Wiggle Worm Will

I have been using this term frequently to describe Will these days!  He is always moving/squirming around--and making lots of squeaks/grunts/coos now while he does it!  In fact, today while he was doing tummy time, I sent off a quick email and when I looked up he had scooted himself all the way around on his play mat!



For a weekend update:

Friday over lunch we went up to Cerner and Will got to meet several of my co-workers and he was such a sweet, good boy--Mama was really proud!

We had been planning on going to NE for my Grandma Meyer's 89th birthday on Sunday.  So, Friday we kept hearing about a crazy snowstorm coming towards NE---we decided to just take off early Friday afternoon and make it up there before the weather got bad.  Amy, cody and Daniel also came up Friday night instead to miss the bad weather coming---we did wake up Saturday to a few inches of snow---but Lincoln and Omaha got hit MUCH harder with about 13 inches!  Glad we missed that!  So, Saturday we got to spend some time at Grandma Meyer's with Grandpa D, and then saw my Grandpa Mack too.  That night we got all pumped up to watch the KU/MU basketball game (unfortunately, the wrong team won---but a good game was had!) 

Saturday night---this could be a whole blog in itself, but let's just say it was the hardest night we have gone through yet.  Will was being very fussy when we were trying to go to sleep, and by very fussy, I mean SCREAMING so loud and just couldn't be consoled or calmed down.  Patrick decided we should take him down to the living room area of my Mom's so we wouldn't wake up/keep up Amy, Cody and Daniel.  After hearing the crying continue for awhile, I joined him down there---I figured we were all in this together!  We took his temperature, wasn't that...I tried to nurse him...wouldn't calm him down---but luckily laying on the floor in the living room staring at the ceiling fan was a good distraction for him.  So at about 2:00am, Patrick, Will and I were all laying on the living room floor, P and I saying that someday when we weren't as tired we would laugh about this :)  I finally got Will to fall asleep laying on my chest, and I decided not to try to move him and he slept the remainder of the night like that on me.  So, the whole ordeal was about from mid-night to 2:45am, and I'm thinking it must have been the shrimp scampi I had for dinner that he didn't like. 

Will -1.  Sarah/Patrick- 0.

Sunday we went to early church--and Will was excited to meet Father Major!  Then we went to Great-Grandma Meyer's for her bday celebration--it was nice to have cake/punch/ice cream and celebrate Grandma's 89 years of life!  She looked great and is feeling great (i'm kicking myself for not getting a picture while there... I was bad about pics this weekend) 

Will has just been getting more and more fun---I understand now when some parents I know say it just keeps getting better---I can see that!  He loves his activity mat, and I will usually get down on the floor and put my face up by his 'friends' on his mat, and just smile at him---and I absolutely love seeing his face light up and smile back at me.  We have some 'talks' as he coos back and likes to hit the things hanging off the mat. (I've had to not let myself think about how much I'm going to miss doing that when I go back to work in 2 weeks....how he won't be seeing my face all day long---but I teared up briefly thinking about it, but I have tried not to let myself dwell on it)  It's fun to watch him interact with us and his toys though!! He also likes when P and I sing to him, so we have been doing more of that too :) 

 Here are some pics I have taken from my phone lately:

Playing so hard on his mat- he kicked a sock off :)

All ready for the big game!  Rock Chalk!

First a snooze with Dad before the game

He loves staring up at the birds on his swing! 

My smiley guy!

Here's how he scooted around in just a few seconds during tummy time!

Will's Newborn Pictures

We had these taken when he was 10 days old at Moments and Memories-- so happy with them!!

Correction

So, last night I was re-reading through many of my older blog posts, and I realized that I have repeated myself many times and when I go back to read through this, I want to make sure I am clear.  I obviously am new at the blogging thing, and repeating myself and misspellings are probably going to happen.  Pardon me as I get more used to this!  Just to clear up a few things:

Grunting- yes, I have mentioned this several times and still is something that makes Will unique.  Although just lately he has starting cooing and making other noises too.

Sleeping- as I'm reading previous posts, I always state that Will is such a good sleeper.  *I don't have anything to compare this to, so I take him being a very good sleeper, knowing some babies are better and some worse.  I do have to say that I LOVE to sleep, and was always a little concerned how I was going to do with lack of sleep.  In the first month, it always seemed that right after Will would eat, we would rock him and just when he got asleep he would wake up right when we tried to put him down, only to go through the whole process again....which let me tell you in the middle of the night can be pretty frustrating!  Hence why we were letting him sleep with us (which I realize now that I have mentioned a few times too!)  Anyway, while I think he is a normal sleeper for an infant, he is still needing to eat every 2 1/2 hours or so, which makes for not tons of sleep, but I have been surprised at how just 2-3 hour stretches of straight sleep can feel so refreshing! 

Smiles- ok, let me clear up---he first officially smiled at me on Christmas Day night...he looked me in the eye and gave me a side smile.  Then, they were very sporadic and just one every once in awhile, until my next post on Boy you make me smile---which is when he started to smile at me over and over, and I could tell that he was really smiling responsively back to me, etc.  Anyway, just wanted to clear that up :)

I also promised a few pictures--here are some from Christmas parties:

Phi Mu girls scarf exchange

The kiddos before their book exchange (minus Macklyn and Will and Baby Cook :))

Double Chin...

So, in just the past week, I think Will has added another chin, along with his added wrinkles and creases :)  His thighs are getting thicker and I love every bit of that baby pudge!! :)  Chubby babies are the cutest in my opinion...so of course he is!!  Anyway, I have also noticed that Will is looking more and more like Patrick I think...from the eyes down, and I can definitely see it in the chin/jawline (Marilee agrees with me too---in fact she wants to call Will little Patrick everytime she sees him!) 

So this weekend as Patrick and I were playing with Will (he was SO much fun this weekend---just smiling and giggling up at the birds flying around on his swing)...I had a total foot in mouth moment (or a Sarah moment as some may know it) and combined the two things I was going to say.  When I was talking to Will I accidently said.. (insert baby talk voice here) "Hi Will...Hi handsome...do you have Daddy's double chin??"   Of course Patrick is sitting right there and looks at me like, "Aw man, you think I have a double chin??"  Haha--I meant to say, do you have daddy's chin or do you have a double chin and combined the two together instead!  Oopsie---no, Dad, you do NOT have a double chin....and by the way, why are double chins and being chubby so cute when we are babies and not when we are older?? :)

In other news this weekend, Friday I had a hair appointment, so Marilee watched Will for a few hours and we had a trial run for how things will go when I go back to work and will drop Will off for the day.  Elaina was also there, and gave Marilee practice on juggling the kids :)  Unfortunately, Will had a bit of a temperature Friday and was unusually fussy, so I dont' think he was as fun as normal. When Bill got home from work he had fun playing with Will and couldn't resist putting him in the pink stroller that was sitting there (picture below)  Friday night, P and I had a date night to celebrate KC's Restaurant week and we went to Story (in the Village shops) that we had been wanting to try.  Thank you Amy Cody and Daniel for coming over to watch Will.  It's always nice to get out and enjoy the evening together.  Saturday we were having so much fun the three of us playing with Will in the morning, as he woke up so super happy and in such a good mood!!  We bundled him up and went to the Plaza to see the Ice Sculpture competition going on there (Cody was scoping out the competition --- we think he should definitely enter next year!) and met my cousin Amber there too!  Was so fun to catch up with her as always.  We got the house cleaned up and then Daniel came over to hang out for the night while Amy and Cody went out to dinner.  Today was mostly just church (yay, we made it to early church actually!), some Eggtc (thanks Will for sleeping through ALL of that!), and then a trip to CostCo (sample Sunday's are the best :))  That about sums it up---here are some pics from the past few days:

How can you not want to squeeze those thighs?! 

His favorite spot!!

Snuggle bear!

Eeee!!! I love this little outfit--how fun!

Thanks GG :)

I'm 2 months old!

Work Out

This is week 2 of me being able to get back to the gym and work out.  I feel really great!! I must say, my body isn't exactly back to normal... I think the hardest thing is that my clothes just fit so different.  It seems that all my shirts are too short, and pants just a little snug in the waist (definite muffin top going on :))  For some reason, I was under the impression that nursing would just melt off the pounds and I would be back to normal in no time, although I really do realize it takes most people awhile to lose their baby belly....and I have eased up on myself---it's only been 8 weeks! 

In fact, most of the time, I feel like I appreciate my body so much more than I ever have---for all that it went through to bring this baby into the world---it's just amazing!  And how it can produce all the nutrients to sustain his life now and grow him bigger and bigger--it truly is a miracle and something that should be celebrated, not embarrased or self-conscious about.  (I'll be honest, I've had a few pity parties for myself though, mostly when I try my 'old' clothes on in my closet or try to find something to wear that doesn't fit right...or when I weigh myself)  So, if I just keep wearing the new things I have bought that fit better and limit myself from stepping on the scale and keep eating healthy and working out, I know that I will bounce back soon!

Co-sleeping vs. No-sleeping

I'm not sure if I have admitted or put in writing that Will has been sleeping with us, because I never thought I would let myself do that.  It was always something I knew I didn't want to get in the habit of, and what do you know, we did!  It is so much easier to get some sleep/rest when nursing him in bed, and both of us falling asleep once he was done...he just would always seem to wake up right when we tried to put him down in the pack and play, so we gave up for awhile and let ourselves sleep...a little more :) 

Anyway, after our pediatirian appointment, he re-motivated us to try again, and be more persistent.  He said that we were heading down a 'slippery-slope'.... he is at the age that he will start getting really used to being in our bed and it will get harder and harder to get him out.  So, we took several suggestions, we really want to keep up the same night-time routine....at around 7:30, Patrick gives Will a bath (I have yet to give him a bath, it's been Will and Patrick's bonding time---have I mentioned I have a great husband that helps so much?!), we get him in his PJ's, change diaper, (if he's not screaming, I have started reading him a book) and then I nurse him.  So, last night was the first time we put him up in the pack and play (which is now moved RIGHT next to our bed vs. across the room upstairs!) and he didn't wake up at all--actually slept about 4 hours during that time!  Patrick and I laughed because we don't know what may have helped, we kind of threw everything at him----we bought a small heater to make his area nice and warm....we have the vibration turned on in the pack and play....we had me sleep with a swaddle blanket so it smelled like me and put it on him, had the sound machine going, and also put him in a swaddle sack!!  Haha--so much going on, but hey, it seemed to work :)  We had one rough patch around 3:00am that he didn't want to be in there by himself, and we let him cry for a little bit (yes, it's torture, that sweet little guy can SCREAM :)) and then ended up rocking him to sleep, and then he slept from 3:00am-7:00am!  Good one....so perhaps we are on our way.

Battle of the bed: Sarah/Patrick 1.  Will-0. 

Wish us luck on Night #2!

Happy boy- playing on his activity mat--he loves it!