some things roehrenbeck

Somersault

2009-08-22T12:53:00.004-04:00

Brad has asked that I post this video of William and one of his recent accomplishments - the somersault. It has been posted on Facebook already but a proud father wants to share this amazing feat with more of the world. If you can hear excessive high-pitched laughter off in the distance Brad is probably watching the video. It is only 8 seconds long so even the shortest attention span can endure. Enjoy!

Birthday!

2009-08-20T23:19:00.005-04:00

Yes, I am a bit behind but...here are some shots from William's birthday. We had a small party with the people who have so kindly poured into William over the years.

His first time eating a real dessert and what a great start with birthday cake. He really liked it but didn't even finish the whole piece.

I just love this shot of Grace giving William candy from the busted pinata. We learned a lot as parents that day...don't fill a pinata full of chocolate and then hang it in a tree for a few hours in the summer.

And water balloons are very labor intensive (not just filling them with water but also cleaning up afterwards).

Nothing ends an awesome day of birthday fun like hanging out with Poppie and the Duke.

This has nothing to do with the birthday. I just wanted to share how cute it is when Neifi and William sit and watch Sesame Street in the morning.

Really short bangs

2009-08-12T00:08:00.006-04:00

So, a little while ago the boy got an impromptu haircut from a well-meaning family member. It was fair that his bangs were getting a little long and needed a trim. But when he arrived home there was quite a bit missing. So much, that I couldn't help but think of Spinal Tap. Maybe it is because his volume knob is permanently stuck at 11.

Rough Neighborhood

2009-07-16T16:26:00.005-04:00

As I was walking to my car the other day I noticed this in the grass next to our driveway.

You can imagine my shock and anxiety at finding this outside of my own home. My gut reaction was worry that it could belong to one of our two cats. Then upon further inspection I knew that there is no way their paws could work that tiny trigger. But it is still disturbing to know that some small creature is packing heat in our yard. Could it be the chipmunks, squirrels, moles or rabbits? Could this be a sign of neighborhood gang activity? I occasionally find evidence of violent rodent activity but I have always blamed it on our cats not cleaning up after themselves. But upon finding this I realize that I may have been wrong. I don't know much about guns but it appears to be automatic or semiautomatic with the capacity to hold numerous rounds of ammunition. It is a good thing my friend Ian is knowledgeable regarding small arms. I will be sending this to Maryland for his analysis as soon as I receive his new address.

Some Afternoon Counting

2009-06-21T22:59:00.003-04:00

This afternoon we spent some time hanging out with Ruby and swinging. William has loved counting for a while but continues to have a block with the number four. About a week ago we were finally able to get him to say the word but it has not made it into the counting rotation yet. For some reason (maybe because we are sleep-deprived parents) we find his stubbornness in refusing to include four really hilarious.

Wowwee - it has been a long time

2009-06-16T22:28:00.010-04:00

Yes, I know it has been a really long time. Not for lack of attempts and good intentions. (Begin legitimate excuse copy.) Our house is now on the market which took an incredible amount of work as does keeping it clean. I have also pretty much maxed out our Picasa account in record time so until I do something to remedy that photos will be few and far between. With all that being said we are doing well and the boy seems to be leaping and bounding and doing silly and unique things every day. Since the last post he has...eaten corn ON the cob, learned more numbers, started learning colors, learned to jump on a mini trampoline, become infatuated with attempting head stands, been about 90% peeing on command (can you potty train a toddler and sell a house at the same time?), learned how to work ALL the doorknobs in our house so that nothing is off limits (that should have been added to the excuse copy), and will try just about anything to get people to laugh at him.

We did get some good modeling time in his favorite front yard tree. You know it is fashion when you are wearing pajama shorts.

Lookout JCPenney catalog, here we come!

More To Come

2009-04-16T00:12:00.004-04:00

Yes, it has been a long time. And yes, I do have a huge pile of photos to share with you. Some of which will show our bathroom which was recently demolished (and has yet to rise like a phoenix from the ashes). So, while I am running around like a sleep-deprived-crazy the blog ranks low. But in the meantime I will try to get a photo up here and there just because I think I should.

Just a quick glimpse of the boy after an extended Easter egg hunt with the family. Yes he is wearing a tie. The hat was a gift that day and not part of his church attire. Though it is nice how it makes the tie a little less serious.

Even with a fresh bloody lip (from a misstep on the slide and not friendly fire) he is pretty excited to be outside with the other family wee ones. I think it is important context to show that all the kids were wearing these less-than-masculine hats. Fifteen cool points to Joseph for opting for the pink one.

William's New Outfit

2009-04-03T19:37:00.005-04:00

Oh yes, another video...

William's Nana made him a snazzy new outfit with trucks smocked on the front of it. And trucks are one of his favorite things right now. So we had to try it on tonight and his reaction was priceless. The child actually loves clothing. I am sure it is a phase that will pass but for now it is really fun. Thanks for the sweet outfit Nana.

William's gal pal Ruby turned 2 this week and he had an absolute blast at her party. He made sure to give her numerous birthday hugs. Unfortunately I didn't get any photos with the two of them together. There will be more.

Dancing

2009-03-30T10:58:00.003-04:00

Over the weekend William attended his cousin Carly's wedding. At the reception there was a rockin' band and William insisted on being on the dance floor. This is a mere taste of the dancing that included finding every girl under 10 on the dance floor and dancing with her. He even got in the middle of the large circle for some "solo" dancing in front of a crowd of about 40-50 people. There is better video out there and if it surfaces I will share.

Note that he actually gets down on the ground with the lyrics of the song.

Some great mirror time while waiting for his bath to be ready.

Hangin Out and Being Loud

2009-03-20T00:30:00.010-04:00

Practicing along with the drum tutorial on a Hillsong DVD. He loves to sit and try to play along on his little kit.

Enjoying his new book and quilt that his Nana sent him

Nothing says trendy like a themed ensemble. Not pictured here are his matching frog raincoat and frog umbrella.

Looking intimidating

He is becoming a man of impeccable taste.

Loving running around in the backyard. We are so glad that Spring is here since William always wants to go outside.

A Really Long Post

2009-03-06T12:51:00.004-05:00

As usual it has been a while so this post is really long. Without further adieu...

We took a little trip to the beach to visit Ooloo & Poppie. Mamaw the Great came along for a colorful and interesting ride.

William got a little silly and earned the nickname "Strainer Spitz".

...wonder who taught him that.

This is a photo of mommy at the same age as William. Those may be mommy's eyes and coloring but the rest is all daddy!

More home improvements (this was during, not the actual improvement). Our bedroom went way downhill before it got better.

And for a few days we set up camp in the den.

-{I almost feel like I need to add an intermission here}-

William loves giving Neifi hugs. He hasn't been as successful with kisses.

As I am late in reporting, we got snow here earlier this week. And not just the typical wussy amount that NC gets but a real snow - like a postcard amount of snow.

It was lovely and William has enjoyed looking out the window and talking about it.

He did not enjoy being in it. Once he fell and touched it and realized how cold and wet it is he was ready to head inside and take his hat off.

Maybe he will enjoy it when he gets older. But for now we have had a great time admiring it from inside.

This is the control panel on his Little Einstein rocket ship. Note that only three continents are named (leaving out a few important and rather large ones). Also note the image on the left...when he pulls the lever different places of interest from around the world pop up. As I took the photo he pulled the lever and the Statue of Liberty popped up. His rocket loudly proclaimed, "Wow! It's the Great Wall of China". Einstein would be proud.

William Lately

2009-02-21T23:58:00.005-05:00

William got his first real for real black eye last week. It was really pitiful.

He loves being outside and asks to go out most of the day. A special treat is going to Ooloo and Poppie's and going for a ride in his wagon.

He was infatuated with the fairy statue.

Getting silly with his carrots.

Swinging on a chilly day.

The Haircut

2009-02-04T23:48:00.003-05:00

A few weeks ago (yes, I am a little behind) William received his first haircut. I would love to say a huge thanks to Jude for coming to our house and cutting his hair. Not only did she sacrifice some of her precious time but she also lost a gallon of milk in the process. Our cats were ecstatic (like Jed Clampett finding oil in our front yard).
Anyway, it went a little something like this...

William sits in anticipation for the unknown haircut to come upon him. He thinks maybe this won't be that bad.

What is that in her hand...?

The horror!

Ok, this isn't that bad.

Oh no the texturizer!

Acceptance. And no one has called him a girl since he got his haircut. Yeah!

BONUS Climbing Shots (We thought of you Gregory)

There isn't much that we can keep him out of anymore.

Would you like some sock lint or shellac?

2009-01-26T09:47:00.004-05:00

Things have been wild as usual around here. On the convenient front William now lets us know when his diapers are dirty by saying "Whew" and waving his hands like he smells something stinky. I can't really capture that in an image but there is more below...

Since a haircut was looming on the horizon we felt we needed to take advantage of the long wild hair before it was all gone.

There is something about the socks Nana knit for him that makes him get sassy.

One of William's new hobbies is picking his sock lint from his toes and sharing it. He actually gets disgruntled if you don't take it from him with a thankful tone of voice.

He also likes finding things in drawers and baskets and accessorizing with them. They become hats and scarves and he dances around in front of the mirror. Here is his 80's hair band look.

Even though we are late on it I wanted to share a photo from our snow day. BTW William likes to see the snow falling but doesn't really understand the fun in playing in it.

Keeping mom on her toes.

I am sharing this because if you aren't a label reader it may encourage you to give it a try. Sure, it can be depressing to see what is in our food. And overwhelming/confusing because most of it doesn't resemble words we even understand. But it is a good thing to know. Take, for instance, the Godiva chocolate covered raisins that we received as a gift a month ago. Don't assume that only cheap stuff is suspect. Yes that is SHELLAC in the second to last line. mmmmmmm...

William in the New Year

2009-01-14T22:33:00.006-05:00

So, William is in a funny little stage. His vocabulary is growing and he usually chooses one word each day to really hammer home. Yesterday it was "doggy" really loud about 1,000 times. Poor Mia! But there is a constant. If you ask him any question the answer is "no". It goes a little something like this:
Mom: "William would you like some more honeydew?"
William: "No" emphatically, yet the mouth drops open begging for more
Our vet asked him today if he is a big boy and if he loves his doggy and he promptly shot those down. This phase will pass. Before it does I should probably get out the camcorder and ask him a few questions that will come in handy later. (Do you want a car when you turn 16?) I am sure I could compile a list. But on to the photos...

William's less than good hair day

The most patient cat in the world

Who wants a cookie?

Who made the mess in the living room?

He has moved on to using two utensils at once. He is serious about his mealtime these days.

Some Christmas Photos

2009-01-03T21:52:00.004-05:00

William had a great Christmas. He wasn't as into it as we expected he would be. He got so many wonderful gifts and we are trying to ease him into getting to play with all of them considering that he usually gets a new toy every 5-6 months.

William got so many cute outfits as gifts. On Christmas morning he was really excited about a new vest and some rain boots. The excitement has not worn off for the boots. He begs to put them on everyday. (for instance)

We really thought William would be all into unwrapping gifts. Instead he surprised us and was really into the wrapping paper. He spent quite a bit of Christmas Eve pulling his second cousin Olivia around on a scrap of paper.

Olivia teaching William and Landon how to use her new cash register.

Olivia got a new bike on Christmas Eve. William was so excited that he jumped onto it before she could even get her helmet on. She was so kind and patient and let him ride on it without complaining. Then she let him ride it with her and honk the horn.

On Christmas morning William got excited again about someone else's gift. Poppie's new chainsaw was quite a hit, though he thought it was some new fangled ride-on toy. Don't worry, there was a guard on it.

We got to take a road trip and visit Great Nana. William loves pushing her wheelchair and discovered the many buttons on her face (moles).

Dinner Etiquette

2008-12-22T00:00:00.006-05:00

With Christmas just a few days away most of us will be spending time around the dinner table with family and friends. It's time to pull out the fine china and real napkins ... and, of course, your best manners. William has a few pointers on how to impress those who matter to you most during this festive time.

The best compliment to the chef is to hold your fork in your right hand and then shovel your food into your mouth with your left hand as quickly as you possibly can. This makes the statement, "The food is so good that I cannot let a fork slow me down." And thus fills the chef with a true feeling of fulfillment for all the hard work she or he has spent in the kitchen.

Zucchini is not only delicious and healthy, but it also makes a great sticker. So if the conversation slows a bit or gets awkward, feel free to pull of your shirt and stick a few on. Everyone will be amazed at your ingenuity. Note: Zucchini is better than traditional stickers because it is a "green" option considering that it is paperless, takes no chemicals to produce and is completely biodegradable.

Not sure your host knows how you feel about the meal after all that? Make sure he or she sees every morsel that you eat. Being certain that you actually ate it will reassure the host that the food was awesome and that you weren't slipping it to the family dog under the table.
Merry Christmas and bon appetit!

William's Thanksgiving

2008-12-11T23:26:00.003-05:00

We got to go and visit family in Little Rock for Thanksgiving. Yes, I know that was weeks ago but as I stated in the last post I am very behind on posting photos. Here are some shots from the vacation.

Nana allowed William to clear off the coffee table so that he could have his own stage to perform on.

Uncle Ryan couldn't resist joining in.

Uncle Keith was very patient with the numerous trips up and down the stairs (it is special when you don't get to at home).

William got to stop in and visit with Great Memaw and Pawpaw.

William had a blast on the trip but seemed pretty excited about being home with all things he is familiar with (including Mia's stinky dog bed).
Note: To anyone who is charge of choosing the candidates for the Gap Casting Call ... you really missed out by not choosing the Woo. Look - he can even make a stinky dog bed look cute.

Finger Painting

2008-12-08T15:49:00.003-05:00

Our first try at finger painting didn't go the way we expected. William has loved making lovely pictures on his high chair tray with food and beverages for quite a while. So the paint seemed like something else he would enjoy...
The first thing he did with the paint is put a huge glob into his mouth. Which, of course, elicited screams of "no" and "stop". Which upset/scared him and the rest of the time he was not pleased that his hands were turning colors.

Then he began rubbing his eyes which made us regret choosing blue and green paints.

Then it was off to the bath.
We will revisit finger painting later.

Just some cute photos

2008-12-03T23:42:00.003-05:00

Here it is - your fix of wild hair and cute meal times. I have tons more photos to share but have gotten really behind. There is more to come soon!

What happens when William feeds himself yogurt.

Happy Belated Birthday Sarah Lidbom

2008-11-17T23:11:00.003-05:00

Cakewrecks Blog
(yes there is an entire blog devoted to cake mishaps)
check out the fan favorites section

Into Everything

2008-11-14T14:15:00.002-05:00

William has been into everything these days. He busted his lip three times in two days. The last one was quite a big deal and happened to occur on Daddy's birthday. Despite the large amount of blood (that almost gave mom a heart attack) and a fat lip in three places he is doing quite well and has not slowed down one bit in his non-stop activity.

Just a small peek at the last busted lip. He is pointing to it in a very cute, "more attention please" way.

Helping Daddy with some work around the house. He stood on the ladder holding the level for him the whole time.

Mommy once again tried to let William feed himself. Holding the cup of yogurt right next to his face and letting him work the spoon resulted in this. Yes he did get yogurt in his eye. I am sure that is totally normal and possibly a sign of genius.

More smiles and meals

2008-11-01T23:44:00.006-04:00

It is what we do most of the day around here. There are many hours spent eating and being silly. So we must share.

"This one goes out to the cool cat on the carpet over there"

His new favorite thing to laugh incessantly about is his "surprised" expression. He loves to make this face at mealtime, on the changing table, in the car and especially in the mirror.

Sure, many of you have noticed that William's hair doesn't usually appear very tame. And it is true that mom doesn't brush it every time we leave the house or fuss about it too much. But just for the record this is what it looks like when he wakes up. So there is more going on behind the scenes that you would think.

Striking some poses (take note Baby Gap Casting Call). Sure, I can't be too objective being the mom but he sure makes me want to go out and buy cute kids clothes.

Lots of messiness

2008-10-23T00:37:00.008-04:00

As William gets more and more active so the mess ensues.

Get over it I told myself. Sure, I have been letting William feed himself cereals and less messy things for a while now. How else will he learn to independently eat unless you allow him to feed himself off the tray? Other parents seem okay with it, you can deal with a little mess. After about ten minutes of this and a mess that took even longer to clean up I couldn't handle it anymore. I think my limit was when he reached over and wiped his hand covered in vegetables on our table. I will try again another day. And with something tastier than steamed veggies.

Even a few goldfish can become a laundry weapon in William's hands.

I saw teething biscuits at the store. Great idea I thought, since the boy has been cutting molars for a while and pretty much eats constantly all day long. What I didn't realize is that these rock hard cookies just release a brown ooze for however long the boy has patience for. Mia tried her hardest to curtail the damage by following him around and licking up every drop but the shirt couldn't be saved. I will be doing an oxyclean demonstration later today for those interested. I hope that getting excited and yelling about the power of oxyclean will ensure that the shirt emerges spotless.

Some new dance moves (and yes he is dancing on window treatments).

William tempts Daddy to stop napping with all sorts of fun toys.

This is what it looks like right before you are whacked in the face with a plastic cup. Note that Mia is just recovering from it.

Beach Vacation

2008-10-14T18:51:00.005-04:00

So, it has been a while since I posted. A wonderful vacation and some newly arriving molars for the boy have held me up. William loves the sand and birds at the beach but is still not too sure about the water. He is cautious but getting more comfortable. I am sure that by next summer we won't be able to hold him back.
Some vacation photos...

Does that look like the belly of a child that needs to gain weight?

Mia is excellent to have on hand for reviewing documents. She does slow down typing though but everyone types slower when someone else is watching.

The Chicago Cubs

2008-10-05T20:15:00.003-04:00

I am taking a break. I don't want to think about, talk about, hear about, dream about, or see anything about the Chicago Cubs for a long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long time. What an agonizing, embarrassing, humiliating, utterly depressing post-season. Almost ruined my vacation. So, I need a break. From the Cubs, from baseball, for a while. I'm not going to watch ESPN. I'm not going to look at the amazingly beautiful, framed homage to Ryne Sandberg that's currently on the wall of my office (and may be taken down for a while). I'm not going to go to any zoos because I might see baby bears. I don't want to come to your world series party, and I don't want to hear about who the Cubs are rumored to pick up, will pick up, or did pick up on the free agent market during the off-season. I'll just be surprised in April. I can't handle it. I'm not done for good, but I can't bear to think about this even for a second. For a while. So please, if you see me or talk to me on the phone, please talk to me about something else. Anything else. Seriously. I'd rather talk about knitting or quilting (no offense Allison or mom - I know those two things are very exciting). Thanks. Now, what am I going to do with all this free time that just opened up in my life...?

Untitled

2008-09-30T17:38:00.001-04:00

What do you think the caption to this photo should be?

I didn't know you could buy that anyway

2008-09-29T14:06:00.003-04:00

We are currently shopping around for office furniture since almost everything is sitting in boxes on the floor right now. While perusing the offerings at Ikea we came across this.

Ikea sells a vast selection of goods but if you want lightning you will have to buy it separately. I think that is a smart move by the retail giant since lightning has been known to be destructive and dangerous.

A Long, Good Day

2008-09-25T23:15:00.003-04:00

I just wanted to put up a quick post saying that we got great news today from the doctors. All the different parts of William's blood that we were watching have improved and they are certain that he is recovering. We are ecstatic and so grateful to God for His provision in our lives. We truly believe that this good news is a result of much prayer and a merciful God. Thank you so much to everyone who has been praying and supporting us. We love you all.

Thank You

2008-09-22T23:09:00.003-04:00

I just wanted to say a quick thanks to everyone who has been praying for William. As you may already know he has been very sick and right now the doctors aren't sure what is going on. What we do know is that there are abnormal things going on in his white blood cells. From that there are several scenarios (which I don't want to put into writing) and we are waiting to find out more. In the meantime we are so thankful for your prayers. We are feeling a peace that surpasses all understanding right now that could only come from a saving faith in Christ. William isn't his full self but doesn't appear to be in any pain at all - God is so good! We know that we can trust God no matter what, that He loves William even more than we do and has a plan for his life. Please continue to pray for him that he will have a supernatural recovery and that his blood test on Thursday will have great results. And also that he will be protected from sickness since his immune system is so depressed right now. Thank you again. Here are a few shots from times this weekend when he was feeling better.

His Ooloo and Poppie tend to put their hands on their hips when they walk around. William mimicked this in a most hilarious way. He did it for one day and we haven't seen it since. Good thing Mom takes so many photos.

Our Week

2008-09-18T22:38:00.005-04:00

It has been busy around here. We celebrated our 7th anniversary with a leaky roof and a sick child. But it has been fun nonethelss. William is keeping us on our toes as usual...

He loves to crawl in Mia's house. It drives Mia crazy.

His new thing is putting his fingers in his ears (like "I'm not listening to you"). He and Daddy are having fun with it.

This is for Gloria. Neifi is posing next to the lush avocado plant that has not died!

Who Dressed You?

2008-09-12T12:46:00.005-04:00

Sometimes when William and Dad emerge from a diaper change there will be some interesting wardrobe changes - a shirt will be on backwards, pants on backwards and you get the idea. In his defense designers aren't consistent with putting the snaps on the front of the shirt or pockets on the back of pants. (I usually take my cues from the ubiquitous tag.)
I never imagined that it would happen with a one-piece outfit.

Note the backwards pants. For the record William is constantly in motion on the changing table so we are often putting diapers on and dressing him in the midst of serious contortions.

This isn't cruel. Mia really likes accessories. In fact, she begged April to put this on her and then pranced around most of the day very pleased with herself.

William loves to grab a book and plop down in Dad's lap.

Brave

2008-09-01T18:00:00.004-04:00

It is getting tougher and tougher to post as William gets older. Why you ask? Because playing independently can result in something like this:

or:

He is quite helpful at unpacking suitcases, though...

...And never tires of watching the Cubs with Daddy.

Relaxing at the Beach

2008-08-27T09:12:00.000-04:00

We got to enjoy a leisurely weekend at the beach with Ooloo & Poppie. It was quite nice and William loved being in the water and riding on the boat (though he seemed to like to sleep on the boat more than anything). Just a few shots of the fun.

Finding shells and seaweed in the sound.

Donning the sweet life jacket for a boat ride.

Chillin' with Ooloo.

A ride on the boat (Mia wore that big cheesy smile the whole time).

We are so proud...

2008-08-21T10:49:00.003-04:00

... of William's new trick.

New Shoes and a Kitty Friend

2008-08-18T23:25:00.005-04:00

Showing off his new shoes.

His new favorite place is Mia's bed.

We had a great time taking care of Samantha while April was out of town. She was bound and determined to figure out how to work the massage chair.

After numerous normal-looking tomatoes, these two showed up. They were so odd-looking I had to share.

A Long Post

2008-08-07T17:11:00.014-04:00

Not for those with ADD, this post just goes on and on. It would probably be a lot better in smaller, easier-to-swallow bites but I am being lazy. This is what happens when you do a ton of things in a small amount of time and wait to post it.

This is one of William's many new tricks. He sits on Dad's shoulders and kisses him on the cheek if Dad makes a clicking noise. Other new tricks to report ... he can now chew food and blow his nose.

After only a few days with his fire truck he is already attempting daredevil stunts like driving with his feet. He tried running over Daddy's face on day two.

THE BIRTHDAY

William and Mia played and giggled all morning on his birthday. For those of you without superhero vision his shirt reads, "Someday I will have a hairy chest". So true.

Opening birthday gifts! Check out his sweet new backpack from Nana & The Duke. And you can't miss Mia's sweet bow.

During the gift opening William rushed over to The Duke to say thanks.

THE PARTY

A feeble attempt at decorating a cake. The only credit it deserves is that it does match the invitations. To all our friends out there who are semi-pro cake makers please don't judge me. I used the fondant as a sticker of sorts. The people at Wilton would probably gasp.

Cutting the cake. Unfortunately William didn't have any but he did get some homemade apple ice cream instead.

Checking out his new fire truck Mamaw got him. Olivia is helping to explain all of its features.

It's not a party without some demolition derby. I'm putting my money on the guy on the John Deere.

Every good birthday party ends with Poppie on the tractor.

THE RENOVATIONS
A little side-by-side before and after should help jog your memory of our den's dark 70's past. There is still a lot to be done but all the big stuff is over with.

Working hard ... we are so thankful for Mom, Dad & Charlie and their wonderful help.

Some faired better than others during the renovations.

Posting is Sparse

2008-07-23T23:51:00.004-04:00

Yes, I am falling behind on posting. And it will probably won't get any better for the next few weeks as we are in the midst of a massive renovation. We haven't torn down any walls (ah the good ol' days) but our den and office are getting overhauled. William is still being wonderful even though his playroom has been moved to the cramped hallway. Here is some cuteness to share...

William managed to fashion his broccoli into a hip-looking soul patch. I'm not sure if that is as cool as the real thing but it will have to do for now.

Opening a package from Nana & the Duke.

He loves to get his hands on my nail polish. He doesn't do anything with it, he just wants to hold it for an hour or so. It must be just the right size for lugging around.

The den - BEFORE (Strange note: the carpet was like that before we started renovating. We just covered up the bald spot with a large sofa.)

NOW (right in the middle). Hopefully, I will be able to have an AFTER shot soon. You gotta love the light fixture.

We Will Never Be the Same

2008-07-12T08:51:00.003-04:00

So we are a little behind posting this... last Saturday William took his first real independent steps. He has been dancing around the idea for a while and had the ability but not the desire. He still isn't too interested in walking but has been doing it a little more each day. So we are getting a gradual transition into chaos.

Some first steps

Mia is very involved in the process (sometimes a little too much in the way). Unfortunately we say the word "walk" to William which is quite cruel since she gets excited and thinks we are going out with her.

July 4th

2008-07-04T23:36:00.003-04:00

We had a great time spending the 4th with April & Charlie and their kiddos. William loved sharing a seat with Ruby. You can tell she is a little annoyed, which is understandable considering that William was trying to sit on her.

One of our neighbors kindly gave us a few tomato plants and I haven't killed them yet. And, it looks like we may have some yummy results soon! First dibs go to Chris & Laura for watering them while we were out of town.

Getting Silly at Lunch

2008-07-02T09:11:00.006-04:00

Yesterday William and I had too much fun at lunch. It seems that his peas and carrots made him get sillier and sillier as the meal went on. He has been spending a lot of time with family lately and all that attention has spoiled him. It is a bit more difficult since it has ushered in a new phase of crying and getting fussy but I am enjoying the extra snuggling and hugs I get for now.

My brother Lee and his wife and daughter came in for the weekend. Here William is explaining to the family how to make a combustion engine using a milk jug and a yo yo.

Weekend in Little Rock

2008-06-23T22:32:00.003-04:00

We spent the weekend in Little Rock. We had the joy of being a part of Ryan and Kecia's wedding. (For those blog stalkers out there who aren't related to us Ryan is one of Brad's brothers.) It was a beautiful wedding and we are so excited to have Kecia as a part of the family now. William was a great traveler and behaved like a little angel all weekend. He even hung in there with the adults at the wedding reception until late into the night. He also got to go swimming for the first time.

The Roehrenbeck men (sans William, of course).
It goes: #4, #1, Dad, #3, #2, #5

Go Cubs

2008-06-17T12:17:00.004-04:00

William is pretty excited about the Cubs this year. His Dad may have mentioned something about it as well.

The frog onesie is so cute and great for disguising avocado and green bean stains.

"Hey, this isn't a Cubs hat!"

AA Ad

2008-06-08T23:17:00.002-04:00

We were watching the Cubs game on Sunday night when this commercial came on. We usually aren't into that sort of thing but our friend from college is the "coach". We miss you Drew!

William Around the House

2008-06-02T22:44:00.003-04:00

Over the weekend Brad was doing some home improvement and William is already his most devoted helper.

Holding the ladder for Daddy.

Gratuitous cute photos...

That is one brave bunny sitting in our driveway (considering our two vicious hunting cats). It would be like a chocolate dessert that decides to hang out anywhere around Brad.

A Fun Visit

2008-05-29T22:36:00.005-04:00

Our friends Todd & Cortney came to visit for the weekend with their adorable son Nolan and their sweet dog Girl. We had a great time with a full house.

William loved getting to hang out with Nolan. (He mostly followed him around and stared at him.)

Neifi eyes Nolan's milk.

William loved getting time with Girl.

Nolan and William help Cortney get some work done.

William's Animal Friends

2008-05-24T14:23:00.005-04:00

William is now getting to the age where the pets are really starting to enjoy hanging out with him (except when he decides to interrupt a nap in the sun).

Getting silly with Daddy and Mia.

Telecia and William in the cliche Sistine Chapel pose.

William and Mia watch Daddy as he backs out of the driveway.

Neifi's spot in the window is always amusing.

Photos from Mother's Day

2008-05-16T23:31:00.004-04:00

Finally have a moment to share some of our photos from Mother's Day.

We got home from a fun afternoon with the family and found a rainbow outside our dining room.

William and a few of his "mothers" (and dad).

With family like this who needs to hire entertainment.

Mother's Day

2008-05-12T23:02:00.002-04:00

We had a great first Mother's Day. I have lots of photos to go through and no time to do that just yet. So, you will be seeing more at the end of the week.

No More Cookies

2008-05-10T00:15:00.008-04:00

Back to the usual... excessive amounts of William photos.

At Dave & Brie's house William got a hold of a set of drumsticks and entertained us for a while. I think we will need to get him some of his own.

William has become increasingly more interested in the camera. Hopefully this is just a phase... I wouldn't want all of the photos going forward to be of him looking like he is getting ready to do some sort of kung fu on the camera.

He digs it when daddy plays the guitar.

We should consider renaming Telecia something like "fire" or "trouble" just for the photo captions.

Cookies

2008-05-06T10:21:00.002-04:00

Since I can't eat dairy I have been getting some special mixes in order to satisfy my wants for something sweet. This is the back of a chocolate chip cookie mix. Check out the very last footnote. I love that this company takes into account that some people MUST follow directions. But even to the point of eating something that they are allergic to, risking death or at least extreme discomfort?

Note: I do not recommend this mix to those in search of a dairy free, nut free cookie. They do not turn a golden brown and are like semisweet little hockey pucks.

Just Standing Around

2008-04-28T12:07:00.006-04:00

Yup, that is pretty much what we have been up to around here. There is still crawling but the boys favorite thing to do is to stand on his own (and he also likes to applaud himself for it). To think, if we adults were to get that excited and encouraged about standing for extended amounts to time... what a different thing waiting in line would be.

Trying to climb a ladder.

A quick shout out to Uncle Keith who gave William this sassy onesie. (It says "If I can reach it I can wreck it"). The photo doesn't do it justice because William is standing next to a frame with cracked and shattered glass. A mother would think she could walk down the hall carrying her son as she does fifty times a day. But the onesie has rung true. So, Uncle Keith, please reconsider if you happen to see more outfits with attitude. A "Yes that was me on the news last night" t-shirt or a "I drove Mom's car into a lake" sweatshirt may seem cute at the time but it isn't as funny on this end.

An Interesting Evening

2008-04-21T22:27:00.006-04:00

Last Tuesday night we had an interesting visitor in our neighborhood. As we were starting dinner we noticed a peacock walking down the middle of our street. We aren't sure where it came from. We grabbed the camera so we could share.

Cute Boy... Fun Family... Nice Trees

2008-04-19T19:43:00.005-04:00

There is never a dull moment around here. William is all over the place all the time. He had his first big accident earlier this week when he fell and cut his head. I didn't post the photo for those who get queasy about those type of things. But it can be seen on our picasa gallery (by clicking on any of the photos). All was okay but it gave mom quite a little scare.

Some fun time with Daddy. He very quickly goes from cuddling to biting. Be on guard, he is lightning-fast with those choppers. Daddy's nose suffers often.

Hanging out with Ooloo and Poppie.

Balancing on the bouncy ball with Poppie.

Our cherry tress are blooming. Their loveliness camouflages the lack of attention the rest of our yard experiences.

What can William do with 5 seconds alone?

2008-04-08T18:22:00.002-04:00

He has been wanting to climb things for about a week now. And today he succeeded.

Then he made this face, which is probably a mirror image of the face I made when I found him scaling the side of the chair (without the carrots on the chin).

More of the boy

2008-04-05T13:22:00.003-04:00

Getting wild with dad

William has found yet another way to use the bumbo. This is probably not approved by the bumbo company.

Loving play time on the floor

We've never seen this expression before or since but I am so glad to have caught it.

Mischief

2008-03-27T23:05:00.005-04:00

What happens when mom and dad go on a date and William stays home with Ooloo and Poppy? All sorts of shenanigans...

Though he doesn't seem to like water he likes to beg for sips of it. Maybe he just likes the idea of it.

Watching daddy do yard work

Most of the day on Monday he practiced going down on one knee. I wondered if this was due to the time he spent with the adorable Ruby on Sunday morning in the nursery (in which she ignored his amorous advances of cooing and hugging).

Some mommy time

Just Some Photos

2008-03-21T21:23:00.007-04:00

Just have some cute shots of the boy. He is now a proud owner of tooth number six.

A glimpse of what it will probably look like when William catches his first fish

And when he sits someone down for a serious talk

This is what we have come to lovingly refer to as his "hockey face"

Here he is sporting one of the adorable outfits his Nana made for him.

A Quick Recovery

2008-03-14T22:11:00.011-04:00

This week marked William's first bout with sickness, a little head cold. And though it didn't seem to bother him as much as I had expected he has recovered and decided to live life to the fullest. That means shortened naps and an unbelievable fervor for activity. He spent almost all day today practicing pulling up onto objects and letting go, trying really hard to walk. And when that didn't work as planned he wore his knees red crawling on the carpet. Sure, it wore his mom out but the animals were the ones who suffered the most...

Oh, and if you are thinking "not more William stuff" scroll to the last photo. It can be enjoyed by everyone (except maybe people in our local government).

Noisy musical toys always have the reputation for making parents crazy. I haven't found that to be the case yet but Telecia is a different story. Observe her look of complete annoyance as she tries to nap just a few feet away from the book that plays hey diddle diddle, the crab who counts and a hand drum.

Neifi has become accustomed to flopping down close to William without having to worry. He is oblivious to William's new lease on life.

Neifi isn't sure how he is supposed to react but patiently waits until he can't bear it anymore.

And he's off with William close behind.

Mia decided to crawl under a table to see if she could find some stray bits of food. Her brilliant plan hit a hitch when she got stuck.

The other evening we just randomly happened to stumble on this. It was the notables in our local government talking about the great educational institutions in our area, etc. You have to love the typo - the irony is amazing.

Baseball season has started

2008-03-10T16:47:00.005-04:00

So William is getting ready (Neifi decided to join in too).

A sign that it is baseball season in our house - the boys watching intently together.

I decided to do a test with dairy since William is at the age when some kids grow out of their sensitivity. It failed and Mia happened to be running around my feet at the time and got nailed. She got most of the spitup off but didn't realize that her ear had been hit too. All three of us needed baths after that incident.

How can you tell if your cat is a secret spy?

2008-03-02T22:16:00.012-05:00

It helps if he forgets to completely wash off one of his disguises

William is now no longer interested in the mechanics of crawling and wants to stand places with something to hold on to so that he can practice letting go and standing on his own. This can go on for an hour if you have the patience. He is also begging to go for "walks" (which means we lend him two fingers to use for balance and he walks where he wants to). Last Monday on three different occasions he looked right at Brad and said "dada". We then decided to practice momma and on Wednesday he said that too. But now he only says momma so we have to go back to working on dada again.

Standing with his Ooloo as a spotter

The sofa has become quite a popular location

The sheer excitement of being temporarily independent

A big fat tear from a fall while trying to stand on his own for a while. Good news... he still needs mom and dad around, for at least another week.

I went to make lunch the other day and found this sticker on my tomato. It does disturb me a little, especially considering that the tomato costs the same as it always had. I would be upset at the company for not passing a little price reduction onto the consumer but it occurred to me that I have no idea who that company is or where my tomato came from (so shame on me!). I do have to say that I think politicians are missing a great advertising opportunity with produce since they aren't really getting much media coverage about the next election. I can already imagine hearing pundits ramble on about the zucchini demographic...

What do you say?

2008-02-26T12:18:00.011-05:00

Since the last post much has gone on. William no longer has an ear infection and has tried his first real food, carrots. An approaching sixth tooth has kept his shirts soaked and his momma busy. His first friend, Jonas, has up and moved away to Missouri. We got some good photos of them playing together over the weekend. We miss you already Ryan & Gloria.
If you like to check the picasa page for more photos there is a new folder posted now with extra shots (the carrots aren't just on the face). All these photos and the last post are from the new folder - so just click on them to get there.

The first meal of carrots (probably doesn't need a caption since the entree is pretty obvious).

William wants to make sure Jonas doesn't forget him. With friends like this who needs dentists?

The boys think it is funny when Gloria has the pacifier in her mouth.

After a bath I always slick William's hair down (in hopes of it being straighter and not too fuzzy). He decided he wanted something a little cooler and pulled this curl up.

Mia has seen William's interest in toys and seen how many he has (and how he doesn't have to share with her). So the other day while William played with his toys on his blanket she pulled her llama over to her bed and did this. We are all relieved that she doesn't want to share.

A Weekend at the Beach

2008-02-15T18:21:00.007-05:00

William had his first trip to the beach last weekend. He had a great time meeting new friends and hanging out with his Ooloo and Poppy.

He absolutely loves the piano and spent quite a bit of time playing with his Ooloo.

Pretending that Poppy's head is a drum.

A windy day on the dock.

BONUS SHOTS:

William loves playing with the baby that lives in the mirror in our den.

We got snow on Wednesday night!

And then there were four!

2008-02-07T22:20:00.000-05:00

It has been quite a week for little William. The fourth tooth arrived on Monday morning. After his .5 year checkup on Tuesday he had his first taste of solid food... mmmm... rice cereal. Then his first sickness arrived on Thursday afternoon in the form of a mild ear infection. And, of course, photos are below.

Celebrating #4 - you can barely see it peeking out of his gum

A "quick knit in 14 months" sweater

The joy of rice cereal

That is one big noggin

Gotta have a Daddy shot in there

Happy .5 Birthday William

2008-02-01T16:27:00.000-05:00

Today is William's .5 birthday.
{That's right, not ½ because decimals are superior to fractions in our house.} [UPDATE: After this was posted, it was discovered that there is division in the house on this issue. We will work through it.]
And he has much to celebrate since he awoke (many times) this morning with a new tooth. I was able to get a shot of it. It is his top left tooth that just looks like white stripe in the photo below. It may be hard to notice because it is being upstaged by a crazy booger.
Note by the puffy gum that the right one is close behind.

He is pretty happy about his new addition.

Some fun time tossing hungry bear around.

Loving daddy time with his new favorite toy worm.

Looking debonair (and keeping his shoes on!)

Things that make me smile

2008-01-24T22:09:00.000-05:00

Maybe it is my marketing side but I have always been intrigued by product packaging and labeling. Since these are the cold and cloudy days of winter I can't resist sharing.

This is an actual package of drinking straws - no photoshoping has taken place. Note that the label claims "waterproof".

I bought this new cereal because I am a sucker for cereal that is high in protein. I didn't notice until I got home that it claims "natural flavor with other natural flavor". I am not sure what that means but they do also reassure me that it is great tasting.

... and from the inside of our dryer. "Anything flammable" covers a lot of stuff, except maybe those special outfits firefighters wear. I also love that it says "death, explosion or fire". I love that they added the explosion or fire, as if the death part wouldn't stop you on its own.

Another Road Trip

2008-01-21T21:58:00.000-05:00

William is such a wonderful little traveler that he took yet another road trip this past Friday. It was a 4 hour drive (each way) to Conway, SC to meet his Great Nana (Allison's grandmother). He took the entire trip without any complaint and some extra long napping. It helps that his Ooloo graciously entertained him in the backseat for a much of the ride home. Great Nana was able to comprehend who he is and who we were so we considered the trip a success. He smiled at her a lot and she absolutely loved him and was so distracted by him she wouldn't eat lunch. They played and laughed and she asked us to come back again.

Another road trip?

Drumming on a snowy day

Great Nana has been too weak to feed herself for over a year but one look at William and she wanted to hold him and did so for a while (with a spotter). Her comment was "Ooh, he is heavy"

Playing with Gyro the lamb

This Bumbo is made for scootin'

2008-01-11T16:01:00.000-05:00

William had a little Bumbo time when mom was trying to whip up a quick lunch. After about 2 minutes and spotting his favorite canine, he decided that it was time to move. That one leg hanging out was pushing him little by little towards Mia. Not an efficient form of travel but it works.
After weeks of attempts William had his first real crawl this week. I have been trying to catch it on video and once I do it will be motivation for Daddy to figure out how to post it on for all to see.

Excited about taking Mia for a walk.

Rough Start to the New Year

2008-01-04T18:39:00.000-05:00

William hasn't started 2008 off so great. Earlier this week he got his first cold. Then the doctor confirmed a rousting case of eczema as well as a yeast infection/outrageous diaper rash. And we found out he is allergic to the first eczema cream prescribed by his doctor. Hopefully, all that will clear up and he will be all smiles in no time.

Despite the red cheeks we had some fun time in a mixing bowl.

By his own effort he sports a urban chic style and can pull it off quite well.

And when he is feeling itchy or irritated he has his lovey animals to keep him in good spirits.

Telecia thinks to herself, "this will be a fun surprise"

Christmas in Little Rock

2008-01-01T11:57:00.000-05:00

We had a great time during our visit in Little Rock. And since it has been a while there are a ton of photos in this one post.

It snowed the day after Christmas and William got to see his first snow. He loved it. Here he is with Allison's sister at the window.

William enjoyed sitting on his aunt Anna Kaye's lap and staring at uncle Billy. Uncle Keith and aunt-to-be Kecia rest from all the gift opening.

Great grandma in Ohio sent William a musical duck. He has an intense urge to bite its beak every time it is near. It is hilarious.

Some quality time with aunt Katie and piglet.

He loves his uncle Billy.

And some long awaited cuddling with The Duke.

Loving on his Nana.

William is already helping Dad hide the bald spot.

After lunch one day William struck this pose. We are pretty sure we will see blue steel soon.

Having a mirror behind your changing table is fun.

Nana and The Duke got William a drum. He goes crazy on that thing. We must figure out how to post a video so that you can see this.

Family & Fun

2007-12-13T21:51:00.000-05:00

We had a great visit from our brother Cliff and his family.

The kids were loving getting William time.

William has become quite helpful when it comes to getting a clean diaper.

William is quickly learning his way around a blackberry. He actually called his mother while this photo was being taken.

One Friend, Two Meanies

2007-12-07T13:06:00.000-05:00

I just had to share this photo of William and Jonas playing. I wish we had a video so you could hear the cute noises they were making together as well.

And finally a picture of the two teeth. It only took 28 shots to capture them (I put a few of the humorous outtakes on here).

(he was not taking this picture himself)

A warning to those teeth:
You are not funny with your sleepless nights and tearful days.
Be very afraid because soon enough you will be mine.
All it will take are a few coins under a pillow to get my mits on you.
I will be plotting until then on what to do to you.
Tell all your friends while they still have a chance to be nice.

more of the same

2007-11-28T18:05:00.000-05:00

William finally cut his first tooth last Sunday. It hid until today. I will see if we can get a photo (which is quite difficult) to share.

His Ooloo got him a moose hat (and matching gloves). We think it is adorable, he is still not sure.

Some mommy time

After many hours staring at the mechanism in his swing he has found a work-around. He now slides half of his body out to control when he swings. Soon we will try to use the seatbelt (and there will probably be sad/crying photos to accompany).

Our cats took advantage of the mild weather to hang out in one of our trees.

A vision of things to come

2007-11-24T12:56:00.000-05:00

William was wearing a new blue outfit and though it had been washed it left him with some stray blue fuzz. It looked hilariously like armpit hair. His feet were pretty funny too.

Cozied up for a walk.

Thanksgiving

2007-11-22T22:39:00.000-05:00

Some of the Thanksgiving crowd.

William got quite a bit of attention.

The boys got to throw the football.

Four generations

There was a lot of napping in addition to eating.

And some serious glamour.

Sofa Time

2007-11-20T14:32:00.000-05:00

William loves sitting on his own as if he is an adult.

Wow... pants...

A Couple of Links

2007-11-16T14:01:00.000-05:00

Facebook is creepy
Cool kid photography

Another Post?

2007-11-15T11:49:00.000-05:00

Yes, two in one week. I can't believe it either.

His unhappy frown about being strapped in a car seat. I am sure we will be seeing some more of this on our 12 hour drive to Little Rock at Christmas.

Our friend Sona stopped in to visit William during one of her East coast jaunts.

He has discovered toys and prefers to throw them on the floor.

The two-headed creature that is seen walking through our neighborhood almost every day (with a hyperactive dog running alongside).

Gratuitous daddy shot

That Sweet Smile

2007-11-14T22:57:00.000-05:00

William is all smiles now. His new thing is to stick his tongue out if you do... I will see if we can get a video and post it.

Belated Shoutout to the Grandmothers

2007-11-06T14:41:00.000-05:00

As with most things on our blog this should have been posted a while ago.
We wanted to send our deepest thanks to William's Ooloo and Nana for all that they have done for him. His Nana spent countless hours making so many nice things for his nursery like his bedding (bumper pads, sheets, crib skirt) as well as an amazing quilt and matching accessories that make him the most stylin' baby around. (Note: Our crib is round so making anything for it is really difficult). She also made him numerous cute things to wear which you will continue to see posted. His Ooloo stayed with us the first month of his life and spent countless hours doing laundry, dishes, cleaning, vacuuming, making delicious meals, etc., to help keep William's home in order. Any semblance of order in our house in the first few months was due to her tireless efforts to help. She has also selflessly offered to babysit several times so that the new parents could go on dates.
We can't forget his grandfathers Poppy and The Duke for their support, love and willingness to give up many hours with their wives for William. Of course, there are a few photos to go with the shoutout.

With his Ooloo

Perfecting the art of sucking his thumb with his Nana's encouragement

A look at some of his beautiful bedding

It's About Time

2007-10-07T22:05:00.001-04:00

I know, it has been a long time since the last post.
We have been taking photos and being slack about sharing.
By now we can all disregard the last post about the Cubs.
William will still be a fan but is learning early what that feels like.

William finally fits into the seersucker suit his Ooloo got for him.

In his adorable raccoon hat his Grandma in Arkansas sent to him.

People are always asking how Mia (the dog) likes having a baby around. She is his biggest fan. When we were taking a while to get out the door and he was hanging out in his car seat, waiting, she pulled her bed up next to him to keep him company.

napping...

With his "other grandmother" Cheryl at her birthday party.

At a party the Jilcott's had for William to welcome him into the family.

With his Ooloo (note the hands, it is one of his new things he does a lot).

Almost There…

2007-09-23T17:31:00.000-04:00

The Cubbies won their fourth game in a row today. With the Brewers losing today, we are now 3.5 games up with one week left in the season. (Yes, I should know better than to use a title like that when we haven't yet clinched the division - look what is already on sale) Go Cubbies. It's been 99 years. Let's not make it 100.

UPDATE (9/29/07): Wooooohoooooo!! The Cubs clinched the NL Central last night and are playoff bound!

More about William

2007-09-18T17:34:00.000-04:00

More photos of what we have been up to.

I had to share this - I think this is my new favorite photo of the boy. It is during one of his daily playtimes in his crib.

This past Sunday we decided it was time to try out his bumbo since he can hold his head up really well now. He loves it though he is probably not quite old enough for it. He was all smiles since he was able to sit up on his own like a big boy.

William has decided that the lion on his mobile is his favorite. Note the adorable smocked outfit grandma Susan made for him.

She also made him a hat and sweater set that he will grown into. The hat is still really cute even though it doesn't fit yet.

Some quality time with his Poppy.

The Boy is Growing

2007-09-13T14:46:00.000-04:00

It is hard to believe that he is already 6 weeks old.
At his last weigh in he was 10 pounds!
As usual we have been taking many photos... a few are below.

A photo from a play date with his friend Jonas.
You can tell the two of them are trouble ;)

Mia is totally into her little brother. I caught her "talking" to him in his cradle the other day when I was out of the room (busted by the baby monitor).
When I walked in to check out the situation she looked guilty - I think she was trying to wake him up.

More William photos (of course!)

2007-08-22T23:10:00.000-04:00

Our little man is growing fast and gaining weight. Who knows, maybe he will eventually grow into his ginormous feet. Here are a few more photos of him in action...

He loves watching the Cubs with Dad. Baseball is good for napping, you can fall asleep for an hour and probably not miss a thing.

His impression of a bean (ironically, it is usually brought on by gas).

He has no problem getting relaxed...

Though this looks strange he absolutely loves it.

Enjoying his crib.

Mohawk

2007-08-15T14:48:00.000-04:00

Oh yeah. It's natural.

Hands

2007-08-07T16:47:00.001-04:00

HT: My brother Scott.

William - Day 6

2007-08-07T13:55:00.000-04:00

All seems to be going well in the "raising William" adventure. Last night we slept pretty much all night - just stopping every few hours to feed. It was wonderful, and Allison and I are well rested today. William continues to grow. He is now back to his birth weight. At this rate (about 3.5 oz. a day), he will be roughly 450 lbs by his 5th birthday. Alright! He is enjoying "tummy time" in his crib. This morning he noticed his mobile for the first time and seems to be enjoying it.

My family has come and gone, and I already can't wait for them to come back to visit. Both sets of grandparents have been tremendously supportive, and we can't thank them enough for their help. Our fridge is stocked with delicious food. Allison's sister sent over a couple of huge trays of food this weekend, and Elizabeth, my debate partner from high school, and her husband had Salem Kitchen send over chicken pie and mashed potatoes for dinner last night. Yummy! Thanks to everyone for your abundant support. We couldn't do it without you.

As we spend time with William, we are surprised at how much it teaches us about God. His faithfulness to us in providing us wisdom and strength as parents; how much He cares for His children; the pain He must have felt in giving up His only Son on our behalf. This morning, William was very hungry, but just wouldn't nurse for some reason. We watched him flail around and get frustrated with his hunger right there in his mother's arms. We talked about how frustrating it must be to God when we get caught up in trying to figure out our own way and fail to take the spiritual food He puts right in front of us. Good lesson.

Some more pictures for you (click on any of the pictures or go here for tons more):

And in honor of our good night of sleep last night, some sleepy pics:

HT: My brother Scott, who takes amazing photos, took the first and third pictures above. See his page here.

William Pics

2007-08-04T17:29:00.000-04:00

Well, we're back at home getting adjusted to life as parents. So far, that doesn't involve a lot of sleep. Not surprising of course. But we are operating surprisingly well considering how little we've gotten the last few days. Now that his stomach is big enough to be hungry, feeding is going super well. Now if we could just get him to stop swallowing air...!!!! Such a cutie. Some pics for you all.

WDR arrives

2007-08-02T10:21:00.000-04:00

Well, after 38 hours of labor, Allison gave birth last night to a healthy baby boy. William Daniel Roehrenbeck was born last night (Aug. 1) at 10:39 pm. He weighed 7 lbs., 4.5 oz. and was 19 inches long. He has dark blond hair and dark blue eyes - those of course are subject to change. I think he looks a lot like my dad, after whom he is named. He is healthy, and mom is resting and doing well. I was so amazed at how great Allison was throughout her labor. We should be heading home tomorrow, and I'll post pictures. Can't tell you guys how much we appreciate all of your prayers.

Labor: Day 2

2007-08-01T06:36:00.000-04:00

Yesterday Allison went into labor. Throughout the day , she was feeling contractions. Nadia came by after work to pick up the dog and go for a walk, and things started picking up a bit. By the time the evening rolled around, Allison was having contractions every 6-7 minutes, and we felt it was soon going to be time to head to the hospital (they say you should go in when your contractions are 5 minutes apart for an hour). However, at about 11:00, the contractions suddenly slowed significantly. We're not really sure why. So, we decided to get some rest. I was able to get about 5 hours. Allison got a couple of shorter stretches. Contractions are much more intense now, but at a slower rate. We'll keep you updated. On to day 2!

An Optimistic Computer

2007-07-29T23:23:00.000-04:00

As I was attempting to compress a large file on the computer I received this status message. Typically PCs just lock up and don't give me the time of day on something of this size. But the Mac is so optimistic. (If you do the math it comes out to be something around 231,ooo years).

Mia's "Lambie" Game

2007-07-23T22:38:00.000-04:00

So, Mia has this old stuffed lamb ("Lambie") that she really loves and somehow has not managed to completely tear apart. We play this super fun game there I throw it up in the air and she runs back and forth, jumping off of me, trying to catch Lambie as I throw it up in the air. It's a lot of fun, and she's amazing at it.

The Hohenadels and Clevengers were over at our house for dinner (I WAAAAAAY overcooked the steaks), and Mia of course wanted to show off her skills. Lucky for me, Ryan had his camera with him and got some awesome photos and videos. For your enjoyment:

I'll see if I can figure out how to post a video.

Stephen & Correne's Wedding

2007-07-15T23:56:00.001-04:00

Stephen and Correne had a beautiful wedding on Saturday. It was a lot of fun to get together and celebrate their marriage.
Kim, Sarah, Gloria and Carlye (Jonas is in the blue pouch)

Brad and Caleb

Correne and her dad

Blake getting a little intense with the bird seed

Our Latest Sonogram

2007-07-11T22:44:00.000-04:00

Last Monday we got to have one more ultrasound to check on the size of the baby. The good news is that he is normal sized (not enormous yet) and we got to see him up close before the big day. Here is his face... he was moving his mouth like he was chewing gum...
a profile shot...
and a little foot. We counted and he has ten toes. We were also told that he will have hair as well.

Baby shower with the girls

2007-06-30T22:38:00.000-04:00

The gals in my small group at church held a wonderful shower for us. I want to say thanks to them for all their hard work - it truly was a blessing and a really great time to get together with the women in my life that make it special and encourage me on a daily basis. Bridgette, Steph & Carlye gather around. Note the 3-tiered cake creation (made of diapers, baby creams and a large nipple brush) that Jessica made. It was truly a feat and I can't imagine how long it took to construct.
Cressie, Kelly & Kristin sit at the table and sign some secret book I wasn't allowed to see.
Jena, Michelle & Annette posing. Note: anyone who sat near Michelle usually wasn't wearing a pacifier necklace. Why? She has the uncanny talent of not saying the word "baby" as well as pointing out when others do. She won the "can't say the word baby" contest by a landslide.
Brad's mom flew all the way from Little Rock to come and visit. It was really neat to have my mom (far left) and her (middle) with me that night.
I am so blessed to have so many amazing ladies in my life. I am surrounded by so many women who are wise in the ways of motherhood and it is great to have such an extensive source for advice. Not only that, but seeing their love for Christ and the way that pours out into their family life has been really humbling and inspiring.

Family Baby Shower

2007-06-30T22:20:00.000-04:00

It took us a long time to finally get around to it but we wanted to share some of the fun we had at a baby shower that my family held for us on Father's Day.
Sure, you could spend the money on swingsets and outdoor toys to entertain the kids but nothing works quite as well as a parked ATV.
The men took it upon themselves to try to prepare Brad for fatherhood through many thoughtful gifts and practical advice. Here we see Brad ready for his first diaper change.
We got so many adorable things for William. Sarah inspected each one closely for us after we opened it (I think she has a future in quality control).

no wonder Mia is so spoiled

2007-06-30T18:31:00.000-04:00

Goings On

2007-06-26T06:16:00.000-04:00

It has been a busy week in our household. Still hard at work getting the house in shape for the little man's arrival. Converting the guest room into a nursery left us without a place to put our guests, so we have spent the better part of the last month converting our living room into a guest room. We'll post some pictures later. It's really starting to look like a genuine guest room. Just in time for my mom's upcoming visit this week. We haven't seen mom since pre-pregnancy days, so it should be a special, though all too brief, time.

We got to see baby Hohenadel this weekend. Cute, cute kid. They're doing a great job, and we're looking forward to watching their little guy grow up. They were six weeks ahead of us, so that was a clear signal that we are in the home stretch. Time to brace ourselves...

Sweatiest Cities in America

2007-06-18T15:41:00.000-04:00

Old Spice (Proctor & Gamble) has released its 5th annual list of the USA's top 100 sweatiest cities. From the press release:

The Sweatiest Cities rankings are based on computer simulations of the amount of sweat a person of average height and weight would produce walking around for an hour in the average high temperatures during June, July and August of 2006 for each city.

Little Rock ranked number 21. Greensboro 47. For a guy who has a propensity to sweat a lot, I sure have lived in some sweaty places.