Happy New Year!

Dear Wil,

It is 8:30pm, Friday, December 31st. New Years Eve! I just put you to  bed. Here you are, all snuggled in tight and hopefully having sweet dreams. What am I doing? Thinking of you. The year of your birth is coming to an end... and what a year it has been - the best really!

You were born in the middle of a cold March night. Did you know it snowed on March 20, 2010? It did! I remember looking out the window in our hospital room, just before you were born, and seeing little, white flakes floating softly from the clouds.You came into this world so quietly & so peacefully. You looked all around, eyes wide open. You hardly cried. We loved you instantly - still in shock that we brought you into this world.

This year you've changed so much. You are now 9.5 months old. You love to eat at your highchair - graham crackers, bananas, and puffs are your favorite foods. You also love EVERY kind of fruit you try... veggies, well, not so much. You have 3 teeth - two on the top & one on the bottom. You learned to crawl a couple of weeks ago - now you are getting into everything! But, we secretly love it. You say "DaDaDaDa" all day long. You hate your diaper changed! You get excited about everything from new toys to our vaccuum cleaner (you show your excitement by saying "ooh-ooh" and flexing your arms & legs). You are so funny! You love baths. You love visiting your Grandmas & Grandpas & Auntie Kayla & Uncle Tony. You love meeting new people too. You love Gravel (pulling his hair & playing fetch with him is the best). But, most of all, you love your Mommy & Daddy!

I can't wait to see what 2011 will bring for our family. You will be 1 year old in less that 3 months. How is that possible? You are the best thing to ever happen to us & we love you so. Here's to a beautiful 2011.

Love,

MaMa & DaDa

It didn't take long.

You know my child is crawling, right?!? I'm sure you do. I announced it to the entire world! I was just so excited! Well. That excitement has faded fast. Due to this:

That is a picture of my son's Christmas present. Adam strategically placed it in the very front of the tree (in front of all of the other presents. PERFECTLY wrapped). He did this so Wil would only have access to IT. Did I mention that I turned my back for what seemed like a nano-second?

Apparently, fancy ribbons are yummy as well. Mmmm... dreamy!

The next evening... it was all over.

Inspiration: Rudolf!

Chubba

We think he's huge! Remember, we were blessed with a little, runt of a boy in the beginning. Now he's all rollie-pollie & what not. He's a lug to carry too!

Still bald though.

I. Will. Not. Crawl.

Wil refuses to crawl. Instead, he gets everywhere he wants to go scootin' on his butt! He's also really good at REACHING, especially for things ON our TV STAND. He doesn't get on his knees though... if he does that, he ends up on his belly & is not happy! He's learned this strategy: s-t-r-e-t-c-h  AND  r-e-a-c-h  BUT keep one leg nice & straight so you don't end up anywhere near the crawling position!

You'd think he'd be interested in learning a new way to get around & a new way to get ahold of his favorite things... maybe someday. Until then, I'm happy. He can't get too far; my tree is still up & my presents are still wrapped!

'Tis the Season...

for baking Christmas cookies!

Wil and I spent ALL afternoon baking sugar cookies & molasses (my personal fav). Of course, we couldn't be done until we each tried just one!

Wil "accidently" fed some of his to Gravel (who was waiting patiently for Wil to give in). Do you see the yellow frosting on my dog's nose?

Once Wil realized that feeding Gravel left him with only one teeny-tiny bite, he got straight to work. He almost looks paniced, like if he doesn't eat it quick, he might try to steal some more!

St. Nick Via UPS

Did you know St. Nick sends stockings via UPS? It's true! It's a very exciting time in the Geurts household. This year Wil got to experience the joy of Mr. St. Nick!

You can tell by the look on his face - Wil is thrilled! His first stocking. What's the first thing he spots?!? A new digger truck! He's such a boy. How do they know at only 8 months old to drive their trucks back and forth, back and forth?!?

St. Nick also sent this little, festive number. We LOVE new clothes!

Just another shot of the toofers. Only because I love them!

Yep. Two of 'em!

Oh, Christmas Tree!

We went on our annual hunt for the perfect Christmas tree Thanksgiving weekend. This year, we had more to carry than just the tree! It was FREEZING as we approached the hill where the hunt begins and after walking for say, 5 minutes, I shouted, "that one! It'll be fine! We're freezing!"

So, I sat my little bundle in front of the tree as his Daddy cut it down & we hustled on out of there!

Here's Wil helping with lights. Who knew it would be this hard putting up a Christmas tree?!? Wil can't even move, but he was all up in my business. I was so busy keeping him under control, I didn't even get a picture of the final product. Oh, how times have changed...

It sure is hard...

having such a BIG noggin'.

I put Wil's hat on before making the long commute home each night. By the time we get there, his hat looks like this! His Dad has the same problem. Big head. Small hat.

Friends...

Wil & I got to see our besties, Liz & Bronson on Thanksgiving. We had a great time. Our boys are growing up so fast!

All I want for Christmas...

is my two front teeth! At the same time too, please!

(That's the best shot I could get!)

A Day at the Park!

We decided to take advantage of this 60 degree November weather with a trip to the park. A nice park was just built down the street from our house in August; we're pretty lucky to have one so close. Wil's finally big enough to try a few things out too!

He loved the swings! He'd giggle every time he went backwards.

He also enjoyed the sand, but we had to leave this spot a little early... Wil enjoyed putting it in his mouth too. He actually screamed at me when I picked him up. Apparently he didn't mind sand in the mouth, but the MOM DID!

Here he is at the bottom of the slide.

Gravel had fun too. He went straight for the puddle (as usual).

Assume the Position!

My friend Lana taught me how to finagle Wil into the crawling position. "It's all about motor development, really", she told me. "Just keep working on it and he'll figure out how to do it all by himself soon enough"! So, Adam and I spend some time each night making Wil do this:

No. Not the drooling part... he does that completely on his own. Yuck!

Generally speaking, he's not much of a fan of this position. He grunts a lot and rocks back and forth; he does not know what we want from him (can't you tell by the facial expression). But, one of these days he's going to take off for sure. WHY we WANT him to CRAWL... wer're not quite sure of. I guess it just means he's learning and growing and changing. I'm sure we'll be kicking ourselves soon enough. You know, when we have to child-proof EVERYTHING. Yeah, I'll check back in with you then.

Happy Halloween!

Thanks for the memories...

Dear Mr. Bumbo Maker,

I am writing this letter with a tear in my eye, but the time has come for us to retire our beloved Bumbo seat. Yes. It's sad, but true. Wil is getting fatter and wilder by the minute, which results in us shoving his meaty thighs through the leg holes and watching him like a hawk to make sure he doesn't flip the seat and crash to the floor; we're sorry, but we DO put him on the counter while we're in the kitchen... even though you say it's not safe.

Our Bumbo has been a savior for all of us. Wil loved it from the minute we tried it (we could possibly win an award for youngest, smallest baby ever to try it... what can we say, we were excited!?!)

Here's Wil's first day - June 13, 2010 (2 1/2 months old):

He loved to sit in it while watching TV - he's probably watching Oprah!

We  loved taking it everywhere too: Grandma & Grandpa's house, parties, baby showers, outside on the deck. It's so light-weight and versitile! We even took it camping.

Wil was watching his Daddy cook on the grill during this picture! 

This was the perfect spot to feed Wil too! Mmmmm, bananas!

But, best of all, we just loved hangin' out in it!

We've had so many great memories of our son in his Bumbo, but now we're on to BIGGER (not necessarily better) things! Check it out:

The new HIGH CHAIR! It's actually a 2-in-1... it can be converted to a booster seat too! Perfect! Wil's super excited, as you can see!

We'll remember you always, Mr. Bumbo. And keep you in our basement, just in case!

Love,

The Geurts'

P.S. Gravel and Wil are quickly becoming best friends! How does my dog know to sit perfectly still by my son's high chair? Wil thinks it's great! He intentionally drops things for him! How does HE know to do this? Have they been talking? Gravel particularly loves to wait for Wil's banana-flavored Puffs to hit the floor, which Wil eagerly supplies him with. Can you see Wil's smile?!?! Too funny!

J/K... LOL! (Just for you Kayla)

Every night, Wil goes to sleep around 7:00. He's such a trooper. Bedtime is heaven, really. We eat dinner, play, have a fun bath & then hit the sack (yes, it's pretty much my bedtime too). Most nights, I lay Wil down & he instantly snuggles his blanket and sucks his Nonnie... most nights. Some nights, although few and far between, WIL SCREAMS BLOODY MURDER. For no apparent reason at all.

Now, on these nights my Mommy-mode kicks into high gear. "Let him cry", I tell myself. "He has to learn to settle himself down!" "LET HIM CRY!" "I will let him cry." Ooooh, it's just so hard.

Sometimes Adam buckles & heads up the flight of stairs to Wil's room. But, and here's the but... everytime I shamefully head for the stairs and reach the top, I find this:

Why does he do this to me? I think he's faking. I really do. I think he's faking and secretly laughing at me.

Leaf. Meet Wil.

Blah. Blah. Blah.

Wil's been talkin' up a storm lately (maybe he's more like me than we thought). Usually his babble consists of "DaDaDaDa" over and over again. All I have to say is it sure is getting loud around here! Take a look at this!

P.S. It took me nearly 1 full year to figure out how to post video clips to my blog. I'm obsessed! It's soooo much fun. If you thought I was crazy when it comes to pictures of my child - look out! Now I can upload VIDEO... woohoooie!

A Day at the Farm!

Adam and I decided to take Wil to a pumpkin patch today, although we weren't really in the mood - it was 85 degrees! Who wants to go for a hay ride, pick out pumpkins and drink warm apple cider when it's that HOT outside?!?

 We visited a pumpkin "farm" only a few miles from our house and were pleasantly surprised that it was actually more 'farm' than 'patch'. It had pleny of photo opps for me too! What else can a 6 month old do at a farm other than let his Mom take millions of pictures of him?!?!

Here's Wil meeting the goats...

and the donkey!

We tried to stay for a while, but got bored rather quickly. We ventured on home to spend the rest of the afternoon in our shaddy, backyard. We had a great time together!

Wil is getting more and more fun each day. He giggles, explores EVERYTHING (grass is his latest obsession), and loves to be around his Mom and Dad. He's also getting a bit of a temper. There. I said it. I'm finding it shocking, but true. He screams if he wants "up" or if you take a toy away from him (particularly his cup in the bath tub when it's time to rinse his hair). He also arches his back when he's tired. As if to say, "enough already. PUT ME DOWN!" I guess it's a good thing. I can tell he's starting to become his own person. I just hope he remembers who's in charge... ME! :)

Your Baptism, Baby!

We celebrated Wil's baptism last weekend on October 2 (can someone remind me to light that candle every year)! We had a small get-together with the Grandmas & Grandpas, Auntie Kayla and Uncle Tony. Great Grandma Keller was there too... Wil is one lucky little man!

Wil was a trooper throughout much of the ceremony. He particularly loved his white, silk tuxedo!

He did great during the sprinkling of the Holy Water too. We're lucky he didn't try to jump into that little tub- you know how he is with bath time!

Wil with his Godfather - Uncly Tony and Godmother - Aunt Kayla. (I think THEY look alike!)

Wil also got some pretty special presents in honor of his big day. It was the first time he really seemed interested in them. It was actually a lot of fun to watch. Here's what we were able to capture... too cute!

Thank you to everyone who helped us celebrate this wonderful day. We love you!

No Daddy, No!

Adam thinks it would be the coolest thing in the world if Wil could WALK - probably because he's so small! I often find the two of them like this:

They practice and practice all the time; Gravel usually follows them around too. I try to tell Adam that Wil is going to walk soon enough. I, of course, would prefer that he stay 6 months old forever. I don't ever need him to crawl, walk, or even talk (with the exception of saying, "I LOVE MY MOMMY"). Is this normal?

Brrrr...

It's getting chilly here in Wisconsin, but don't worry, we're ready! I've had this hat and mitten set since Wil was born - along with an adorable snowsuit, but that was jumpin' the gun just a bit - it was only 50 degrees. Adam wondered if he was big enough, "of course", I said. "His head is HUGE"! As usual, Wil was all for it and smiled for the camera! (You'd think he'd be sick of me by now)!

P.S. Thanks for all of the support friends... I really needed it. It's hard dealing with something like this on your own.

1/2 Old!

Wil is 6 months old today and it has been by far the BEST 6 months of my life! I can't believe my little man is growing up... I wish he could stay small forever, well sometimes. He is becoming so much fun and life is getting easier each and every day.

He can sit on his own. He loves to bounce in his jumperoo (I can't believe I first put him in that at only 10 weeks). He sleeps from 7pm-5am every night. He loves cereal, applesauce, bananas, peas, and carrots (just to name a few). He smiles at everyone and everything and he's just now starting to giggle, which has quickly become my most favorite sound in the world.

We went to the doctor today to find out the inevitable... he's still small (in the 18th percentile for both height and weight), but he is growing wonderfully considering where he came from (5 lbs. 7 oz. at his smallest)! He does, however, have a rather large head, which we already knew as well! :)

Here are the stats:

Weight: 15lbs. 9 oz.

Height: 25.5 inches