I'm (We're) back!

The Harvey Family is back in full effect! I am writing this post from the comfort of my couch in front of the TV. Yep, that's right - I don't have to make the long trek upstairs anymore to use our home desktop. Yahoo!!! We finally purchased a new laptop today and so far, I love it! We ended up purchasing a Mac Book Pro because of the wonderful reviews it's received and because of the excellent educator discounts. If you're in the market for a computer, definitely check Apple out because they have some deals!

I can say that I promise I'll update the blog more, but we'll see how it goes. Now I don't have an excuse though. Wish me luck in keeping it updated!

We don't have any pictures loaded to the laptop yet, so I can't add any to this post. They will come, promise.

But for now, here's a bit of an update about what's been going on with us.

May:

• We visited Chattanooga with the Loyd family. We ate at Aretha Frankenstein's and Back Inn Cafe, visited the aquarium, walked all over downtown, and rode the carousel. We had a busy and fun time!
• For Mother's Day, the three of us ate at Cheesecake Factory (yummy!) and went to an outdoor arts market.
• I also had a fun girls trip with friends one weekend, so Bill got to be mommy and daddy. He and Will had a great time, but I think I probably had even a better time!
• School was out for summer!! Yea!! After my last day at school, we took the big trip to Indianapolis. We visited Bill's family and some got to meet Will for the first time. It was a great trip, but it was short!
• Some fun facts about Will from May: He was everywhere with his crawling. We had to officially baby-proof everything (thanks Bill!). He ate about 3 containers of baby food a day, but his tastes would change on a daily basis. He also fell in love with Honey Nut Cheerios (he's now fallen out of love with them).

June:

• We started the summer with Will going back to daycare for two weeks while I attended a math and science training class.
• Bill and I celebrated our 5 year wedding anniversary on June 5th. We had a delicious dinner at Firebirds and stayed at Ross Bridge. (Gotta love having Dovie and PopPop so close that they can keep Will!)
• We also celebrated our little guy's first birthday. Can you believe it? I can't! It's still hard to believe. That precious little baby is growing up right before my eyes and I don't even realize how much he changes until I look back at old pictures and video. Will is just perfect and I love him more than I ever imagined I could.
• We took another trip to Chattanooga to the aquarium with his girlfriend and future MIL. They are great friends to travel with!
• The last big event in June was our trip to the beach. We stayed with Dovie and PopPop for a week. Will LOVED the beach! He loved eating sand (so much so that I just stopped telling him not to eat it) and swimming in the pool. The gulf was nice too, but I think the constant up & down from the waves got old to him.
• Some fun facts about Will from June: He started going to bed EARLY (like 6:30 p.m.) and sleeps so much better now; he started cruising (walking around while holding on to things) and more baby-proofing had to happen; by the end of the month, he was taking steps by himself (and was so proud of himself!); he said good-bye to bottles, formula, and baby food (pretty easy transition, thankfully!), so now he eats a lot more than he drinks each day. Will also upgraded to the big boy car seat. He's still rear-facing in my car, but is forward-facing in Bill's car. Will loves to be forward-facing and laughs most of the time because he sees everything. It's so cute!

July--So far this month,

• Will had his 1 year doctor's appointment. He was 21 lbs, 14 oz. and 31 inches long. He was great for the appointment and our pediatrician thought he looked very healthy. He did have a couple of vaccinations, but he never seemed to feel bad from them. Yea!
• We celebrated July 4th with my family in Centreville. It was a fun-filled day with lots of aunts and uncles, cousins, and friends. Will and his cousin Erin were twins and so cute!
• Will has had his first two trips to the Birmingham Zoo (thanks girlfriend and future MIL!). He enjoyed it more than I know I did as a child. Ha! I am not an animal lover at all, but I am thinking that he likes them.
• Dovie and PopPop got to keep Will for a weekend because Bill and I went out of town. He was spoiled beyond belief (I'm sure!) and it took a couple of days to get him back in his regular routine of being told 'no'. Even though they spoil him, I know it's their job as grandparents and I appreciate them and their love for Will so much. They are the best!
• Will and I are busy pretty much everyday - we go lots of places and visit with friends.
• This week, Aunt KK is going to keep Will a couple of times and we're taking another trip to Chattanooga with his girlfriend and future MIL. There's a new baby penguin at the aquarium and I can't wait to see it! (Penguins are animals that I do love!!) We heading back to the beach on Saturday to soak up the sun one more time before we head back to school on August 10th.
• Some fun facts about Will in July: He has taken off with his walking. Walking isn't his sole means of transportation yet, but he's walking more and more and building confidence. I love seeing him be so proud of himself when he walks. He would climb the stairs in our home any chance he gets, so we've had to put a baby gate at the bottom. Eating: He's eating like a champ! He could eat his weight in green peas. It's so surprising because he couldn't stand baby food peas, but now he loves them. He eats them about 3 times a day. He also loved mandarin oranges and club crackers with cheese. Will also drinks from a straw a lot. He's still struggling at picking up his cup himself, so he uses a straw when he's in his high chair. It's quite funny seeing a little guy drink from a straw. :) Will also waves bye-bye to people, points to things, goes to his high chair when he's hungry, loves to roll and play on mommy and daddy, and throws the ball with you. He still not saying anything that we really understand, but he "talks" all of the time. I mean it, ALL OF THE TIME! He does say 'dat' (that), but that's about it.

We hope everyone is having a great summer! I'll post pics this week.