Who is this big boy?

Look at this big guy, where did our baby go?? We were actually ready for church early last week, so we went outside to snap a few pics & of course play.

No trip to the backyard is complete without carrying this old milk jug around begging for it to be filled with water. Sorry Will, no getting soaked before church!

A Harvest

I must brag! For the past couple years we have planted tomato plants in hopes of harvesting something out of our backyard. Actually we've planted lots of different fruits and veggies with no luck, thanks to our super shady woodlands backyard. But this year all that changes, we have success! We harvested our first tomato tonight & it was delicious! Will even had a bite :)

One ripe tomato, lots more to come. It's ok if you want to be jealous of our awesome planter & makeshift trellis :)



Picking the tomato:

Showing it to me:



We also have a Roma tomato growing. All of the tomatoes are turning black & rotten on the bottom though. If there are any green thumbs that can offer some pointers I'd love them!

Orange Beach

After our weekend in New Orleans we got back on the road and headed for Orange Beach where we met up with the Hesters for a week of fun in the sun! It was so much fun to watch Will exploring all kinds of new things. It was a little cool while we were there, but we still braved the water & learned that Will likes hot tubs! And to our relief he slept like a champ in the pack n play all week. I suppose all the fun in the sun wore him out :) If it weren't for that 11 hour car ride home that it still fresh on my mind, I'd go back next week!

Here is Will headed out to the beach the first morning, he would not let go of that water pail for the longest time!



Figuring out the digging in the sand thing:



The first couple of days Will wasn't too sure about the water, well he didn't like it all actually.


The boys, big & small, all loved hanging out by the ice chest :)


And of course Will had to be buried in the sand:

Again Riley & Will loving grabbing ice out of the ice chest. Thank goodness our condo had an ice machine in the kitchen!

On day 2 or 3 Will just hopped up and walked out to the water. I guess he was finally ready to check it out! So we got a family pic :)

Coolest dude on the beach if I do say so myself

Loving the waves

It was really windy while we were there, perfect for flying a kite, until Will decided he was tired of holding on to it & just let go, sending me trotting through the sand.

I saw this picture & realized it's official, I'm a mama - carrying the backpack, camera bag & Will. That's just what we do :)

Bye bye Orange Beach, we'll see you next year!

On the Road

At the end of April we loaded up for our first family road trip. What an adventure! First stop, New Orleans for my cousin Mallory's wedding. There were lots of firsts for Will, some documented below :)

Only in Louisiana can you make a gas station pit stop & happen upon a caged tiger. Gotta love it!



A little pre-wedding exploring, chasing birds in front of St. Louis Cathedral.



Learning about Bourbon Street with Uncle Michael. I must admit I felt a little awkward pushing a stroller down Bourbon St. I'm pretty sure ours was the only one! At least it was around 10:30 in the morning :)

Checking out the Mighty Mississippi. Those ship horns were kinda scary.



We stayed at a neat hotel in the French Quarter, here is the view from it's roof.



I'm pretty sure Will liked looking around from up high too!



Playing around in the lobby, I think the other guests really enjoyed a one year old who was squealing with laughter :)

Will's first wedding - does it count as his first wedding if he was outside before it even started ?!

This is what Will thinks of receptions that start at 9:00 PM

Will's first Lucky Dog, they are sold from very recognizable carts all over New Orleans. There was even one at the reception. It was right next to the oyster shucking station - Will & I passed on those!

Thank you paci for allowing us to attend the festivities!

Will's first limo ride back to our hotel. I think he was so excited to be riding in a car not strapped in!

And thank you black out hotel shades for helping Will sleep in and wake up happy after our late night. Now zip up this bag & take me to the beach!

Then & Now

I was looking back at some old pics and found some similar poses in newer pics. Check out how much little Will has grown!

Then, Michael's first day back to work after Will was born:

Now, a couple weeks ago:

Then, after a bath, I think March of 2009:

Now, a month of so ago - these fun hoodie towel are just about too small :(

Then, naptime in the bouncy seat. This must have been very early on, since he isn't strapped in:

Now, one last go in the bouncy seat before it moved to the attic:

Beach pics to come!

Will's 1st Birthday

I must admit I was a little sad about Will turning one. This year went by way too fast, as I'm sure all new mamas know. And another thing new mamas know is that these little guys know just when to do something so cute that you have no room for sadness! Will is such a joy in our lives each day!

We wanted to take Will out to eat for his birthday & since he doesn't have a favorite restaurant, that we know of anyway, we took him back to Johnny Rockets. We know he loves the milkshakes there!

Just in time for Will's birthday my camera broke :( So we spent his actual birthday shopping for a new camera, that I love by the way. We had to re-create some of his b-day morning shots!

Will's first ride in his wagon. Side note: a red wagon seems like a great idea, right? Well, this is how our rides usually end up, me carrying Will & pulling an empty wagon because he will not stay seated. I think we need to install a seat belt :)

We also got Will some cymbals & a tambourine for his birthday. He loves banging the cymbals!

And Pede likes the tambourine

Riding on his birthday trike. He can't quite reach the pedals, but loves to be pushed around. A big thanks to Glenna, Kelley, John & baby E for this one!

I think fun was had by all at Will's party. It was much chillier than we anticipated, so we relocated the festivities to our house from the park. Here is the birthday boy, ready to party:

This is the best picture I got of the cake & his smash cake. I was more consumed with taking action shots with Will & his pals I guess :)

It was so fun to watch him dig in and make a total mess of the cake & himself. Just getting started:

This is pretty good

Oh yeah, this stuff is awesome!

Will is thinking, "this is fun!" I am thinking, "it's ok, I'll mop the floors later!"

Ok, I'm done, someone please take me to the tub.