Daddy's Home! And just in time for Mother's Day. The family enjoyed a nice four day weekend together after Stu returned from a steady 3 weeks of long work days in remote Alaska.
Stu first noticed the increase in Billy's size, and next the increase in his activity!! Our little boy has been busy practicing his locomotion, and he's really getting around now. For the last few weeks he's been holding his hands up over his head while he walks, as if to say, "look mom, no hands!" Stu thought it made him look a little like an orangutan!
He can now walk between rooms, and if he gets bored of one room he'll just get up and go-- pretty darn quick! He's also gotten better at falling down, and more used to the frequent stumbles. Last Monday I bought him his first real pair of shoes, and getting used to walking in them is a new struggle. But he's ready, and there's no holding him back!
When Billy gets tired enough to sit still for a few minutes, he's been fascinated with putting/taking lids on/off things, opening/closing things, pulling/putting things in/out, etc. He's so excited to do these things for himself, and it's a joy to see. He finds things around the house that interest him, and takes them over as toys for himself. In the bedroom I had a small plastic container with 3x5 notecards inside, and he discovered he could open it and pull out the cards, (but wait that's not the best part...) then he could put them back in and close it, and then do it all over again!! Stu and I sat watching him do just that for 15-20 minutes on Saturday afternoon. And ofcourse he was sharing the cards with us as they came out, such a sweetie!
Yesterday was such a beautiful day, and we had a full day enjoying it together. We ran a few errands in the morning together, (and stopped at Starbuck's along the way for a Mother's Day latte.) We also managed to fit in two naps for Billy in the morning, since he was up at 5:30. After his lunch, Grandma Janis was over and we all went on a lovely walk at nearby Lakewold Gardens. From there we headed to the Tacoma waterfront for an early dinner with the rest of the Bitow family. Thankfully we had a separate room at the restaraunt where Billy was able to make his continual laps around the table without disturbing any strangers. A few of his relatives shared some sweet treats with him, and he quickly learned which ones to go back to! He did well, and after stopping at great-grandma Bitow's on the way home, he was quite ready for bed when 7:30 rolled around. It was a lovely Mother's Day for me, and as I am every day- I was very thankful for the blessings of motherhood, and my wonderful family.
Billy and I spent the first weekend of May with my Mom, and also toured Lakewold Gardens together, althought the weather wasn't quite as glorious. We really enjoyed our time with her also. Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers in my life! And much LOVE!!
Billy is getting more confident on his feet, and he's getting faster... sometimes he can't even keep up with himself! 
