, and he's off again. He loves to walk around holding on to just one finger, but if you pull that finger out of his grasp, he squats to the ground. I'm ok with that, though. No need to rush the little man. He gets into enough stuff and makes enough messes as it is!

On a not so positive note, his stubborn side has really shown through this month. He has decided that he wants to wake up between 5 and 5:30 every day. Some days it is even earlier. He stands in his crib and screams until someone comes in and lays him back down. He eventually goes back to sleep. Unfortunately, his mom and dad don't always go back to sleep! This has been a source of frustration for all of us. I've tried several different things, including just letting him stand there and scream (after 45 minutes, I gave up). It could be teeth. He could be growing. I think it's just plain stubbornness. Sadly, I can only blame myself for that trait.

Nursing is still going well. I'm hoping we will be able to continue through 12 months, but I'm just trying to take it day by day. He sometimes seems uninterested, and I'm not sure if it's that he's just not that hungry, or if he might just be getting uninterested in nursing all together. We will see. As far as solids go, he prefers to feed himself, so we're hardly using baby food at all anymore. He is a very good eater and does really well with finger foods, so that's mostly what he eats these days. He loves grapes, blueberries, carrots, corn, and cheese (along with lots of other stuff!).

In a couple weeks, I will be leaving him overnight for the first time. Theron and I are going on a weekend trip to Dallas with some of our church friends, and Theron's mom has kindly agreed to come keep Will for us. I have been doing lots of praying about the whole thing, and I'm starting to have a real peace about it. If you think of us, you might say a quick prayer. I know it's just a weekend, but this mama has a hard time leaving her little guy behind. I know he will have a great weekend with his MeMa.

One of my very favorite things that has emerged is Will's love to cuddle. I love to cuddle, too! After he wakes up from his naps, we cuddle on the couch for awhile, and it's my absolute favorite time of the day. I love his sweet hugs, and when I walk in the other room, I love hearing "mama, mama, mama" as he looks to see where I went. He is my sweet boy, and I love him so very much!

Adding Activity to Your Day

I took a short...ok...2 week break, but now I'm back, and I've got plenty to write about! I keep thinking things will slow down (I'm a stay-at-home mom for crying out loud!), but they never do. Granted, most of it is stuff I schedule and bring on myself, but I stay pretty busy, nonetheless. I actually love keeping my calendar full and tend to get bored when I have nothing going on.

However, I do like to have a day at home with absolutely nothing to do, other than stupid stuff like cleaning and laundry. That stuff never ends, though, so I try not to let it ruin a good lazy day.

The only problem with taking such a long break from blogging is knowing where to begin once I come back! A lot has happened since the last time I wrote. Since it's technically Wellness Wednesday, I suppose I'll try to write something along those lines and fill you in on everything else later.

As you all know, fitness is a big part of my life. I've written about this a few times before. I've been physically active my whole life, and I really enjoy a good workout. However, since giving birth (almost 9 months ago!), it has been a struggle for me to really fit my workouts in. I've even tried to lower my expectations, and I'm still having trouble. I'm beginning to realize I have to fit exercise into my life however I can. Even if it doesn't look like what I'm used to. I may not have time to go for a 45 minute run or to do an hour long pilates DVD, but I can squeeze little things in throughout my day that really add up. Here are a few ideas that I've incorporated into my daily "workouts."

- Don't sit so much. As a mom, I feel like I am constantly running around, so when Will is napping, I often want to get on the computer or watch TV. Don't get me wrong. I do plenty of this. I began to realize I was doing WAY too much of this. Yes, checking my email, my Facebook, and Pinterest are actually good for me. I need time to sit down and take part in some mindless activities. However, I was finding that instead of spending 30 minutes doing these things, I was spending an hour...or more, which is totally unnecessary. I have tried to start limiting my computer time, and if I watch TV, I try to do crunches, push ups, jumping jacks, and other similar activities while I do it. Just getting up and moving (even if I'm watching TV) burns so many more calories than sitting on the couch or at the computer.

- Make it fun. A lot of times I don't even realize I'm being active because I'm just having fun. Will and I have been taking walks to our neighborhood park every morning before it gets too hot. We don't walk all that fast. We stop to look at dogs and trees and water. We play in the park. I push him on the swing. I take him down the slide. I'm being active, but I'm having too much fun to notice. Will and I also dance every day. Yes, every day. We have several Pandora stations that we love, so I pick one, and we dance. I act ridiculously goofy, and Will giggles and giggles. I love it! Again, it's something active that is so much fun. Have fun. Play with your kids. You'll get a workout, and you won't even realize it.

- Do the simple things. Park further away at the store. Take the stairs whenever you can. Before you put the groceries away, lift each bag a few times. I've even been known to do crazy things like walking in place while I wash dishes, doing lunges across the kitchen while unloading the dishwasher, walking laps throughout my house while talking on the phone. All of these little things add up.

These are just a few ways I try to squeeze in extra activity throughout my day. Yes, I still try to do a "formal" workout a few times a week, but on the days that doesn't happen, I just try to keep moving. Adding any extra movement and activity to your day burns additional calories, builds muscle, and gets your heart pumping.

How do you make time for your workouts? What tips do you have for squeezing extra activity into your day? I would love to hear your thoughts and suggestions!

It's already Thursday again?

Hey there! So...I missed a few days. I'm not really sure where they went. I'm not really sure this whole schedule thing is keeping me on track the way I thought it would. I'm not really sure it matters, though.

Anyway, I'm glad this is supposed to be a random-thought Thursday because I have lots of random thoughts to throw at you. My absolute favorite kind of post! Here they are.

* Theron and I were in charge of taking the youth group from our church to the Youth Evangelism Conference in Norman over the weekend. It was an awesome weekend filled with great Christian speakers and bands. We had a great time, and I hope the youth group had a great time, too! Sometimes I feel like everyone in the church, all ages, would benefit from going to a youth conference, camp, etc. It seems that they tend to worship much more freely and passionately than we do in our churches on a typical Sunday morning. It's very refreshing.

* My parents and my sister came to take care of Will while Theron and I were in Norman. They all had a great time. Will was spoiled rotten, and my family loved every single minute of spoiling him. I am so thankful for them and for my spoiled little boy. Even though I didn't spend the night away from him, it was the longest we had ever been apart, and we both made it through without any problems.

* My baby is transforming into a little boy right before my eyes. He is pulling up on everything...everything! It makes this mama a nervous wreck! I look up, and he's standing at the fireplace (the brick fireplace!). I turn around, and he's cruising around the coffee table (on our hardwood floors!). I open the refrigerator, and there he is...standing up, pulling out whatever is in his reach. He comes and tugs at my hands and pulls at my legs, begging me to help him walk around all.day.long. I try to get him to crawl, to sit, to play in the floor, but he will have none of it. I give in and walk him around the house, bent over and back aching. I know my permanent hunchback is coming soon.

* Preseason football starts tonight! I don't even care who's playing. I'm just ready for football season to be in full swing. There will finally be something worth watching on Saturdays again! Even though I'm more of a college fan than an NFL fan, I'll take whatever I can get.

* My sister-in-law leaves for Russia in just over a week. She is going to be teaching there for the upcoming school year. I try not to think about it because it brings tears to my eyes. I am so proud of her and so happy for her, but I'm going to miss her so much. I admire her obedience and her willingness to go where God wants her. Please keep her in your prayers as she starts on this new adventure.

* It is raining. Glorious wet stuff falling from the sky. It has rained here 3 days in a row, and that is nothing short of a miracle. We have also had temperatures under 100 for the past couple days, and I am loving it! I've always been more of a summer person, but I've never been so ready for Fall! Thank you God for this relief.

* Lastly, I'm just grateful. Grateful for all I've been given. Grateful for God's provision. Grateful that He is in control, and I am not. Just grateful.