Update

so i figured it was time to give a little update, though i'm not sure anyone even bothers to check my blog anymore since i haven't posted in ages...

as is to be expected, the most interesting things in our lives now all seem to revolve around one particularly cute little boy. since my last post in november, Will has completely mastered sitting up one his own, which we all know is just another way to avoid tummy time! no crawling yet, probably because that would involve being on his tummy for at least a few seconds, which seems to be completely out of the question for the little guy.

he has also gotten sick for the first time--ear infection--and is in the process of getting his first tooth (finally). i'm a little surprised that it's taking so long to come in after it broke through his gums almost a week and a half ago, but what do i know about baby teeth? overall, he's handled the ear infection and teething very well; sometimes he's just a little more clingy & tired than usual.

since he's finally getting teeth and because he sits up so well now, he's started learning to eat finger foods like toast, cheese, and little bits of banana, smashed veggies, etc. needless to say, it's messy but so darn cute! he's also learning to drink from a cup, though his favorite thing to do right now is turn the sippy cup upside down in his lap when i'm not looking & soak his pants with milk. he's a little trickster for sure.

the best news, though, is that he already said his first word! not mama or dada, though. that's way too typical for our little man. nope, his first word was "Cocoa"--the name of the little dachshund at Grandma Deb's house. Of course, for a while he was calling Feral Cat "Cocoa," too, but now he tends to say "ca" when he sees her.

he also seems to understand a lot of what we tell him, like "no," "shake," and "jump." okay, so shaking things and jumping are probably his favorite things to do anyway, but he seems to respond when we tell him to do them, too.

okay, let's see if i can think of anything to say that isn't about how cute & awesome Will is....

well, the semester has started, but i'm still undecided on how i like my new schedule. i teach everyday from 8am to either 9:55 or 10:45, then have office hours & tutoring appointments after that on Mondays and Wednesdays. compared to other teachers, who have to be at school at 6:45 am everyday, then teach all day, then have meetings until 5pm, i know this doesn't sound like a lot. but i am still adjusting to having to plan essentially 4 different preps, since my Tuesday/Thursday classes have different pacing than my Monday/Wednesday/Friday classes, and i teach one section of each level each day. it's taking a lot of planning and organization to stay on top of things, but so far i'm doing okay with it. it actually feels good to be a little 'on top of things,' for a change, even if it's because i couldn't get by any other way!

okay, so writing that much about my schedule is even boring me, so let's move on.

...

well, not much else i can think of. i am currently finishing up a little toy dragon that i made for Will. i personally think he looks kind of silly & not at all like the picture, but darren thinks he's cute. i'm not too worried about Will liking it--he's not very picky as long as he can chew on it!

here's a couple pictures of the-still-unnamed dragon:

i still need to put a face on him:

and i have to hold him up like this because...

apparently he's a water-dragon? that's the only explanation i have for his poor posture. doesn't he look like he's trying to swim?

he is machine washable, so maybe someday he'll be able to live out his dream & take a swim in our washing machine.

and that, dear friends, is where i will leave you. for more info on our vacation & Will's amazing feats, check out his blog www.willymiles.blogspot.com.

Happy New Year!!!