Post Category → william

it’s january?? you gotta be kidding!!

You know it’s bad when even the photo posts are few and far between.

Or maybe just busy.

Super-duper uber-crazy busy.

Because that’s how life can be when there are 20+ people living in one house. And celebrating Christmas. And playing games and watching movies. Oh, and throw in a wedding for good measure. And if you get a free minute, could everyone please look for the lost load of laundry? Thanks.

I’m trying to get some pictures up of our time in New York (although, to be honest, I sort of didn’t get a chance to take too many pictures and just hoped my dad would get enough good ones.)

This is what we did while we were gone:

Ryan got really sick with the flu. He also looked very handsome in his tuxedo. He went skiing with some friends and outdid himself (forgetting, temporarily, that his 36 yr old body would pay for such exertion.) He bought me presents even though we didn’t buy anything for each other this year. He played x-box. He gave me a hug when I cried about coming back home.

Jameson played. Constantly. He helped his aunts with cookie making, and did his part to consume them, too. He frequented Grandma and Grandpa’s apartment, where he knew he’d be greeted with a Twizzler. He hung ornaments on the tree. He had many “sleepovers” with Uncle Merrick. He also copied everything Uncle Merrick did. He bought William a present. He danced his heart out at Carina’s reception. He loved church. Actually, I think he loved every minute of the last month.

William grew. He arrived in New York a newborn and left a baby. He cooed lots. He was toted around by Aunt Camilla. He talked with Aunt Liana. He slept daily on Aunt Louissa’s bed. He got cuter and cuter and made me fall in love with him even more. He was greeted with great affection everywhere we went, even when crying his head off at the Tomford’s. He slept through his first Christmas.

I got a cold. I made cookies and party food and dinner for the crowds. I was in a bar with a baby, because I just had to see JMB play. I slept in my sisters’ room and felt young[er] again. I got all happy inside watching Jameson have the time of his life. I held William as much as I wanted, because other people were there to help with the house chores. I talked with my mom. I talked with Brietta. I went to the Moira Christmas dinner. I soaked in the Christas Eve candlelight. I played with Aubrey. I cried when Carina walked down the aisle. I ate too many cookies. I saw aunts and uncles and cousins. I was missing Madrid days before I even left. I loved every minute of being with all of my most special people.

Now it’s 2009. And I know that January 1st is a pretty inflexible event (and it’s already well past), but do you think it’s okay if I sort of “start” my new year in a few days? ‘Cause I need to unpack. And vacuum. And take a deep breath before I can sort out a fresh start.

Maybe February 1st can be my fresh start this time around. Whaddya think?

special

Today is a special day.

Ryan took Jameson to church and left me behind with William. (He pulled his “I’m the head” card and told me I needed rest more than I needed to go to church. My delicate emotional status corroborated with his story, so I submitted.)

As days often do when there’s a spontaneous personality involved, the two hours of church have morphed into a full-blown day with Daddy, including dining out, carousel rides, and an old locomotive.

Meanwhile, I’ve had my own special day with William. I bathed him without the pressure of wondering what the toddler was up to. I rubbed lotion into his dry baby skin (poor thing.) We took a walk. I laid next to him on the floor and we “talked”. He dozed in my arms several times before committing to a nap, which was fine with me. How often have I had hours and hours to just snuggle this newest bundle? (I haven’t since my mom left!) So I snuggled. And kissed. And touched his smooshy cheeks. And smiled at him, with the happy reward of a small baby smile in return.

My big boy is bonding with his bestest of friends (daddy.) And I’m bonding with my newest of loves (William.)

That’s a special day.

little bits

family life:

This morning started with a bang. I awoke to a mountain of parmesan cheese spilled on my dining room floor, compliments of my mischievous Jameson. Before I even had time to think about a vacuum cleaner, the same little imp had managed to pour our entire Brita pitcher all over the floor. …at which point Daddy took him into the bathroom to discuss his disobedience when poor Ry discovered an absolutely awful diaper. Of course, dads are not terribly in the habit of dealing with such things, and so it managed to get much worse before it got better.

Okay. Right. What was I doing? Ah yes. The cheese.

Scratch that. William’s crying.

All before we’ve rubbed the sleep from our eyes.

Hey, you just gotta laugh.

Jameson:

Some things make me feel that, for sure, this kid is a boy. Lately he’s been doing little things that I just love. He’s not just a baby; he’s a little boy! Things like, for the first time, eating his toast and deciding that it looks like a gun, so bang bang! Or discovering that most of his pants have pockets — and we know how totally absolutely unmistakeably cool a boy with his hands in his pockets is! (Or at least, how cool he feels!) Or suddenly launching into this crazy flipping-kicking-falling-spinning routine that you realize you’re supposed to be really impressed by, because he’s showing you his moves. (The guns and the cool moves are totally just boy things, because the poor kid doesn’t watch anything “cooler” than Winnie the Pooh!) And then yesterday he found a pair of tall, thick socks in my closet and proceeded to put them on like gloves, pull them all the way up his arms, and then just wandered around the house touching everything (pretending something. I’m just not sure what.)

I love it!

He’s also hit his 2 year old stride in the last week and a half. If you know what I mean. Those episodes will be humorous in the future. That’s what I keep telling myself!

William:

Is so smooshy! But for growing so much, he sure is a messy eater. There’s milk everywhere when he nurses! He hasn’t spit up much, but I had to laugh today when I was holding him against me and burping him — and he suddenly spit up a ton, right down my shirt! At least his outfit is still clean!!

Okay. More later!

two weeks

It’s Tuesday, November 4th.

I don’t know who our next president will be, but I do know that our little William is two weeks old.

So far, he has slipped right into this little family’s life without any fuss. He has yet to keep me up at night, nurses day and night like a pro, and is pretty much happy during his few awake hours every day. Two words: wow and awesome.

And so he’s quietly grown into a 9lb8oz baby, already shedding so many of his newborn traits. There’s a little stab in my heart when I look at his face and realize he’s changed (again!) This time around, there’s less time for all-day cuddling; two boys need me now. But I knew it would be like that, different, more elusive. Rather than wish for a first baby experience all over again, I’m reveling in the multiple little hands and arms and cheeks and mouths to hold and kiss. How can I not feel filled to overflowing when I’ve a newborn in my arms, nursing, and a toddler’s arms wrapped around my neck, his head buried in my shoulder?