When did you..

So for those of you that have toddlers or older children, when did you first move them out of their cribs into a "big" boy or girl bed. Or convert them over to a toddler bed?

I have been thinking a lot about this lately because of the new baby on the way.

I am due May 5th, the day William turns 18 months old. I would like to introduce his toddler bed to him and start getting him used to it and go through the whole ordeal of transitioning and trying something new before the baby comes so we don't have to try and do it while I am trying to deal with the transition of having another little one in the house. But I don't know if that's just way too early? It's not like the baby is going to go straight into the crib as soon as we bring him home so William can still use it for a little while? but like I said would it be easier to deal with before the baby comes? I don't know?

I have no idea how he will do and I guess the best way to find out is to just try it out and see?

But I would love to know how early you did it? how it worked out and if you have any suggestions or tips on how to make the process easier?

On a more fun note, I have made new bedding for the boys, matching quilts, bed skirts, pillows, a bumper for Lucas' crib and matching curtains. I haven't made most of these things before so it's a working progress and a lot of trial and error, but It's starting to come together, I really want to get the painting done so it looks more finished... pictures to come...

Weekly Wednesday Update

26 weeks..

The baby is 14 inches long, and 1 & 2/3 pounds. About the size of a English hothouse cucumber.

Things are going well this week. Lucas continues to move, kick and stretch. Making my tummy get bigger and bigger. He occasionally hurts me when he stretches out and I have to push him back in! Every morning William and I have our morning cuddle in my bed before we get up. And every morning Lucas will be kicking at William causes his body is up against my stomach. I don't think William notices but it makes me laugh because I am thinking oh it's already begun, the teasing, wrestling and play fighting that little boys do with each other. It makes me smile to imagine them together when they are old enough to play together. I am so excited. I hope they turn out to be best friends like my niece and nephews are with their siblings and how I am with mine. :)

hair

love this pic it makes him look so little, like the cape is drowning him.

I give William and Brandon hair cuts regularly these days. Andrea (my brothers girl friend) gave me some capes for cutting hair for Christmas a child one and an adult one. (She is a hair dresser her self.) We got to try them out the other day. I was hoping it wouldn't bug him when I put it on him, not to mention I had to put it on the smallest snap. I thought he would sit and try prying it off the whole time. But he didn't at all, he actually liked it. It was so funny to see him in it. He did so well! I started cutting his hair and Brandon said are we going to take pictures? I thought it was kinda funny that Brandon would be so on top of something like that and I said oh yeah sure go grab the camera. So he snapped a few pictures of our adorable son in his new hair cutting cape! LOVE IT! And Andy if for some reason you ever see this THANKS for the capes we love them!

funny kid

William always remembers what silly little games we play with him. When Brandon bathes William he always sticks his letters to his belly, and William will try doing the same thing. The other day he was doing it to his head. SO when I went to bathe William the other night he was trying to stick the letters to his head, it was cracking me up and Brandon came in and said oh yeah I was doing that to him the other night. too funny, he was so proud of him self when he would get them stuck on. And then he would get to the point where he couldn't even feel them and didn't know where they went.

Bath time has been so much fun with him lately, I'll say do you want to swim and kick, and he will lay on his stomach and kick his legs in the water. Or I'll say hold your breath and go under the water, and he will try to put his face in the water. It has been getting me excited to see how he will do this summer in the pool! cant wait!

Weekly Wednesday Update

25 Weeks!

I had an appointment this last week. I got to listen to Lucas' strong heart beat and my belly got measured. It measured right on schedule at 24 weeks. SO question; if I look so HUGE why did I measure right on schedule? MY conclusion is that everyone else is SOO little! My very good friend Sarah who is due just a few days after me (like 5) is JUST now starting to poke a TINY little belly out. And shes not the only one. It seems like everyone else is so little! SO really I am telling my self this week "its not me it's you" :) haha

According to baby center the baby is measuring 13 1/2 inches long and weighs a pound and a half.

I did throw up and get nauseous a little this week but over all I have been feeling rather well. Things are going smoothly and I am starting to get the nursery ready for our new arrival. I was SO ready for a change from what we did with William. Now they will have to share a room and we are trying to make it work out as best as possible for both of them.

Weekly Wednesday Update

24 weeks!

I checked on baby center dot com last night to see how the baby is coming along. It said this last week the baby gained 4 oz! In this baby's world that's a lot! I totally feel it too! haha.. I know 4 measly ounces is nothing to ME but I seriously feel like I got bigger this week. And then when I read on babycenter.com that the baby gained 4 oz this last week I just blamed it on that! :) It also says the baby is the size of an ear of corn.

SO... This baby now has a name... and it isn't Lincoln, or Terrance. I really like those names still but I wanted both of us to love the name we choose. I didn't want to choose a name that was too popular, and I liked stuff that is a little different but not really at the same time. haah.. I know that doesn't make sense. but we ended up choosing Lucas. Lucas Alan. (Alan from my dads name) We both really love the name, it has always been at the top of all of our lists even when we were pregnant with William. I think we never ended up picking it is because it is number 10 on the top 100 most popular baby name lists for both 2008, and 2009! I really didn't want something that popular but we said oh well we both love it so we went with it! We have been referring to this little boy as Lucas for the past week and it has fit nicely, it has grown on me even more and I love it. and we are even more excited we finally have a name for the baby. I ask William where baby Lucas is and he now pats his stomach instead of mine... I think he is a little confused. I think he thinks that's a "sign" cause every time I say where is Lucas I pat my stomach, so now I think he thinks patting your stomach is the sign for baby Lucas! haha... oh well, I am sure he will catch on soon.

I have a little bit of a shadow behind me when I was facing this way, Making me my tummy, my boobs, everything else look bigger! so I had to post another one with me facing the other way but I don't love it... oh well I really never do. haha

But I look big here too, so really what is my excuse?

cant get enough...

of this kid!

He is SO much fun! love, love love him!!

Weekly Wednesday Update

23 Weeks...

Ok, So I know in my last post I said I wasn't really sick any more, well I had a couple days this last week where I was sick and threw up. But for the most part I was telling the truth. Things are going well.

The baby has been doing the whole stretching thing where it is starting to hurt! I remember it all to well now how it was with William. He pushes out so hard and balls up and it hurts so bad. It feels like a mini contraction, I am pushing on him trying to make him move out of the spot he is occupying.

William continues to give the baby kisses and loves all the time. I am so excited to see them together.

So I know I mentioned two names I liked a couple weeks ago, but we still aren't even sure if we are set on them. I know Brandon doesn't love them. And I my self don't know for sure what I want. I didn't think we were going to be like this, With William we knew what we were going to call him if he ended up being a boy or a girl. and with this one we are still lost and we know its a boy. I don't want to be one of those people that doesn't have a name for their baby! no offense to the people reading this that did that very thing! haha! So I am trying to think of more names and see if something jumps out at me? I hate not knowing what to call him.

After I took these pictures I really didn't want to post them.. not so flattering of my huge very un tan arms! what is up with that!? and When I don't wear maternity pants my belly isn't as nice and round, but oh well.. what you see is the real me apparently. :)

14 months

William is 14 months today,

Time has flown by and I can hardly believe how much of a BOY (not a baby) He has become! He is SO much fun! He is the highlight of our lives and makes everyday so much better! He makes mine and Brandon's life full of joy! He is so loving and kind. We can't get enough of him!

Things William has been up to this past month..

He now blows kisses really well, he gives a long drawn out dramatic MU WA! (we find it absolutely adorable!)

He has started signing a lot more lately. He signs Grandpa, dad, more, eat, thank you, all done, and milk through out the day. It has become really helpful. *The funniest story, yesterday he was pretending to talk on the phone (something he does ALL the time) he tilts his head and holds the phone up to his ear and says hello? I said oh who is it, and I start naming off some people, is is Auntie B? is it Daddy? is is grandma? and he quickly does the sign for papa and I laugh and say oh it's papa?! oh ok.. hello papa.

He has gotten a lot better at pointing out body parts, we often do this while I am changing his diaper to distract him from "helping" me. He has masted pretty much all of them, eyes, nose, ears, hair, head, mouth, and even tongue and teeth.

He loves when I sing "itsy bitsy spider" and when we do "this little piggy" on his toes. After we do either one of those he will always say "again, again" But it sounds more like "gain" with out the "a" sound.

He has gotten more brave and adventures in the tub, he likes to swim around and he has started putting his face in the water. I have been trying to teach him to hold his breath. Usually he just laughs at me every time.

He is such a big boy now he thinks he can do whatever the older kids are doing all the time! He loves his cousins and gets so excited when he gets to play with them. They are so good with him and help out a lot.

He totally knows where his little brother is and points to my tummy when asked. He loves to give his brother kisses and loves all the time. I'm anxious to see how he really does when this little guy comes out! I'm sure we will have to keep them away from each other until the baby can start defending him self or William learns to play extra soft! :) But then it will only be a matter of time before they are running around together, I am so excited for that! :)

He wants to feed him self all the time. he actually does pretty good with a fork. Its messy most of the time but he is learning something very useful so I don't mind most of the time.

He talks a lot and can say many words, He can say a lot of different animals and their sounds when asked what they say. He copies a lot of things we say. I seriously can't believe how fast he picks things up, he will say something new one day and I will say, wow, there is another thing he learned today. one day I was holding him on my hip and he grabbed my ear and said "EAR" really big and dramatically, I was like yep good job that's mama's ear. haha

He loves SKIN, if one of his little cousins gets undressed in front of him he will chase them around trying to either pinch them or get their belly button that is all the sudden exposed. I try to warn the little kids but they think it is so funny and run around screaming and giggling like it's some kind of game.

His VERY favorite toys to hold right now are, Forks and spoons, Toothbrushes, and any type of phone!, He is obsessed! And the most recent one added to the list is the Wii remotes.. he will get a hold of one of the wii remotes and will swing it around like he is playing tennis, haha it's amazing what they pick up on!

He loves instruments he got a key board (from my parents) for Christmas because he is always wanting to play the piano at my parents house, and he LOVES playing Brandon's guitar, He is so careful with it and strums the strings so delicately. I can't believe a one year old as crazy as William knows he has to be so careful with it. maybe it's the constant reminder (or threats) to be "so soft" with it.

Another thing he loves is baby dolls, I don't know what it is? When he sees one he will drop whatever else he has in his hands and go for it! Every time I am at the dollar store I will let him hold a baby while I look around he will give it kisses and hugs and holds it tight to his chest, and then I always take it away and put it back right before we leave and he gets so mad at me! I haven't gotten him a doll yet, my parents bought him a glow worm in boy colors for Christmas and he really likes it, but I'm still on the fence weather or not to purchase a little baby doll for my son. haha..

He is such an active little boy right now, doesn't want to sit still, (makes church not so easy) and constantly pushing and testing his boundaries. He has started to throw little tantrums and it is SO not ok with me and Brandon! We so don't put up with it.

He has still continued to sleep well and go down for naps and bed time like a champ! I count my blessings every day that we have masted this with him! All we have to do it turn on his bed time lullaby CD, give him his doggy and/or glow worm and turn off the light, he lays his head down on me I tell him I love him and good night and that we will play in the morning and I lay him in his crib put a blanket on him and walk out of the nursery. It's really like magic! I hope it continues to go well! He has to be a good sleeper when the baby comes!

He LOVES to dance, if any type of music comes on, if it's my cell phone, the tv, church, or someone singing he will start to dance. We went to a wedding on Saturday and he was bustin a move on the dance floor most of the night. It's so funny!

Christmas

It was the Stott's side for Christmas this year, Brandon's parents and 2 sisters flew into Utah (he has two brothers that live up in northern Utah) so it's always nice when they come here for family get togethers and we don't have to go very far! His parents rented a house in Lehi for all of us and we got to hang out with the family. William was a little out of sorts with the new surroundings and all the new unfamiliar faces! It was so sad he was always so sad, separation anxiety to the fullest! One morning he was extremely sad and I said "do you want to go home" and he said yes! It broke my heart. It took him awhile to warm up to everyone. I felt bad because they are family too we just don't get to see them very much. We were totally spoiled By Brandon's parents and got all that we wanted and more for Christmas. One of The boxes Brandon's mom had shipped that had Williams presents in it was late and we didn't end up getting those until we were leaving town. In the car on the drive home he woke up from his nap and found a present next to his car seat. He started ripping off little pieces and handing them to me. It took him a good 20 minutes to unwrap it. it was perfect entertainment. As soon as we got home he opened all his other presents from Grandma and Grandpa Stott. He got a big thing of Legos (that's what he opened in the car)

He got a lot of books which he loves!

and some Tonka trucks and motorcycles (which he loves) He is such a boy when it comes to things like that... he does sound affects and everything when he plays with them.

and a bunch of adorable new clothes! (which mama loves!)

We celebrated Christmas early with Brandon's Family and ended up driving home on Christmas day. Brandon worked on the 26th, and then after he got off we had another Christmas with MY family. Believe it or not I didn't take a single picture while we were up in Lehi. My sister in Law had had a baby on the 17th. and we got to hang out with them and their new little boy while we were up their. So new and so precious. I did end up getting the virus that William had had the few days before we went up there. NOT so fun, I did enjoy my time relaxing, I didn't do much else besides lounging around. It was well needed and just what I call a vacation! These are all the pictures I have of "Christmas" a few shots of William opening presents. I didn't take any again when we did Christmas with my family! I know, slacker! I guess I was just enjoying my self too much.

I hope everyone had a fabulous Christmas break!