Thanksgiving

We had a very low-key, fun Thanksgiving with both mine and Walks' families. We spent the morning making Macaroni and Cheese for Woodcreek with the Millikens and watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. William slept through most of it for his nap, but he needed it to make it through the rest of the day. Walks, William, Mom, Dad and I had lunch with Nana and Grandad at Laurel Crest. William loved his Thanksgiving Day lunch!!!
From Laurel Crest, we headed to Woodcreek to have lunch with the Milliken and ate around 3:00. By 4:30, we were all tired and headed back home for a relaxing Thanksgiving night. Walks left early Friday morning to head to Arkansas and won't be back until late Monday night.
I look forward to next year's Thanksgiving when William can enjoy more of the food and tradition. I am so thankful for all of my family that we are able to spend the day with. We truly are blessed!

11 Month Update

Sweet William, You are 11 months old now! It is so fun to watch you progress and learn new things every day. You have conversations that I'm sure mean something to you, but I can't make out anything you are saying. We still hear Dada a lot, but I'm not sure if you have ever said it knowing that you were looking or asking for your Daddy. Mama is still not on the radar, but I think you said DOG the other day. It sounded more like Daaa, but pretty sure you were referring to Willie. You get more excited to see us each morning, but you really love to see Willie. You love his kissed, but if you wake up "on the wrong side of the bed" you don't want any kisses from him!

We love to get you laughing as hard as we can and it was hard to resist playing rough with you when you were in just your diaper the other night (bath time). We had you dying laughing. It's the cutest, deepest laugh--from the pit of your belly!

You really love to lie down in my lap and lean back as far as you can, sit yourself up and repeat. Not sure why you like that perspective, but it gives me a chance to see the progress of your top 4 teeth. Two of them are on the verge of breaking through. Your third tooth came in a few days ago and its on the bottom. You have been quite the fuss-pot at times and I'm hoping it has to do with all of these teeth that are about to pop through.

You still go to Aunt Pam's house everyday from 9:30 until 4:30 and I think you must play hard while you're there. As soon as we get home and I try to put you down to play, you immediately cry to be picked back up. I should realize that you haven't seen me all day and just want some quality Mama time, but it makes cooking/organizing/washing/unloading very difficult. The best thing to do is to give you lots of hugs and kisses and carry you around (all 22 lbs!) until I can get you in your highchair for snack and supper. The best time to play in the evening is after your supper, bath and bottle. We let you get a good 30 minutes in before you go to bed at 7:30. You really started to pull up with no struggles this month and cruise all of the furniture to get around. You will let go and stand for a couple seconds before you either grab back on or gently fall down. It will be no time before we see one of those "first steps" I'm sure.

I love you in those cute OshKosh overalls...you really look so grown up when you wear them.

Your Daddy likes to take you and Willie for a walk a few mornings a week. We get you all suited up and ready for the cold weather. You spend so much time with your Daddy in the mornings and you are just as happy to be with him as you are me. I love the quality time you have together!

I made you this blanket and absolutely love it! Daddy accidentally (oops is a word you hear a lot around Daddy!) let it hang out of the stroller and the wheel burned a big hole in it. I still plan to use this blanket as your "strolling" cover and will make another as soon as I finish your first longall that I started over a month ago. Your Aunt Bebe is in the process of helping me get my tail in gear and get it made before you outgrow this Size 1/12 month longalls.

I have finally made the transition from the sink to the bathtub and you love it! You would stay in the tub for hours if I let you playing with your bathtub toys.

This is your super excited happy smile showing us your two teeth. A few more are almost about to pop through on the top and bottom.

This is your Daddy taking you to Emory Anne and Grady's house for a Halloween party. You were a cute little puppy dog and didn't mind wearing the outfit at all.

When we're at home, you melt if Daddy or I leave the room and leave you alone. You love for us to watch and play with you. If we are at Mimi and Grandaddy's house, you are typically fine the minute we walk in the door and know that whoever is there will be just as much fun as we are! Mimi has so many fun toys for you to play with and Grandaddy is like your built-in human toy.
You are sleeping from 7:30 p.m. until 7:30 or 8:00 a.m.
You are drinking around 16 ounces of formula a day and those 16 ounces are tough to get you to take. You still love all kinds of food, but don't really care for baby food anymore.
I love you tons Baby William!!!

Mary Duffie Marzagao

Sarah Preston, Marwan and Sally welcomed Mary Duffie Marzagao into the world on November 7th at 7:46 a.m. weighing in at 7lbs 7 oz.
I went for a visit when she was one week old. She had a head full of black hair is as precious as can be.

She has been a very sweet baby so far and is eating and sleeping like you want a baby too--every 3 hours. We went back for a visit this morning and sweet Mary Duffie was sound asleep.

Halloween Party

Haley, Gene, Emory Anne & Grady hosted a wonderful Halloween party for all of the children at their house. They had everything set up just right: the jump castle for the children, a blanket with toys for the younger kids and cupcakes and snacks galore!
Gene took all of the children for a hayride around the streets of Forest Acres...they loved it! Here are our little munchkins below:

William the puppy dogMost of the group- Back row: Sally, Sarah Preston, Walks, Lesesne and Tombo
Front row: Gene, me, William, Haley, Grady, Will, Emory Anne, T, Addie, Brie, Hannah and Amanda
Gigi and Grady the Monkey

Me and Emory Anne
William and Lesesne the Ladybug

T the turtle

Sally the cutie in the pumpkin dress

Loading up for the hayride

William and Grady with Mimi and Gigi

Thanks for a wonderful party Haley and Gene!!! We look forward to next years :)

"Puppy Dog" makes his Halloween rounds

On Halloween night William trick or treated at two different places. One was Casey's house and he loved taunting Rosebud and seeing his Aunt Casey! :)

The other was at Gabe and Lauren's house and we so appreciate them including us in the "Halloweeze" party!

He then spent the night with his Mimi so I could spend an evening with a few friends.

Me, Case and William

Me and William at the "Halloweeze" Party

I look forward to next year's Halloween when William can enjoy dressing up and maybe even pick out his costume!

William's growth

William at 1 week old 10 1/2 months old

I love you cutie boy!!!!!

Playing with the cousins

It's quite normal for Anna and I to get together for supper at her house if Walks and Tombo are out and about doing what they do in the woods...here are a few pictures of the children from a couple weeks ago.

William holding onto Lesesne's walker--she's getting so big and William is now holding on to everything he can just to stand up.

Lala- 7 months old
T- 27 months old

Watch out T, they're catching up with you!

Visit with Nana & Grandad

William spent some time with my Nana and Grandad a few weeks back and put on a great show for them. He crawled like a crab and talked up a storm. We have since been back for a lunch visit, but here are a few photos from awhile back.

William is so lucky to know his Great-Grandparents and I am so blessed that we grew up so close to them. I have memories from spending weekends at Nana and Grandad's while we were growing up. I now realize why we spent so much time over there- because I know how much my parents love to be with William and Hannah! We ate Sunday lunches at Nana's every week and we still try to get out to see them now as much as our schedules will allow. We love Nana and Grandad so much and look forward to all of our visits with them!