Saturday, December 31, 2011

*there's Christmas 2011

We spent Christmas 2011 in Pennsylvania! Will got to meet several relatives and friends for the first time. He got lots of fun gifts from everyone - lots of Elmo and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse stuff as well as cars, a kitchen, and a choo-choo!
Will and his new Hokey Pokey Elmo
Will and Uncle Matt

Will and 9 year old cousin Jake (also a preemie - can't you tell?)




Will showing Uncle Matt how to work his phone.
Jumping on the bed as Jake runs to join him

Will thought "Jayt" was hysterical

Trying on Jake's shoes
Will and his Nana

 
Squeezing in another quick visit with Great GrandPop to get some pictures made together
Will didn't understand the importance of getting this done since we can't see Great GrandPop very often. He was really, really tired!
Finding buttons to push at Great GrandPop's house cheered him up some

More buttons to push on this "Mote"
Happy enough for a picture now
In the next 4 minutes I will be asleep in the car on the way to the airport...

Will and I were both sick during the trip. When we got home his doctor declared he had bronchiolitis and an ear infection. We started antibiotics right away and he was better really quickly. Maybe the next time we go he will be well and have more of an appetite. Then his Daddy will be able to introduce him to all his favorite foods from home - ring bologna, cooper sharp cheese, red beet eggs, and Philly cheesesteaks.

Friday, December 23, 2011

*there's Santa

One Saturday this month Will's school had a Christmas party and he got to see Santa! We tried to prep him by making him a Portable North Pole video of Santa talking to him. It seemed to help because he wasn't scared...but he also didn't like Santa enough to sit with him by himself either!



 He also got to see a puppet show and make an ornament that day. 
Then Santa came to visit again during a weekday party.
I guess he wanted to see what that coat felt like.
No thanks!
Since he has seen Santa in person twice and has seen him in books, on t.v., and in some of his new toys he is now a Santa fan. If he hears a "Ho! Ho! Ho!" anywhere he smiles and says "Santa!".

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

*there's inspiration through art

Back in August we had pictures made of Will by Kristine Neeley. He was granted a photo session through an organization called Inspiration Through Art that connects children with serious illnesses to volunteers that provide cool things like professional photography. I applied to the program and when I learned he was accepted I got to look through a list of photographers that have volunteered to take pictures of kids. Luckily, I found one that was nearby (Franklin) that took just the kind of pictures I was hoping for. It is one thing to be kind enough to volunteer to offer your services for free, but it is quite another to be this incredibly talented and be able to capture a typical afternoon in the life of Will so perfectly.

Kristine was really great and I can't recommend her or Inspiration Through Art highly enough. Go here to read her blog post about the session and to see some of her favorite shots from the day. Below I have copied some of my favorites. I am just now showing them because I have been planning all along to use one for our Christmas card and I didn't want the picture to be old news by December. Here are several of them and I'll have more in the future.









Weight Gain update: Will has had a virus with a fever that lasted several days. He doesn't eat much when he doesn't feel well so I didn't even check on how much he weighed this week. I forgot that last winter went this way too - weaning attempts being stalled over and over for each illness he caught. It can be discouraging to remember that Will is still close to the same weight he was in June of this year. On the bright side he has definitely outgrown the SuperWill shirt he is wearing in the pics above!

Monday, December 5, 2011

*there's his visit to West Tennessee

Over the Thanksgiving holiday we spent time with my side of the family. Will got to meet some relatives and family friends for the first time which was fun.
These shots are from his trip to his Granddaddy's farm. He LOVED the cows!





More pictures to come!