I apologize in advance

I've been a super good blogger this month (go me). But I'm sorry to say that it's a trend that won't be continuing into April.

You see, April is poised to be crazy busy. Insanely busy even. I have two papers and one paper re-write due for my graduate program, an exciting new freelance gig, and we're putting our house on the market. On top of you know, raising the baby, that won't leave much spare time for blogging.

So I apologize now for the impending online absence. Expect a lot of photos in lieu of actual blogging. But my child is attractive, so that should work out well for everyone.

We better start saving for braces

Guess who (finally) has two teeth poking through?

Chomp, chomp

Still hard to see, but they're right next to each other on the bottom.

I don't have the heart to tell him that he'll almost certainly need braces. Both Daddy and I had gnarly teeth as teenagers.

Sneaky Nana

Look what Nana caught on her iPhone during our recent visit...

Cuddle bugs

Swoon, that is just the sweetest thing ever.

No, we're not pregnant

Emma is (and always will be) our girl's name. But if we have another boy, I love the names Jasper, Emerson and Charlie.

Just sayin'.

Welcome!

I'm still tweaking the design, but welcome to our new blog, Baby Steps.

As you can see, all of my old posts are still here, so no content has been lost in the transition. Kindly update your links and bookmarks, as the old blog address will be deleted in a few weeks.

Thanks for reading!

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

I'm debating a new blog title and web address. What started as a blog for friends and family has grown considerably, and I'm thinking I might want more anonymity for the fam (especially Will) online.

So stay tuned. Changes are on the way!

NOTE: For those that link to my blog on your personal blog or website, that's just fine! I still want the blog to be accessible to others. But I'm thinking I should remove our last name as the URL so that we can keep things a little more private. Just trying to limit our stalker likelihood/liability.

Ta-Da!

Will finally has his new helmet! I love being able to personalize with our own stickers. We purchased two designs from Bling Your Band. Badger baby to start!

Ready to hit the gridiron

On Wisconsin!

In a few weeks we'll change over to the airplane design. But as proud University of Wisconsin alumni, Daddy and I think this is pretty cool.

Seven Months Old

Toes are fun

Dear Will,

You and I have really found our stride in the past few months. You are at this fabulous age where you are on a really predictable schedule, which means I can (usually) figure out what you want/need rather quickly. We are just in sync you and me, and it's oh so much fun.

You are such a playful boy! You love to jump, either in your jumper or on Mama's lap. You also love rattles, crinkly paper, silverware and anything that spins. You are enamored with cell phones and the TV remote, and will dive to capture them whenever you see them.

You got your corrective helmet this past month, which was much harder on Mama and Daddy than it was on you. You are doing great with it, and I must say, you look awfully adorable with it on. Though I miss being able to kiss your sweet baby head whenever I want, I make up for it by showering you with kisses whenever it's off.

You can sit on your own now, but you really don't care to. You much prefer standing or being perched on Mama's hip. When I plop you down on the floor, you'll stay there for a few moments taking in your surroundings. But if nothing catches your interest, you'll go for your feet or just fall right over (so the helmet actually has its perks). You sit very well in Mama's lap at restaurants, which has proven to be a useful skill. It's fun being able to take you out with me for lunch and dinner dates.

You started rolling from your back to your front this month. At first you would just roll back and forth in the same spot, but later on you started actually rolling toward things you wanted (a favorite toy, Stella, etc). You aren't really showing any pre-crawling behaviors yet, but I'm in no rush for you to be mobile. I like being able to put you down and be (reasonably) sure that you will be in (approximately) the same place when I get back.

We introduced a few new foods this month, including peas, pumpkin, mango and apricot applesauce. Though you hated plain applesauce, you love the apricot applesauce, especially when mixed with the pureed pumpkin. It's fun to watch you try new foods and experiment with new tastes and textures. I'm raising a little gourmet!

We also introduced a sippy cup, which you're getting slowly but surely. If Mama holds the cup for you, you are able to get several good sips. When you hold the cup yourself, you can get the spout to your mouth, but you more inclined to chew on it than drink from it. We'll keep working on it.

You started babbling recently, which is just adorable. Your vocabulary mostly consists of ooh, aah, mmmm, wa-wa, ma-ma, and ba-ba. You usually babble in your crib after you wake up or while you're playing in your exersaucer. I love to hear you "talking".

Speaking of your crib, you morphed into an excellent sleeper this past month. You started sleeping through the night and taking 2-3 solid naps during the day. It's awesome.

We started an early-childhood music class at Lawrence University. It's so fun to watch you interact with the instructor and other babies. We sing songs and clap nursery rhymes, try out instruments and play games. You're a little more tentative than the other kids, but you love music and singing, so it's a blast.

Every month as I write this, I'm shocked by how much you've changed. I'm so proud of you and I love watching you grow. You are my entire world, sweet darling. I love you.

Hugs and kisses,

Mama