Weeks 9-10

Will had his 2 month checkup (a week late) and weighed in at 14 pounds, 8 ounces! Translation: he's a big fella! He was very brave for his first round of shots. After a surprised yelp and some initial tears from Will, it was Mama who had to get herself together before heading back out into the waiting room. They don't tell you about this in the baby books.

We tried giving Will a bath in his mini-tub, but he wasn't so sure about it. From his perspective, there's no spray nozzle in the bathtub. From Mom and Dad's perspective, it's not so easy to bathe a squirming child while bent over the tub (even if we do have a nifty gel kneepad). So, it's back to the "spa treatment" in the kitchen sink for a few more weeks, while he still fits! We'll all enjoy it while it lasts!

After trying to beat some rainy days and new-parent exhaustion, we gave up on our planned hike in Marin and decided to try an urban hike in Golden Gate Park instead. Elizabeth found some extra energy along the way; Jason commented, "I don't think that you've walked this fast in a year!" We're always amazed at all the activities that take place in the Park - for example, you may recall our lawn bowling match back in July. On this hike, we passed the pétanque area (and yes, if you continue to read this blog, you will learn about many games you didn't know existed).

Will has also been discovering his feet - he loves to lift them up over his head!

Here are some photos from the past few weeks:



Click here to view this album directly.

Visiting "The Cabin"

Just as we were ready to break out the "BOB" SUV (um, Stroller Utility Vehicle...), our friends Michele and Derek invited us to spend the afternoon at their family's cabin in the redwoods near Santa Cruz. What perfect timing for the BOB's maiden voyage! Elizabeth first visited "The Cabin" with Michele's family in 7th grade, so it brought back lots of great memories to bring Will to this very special place.

Here are a few photos from our adventure:

Weeks 7-8

Aunt Linnie and Uncle Larry arrived on New Year's Day and stayed for nearly 2 weeks - what a way to celebrate the New Year! Although they had the option to enjoy quiet nights at Uncle Kit and Aunt Heidy's house, we knew they were real troopers when they decided to stay with us! Aunt Linnie even took Will under her wing for a few nights (yes, you read that right, she subjected herself to this more than once!) and gave Mom and Dad a few nights of uninterrupted sleep. Fortunately for Lin, one of their Christmas presents was coffee from Philz Coffee in San Francisco - Will even came along with Aunt Linnie for a tasting! He stuck to milk, however.

Will is learning to smile - every one just melts your heart. Elizabeth has staked a claim on witnessing his first "real" smile while everyone else was out mountain biking (now who's jealous?) :)

Here are some photos from the past few weeks:



Click here to view this album directly.

Weeks 5-6

We had lots of fun with Will over the holidays! Grammy Donna and Grandfather Sam came to visit, and we all headed up to see Will's Great-Great (!) Aunt Bobbie up in Santa Rosa.

We celebrated Elizabeth's birthday at Michele and Derek's house. Their 1-year-old daughter, Sadie, initially thought that Will, who was sleeping in his car seat, was a stuffed animal. Imagine her surprise when he moved!

Our little guy isn't so little anymore! He weighed 11 pounds 5 ounces at his last pediatrician visit at 5 weeks! You can practically watch him grow in real time.

Here are some photos from the past few weeks:

Weeks 2-4

After celebrating Thanksgiving at Uncle Kit and Aunt Heidy's house, we brought Will home to Clayton Street. We're still "moving in" after having our house under renovation for so long, but he seems to be taking it in stride. When you can only see about a foot in front of you the boxes don't look so bad!

Will's favorite song is "The Itsy Bitsy Spider," complete with various hand motions and patting him up and down as the spider goes "up the water spout" and "down comes the rain." It doesn't sound quite as exciting in writing. Clearly, we need to get this on video. He also likes Simon and Garfunkel's 59th Street Bridge Song (aka Feelin' Groovy). Mom likes singing him these lyrics, in particular:

"I've got no deeds to do
No promises to keep
I'm dappled and drowsy and ready to sleep
Let the morningtime drop all its petals on me...
Life, I love you,
All is groovy..."

Will also enjoys tummy time. He attempts to shuffle around and he looks like he's doing it commando-style, since his head and shoulders are much larger than the rest of him!

Below are some photos from the past few weeks:

Will's Birth and First Week

We've had a wonderful first week getting to know Will! Here are some of our recent photos:



We've also included a slideshow with a few photos from his birth. With one minute to go, the cesarean team allowed Jason to start snapping photos. He had a very steady hand! There's nothing too revealing in here, but it is surgery, so if watching ER makes you squirm, you might want to skip this one. Click the green triangle to start the slideshow.

Announcing Willard Samuel "Will" Misner

We are thrilled to announce the arrival of Willard Samuel Misner, weighing in at 8 pounds, 13 ounces and measuring 19.5 inches long.

Named in honor of our dads, baby Will arrived at 10:39 am on November 17, 2008.

Thank you for all of your love and support on our way to becoming new parents. We'll keep the pictures coming!

Mini-Moving

One of my favorite things to experience throughout pregnancy has been to feel and watch Mini-Misner moving. He's always been a mover and shaker, but the past month or so has been particularly entertaining. This is a quick video from Saturday the 15th. I am holding my breath, so what you see is the baby. It might take it a minute to download.

One Last Look

I had my last checkup/non-stress test this afternoon and they did a quick sonogram to measure amniotic fluid; since Mini-Misner is breech, you can actually still see his face. They made a printout of him. He looked so peaceful. I'm sure that's the last time I'll be saying that for a few years! It made me really want to meet him, though. I felt like I could touch him.

Yes We Can

It's been quite a week! On Monday, we attempted the version, or turning, where Mini-Misner's obstetrician attempted to move him out of breech position into proper (head down) position. The doctor was able to move his rear end out of the La-Z-Boy recliner otherwise known as Elizabeth's pelvis, but they couldn't move his head to turn him around. Some have said that we have a headstrong baby; others have said that we have a little boy who already knows how to hold his ground. We're running with the latter assessment!

What this means is that we'll be having a scheduled c-section. Mini-Misner's birthday is expected to be November 17th, Uncle Kit's birthday! This is about a week before his actual due date in order to avoid going into labor beforehand. However, there's always the chance that he could decide to come earlier than the 17th, so your vote (at right) still counts. November 17th is now considered the "on time" benchmark.

Speaking of voting, Mini-Misner kicked the entire time as we watched the election on Tuesday night until the end of the concession and acceptance speeches. Perhaps he could feel our anticipation of the outcome and was responding to that. Whatever your political leanings or feelings about the election outcome, it's impossible to deny the tangible sense of optimism we are witnessing around the globe. At a time that is otherwise filled with the reality of the uncertainty about the future of our economy, education and health care systems, environment, and geopolitics; when we know so many people in our own country and around the world who are facing challenges with everyday needs like putting food on the table; and when expectations are weighty and the stakes are high, it does still feel like the nature of the game has changed for the better. We are grounded but hopeful about the world into which we will be bringing our son.

In the microcosm of new parenthood that we will be entering, we know that we have our own immediate great expectations and that there will be more challenges and more corresponding fulfillment and love than we can possibly imagine right now. We have taken to heart the advice from so many of you that outlook and attitude (and the occasional Guinness and glass of good wine!) are crucial to getting through these next few weeks and months, and - let's be real - years. The words, "Yes We Can" will be repeated often yet at an entirely different scale in our little world, even as they open doors of opportunity and start conversations in the world around us.