christmas card outtakes

one year i'm going to send out christmas cards with only the outtakes. because, while the sweet, angelic picture is nice, this is way more realistic. we wouldn't want anyone to get the impression that we've got it all together! 

some serious jowls.

furious.

just go ahead and stick your finger in the socket while you're at it.

and a merry christmas to you too...

28, 29, 30, & 31 weeks

these last few weeks have been rough getting these pictures done. not because i'm not motivated to do it. not because i keep forgetting. not because Will isn't cooperating. only because i have stacks of laundry laughing at me, and finding a clean white onesie around this place has been like trying to find a chupacabra.

 it is amazing that i got his face in the 28 weeks picture, because what i was really getting was a lot of this....

i chose this picture because of those lashes. oh the lashes on this child! and his toes are delicious, by the way.

this was the week Will was sick with an ear infection. i was days late on taking pictures, it was right before bed, and he was more than irritated with me. good enough.

all of a sudden, we are getting funny faces galore.

and the mashup...

thanksgiving break

since it's almost christmas, how about a thanksgiving break update? oy!

over thanksgiving break, we celebrated my birthday. my mom made me my favorite meal...ham, mashed potatoes, ham gravy...holy cow. and with a huge cake in front of me, i'm still shoveling in the mashed potatoes.

after thanksgiving dinner at my parent's house, jack and i worked on adding minecraft mods to his new computer. i still have no idea what a minecraft mod is.

then it was off to nana and pawpaw's in poca. the whole gang of cousins was in town which meant tons of entertainment for Will...and we finally got to meet the new addition, sweet Lily Drew.

just chillin with Pap Wise

the girls took turns feeding and holding Will...the best bunch of little mamas ever!

and how sweet are these pictures of nana and pawpaw with all of the grandkids. holy cow, we are one blessed family!

minus riley

think Will is going to fit in with those two knuckleheads on the left? riley really wasn't digging picture time, but she's still cute as a button!

friday morning, Will woke up with a fever of 103. all he wanted to do was sleep.  so we decided to pack things up early and head home to see the doctor.  poor little guy had his first ear infection.  the first antibiotic didn't work, and the second broke him out in a full body rash.  we got very little sleep that next week....how did we survive the first few weeks after he was born?!

caught in the act

white knuckled fists. eyes red and watering. the look of determination. audible grunts.

busted.

i'm hungry mama, i really am

about a month ago now, Will got his first introduction to solids...rice cereal.  we were told that it would be a messy afair. no kidding. this stuff is no joke...hardens like cement.

   

then came some veggies. the doctor said the orange family of veggies was the easiest on the tummy, so we started with carrots. they were an immediate hit.  however, the fingers are still pretty tasty apparently...they make their way into his mouth after every bite.

this guy is also developing a serious case of mommyitis.  one fail safe to stop those big ole tears is for me to sing to him.  it is the sweetest thing...melts me.

still working on crawling.  he gets more frustrated than anything.  maybe he'll skip this step and go straight to walking...we're starting to wonder.

 

and the ONLY way to wind down after a rough day of eating and trying to crawl...bath time!

"dad, we are supposed to be a team. don't take naked baby pictures for her!"

2nd annual....

am i the only person who feels like it is impossible to make friends after college? brian says i am.  i will be the first to admit that i'm not the most outgoing person....some serious hermit tendencies. but, i am a chemist. enough said.

when we moved to charlottesville, we met a group of friends that is the absolute poo! the kind of people you feel instantly comfortable around....you can do or say stupid things and they won't hold it against you for the rest of your life (lauren...i'm hoping this also applies to our dumb dog!)...you can expose every bit of weirdness (this specifically pertains to brian ;-)  and they laugh at you but love you anyway (i.e., some of the coolest people God ever made. ever.)

so, these swell folks came to visit us a few weekends ago.  the only thing we really did was walk up to campus to check it out and see my grody office...but that's only because we had consumed 40,000 calories and really needed to move.

they really wanted to see where i lectured. i tried to explain that it wasn't much to see.

jeff was curious why just one seat color couldn't have been ordered. i have been in this room for 1.5 years, and the thought had never crossed my mind. jeff should be in administration.

we played with the cathode ray tube and tesla coil in my office....

and it was evan's birthday, so brian let him get away with putting Will in some virginia gear.

good times.  this is the second year we've gotten together in the fall.  i'm REALLY hoping this stays a tradition forever.