Lamp Debacle

It's been so cold lately that we haven't really been up to much. There have been 2 decent snows and Will has enjoyed playing in them. He got a snowman kit from a friend a couple of years ago - it's so cute with a hat, scarf, eyes, nose, pipe, buttons, etc. Each time we've gotten ready to go play in the snow we've gotten out this kit - and each time it's been so cold the snow is so powdery that we can barely make snowballs let alone a snowman.

Spending all this time inside has made for some interesting adventures. Last weekend I was getting out of the shower and Luke and Will were in our bedroom playing. I heard a loud CRASH with the sound of glass breaking. After I could hear that everyone was ok I calmly said to Luke 'Please tell me that wasn't my lamp.' Of course it was. My favorite lamp. The lamp I use every night to read before I go to sleep. The lamp that I was SO excited to be able to use again for this next baby because it has 3 brightnesses and it is PERFECT because it's touch and I don't have to search for a cord or switch, I just touch it. I have already searched unsuccessfully for another lamp like this because I love it so much, so I knew there would be no replacing it. Fortunately the only part that had broken was the glass shade that covers the light - the actual lamp was working just fine. YAY!

Will seemed to "get" that he had done something wrong. He kept saying "I broke your lamp." "Mama sad." "You have to get a new one at the store." I tried to explain to him that when things break you can't always just go to the store and get a new one. (even though I knew that was precisely what I was going to do) I also told him that if he was old enough, I would be taking the cost of the lamp out of his allowance.

So we got online and found a diffuser as close as possible to the one that had been broken. It was $7.25. Not bad at all. So I put it in my cart, go to check out and lo and behold my total is just over $25 with shipping. Seriously? But whatever, I love this lamp! So this past Tuesday the new diffuser comes in the mail and I promptly put it on. All is well in the lamp world.

Wednesday, THE NEXT DAY, I am talking on the phone when I hear a crash and glass tumbling to the floor. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? You can guess the rest of the story... And no, I'm not kidding.

I am very excited that we are having another boy for a number of reasons...

• It's not possible for me to love Will any more than I already do. He has been such a blessing and a joy and although I was a little nervous at the idea of having a boy at first, now it is so natural and second nature that it makes me think: What's better than a precious, adorable, loving, irresistible little boy? TWO precious, adorable, loving, irresistible little boys!
• We already have everything we need, in the correct color! When Will was a baby and it seemed like every month I was packing away clothes he had outgrown and barely worn, I thought my gosh, what a waste! Now...we get to use them all over again! I can't wait to get them all out and wash them and put this next little guy into some of the old favorites.
• I can't wait to see Will interact with his little brother. And I can't wait to see this next little guy grow up with Will as a big brother to take after and follow his example (which both excites me and scares me to death)
• I'm sorry, but can you think of anything cuter than my two little boys running and playing on the beach in Michigan?? Or playing together on all the land where we live?

The only downfall (which Luke would consider a very good thing) is that I haven't shopped for much. Part of the fun preparation of having a baby is doing the shopping, finding the bargains, getting the new things for the new baby. We don't really need anything. I have picked up a few things here and there that I couldn't resist, but not much. So anyway, if you're still with me...

I was SO excited to go to Buy Buy Baby with my 20% off coupon and get a new double stroller this weekend with Luke and Will. After, I bet, at least an hour and a half of frustrating shopping we left with nothing. I was shocked to realize that a double stroller is going to set us back just about as much as the whole darn travel system that we got for Will! (hundreds of dollars) Is Will even going to want to ride in a stroller that much when he's 3? I decided no on a side-by-side because Will could barely even squeeze his shoulders into them with his winter coat on as it is. Plus they don't look that comfy for a baby. Which leaves us with the "mall cruisers" - the big front/back strollers with the cup holders and storage underneath. They look nice, but are monstrous and I would have to put Will in front (insert image of him kicking newborn in front of him if he were in back) and the front seat was so short that it didn't look comfy for Will at all. (plus the fact that he screamed bloody murder when we tried it out and was attempting to slink out of it the whole time kind of turned me off too). We still don't know what to do - they have these "boards" that you can attach to your current stroller that your older child can stand on and ride. But I'm not sure I want to commit to Will never riding (sitting) in a stroller again if we go with that option.

The only bright point in the entire experience came from Luke. We had taken our Chicco infant seat with us because apparently they are only compatible with a couple of other strollers, so we thought we would take it along to actually try it out. After we shopped for at least an hour, and had determined this was not going to be an easy task, Luke took the infant seat and approached a side by side stroller. I looked on with horror as he tried to jimmy it into the stroller, rocking it back and forth trying to 'get it to stay'. I was imagining our newborn baby in there, suffering from shaken baby syndrome. After he had gotten it wedged in, with the seat sitting almost vertical, he turned to me and with all seriousness said "We could probably bungee it in and..." I burst out laughing. That is SO my husband. Willing and able to fix anything. Gotta love him. :)

Will in his new robe might be the cutest thing I've ever seen. He loved it so much he wanted to wear it to bed. When I told him he would be too hot with it over his jammies, we agreed he could hang it next to his bed and put it back on as soon as he woke up. -which was the first thing he did the next morning.

Incredible

I am amazed every day at Will's speech. It is incredible how fast he has picked up language. In about 6 months he went from not saying more than 20-30 words to saying EVERYTHING, in complete sentences. It's especially cute when he mixes up words - like calling a belt his "seat belt" and when he listens to my ipod (don't ask) he calls the ear buds earrings ("my earring fell out Momma") He was examining my hand the other day and grabbed my pinky finger and said "this one's not tall enough" He also listens to absolutely everything that Luke and I say. Last night I got a laundry basket full of clothes out of the dryer and took them into his room to put away. He came in and said "You need help honey?" Obviously picked that one up from Luke. When I'm telling him to do something and he isn't quite ready his favorite thing to say is "I'm almost on my way!" At bedtime when he's trying to stall me from leaving it's "Momma!! I wanna tell you somepin" over and over.

It's rare that I don't understand something he says these days. But the other day he was trying to tell me something and for the life of me I couldn't understand what it was. After a few guesses, and 'no!'s' from him I told him that I was sorry but I just couldn't understand what he was saying. He thought for a few seconds, and leaned in and with a very serious face said "You want me to tell Daddy?"

He has also really begun to use his imagination when he plays. The other night I was fixing dinner and he brought in some tractors to play with on the kitchen rug. It's striped and each stripe was someone's house. So a tractor or car would "park" on a stripe. As I listened to him he was saying things like "this is Jill's house" and one of the cars would say to the other "you wanna come see him?" and really letting the tractors take on identities. It's just incredible.

Belly Shot

Here is the belly at 25 weeks. Almost into 3rd trimester. Woo hoo! And my little friend:)

When I was little I loved loved loved playing with cars and had the best car track ever - it was definitely a keeper. I've kept that track and my matchbox cars all these years (aka: my mom kept them for about 15 and then me for the last 5 :) I ran across that track and got it out for Will to play with the other day and to my absolute delight, he loves it! It's been the first toy out most days and memories of playing with that track (most always with Allison) come flooding back. I have been on the lookout for a track like that to buy for Will - the years of play took their toll and it has to be propped up with books now because one of the legs is missing. But they just don't make toys like they used to!! (Yes, I am officially an 'old person' now) This track folds in 1/2 and stores away so nicely. They don't make anything like that these days. Anything you buy today comes in 15-15,000 pieces and therefore any parent who wishes to keep a mildly tidy house along their sanity avoids the setting up/taking down process as much as possible. Anyway, it's a great old toy and I'm ecstatic that Will loves it too.

Snow day!!

Do you see what's about to happen here?

What!?!

This weekend as Luke and I moved in the new bed we went through a ton of toys. Ever since Will was born Luke and I have made it a point not to overinduldge Will and buy him a million gifts for birthdays and Christmas. Regardless, we both noticed that his room was starting to look a bit out of control. We decided this was the perfect time to sort things out in there. (especially considering that for about 4 months Will and the new baby will be sharing a room - and we all know how much "gear" comes with a baby) So out of necessity and preparation for baby we took on the task of sorting through Will's room and made 3 piles: Put in Storage, Goodwill, and Throw Away. I'm very pleased with the results - and I was especially pleased that Will didn't throw too much of a tantrum as he saw toy after toy go into a bin and also that Luke and I made it through the process without any differences of opinion. Mission Successful!

As we were all working away, Will picked up a toy, hurt his finger and said "OW! Damnit!" (GASP) - Luke and I both looked at each other with buldging eyes, jaws dropped, and after a split second we both started pointing at each other, mouthing "it was YOU!" Fortunately Will's back was to us and didn't see our reactions, because I'm sure if he had he would have continued to repeat it just to get the reaction again. I racked my brain trying to remember all of those articles in Parents and Wonder Time and all the magazines I now read and hoping that they would come in handy in my time of need. I remembered that I read that the first time it happens you should just ignore it, don't react - and it probably won't happen again. I was extra grateful Will wasn't looking at us becuase we were both so shocked that there was NO WAY we would have been able to act like it was no big deal. After we recovered I had two thoughts: #1, I was happy that actually it took 2 1/2 years for it to happen, and #2, I was very proud that he used the word in the correct context. He's so smart!

Picture Perfect

Luke's mom got me this painting for Christmas this year. Can we say absolutely priceless?? I was in awe when she gave it to me and I still haven't taken it out of the box yet because I have yet to find the perfect place for it. Its a raised 4"x4" painting. I knew immediately that this is something that I will cherish for the rest of my life. I also added it to my mental list of things that I would definitely grab in case of a fire. (please note I only became this neurotic/crazy after Will was born - and he of course would be the first thing I would grab)

Beautiful New Bed!

Will has had his ups and downs with regard to sleeping over the past 2 1/2 years. He didn't sleep through the night (not one time) until he was 8 months old. I would say about 15-20% of the time now he sleeps through the night, and 80-85% of the time he wakes up in the middle of the night and "I sleep in Momma's bed!" Depending on how serious he is with his request, how many tears there are and how long he cries, he usually gets his wish. One really great thing about his sleeping habits are that he has not once (not one time, ever) climbed out of his crib. He climbs in, but never out. Even when we were in Michigan over Thanksgiving he slept in a "big boy bed" (a blow up mattress for kids with taller sides) he still never climbed off the bed, always just calling for me. This has struck us all as kind of funny, because he obviously could if he wanted, but I've been thankful nonetheless. Because of this, we've been in no rush to move him out of his crib, but this weekend we took the plunge. An antique children's bed has been in Luke's family for decades. Luke and his sisters slept in this bed and then Landon and Payton slept in it together. The twins just got bunk beds, so this great bed has been passed to us. We got it on New Years Day and Will loves it! So far, he has not woken up one time in the middle of the night. What a way to start off the new year!