Busy Boy

WOW! I really have a toddler! He is busy busy busy! By the end of the day I thought to myself, I should have recorded everything he does in one day!!! So, I will try tomorrow. Emphasis on the TRY!

Cute things/ busy toddler things he did today:

*climbed in the cabinet

*used mommy's eyeshadow (I was tweezing my eyebrows, thinking he was playing with his bath toys...)

*tried to eat the camera

*perfected climbing up the climber

*washed his hands with a wipe at the restaurant! (I swear I'm not that much of a clean freak!!)

*washed the bathtub knobs

*gave Molly broccoli & chicken (naughty naughty)

*put away his legos by himself!

*brought mommy his shoes as we were getting ready to leave (okay, shoe, the other one only made it a few feet)

*fed mommy cheerios, egg, & broccoli

*climbed on the couch with lego box

*said "dog" clearly as he chased Molly all over the house!
*threw the big ball & went to get it several times

*closed all the open doors in the house

I'm sure there are things I'm forgetting, but it was such a full day. I love it! I officially have a toddler!!! haha. Now time for me to pass out on the couch from exhaustion because he just fell asleep!

Will's First Birthday!

I'm going to keep this post simple. We had such a great time with a few friends and family. Of course we wished all of our family could've been there, but obviously that is hard with our life! Will loved his carrot cake. He got a lot of presents (thanks everybody)! He loved having other kids over & of course seeing Grampy & Uncle Brandon!

Grampy & his lil man

a ball from the Borgs, Blocks from Grampy & Brandon, an outfit & stunnaz from Jessica & Sawyer!

His carrot cake, the song, big bite, & ready for some milk!

After a long day he & daddy cuddled on the couch... that was my favorite part of the day!

Before Bathtime Video

Will LOVES baths! He also LOVES being naked! His best buddy is his Daddy! They have lots of fun together!

Approaching 1...

So here we are, about a week away from Will's first birthday! I cannot believe it!!! I am so excited for my little boy! He is walking so much & with that exploring EVERYTHING!

He loves...
*walking, everywhere as much as he can

*balls, & with that...

*throwing (he was throwing everything & now I'm trying to teach him that he "can throw balls, that's it")

*climbing, he pushed a container to the couch & used it to climb up the couch

*dad & mom, he's starting to become apprehensive of strangers or even people he knows when he first sees them.

*Molly

*stacking cups, endless minutes of entertainment

*the laptop... yeah that's a "No", haha

*eating regular food, especially feeding himself.

he hates...
*not having his paci, we are trying to wean from it, so far he can only have it during his witching hour (6pm) & out in public if he gets fussy.

He doesn't really hate things I guess. He has been a little more fussy, but that's because he is now officially in the stage of wanting things he can't have, or wants to do things he can't.

He is so fun! He has been a lot more cuddly. He's more aware of what a stranger is & is apprehensive of even my friends who he sees often, until he warms up.

Everything is going pretty well. He just recently got over a yucky virus, which was aggravated by some teething. He now has 8 teeth, 4 on the top & 4 on the bottom. That bottom one is still making it's way all the way up, which I think is still causing pain. We all know that means a harder time with naps & bedtime. C'est la vie.

Will is pretty obedient, but of course that is something that will be worked on over his whole life! He tries to listen, except when something is just THAT interesting.

He hasn't said very many words, Momma & Dadda of course. The other words are "sounds likes" but he's trying.

He's eating well. Figuring out how to really use those teeth. I'm trying to be inventive about the foods to serve him. Corey & I are eating more veggies now that we have to make them for Will! hehe. Soon it'll be time to drop his bottle! We are starting with switching the formula to milk slowly & then we'll slowly drop the bottle. I'm worried that he'll have a problem with milk (like lactose intolerance), since he is on Alimentum (milk proteins are broken down), but I guess we'll have to cross that bridge when we get there.

He's such a great kid & wish all of you could know him like we do!

Here he is exploring...

Picking up Daddy's habits...

His first snow, sadly he was getting sick, so he did NOT like it

Highlights of the Week 9/27-10/03

I was so busy this week, but I have a feeling that the rest of this year will be pretty busy.

I'll start with the most recent, cutest thing Will has done. He howled at the moon. We were driving around tonight & I saw the full moon & started to howl, so did Corey & next thing we know, Will starts "howling"! He is so flippin' cute! Granted his "howl" was his high-pitched babble, but it sounded like our howls. haha

So Monday I met with Corey's first shirt & am starting my training to become a Key Spouse.
Tuesday I had a MOPS Steering meeting (the leadership & people in comittees) & finally got to meet all the people in Special Events Comittee (4 people).
There was also a picnic for the Junior Enlisted Appreciation Day for the military, so Corey got home early & we love that!
Wednesday was hectic with little things. I made Shredded Pork in the crockpot & cookies for some friends of ours that are leaving.
Thursday was MOPS, we learned about throwing birthday parties, we decorated cupcakes, & had a 3-legged race. fun! haha
Friday was my "relax" day. Corey didn't have to go in until 7pm! We ended up going to Target in Columbia & got a few things to Autumn out our house. Love it! Of course Starbucks was involved.
Finally, today, Saturday, Will and I went out early to check out the yard sales on base (4) and we got a moving ball thing for $1!!! Awesome find because I really wanted one & almost bought it a few days earlier for like $30! We just hung out mostly this day. We went out to dinner at Hibachi & Will was adored by everyone who worked there. He got free candy too! (Corey will eat it). There is talk of him becoming the Hibachi Baby. lol. We got ice cream & now here I am at home.


I saw the first inkling of his upper left front tooth peeking out of his gums today! The right tooth is pressing on the gum, it's all white. He will be having a gap, because they are about a mile apart! haha. Good news is he isn't more drool-y or cranky.

Did I tell you guys he is growling (I think he learned it from Molly & Corey wrestling) & making slurp-y sounds (I think he learned from me trying to teach him how to drink from a sippy). Both are hilarious.

Now here is a picture of the world's cutest baby!

Bathtime video

We give Will a bath every night, unless we are out for some reason. We don't always wash, but he always gets in the water. Sometimes Corey or I will jump in with him. Now, just so you know, Will likes his bathwater hot. We used to use that little bath sensor thing you can buy & he hated how cold it was (& it really was!). We turn on only the hot water (set to 120) & turn on the shower, so it has time to cool down & also steams up the bathroom. So here is his little escapade with the shower... haha

7 months old

William Thomas Shipe...

is 7 months old today!

This month flew by!

Let's see Willzum's favorite things:
*trying to get my cell phone
*Molly
*eating Earth Best's Teething Biscuts
*pooping while in his exersaucer (everytime!)
*lil crunchies
*playing with paper
*his playskool pop-up toy
*his lovey (a small blanket with a bear body in the middle)

*straws

*peek-a-boo

Things he's doing:

*watching his shadow
*making wierd sucking/slurping sounds (I taught him when I was trying to teach him how to use a sippy cup)

*eating some finger foods (hasn't mastered getting little pieces into his mouth)

*rocking on his hands & knees

*getting from a sitting position onto his tummy/all-fours

*sitting up all by himself in the bathtub!

*starting to climb mommy & daddy to get up

*open mouth kisses!

*2 2-hour naps & 1 1-hour nap a day! Sometimes it's a little less than 2 hours.

*rolling over during diaper changes, nice!

I love him so much! We are having so much fun (me, corey, & wills) I hope life will always be this great!

all-fours, not mastered, but starting

teething biscuts

Hello Shadow

Bathtime! Grab the camera!

Mr. Blow-up Lion (we already had a Mr. Lion...)

This is the baby I get to see every morning, I heart his happiness

Lookin at the world with Dada

Daddy Kiss time

just cute

Preparing for vacation

So, I used to have Will sleep in his playpen once a week at least, so that he wouldn't get too attached to his crib & be able to sleep other places. He slept well enough anywhere, so I wasn't too concerned. Well, somehow I lost that as part of our routine... Can you see where this is going?

In my mind I knew we were going on vacation soon & I kept saying next week we'll start the playpen again for one nap a day, next week, tomorrow. Well, not that his naps had been perfect, but they were good & I enjoy nap time. He is happier & more interactive when he gets a good nap.

Yesterday for nap #2 we used the playpen. He didn't do too well at all maybe 30mins total, maybe. (normally it's 2 hours). My flexible child is now attached to his crib in a dark room. The poor thing looked so tired. Nap #3, better, but not good at all, maybe 45mins. So he went to bed early, he didn't even finish his last bottle.

He slept well last night until about 7:10am & that's when Corey woke him up. Now it's first naptime & he slept for 3o mins. & has been crying/whining on & off.

It's hard once you get pass sleep training to hear them start to cry again. I'm trying to not let my emotions rule me. I know I am doing good teaching my son to fall asleep & stay asleep by himself in different places. Not to mention, he wont fall asleep with us (although I wouldnt really want that), he's not a happy camper without naps, he doesn't sleep anywhere without crying, except maybe when he's really tired in my arms as I'm swaying back & forth for maybe 40 mins.

Hopefully, he will be doing okay by the time we get there. I believe it'll all work out. I'd rather deal with this now than on vacation. I do want him to get rest though (I know if they dont it makes it harder to sleep) so I think I will be putting him in the swing for his 3rd nap if #2 doesn't go well & he can't fall asleep on his own for #3.

I guess I should realize that I have done a good job getting him to nap well in his crib & that is a success. He naps 3x for 2 hours each, that is awesome! He's always getting noticed for being alert & aware. I know that is all because of the training we did with babywise. It was work, it is NOT natural. I am happy for him.

The crazy part is, Corey is in the same room with crying baby & sleeping right through it. Granted he has ear plugs, but I can't even sleep with the ear plugs when he's in his room! Men. Gotta love 'em.

I love my guys.

Yeah, & for anyone who hasn't noticed, he's spitting image of dada!

Pictures & a Video

So, my Will is growing up.

He sits up by himself (mostly)

He always plays with his toesies

He is always reaching for our food & drinks

He turns to look for me when I call him

He looks around when I ask "where's daddy?"

He watches me when I leave the room
He rolls all around the living room (this actually started today, before he knew how, but didn't care to)

He rolls around when daddy is trying to change his poopy diaper (haha)

Just Mr. Big Boy now, I guess. Whatev! haha jk

Picturefest

It's been awhile since I've posted pictures. Hey I'm busy! lol.

Here are some...

This was Will's first bite of carrots (he had other babyfood before)

He LOVES them!

He's working on the sippy cup, we might need to try one that you dont have to suck as hard...

Janet came for a short visit! Yaye!

We went on a trip to Florida for a family reunion. This was Will's first time hanging out naked, hey, we're scared of pee! Of course he LOVES it!

This is what our Mornings of Laziness look like...

notice Corey's wake-up smoothie? I was awake.

Corey went to put Wills to bed & he was in there for a long time, I went to check on them...

Feeding the baby, this is where we always feed Will. It's very worn in, haha, we have to rotate the cushions. Yes I know the burp cloth is yucky sorry.

Finally, this is an exersaucer we got for free. We wanted to test it out to see if he'd like it before we bought one. This one is very old, so we are ordering a new one online, wha what!

Oh yeah, he LOVES it too!

So Will is a very happy baby. I get two compliments almost everytime I go out. "He's so cute" (or something along those lines) and/or "He's so happy/alert". Yes he is. I love him. He laughs, giggles, smiles almost all the time. He is very ticklish, just like mom & dad.

Today, I was out with Will & there was a freak downpour just as we were leaving. It was Will's naptime soon so I decided to just go for it. I brought the car around, so Will wouldnt get too wet, but I totally forgot to unlock the doors! I looked down at him as I was running around the car to unlock to doors & he was laughing! We got soaked! but it was so much fun.

Alrighty I'll update you on more stuff later, I've got to make a baba.

Will is growing up

Will wont sit back in his infant seat anymore. He tries to sit up all the way. Which is good (sad he's growing up so fast), but when I sit him up on the floor he leans over a lot (which upsets his tummy). I know that's what they do before they sit up for real, it's just amazing how fast it's happening.

He's also rolling over more. Corey was playing with Molly & Will couldn't see so he rolled over. He's a genius! haha. He wants to play with his feet, but cant quite keep them in his hands.

He's eating in a highchair & eating well. For Breakfast he has cereal & a fruit (so far only pears), Lunch is a green veggie & a yellow veggie, Dinner is cereal & a veggie. Dinner is hit or miss, so sometimes we only try cereal. I had grand plans of making my own babyfood, but there is a severe lack of organic fruits & veggies suitable for Will. I might check to see if Food Lion has any before I give up.

So, now I know why they say babies are so expensive. We are at a point where we are needing to buy more clothes, more bibs & burp cloths, a stroller (his is only his carseat & he wants to sit up now), & one of those exersaucers. Oh & food. I guess I'll have to reevaluate our budget.

Well, I think that's all we've got for now.
Oh on & me & Corey note: Corey might not get deployed. There are 29 people in a bucket & they are only choosing 7 people in the bucket to be deployed & 6 spots are already filled. So Corey has a 5% chance of going, but they already have 3 Ssgts. so we are trying to remain calm. haha

Sick & Milestones

My little man had his first cold this past week. Technically it started the 28th night, but it took a couple days before we knew what was going on. First he just stopped eating as much, but when the stuffy nose, post-nasal drip cough, & super tired baby signs showed up, we figured it out. I super cleaned his room (in case it was allergies), we propped up his mattress, bought a humidifier, & saline nose drops to help with the suctioning of boogies!

He seemed a LOT better after those things, but he threw up so we went to see the Dr., which was very good, because he was developing an ear infection!!! My poor baby! He wasn't showing signs of pain & no fever, so I was shocked. The Dr. was funny & showed Corey what an ear infection looks like. (i wanna see!)

He is all better now. He is still taking the antibiotics for the ear infection. He seems to like the taste. He's eating well. He's breathing well. We are still using the humidifier, because it helps him sleep better with the "white noise", or... so it seems.

Another milestone is approaching... solids!

We are trying to hold off on introducing organic whole grain rice cereal (yes, I am trying to be completely organic, but that's another blog), but he seems soooo ready already. He sits up so well propped or while we are holding him. Actually he's pretty obsessed with sitting & "standing". He seems to have lost the tongue-thrust reflex. He seems hungry & he's already getting about 32-36oz. a day. The next Dr. appt. isn't until July! I guess we'll wait until he cries after 6 oz. all the time (he gets 6 feedings a day).

He's also staying awake longer & I think he is wanting longer naps (I have to wake him up for all his naps except the late afternoon one), BUT he has to sleep through the night before I extend his schedule.

Oh! Being a mom is so much fun! I feel so unbelievably blessed. The Lord is so good.

Here is Corey nakify-ing Will for bathtime...

This is how Cor gives Wills a bath...

This is how I wash Wills, no washcloth anymore, the hands are faster & easier, plus I can tickle him!

Here is his doggie mobile from his playpen, he loves it...

This is one of his lovies...
& finally he is sleeping, so cute!

Long Time

Wow, it's been a long time since I've blogged. There is no good reason, except I have been spending less time online. I've been doing a lot more cleaning & projects around the house. Oh & I've had friends stopping by.

This past weekend we were lucky enough to be able to drive up to Ocean City, Maryland to spend some time with Corey's family. Originally the trip was supposed to be longer & we were going to visit friends in Corey's hometown as well as my grandma. Well, with military life comes the unexpected, Corey had to work more & had to be back earlier. Bummer, but it still worked out that we got to spend some time there. It was a good time & good for us. Unfortunately, I must have lost my brain, because I didn't really take any pictures!! Mom-mom (corey's mom) & Aunt Jennifer probably took lots of pictures so I will have to mooch.

So, tomorrow Will is officially 3 months old!! Crazy! He's such a big boy now. He is very animated, always smilling & "talking".

He Loves:

~his lion rattle

~sitting up

~when people make funny noises with their mouth

~making spit bubbles

~sucking on his hands

~my feeling his gums (I want him to be used to this for when I need to check for teeth/brush)

~his doggie mobile above his changing station
~bathtime

~rain

~his swing

He Dislikes:

~being swaddled (he likes his hands now)

~gas

~Molly & Corey wrestling loudly
~not being held when it's close to naptime

So more likes than dislikes. haha. Here are some pictures I took before our trip.

Smiley Boy

Spit Bubbles starting

Bathtime with Momma