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Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Will Can Count!

Well, except he only knows three numbers. And those three numbers aren't related to each other at all. Like his affinity for yellow when it comes to colors, Will has preference for two, six, and nine for numbers. I don't know how he came up with these options (other than two...that one at least makes sense), but it's hilarious to watch him "count". This morning he was counting the blueberries on his tray: "Six!" he would proudly proclaim (nevermind that there were only four). Then he'd add a few more and declare that there were "Nine!" He also likes to count things in his books. He will point at items (or better yet, take my finger and use it to point) and count out loud: "Two. Six. Nine. Six. Two. Nine." until he addresses all of the items. It's too funny.

Will clearly knows that two, six, and nine are numbers because he consistently uses them to count or if you ask him "how many do you have?" he will reply with one of these. However, he just doesn't seem to know that there are MORE numbers available to him.

Saturday, March 22, 2008

Favorite Things

So, there has been a request for more pictures on Willfull, and I thought I'd use this time to highlight a few of Will's favorite things over the past couple of months: talking on the phone, eating pudding, and playing at the McWane Center.

On the phone:



Eating pudding:


At the McWane Center:


Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Miscommunication

Each day at school, we receive a sheet about Will--how much he ate, when he napped, diaper changes, etc. Recently, Will has wanted to hold onto his sheet and "read" it from the backseat while we drive home. This led to a slight miscommunication the other day:

"Will, are you reading? What does your sheet say?"

"Baaa."

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Big Brother is Watching

Big news here at Willfull...Will is going to be a big brother! I wanted to share the news with all three of my readers (all of whom probably already know). I found out on January 6th that I was pregnant, so I'm now about 14 weeks along. This baby is due September 14th...just a few weeks after Will turns two. I had an ultrasound around 7.5 weeks and then heard the heartbeat on the Doppler around 11 weeks. So far everything looks great!

The timing on this baby was a little sooner than I expected. I always thought our kids would be three years apart, just like Melanie and I are. But, that's not what was in store for our family! So, even though I'm very excited, I'm also quite apprehensive. I'm worried about Will and how it will affect his life. Although I know it will be wonderful for him to have a sibling, I'm a little sad that our one-on-one time will be over. In my head, I know I will love this new baby as much as I love Will, but right now it's hard to imagine that. It's hard to imagine how I will split my time between the two, giving each of them everything he/she needs. I know millions of people do it, and I will too, but as of now, it's daunting to think about.

Everyone's question is...do you want a boy or a girl? And honestly, I don't know. If I'm being selfish, I would love to have a girl--to share all of the mother/daughter things, to buy pink clothes, to experience raising a boy AND a girl. However, I also think Will would love to have a brother. Since they'll only be two years apart, I love to think about two boys playing together. So, either way (as long as the baby is healthy and happy), I'll be happy. But, to make it interesting around here, there's a poll on the sidebar where you can vote on whether you think this baby is a boy or a girl. We're planning to find out around the end of April, so voting will be closed before then. If we get a boy or if we get a girl...this is all going to be interesting!

Monday, March 17, 2008

The Napping (or lack thereof) is Driving Me Crazy

Will refused to nap all weekend. As in, he did not sleep for one minute during the two weekend days. On Saturday, we had him in his crib for 45 minutes, with intermittent rocking and consoling. Eventually, we had to get him up because we had to leave since a realtor was showing our house. He didn't sleep at all. On Sunday, we held out for an hour and a half. During that time, he took off his pants and one sock, threw them across the room, and then started crying "Pants! Paannnnts!" He also threw every other item out of his crib, including the books I had left to "entertain" him. Again, no sleeping. Eventually, we gave up. He won, he knew it, and he was oh-so-happy about it. When we finally got him up, it was as if nothing had happened. He was a smiling, delightful child--ready to play.

However, the kicker was when Zach asked him "Will, are you going to take a nap at school tomorrow?" Will vehemently nodded his head and replied, "Esss." When Zach asked again, just to make sure he understood, Will had the same answer. As in, "why would I NOT nap at school, Daddy?"

Surely this isn't a trend. He can't, JUST CANNOT, give up all naps at 18 months.

Sunday, March 16, 2008

Nun-ners

Will loves runners. (It must be because it is such a foreign concept...neither of his parents runs.) Anyway, while we're driving, he likes to point out any "nun-ners" that he sees. I always encourage him and say things like "yes, those are runners." But, we've almost exclusively reserved this term for people who are exercising, people we see out running on the sidewalks or in the streets.

So, I was a bit surprised when Will saw two children at his school running from their car to the door and immediately declared them "nun-ners." I am constantly amazed at the way his brain works and the connections that he is making!

Saturday, March 15, 2008

I Don't Want to Forget: 18 Months

I did one of these posts when Will was around 10 months. I'm amazed at how much he's changed in the last 8 months--really, I'm amazed at how much he changes every day. So, here are a few things I don't want to forget about this phase:

  • The way Will looks when he's attempting to run: One arm is swinging furiously, as if he's trying to propel himself, while the other arm lays still by his side. We're a bit surprised he doesn't go in circles.
  • How Will "helps" me sing to him at night. If I don't start singing right away, he'll start babbling in a really sweet, soft voice. And sometimes, he'll repeat words that I'm singing to him, so that I hear, oh-so-softly, "baaaby" or "bed".
  • How, if you ask him what a gorilla says, he will beat on his chest and say "AAAHaaaHAAhhhh". And if you ask what a gecko does, he sticks out his tongue repeatedly.
  • The way eats raspberries by putting one on each pointer finger, as if they are little hats, doing a dance with his fingers, and then eating the berries off of his fingers.
  • The way he will say to himself "big tuck" or "meh-pain" if he hears a truck or plane in the distance...even if we are inside.
  • The way he calls the Runaway Bunny book "babbits" (for rabbits, in case that wasn't clear) and then blows to imitate the page where the mama bunny is the wind and the baby is the sailboat. He also calls the "Boo-Boo Bunny" (which is a little ice pack shaped like a bunny) the "Boo-Boo Babbit" even though we've never referred to it as a rabbit.
  • The way he uses a stick to imitate a leaf blower. I can't really describe this one...you'd just have to see it for yourself.
  • How he immediately declares any food that we give him "hot" (and wants to blow on it). And then, when we tell him that it's not hot, he definitively says "cold". I guess that's the black-and-white toddler world: it's either hot or it's cold.
  • How, when he gets out of the bathtub, he has to have his "hat" on (the hood of his towel), and then when he gets on his changing table, he wants to stand up and have you snuggle him and sway while he gets dried off. At this point he also says "baaa-bee" in this sing-song voice to let me know that he wants me to sing our made-up song called "Baby Burrito".
  • The way he requests to "seep" each morning with his own little broom.
  • Lell-o. Just lell-o.
  • The way he LOVES bubbles in his bath and will run toward the bathroom screaming, "Buuuubbbbbles".
  • The way he likes to play the game of "reach." In this game, Will stands in a lunge position and reaches out whatever object he has in his hand, all while saying "Reeeeach. REEEAACH." You are supposed to do the same until you can "finally" grasp the object he is holding out, at which point, Will dissolves in a fit of giggles.

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

All the Colors of the Rainbow

Will is learning his colors. It's going pretty well, and he definitely knows the difference between the colors. He will tell me that his cup is "geen" or ask for a pink fork at dinner. Sometimes he'll spend time with his toys or books pointing out the different colors that he sees (correctly).

But Will's most favorite, absolute ideal color is yellow. Or as he likes to say it, "Lell-o."Will wants EVERYTHING to be yellow and is undeterred when you tell him something is a different color. Anytime he sees a bus, he says "Bus. Lell-o bus." When I tell him "no, that bus is white," he might repeat after me and say "white," but will immediately follow with "Lell-o." He tells me things are yellow even when he's already named it correctly and I've made a big deal about him being right. The other morning, as I put on a purple fleece vest, Will looked at it and said "pur-ple". I praised him for getting it right, went on and on about how "YES, it is a purple vest", good job, etc. etc. As soon as I quit talking, Will looked right at me and said "Lell-o."

My thinking is that "lell-o" is just more fun to say than the other colors. So, if you have anything yellow lying around, send it our way. I'm always looking for opportunities where he can actually be right when he tells me it's "lell-o."