Catching you up

We didn't get a Christmas card out this year, in case any of you may have felt you were left out :) But Billy and I bought a new camera for Christmas, so I had snapped a few cute pics of our little man in front of the Christmas tree. There, now you've got an adorable card :)

I finished nursing Will this morning, and instead of my usual dosing back off to sleep, I had a head full of thoughts just swarming around...waiting to tell you all!

See, I realize my postings have been very few and far between, but when we doubled in square footage, my few steps to the computer became many more! Plus, what used to be our "kitchen computer" (which was great for grabbing recipes in a jiffy, but not so great when you want to sit and stay a while, and there's no where to sit!) moved up to the loft. So, as I sit and write today, I'm perched at my new desk :) and now, I will tell of our families' latest and greatest!

Since we've moved in here, we've had Thanksgiving, a trip to Denver (work Christmas Party), Will's first Christmas and a trip to Boston ( to see the B fam and let Will meet his other uncle and auntie :)

Will had his first surgery on New Years Eve (sounds like bad timing, but it was great for insurance sake!) for a congenital hernia repair (doing just fine-acted like nothing ever happened that same evening), and Billy's been enjoying his new office "down the hall" from the noise :)

In family news...my Mom's been sporting her GRANDAUGHTER AND GRANDSON, Dad's got NEW GLASSES, Will fell asleep on the plane sharing Mommy's new I-TOUCH & definitely had lot's of CHRISTMAS PRESENTS to open.

Lucie's been sporting some very CUTE FURRY BOOTS & HATS, Brian and Billy sport THEIR BABES, Lin's got a NEW DO, Aaron & Rachel like to make FUNNY FACES, and I'm sporting a NEW CAR :) (okay, so Billy and I share, hehe). 

It's so hard to believe we're 1 month from having a 1 year old! Will is changing and progressing all the time...and it's amazing how it can feel like he was born last week, yet he's been here forever! He's been talking soooo much, saying over 25 words now (at least copy-catting if he doesn't say them all the time). He's sitting for longer periods of time, and loving to roll or pivot pretty much anywhere to get things.

He's recently been rocking on all fours (when you set him up on them), and is getting better at pulling himself up to stand. He rocks side to side,(we call it dancing) and smiles on his own alot more often. He loves to clap, give high-fives, patty-cake, and wave...and it's so cute when he decides to say "bye bye" when you go. He still gets a thrill with blowing raspberries and blowing his nose (even on command at times) at people. He enjoys drinking from a straw or big boy cup.

As far as feeding is concerned, he thoroughly enjoys grabbing his own spoon, or biscuit, or anything on his tray for that matter...and eats 3 rounded solid meals a day, with bottles/nursings in between...he is catching up to his peers in size! I know some kiddos his age haven't gained much if any weight for a few months(since most of them gained at normal rates early-on), but he just keeps on packing it on (probably all the food mommy offers :). He seems to be getting a little taller too...and is finally wearing age-appropriate clothes. He loves to sing (I think he matches pitch) and "the wheels on his bus" is hilarious when he sings it. He waves his hands up and down yelling "busss, busss". Thankfully, he's a really healthy baby, never even had a cold, despite all the tests he underwent his first year of life...overall he seems to be feeling and doing great!

That boy is such a joy for our family, and I think he likes us back a little too :) Just the other day, my heart melted when a friend was holding him, and he reached over for me to take him back...gotta' love being the MOMMY your baby wants!

In other family news...Jeremiah's gonna' be a big brother! :)
Yippie Mel!

~AND~

Last but not least, we lost our family dog, Tuxedo a few days after Christmas.

We'll all miss him~ He was alot of fun, and we all loved him. He barked a lot (especially if you closed the bathroom door really loud), annoyed the brothers (who despised that he wasn't well-trained), kept dad company, made mom feel safe at home alone, protected all babies/kids around, and played with the cats. He was my roomate before I moved out, and I kind of owned him (even though he was dad's Christmas present in 2000). He was buried in my parents backyard with our Chinchi Buddy (who passed away last Valentines Day) so the grandkids can know of them when they're older.