Monday, December 31, 2012

Year in Review

January 2012

William said bye-bye to his paci.  He also got a new chair for his monthly pictures. 

February 2012

William turned one!


March 2012

William had his first haircut


April 2012

We celebrated William's 2nd Easter at Meme's.


May 2012

William started walking, finally.


June 2012

We made our first trip to the McWane Science Center


July 2012

William was treated to a trip to Disney World.


August 2012

William attempted to use the potty.


September 2012

Abuela visits and William had a 2nd surgery on his ears.

 
October 2012

Stumbled on our 4 year anniversary



November 2012

I walked for my brother and William learns to bake.



December 2012

William gets a playroom and celebrates his 2nd Christmas


Thursday, December 27, 2012

Christmas

  We all received so many wonderful gifts this year and are beyond thankful.  We started opening gifts around 7 when my mom refused to let the bud sleep a minute longer.  Next year I will be sure to change the start time in the event my bud wants to sleep late.  The first toy William saw was a Radio Flyer car that he can push himself on and that was it for any other gift. 
  We had the hardest time getting him to open and play with much else.  Even the nice wagon that he got was just hanging out holding paper and bows.  In all honesty, William was probably overwhelmed with gifts from Santa, Grammie, PawPaw, and Meme all in one room.  I would never  win the argument but I wish we could all decide on 4 or 5 nice gifts for him and that would be it.  Ha.  The good thing about all the toys is he will have new things throughout the year.  He focuses on one or two things and then a few months later pulls out a toy that has not been touched for months.  After gifts were opened it was time to start cooking.
  Luckily we decided on letting Publix cook the main dish which was them handing everything over in a box with instructions.  The turkey was cooked but needed around 2 hours in the oven and it was delish.  The meal also came with some sides that were not the best but we lived through it.  Rudy cooked mashed potatoes, green bean cass, his own stuffing out of a box (better than Publix) and that was basically it.  It was tasty but with William napping the entire time it was actually relaxing as well.  He even spoiled me by sleeping long enough to get the kitchen in decent order. 

Christmas Eve


Entering the living room on Christmas morning...


William's artwork put onto a garden flag!


Powerwheels..."It's a Jeep Thing"

 

Sunday, December 23, 2012

Just the Beginning-Playroom

  We decided to turn our dining room into William's playroom.  At the present time this is the best decision for our family for several reasons.  One being he has a lot of toys and is about to get even more from Santa and two our livingroom was looking ridiculous.  We rarely eat at the dining room table and William needed more space to enjoy his new toys.  The good thing about this was that my parents are "borrowing" the furniture because they never bought any for their dining room.  So when the time comes if we want it back I am sure they will hand it over. 
  The room is definitely a work in progress.  We bought 3 small rugs because I did not have the patience to wait on a large one to arrive.  We will eventually get an area rug but for now it works.  Also, the walls need some love and I plan on getting family pictures taken soon so that will be one wall.  I am tossing around ideas: calendars, bulletin boards, colors.  I am a teacher at heart so of course I want to turn it into a mini classroom.  Ha. 

Before:
 

 
 After:
 

 
He is getting an easel for Christmas which will be to the left of his table.

 
Book shelves of some kind are a must.  Brighter colored curtains that pull colors from the rugs will be purchased in the near future.  We will probably bring his toy box down; not sure.  The pack n play is for time out and I will be moving it once the tree comes down.  So...there is a lot more to be done. 

Friday, December 21, 2012

First Blog Book

It finally got here and I am in love.  My mother wants me to order her one as well as one for Meme.  It is a hit to say the least.  I really hope I can keep up with it year after year.



Thursday, December 20, 2012

13 on Thursday

  1. Christmas is Tuesday!  And I can not wait to take the tree down; it drives the Bud nutso. 
  2. William is no longer a baby.  He is becoming very independent. 
  3. It's hard to find motivation this close to the end of 2012 at work.  I am also applying for jobs within the company and getting declined.  Refusing to give up!
  4. I have wore my hair down all week since getting it cut.  Honestly it takes no time for me to fix it but I am LAZY in the AM.
  5. Leads me into the straightening treatment I am getting done on Saturday which is to stop the Chi use.  We shall see.
  6. I need more time in the day.
  7. Still loving my IPhone.
  8. One of my best friends from Auburn finally got a job here in the 'Ham.  She has been determined and all of her work has paid off. Congrats.
  9. The hubs ordered my Christmas gift tonight (will be here after) and I can not wait.  It is a beautiful full length mirror that opens into a jewelry box.  Get ready for some "What I Wore" posts...
  10. Saving about 200 on our mortgage.  Is that not ahhhmazing??
  11. I passed by a gas station on the way home: 2.98/gallon.  Crazy, huh?
  12. I caved and paid a blog designer to give my blog some love.  Not many people read it but I have always wanted it to be "fancy, smancy."
  13. Has this not been a random 13 on Thursday?  Oh, and Maine is less than a month away.  Where is my snow suit? 

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

A Letter to My Son

William,

  Where do I begin?  You entered my life almost 2 years ago and I can not imagine a day without you.  You can light up a room with your bright, blue eyes and big smile.  I love to sit back and watch you play.  You are so gentle with things and then at the same time "all boy."  I know you have a kind heart because you are willing to share and always want to help.  Sweet boy, you offered your hand to Abuelo when he was having trouble getting out of the chair. 
  You have a strong desire to learn and are persistent.  The memory you have amazes me and frustrates me at the same time.  I absolutely love to see you run but it scares me to death.  Your little legs moving so fast and your giggle which is indescribable.  That giggle calms me and reminds me how important every detail of your life is. 
  I admit I look at your baby pictures all of the time.  I can not believe it has been almost 2 years.  You are so big and such a boy; no longer a baby.  I look at those pictures and I am reminded how blessed we are to have a healthy son.  You are developmenting each day and even do things that no one has taught you. 
  I will put you down for a nap and watch your eyes close then quickly open.  You do not want to miss anything but at that same time can not hold your eyes open.  I watch as they close and your long lashes fall onto your face.  Sometimes I bend down, give you "nose kisses" which must tickle because those eyes open ever so slightly, and a tiny smile spreads across your face.  I then lay you in your crib and holding tightly to a friend you sleep. 
  William, this letter does not even begin to explain my love for you.  It is not easy to put into words.  I am amazed that you are here running, learning, laughing, but not too long ago I was reading a positive pregnancy test.  You see it took some help from the doctor for me to get pregnant.  I was told I was not ovulating and would need medication.  I am thankful for modern medicine because without it not only would I have missed the experience of pregnancy but I woud have missed you.  And you my son are my motivator, my light when all I see is darkness, and my friend. 

Saturday, December 15, 2012

Do's and Do Not's of Hair

  Do get your hair done regularly because you deserve it.  Do not use a gift certificate to a brand new stylist because you can not say "no, but thanks."  I was given a gift certificate by a co-worker a while ago and was nervous about using a new stylist.  I did not want be rude so I used it.  I was skeptical as soon as I arrived at the new place. 
  My fears were confirmed today when I returned to my usual stylist and was told one side was an inch longer.  Really??  All is well because my hair looks great and my natural color is creeping back in.  I actually love it.  My goal is to quit coloring all together.  Ha, we will see.  I also made an appointment to get a special "keratin" treatment because I was told, "no more Chi."  You will see my hair down all the time if I just had to blow dry it and be done. 



Friday, December 14, 2012

Zoo Light Safari

  So...we wanted to take Budsy to the Zoo Light Safari and...we probably never will again!  We did the right thing and got there before they opened.  We went straight to the train, waited 40 minutes, and had to figure out it was broken on our own.  Finally, they started letting people on the train and because we were the first in line we got on the first one.
  William loved the train and set all by himself (in the middle of us).  It was cold but he refused a hat and gloves.  His 'tude will have to change once we get to Maine next month.  We did not stay long after the train because there was not much for his age group.  We saw Santa and although we had to sit with William he did great.  He would not "cheese" but his lollipop kept him semi-still. 
  Like I said we will not be going back until William is much older.  Plus it started at 5 which is our dinner time or close to it.  I was starving and I was filling the bud up with snacks. 

My blue eyed baby!

He is "cheesing" in this one.


 
Such great potential for an excellent picture...but you see our bud there in the middle freaking out!

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

What I Wore Tuesday

It is too funny not to share.  I decided to dress up this morning and when I looked at myself in the mirror I noticed everything was from Target.  Of course, the jewelry is not.  The cross necklace was a gift many years ago and the earrings I think are from Belk (again years ago).  My goal is to fix my hair on a daily basis but I am so lazy about it.  I am getting my hair done Friday and hopefully I will be motivated to wear my hair down more often. 


Sunday, December 9, 2012

Recent Thoughts

  I have been a terrible blogger recently for a few different reasons: 1.  I hate that I am being forced to pay for pictures, 2.  Little bit of writer's block, 3.  Thanksgiving and Christmas are hard on my family as it makes us miss Christopher more than usual. 
  Not much has been going on with us other than battling an almost 2 year old boy.  I have found eating in public to be a chore.  William does not like the highchair and prefers DADDY's lap.  He does not eat so food does not help him sit still.  I would almost rather stay home but find myself going out anyway.  This is a phase. 
  Rudy's family from Spain was in town last week but they were gone to New Orleans for 2 nights.  William is doing much better with new faces and even sat in Carmen's lap while watching his songs on the IPad.  I wish Rudy would speak Spanish to William; I hate that he probably won't be able to speak to family in Spain.  Rudy's dad is still here and will leave on Saturday.  After he battled a virus he is back in the game and cooked a beautiful dinner. 
  We did make it to the park today and I took advantage of my IPhone once again...






 

Thursday, December 6, 2012

22 Months

    ** I am taking advantage of my IPhone since it is so much easier with a busy toddler.  Even with the convenience of having the camera at my fingertips it is tough getting a good picture of William. 



  • Around 28 lbs. depending on the day (weighed on our scale)
  • 24 months and 2T clothes, Size 6 or 7 shoe
  • Size 4 diaper, 5 at night, but I just bought a Size 5 because the 4's seem a little tight
  • I think 16 teeth...I am not going in there and he does not let me look.  Brushes his own teeth (with a little help) and even tries to spit.  This is hilarious!
  • Bedtime around 8 and awake around 7, naps vary between 1 and 2 hrs.  William sometimes naps less than an hour which causes a fussy evening (for all of us).  Also to note he is not going down as easy; he cries for about 10 or so minutes.  Hoping it's a phase.
  • Eats like a bird except when he eats everything in sight for dinner after daycare.  This is very, very rare.  William takes about 2 hours to finish his breakfast.  He takes a bite, plays, takes a bite, and plays some more.  He much rather play then eat.  William uses utensils and prefers them because he does not like food on his hands.  He will point to a napkin.  New fav-grapes!
  • Trying to talk more but still uses the "more" sign.  I say "more" every time he signs it and he will say it but is serious about that sign.  When he wants something he will sign "more."  William wants both Mommy and Daddy in the same place all the time and has started using a hand gesture to prompt us to "come on."  So cute! 
  • Loves to dance, loves Mickey Mouse, and still loathes the car.  He may be 5 and still screaming in the car; gosh I hope not.  He can "shimmy" into pants if sitting down, and he can take off his jacket.  "Talks" on the phone and still says "bye" to every single thing.  Pulls at his diaper when getting ready for a bath and he has to have pants on because he will take it off. 
  • Got his first haircut an actual salon and I was very impressed with his behavior.  He had a couple of suckers and sat very still.  He lost his attention span during the layering part but it still looks good.  He is beginning to look like a little "man." 
  • Still getting in time out and it really hurts his feelings.  I do feel like it is working and I will say at this point William does not respond to the "pop."  I may pop his hand or his leg and this just makes him laugh or mad.  Time out takes him completely away from everything (pack n play) and afterwards me or Rudy (whoever placed him there) talks about why he went in there. 
  • William does so many things and since I write these posts only once a month I do not remember every single development.  He is always learning and remembers days later.  We are so proud of him.  We try not to be concerned about his speech delay but as parents it is very hard.

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Merry "Kissmas"

  William has 3 teachers at his new school.  One of the things I love about the daycare is his teachers are the same.  Not to mention he is bringing home work he does at school and a color of the month.  It is a lot easier for us to work with William on things at home if we know what the focus is at school.  November was the color blue and food.  They sent home a book and some other info on the month's plan; I was so excited.  Wow, I totally just got off subject.  Back to 3 teachers...
  Since I know exactly how many teachers work with William it makes buying gifts actually possible.  I have been trying to figure out a cute but inexpensive idea for teacher gifts.  I decided on glass jars in shape of a Christmas tree, hershey kisses, and chapstick.  I think I came across "Merry Kissmas" somewhere on Pinterest but I did not follow it completely.  I put some kisses on the bottom, chapstick in the middle, and more kisses on top.  It is very simple but appropriate for toddler teachers in my opinion.  I do hope they enjoy them. 

                                     

Saturday, December 1, 2012

Bath, Boots, and...

A little booty...


                                                  

William has become obsessed with the boots my dad bought him for our trip to Maine (January).  He even puts them on himself but just needs help getting his foot all the way in the boot.  He was pretty upset with me when I took them off before his bath.  Needless to say immediately after getting dried off he was putting on the boots...

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Why I Hope I Can Breastfeed Next Time

  Let me start on why it did not work out with William.  I may have posted about it when he was born but I do not remember.  Throughout my pregnancy I planned on breastfeeding and thought it would be easy-peasy.  I read about it but never took a class or reached out to someone that had been successful at breastfeeding.  I also did not buy a pump because 1) I wanted to make sure I was able to breastfeed and 2) I figured I would not even need one for awhile.  I was very wrong. 
  I should have invested in a nice pump and took it the hospital.  The hospital where I delivered were pro breast but not very pro assist the brand new Mommy.  I will never forget my fight for help in the hospital.  The nurses had no issue telling me to feed every 2 hours but had a lot of issue helping me every 2 hours.  I set my alarm and tried to wake up a very sleepy newborn to feed him.  He wanted nothing to do with eating and everything to do with sleeping.  I remember holding him and waiting for almost an hour for a nurse to help with the latch. 
  The only good feeding session was when a young lactation consultant came in and stayed the whole time.  I never saw her again after that feeding.  Again, I got a lot of "he is very jaundice and is losing weight quickly" but never any support.  They poured sugar water on me, formula on me, but nothing helped.  I was soooo discouraged by the time I went home.  Honestly, the time we left the hospital and the time he started formula is a blur.  I do not know if it was 24 hours or less or more.  He cried all night our first night home and had lost more weight when we saw the Dr. in the morning.  I do recall the doctor suggesting to nurse William then offer formula.  William had not urinated all day and when I called the office they said, "ER."  This was my last straw he started formula and I suffered through the pain of milk coming in.  Looking back maybe my milk was slow coming in and thats why it was so difficult.  Who knows what happened. 
  I will also say my parents were not very supportive.  They did not really see a point in breastfeeding when you have formula at your finger tips.  It was just hard.  I still think about it to this day.  What if I had taken a class?  What if I had bought a good pump and pumped until he got a good latch?  What if I had someone sitting beside me the whole time cheering me on?  These questions do not matter now.  William is very healthy and very happy.  Formula did not hurt him in anyway but I had wanted to breastfeed him.  I wanted that bond.  Next time I will take a class.  Next time I will invest in a pump and next time I will ask questions. 

Monday, November 26, 2012

Our Weekend

  The weekend was pretty uneventful compared to our last one.  Rudy worked on Saturday so I did a little Christmas shopping with my parents.  My mom was kind enough to buy me (us) a new comforter set for Christmas.  I have been wanting to get something lighter because the brown makes our room seem so dark.
  After that I decided to get William a haircut since my mom's back is giving her trouble right now.  His hair was out of control and we could not wait on her to feel better.  She completely understood and even complimented it when she saw him on Sunday.  We ended up at the Galleria on Sunday because one of my 4 ear piercings no longer allows an earring to go in.  It happens to be my first (ear) hole because if it was the second one I would not even worry about it.  I can not imagine never being able to wear earrings again so my plan was to get it re pierced.  Well, you have to your ID (duh) and I left my entire wallet at home since I had the hubs with me.  That was a no go but my mother decided William was old enough for a Build a Bear.
  He loved it but our the customer service was definitely less than par.  The lady did not try to sell any additional items or upgrades and just seemed bored.  It made me sad because my mother really enjoys doing these things with William.  What I was thinking was this woman works at Build a Bear she needs to love kids more than life itself.  Have you seen this store when there is a birthday party?  We will definitely go back and lets hope we get someone with more enthusiam.