Mmmmm...Cereal

We recently started Will on cereal. He is 4 months today, and was sleeping through the night and then stopped. This happened once before and we tried cereal, but decided he didn't quite need it/wasn't quite ready. Recently he has started showing other signs that he is ready. So here is our second attempt at starting a cereal regime, and he took it much better this time, though still makes those icky faces. :) I am also happy to report that he slept through the night again after this feeding. Yea!

A First

Friday night Will and I experienced a first together---our first hockey game. Carl got free tickets through this program for the military and we went to the Memphis Riverkings hockey game (minor league team). It was a fun time and I would definitely recommend a hockey game if you've never been and don't mind a little fighting once in a while. :) Thankfully it wasn't too crowded or too loud. I only had to cover Will's ears when they made goals, but other than that it was pretty good. I took a few pictures for Will's scrapbook, to provide a memory of his first hockey game ever. We couldn't use the flash during the game, which is why we don't have the hockey rink in the background behind us (too bright, making us too dark).

Will was such a good boy the whole game, just sitting on Mommy's lap, content to watch all that was going on around him. As you can see here, he is trying to look back toward the game or whoever is sitting in front of us. :)

The Best Sound in the World

Will has become ticklish, which is a day we have been waiting for. He has been for a while but just lately we have been able to figure out how we did it and repeat it. Pretty fun. I think a baby's/child's laugh is really the best sound in the world. So, I of course had to take video. As usual you have have to forgive the angle, as I had to hold the camera and tickle at the same time. : ) Enjoy the laughter!

From The Beginning To Now

I just saw this picture of Will in his first week of life, and was amazed at how much he has changed in just 3 months. Here is a quick comparison of then and now. The "now" picture is one taken while he is on the move, so not terribly clear, but it is a face I see often. : ) He doesn't slow down too much anymore, and is quite animated. He is such a precious blessing that continues to bring us immeasurable joy daily.

Small Talk

Will loves to chat with Mommy and Daddy. I keep trying to get this on camera, but every time I try he finds the camera looking at him and stops talking, mesmerized by it. It is too funny. Anyhow, here is what I could catch of him chatting up Daddy the other day.

A Walk in the Park

Last week we went to take a walk in a nearby forest. Carl had a race there one morning, and we thought it was so beautiful that we had to go back and take a walk. It was beautiful! We LOVE fall, and the leaves, and also love spending time outside as a family. It is so wonderful to be able to take advantage of the gorgeous nature that God has provided for us.

Love walking through the falling leaves!

The many colors of fall.

Will loves going outside for a walk in the stroller.  He let me know a while back that he is no longer so little, and wants to sit up to be able to see outside, so we tuck the blanket in to keep him stable, and in this case warm as well.  : )

The end result of this stroller ride and many stroller rides.  : )  I try to take walks with him close to nap time, as to not throw off his schedule, since he usually ends up asleep during them. 

He's done it again!

A year ago you may remember that I put up a post about Carl and I running a half-marathon (13.1 miles).  Well since then Carl has gone on to run a full marathon, and then again ran the half-marathon this past Sunday morning!  The great thing about the races is that they are at 7am, so you can run it and still make it to Sunday School on time!  : )  Anyhow, Carl did a fabulous job, running the marthon in a comprable time to his last race, with not nearly as much preparation this time.  Run, Carl, run!! 

Passing many ahead of him (he's in the white shirt with the black and red in the middle and blue shorts).

Passing even more (he's the 6th person in this picture)!

Finishing strong!

Great time for 13.1 miles!  That's an average pace of 8min. and 39sec. per mile.

Yippee!!!!

Praise the Lord, my baby started sleeping through the night!!!  Will started sleeping through the night this past weekend from a bedtime anywhere between 8 to 10 and waking around 6.  Then he eats and sleeps for about another hour.  What a good boy he is!!  : )  Just wanted to share the good news!  As a sidenote--he only sleeps on his tummy sometimes while he naps, when I can watch him, not at night.  I love seeing his little legs tucked and his little feet in this picture. 

Baby Dedication

This past Sunday we had Will's baby dedication. For those who do not know--a baby dedication is really for the parents of the baby, not the child. It has nothing to do with salvation for the child, but is simply and outward, public commitment of the parents to raise the child in a godly home, for the Lord. In addition, it is a commitment of the church to continue to foster a godly environment for the child to grow in spiritually and also I think to continue to serve as a place of spiritual growth, rooted in God's truths, for the parents, helping to keep them accountable for raising a godly child.

There was also another couple dedicating their 3rd child to the Lord. They also have a little boy and he was born 5 days after Will. The church gave us each a personalized plaque stating our commitment and a little new testament Bible for Will. Also, as a big surprise, my parents and sister showed up for the dedication! We had NO IDEA that they were going to be there and were overjoyed to see them there for the occasion. It was a lovely day and a great commitment before the Lord, one that we will continually think of and remind ourselves of daily as we strive to raise our child in a godly home for the Lord.

During the dedication Pastor held Will in order to pray for and over him, and I was personally praying beforehand that he would just stay peacefully asleep and praise God, he did!

Little Pumpkin

A few friends and relatives gave Will outfits and accessories to celebrate the season, and since they all live far away, I wanted to post pictures of him in them so they could see him wearing their gifts. Besides, it's just so fun to see him in them! : )

As a warning--I had a hard time deciding on pictures, so there are a few in each outfit...yes, I know, I am a first time Mommy--I know you all are thinking it! ; )

He has been putting his fists in his mouth to suck on lately, so that is where they are on their way to in this picture.

Pumpkin outfit, with socks and hat to match!

An action shot. : )

Though he is a little blown out in this picture, it cracked me up, so I had to post it.

And finally--our little zebra. : ) He was not in as much of a smiling mood when this was taken, but I still love it!

2 Month Check-Up

Today Will had his 2 month check-up. It's almost not fair that something so sweet and so little has to be stuck with those needles, but we know it's for the best. : ) He did scream initially (a scream, not even really a cry) but after a few minutes of nursing he was his jolly little self again. Also, thanks to some advice from mother's that know, I gave him some Children's Motrin prior to the appointment, which I believe helped as well. As an update Will stats are: 14 pounds even (double his birth weight), 24 inches long (3 more than his birth). He is a growing boy and doing great. He has been sleepier than usual today, as I was told is a usual side-effect of the shots, and for that I am thankful. Rather have a sleepy baby than a hurting, fussy baby.

My Growing Baby

Well, Will is doing great. We have made some visits to family recently, which was fun for them and an adjustment for him. We had a wonderful time. I just wanted to post a few recent pictures here of him now, as he changes so much weekly. He is 8 weeks old now and cooing/"talking" away. He is a healthy size (chubby!) : ) and is high energy, awake often and very alert. He talks to us and watches our every move. I am so amazed at how quickly he went from slowly turning his head and focusing on something to seeing and immediately focusing and whipping his head around. I foresee a very intelligent and very ACTIVE little boy in our future. : ) Also, he is growing his little blond hair back! He had old man head for a little bit there, with no hair except a little ring at the base of his head. We praise and thank God for him daily. His 2 month appointment is next Monday so I will report after that. Here are a few pictures I took of him in his swing recently. What a precious gift!

What makes a baby smile?

Recently, this week actually, we have discovered that Will has started to do "social smiling" (that's what the doctor called it), meaning he smiles back at you when you smile at him, not just randomly. Of course this is great fun for us, and even better than that, my sister discovered a noise that actually makes him smile and even give a little baby laugh a little once in a while. It is great. He has started to "talk" much more lately as well. He is a very alert and active baby, with quite a bit of wake time throughout the day. Please excuse the poor video making--I was holding the camera myself with him on my lap, trying not to block my mouth so he could see it. There is a good little "laugh" about half-way through, so it's worth toughing out. : )

A Celebrity Meeting

Last week we spent the week in Tulsa, OK on a mini-vacation. The reason we chose Tulsa was because Carl was also competing in a national shooting competition a couple of the days we were there. We had a great time relaxing and spending time together. Carl also had a great time shooting and while he was there he met one of our shooting heroes, Massad Ayoob. He has written several books and is a celebrity in the handgun shooting world and apparently just a nice guy. When Carl met Mr.Ayoob, he responded to Carl's greeting with "Call me Mass.". :) Such casualty is astounding to us, as he really is such a big celebrity, but as I said--just a nice guy.

Carl and Massad Ayoob!

One of the many stages Carl shot--shooting through a tube, in the dark.

We took a picture with the sign to remember that this was Will's first introduction to IDPA (he and I just went to pick Carl --far from the shooting).

Quick Will Video

Here's a quick video of Will at 6 weeks (tomorrow!). You get a few smiles in this one. The humming noise you hear in the background is his vibrating chair.

The Cousins Meet

As some of you may know, my sister-in-law and I were pregnant at the same time, both with our first child. It was fun to be able to compare, rejoice, and complain with each other throughout pregnancy. : ) Well, it turns out we both had boys, and they were born exactly 2 weeks apart (her first). So, two weeks ago, the cousins (Simon and Will) met for the first time.

As a side note---we were without computer for a couple weeks, and are now back in business, so I will continue to update the blog. Will is doing well, chunking up and being such a sweet, good, loving, cuddly baby (of course!). : ) We are enjoying every second of parenthood, cherishing every moment with our baby boy.

This one almost looks choreographed, as they look like they are moving in unison. Simon had been asleep for a while, so wasn't bothered by all the hubbub.

I love this one--it looks like they are holding hands. Sweet. My theory is that Will was trying to wake Simon so that they could find out how to get out of that crib, as he was not too happy about this photo shoot. It will be fun to watch these two cuties grow up together. What memories will be made! : )

Quick Update

Our internet has been sketchy lately, and I've been a bit busy. : ) But, Will had his 2-week appointment last week and he is doing great! He is showing all the normal signs for a newborn his age, and gained a whole pound OVER his birth weight! So, I guess he's a good eater. : ) He weighed 8lbs 3oz, and his birth weight was 7lbs 3oz. Also, he is starting to have multiple wake times during the day, which makes him sleep more at night! YIPPEE! We are going home for a family visit this next week, so will post more pictures soon. For now, here is a peaceful sleeping baby.

Our First Million Dollars

My good friend Jenny told me once that she and her husband adopted a philosophy they heard of treating each of their children as if they were a million dollars (though of course they and we know children are priceless). The philosophy is that if you had a million dollars in a suitcase, NEVER would you let anyone else take it or let it out of your site for a minute, but you would be in constant watch over it and protect it. Children are a priceless blessing from the Lord, so how much more should we cherish and love and protect them than we would a million dollars in a suitcase. So, I have carried this philosophy with me, and am happy to share a few pictures of our first "million dollars".

Baby William Carl (Will) arrived at 7:49 PM Sunday, August 23rd, and has been a constant joy and blessing ever since. He was 7lbs 3 oz and was 21in long. We are loving and enjoying him every second, constantly in awe of God's biggest miracle in such a little package. What inexplicable joy a child brings. We praise and thank the Lord!

P.S. Sorry the pictures took so long--we were without computer and internet for a bit. Please forgive me for the delay.

Brand new baby boy.

New Grandma comforting her grandson.


1 Week old!





Father-son time. : )

Full-body shot. :)

Carl's Latest Race

Well, as some of you may recall, last year Carl and I ran a half-marathon, then Carl ran a full marathon, and since then has been running races with the Memphis Runners Club (around 2 a month). He has been doing great, and did fantastic in his latest race, which was a 5-mile race this last Sunday morning (they are always plenty early, so don't interfere with church). He received 14th place out of 69 and ran the race in 36 minutes and 51 seconds, that's around 7 min 22 s a mile!!! GREAT job Carl!

Below are a few uncensored pics of the race.

Quite a few runners showed.

A little past the 4 mile point.

Coming in at the finish (squinting because of sun, not immense pain : ) ).