Get A Grip!

As Wil is going on 3 1/2 months, he has begun to grasp objects with the anticipation of putting them in his mouth. Let's just say his skills are not perfected, but he's trying his best and we're very proud of him!

Give me your milk money.

We couldn't help but post this photo. In this outfit and particular pose, our darling little boy looks a bit like an oversized schoolyard bully sitting on the couch. It's just a picture. Our little Wil is 100% sweet and although demands milk by the truckload, he would never steal money from another child.

Wedding Bells for Wil?

You heard it here first! We decided to leave chance to the birds and have arranged Wilken's marriage. Perhaps you're asking..."could it be Megan R.?, maybe Nyla J.?, perhaps even Rory K. who at this point no one has met?"

No, no. Let's get serious! Wilken experienced a multitude of events this past week including (but not limited to) his first out of town trip, his first plane ride, his first hotel stay, and most importantly not only his first wedding, but the wedding bells of Uncle Nate and (now) Aunt Marcie's beautiful marriage ceremony that took place in Elk, CA, a small community on the cliffs of the ocean in Mendocino County. You can see Mom and Wil on the balcony of our room here.

For the most part, Wilken was a great traveler. He didn't make one peep on either the plane ride there or back, finding that nursing and the white noise of the engine lulled him into a nice deep sleep. He had some difficulties, as usual, in the car, but sadly his crying spells also were quite fatiguing and he often slept after 5-6 minutes of vociferous complaints. He had some fussy nights between 5pm - 8pm, but was able to be rocked asleep or taken outside as not to disturb too many of the functions. You can see Wil was comfortable in Dad's lap at the airport from the get-go.

He breastfed through the ceremony and after being taken care of by Grandpa's law school associates during dinner, he became a little fussy. He was taken back to the room for a change of clothes and emerged ready to party the night away in his p.j.'s and sleep sack. He did not want to miss any of the festivities, so we brought him out to the 50 degree outside dance floor where he enjoyed dancing with anyone and everyone for over an hour until he fell fast asleep to Saturday Night Fever.

The whole vacation was an "A" with all the family seen, an absolutely beautiful wedding, and all of the relaxation that took place (Dad and Wil napping to the left). However, we were happy to get back into the "routine" again. Back to San Marcos, where life is normal and the surroundings familiar for little Wil. More pictures of the dancing boy, bride, and groom to follow.

We Have A 3 Month Old!

We made it! We are now calculating Wilken's age by months, not weeks (He's 3 months today, not 13 weeks and 1 day, got that!). We thought this picture really shows how he's aging with his tee shirt and cargo pants sitting, I mean propped up, on the rocking chair. He is sleeping anywhere from 5 to 6 hour blocks a night and going down consistently at 7:30 or 8:00pm with the witching hour slowly fading into neverland (hopefully to never come back again). In the morning he is all smiles and giggles which we feel is his (and our) best part of the day. What beats a smiling 3 month old, the sunrise, and a cup of Jo? (rhetorical question Stovy!)

The Mad Scientist!

A mad scientist or perhaps it was a villain from a Batman movie inhabited our little baby. Lil' Wil, who has been reluctant to grab at anything other than a finger, appeared almost possessed when he was placed in his toy, the Jumperoo. He very seriously and busily began touching, grabbing, and moving the various knobs, wheels, and buttons on the contraption. His little toes barely reach the carpet, he has yet to discover the joys of bouncing, but we have a new favorite "play station." On another note, he is now grabbing at more objects. Yeah!

Wilken at Play

We thought we'd capture Wil in his various "play stations" throughout the day. Wilken spends a lot of time being entertained by either Mom or Dad as they sing, dance, and make goofy faces. This usually ends after about 5 to 10 minutes as starts staring off into space.

More tummy time! As you can gather by his expression this isn't his favorite "play station." However, note how much higher he is now holding his head. Bravo young Wil! This usually ends with Wil whining or spitting up all over the play mat.

His favorite "play station" thus far is the bouncy-chair. He spends up to 10 minutes in this ONE place so that Mommy can either use the bathroom, toast an english muffin, or if she's lucky get dressed for the day out of her spit-up soaked PJ's.

Smiles appear readily when lil' Wil is face up on the play mat able to bat at his hanging toys. Much to his daddy's dismay, he is favoring his left hand at this point (nothing against lefties of course). However, as Grandpa points out a lefty is a quick ticket to the Major Leagues.

Hitting the Beach w/ Bubie & Grandpa

Bubie & Grandpa just couldn't wait until Uncle Nate's wedding on August 20th to see their little grandson again, so they made a last minute decision to head down to San Marcos for the weekend. Wilken has made significant developmental changes since they've seen him last. Not only is he smiling more, but he now can KEEP a smile on his face for extended amounts of time (granted, extended doesn't really mean extended, extended). He has also recently begun "finding" his fist in between feedings for comfort sucking.

The time has also come where we leave the house with no fear (well, almost no fear) so we went to Carlsbad for lunch and a walk along the beach followed by ice cream before returning home. We were even able to fit in several errands before and after the outing, so we marked another check next to the "successful outing" column.

The UV rays were searching for Wilken the entire day, but with a bucket hat and blanket covering the boy in 75 degree weather, this day would NOT be ruined by a sunburn. No days have been ruined by sunburn just to set the record straight.

Tummy Time

Lately, Wil has been experimenting more vocally. We have noticed that instead of immediately whining or crying, he has learned to give long coos or other more assertive vocalizations which we think are rather cute. These photos were taken during one of those times. He was spending some quality "tummy time" on his mat with lots of delightful chatter. Although Lucca and Siena don't show a tremendous amount of admiration towards Wil, they are definitely inquisitive or shall I say "curious" about what he is up to. As long as he's not deafening their sensitive eardrums with his high-decible crying, they are slowly starting to come around.

Me!

T R U E.