Will is 1!

It was over a week ago now that we celebrated Will's first birthday. I can't really believe he's one already! He took two steps on his actual birthday, and I'm not sure that he's taken many more since! I must admit: I am glad about that! It's nice to have a one-year-old who is still crawling. On his birthday, our dear friends Peter and Myra came for dinner to help us celebrate. I decided to make a lasagna, foregoing our norm of eating a favorite meal. Will is only eating cheerios and a variety of crackers.

As of his first birthday, he is cutting tooth 6 and 7 (the top left of center and bottom left of center). He loves to say, "da, da, da," and I really think that, though he says it a lot, he does associate this with Dave. Every now and then, he shows me a sign, rather than laughing at me when I do them for him. He loves whole milk and drinks about a gallon a week, literally (because he doesn't eat much!). He is so affectionate, and loves to snuggle and cuddle all of us. He will crawl right over to a sister laying on the floor and snuggle up to her and give kisses! So sweet. He is sweet as can be.

He had a cough and cold coming on on his birthday. We left for Camp of the Woods the next day. And he came down with RSV. Our weekend at Camp of the Woods was not as restful and easy-going as we thought it would be, but we're thankful that we avoided the hospital! (Camp of the Woods pictures coming soon!) So, we've spent all the days since his birthday recovering from RSV. Will, Anna Kate and Samantha have all been taking albuterol with the nebulizer. Will's sleep (my golden calf) is suffering. Last week, he would sleep if I carried him around. So, I happily strapped him into the ergo for school time. This week, he is not napping.

He weighed 20 lbs 3 oz at the doctor's on Monday, February 21 for his cold.

But back to his celebration! Peter and Myra brought each of the girls a Princess book (I can't tell you how many times we've read these books!)


There's my birthday boy! He has curls like Samantha in the back. His hair, though much darker than any of the girls, is coming in just as Samantha's did. Curls?
Anna Kate helped a little at the end. But, he did pretty good tearing that paper on his own!

This year's birthday: BALLS! What perfect gifts, too, because he loves them all.

Since he is so picky about what he'll touch to eat, and he won't let me help feed him, we decided to have cookies (he always eats cookies when they are offered!). I had to work hard all day to not add a cake to my list of things to do that day because what's a birthday without a cake? But, in the end, I made it through the day without making a cake, and he loved his cookies!



This was not the shirt I planned for Will to wear, but he's still cute. As dinner approached and I was going to change his shirt, something came up, and I never got to it! Aren't those teeth cute? I love them!

Samantha says some of the funniest things. Overhead, lately . . . .

Tonight after dinner, choosing a Valentine candy for dessert:
Dad: "which one, Samantha?"
Samantha: "That one" (pointing to Anna Kate's lollipop)
D: "No, that's Anna Kate's."
S: "I want that one."
D: "No."
S: "I just want to suck on it."


The other day, Samantha had Lucy's pony (one of her many ponies), and Lucy was not happy about it. I walked in to the living room when I could tell this conversation needed some help:
Lucy: "Mom, I want my pony."
Mom: " Samantha, Lucy wants her pony. . . . ."
Samantha: "I told her she could have it if she ran back and forth two times and did the hokey pokey."
Wow! That's a good one!

Memorization

Super Bowl Sunday: Will had to wear his super-cute football outfit, which Aunt Hillery sent right after we found out "baby quatro" was a BOY! I'm so excited he finally fits into it, and each time he wears it, I'm reminded of the joy of receiving some of our first "boy things."




The girls and I, along with our dear friends from small group, (and, obviously, a whole lot of other people) went to the Egg for Eric Carle's The Very Hungry Caterpillar. It wasn't without drama - I couldn't find the parking lot! - but we had a fabulous time!

Ellen made the girls these ear bands. I love them!
Some of Will's favorite things right now are - SOCKS! He'll play with one or two socks for a long time . . . .

The Girls' Developing Theology

The other night, this is the conversation I heard between Anna Kate and Lucy:

Lucy: ". . . Jesus, in time out!"

Anna Kate: "No, Lucy, Jesus is never in time out."

And then this, on another day. (We have been studying and talking about who God is - He is holy, perfect, ever-present, love . . . .)

Anna Kate: ". . . . like Mary Poppins - practically perfect in every way."

Mommy: "No, actually Jesus is totally perfect in every way. Mary Poppins is only practically perfect . . . ."

Am I lucky or what? On the weekends, my husband makes me things like this:
A farmhouse-style bench, stained in ebony. He also changed the legs on the table he made us last year, so the legs are also "farmhouse-style" and stained ebony.