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Happy Thanksgiving.

Lucas and William on a walk in the neighborhood this past week.

William eying his hairdresser suspiciously after his first haircut.

William and Grandma Jenny with his first pair of real shoes, size 4.5 wide!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
We hope your Thanksgiving was as good as ours! We had a great time at the Eadons' house and enjoyed lots of laughter and funny stories that were shared over a delicious meal. Thank goodness, my sweet potatoes and mousse were a success. Here is the recipe for the sweet potatoes, I highly recommend them. We walked over to the Eadons' house after William awoke from his nap. William had fun playing with Lucas and eating sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie. I think he may have two new favorite foods. At bedtime, William fell fast asleep in my arms and then face down in his crib as soon as he finished his bottle.

Today, we took William out shopping with Tara and found a couple little xmas presents for William at Cost Plus World Market. This evening, we enjoyed left overs from Thanksgiving and then went out on a walk to Starbucks. I picked up an application for a job as a Barista and am hoping to work there part-time so that we can have health insurance while Andrew is out of work without having to pay an arm and a leg for COBRA.

This past weekend, we went up to the Island House on San Juan Island for a few days. It was a great time for us all. Andrew was able to apply to a bunch of jobs and William got to spend lots of time with his grandparents.

Date Night

Tonight, Andrew and I had a wonderful date night. Grandma Jenny and Papa Roy came and watched William and we headed out for dinner and a movie. It was so strange to be alone together for only the third time since William was born. I started to remember what it was like when we were childless and just beginning our relationship. Things were so much easier then. But, so much less fulfilling. We had a great time and totally need to do this much more often. But, I missed William tonight. I missed rocking him to sleep and cuddling him before putting him in his crib. I missed smelling his hair at the back of his neck, kissing his chubby cheeks and cajoling him into wearing his pajamas. I missed watching him enjoy being read to. I missed watching him work on becoming a better walker and smiling as he succeeded in doing something. I cannot even begin to describe the amount of love I have for William. But, with all this said, it is so very, very, very important for Andrew and I to have a chance to reconnect as a couple. Not just three times a year, but monthly at the very least. We are revisiting our bedtime routine for William to see if there is anything we can do to make it easier to leave him with a babysitter. I'm working myself up to it. It's hard to trust a stranger with the most precious person you've ever known and been responsible for.

Little Wills,
Your mommy and daddy love you so very much and always will. We will always be here for you, whenever you need us. You are a joy and a blessing and I am so grateful for the life that I have here with you and your dad and Rowan. Even though it is really hard right now, with your dad being out of work and worrying about providing for our family, we do take the time to appreciate what we have together. I know we can never go back in time all too well after losing my own dad way too early in my life. Losing my dad has taught me to seize every moment I can and to appreciate little moments here and there for what they are. Sitting with you on the floor and treasuring a moment where you walk up to me and just lean into me for a snuggle. Times when you just want mama. Times when you have so much to say and say it with such gusto. Times when you slap your hands on your lap and look at me with a big smile and a look of anticipation as you wait for me to copy you. I love you little one. Little, sweet, adorable, loving, joyful, brave William. I love you with my whole heart and wish for you all that you can squeeze out of this life while you live it. Never take anything for granted.
Love,
Mama

William is really walking!!!

Yesterday we took William to the Zoo. He had a great time riding on Daddy's shoulders and walking all around. He saw the gorillas, peacocks, parrots and monkeys. We also checked out the Zoomazium. Afterwards, we drove up to Andrew's parents house. In celebration of William's ability to walk on his own, we went to the mall and had William fitted for his first pair of walking shoes. They are adorable and I will post photos soon. That evening we enjoyed dinner with the Robinsons.

William made amazing progress yesterday. In the morning he practiced standing up on his own like he was doing drills while I had a shower and by the evening he was almost a pro. In the last couple of days he has gone from walking a few steps to walking all around. He's still pretty wobbly and will sometimes adopt the zombie-arm stance.

Per the CDC, Burlington, VT is the healthiest city in the USA.

Here is the link to the article.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/11/17/healthiest.city.ap/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

Toddler Dental Care Tips

After this evening's battle with William to brush his teeth, I was interested in finding some tips from other moms. Here's what I found:

Open Up and Say Ah
"My son (he's now 28 months old) and I have been using the same routine for a very long time. I sit him on the sink and let him hold the toothbrush while I put a very small amount of toothpaste on it. Then we practice making silly sounds that help open his mouth. 'EEEEEeeeeeee' works for front teeth, and 'AAAAaahhhhh' for back and so on."

"What works for me is allowing my daughter to brush by herself until she tells us she is ready for us to brush. If we try to rush her, she has a tantrum. But if we calmly wait, giving the impression that we have all the time in the world, she usually tells us it is our turn within two minutes. Hope this helps."

Enlisting Barney's Help
"My son refused to brush his teeth about six months ago. Here's what worked for us: I would tell him I saw Barney in his mouth and I needed to get him out. I would tell him to open wide and then start to brush his teeth, while saying things like 'There he is, get out of there Barney!' Now that brushing is fun, he never fights me anymore. Hope you find what works!"

I sit him on the counter with me right next to him and I sing a song I made up song called "Time to Brush our teeth" and it goes, It's time to brush our teeth, brush our teeth, brush our teeth!X2 Early in the morning! Or repeat the Chorus and fill it with other endings like; After we Eat, Before we go to sleep, and so on... Then I would let him play with his toothbrush while I brushed in front of him then he would mimic me when I was done with brushing my teeth then he'd actually let me brush his. He Loves it!

HEY..MY BABY IS NOW 20-MONTHS OLD. WE STARTED BRUSHING AT 14 MONTHS (I KNOW..A LIL LATE) BUT HE USED TO BE TERRIFIED OF THE BRUSH...SO EVERY TIME I BRUSHED MY TEETH, I WOULD HOLD HIS HAND IN MINE AS I BRUSHED, HE BEGAN LAUGHING. THEN, HOLDING HIS HAND, I STARTED BRUSHING HIS TEETH...HESITANT BUT DIDN'T CRY HYSTERICALLY. THEN, I LET HIM BRUSH MY TEETH BY HIMSELF AS I BRUSHED HIS. YES, IT HURTS WHEN HE'D POKE THE BACK OF MY THROAT WITH THE TOOTHBRUSH BUT IT FIXED THE PROBLEM. HE NOW LOVES BRUSHING HIS TEETH!!! HOPE IT HELPS.

The following is from the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry's website.
Latest News
Quick Tips for Busy Parents: Your Child and Cheese

Did you know recent research shows cheese is one of the healthiest snacks for your child’s teeth? In addition to providing large amounts of much-needed calcium, cheese also does its part to fight cavities. Cheddar, Swiss, mozzarella, and Monterey jack all stimulate the body’s salivary glands to clear the mouth of debris and protect teeth from acids that weaken them. This means cheese disrupts the development of cavities, especially when eaten as a snack or at the end of a meal. Calcium and phosphorous found in cheese reduce or prevent decreases in the plaque’s ph level and work to re-mineralize the enamel of your child’s teeth.

Copyright © 2002-2008 American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. All Rights Reserved.
Website Designed by AmericanEagle.com, Inc.

More progress

Little Will is just growing by leaps and bounds these days. He has been working on walking and can now walk on his own across an entire room. This evening, I witnessed him standing up with out pushing off on anything as he walked his hands towards his feet and then pulled his torso up. He still loves his learning chair that was given to him by Ali for his birthday. He loves emptying and filling his shape sorter. He loves his Usborne Touchy Feely books. He plays with the wooden tug boat his Auntie Cathy and Uncle Peter gave him for his birthday and loves putting the cars in the boat and then reaching in to take them out again.

Yesterday, we took him to a model train store in Redmond. The had a functioning model train on display that customers were permitted to operate. He loved it. We watched the train go round and round for at least 5-10 minutes. If only his Great-Poppa Martin were there to see it, we know he'd be thrilled.

Today, we went with Tara to our neighborhood Starbucks and William wanted to practice his walking so I obliged. We walked around the outside of the Starbucks and saw a couple of finches. He was very interested in them and we followed them around for a while, and all the time I kept saying "Those are birds. Can you say bird? Oh, let's go see that bird...etc..." After a couple of minutes of watching the birds, William said "bird" clear as a bell. It was awesome. Another word he is working on is "up" for asking for me to pick him up. Right now he just enunciates the "p" sound.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot to mention that he now has 9 teeth. His teeth have been bothering him at bed and nap times. This afternoon he napped for nearly 3.5 hours!!! We had planned to go to the zoo after his noontime nap but were unable to get there in time. His bottom left front molar is already coming in. With all these teeth, it's important to brush them regularly. This has become quite a challenge as he either clamps his lips/teeth closed or bites on my finger if I use the finger brush. If anyone has any tips, I'd love to hear them...As soon as Andrew has a job, William is going to see the dentist. That is for sure.

William is walking around like a rockstar!

Today was a momentous day. William had his first haircut. It was not easy task for his stylist, Melissa, and it took both Andrew and me to hold him still. She did a great job and was very patient with him. I kept his curls to put in his baby book for safekeeping. After his haircut, Andrew and I held each of his hands and walked all the way around the block with him. He seemed determined to practice. This evening we took some photos of William walking around the living room. I've posted them below.





All I have to say is, look at those legs! Chubbers. William is doing great. He still has a cough left over from being ill, but is happy and active. Today he learned about how to use a shape sorter and was able to put the round peg in the round hole!! He is also learning about pointing at things. He did that for the first time yesterday when he pointed out the flowers that Tara had given to us. He is also working on putting things into containers and figuring out what will fit where. He can put things into containers when he isn't holding the container in the other hand quite well. He is still working on his eye-hand coordination to put an object he is holding in one hand into the container he is holding in the other. He is also learning how to follow commands. He will turn the pages of a book when prompted, he will hand me the toy he is holding when I say "Give to Mama". He understands "no". He loves Tara's dogs and was super excited to see them today. He was imitating their barking noises and got all animated, talking up a storm when he was around them.

This evening, I made Shepherd's Pie for dinner and William loved it. I put pieces of meat and corn on his tray and he ate it ravenously.

That's all I can think of for now.

Sleep concerns: Moving your toddler to his own bed

Reviewed by the BabyCenter Medical Advisory Board Last updated: December 2003

Why it happens

Many young children worry about being replaced by a new sibling, and their worries are made all the more real when they find out their crib will be going to a new baby. Even if you're making the crib-to-bed change for other reasons — for instance, your child has started climbing out of the crib or has outgrown it, or you've started toilet training — an abrupt transition to an unfamiliar bed can be hard for a toddler accustomed to the safety and security of a crib.

What you can do about it

If the arrival of a new baby is the reason for the move, make the transition a couple of months before your due date so your toddler can get used to the new arrangement. Or keep your new baby in a bassinet and make the switch after your toddler has adjusted to being a big brother.

No matter what's prompting the move, take it slowly. Let your child help pick out his new bed, and encourage him to accessorize it with favorite stuffed animals or blankets from his crib (avoid stuffed animals if your family has a history of allergies). Be sure to put up a guard rail for extra security — falling out of bed in the middle of the night can be scary and dangerous.

Also, stick with your normal nighttime routine. If the novelty of sleeping in a bed has your toddler up and about past his bedtime, gently but firmly lead him back to the bed, explaining that he must stay there until morning. Your toddler should get the message after a few nights.

William is "reading"

William is starting to walk on his own!!

William is figuring out how to walk on his own!!!

Today was a big day for William. He's been working on taking a few steps here and there and today it's as if he has decided to really go for it. He is able to walk between Andrew and me. He will take at least 5 steps on his own before falling down.

I have no idea why I am up so late right now. I guess it really is Friday already. I'm actually posting about what we were doing yesterday (Thursday). In the AM we met up with Autumn and Lucas and had breakfast together. Then we all headed out to the KidsQuest Childrens' Museum. William and Lucas had a great time and after an hour or so they started showing signs that is was time for a nap so we all headed home.

This evening we had dinner at the Mexican place in our neighborhood and then stopped at the grocery store to pick up ingredients for some delicious cookies. Yummy, and so not on my diet. I plan on giving most of them away to friends. That's all for now.

Chuck is for Obama, and so am I

here is a link to this photo in it's original location on dooce.com, which is my most favorite blog, ever...

William is feeling much better after sleeping more than usual the last couple of days. He still has a bit of a runny nose, but no more fever!!!

Today we are hosting an Usborne Books play date. Gotta run and get the hot apple cider started....