Here Comes Santa Claus!

Why did I think William would sit on Santa's lap when he doesn't sit on anyone's lap? (except when he's tired) He seldom sits at all. William has always preferred to stand and now we are into running and jumping. He can really get himself off the ground. Needless to say, William loved the beautiful "North Pole" that they had at the Mall. He especially enjoyed picking up the falling snow. He also loved looking at all the kids with Santa. When it came time for his turn though...no go....he wanted to walk around the North Pole. I was determined to get a picture..we were there, he was dressed in his Christmas red. We were not going home without the picture. Of course, as you will note, I am not dressed in my Christmas red...I'm thinking I'm going to schlep around the Mall with a toddler who's due for a nap. At this point the Santa line is getting longer and I'm in a full sweat. So, I did what every good mother would do, I sat with the big guy too. William was not very interested in sitting with me either. Too many pretty things & people to look at. Next year.....Daddy's coming along!

October Antics

A serious political debate ensues...they don't call it battleground Virginia for nothing!

Messy Boy-"I want to do it myself Mom-Mom."

Pumpkin Farm #1- "My those Pumpkins are big!"

Our Little Devil!

Giraffe's Can Dance!

William had a wonderful 2nd Halloween. Our good friends Auntie Sandi and Aunt Jen D. gave him the most adorable giraffe costume that he proudly wore to his playgroup Halloween party and his music classes. William also wore the costume trick or treating in our neighborhood. That's a total of 4 times!! For those that remember the drama of being Pooh last year, this was a major feat.The kids in his music class were fascinated by the Giraffe. One little boy came up to him and started to roar. Funny stuff!

I have some video of the party that I will post. It was a great time hosted by Tinkerbell aka Sophia and her Mom, Lisa. William especially enjoyed getting in and out of Sophia's Flinstone mobile...he enjoyed it so much that he didn't want anyone else in it! We have to work on that a little. Coincindentally, William had received a book from his good buddyAbbie called Giraffe's Can't Dance. It's a sweet story about a Giraffe that needs to find his groove. William proved that he's got the moves as he frolicked around in music class and on our front yard Halloween night.

Last weekend Nannie, Aunt Julie and Uncle Joe were in town to celebrate all our October birthday's and to cheer Uncle Joe on as he ran the Marine Corps Marathon.

Congrat's Uncle Joe!! It was a great time especially for Bill and I as we had William stay in Aunt Julie and Nannie's room in the hotel for one night. He did great...no crying at all. Wow!

Update

October 9th was Daddy's birthday and William was a little under the weather. He had a cold with lots of congestion...he is virtually impossible to "bulb" but we have to try. We've had a little back sliding with our sleep. We had been doing amazingly well...but with sickness it is to be expected. Last week @ the Dr.'s office, in true William fashion, he gave them quite the time. He refused to be weighed...don't know why...it doesn't hurt. After that trauma, he promptly went the bathroom(#1-thankfully) all over Mommy and the floor. Yes, he showed us. Boys!!!

A cute story...A few weeks back we received a thank you note from our friends the Zuhars...Abbie on our friends list... The note was from Abbie 1st birthdayparty and on the fron twas a beautiful picture of the birthday girl. I gave the note to William as he was playing in his corrall and he smiled and gave the it a big kiss. Sweet. I've been giving it to him when I want to him sit in his highchair.

M9 playgroup at Clemyjontri park

M9 playgroup at Clemyjontri park on Flickr - Photo Sharing!
Kristi took some great pciture of our little ones. Thanks so much Kristi!
The kids were really cute with each other. William still really likes to pat the girls on the head. He likes their hair. Hmmmm. Typical ,I suppose. He'll bend down and get right in their face and say "Dat". Translation- "That"... we either have a little German boy or one from Brooklyn..."Dees, Deems & Dose".

We are back!!

William at the Birthday Party of his girlfriends, Abbie, Julia & Megan. The girls were all born the same week , two on the same day, so the Mom's decided to have triple the fun and celebrate all together. It was a beautiful party w/ a wonderful slide show and yummy treats!

Well, It's been a while...much too long! We had some major issues w/ our computer in August-it literally was in the sick hospital @ Best Buy. Between that and a lot of summer travel to Syracuse, it has been tough to get time to post. I hope to do a better job now.

Our little guy continues to amaze and delight. His latest interest- Trucks! What a typical boy. During our latest trek north , he would look out the window and get so excited when he would see a truck or a bus. He reaches his arms out...and says dru, dru druk. We were surprised b/c he literally just looked out the window and noticed them one day. Now, of course, they are everywhere and he loves it!

One!!

My Baby Boy and Me

Its 3 am they're all asleep
And no one's here to see
As we rock slowly back and forth
My Baby Boy and Me.
His little head is feather light
tucked up against my chin
I hold his tiny hand in mine
and stroke his baby skin.
The house about us creaks and groans
the clock hands creep around
He snuggles closer to me still
and makes his baby sounds.
I love these quiet hours so much
and cherish every one
store memories up inside my heart
for lonely nights to come.
All too soon he'll be grown up
his need for Mama gone
but until then I still have time
for kisses and for song.
Time for quiet hours like this
with him cuddled in my arms
where I wish he'd always stay
protected safe and warm.
And yet I know the day will come
when this tiny little hand
will be much bigger than my own
he'll grow to be a man.
But until then he's mine to love
with no one here to see
as we rock slowly back and forth
my Baby Boy and me.

By Jane Tripell

William , today at 9:45 pm you are 1years old. How quickly this magical year has gone!!
We love you very much. You are a curious, exuberant, bright, determined, handsome- our wonderful little guy. Hugs and Kisses Buddy.

Summer Days

Back stroke, side stroke, fancy diving too...not a great shot but you get the idea! William and Daddy at Swim Class

Motion is my thing!! Here I am in all my cuteness.

Our Yankee Doodle Boy clebrated the 4th of July with a quick visit from Nannie. We went to Occoquan for the day and also, of course did a lot of shopping. William also showed off all his moves for her @ the Little Gym. We are gearing for the first of Willam's two birthday soiree's. We can't believe a year has passed already!

Our other big news is that we have officially stopped nursing. Whew! It has been a little difficult for both of us. More so for the little guy at night. Nannie was here to help start this process putting him to sleep and now Bill has taken over my normal night time duties. William loves hanging out w/ Daddy at night! Also, William is sleeping nicely in his crib until the early am when he snuggles in with us. The sweetest days.....

Firsts

William loves Elmo!

William and Daddy on Father's Day

Last week was a big week for William. We had three big First's:

1. First ride on the baby swings.

This ocurred during our weekly playdate w/ our Mamistad group. We were at this cute little park in Vienna. William loved it as you can imagine. We have a beautiful brand new tot lot right in our back yard but there are no swings! Infact there are no swings on any of the tot lots in our development. Something about safety which I get. But, baby swings are pretty safe. Hmmm...

2.First visit to the Library.

William did not make a peep. Yes, it's true. Mommy the Librarian was very proud. He really liked walking around in the stacks and pulling books off the shelf. With the upcoming horrible heat down here I suspect that we will be spending lots of time there.

3.First Swim Class

This was William's favorite event of the week. Things got off to a soggy start as he wet his swim diaper before we got out of the car to go to class. Thankfully, I had extras and a change of clothes. The class is on Saturday's so Bill is doing it with him while I stay dry on the side. Although there are a few babies where both parents get in the water...so one of these weeks I'm going to get in there too. It is a nice thing for him to do w/ his Daddy. He splashed around and Bill had him on his back for a bit. They also sang songs. William especially liked when they did the hokey pokey. In the locker room after class we almost had a little accident. I wasn't quick enough with the diaper and well...it was a good thing there was no one too close to us!

I have pics of most of these events but our regular camera was not working so I have to wait on posting them.

Here are two recent videos one is from his class at The Little Gym.

Silly Baby

Here is another really cute video of our happy little Prince.
A couple reflections on the past month- William was very concerned when I was sick. when I had a fever he would curl up next to me like a baby bear and when I'd cough or sneeze he would put his head on my stomach. It was really difficult not being able to take care of him the way that I usually do...thankfully Bill works @ home some of the time now....having him around during the day and for doctor's appointments was a lifesaver!
In terms of growth,William is doing wonderfully- At his 9 month appointment we received the following stat's:
height-30"- 75-90%
weight 23lbs-75-90%
Finally, the height and weight are equal...yeah! That was a goal of mine...even though the doctor's think I'm nuts.

This video is an earlier one that was taken before William really started walking. I meant to post it before now. You will note that I am talking on the phone, not sure to who, probably my Mom. You will also see William playing with the "safety lock" on our cabinet. We have since replaced this one with a safer version!

Update

A lot has transpired since our last entry most notably William came down with his first and now second cold/fever etc. I was sick... and you can throw Mother's Day, William's 9 month Dr. appt & a Memorial weekend trip to Syr in there too. Some video to capture the moment.

STEPS

We are up visiting family in Syracuse. William is having a ball going to Grandma & Grandpa's house every day, playing with Nonnie and Uncle Joe, meeting some friends and family that he had not met before and seeing some familiar faces. During his whirlwind tour of the Cuse, he has attended Great Uncle Lu's memorial mass & luncheon, cousin Alexandra's baptism party, visited with cousins JP, Giuliana and Isabella, met cousin Elizabeth (and baby Alexandra,) met Great Great Aunt Annie, Great Great Aunt Gen and Great Great Uncle Frank, saw Jen & celebrated Sandi's birthday, did lunch in downtown Syracuse and the list go's on and on...William loves activity and we made sure he wasn't bored this week. In between all of his social engagements he found time to practice his walking and took several steps 3 or so... unassisted!! He was very proud of himself & we are proud too. He had taken a few steps last week while we were at his Bugs class at The Little Gym. He's putting a few more steps together this week. He's still wobbly like a drunken sailor but... it won't be long now before he's running around. Look out everyone!!
I hope I have some good pics of this.

Florida Pics

Aunt Julie and William by the Pool
(ugh...I'm having some trouble uploading the rest...more to come very soon>)

I have to share some pics from our trip to Florida back a few months ago. We had a wonderful time with Nonnie and the rest of the family in Delray Beach. William loved the pool and walking by the lake everyday. Can't wait to go back!!

First Yankee Game!

"Oooh, forget the game, I'm hungry!!"

Last Sunday, dressed in his Yankee blues, William attended his first baseball game.(Thanks Aunt Kathleen!) Despite a driving rainstorm in Northern VA, we made the trek to Camden Yard where the Yanks were playing the Baltimore Orioles. The weather was fine in the Charm City and the people were very friendly. After noticing all our "gear, the usher upgraded our seats. William's favorite parts of the game were the music, especially the song, "If you're happy and your know it..." and eyeing all the folks. He loves to check everyone out. He also enjoyed pulling the very long hair of the lady in front of us. She was a good sport!

We are all looking forward to attending many more Yankee's games together!

William loves company.

Aunt Jackie and Russ came to visit last weekend. We had lots of fun visiting the Marine Museum ,one of our favorite places, and exploring the Torpedo Factory in Old Town Alexandria. Some amazing artwork there. A must see for art lovers!

We are looking forward to having them visit again this summer!

"Ah, nothing like relaxing in my swing with some juicy reading material. That Shiloh and Suri sure are cute!"

Like his Mommy, William enjoys his periodicals.

Teething Troubles!

Visiting with cousins JP, Guiliana and Isabella on Easter.

Talking with Nonnie during her April visit.

Easter Dinner with Grandpa and Aunt Susan.

The big news right now is that William is getting all 4 of his top teeth in! We spotted the left incisior coming in a few weeks ago. But now the other top 3 including his 2 front teeth are on their way to popping through. Needless to say, it's disrupting his normal sleep patterns a bit and Mommy and Daddy's as well.

We had a great visit with Nonnie last weekend! We did lots of shopping and William enjoyed dining at a Brazilian Steakhouse http://www.texasdebrazil.com/ Yum! I think he's going to be a meat lover like the rest of the family. He was a very good boy in the restaurant. William was doing "So Big" with Nonnie and waving bye bye. We have yet to see "So Big" again this week, despite a lot of prompting. He's saving it for her...

This week we also started our Baby Signs class with our playgroup. All the babies really seemed to enjoy it and we received a little back pack full of materials to practice at home. It'll be interesting to see how they pick it up. When we do the sign for "more" when he's eating, he gets very quiet(a rarity w/ our interactive little guy) and looks at our hands...he's thinking & processing, I suppose.

Our little Blue Bunny

We had our own little Easter celebration in VA before we headed "home" to Syracuse for the holiday. A little blue Bunny made an appearance... there were colored eggs and an Easter Bunny Cake. William especially enjoyed holding his purple egg with his name on it. Pics of our trip to Syracuse coming soon.

William is in the cruising phase...he is pulling up on everything. He stands in his crib and walks around it. When he is in his pack and play he stands on one side and reaches for the other side. Sometimes he makes it over and sometimes he falls. He's a quick crawler but mostly prefers to be standing up.

His latest discovery is figuring out how to pull the toys out of his exersaucer. He enjoys doing this and tossing them on the floor. It's then up to Mommy and Daddy to retrieve them. One thing that has him very excited this week is the introduction of his Apple Cinnamon Puffs Finger Food Cereal. We bring out the box and his eyes get wide and he squeals with glee. Mommy has to monitor things closely, otherwise he would stuff the whole thing in his mouth. He is on his way towards independent eating as he loves to feed himself!

The beginning

We are LONG overdue in starting this blog. We hope to keep you updated on the many adventures of our little William Anthony. Every day we see something new and exciting through his eyes...we are loving every minute of it! We'll post some pictures of past events and then get everyone caught with all the latest happenings.

First, some pics & video from William's arrival 8 months ago. Wow! Can't believe that it has been so long...aside from the first 6 weeks it has gone by much too fast. We find ourselves wanting to slow it all down. But, I think we can honestly say that we have savored every day. William is named after his Daddy, obviously. He is the fourth generation of Willam Vickers. There is his great grandfather William Vincent, his great Uncle, William Driscoll and then his Daddy, William Edward. William is also named after my Dad, Anthony Ranieri. It's a source of great sadness for me that his Papa never got to meet him. But, I think that he knows what William is all about; he's just changed locations. William definitely has a guardian angel in heaven! Actually, I'm sure that he has several.

William looks completely different now. ("They change.") William has had a personality since birth. We were expecting a sleepy newborn and instead got our exuberant little baby!