New Haircut

Madeline and Will will be starting back to school one week from Monday, so we are getting ready. One of the things on the list was to get Maddie's hair cut short. We let it grow long over the summer so that we can do ponytails and braids but usually cut it short for the fall. It is just too cute that way and I don't have to worry about whether anyone at her school has time to re-fix it after nap. It looks good all the time.
Here is the before picture. I can't believe how long it had gotten!
Here is the after picture at the beauty shop. It looks even cuter with a cute bow, headband, or barrette.

Random Stuff

Okay, I decided to clear out my camera and found some random pictures that I had missed blogging about.
Will is discovering how to open everything! He likes to clean out the "kid" cabinet and spread it out. He is really cute when he gets a hold of something new. He examines each part, turning it over and over in his hands like he is trying to figure out what all it can do. He may have a future as an engineer.
This is a little old, but a big milestone! This is a picture of Will having his last bottle. I was feeling very nostalgic and had Nathan take a picture. Will might possibly be my last baby, so I wanted to commemorate the moment. How cute is Maddie with her baby in her lap!
Last weekend, we went to Conway for a visit. We were lucky enough to get a chance to see Susan and Seth's beautiful new house. Later, Susan brought Setler by to see his friend, Will. Setler is precious and very busy. The 2 month difference between he and Will seemed much bigger because Setler does so much more than Will can do! I've decided to rest up because in 2 months, Will be much busier!
Our primary reason for visiting was to take Will to his allergy appointment at Children's Hospital. We were hoping to find out that his milk and egg allergies were diminishing. His scratch tests were much smaller reactions but they needed blood work to be willing to do a food trial. The nurse tried and tried to get a sample but Will and his veins were not cooperating. So, 6 more months of completely avoiding anything with milk or egg products and they will try again.
Will was very worn out from the whole experience and needed a little TLC. Here he is taking a nice nap with his Daddy on Tuesday. Look how long he is! At his 1 year check-up, he was almost 32 inches long (95%) and weighed 23lbs 10oz (50-75%). He is such a big boy!

I have also forgotten 2 important birthdays in the excitement of getting ready for Will's so. . .

On July 20, Uncle John turned 25. I can't believe my baby brother is a quarter of a century old! Some of the family got together in Little Rock to celebrate. We got to see him a few days later at Will's party.

On July 24, my dad, Paw-paw, turned 52. We grilled out at our house and enjoyed a quiet celebration.

The same bakery that made Will's cool cake also made Dad's. It was really neat looking and delicious.

I think this is it!

Okay, this is the last of the pictures.
For party favors, the kids got hard hats and tool belts.
Our friend, Julie, held Will while he posed wearing his
Julie's son, Jack, also modeled the tool belt for everyone. She told me that he even insisted on wearing the hat to church that Sunday. The favors were a hit!

I wish I could post more than 5 pictures!

Will could not have a bakery cake, due to the milk and egg problem. So, I found a recipe without both, using vegan butter. The texture was more dense, and it tasted kind of bland. But, it was a cute cake. I even attempted to decorate it myself with Will's name.
Will was more interested in the icing than anything else. He has such a sweet tooth!
He even took a break to smile for the camera. I think he was still shocked that his mama put more than just a few bites on his tray!
Here was the cake for everyone else. We have a speciality bakery in town called Elm Street Bakery. The owner loves Will and said she would do whatever I asked for his cake and she did such a great job. Thanks Theresa!
After cake, we opened many presents! Will was not that interested in opening gifts but had plenty of helpers.
This horse from his Great Mema and Pepa was a favorite of all kids at the party.
His Nana and Paw-paw Pesek gave him this great wagon with seats, seat belts, and cup holders. Will and Emma tried it out right away.

So, I think it's going to take a least 1 more post to get all of the cute pictures uploaded. Those of you with more experience, how can you get blogger to let you upload more than 5 at a time?

Will's First Birthday!

More birthday party pictures from a proud mommy!

Will loved the dirt pile and all of the trucks. At one point, he even decided to "sample" some of the dirt. He actually didn't seem to mind the taste but looked confused when everyone else made a big deal of it.
Madeline and her best friend, Haley worked hard in the dirt also.
July birthdays make for very HOT parties, so we also provided a water play station with a wading pool and water table away from the dirt pile. Some of the kids saw it first and never made it to the dirt pile. I think a few of the adults would have loved to jump in too.
For those poor hot friends and relatives, we set up a gazebo in my parent's courtyard with a fan and cold drinks. We found Will's godparents, John and Lindsey, visiting with Great-Mema under the nice shade.
My youngest cousins, Paige and Katie, found the party favor basket under the gazebo and modeled the hats for the camera. Watch out Handy Manny and Bob the Builder!

Will's 1st Birthday!

I can't believe it, but on July 27, my baby boy turned one. It is hard to imagine that just a year ago, I was crying over having to have a c-section due to his transverse position (sideways). All of the pain afterward was well worth it to have such a wonderful baby boy in my life. He has been such a wonderful addition to our family and I thank God everyday for blessing me with both of my wonderful children. Being a mother is the best job I will ever have!

We celebrated Will's birthday one day early so that all of our family and friends could make the day trip down to South Arkansas. We had a construction party and everyone seemed to really enjoy themselves.
Will's Nana made a visit to Strausburg to find the perfect birthday outfit. She did a great job of finding one that even matched the theme of the party! He looked so handsome in it.
Great-Mema made the trip and got a special cuddle with the birthday boy before he went outside to play.
Aunt Gina and Emma enjoyed playing with tools and trucks in the big dirt pile.
Our good friends Haley and Ashlyn also loved the dirt!
Will is still not walking but did show off some with his Nana's help.

I can only seem to download 5 pictures at a time, but I have to run and exercise before the fitness center closes. More later!