The Pierces

Uncle Corey's a What?!?!

2012-02-08T21:09:00.008-06:00

Something surprising started on Christmas morning last year and has been going on ever since. For some added background, Will started calling Corey "Uncle Biscuit" out of nowhere one day last year. Since that time we've all kind of referred to Corey as Uncle Biscuit from time to time. On Christmas morning, Corey received another nickname from Will.

For some reason, Will thought it would be funny to start calling Corey "Uncle Sock." Unfortunately for a two and a half year old, he didn't, and hasn't pronounced the word sock correctly. Let's just say that in Will's vocabulary for some reason sock starts with a "c." You can imagine that this has made for some awkward and hilarious visits with Corey.

Will shushing his Uncle (cough cough) Sock for saying a bad word!

Kumbaya

2012-01-20T14:54:00.007-06:00

After wanting one for so many years, Nonna and Poppa finally bought a motorhome. To test it out, the family decided to head out to the KOA campground in Scott, LA all of 20 minutes away (if that) over the New Year's Weekend. On our way out there, Will was especially excited as he got to ride in what he likes to call "The party bus." He didn't say much on the trip, as I think he was stunned that he was actually riding in it.

While there, we took the kayak out and rented some paddle boats, which might I say were exhausting but fun. We also played a round of mini golf, fished, and watched the kids enjoy the playground. And of course, Ben got a game of frisbee going on in the field. And, what better way to spend our evenings but roasting marshmallows and making s'mores!

Although it wasn't very far away, just getting away from home was nice and we enjoyed our little 2 day vacay...and look forward to many more!

He loved "goff"

Eating s'mores...(BTW, Poppa obviously wasn't ready for the pic ;)

The Best Eber!

2012-01-20T14:45:00.004-06:00

Within the last week, Will has been such a sweetheart calling me "The best mom eber (ever)!" and Ben "The best dad eber!" Does it eber get any better than this? Love it!

Pics soon!

Grammy and Grampa Visit!

2011-12-22T22:14:00.005-06:00

Gammy and Grampup (formerly known as Apaw) drove down to Lafayette the week before Thanksgiving to visit. They were like fresh meat to Will as from the moment they got here until the moment they left, Will had them playing constantly. It was pretty much like having a 24 hour babysitting service, because Will wanted nothing to do with me while they were around, because as all grandparents, they pretty much did whatever his little heart desired :) And that was certainly fine with me!

From reading books, to playing in his Toy Story tent, to going to the zoo, to opening early Christmas presents, you name it, it was done while they were here. And Will clearly enjoyed his special time with Grammy and Grampa!

It seems as quickly as they got here, it was time for them to leave, as they had to head over to Dallas to visit Aunt Carrie and Uncle Ryan for Thanksgiving. We missed their company so much we asked them if they wanted to come back to Lafayette before heading back up to wintery Michigan ;)

As always, we had a great time, and look forward to seeing them again. (Which I don't see as a problem considering Carrie, Ben's sister, is pregnant with her first baby and now they will have 2 grandbabies down South, which should keep them down here throughout the year ;)

Being silly with Gammy

Chillin with Grampup

More pics to follow

Will's First Haircut

2011-12-22T21:39:00.005-06:00

I always knew when it came time to cut Will's hair it would be a spur of the moment decision, as if I thought about it too much, I knew I wouldn't be able to go through with it. As predicted, Ben called me to remind me of his 4:30 hair cut today and I told him that we needed to bring Will to have his cut as well. And so we immediately took him so neither of us could change our minds and it went very smoothly.

Will sat down in the chair like a big boy, smiling at the look of the "cape" draped around his neck and did not say one single word the entire time during the cutting of the hair. He just sat there staring at himself in the mirror in wonderment. Here are just a few pics we took to capture the moment.

The beginning.

A nervous smile.

He did not take his eyes off of the mirror.

Tastes Like Chicken

2011-10-12T21:17:00.006-05:00

Lately Will has picked up an awful habit, one that we're sure parents from the beginning of time have had to learn to deal with. What I'm referring to of course is picking his nose. When Will was little we would hold him down and remove any booger that was blocking his nasal passage, but now Will has learned that he can do it all by himself. We often find him riding in the car or sitting amongst his toys just picking away.

Well beyond the nose picking habit, Will has also decided that tasting his boogers is also enjoyable. We can tolerate the picking to a point, but the enjoying is really gross! The other day Krissy asked Will, after he had just snuck a booger in his mouth, "What does your booger taste like?" He quickly replied, "Like chicken Mama." There you have it, our kid is a booger eating cono sur. I wonder what wine he would recommend with his boogers?

The Caped Crusader

2011-09-17T21:16:00.012-05:00

Gotham City's best line of defense against crime! Yes the costume is cheap, but boy does Will take on the persona of Batman when he puts it on!

One day something weird happened, out of nowhere our sweet little boy William Pierce disappeared into his room. Then not five seconds later another little boy equally as cute but wearing a towel over his head appeared and pronounced himself as "Batmen!" Yes, Batmen not Batman.

Honestly, we have no idea where this came from. Neither Krissy or I have watched Batman recently or have really ever even discussed superheros. I'm sure this is something he picked up from Eli and Ezra, but that doesn't even make much sense. Regardless it appears that Batman is now a part of the Pierce family. If we used the word obsessed to describe Will's interest in the Caped Crusader, we wouldn't be that far off. Initially the only time Batman would appear is following bath time. When we would dry Will off using his hooded towels, he would pretend that they are Batman's cape. Once dry he would run around the room yelling "Batmen!" punching the air and jumping off the furniture until it was time to get his pajamas on. For a while, that was the extent of the Dark Knight's presence.

Then one day I decided it would be fun to try to find some old Adam West 1960's "Batman" TV episodes on YouTube. Boy was that a mistake!!! After watching only a few minutes of the show with Will, I was transformed in Will's mind from his loving, caring Dad into the sinister Riddler or "Ridder" as Will calls me. No I couldn't be Robin or even Alfred. I had to be a bad guy and chase Will around and around and around until Batman decided it was time to tackle me (though I am now physically exhausted from being the Riddler, the joy on Will's face is worth every second). For a while my name wasn't even Daddy. If you asked Will who I am, his response would immediately be "Daddy Ridder." No one was sparred. Krissy soon became Batgeeurl (Batgirl) and Lulu was Batdoggy. Even Will's clothes and other things were given very 1960's "Batman" names. Diapers were now Batdiapers and boots now Batboots. Will had adopted the ways of Batman like a brainwashed disciple. I've since introduced him to the other villains, and we enjoy 10 minutes here and there watching the old reruns and laughing at the horrible acting and props.

Of course we knew that when we asked Will what he wanted to be for Halloween what his answer would be. Of course he would go as Batman, but news to us, Daddy would have to wear Riddler's outfit and Krissy Batgirl's. Unfortunately Riddler wears spandex and the only Batgirl costumes you can find are a bit on the risque side. I'm sure you'll see how that all pans out on October 31st. I'm still looking for ways to be the Joker or Penguin. Both of them don't have to be squeezed into their costumes.

Little boys and their imaginations are so much fun, and with Will approaching two and half, our play time together will only continue to get more elaborate and exciting. We still see Will from time to time, but we've grown accustomed to having a superhero living among us.

An early version of Batman's costume. I think this is the western gunslinger style.

Batman and his protective eye wear.

Batman and Batdog discussing ways to foil the Riddler's plans. Notice the small Batman and Riddler toys.

"I'm Batmen!"

My Butt Hurts

2011-09-13T20:31:00.005-05:00

On Friday, September 2, Will pooped in the potty for the first time! Woo Hoo! I was in the living room with Ben and Uncle Biscuit (Corey) and heard Will in our bathroom playing with the toilet. Thinking that he was shoving something in there, I rushed in to find him in the process of climbing onto the toilet saying, “I have to poop Mom.” Sure enough, he sat down and did the deed. Of course this was followed by a potty dance from Ben, myself, and Uncle Biscuit. We were so proud!

Then the following week, while in Michigan visiting Ben’s parents, he pooped in the potty every single night after saying, “My butt hurts.” While this is probably way too much information for everyone, of course I must document it and think of it as a pretty major milestone! We are especially excited about it as we haven’t really attempted to potty train him and kind of felt like he would learn when he was ready on his own and sure enough we were right. Although not out of the diaper all the time yet, we are definitely on our way to underwear!

Too funny!

Michigan!

2011-09-13T19:58:00.009-05:00

If you recall, at the beginning of the summer my parents left Lafayette after 24 years to retire to Michigan where my grandparents live. Even though we got a chance to see them in July for Carrie and Ryan's wedding, not having them around at any given time made us miss them pretty badly. We decided to take a flight up to see them and their new place during the week of Labor Day.

Traveling 1,200 miles by plane with a two year old may sound like a rough journey, but for us that was far from the case. Our first flight to Houston was a short little ride which was perfect for our very curious traveler. Will loved looking out the window, staring at the wing, and talking about the stewardess... calling her the pilot because of her uniform.

After a nice layover of riding the Tram back and forth and back and forth, we boarded our long flight to Grand Rapids. Two minutes into the flight Will was asleep and didn't wake up until we landed! All of the other passengers who thought they were going to spend 2.5 hours with a whiny kid were very pleased, and complemented us on his behavior.

When we got off the plane we were greeted by a group of LSU fans! My parents and Grandpa were sporting their LSU gear for the big game with Oregon. A side note, apparently my Grandpa is way too cool, as he decided to wear sunglasses in the airport. I think his collar was even popped!

Finally we made it to my parent's house. It's really nice! A perfect woodland retreat with a beach on a small clean lake in a quiet little Lake Michigan town. We kept calling their house a "rental home" while we were there because it is nice enough to be just that. It has lots of great amenities and is laid out for activities to happen throughout the house without disturbing everyone. Perfect for a little boy who wants to play with his Ammy all day in the toy room.

While at the house we did plenty of kayaking and exploring of the lake (formally on a Boy Scout camp), a little swimming (the water wasn't too cold, but highs in the upper 50's were a bit of a change for us), and digging on the beach. Will seemed to have a great time at Ammy and A-paw's house! Not only did he have plenty of old toys to play with, he also had a very captive audience of two. You could tell while we were there that Ammy and A-paw wanted to savor every second they had with him. Very sweet, but also bittersweet with them now being so far away.

While in Michigan we also had a chance to spend time with both Grandpa Ed in Pentwater and Grandma Dee in Norton Shores. My parent's place is so close to both of them that it makes travel a breeze. Though temperatures were colder than we would have liked, we had some great time playing in the sand along Lake Michigan, and Grandpa Ed was excited to have us as company, especially on his 86th birthday. It was nice to spend that time with him and it was great to watch Will get a chance to jam with Grandpa Ed on his big drum while Grandpa Ed played the bones.

We also had a nice visit with Grandma Dee when we visited with her. Again, Will just loves getting a chance to play with new old toys. It's like Christmas during every visit. Since the weather was warming up we had Grandma Dee join us on a trip to a local park. Boy was she amazed at the courage of our little guy. Will showed her how he could climb up the playground, and without question go zooming down the slides. We had such a nice time visiting with Grandma and showing off Will!

On our last day in Michigan we did the tourist thing an took a ride on the Mac Wood's Dune Rides. This is something that Krissy hadn't gone on in ten years, so it was nice to take a scenic ride up in down the massive dunes near Silver Lake. Will was his goofy self the whole ride screaming "Whoa!" with every bump and dip! It was an entertaining ride and something we will definitely do again when Will is older.

Before we knew it, our week in Michigan was over. We had our traditional pizza at Johnny's and took the customary hat picture before it was time to say goodbye. It's safe to say we had a blast! We just wish everyone lived a little bit closer!

Lovin' on Ammy and A-paw!

Enjoying the alligator-less lake.

Jam session!

What a big sandbox!

Warming up to Grandma Dee.

Lots of cool toys can be found in the basement at Grandma Dee's!

What a cutie!

Pentwater pier following Johnny's.

Four generations of Pierce men.

Marker Man

2011-08-24T20:34:00.001-05:00

This is what happens if I leave him alone for a few seconds! It never gets old.

To New Friends

2011-07-24T20:32:00.001-05:00

Last spring, Will and I were at the park and met another mom, Vanessa and her 2 year old son Aiden. She was new to the area, so I suggested she join a mommy and me class at the Little Gym so we could all get to know each other. While slow to interact in the beginning, Will and Aiden are becoming fast friends. In fact at The Little Gym the other day, they were both swinging from the bars together and dropping down fast, laughing the whole time. As we were getting ready to leave, Aiden reached for Will’s hand as if to ask him to come home with him, which was so cute. It’s funny to watch both boys as they both seem to be in the rough housing stage. My hope is to get them together more often so they can wear each other out so Vanessa and I can take a little break ;) Hopefully there are many more play dates in our future.

"Ring around the Rosie" or "The Wheels on the Bus." at a barbecue at Mark and Vanessa's.

Just hanging out waiting for food.

Aunt Carrie and Uncle Ryan get Hitched!

2011-07-18T16:00:00.000-05:00

On July 12, Ben, myself, and Will headed up and over to Dallas for Carrie and Ryan's wedding. We arrived in Dallas at around 2:00 am on Thursday morning, and wouldn't you know our little booger was up and ready to play when we stopped at the hotel.

Thursday came around quickly and we rushed to get to Carrie's so we could see everyone including Carrie, Ryan, Grammy, and Apaw. Once we arrived, the wedding festivities took over and it seemed to go by in a flash. The girls spent the afternoon getting our nails done while the men got their tuxes taken care of and played around the house. Before we knew it we were already at the rehearsal and dinner, which was just lovely. Will looked absolutely precious in his Ring Bearer Jersey. Thanks Aunt Carrie for getting it for him!

Before we knew it Friday, the wedding day, had arrived and everything was a hustle and bustle. The girls were doing their hair and makeup, the boys were swimming at the hotel, and the last minute odds and ends were being taken care of. Time kept rolling fast and within a flash the limo bus had picked us up and we were going to the chapel to see Carrie and Ryan get hitched. The ceremony was absolutely perfect and even though Will didn't make it down the aisle by himself, he was definitely the cutest ring bearer ever.

The reception followed and we (including Will of course) danced the night away. And yes, my little man made it again until 2:00 am without so much as a whimper. He was all smiles all night long and we were given many compliments about how awesome and well behaved he was. Insert proud parent smiles here...

Both the ceremony and the reception went off without a hitch and Carrie and Ryan's "Do-It-Yourself" Wedding was stunning and perfectly executed. In short, it was so them.

We had an absolute blast and are so happy to have Ryan in the family. We look forward to watching their little family grow as ours has.

Congratulations Carrie and Ryan on your wedding. Enjoy this amazing new journey in life together! We love you!

Enjoying the rehearsal dinner!

The RB (Ring Bearer) was all smiles! He put on a good show for everyone.

Proud parents of the bride, Ammy and A-paw.

The beautiful couple after the ceremony.

All cleaned up!

The names Pierce, William Pierce.

Ammy with her favorite date.

Gramps, Daddy and one worn out little dancer.

Will with Dadda and Grandma Dee after the reception.

Someone had a good time!

Pool

2011-07-03T10:33:00.003-05:00

As mentioned in a previous post at the beginning of the summer, we finally got an Intex pool for Will thanks to Nonna and Poppa. It's a perfect size for him to feel comfortable in the water and practice his skills he learned during swimming lessons in May. As of right now, he is able to kick his feet and do round and round arms, and he loves going under, which has been a complete surprise to all of us. The other day he even dropped under and kicked his little way to the side of the pool all by himself. His favorite thing to do though is chase Mommy and Daddy around and around until we make a whirlpool. We all have a lot of fun, and don't mind cooling off considering there are no trees in our still very new and young neighborhood, which was previously a cane field. We definitely have a water baby on our hands.

Just chillin in the pool with Elena.

Hot Springs Village Vacation

2011-07-03T10:32:00.008-05:00

This post is way overdue, but better late than never.

Towards the end of June, Ben, Will and I joined my family on a vacation to Hot Springs Village, AK. We stayed in a beautiful lake house in the gated community of Hot Springs Village. It was wonderful as within the community there were multiple golf courses, pools, lakes, tennis courts, etc. You name it, it was there...

On Sunday, we decided to head to downtown Hot Springs so we could actually see the Hot Springs. While downtown, we took a duck tour on both land and water, and did the touristy things like mini golf, go karts, and visited the wax museum. We also took in a little history of the city at the tourists center and felt the actual Hot Springs water. Of course, the idea of the hot springs was neat, but being that it was in the upper 90s there anyway, just a dip of the finger in the water sufficed for us. That afternoon, Ben, Will, and I rode the elevator to the top of the observation tower which overlooked what seemed like all of Arkansas. Will enjoyed running around the circle at the top and giving Ben and I both near heart attacks.

During our stay, we also took a side trip to Magic and Crystal Springs Amusement/Waterpark. The crowds were minimal, and the rides were so much fun, which made for an amazing day. Will enjoyed the kiddie rides, but his favorite was sliding down the kid water slides into the pool below. He was so cute. Thank goodness he enjoys amusement and water parks as much as his parents do :)

Another day was spent on Lake Balboa, which was one of the lakes located within the village. We rented a pontoon boat and spent the afternoon tubing, swimming, and just cruising around the water. The lake was crystal clear and the temperature was absolutely perfect. Will much preferred riding the boat to the tubing, so he spent most of his time in Nonna's lap.

Towards the end of the week we visited a Science museum that was very cool and the kids had a wonderful time.

In between all of our fun activities, we spent a lot of time swimming in the lake at the house, and fishing. The men played quite a few rounds of golf, and most importantly, we just played it low key and relaxed.

A fun vacation was had by all :)

Enjoying the view from the tower... after feeling like vomiting while riding the glass elevator all the way up.

History buff.

Nothing's more exciting than a Duck Tour. I mean what beats a truck/boat that has a max speed of 20mph on land and 2 mph in the water? Hold on to your hats!

The cousins by one of the hot springs. Yes, the springs are very hot!

Bonding in an old dirty bath house!

The water felt great, despite his face.

Swimming in the lake. We were the only ones doing this. Seeing and feeling our "lake itch" at the end of our visit, we now know why.

After striking out during our last fishing trip, Ben was the big winner this time!

High speeds on the water and a nine year old Eli behind the wheel.

Great time, but it was a bit cramped. Our driver did a fantastic job!

Will's favorite spot on the boat.

Poppa and Ezra "The Dare-devil" Hoover.

The big lake was much nicer than the small one.

Bebe fixing her hair on the tube. Let's just say we weren't flying around the lake.

It's (Pretend) School Time!

2011-07-03T10:31:00.009-05:00

We love school! (When Mommy is teaching it)

One of the many perks of being a stay at home mom is that I get to play a major role in Will's early education. In the beginning, when trying to teach Will new letters, numbers, sounds, or what have you, I found it very difficult as he naturally would not be able to focus for any amount of time, as was expected of a very active toddler. As a result, I decided to start playing school with him and his little stuffed friends, which has proved to be very effective.

Each morning, Will and I go into his room and pull out his various classmates that he enjoys learning with. Spongebob is always the first chosen, followed by Barney, Orange Man, and Curious George. We line them all up against his bed and Will sits in line with them, always covering himself up with a blanket.

We then begin our so called lessons, identifying and sorting shapes and colors, reviewing picture cards, and reviewing letter sounds and completing our alphabet puzzle and counting items. As we go through our routine, I always ask "the class" the questions and Will answers for them. He then takes whatever is in my hands and passes them out to his friends accordingly.

Once school is over, which basically happens when Will decides it is over, he typically throws his friends back in their basket and they don't come out until the next school session.

Hopefully he will find school just as exciting when he actually starts going with real classmates:)

Working on the letter "A"

It must be nice to go to school in Toy Story pajamas!

It's Just Me!

2011-07-03T10:31:00.006-05:00

Last Halloween I bought Will a pumpkin mask from the dollar section in Target. Little did I know it would become one of his favorite things to play with to this day. Depending on when and where he stumbles upon his mask, he puts it on (usually backwards and upside down), then jumps towards me and growls like a monster. As I play along with his cute little game and scream, he quickly pulls off the mask and says sweetly, "It's jus me Mom...Willwum Poose." I'm so in love with this kid...

Pics to come...

Siblings

2011-06-27T22:26:00.006-05:00

I've been wanting this for a long time, and I think its now safe to say, Lulu has excepted Will as a member of the family. It's not that she was ever mean or skitish around him, it was more that she was always super jealous. She has now become a lot more tolerant of Will as he has gotten older. I'd say that this is due to two reasons. The first being that she realizes that he's not going away, and the second that Will has gotten a lot sweeter and softer around his big sis. Gone are the days of pulling her hair, ears, and tail (though an occasion poke to the eye still happens, it did tonight), and now are the times of gentle rubbing of her back and belly and whispering in her ear that she's a "Goud gurl."

With Will getting older, it also seems now that he feels a responsibility for taking care of her. He jumps at an opportunity to fill her dog bowl and feed her a treat while making her shake or stay. He hates when she is left inside when we are out and makes it a point that we let her out to join in the fun. He even likes to let her in on a little space on the bed in the mornings. He knows that he runs the roost and that its okay once in a while to let her get some attention, because he knows she won't steal his thunder. Hopefully he'll have this type of compassion for his parents when they need taking care of!

This never would have happened before.

Copy cat, or copy dog in this case.

Goodbye Grammy and A-paw :(

2011-06-25T23:36:00.000-05:00

As most of you know, Ben's parents retired at the end of May and moved up to Whitehall, Michigan to be closer to their parents and families, and to spend their golden years at their favorite place in the entire world, the Pierce family cottage in Pentwater.

It still seems so weird that they no longer live here in Lafayette, and I still don't think it has truly set in with us yet that they have really moved as Ben and I still tend to wonder if we are doing dinner with Grammy and A-Paw this week, then quickly realize probably not considering they are 18 hours away...For now it still seems as though they are on their yearly summer vacation, but once Fall comes around, I think reality will finally set in for all of us.

Though it's been hard, we have already seen Grammy and Apaw once this summer for Carrie's wedding (post to come) and will be going up to Michigan at the end of the summer to see them, which we are definitely looking forward to. And we all know that they will take advantage of having children who live in the South once the snow starts to fall.

Just wanted to write this post to say we miss ya'll so much already and hope your retirement is everything you dreamed it would be. Enjoy this time in your life together! We love and miss you!

Will loves his Grammy and A-Paw!

"Ah Man."

2011-05-17T07:24:00.007-05:00

Just a sweet photo of our little boy.

What can we say, every little kid has his or her own speaking quirks. Though some can represent developmental issues, others are just hilarious things that our children pick up from their parents. For instance, our niece Elena responds to everything you tell her or ask her with a quick "What?!?" Obviously she picked that little quirk up from a household that is always full of excitement and tends to be hard to hear at times. With the noise comes a lot of people responding to conversations with "What?"

Will's speaking quirk is a bit different. Instead of saying "What?", a phrase that is used heavily in the English language, Will tends to lean on the phrase "Ah man." Let me clarify that he does say many many other things, but when confronted with a problem or if he's corrected for doing something, an "Ah man." is always his go to saying.

We've been struggling to get Will to identify his colors. He seems to know everything else but them. Either he's stubborn or he just doesn't quite understand the concept yet. Regardless, up until very recently, he get's a lot of them wrong when we ask him which color we're holding. Just the other night I had a blue block in my hand and Will told me it was green. I responded by telling him that the color was actually blue. He then proceeded to take the block out of my hand and said, "Blue block. Ah man." This happened with almost every color. "Yellow block. Ah man." "Red block. Ah man." etc. etc. etc.

Thinking back, he must have picked it up from me while we play sports. Whenever he misses the ball or has a poor throw I must say a lot of "Ah man." If that's the worst thing he picks up (fat chance), I think we'll be alright.

What's Your Name?

2011-05-13T15:43:00.009-05:00

Such a goof ball!

Not a very long post, but topic is well worth being noted. Lately Will has been talking up a storm, and one of our favorite things to hear him say are people's names, especially his own. When asked, "What is your name?" He sweetly responds with "Will-wum Poose" and as you can imagine, while saying his last name his little lips pucker out so far.

While I'm on the topic, I will try to do the best I can to show how he says everyone else's names:

- Me: Momma, Mom, or Kitty
- Ben: Dada, Daddy, Baen (with a twang of course)
- Nonna: Nonna (pretty easy to say)
- Poppa: Poppa Don or Poppa Smooch...It's funny to me that the man who gives everyone their famous nicknames now has his own.
- Missy: Beebee or Mitty
- Corey: Awncle Cahwey
- Stacey: Tatey
- Philip: Awncle Phi-wip
- Eli: E-yi
- Ezra: E-yee
- Elena: Lena
- Grammy: Ammy
- Grandpa: Ampa
- Carrie: Tear-ee
- Ryan: Wyan
- Lulu: Ulu

Our Big Helper

2011-04-10T21:50:00.003-05:00

Lately Will has become our shadow and honestly, I can't speak for Krissy, it feels more like he's become primarily mine. When I get home from work in the evening or if it's the weekend, if there's stuff for me to do, I'm taking care of it, and my BIG helper is right along with me.

Since we've been working in the yard a lot lately, Will has been following me around copying everything I do with his own shovel, wheel barrel, and his version of work gloves. His are of course decorated with Lighting McQueen from Disney's "Cars" movie. I love my big helper, even when he gets in the way or sprays me with water while taking care of our plants. He's helped us put together his swing set with a screw driver and he's even gone as far as to help us pick-up the laundry. The best is the way he even copies the way I hold my broom when I'm sweeping out the garage!

One of his recent helping obsessions though is with taking out the garbage! I guess we should be really pleased about this while he's volunteering to help without being asked and without the incentive of an allowance. I can't even get out the door with a garbage bag without him running up to me screaming to grab part of the bag or to take it out himself. This has even gone as far to include rolling out and bringing in the garbage cans.

He has to have a hand in everything we do, no matter how big or small, and we're enjoying it all!

Helping Dada by taking out the trash.

This kid is a hard worker!

Happy 2nd Birthday William!

2011-04-01T09:53:00.016-05:00

It came and went like a flash, but we enjoyed every second of it. Yep, Will is officially two years old! Insert happy and sad tears here...Where has the time gone?

It all started out on Friday, April 1st, which of course was his official birthday. The entire day was filled with phone calls from family and friends wishing our sweet baby a wonderful and happy day, and of course I got plenty of special time with my boy just playing together at the house.

That night, Ben, myself, and Will did our regular Friday night Lent ritual and had cheese pizza together. Throughout the evening Will got visits from Nonna and Poppa who helped (or watched us) put his new swingset together and brought cake and sang happy birthday to our little man. Although it didn't get completed until Sunday, the swingset was a hit and has been played on daily since. Once they left, Grammy, Grandpa, Aunt Carrie, and soon to be Uncle Ryan came by for yet another rendition of Happy Birthday, cake, and gifts galore. He thoroughly enjoyed opening his Toy Story presents and train set.

Before we knew it, Friday was over and Saturday, the day of his party, arrived. As space and parking is an issue at our house, we decided to have his birthday party at Missy and Philips. It lasted from 1-3, and guess what the theme was??? That's right...Toy Story! There were Toy Story banners, table cloths, confetti, balloons, cake, and of course a Toy Story Fun Jump. Will enjoyed jumping as did all of his little friends.

By the time cake and presents rolled around it was nearly 2:30 and a much needed break from all of the jumping and playing. Will definitely enjoyed the cake and especially enjoyed opening presents wanting to play with each one immediately. And soon after, the Toy Story themed Birthday bash of 2011 came to a close.

To sum it all up, it was a perfect day for our little man and he had an absolute blast! We would like to send a few thank yous to everyone. Thank you to all of our Lafayette friends (old and young) who came over to celebrate this special day with us. Also, thank you to the Byrd family for traveling from Alexandria, LA and also thank you to Aunt Carrie and Soon to be Uncle Ryan for driving all the way from Dallas to see your nephew on his special day. We'd like to give a big shout out and thanks to Missy and Philip for graciously opening and offering their home for the party. Most importantly thanks to Nonna and Poppa, Grammy and Grandpa and both of our families for continuing to love sweet Will unconditionally and for spoiling him rotten...What a blessing it is that we all live so close and get to share Will's special milestones together!

Since I am starting to sound like I'm giving an acceptance speech I will stop here and end simply with...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, OUR SWEET WILL, OUR REASON FOR LIVING. MOMMY AND DADDY LOVE YOU MORE THAN YOU WILL EVER KNOW AND LOOK FORWARD TO SHARING MANY MORE BIRTHDAYS WITH YOU BUBS!

Attemping to peek at his presents.

The kid loves Barney!

Party Pic with Nonna and Poppa!

One year later... still a pig!

Two dorks in their hats.

Will and future Uncle Ryan checking out the sandbox toys.

All smiles with his Buzz Lightyear camera.

First Swims of the Year

2011-03-22T15:12:00.022-05:00

While many people in other parts of the country are still sitting in snow, Will had his first few swims of the year over the weekend. On Saturday, Will was invited across the street for a swim date with his new friend Ava, who is 19 months old. Of course, he was more interested in all of her cool toys than the pool, but he slid into the pool a few times. Ava and Will have become fast friends, hanging out in the afternoons, but sadly they are trying to sell their home and move into a bigger place, so we won't live as close anymore. At least we'll still be in the area so they can continue to play together. On Monday, Will had another swim date at our house, this time with Elena. The water was a little chilly, but somehow they managed to get over it and swim like fish. He especially enjoyed putting the slide from his swingset in the pool and sliding quickly into the water. We definitely have a swimming baby on our hands, which means that lessons will be right around the corner. Since our little guy loves the water so much, Ben and I (mainly I) have contemplated getting one of those big blue pools to put in the backyard. While I know they are not the most aesthetically pleasing things in the world, Will would definitely enjoy it (as would we) and they come with filters so the daily task of filling, dumping the grassy/dirty water, and refilling the blow up pool then waiting for it to warm up again would be over. We'll see what happens.

What a ham...

Toddler Bed!

2011-03-21T22:57:00.017-05:00

Well, it is March and we have approached yet another bittersweet moment in Will's life. Yep, that's right...we have transformed his crib into a toddler bed. Will was such a good little helper in the process. Many friends have told me that this is a trying time as now Will can get up freely from his bed and walk into our room. However, as most of you know, he ended up in our bed at night anyway, so this won't be much of a change. The only difference is that now he can get up himself and walk to our room as opposed to us getting up to get him out of the crib.

And yes, I know many people don't agree with babies sleeping in the parents bed, and of course everyone has a right to their own opinions, but as for us, we feel that these times are so precious and pass quickly that if he wants to come sleep and snuggle in our bed, that's fine with us. There's nothing sweeter than waking up to that sweet smile next to us and hearing him sit up and say, "Get up Mommy, it's nuggle (snuggle) time." (Of course not said quite as clearly.)

So, I will leave you with a few pictures of the transformation from crib to toddler bed. He has not made it a whole night in there yet, but he'll get there when he is ready.

Will standing up in his crib for the last time before the transformation (and yes I cried) Pardon the messy room.

Helping Daddy out.

Tada...It may not be slept in much, but it sure looks good :)

The Treehouse!

2011-03-13T15:21:00.000-05:00

This past weekend, we went up to Alexandria to celebrate Ayden's 2nd Birthday! As most of you know, we met the Byrd family while living in Alexandria, and Ayden was born 13 days before Will and they have been best friends ever since. We were definitely not going to miss this party.

Ayden had his birthday party at a place called The Treehouse, which is a children's museum of sorts with various stations and activities for little ones to do. I think the train area was definitely a favorite among the party goers, however the big boys (Ben, Lucas, Pierre, and Hunter) seemed to enjoy the magic floating ball and magnet area.

After all the playing, the kids enjoyed a Thomas the Train cake and enjoyed watching and playing as Ayden opened his presents.

We had a wonderful time at Ayden's birthday party and are so grateful for our friendship with the Byrd's. They will be making the journey down to Lafayette for Will's party in the next few weeks so we look forward to seeing them again soon.

Happy Birthday Ayden!

The Birthday Boy!

If only we could hear this conversation.

Snack time!

They both look so excited don't they?

Luckiest Guy in the World

2011-02-14T22:01:00.002-06:00

I'm the luckiest guy in the world, because I had Will and Krissy as my Valentines this year. When I got home from work, they had made me the sweetest Valentine's Day card that I'd ever received. It was one of those moments as a proud Dad and husband where you do your darndest not to get outwardly emotional, while inside your body is a basketcase of joy.

Posing with my little man.

This will be hanging on my wall at work for sure!

Curious George Gets a Diaper Change

2011-01-25T23:11:00.007-06:00

One day last week Will came up to me with Curious George and asked to change him into a diaper just like he wears. Seeing how Will fully knows the process of a diaper change, he proceeded to gather a diaper and a box of wipes. He laid his pal George down on the floor and began wiping George's rear end with some wipes... and then more wipes... and then even more wipes, until I'm sure if George wasn't so hairy, you could see your reflection in his back side. Will was so proud to be able to help out George, and you could tell by George's face that he was feeling better too. We hope this means that if and when a new baby eventually arrives that Will will treat him or her with the same kind of care.

Now what do we do if Will's stuffed snake needs a diaper change? That's going to be a tough one.

"Oh no, it looks like George needs a diaper change!"

"Let me wipe his butt clean."

Still wiping...

A clean and changed monkey is a happy monkey.

A Hiking Weekend

2011-01-24T20:24:00.022-06:00

This past weekend the three of us decided to visit some of Louisiana's State Parks (we left Lulu at home in case she wasn't allowed) that aren't too incredibly far from our house.

The first park we visited, Palmetto Island State Park, just recently opened at the end of last year and is located about 30 minutes from us near Abbeville. The park is fairly small with not terribly too much to do, but what it does have is first class. The facilities are extremely nice and the trails and views of the swampland are amazing. Of course, the Park's namesake palmetto's steal the show.

We can never fully anticipate how Will is going to respond to a new experience, but what is a constant is that he never disappoints! Our kid took to the trails like he was born a saddle donkey (horrible comparison... I know, but let's just say it's a good thing). Once he saw the gravel path he was off! He ran and ran (checking back often to make sure we were still there) until he couldn't go anymore. It was too cute. When we reached a boardwalk he was in heaven. He stuck his head right up against the rails and pointed out into the swamp calling the water "ba" for bath. Throughout the hike he would find sticks and Sweet gum balls, pick them up, and then toss them into the woods. I think the State could save some money having him on the maintenance crew.

The funniest thing that happened at Palmetto was when we were walking down the trail. Will stopped, turned around and said, "Choo-choo, choo-choo?" For a moment he thought he was at the zoo and was wondering when we were going to ride the train.

On Sunday, because we had so much fun at Palmetto Island, Krissy asked that we go visit Lake Fausse Pointe State Park near the Atchafalaya Basin. Fausse Pointe is a bit further away but well worth the drive. The park is surrounded by a huge lake which is home to the oldest cypress trees in the Atchafalaya Basin. It is also a park with some great hiking trails that our little man could explore.

After driving around the park and playing on the playground we decided to hit the trails. We chose an easy 1.6 mile hike not thinking that we would complete the hike and more thinking that we'd take our time walking for a little while and then turn around. That didn't happen. Will found himself in heaven again! We started off a little slow, but eventually we got into our stride. Will ended up walking a good mile all by himself! Again Will enjoyed removing sticks and leaves from the trail and he also learned that the really big sticks (or roots) are really hard to pick up. The best part about walking around Fausse Pointe for Will was the discovery of the dozens upon dozens of armadillos that live in this portion of the swamp. The "mmm-dillos" were everywhere! I think we counted 30+ armadillos on our hike.

We introduced Will to a new form of outdoor fun, we saw some beautiful parts of our area, and we got some exercise, I'd say we had a great weekend!

Palmetto Island

He was just a little excited.

Showing off the Sweet gum balls before tossing them into the woods.

A view of the palmettos from the trail.

Will got going a little too fast down the trail and bit it. At least he wasn't hurt.

He had a great time, but you couldn't tell from this photo.

Lake Fausse Pointe

Will doing an impression of Dada with his camo hat.

Enjoying the day.

Playing on the natural playground equipment.

Sitting on the boardwalk with Momma pointing out "mmm-dillos."

"Mmm-dillos" were everywhere! Too close at times.

Say Cheese!

2011-01-14T15:26:00.013-06:00

I think it is safe to say Will has an enjoyment for life. We have definitely been blessed with a happy baby...Enjoy the smiles :)

Just enjoying a beautiful day outside.

"Keep the pictures coming Mom!"

So silly

Obviously just finished eating spaghetti.

Lovable ladybug. (This is one of Lulu's old halloween costumes he found in the closet yesterday and just had to put it on.)

This picture is bittersweet to me, as it's the first time I've seen him looking more like a little boy and less like my little baby. Happy Tears.

"Oh No," and "Wow," it's Christmas

2010-12-27T21:55:00.021-06:00

I cannot believe it is already Will's second Christmas. My how time flies. The Christmas festivities began on Christmas Eve when we went to Mass at St. Pius with my fam. Considering Will had not napped all day, Ben and I figured we would sit down for a few minutes before we would have to quickly leave and spend our Christmas Eve Mass out in the hall. However, quite the opposite happened. Will was a perfect angel in church, not making a sound other than the "Ho Ho Ho" towards the end that fellow church goers got a kick out of as determined by the snickers around us. For some reason when I pointed out baby Jesus to him on the altar, he thought it was Santa and starting "Ho Ho Ho" ing. It was super cute. He was so good, I had people complimenting us on how well he was doing. It was a beautiful service, truly reminding us what Christmas is all about.

After Mass, we headed over to the Pierce's to eat Christmas dinner, and it was yummy. Will also got to open a few gifts to get him prepped for the next day. He definitely enjoyed his new ride on his Harley Big Wheel, but I would say the favorite gift of the evening was his new lawn mower as he squealed with delight once he opened it. While there, we also got into an intense game of Bananagrams. (Ben and Ryan's favorite game.) I am saddened to have to admit this, but Carrie won...

Once we were stuffed and all games were played, we headed home to prep for Santa. Will picked out the cookies that he wanted Santa to have and even looked up the fireplace to see if he could catch of glimpse of Jolly Ol' St. Nick. Having not seen him, our sweet boy gave up and fell asleep. I wish we could've gone to sleep as well, but there was much work to be done... (until 2 am)

As Christmas morning rolled around,Will's fan club showed up so they could witness Will's expressions as he awoke Christmas morning. I had to wake the little booger up at 7:30 am or else he would've probably slept until 10:00. His reaction to the toy filled room was the reason I titled this blog as it is. When we first came out, he saw his basketball goal, pointed and just said, "Oh No." He then spotted his trampoline, pointed, and said "Oh No." After that he spotted his kitchen and again, "Oh No." This continued until he had seen everything new that Santa had brought him with the occasional "Wow" in there. It was so stinkin cute. He was so sweet and innocent. After his initial reactions, the family went on their way, which allowed us to continue to open gifts and enjoy our Christmas morning as a little family of four (Lulu). This was particularly special to us as we have not been in a home of our own the last two Christmases.

After we finished at our house, we went over the river and through the woods to Beebee's house to have Christmas with my family. As always, it was absolute mayhem and fun as ever with four grand kids jumping from present to present, and paper being thrown everywhere, as if they were in a race to see how many things they could play with at a time. Will's favorite gift was his power wheels 4 wheeler. It was hilarious as he and Elena both got one and they both kept running into the wall and all we kept hearing were their wheels spinning repeatedly. And as always the adults were all opening their presents, mostly complaining about them being the wrong size or wrong color, or "why would you get me that?" followed by hilarious laughing (for those of you who know us well, you know how it is... constant smart ellick jokes and not a serious word being spoken.)

Once the mayhem was over at the Hoover's, we headed over to a slightly calmer Christmas at the Pierce's to open gifts. Our morning there started with an "Amazing Race" like scavenger hunt for a present, which was exciting. I was hoping there would be a million dollars at the end, but that didn't happen;) By this point, it was around 11 am and Will had been opening since 7:30 am, but he was still forging through it as if he had just started. Sweet thing continued to open gifts through lunch time, and if he got distracted the least bit, one of us would just have to say, "Will, look another present," and he would drop whatever he had in his hands and immediately run over to open it. He was getting good at this gift opening thing. I'm sure his practice will come in handy in April for his birthday.

After finishing up at Grammy and Grandpa's, we were worn out and headed back to our house to play with some toys and to take a nap. He was so worn out, he slept for nearly 3 hours. Once awake, we hit the road again and headed back to my parent's house for a scrumptious Christmas dinner and some exciting games of indoor LadderBall and Just Dance 2. Let me just say Missy and I rocked the house, but Ben, Corey, and Philip had some sweet moves as well. Will just sat and watched us make idiots of ourselves...

And so, as the night came to a close, Christmas had come and gone so quickly, and as we lay in bed, I thought back on the day and Will's reaction as he first saw what Santa had brought him. Just raw, pure amazement, wonder, and innocence in those big brown eyes of his made my heart melt and I will never forget that very moment for as long as I live.

"Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!"

This is how we found him in the carseat when we got home on Christmas Eve. Thank goodness that's not a real gas tank. Hehe.

It's Woody! Probably his favorite gift of all. He LOVES Toy Story.

"This unwrapping thing is pretty cool!"

Unwrapping with daddy.

It's basketball time with Poppa! (Yay for this picture. I never seem to get one with Will actually looking at the camera with poppa :)

Checking out his sweet new ride with Nonna.

Did not want to put down his Nerf balls. The kid is definitely going to be an athlete.

Enjoying playing on Christmas morning with Eli.

Turns out the 4 wheeler is great for carrying food. (Notice the biscuit in the cup holder :)

The old switcheroo. Of course they never want to play on their own toys.

Opening gifts with Aunt Carrie and soon to be Uncle Ryan.

Will with Grammy. Yes, another ball. The kid loves his sports!

Chillaxin in the wagon as Grandpa watches the opening of presents. (Notice Woody)

It's Buzz Lightyear!

Sweet baby was worn out after a marathon day of opening presents...He slept for 3 hours.

Living in a Box

2010-12-21T23:18:00.004-06:00

You always hear come Christmas time or around birthdays that you might as well just give your kids a box and a red ball and they'll be a lot happier. Well I guess we can return all of the "cool" gifts we got Will for Christmas, because I think he'd prefer a diaper box.

This evening while we were playing in Will's room, he decided to grab an empty diaper box and proceeded to entertain himself for quite some time. Our little man enjoyed drumming on the box, acting like it was boat, and then crawling through it. By the time his imagination was running out, he made one last attempt to call it his "night night" and then laid down for a long 3 second nap on his very comfy new bed.

Before we know it, he'll call the box his home and ask to live out on the driveway. We hope not.

"This is way more fun than anything you're getting me for Christmas."

"This box has lots of room!"

Looks comfy!

Helping out a Friend

2010-12-21T10:13:00.005-06:00

I have posted this story on facebook, but know some of you don't check that as often as this, so I wanted to get the word out to you all as well.

About a month ago, Ben and I discovered an old friend of ours we met in Asheville, found out her 8 month old son, Liam, has been diagnosed with cancer. He is currently undergoing chemo at this time, which as you can imagine has worn the sweet little guy out and of course taking a toll on the family.

This sweet family is going through something that nobody should ever have to go through in this life, and the only thing I can think of to do for them is to continue to spread the word about this to friends and family in hopes of getting as many prayers and donations their way as I possibly can.

Please become followers of their blog to follow Liam's progress, and please please please pass this on to anyone and everyone you know so we can get the word out. There is a donation link on the right side of their page, so if you would like to or know of anyone who is looking for a great cause to donate to this season, this would be a great one to choose.

http://briananddawnfudge.blogspot.com/ (Feel free to post comments to their blog as well just to let them know you are thinking of them. Dawn has been overwhelmed by the amount of people she doesn't even know who have posted on her blog and facebook that they are praying for her.)

Thanks so much to everyone and God Bless you all!

Best Friends

2010-12-02T22:12:00.008-06:00

One of the major perks of moving back to Lafayette has been watching Will bond with our families including Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, and Cousins. The cutest relationship to watch develop has been between Will and Elena. If Nonna needs to go to the shop during the week on a busy day, she drops Elena at our house and Will and her play for hours. It has been fun watching them play, hug, kiss, and of course fight. The pictures pretty much explain it all. What a blessing it is to have them so close in age. They will be a force to be reckoned with when they go to school together.

Just coloring and snacking.

Loving on each other at Sesame Street Live

Sweet babies!

Big D Visit

2010-11-15T23:36:00.012-06:00

We recently took the long and overdue road trip up to Dallas to visit Aunt Carrie. Carrie has a serious boyfriend, Ryan, who she just moved in with, so we thought it would be a good time to meet him just in case some important question is looming.

After nearly 8.5 hours, we made it up to Dallas in the late afternoon. You forget how long evertything takes with a 19 month old. Constant stops are needed for Will to stretch his legs, and honestly after extended periods of driving, Dad's butt kept going numb. Carrie and Ryan's new home is very nice. It's locate din Frisco in a great neighborhood with a park, and is far enough from town to be away from much of the hustle and bustle (just our speed). Carrie was super excited to see Will, and to our surprise, Will was equally as excited to see Carrie and meet Ryan. The men instantly bonded over a love for soccer and video games.

For our only full day in town, Carrie and Ryan took us to the Dallas Aquarium. It was a perfect choice for a little boy who loves everything animals. Will's eyes were wide open the entire time as he pointed and identified birds, alligators, leopards, and of course lots and lots of fish. The Dallas Aquarium is a very nice complex and reminded us a lot of a larger version of the Amazon exhibit at the Aquarium of the Americas in New Orleans.

After the Aquarium, we walked a little around town, had some really good pizza, and went to Pioneer Plaza, which is a park in downtown with huge sculptures of cattle and cowboys. Again, Will just loved it! It was already getting late in the afternoon, so we just drove by the spot where JFK was shot and then headed back to Frisco while Carrie gave us the nickel tour of her previous apartment complexes and favorite spots.

Before we knew it, our stay was over. It wasn't long, but we made the most of our time, got to know Ryan (and approved of him), and enjoyed being guided around the city seeing where Carrie has called home for the past 4+ years. We're already thinking about a return trip this spring to head to Six Flags, and who knows if another trip for a more important occasion is in store.

Snuggling during Toy Story 3.

Family photo at the Aquarium.

Proud Aunt Carrie with her men.

Hanging out playing the Playstation Move.

So sweet!

Did you see those boots?

Ride 'em cowboy!

Sad to leave.

Tommy Bahama

2010-11-10T07:48:00.004-06:00

Everything looks cute on Will... even ugly blue Hawaiian shirts with orange flowers on them. Sorry to whoever bought this shirt or handed it down to us. It's not my style, but my kid sure knows how to make it look hot, even in November.

"South Beach here I come, crooked glasses and all!"

Flintstones. Meet the Flintstones...

2010-10-31T22:01:00.013-05:00

"They're a modern stoneage family."

In the morning we usually let Will watch a PBS cartoon program called "Dinosaur Train." He really seems to enjoy learning about dinosaurs (just like his Dad did), so this year for Halloween we decided that he should dress like a dinosaur. We found a really nice costume at Toys 'R Us and fell in love with him in it. Watching him walk around wagging his tail and growling was just too cute!

Being the involved and dorky parents that we are, we decided that we had to compliment Will's costume, so we decided to accompany him as the Flintstones. I guess Will was our Dino even though he didn't look exactly like him.

Trick or Treating this year was a lot more fun than last year. First because we have our own house and neighborhood, but second because Will is now so much more into the fun of holidays. This year we had the whole family over, including my parents, Krissy's parents, the Hoovers, and Corey, Stacy and Noah.

Our little Dino took to Trick or Treating like a pro! Once he got over being shy at the first house or two he learned very quickly that by being a sweet little boy he could really collect some candy! It didn't hurt that Fred and Wilma are big fans of chocolate bars and pushed, I mean encouraged him to visit as many homes as possible. I think even more than the candy, Will just liked being in the middle of all of the fun. Having the family constantly telling him how cute he was and having people smiling at him at every house put him in a good mood. Such a good mood that our little dinosaur was still running around the neighborhood well past the point that we thought he could make it.

Following the Trick or Treating, everyone stayed over at our house to grill hamburgers and watch the Saints game. It was a little packed in our tiny house, but I think everyone had a good time. We can't wait for next Halloween as I'm sure Will is going to be even more excited and involved in all the fun!

Nonna, Wilma, and Dino.

Taking a break from walking.

Snacking on candy between houses.

On your mark... Get set... Go!!!

2010-10-27T22:45:00.003-05:00

One day I came home from lunch, and low and behold, Will and Elena were racing around the house. They weren't just running around randomly, they were actually racing!

Krissy told me that when she was watching them, they just started racing. They both would walk over to our refrigerator, lean their backs against it, and then Elena would make two grunting noises ("on your mark" and "get set") before shouting "Go!" Before I knew it, they were both running side by side across the kitchen, around our column, through the living room, and then back to the refrigerator. Once they were both back together, they would again lean against the fridge, look at each other as to say, "You wanna race?," and then Elena would start the race countdown over again.

One of the funniest things was watching Will get a jump start on Elena's "Go!" If Elena would delay just a second from saying go, Will would anticipate her call, and start running without her. Most times he would be a half room in front of her before she was ready to race.

The great thing about all the racing for parents like me and Krissy is that Will enjoys racing with us just as much has he does with Elena. We've had a great time racing around the house laughing and screaming! Let's just hope no one gets a flat and runs into the wall.

Defiant Dude

2010-10-07T22:01:00.001-05:00

Turns out our sweet, innocent 18 month old is not so sweet and innocent anymore.... He is going through what I like to call his "let's see how much I can get away with" phase. For example, the other day, Ben was eating lunch and had a bag of chips on the floor next to him. Our sweet little angel decided he wanted some and dumped the entire bag of chips on the floor to make them easier to retrieve. The dumping of the chip bag was followed by a look at both mom and dad then a smirk. To top it off, he slowly walked over to the chips on the floor and tried to secretly step on and smash them as if he thought we didn't know what he was doing. This event was followed by a "no no" from Ben and I to which he replied by mocking us and screaming "No no!" throughout the house as he ran around with the biggest grin on his face. It was quite hilarious.

The other new thing Will likes to do right now is swing his bat, broom, and rake at various things. Today as he and I were outside eating lunch, he got up and decided to swing his broom at the car. After I said no the first time, he swung his broom again, waiting for my reaction, followed by another no from me which still warranted no concerned reaction, but a smirk instead. Finally, the third no warranted him to stop and he ran over and gave me the biggest hug ever with many pats on the back. I knew what he was doing and it totally worked. Those sweet hugs and eyes get me every single time, and he knows it. I know it will probably come back to bite us in the butt, but how stern and serious can you really be with a cute, sweet, innocent 1 1/2 year old?

My Little Messy Man

2010-09-30T22:14:00.002-05:00

This blog entry doesn't require a lot of description. I think the pictures nicely depict what it's like to have a very active "into everything" 18 month old boy around the house... and we wouldn't have it any other way :)

I stopped him before it actually got into his mouth. Although dog food is one of his main food groups.

"Cheetos off of the floor just taste better."

"Let me get these Cheerios for you Mom."

"I was just trying to help."

Vandalism at it's best.

"My bowls don't stay in the upright position for very long."

Big Shoes to Fill

2010-09-27T23:11:00.002-05:00

Every morning while I'm getting ready for work Will usually decides to wake up. Because he tends to sleep in our bed in the morning, he gets a chance to watch me go through my daily routines. Part of this routine is of course putting on shoes (I don't know what they'd say at work if I came without any). Will loves to help me get my clothes out and has been smart enough to recognize that I wear my brown shoes quite a bit. Usually he just pulls the shoes out and sets them on the bathroom floor for me, but one morning while picking out my clothes, I turned and saw that he had decided to try my shoes on. It was quite a sight, and you could tell that he felt both proud and grown-up (I think this is one of the rights of passage for little kids, to try on their parent's clothes). I let Will where the shoes all over the house, because it was so funny to see him try to walk around with "clown shoes" on. Ultimately he ended up at the garage door with a rake in his hand and demanded that he was going to leave with me. What a goober!

Such a grown-up!

"I'm ready for work Dada."

A Night with Grammy and Grandpa

2010-09-25T22:53:00.006-05:00

The other night we went over to Grammy and Grandpa's for dinner and play time. Some of Will's favorite toys are at their house, and they're always up for the nonstop action which is Will after dinner.

They played in his new sandbox, road his motorcycle (which he is finally tall enough to push by himself), and played tag in the front yard. We thought for a second there that Grandpa might pass out after all of the running and rolling on the ground, but he made it through like a champ!

Playing in the sand/water box.

"Vroom vroom!"

"You can't catch me Grandpa!"

"Grammy caught me!"

Lulu getting some lovin'.

Rise and Shine

2010-09-12T22:50:00.003-05:00

Some mornings this kid is just like his Momma, a big ol' sleepy head.

There is something really cute about Will when he struggles to wake up in the morning. He has to find find a nice soft pillow to slowly wake up on, he points to have PBS Kids on the TV, and he likes his Momma to be in the kitchen making him a nice healthy breakfast. Ah, the life of a little boy.

Don't we all wish that we could start our mornings this way.

Remember when...

2010-08-30T23:08:00.003-05:00

We used to drink from a garden hose? Some still do, and if you come across those that do, you'll see that they happen to enjoy the heck out of it. In fact, they like it so much that they tend to strip down to their "underpants" before they take a sip.

So refreshing!

Between drinks Will helped Dada water the grass.

Chasing Lulu around the yard with the hose is always a fun pastime.

Just Like Dad

2010-08-08T23:38:00.005-05:00

As Will is getting older, he is wanting more and more to participate in the tasks around the house. If it's sweeping up a mess, he's right in the middle of it with his broom. If it's feeding Lulu, he has to put her food in the bowl or else he'll throw a fit. But, when Ben is using tools, we've liked to keep him a little distance away from the action. This of course is due to the fact that we don't want him dropping a hammer on his little toes, but also because we aren't really very fond of the idea that with a drill in his hands, he might actually know what he's doing with it and promptly drill a nice hole in the wall 2 1/2 feet off the ground.

Since Ben has been hanging curtains, address numbers, and shelves lately, Will has gotten more and more interested in Ben's orange Black & Decker drill. We can't fault him for wanting to lend a hand. Since we needed an alternative to a real power tool, we found a nice option at Toys 'R' Us. It's an orange drill, just like his Dada's, and it spins and makes noise. The sounds get old pretty quick, but it has kept Will happy and involved with all of the chores around the house. Only if this attitude could remain through his teenage years.

Working on his dump truck. Notice his tongue?

Changing out the drill bit.

All fixed up and ready to play.

Our Little Artist

2010-07-29T23:03:00.004-05:00

Our picnic table/art table has been a huge hit! Not only is Will feeling like a big boy when he eats his meals on it, he also loves spending time drawing beautiful pictures on it. His current media of choice (by the choice of his Momma) is chalk. It's so versatile! Not only does it draw on paper concrete and garage doors, it also serves as a light snack, as it is apparently very very tasty.

Will's skills with using chalk has improved greatly since he was introduced to it earlier in the summer. He understands how to hold it and how to make some great lines and squiggles on whatever he is given to draw on. When I come home from work, there are typically three or four amazing works of art ready for me to view and enjoy. Both Krissy and I like to join him in drawing whether we're inside or out on the driveway.

We're so proud of our little artist!

"What would you like me to draw? Squiggles and lines. You got it!"

The way Will chews on chalk, you'd think they make it with sugar.

A masterpiece in the making.

Will the Toolman Taylor

2010-07-27T08:57:00.009-05:00

After what feels like weeks and weeks of boxes, we are finally starting to make progress on some of our rooms. One of the rooms that had a high priority to us was Will's room. We were both excited for him to finally have his own space, and of course we wanted to finally create a nursery that we never had the chance to have.

We had arranged the furniture just the way we liked it and had gotten some items on the walls, when we realized that something was missing... a play table for Will. So, we went to the store and got him a picnic/art table. With Will around, "to do" lists seem to take a little bit longer to complete, but because we wanted him to have his table set up, I decided to put it together while he was in the room with me. To no surprise, our little helper came running over screaming to assist me with screwing the pieces together. What did surprise me though, was Will's ability to use a screwdriver. He wasn't strong enough to actually rotate the screw, but his hand-eye coordination was spot on, and he kept putting the end of the screwdriver right onto the screw. It was amazing! We worked for a good 30 minutes (on a project that could have taken 5), but had a great time, and now have a nice new table to stand on... I mean sit on.

Will with his trusty screwdriver, ready to get to work.

Will getting really involved in the build.

This kid knows what he's doing!

Checking the stability of the table

Trial run at dinner. A job well done!

Drive-way Finger Painting

2010-07-23T22:44:00.011-05:00

Everyday when I come home from work I am amazed at the things Krissy and Will have done. She always seems to have some great new game or art project for him to work on. We all know what an amazing artist (I mean doodler) Krissy is, but that doesn't stop her from letting Will explore with paints, markers, chalk, and glue. He loves what ever messy thing she'll let him have.

Since it is so hot during the day, most of the outdoor art activities tend to take place during the evening. That, and because Will usually gets so messy that letting him spread his artistic wings would destroy the house. We recently introduced Will to finger painting and he can't get enough of it. He's gotten good at mixing the colors, smeering them on paper and cardboard, and really cooling himself off by rubbing the paint all over his belly. The awesome thing about Will's love of finger painting is that he can get as messy as he wants and all we have to do is hose him off!

As much fun as Will had with the paint, you'd never know it by his face.

Finger painting usually turns into body painting :)

Our New House!

2010-07-20T08:47:00.005-05:00

What seemed like an eternity to I'm sure all parties involved, has finally come to an end, as we finally found ourselves our own place to live. It seemed at many times like it wasn't meant to be. Who's counting how many offers we made (5) and how long it took (6 months). What's important is that all of our junk is now out of our three storage units (Grammy and Grandpa's garage/house, Nonna and Poppa's house, and Poppa's storage unit). Thanks for the low monthly rates!

Our new house is in south Lafayette, technically Milton/Youngsville, and isn't very far from the grandparents. It's a little longer of a drive into work for Ben then he's been used to having, but he still finds time to come home for lunch when he doesn't have a meeting. The house is much smaller than we were originally looking for, but seems to suit our purposes just fine. It's a typical newish construction with 3 bedrooms and 2 baths. It's also in a quaint neighborhood, which is a big plus for our daily walks with Lulu, and has a good sized backyard based on other lots in the area.

Bar none, the best thing about the house is the fact that Will has his own room! We've already got it setup and it looks great. Having a place to throw all his toys is nice too.

Well, we're off to go unpack some more boxes (Read: sit on the couch and watch TV).

Lulu helping with the move.

Will has loved playing more than working... go figure.

Our first uninvited visitor, Uncle Corey!

Looking around seeing items that don't belong in a kitchen.

More work ahead.

Will showing his excitement about the new place. Lulu, not so much.

The new pad.

Great Grandparents Tour 2010

2010-07-03T23:28:00.018-05:00

On June 16, 2010 the Pierce Family of 3 bravely embarked on a 10 day journey we like to call "The Great Grandparents Tour 2010." On Wednesday, we boarded a plane along with Corey and Stacy to head to Sioux City, IA. Seeing that it was Will's first time flying, and of course our first time flying with a child, we started off a little nervous as we did not know what to expect. However, our fears were quickly eased as soon as we took off and realized that Will was completely fine and quite content as long as he had an endless supply of goldfish and water. We flew on 3 planes that day to get into Sioux City, and after each flight we had people telling us how awesome Will was and what an amazing traveler he was. We were so proud.

After a long day, we got into Sioux City and got to our hotel around midnight, and yes Will was still up and happy as a clam. While there, we celebrated my Grandma Holles' 90th birthday. It was quite a monumental event as all of her children, grandchildren, and great grand children were there (with the understandable exception of a new baby and his daddy) which totaled 58 people. Our few days in Iowa were action packed with a birthday party, park day, and a special mass in rememberance of Grandpa which we all attended, which thrilled Grandma and made her feel extremely special. And of course the best part of the whole trip was watching Will meet his Great Grandma for the first time. Even though she has trouble with her sight, Grandma was still able to pinpoint Will's very active nature. It was a special moment. And, as always it was great taking over the hotel lobby, pool, outdoor area as all 58 of us woke up early and stayed up late to talk, goof off, and of course EAT! (We all know the Holles events are not complete without a plethora of good food available at all times :)

As the first leg of our trip to Sioux City came to a close, a new one began on Sunday as we boarded 2 more planes to get to Muskegon, MI to meet Great Grandma Dee (Ben's Grandma.) Will flew well once again choosing to sleep on the longer of the two flights. PERFECT! When we arrived in Muskegon, Great Grandma Dee was so excited and couldn't believe how much Will was able to do. She too noted his active nature. Will also got to meet both of his Great Uncles on this trip which was an added bonus. He especially enjoyed rolling the police car back and forth with Great Uncle Dave. He felt right at home in Grandma Dee's house because she had all kinds of cool knick knacks lying around for him to play with. From little cars that rumbled and beeped to wooden cats that sat upon the window sill, to old family rocking horses, there was plenty for Will to play with (both kid friendly and breakable).

While in Muskegon, we took Will to his first beach. He absolutely fell in love with the sand and even got into that cold Lake Michigan water up to his armpits. Another thing he fell in love with was getting chocolate ice cream every night :) We all had a great time in Muskegon with Grandma Dee!

After 3 days in Muskegon, we began yet the third leg of our trip, and drove North to the quaint little town of Pentwater, MI to meet Great Grandpa Ed (Ben's Grandpa on his dad's side). Now Grandpa Ed has been lucky enough to have seen Will three times before this trip, and when we got there we were greeted with the words "I'm glad you're here. I've been chasing a chipmunk around the cottage." For a while there, I had visions of this so called chipmunk sneaking in our room at night, flying into Will's crib, and eating his face. (Now I know that is a tad dramatic, but that's honestly what was going through my mind) Luckily, there was no chipmunk in sight and Will's face was not nibbled on...hehe. The days consisted of good food, conversation, beach time, and of course playing the bones. Will's favorite part of the beach in Pentwater was Plank Henge. As an added bonus, Will got to meet his Great Aunt Peg and Great Uncle Dave and we enjoyed Thursday night band with each other. Will also enjoyed eating ice cream in Pentwater as well :)

While in Pentwater, Grandpa Ed took us on a special trip to see Grandma Jo's gravesite, which was the first time we had seen it, as we had not been back to Pentwater since her Memorial service in 2008. Of course, it was a tearful occasion, but also very endearing as Will placed his hands upon and kissed her gravestone. It was a beautiful Pentwater day, and I know Grandma Jo was watching over Will as he experienced his first time in Pentwater, a special place to Ben's family.

Before we knew it, it was time to pack up and head back home. After 10 days, 7 planes, 2 rental cars, 58 Holles' in Sioux City, IA, 7 Bernath's in Muskegon, MI, and 3 Pierce's in Pentwater, MI, the "Great Grandparents Tour of 2010" came to a close and we arrived safely back at home. All I can say is WOW...what a great trip, and what a blessing it is to have all of these amazing people in our lives...

First flight...sleeping like an angel.

Taking a break after chasing him around the airport.

Floyd Monument in Sioux City, IA

Picture time at Grandma's 90th Birthday Party

And, again...

The Goofy Great Grandchildren

Some of the grandchildren. I don't know where the rest of them were at this point.

The ones who started it all.

Having fun playing with Uncle Dave.

Picture time with Grandma Dee!

Lookin fabulous!

Sweet snuggles with Great Grandma Dee

Play time in Muskegon

We walked the pier.

Loving the rocking horse. I think Ben's mom had this when she was a child.

What is the first thing you do once you arrive in Pentwater? Play the bones of course :)

Fine looking men :)

Special moment at Grandma Jo's gravesite.

"Give me your hat too Aunt Peg!"

Just chillin with my Great Grandpa (or as we like to call him, Santa...)

Sweet Smiles

2010-06-12T22:25:00.002-05:00

Just a picture of Will showing why everyone who meets him can't help but fall in love with him. That smile of his melts our hearts.

"I don't even have to try. I'm just naturally sweet!"

William's Wacky Words

2010-06-07T20:18:00.016-05:00

Just thought I'd start a list of old and new words in Will's vocab. We will update this one constantly as his vocabulary grows.

People:
He's got Momma, Dada, Nonna, and Poppa down, and is attempting to say Grammy and Grandpa, which is proving a little more difficult because of the double consonants. Beebee sounds more like "Beh Beh," and Eli is "Eya" and Ezra is "Ehra" When he attempts to say Elena, the "lena" part is emphasized which is so cute. He can't seem to figure out the 'C' sound so Carrie and Corey aren't in the vocab yet, (but we're working on it) and Lulu is addressed with 2 grunts.

Random words:
"Bahl" - Ball
"Bah Bah" - Bottle
"Bah" - Bath
"Buh" - Book
"Dah" - Down
"Moe" - More or Moe (Ben's parent's dog)
"Me me mer mer me" - I want that food (6/21/10)
"Pickle" - Pickle or any random object (6/21/10)
"Umph umph" - Dog (7/10/10)
"Umnal" - Stuffed animals (7/10/10)
"Nanna" - Banana (7/14/10)
"Bac-bahl" - Basketball (7/27/10)
"Cog ga" - Chaulk (8/3/10)
"Gah" - Draw (8/3/10)
"Dat do" - Thank you (8/5/10)
"Ma-moe" - Lawn mower (8/21/10)
"Hut hut" - Football (8/23/10)
"Ta-gur" - Tiger (9/25/10)
"Peas" - Please (10/5/10)
"Niiice" - Nice (10/11/10)
"Piece" - Peace (10/14/10)
"Egg" - Egg
"Tuhr-toll" - Turtle
"Papickle" - Popsicle

Baking with my Boy!

2010-05-25T13:30:00.007-05:00

Note the concentration as he pours the milk.

For some reason, I was feeling like Susie Homemaker and decided to bake blueberry muffins mid morning. As luck would have it, I found a sweet baby boy who was more than willing to help. From pouring the milk into the bowl to dipping his fingers in the batter, Will helped me bake blueberry muffins from start to finish. What a fun and messy experience :)

You can never use too much PAM.

"This one looks too full."

Festival Fountain

2010-05-13T22:42:00.009-05:00

This weekend was Festival International de Louisiane and we took Will to downtown Lafayette to soak up the scene. Mind you, we are still over protective parents and wouldn't take him close to the concert stages (too loud), but we did take him over to the the fountain and arts and crafts areas which were more child friendly.

The interactive fountain in downtown is a lot of fun! It's similar to many of the fountains that are found across the country. Jets shoot up randomly or in a pattern and a rubber pad below the spray allows people to run through the water with out getting too banged up. By the time we got to the plaza, it was hot, and there were a dozen other kids running around the jets and splashing in the puddles. Will has only been walking for a little while, so we didn't let him run free in the water, as we feared that he would slip on the hard ground or get knocked over by the spray. Instead, we held his hand and walked as close to the water as possible without getting completely drenched. As has happened in the past when Krissy and I think we have found an activity that Will will absolutely love, he instead shows little excitement. As was the case with the fountain, and he kind of seemed almost offended that we were getting him wet. Our little boy loves the bath and loves playing with a garden hose, but I guess fountains aren't yet on his favorites list. Though he wasn't the biggest fan of the experience for himself, he did find it humorous that his Mom and Dad were getting wet and acting like little kids.

Even though the fountain wasn't a thumbs up, it was still nice to get our boy out to the festival, to people watch and soak in some Lafayette and international culture. I can guarantee that we'll have much more fun next year.

Will and Momma exploring the fountain.

Getting less and less excited about the spray.

Dad got too close.

"Seriously, can't you think of something more fun to do next time?"

Best Pals

2010-05-12T20:26:00.000-05:00

Snuggling on the couch.

We've loved watching Will's determination to get Lulu to notice and love him. Since Will learned to pull up on things, when ever he's gotten a chance, he has loved on his doggy giving her kisses, plenty of hugs, and even enticing her with her toys.

Well it took a while, but I think it might be safe to say that Will and Lulu are now best pals. Of course I haven't actually heard Lulu's opinion on the matter, but I'm going to assume that she loves her brother as much as he loves her.

Lulu has put up with a lot of body slams, smacks and screams from Will over the last few months, but either she finally excepts him as a member of the family, or two things: one, he's completely worn her out into acceptance, or two, he's given her enough table scraps that she realizes that being close to him usually comes with a few extra treats. Regardless of the reason, witnessing you're child and your pet getting along together is one of the sweetest things. It will now only be a matter of time before we find Will riding on Lulu's back and them playing fetch in the yard.

Happy Mother's Day

2010-05-10T22:20:00.007-05:00

This year I got to celebrate my second Mother's Day, and it was very special! I awoke to a card, red roses, breakfast which consisted of a ham, egg, and cheese croissanwich from Burger King, and a halia bracelet. And, yes I was completely excited about the croissanwich because they are my favorite breakfast sandwich in the world, but I don't ever get them because they are so unhealthy. Ben knows me too well :)

The halia bracelet was super sweet. Ben and Will chose 4 charms to start the bracelet off that represented various parts of my life. My favorite charm was the one engraved with a "W" for Will's name. I can't wait to see what the bracelet looks like in the future once it's all filled out.
Who knew that a piece of jewelery could represent the story of my life...LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!

The rest of the day was pretty low key, but wonderful because I spent it all with Ben and Will, who both made it feel like it was my day. It was also special because we got to spend time with both our Mom's as well.

Ben and I would just like to say thank you Mom's for your constant love, encouragement, and support of us as we have embarked on this journey of parenthood. We wouldn't be who we are today without your guidance. You have both shown me how to be an amazing mother to my sweet baby boy! We love ya'll!

We also remembered our amazing Grandmothers on this day as well. Memow and Grandma Jo we love and miss you both dearly, but know you were here with us on this special day and always!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

Sweet Home Alabama

2010-05-02T18:44:00.008-05:00

Rehearsal Dinner...Will is giving the stink eye

Over the weekend, we took a trip to my birth town of Anniston, Alabama for Lori and Joseph's wedding. To my delight, I was asked to be a bridesmaid and of course gladly accepted the responsibility. Lori and I have known each other since birth and even though we moved away when I was 5, our families have made it a point to see each other through the years and we have all remained very dear friends. So much in fact that we refer to them more as our family.

Anyway, that's enough of a history lesson. Back to the weekend. Once we all arrived in Anniston, the wedding festivities began. Manicures and pedicures, rehearsal dinners, hair appointments, etc. In the midst of it all, we still managed to get to spend some down time just hanging out with everyone and letting the kids run and play outside.

As a result of being in the wedding party, my schedule was fairly packed, so Ben took on the role of single dad for quite a bit of the weekend and I must say he did an amazing job (of course which was no surprise to me.) I think Will and him may have even bonded more than they already are. I was quite amused with Ben though on Saturday morning when he had only been with Will for a few hours while I got my hair done, by 9:00 am he said he was pooped and ready for bed. If nothing else, it gave him more of an appreciation for what stay at home mom's do all day :)

Before we knew it the wedding was over and it was off to the reception where we all spent most of our time on the dance floor (surprise surprise.) Will enjoyed watching everyone dance and even danced a little with Ben and me. To add yet another element of fun to the evening, Corey and Angie decided to jump in the pool fully clothed, dress pants, bridesmaid's dress and all, which as you can imagine encouraged many other guests and wedding party to follow suit. I was ready to jump in until I saw a dead bird in the pool, which totally grossed me out so I passed.

As the night closed we said goodbye to everyone and the next morning trekked the 8 hour drive back home. It's always fun to see our Alabama family, especially as each individual family grows. The best part about it all is watching all of our kids play, bond, and grow together just as we all did growing up. We feel very lucky to have them all in our lives and can't wait until we see everyone again!

Congrats Lori and Joseph!

Will enjoying a popsicle while taking a break from playing at the Cheatwood's house.

Will and Elena just chillin' at the reception and watching us make fools of ourselves on the dance floor.

The beautiful bride and me.

Just Dancin' and Splashin' in the Rain

2010-04-19T22:31:00.013-05:00

During a much needed rain storm today in Lafayette, I decided to take Will outside for a while so we could sit and listen to the pitter patter. After a few minutes, simply observing the rain was not enough for myself or my little guy, so I had him hold his hand out to get it wet. To test the waters a little more, I carried Will out into the rain to see his reaction, and the grin from ear to ear was a pretty clear sign that he loved it.

Before I knew it I put him down and he walked out into the rain by himself, making sure I was only a few steps behind him of course. The whole experience became even cooler for him once I showed him how to stomp and splash in the puddles. He giggled and smiled his little heart out the entire time we were out there, stopping to dip his hand in deep puddles and reaching for various leaves, rocks, and worms floating about.

The whole time we were out there getting soaked, I just took it all in and loved feeling like a kid again myself. These memories will last a lifetime.

Sitting in the rain.

"I wonder how deep this puddle is..."

We made some big splashes and loved the pitter patter of rain on our heads.

One Year Ago Today...

2010-04-01T16:21:00.009-05:00

Our lives became so much richer, because we were blessed with the greatest gift in the world, the birth of our son, William Joseph Pierce. From that day, we experienced a love like no other, and it has grown every day since.

What an amazing 365 days we've had! To just say that our first year with Will has been "great" would drastically understate the incredible time we've shared with our little boy. We've had our joys and struggles, our fun and worries, but most importantly, we've shared our love as a family.

We've witnessed our Little Bean grow into the most amazing and beautiful child. Krissy and I our so proud of the little boy he has become. He's observant and curious, he's playful and active, and he's determined and spoiled (rotten that is). He's a lover and a snuggler, he gives the best kisses and hugs, and when he smiles at you as you enter the room, he melts your heart. He's got the biggest dark brown eyes, and when he laughs, everything stops and the world's attention is focused on him.

We love you Will, and are so happy to be your parents. We look forward to watching you grow and experience the world that we know you'll make an amazing impact on.

Happy first birthday!!!

"I don't know about this shirt, but I sure like the attention I'm getting."

Peter Cottontail

2010-03-29T21:37:00.004-05:00

"Why do they keep doing this to me?"

Today I took Will to the Acadiana Mall so he could take a picture with good ole' Peter Cottontail. And, no surprise to me, he was equally scared of the Easter Bunny as he was to Santa Clause. As we stood in line to take our picture, Will kept his eyes on the silly rabbit and clung tightly to my neck. The photographer said I could put Will on his lap when I was ready and I told her that it wouldn't be long until the flood gates would open so she should let me know as soon as she was ready to push the button.

She gave us the go ahead and I threw Will on PC's lap, ran behind the camera, and he just stared at the camera in shock. After the flash, Will looked at me with a terrified face, stiffened his body as if to slide out of the Easter Bunny's arms, and reached out for me as if to say, "Mom please save me!" True to form I rushed to him and I kid you not, as soon as the little booger was "safe" in my arms, he looked back at the Bunny and smirked. As we waited for the pictures, Will stared at the Easter Bunny and kept his eyes on him until we walked away.

All in all the trip was another fun memory to put down in the books. It is surely clear that Will still prefers to look and not touch at almost a year old, but who can blame him. Oh the things we will do to our kids for a simple picture.

Feeding Frenzy

2010-03-15T23:00:00.011-05:00

As the days go by (and too quickly might I add), our Little Bean doesn't seem to be so little anymore. He is now growing like a weed as he loves to eat real big boy food. You know, the stuff that actually has taste, doesn't come in a jar, and isn't puree'd.

So far, his all time favorite food is grilled cheese. His second favorite has been spaghetti, and today he has found a new favorite in fruit salad. The fruit salad was so good in fact that my sweet boy started licking the whipped cream off of his high chair tray as if he was a dog. I guess watching Lulu clean up after him has influenced his eating habits.

It seems like only yesterday he was spitting his baby food out at me because he didn't quite like it, and now he is eating like a big boy. I am so enjoying watching our sweet baby grow, but I sure do wish time would slow down. It's all happening so fast!

"This is good, and fun! Why did they wait so long to feed me this delicacy they call spaghetti?"

"Now what? I'm stuffed and covered in sauce."

Fruit Salad, Yummy Yummy!

"More please."

Following Lulu's lead. I must admit I encouraged it by laughing and telling him to do it again...Can you see the tongue?

Zoo Trip #3

2010-03-14T18:06:00.012-05:00

The courageous lion.

Will was fascinated with the petting zoo animals... which we didn't let him pet.

What can we say about our third trip to the zoo with Will? First of all, it was a wonderful day to visit the Acadiana Zoo. Perfect weather and not too crowded. Unfortunately, the animals must have scheduled their Spring Break during the weekend, because we were surprised to see very few animals moving around in their enclosures. I guess they were all down in Cancun or at Daytona Beach. Even with the many no-shows, Will still loved seeing the animals that were out and about, and probably, and I'm just guessing here, loved even more the time he got to spend with his both loving and good looking parents.

We love taking Will to the zoo, because he really loves animals. Lately, he has begun to make a few animal noises when you ask him. His favorite is to growl like a tiger (something that will come in handy during football season). He likes the growl noise so much and has gotten so good at it that, that if you ask him what sound dogs and ducks make, he growls in response. As we were walking around the zoo, we would test Will's knowledge of the animal sounds, which leads me up to the funniest thing that happened all day.

We were at the black panther exhibit towards the end of the day, and we noticed that the panther was lying up against the fence, close to where we were standing. We kept pointed at the panther trying to show Will what we were looking at and what sound a panther makes... which is oddly the same sound that a tiger makes. Soon after we showed him, Will got very excited and talkative. He started pointing and saying "bar bar." Krissy and I were so proud, because we thought that he had seen the cat and was trying to say its name or make its sound. I mentioned that Will loves animals, but there is one thing that he loves more than animals, and that's his toy balls. As we scanned the cage, low and behold, within the panther cage was a toy ball for it to play with. Will could have cared less about the animal and was more excited that he found a ball.

I guess it's true that we buy all these things for our babies, and all they really care about are empty boxes and toy balls.

"Who cares about the animals, I like that ball!"

Now that he's getting bigger and able to stand, Will enjoys these special trips even more.

Our smiling tortoise.

Being a little cautious with Dadda near the alligator exhibit.

Ayden Comes to Visit

2010-03-06T18:08:00.006-06:00

Shrimp (Will) and Chunk (Ayden) playing together.

This weekend we were pleased to have the Byrd family come down from Alexandria to visit and grab some Mexican cuisine at Coyote Blue's. This was the first time we had seen our friends since we moved from Cenla, and we were excited to catch up (both husband's have new jobs) and of course see how each of our little boy's have grown in the past 6 weeks.

While Ben and Lucas acted like little kids playing Nerf guns in the hallway (yes, you heard that right), Will and Ayden got a chance to hangout again. Our babies are so sweet together. They hug/squeeze each other and toss/fling objects back in forth at each other. The best part is listening to them talk. Ayden has the cutest scream, that Lucas likes to refer to as his "whale call" and Will of course is always "ma ma ma-ing" or "ba ba ba-ing." It's been awesome to have friends who we've had a chance to share our first year of parenthood with.

We really miss the Byrds, and am glad that they took time out of their weekend to stop by Lafayette for a visit.

My how big they've gotten.

Somebody's going to sleep well tonight.

Our Little Monster

2010-03-03T18:08:00.008-06:00

In just a few short weeks, Will has tripled the number of teeth in his mouth from 2 to 6. Now when Will smiles, his once adorable gummy smiles have now been replaced with a full set of teeth, just like a little monster.

For a while he only had his lower two middle teeth, but just as we were getting used to his "Billy Bob" smile, Will's four top teeth came in. We were afraid that at first, only his upper canine teeth would come in, causing him to look more like a baby vampire than our sweet angel. But, in a turn of events, the middle teeth decided to make a quick break out and caught up to the others, giving him a full and handsome smile.

Will never complained while all his teeth were coming in (at least we didn't notice him complaining), I think mostly because he quickly realized that with more teeth comes better tasting food.

Mardi Gras Mambo!

2010-02-22T17:07:00.019-06:00

The catches of the day. (The one on my hip was the best thing I caught all day.)

In mid February, we got to celebrate yet another first with our Little Bean. Yep, that's right Will experienced his first Mardi Gras! Granted, it was a lot tamer and more kid friendly than the previous years, but Ben and I agree it was the best Mardi Gras we've ever had because we got to spend it with our sweet baby.

On Saturday, February 13, we took him to the Lafayette Children's Parade. As the bands rolled by and the floats drove past with beads flying through the air, I don't think he really knew what to make of the situation. He was probably wondering why in the heck everybody was so excited to catch beads worth no more than 50 cents a piece. It was a little chilly and windy that afternoon as well, so he wasn't as enthusiastic as we thought he might be. All in all, it was still a great first experience with him.

On Fat Tuesday, we decided to give it another go and took him to the Lafayette King's Parade, and he seemed to enjoy it much more. As the bands passed he would bounce his head to the beat, and after seeing me raise my hands up and hollering for beads, Will actually followed suit. It was so cute to watch him raise his hands up on his own and scream as the floats went by. I must admit, he was the reason that we caught so many beads. As the men on the floats would see him, they would point at him, then throw us the beads. Several times we had to go into full protection mode as the beads would rain on our little guy. He was just so cute they couldn't resist :) In fact, I think we caught more and better quality beads with him then we have in recent years. It was a blast!

Before we knew it, Mardi Gras was over and Ash Wednesday was here. We took Will to Ash Wednesday Mass in the evening, where he talked the entire time. It was kind of funny that Will didn't quite know what to make of the ashes on our foreheads. He even cried a little at Ben when he tried picking him up. After mass we enjoyed some fried shrimp poboys at one of our favorite restaurants in town. It was a special evening for us to share as a family.

Notice the excitement on Will's face (insert sarcasm here). Please don't criticize his wardrobe. We were running a little late, and didn't have time to get him dressed. He is slightly mismatched, but still as cute as a button.

Still not grasping the concept of the beads.

"I've got my game face on. Bring on the King's Parade!"

Following Momma's lead.

After Ash Wednesday Mass.

Bubbles, Bubbles Everywhere, But Not a Drop to Drink

2010-02-13T12:37:00.006-06:00

What's a cheap thing to do to entertain your 10 month old son on a slightly rainy day? Blowing bubbles of course!

For only a dollar or so, we found great enjoyment is seeing Will's exciting reaction to bubbles. He's still too young to blow the bubbles himself, but he's definitely old enough to pop 'em! Krissy or I would create a few hundred bubbles at a time and then hold Will while we chased them around together. Even with the sticky spray from popped bubbles keep getting in his face, he loved it! It's definitely a fun activity we'll be participating in a whole lot more.

Cheap thrills

Mr. Clean

2010-02-06T23:01:00.014-06:00

I don't know how, I don't know why, but all of a sudden our little man is obsessed with brooms and mops. A couple of days ago, I put Will in his walker as I typically do so I could get a few things done around the kitchen. He walked himself into the laundry room, grabbed the broom, and started dragging it along the floor alongside his walker as if he was really sweeping the floor.

It all started out innocent enough with just the broom, and since then has developed into an obsession with all of the stick like cleaning tools. Even though the laundry room door is closed most of the time, our guy will ram into it at just the right speed to pop it open on his own. He then proceeds to reach for the broom or mop and bring it out into the kitchen. When he gets bored with one, he rolls right back to the laundry room and grabs another. The cycle continues until the broom, two mops, and swiffer stick are lying across various parts of the kitchen floor.

Once he goes back to the laundry room to find there are no more brooms or mops to pull out he walks over to the ones on the floor and somehow manages to get himself out of his walker and hangs upside down from the walker from one foot, and tries grabbing them off of the floor.

Back in Laffy!

2010-01-17T10:58:00.008-06:00

I know many of you are saying, "Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?" I know, so are we, and in fact, everything has happened so quickly that we don't even have answers for those questions.

What we can tell you is what happened over the last couple months. At the end of the year, someone purchased the condo we were renting in Alexandria, and we were forced to relocate. We searched and searched for nearly two months, looking at rentals houses, condos, and apartments, but everything in town was just way too expensive or way too crummy for us to even consider bringing Will into. Eventually, through a friend of mine at work, we found a place 15 minutes south of Alexandria in the small town of Woodworth.

If you're looking for Woodworth on a map, you won't find much. It's basically one of those single red light along a highway kind of places. It's quiet, and it's only reason for existence besides being a country alternative to Alexandria is that it is adjacent to both the Indian Creek Reservoir and Kisatchie National Forest, both of which offer wonderful recreational opportunities.

So, at the end of the year, we packed up our belongings and moved to a cabin in Woodworth. Yes, I said cabin, and when I say cabin, I mean a Little House on the Prairie, oldest structure in town kind of dwelling. It was cute, affordable, and owned by two of the sweetest people we met in Cenla (Central Louisiana), John and Judy McLure. Our first week in Woodworth was a cold one! Due to the fact thath this home is so old, it wasn't quite up to the task of keeping us warm... at least not little Will. When the temperatures dropped to the mid-teens for several days, Krissy and Will bolted for Lafayette and left me by myself for a cold 5 days.

Our Little House on the Prairie.

"It's cold in these old houses."

While I was in Woodworth, I received a call from Art Hawkins, a man I met randomly on the golf course in Lafayette during Thanksgiving break. Art and his father-in-law were placed with me, my Dad and my Grandpa to fill a fivesome. As I talked with Art, he told me that he was the Scout Executive for the Evangeline Area Council Boy Scouts of America, headquarted in Lafayette. What perked my interest in his job, seeing as I wasn't a Boy Scout, was the mention of a project they were hoping to land that focused on developing the Atchafalaya Basin as a Scout recreational opportunity. Knowing that my current employer, Moore Planning Group (MPG), had once worked on a master plan for the Basin, I was very curious about how I could get MPG involved with the Scouts.

Back to Woodworth. So, I'm sitting alone in the cabin, in the cold without cable, and I get a call from Art. He wants to interview me, and potentially offer me a job as the leader of the Atchafalay Basin Scout Program. I was very suprised at the opportunity and went down one weekend to meet with Art and the Council President. Though Art liked what MPG had to offer the Scouts, he was more interested in hiring a single person with recreational planning experience to run the the program. Thanks to my time with Design Workshop in Asheville, and the project experience I had in designing recreational packages, along with my newfound strategic implementation knowledge from MPG, the Evangeline Area Council offered me a full-time position that needed me to start in one week.

Making the difficult decision to leave a great job and amazing friends in Alexandria, the Pierces left Cenla, after spending only 9 days (4 for Krissy and Will) in our new place in Woodworth, to head back home to Lafayette. I began my job Friday, January 15th and will immediately start working on the planning for the Council's Centennial Celebration of the Boy Scouts of America which will take place on February 20th. Not a lot of time and from what I've been told, a lot to do! It should be exciting!

So here we are, back in the town that our families are in, and the place where we grew up. It's been 10 years since we permanently lived in Lafayette (if you count the 5 years at LSU and time in Asheville and Alexandria) and we're ready to experience the city as adults and a family. Welcome home.

"Brace yourself Lafayette, I'm here to stay!!!"

Our First Family Christmas

2009-12-26T22:55:00.004-06:00

As mentioned in our previous post, the anticipation and excitement for Christmas was almost more than we could bear, but let me tell you, our first Christmas as a family of three was quite possibly better than we could have ever imagined.

The festivities began Christmas Eve, when we went to Christmas Eve Mass at St. Pius with my family. Will was decked out in his red Christmas sweater, and sat quietly through the entire service. He was particularly fascinated by the intensity of the packed church singing "Emmanuel," and even hummed along a little. By Communion time, he sucked down a bottle, and made sure to put on his best smile as we walked down the aisle, as if he knew he was on display.

After the beautiful Christmas Mass, we headed over to the Pierce's for a tasty Christmas dinner, and opening of Will's gifts. Will opened his presents with a little help from the adults and made the cutest little faces as he opened them as if he was really surprised by what he got. I think his favorite gift he opened that night was an alphabet train. He especially enjoyed the blocks it came with. In fact he was so enamored by them, as he (we) opened his other gifts, he would look at them, then crawl right back to his blocks.

After a fun night of opening presents, Ben and I went home, put our little guy in his oh so cute Santa pajamas, and began our first family tradition that we plan to continue throughout the years. I held Will as his daddy read him "Elmo's Night Before Christmas." He loved it! Of course, as he gets older we will read "Twas the Night Before Christmas," but I figured Elmo was more age appropriate this year :)

After the story was over, our sweet boy nodded off to sleep and Santa's preparations began. I must say Santa did a great job and worked into the wee hours of the evening, as I could no longer keep my eyes open.

Before we knew it, 5:30am had come and Will decided that would be a great time to wake up. For a baby who usually sleeps until 9:00am, it's as if he knew it was a special day! So, we got up, and headed over to the Hoover house to spend Christmas morning with my family. Considering there are 12 people in the fam, you can imagine the wrapped boxes everywhere and Will was delighted by all of the "climbing toys." I think his favorite gift Christmas morning was his Learning Farm, which Santa brought him, however the wrapping paper and empty boxes ran a close second.

After a long morning, we loaded Little Bean up again and headed back over to Grammy and Grandpa's for the adults to open presents and for Will to finish his up. He loved everything he got, but was still obsessed with those blocks and the train. Sweet boy played his little heart out all afternoon, and got some quality time with Aunt Carrie to boot!

As the day wore on, we were on the move again, and headed to my house for Christmas dinner, which as most of you know, is Thanksgiving all over again, but with even more pumpkin pies! Will particularly enjoyed the mashed potatoes with gravy and green bean casserole! After dinner, we played with all of our new toys, and then called it a day as 5:30am was long ago.

As we lay in bed to reflect on the day, and remembering the true reason for the season, I was overwhelmed by the fact that Will is not only loved by us but also loved so much by both our families. Even more, I couldn't help but think about just how special it was for us as a new family and how truly blessed and lucky we feel to have been given this precious gift from God.

It was so much fun to share this very special first Christmas with Will and starting new traditions that hopefully one day he will share with his kids. We look forward to the many more firsts to come in our little families future!

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

"I hope Santa fills this thing to the brim!"

Can we say excited?

Well rested Momma.

Tired Dad.

Christmas aftermath at the Hoover's.

Santa's little helper.

Christmas morning at Grammy and Grandpa's.

The gunner and his ammunition runner.

Playing with Santa's toys.

The Excitement is Building!

2009-12-21T16:37:00.005-06:00

We put Will in his Christmas pajamas for tree decorating.

Even in the midst of packing up and having to be out of our place by December 31st, Ben and I are so excited about getting to spend our first Christmas with our sweet baby boy. It's only 4 days away now and we can barely stand it. I have already given him some of his presents over the past few weeks because I couldn't wait any longer, and have finally bought his last gift today. I must stop now or else we will be sleeping in the boxes that his toys come in :)

Since we are in the process of moving, we are going to spend Christmas down in Lafayette. However we did still get the tree up in the beginning of December and it has been interesting to us that Will has not really attempted to tear it down. (Unlike every other thing we have around the house.) He has however found joy in tearing the Christmas presents open so I have wrapped and rewrapped a few. What a fun Christmas morning it will be.

We are looking forward to introducing Will to both Ben's and my Christmas traditions we had growing up and especially look forward to starting our own, new Christmas traditions as a little family. Oh so exciting!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND BLESSINGS TO YOU ALL!

Me and Little Bean at the Alexandria Christmas Parade.

I love my little family.

The Great Escape

2009-12-14T22:04:00.003-06:00

Over the past few weeks, Will has attempted to get out of the various things we own to entertain him while we get things done around the house. A few weeks ago, I put him in his crib so I could open the blinds and get ready for the day. Literally two seconds after I put him in there, I happened to turn around and he was on his tip toes, reaching over the side, and leaning over it at his hips. I thank God that I turned around at that very moment, as any longer, and he could have pushed himself right over the side of his crib. It was that night that Ben and I decided we would lower the crib mattress.

Later that afternoon, Will was playing in his exersaucer as I was picking up a few odds and ends around the house. I heard one of his toys drop on the floor, and when I went to pick it up for him, I saw he had managed to get one foot out of one of the holes, and was hanging over the side, reaching for his toy. He was practically hanging upside down from it, and had the proudest smile on his face as if to say, "It's okay Mom. I've got it."

Finally, today our Little Bean dropped something in front of his walker, and sure enough I watched him push himself up and start leaning over the walker to get his toy.

As I am typing this, I am thinking it looks as though I don't even watch him, but the fact of the matter is I have always been in the same room with him when it happens. He is just so darn fast. He is constantly curious and never stops moving. In a way, I'm glad it has all happened as it did, because it signaled us to lower the crib, and increase both the exersaucer and walker heights.

I caught our little Houdini in the act of trying to escape his walker.

Attack of... the Pig Face!!!

2009-12-08T23:30:00.006-06:00

These aren't the most attractive photos of Will, but we finally captured his pig face, which is the face he's been making at us for the last month or so. We usually are visited by the pig face when our Little Bean is trying really hard to get something or if he's getting frustrated at us. The sounds associated with the face are almost as good as the face itself, and consist of the funniest little snorts and hisses.

Beware of the Pig Face!

Christmas is in the Air

2009-12-05T23:27:00.013-06:00

It's so much warmer inside.

With Christmas approaching, we decided that this weekend we would follow tradition and take Will to see Santa so he could make his requests for gifts. We couldn't have picked a better weekend for a visit with Ol' St. Nick. On Friday night, it snowed in Alexandria, and I think it was even the earliest snow on record for the city! Krissy and Will braved the cold... for a few seconds, and Will seemed fascinated by the big white flakes falling from the sky. Christmas is truly in the air!

On Saturday, we went to a local children's boutique that had a Santa. This was actually the second time Will visited with Santa, but since I wasn't able to attend the first one with Will and Krissy, this is the only visit that really counts. As we approached the store, we knew this was going to be a special Santa visit. With melting snow still on the ground and a chill in the air, we walked into the boutique and it looked like Santa brought the whole North Pole with him. Mrs. Claus was there, along with several elves, and the backdrop for Santa looked like an oil painting. It was a really nice setup.

We had always heard the stories of babies and even young kids that scream their lungs out when they visit Santa, so Krissy and I were well prepared for a classic 8 month old meltdown. Will didn't disappoint. As I placed him on Santa's lap, he looked immediately up at the Jolly Old Elf with the sweetest face and the photographer snapped off a shot. Then he turned toward his Mom and Dad, and again, the photographer captured a sweet moment of our little guy in the big arms of Santa. But, as soon as the sweetest happened, it quickly left. Will figured out that we were standing a little too far away from him, and he let out a screeching cry! The fun was officially over, but we got two great (and expensive) photos to remember the day by.

Days until Christmas... 20.

Snow on the ground in Louisiana... in early December!?!?!

Southern babies don't understand the concept of sneaux.

Messy Eating Phase

2009-12-05T11:28:00.000-06:00

It seems that as Will's independence has grown, so have his "bad habits". Lately, feeding time has become a game for Will, and a food shower for me and Krissy. Seriously, we should probably start wearing a raincoat, goggles and a swimmer's cap when he eats.

For some reason, our sweet boy has decided that it's really funny to make spitting noises when he eats baby food. The process of us getting soaked works like this. As we go to feed him, Will always obliges by opening his mouth nice and wide, taking in a big spoonful of food. Then, when we go to reload the spoon, Will, who hasn't swallowed, waits for us to turn towards him, so he can make a spitting noise, and spray food all over us and the kitchen. This isn't just a one time deal either, and it's not like he's doing it on accident. At least for me, for the past couple weeks, every meal I feed Will turns my shirt into a Jackson Pollock painting. Krissy has asked me to mention, that although she's gotten a baby food shower when she feeds Will, her occurrences are far less frequent. Lucky me! Anyway, to explain what I mean by how these noises aren't just accidents, and how this really is a game for him, Will has actually learned when is the appropriate time to spit, and what an open target looks like. For instance, I've attempted to block the food by putting the spoon in front of his mouth, and have found that this technique actually works! But, on the chance that I remove it too soon, he immediately takes advantage of the situation and spits again, giving me the biggest of smiles! Man this kid is both hilarious and messy!!!

"Gotcha Mommy!"

Jackson Pollock's new canvas... Will's face!

Lining up his target and getting read to blow!

So Much to Be Thankful For

2009-12-03T21:25:00.011-06:00

We know this is a little late, but just wanted to say how thankful we are this year. Here's just a sampling of the things we're thankful for. We're thankful for the greatest little blessing ever, being so close to family, the help of our families and friends, selling our Asheville home, our new Alexandria friends, having great friends travel to meet Will, the strength to make tough decisions, and the love we have for each other. It's been another tough year, but with a little faith and some courage, we made it!

For Thanksgiving, we went home to Lafayette for five days to visit with family, do some shopping, and of course turkey out on multiple Thanksgiving feasts. Ben's Grandpa made the trip down from Michigan for Thanksgiving, and it was great to have him spend some extended time with his great-grandson. Ben's sister Carrie also came in from Dallas to play with her now much more active nephew.

Four generations of Pierce men.

Lulu, Gramps, Carrie and Wiggle Worm.

Nonna keeping Will warm on Thanksgiving.

Ben and Lulu take some time to snuggle.

Will and Elena have become fast friends, you know, the kind of friends that hit each other in the head and pull one another's hair.

Taking a Stand

2009-11-12T23:29:00.006-06:00

Trouble's got a new tactic

Most babies are supposed to learn to sit up before they learn to pull themselves up and stand. Not Will. In his book of non-stop exploring, sitting just doesn't cut it. By sitting, he limits himself to the floor where non of the fun things Mom and Dad leave on the furniture, out of the way, can be found.

Will's actually been pulling himself up for a few week now, but lately, he's gotten very good at it. We no longer need to be hovering over him as he holds on to his baby gate or the edge of the couch. He's taken a couple of good falls (a relative term for over protective parents), nothing serious, but now he lands like a pro, right on his soft little tushy.

We're so proud of him, and by the picture, you can tell that he's pretty proud of himself too.

"Look what a big boy I am!"

Happy Halloween!

2009-11-07T15:08:00.014-06:00

Fall is officially here, and boy has it been a fun season for us to share with Will so far. Of course, to kick off the season, we visited a local pumpkin patch for a photo shoot and watched Will crawl from pumpkin to pumpkin, licking each one as he went along. From the looks of his face they looked very tasty. Ben and I carved both of our pumpkins, which Will loved helping with and we painted a "Little Bean" pumpkin for our little man as well.

Will contemplating whether he'll be a pumpkin head like his Dad when his hair decides to come in.

Fall might be Will's favorite season.

The boys watching Mom take her time carving her pumpkin.

Diving in!

"Ewww, this was fun, but now it's just cold and sticky."

Before we knew it, Halloween rolled around and it was a great first Halloween for us. We spent the day at the Hoover house as they were having a Halloween Bash. For the first time, Will got on a fun jump and was a little overwhelmed by it's large size. The bouncing children all around him didn't really help ease his nerves any. He did however enjoy the slide part of it. I must admit that the kids were not the only ones who enjoyed the fun jumps. Us adults also had our fair share of time on it and I must say I acquired quite a few brush burns and bruises along the way. It was the next day that I realized my body is no longer made for activities such as those.

Later that night, we obviously went Trick or Treating and our sweet boy was absolutely adorable. He went as none other than a "Little Bean," and I was a princess. Such a trooper, Will went from house to house, held the candy bag on his own, and trick or treated. He made it for about 30 minutes, and then conked out. Needless to say, I had a sleeping Bean on me the whole way back home. He wore himself to a frazzle. The funniest part is even as I walked home with Will, Ben decided to continue trick or treating with our group and went up to every house with the other kids and an empty stroller. People probably thought he was a little crazy, but he didn't care. He just wanted some good candy :)

Overall, the day was a success and we had a FA'BOO'LOUS time! We enjoyed this special experience with Will and look forward to the many more firsts to come in the near future. Now onto Thanksgiving and Christmas. We can't wait!!!

The princess and the (pea) Bean.

"Fill 'er up please! My Mom and Dad want some chocolate bars!"

A Temper Tantrum? Not Our Sweet Angel

2009-10-26T22:33:00.006-05:00

Anyone who has met Will can attest that he is one sweet boy. Very loving, curious, always moving, but rarely fussy and whiney. Well...

Tonight, just like every night, Krissy gave Will a bath while I picked up around the house and started to get everything settled for bedtime. As I started to clean bottles, I could hear my little man whimpering in the bathroom. This was very odd, seeing as Will loves his baths. I thought that maybe he had gotten some soap in his eyes, or even worse, bumped his head against the tub. I put down what I was doing to investigate, and to my surprise, Will was sitting in Krissy's lap trying to escape her grasp, grabbing for his rubber ducky. He was completely distraught by the fact that Mr. Ducky kept floating away from him every time he tried to pick him up. To confirm that this was an actual tantrum, we would give Will the ducky and he would be completely calm. Then (I know this is mean) we would take it away from him and place it back in the water just out of his reach. On cue, the tears and cries would start up again, until he once more retrieved his bath toy.

Not that this tantrum was a big deal, it was more entertaining than anything bad, but it was a sign that with Will's recent abilities to further explore his world, tantrums are soon to be a common occurrence in the Pierce household.

"Mom, seeing as 90% of the laundry is mine, I figured I could lend you a hand."

Handsome Pants

2009-10-25T12:02:00.006-05:00

Just a couple pictures of our adorable little boy.

What a sweet heart.

His new expression, the "Bulldog Face."

Our Boy is Crawling!

2009-10-18T20:36:00.002-05:00

It's official, Will has learned to crawl!

For the last month or so Will had been moving across the floor in what we called "the worm" motion. Basically, he would get up on his hands and knees and lunge forward, belly-flopping onto the floor. He would perform this process over and over until he made it to whatever object he wanted. On Monday October 12th, Will made his first attempt a a real crawling movement, synchronizing his arms and legs from the hands and knees position, moving a couple feet. By Thursday Will had learned how to crawl across the room, and as we write this on Sunday, he has gotten faster and even learned to balance so well in the crawling position that he is pulling up on objects. Basically, life just got a lot more interesting! Nothing is safe, as Will wants whatever Krissy and I have, and will stop at nothing to get it. If we're sitting on the floor, he's climbing on top of us, trying to give kisses, or reaching for items on the couch.

Please click the video below to see Will's crawling progress as of Thursday.

A Bottle Perspective

2009-10-08T23:53:00.004-05:00

Zoo Trip # 2

2009-10-06T21:11:00.009-05:00

Can you tell it was Game Day? Maybe a little much? Nah!

This past weekend we decided to take Will to our local zoo, and as an added perk went with the Byrd family. I think the adults had more fun than the boys did as both Will and Ayden chilled in their strollers and preferred people watching over looking at the animals.

Here are a few pictures from our zoo adventure.

Love the hat. Notice the battle wound is still there.

"What's that up there?" So cute.

Hot Mommas and their sweet babies.

Proud Dads

In case you didn't notice, while we proudly sported the purple and gold for LSU, the Byrds sported Louisiana Tech gear.

Say Hello to My Little Friend!

2009-10-02T14:24:00.004-05:00

Will suffered his first little injury this morning. After I dressed him for the day, he managed to quickly pick up his plastic baby hanger and got it caught on his eye (which by the way I've always worried about so I never let him play with hangers.) At first I completely freaked out because I thought he actually got it caught in his bottom lid, but from the looks of the scratch it looked like it just missed his eye (thank goodness.) Anyway, I went into complete mom mode in which I panicked on the inside, but totally stayed calm on the outside and soothed him. The scariest moment was when he started crying and wouldn't open his eyes. But, turns out I think he more scared himself than anything. I'm sure you can imagine all the things I envisioned he actually did to his eye. But, come to find out he just suffered a minor scratch, and he is OKAY!

I know this is the first of many bumps and bruises our Little Bean will endure as he grows up.

"If you think I look bad, you should see the other guy."

To add insult to injury, he had to make the most pitiful face on the planet. Can't you just feel the pain? I think he might need to get a new toy for being so brave (Wink Wink to the Grandma's, Nonna and Grammy:) hehe.

"I think I'll be okay Mom, as long as I keep my thumb in my mouth!"

Here's to the First 6 Months!

2009-10-01T19:18:00.005-05:00

Dear Will,

6 months ago today, you, my sweet baby boy played a heck of an April Fool's joke on us and decided to come out 5 days early. Happy 6 month birthday to you! These have been the best 6 months of our lives and we will remember them always. You came to us in a time that we needed you the most, and you have brought such meaning and purpose to our lives here on Earth. You are such a blessing.

Love,
Mom and Dad

So I must admit, we went a little overboard, but you only turn 6 months once plus it's so fun to spoil this baby boy.

His face is priceless.

I'm Going to Get You Dad!

2009-09-30T13:08:00.004-05:00

Will is getting really good at moving. I still can't say that he's crawling, but his "worm" movements are getting faster each day. For some reason, even with all his toys, he'd rather go after electrical wires, remotes, cups full of Kool-Aid, and cameras, as you can see in these pictures.

Hello, I'm Right Here!

2009-09-24T21:45:00.003-05:00

As if he couldn't get any cuter, Will has come up with something yet again that makes us laugh and love him more and more. Yesterday, as Ben was about to leave from lunch to go back to work I laid down on the couch with Little Bean, and turned on the TV as he was about to take a nap on me. As I turned my head slightly to the right so I could watch TV, Will slowly crept his head around so it ended up right in front of my face, and he had quite possibly the cutest smile on. He didn't make a sound, just had a big ole' grin on his face. Thinking it was just a fluke, I gently placed his head back on my shoulder and proceeded to watch TV again, and sure enough he slowly lifted his head and once again crept it around to where he was in front of my face perfectly blocking the TV. And yes, once again he had a huge grin on his face. It was so precious and seemed as if he was saying, "Mom look at me. I'm right here just in case you forgot." Ben was there to witness it as well, and we look forward to seeing if he does it tomorrow so we can capture this sweet moment on video or at least in a picture. It's the littlest things such as these that make life worth living. We love our little boy more than anything in this world!

Laughing with Daddy

2009-09-22T20:49:00.004-05:00

Babies laugh at the most random things. Tonight, Will decided to bust out laughing everytime I bounced his word cube. I think it must have been a combination of the noise it made when it hit the floor, coupled with it bouncing off of him, and the obnoxious faces I was making at him that got him laughing for a good 10 minutes.

Bad Eating Habits

2009-09-21T22:34:00.003-05:00

Some days are messier than others, but we love the messy days because he is just so darn cute. He has already learned how to put his tongue between his lips and spit his food out. It will only be a matter of time before this will be smeared all over walls. Looking forward to it.

"Mom and Dad pretty much let me do whatever I want as long as I attach a cute smile to it."

First Tummy Bug :(

2009-09-17T21:36:00.004-05:00

On Tuesday around noon, Will started feeling really warm so I decided to take his temperature and the arterial thermometer read 101.6 degrees. And, due to being a first time mom, the waterworks started. I knew he would be okay, but the idea that your baby is sick makes you feel terrible because they can't verbally tell you what's wrong.

Of course I immediately called the doctor, and they told me to give him Tylenol as I suspected they would say. As the day progressed, I noticed Will had quite the tummy issues, and without having to give you too many details realized he was on the verge of his first tummy virus. (I know technically it's a stomach, but tummy is way cuter.) From Tuesday through Thursday Will's little tummy virus did not let up, and it being Thursday evening now, has not gone away completely. Wednesday evening was definitely the worst as he was up until about 2:00 am with various symptoms, and then up again at 5:30 am again. Even Ben was up at 12:30 am on the phone with me just making sure he was okay. (He was still in Alexandria.) Needless to say, Will and I had a great nap today.

So there you have it...3 days so far of Will's first little tummy bug. The funny thing of it is, our sweet baby boy smiled throughout the whole thing, and never let it get him down. But, I must say he required a lot more snuggle time with mommy (as if he doesn't get enough already...) But, as I can recall from my childhood when you're sick all you want is someone to love on you and just hold you until you feel better.

Zoo Trip

2009-09-09T21:07:00.009-05:00

Over Labor Day weekend, Ben and I decided to take Will on his first trip to the Acadiana Zoo in Broussard. We went with Grammy, Nonna, Beebee, Eli, Ezra, and Elena. The weather was overcast and a little under 80 degrees, which is not bad in south Louisiana. It was perfect. Will was a great the whole time. I think he enjoyed the time just walking around as much as he enjoyed the animals. Ben and I look forward to taking Will on many more zoo adventures in the future.

Will and Grammy are intrigued by whatever is over the fence.

Will and me on the train.

Will and Elena looking at something over to the right.

Will starting to get sleepy.

And he's out. The Zoo can be exhausting!

Ditto

Nanny and her sweet boys.

Mmmmm...Tasty!

2009-09-09T13:23:00.007-05:00

I cannot believe it is already here, but Will is a little over 5 months and is starting to explore solid foods beyond rice cereal. So, this will be an ongoing post as he tries out different foods.

9/9/09 - Carrots
Verdict: He sucked them down. However, he didn't even react differently when he ate them so I don't know if he could even tell the difference between the carrots and his rice cereal.

9/20/09 - Sweet Potatoes (sweet taters)
Verdict: Loved them. Notice the thumb going straight to his mouth. He does that after the spoon is pulled out of his mouth.

9/25/09 - Squash
Verdict: Thought about it for a minute, but then decided he liked them.

9/29/09 - Green Beans
Verdict: He made a sour looking face for the first few bites, but once he got used to the different flavor, he sucked them down.

10/2/09 - Bananas (nanas)
Verdict: Could've licked the jar if we let him. Every bite was accompanied by "MMMmmm," and he had his mouth opened before I could fill the spoon each bite.

Siblings

2009-09-08T14:28:00.004-05:00

As most of you know, Lulu is still in Lafayette living with her grandparents because our condo doesn't allow dogs. For the most part she hasn't been very interested in acknowledging Will's presence when we go home on the weekends, and pretty much goes about her own business. Also up to this point, Will has not shown a real interest in Lulu either. However this weekend, both Will and Lulu have turned over a new leaf and acted more like brother and sister (hehe) as you can see in the pictures.

Will thinking that she is an awfully hairy person :)

"If I stare at her long enough, she will have to look at me." (Notice Lulu trying to avoid his eyes.)

"Hmmm, how can I get this without her noticing me?"

Sibling rivalry