Happy Hanukkah!

Happy Hanukkah from Claudia, Will and Billy!

Gettin Smart!

Will has been making leaps and bounds with his words the last few weeks. He can almost have a conversation on the phone now. Maybe not the most intelligent conversation but probably more intelligent than some conversations I have had. He is also starting to recognize books by name and identify things on flashcards, it is very exciting. On the negative side he loves to slam doors, tries to lock you out of the house if you put him in and don't get in the door quick, and he is climbing everything. He doesn't seem to understand "No" which is odd because I am sure we say that word to him more than most other words. We will keep trying....

Here is a video of a phonecall we had with Grandpa Bill and Grandma Barbara. Will is a bit suprised when Petey the dog joins the conversation.

Direct Link - http://www.vimeo.com/7716131

Will Phone Call Suprise from William Wright on Vimeo.

Yankees Win Number 27!!!!!!!

After a long WS drought by the Boss's standards, the Yankees get WS title 27! For the Wright crew in Boston this seemed like an eternity. Was it the move to Boston that brought the Yankees down? Probably not. Washed up superstars like Kevin Brown, Randy Johnson, and Carl "American Idol" Pavano had something to do with it. For awhile Red Sox domination made Boston a tough place to live. Now the universe has order again, and there isn't so much tension up here.



This post is a little late but we were waiting for Will's gear to arrive from NY. Sources tell me Grandpa Bill and Grandma Barbara picked this shirt up from the stadium in the Bronx. Thanks for the great shirt and thanks to all our friends and family for keeping Will stocked with Yankee gear.



Will with Coach the bear



Will and Mom



Safe!

Happy Halloween!!!

This was Will's second Halloween and although he is very cute he let me down a bit. He doesn't really have that candy grab working well yet, and I got some looks when I put my hand into the candy bowls. Someone had some Charleston Chews and I was trying to get him to go for those but he grabbed something lame. I am probably being a little hard on him since he doesn't eat candy yet, how can he possibly know how good it is. Training starts today learn what candy Dad likes and doesn't like at age 2 failure isn't an option.

Will was a red fire breathing dragon, and there is a good story behind the fire breathing. About 2-3 weeks ago Will got a cold and was pretty congested, so he started making this really furrowed face and he would snort. We thought it would be great for Halloween and we encouraged it. The cold cleared out about a week ago but he was still snorting. He also learned how to blow his nose (sort of). He takes the tissue puts it up to his nose and breathes out but he also inhales so not sure how effective it is. Well Halloween came and our fire breathing dragon didn't really breath much fire. We got a few out of him but he didn't want to put on a show I guess. He was a trooper though, considering it was 70 degrees out and we put him in this costume that was probably a bit stuffy.












Yanks up 3-1 will they get it done tonight?

Prank phone calls

Will is an expert with phones/blackberries/remotes/ti-82's and most other things with buttons and lights. Like all children he was also born with the instinct to find anything he shouldn't be touching.

He grabbed our phone the other day and before I could grab it back I heard a voice on the line. So I grabbed it and hung up. Well they called back. Will was calling for a cab, Claudia picked up the phone and the dispatcher says "Someone called for a cab and just said Bur, Bur, Bur, Bur." No clue where he was trying to go.

Go Yankees!!!

The playoffs are here and Will is ready! Thanks to everyone who has hooked Will up with Yankee gear. We are pulling for our Yankees and we have faith they can get it done this year.

Sweet track suit!!!



Will and Dad getting ready to watch game 1 of the ALDS.



Game faces! I pulled the bink for a minute but Will showed me his other game face which I didn't really want to see......



Go Yanks!!!!!!!!!!!

Will cat trainer!

Cats must be really cool if you are a kid. Its not really a cat to them its a lion or a tiger. Pookie is almost as big as Will and she has a few pounds on him. A few weeks ago Will was holding Pookie's leash and she took him for a ride (Yeah we walk our cats). She just bolted and Will got some air before he hit the kitchen floor...

Here is a video of Will playing with Pookie. Not sure why he gets upset at the end, these kids are so emotional.

Direct Link - http://www.vimeo.com/6919051

Will cat trainer from William Wright on Vimeo.

Some Pics...

Poindexter!



It took Dad 3 tries to pass Calculus, Mom didn't do much better. Getting an early start with the good old Texas Instruments TI-82.



My calculations are complete I will need approximately 2000 more diapers!



13 Months old and they have me on cleanup duty!



Having fun in the ball pit....

Where is the poop?

The gang went up to VT two weeks ago to check out Burlington. It was a beautiful weekend but the best part about it was Shelburne farm. We actually went 2 times in a 3 day trip mostly because Will slept for most of our first trip. The farm had lots of fun animals to play with. They also had delicious cheese and a bakery yum!

If you are ever in the Burlington area don't miss this place it is AWESOME!

http://www.shelburnefarms.org/

Now to the title of this post. Its really "name the poop" but Claud has been yelling where is the where is the poop post all week so I stuck with it.



Its a simple game various poops are in containers you must identify which animal they belong to.



I got yelled at when I picked up a sample. Evidently I was supposed to pose for a picture not play the game. The poop I chose was similar to a large meatball. No clue where it came from...



This chicken has some style. I can't tell you why but every time we go on a trip I find myself taking pictures of cats and chickens. Its pretty much the barometer for a good vacation.



Will having fun in the park kid has some smile....



Sweet view from Battery park in Burlington.

Now on to the main event! Chicken Parade!!!!!!!! Every morning at the farm there is the legendary chicken parade. I was super stoked to check it out. Claudia and Will were romping around the farm and I had to yell at them multiple times or we would have missed it. Not an event any chicken aficionado wants to miss. After a short wait and a discussion about chickens the fun started. This video is pretty long but stay with it. There is some straight up Nat Geo material here with El Nino the rooster.

Direct Link - http://www.vimeo.com/6204010

Chicken Parade!!!!! from William Wright on Vimeo.

Fun at the water park!

Well we finally got a weekend at home and we took advantage of it. Mom and Dad went out for a nice dinner on Friday night. Saturday and Sunday we went to the park so Will could play in the sprinklers.

The sprinklers at these parks are on some kind of timer. At 13 months Will didn't get it, so he would go crawling around the sprinklers and get a unpleasant surprise.

Before - Hmm this looks interesting I should poke it.....



After a bit of water in the face - Dad help me out here....



After the park trip on Sunday we went to get some ice cream. I had a strawberry shake (Delicious) and Claudia had non fat Peanut Butter Yogurt (Blaaah! Its really kind of good but its not ice cream).

After that we went on a quick run to DSW to get some sneakers. Normally when I enter this store with Claudia it turns into an afternoon of waiting and trying on shoes. Torture! But I had Will, and surely his patience would run out before mine. So I make it through most of the Men's section (2 minutes time), I saw maybe 2 pairs of sneakers I sort of wanted but no slam dunks.

Then I went to the clearance section and I hear Will's grunt of boweling. So I am like sweet this shopping trip is over. I pause for a moment and something begins to drip on my foot. At this point I was like OK we just came from the park, he is probably wet or its drool. Then I feel the heat all over the front of my shirt, and I realize this kid just let lose on me. FYI swimmy diapers don't hold liquid well once they are wet!

So I go over to Claud and I am like lets go, show her the damage and she says "Go change him". At this point I am not mad but a bit stunned, so I am like no we are going to change him. So we get to the car and Claudia's mind is racing. How do I get back in that shoe store? She quickly comes up with a plan. Claudia says - "I am going to run into Filene's basement and get you a t-shirt". But she really wanted to say - Your pee covered self can march back into that shoe store so I can find my 3000th pair of flip flops.....

Luckily she got a hold of herself and we went home and had a lovely family dinner. It was a very fun weekend and we all had a good laugh.

Here is a vid...

Direct link - http://www.vimeo.com/5793797

Will playing at the water park... from William Wright on Vimeo.

Video Will Walking...

Sick soundtrack!

Direct link - http://vimeo.com/5745242

Will Walking!!! from William Wright on Vimeo.

Will is walking!

Well today was the day Will decided to stop crawling and just walk. I have no clue if he will crawl tomorrow but he is walking today. He took his first steps on the 4th of July a good 3-5 before he would fall. Today he was walking like a pro. I have some video that I need to post but I just wanted to get this one up. It is really amazing how quick they learn things. If you look the other way you could miss it....

Where is Mommy!!!!

Dad is alone please help....

Happy 1st Birthday Will!!!!

We made it through the first year and what a year it was. The family went down to NY to celebrate and Will had 2 parties! It was a pretty amazing weekend.

Anyone that lives in the Northeast knows how bad the weather has been. This 4th of July weekend was beautiful not a cloud in the sky. Can't prove it but we are pretty sure Grandma Betty cleared those clouds out for Will.

We would like to thank our family and friends for all the help and generosity you have shown us this first year, we couldn't have done it without you. I would also like to thank my wife for being such an amazing mom, she works really hard everyday for her little man.

Here are some pictures from his birthday....

Peek A Boo!!!!

Happy Fathers Day!

It was my first fathers day today and I am so happy to be a Dad. Will and Claudia took me out to get some sushi which was lots of fun. Happy [belated] Fathers Day to all the Dads out there.

Will has a little bit of his grandfathers in him....

Showing the musical talents of Grandpa Jerry.

Practicing his golf skills for Grandpa Bill. He needs some work....

FATHERS DAY PLACEHOLDER

Due to some technical difficulties, we're unable to upload some videos that were made especially for Grandpa Bill & Grandpa Jerry on Fathers Day. We'll work on it and have them up as soon as possible!

:-(

Alone on Friday night

Well I was supposed to watch some TV with my wife but Will had some other plans. We have been having trouble getting him to go back to sleep, but waking up at 9:30pm isn't like him. Claudia went in to put him back down and its 10:20 and she isn't out yet.

I guess we won't be watching the Wire tonight. Will is starting to stand on his own. Claudia thinks this breakthrough is behind his recent sleep issues. If that is the case he needs to get walking.....

This also means I have 2am cat duty,I guess I should go to bed. Sometimes parenting is lame. But I am sure Will will do something in the morning to make me laugh and smile.

Staying busy

It sure is hard to post while chasing Will around the house. So much is going on right now, Will is ready to start walking and he is getting into everything. We have been traveling a bit to see our two new cousins, Zoe and Lizzy.When we are home we have been trying to get to the park as much as possible. Parks are good because they don't have cabinets, doors, electric sockets, cords, cat toys, cats, vacuum cleaners, random shoes, etc. All I know is this is tiring, 5am to 8pm with work in the middle is wearing us out. Throw in a insomniac cat that attempts to break out at 3am every night and you have a real party.

Here are some pictures and a new slide show....

Yankee fans at the Arboretum in Boston.



Feeding time - duck against angry gator. He may not look like a gator but the kid can death roll with anyone.



Mom and crabby....



Big boy in the park.

Backlog of pictures is cleared!

Ok, so for a few months, we had an excuse that our desktop was being repaired and we could not download pictures from the camera. But we've attempted to catch up on all the slideshows going back to Week 29 (which is a long time ago now since Will is 10.5 months old now!)

Enjoy the new old pictures!

Will is 10 months old....

We can't believe it either our little guy is 10 months old! One year is right around the corner and we really can't believe how fast year 1 is sneaking up on us. Will is really coming along with his eating and walking (with some help from his cart). Some new babbling would be nice though. We mainly get Da Da Da but he does alter the volume to let us know how he is feeling.



It was a rough weekend at 11 Sherwood. Home improvement projects are difficult with a 10 month old running around. Put some new teeth in the mix and its really a party. We installed a new shelf system in the kitchen from Ikea. Its called "Stolemen" which means headache in Dutch or Sweden or wherever the Ikean's are from. I know that statement is wrong on so many levels.
Claudia carried Will most of the weekend so her back is loving life right now. All that aside everything has been great and we are having sooo much fun with little Will.

Video of walking is on the way uploading now...

Welcome to our niece Elizabeth

So much to celebrate this year - and now we add to that the birth of our niece, Elizabeth Mary Wright on April 25, 2009 at 2:05pm. 7 lbs, 20.5 inches. We are so excited for Brian and Daniella, and we can't wait to meet her. Will plans to ask her how she managed to come out with more hair than he has grown in ten months:

Yum.

In the last week and a half, Will has learned how to chew. We're so excited for him because now he can eat dinner with us, and he can look forward to lots of awesome things like Mema's chocolate chip cookies, Grandma Barbara's chocolate pudding pie, Grandma Mary's flourless chocolate cake, and maybe even Mom's chocolate truffles. For now, he's satisfied with shredded cheese, rice krispies, bits of muffin and bread, and bananas. He even came around on avocado.

Today was summer in April, and we took a walk in the Arboretum before it got too hot. We made sure to put on our hats and sunscreen. Will likes walking on grass, but so far isn't crazy about crawling on it.

Passover VS. Easter FIGHT!!!!!!!

Crazy holiday weekend, double family, double food, and double trouble.

The Jewish side got the first strike. They hit us with the Maztoh of 1000 forms, the root that burns nostrils, a mean brisket, delicious chocolate covered macaroons, and a caramel/chocolate covered matzoh that was insane.



The Catholic side would not be denied though. They didn't hold back on the counter attack. A giant chocolate Easter bunny led the charge. How can you fight something with candy eyes? Then the leavened bread and bacon came out. HERESY!!! Easter cupcakes, homemade toasted almond ice cream balls, and a delicious Easter breakfast.



In the end the only loser was Dad's stomach.

Back from Vacation...

Dad is back from a week long snowboarding vacation. You may be asking yourself how is this guy going away for a week? Well I am really lucky. For all the complaining I do I got it pretty damn good.

That being said I wanted to send a huge thank you to my Mom, for coming to Boston to help out. I also want to thank my lovely wife Claudia, for all the work she had to do watching Will for the week. It was a great trip and we got tons of snow. This year things were a little different though. In the back of my head I kept thinking about my little guy and getting him out on the mountain. Can't wait for that day its gonna be pretty awesome.

Will has been a ball lately, and a handful. The kid can move now, no more turn around after 20 seconds and he moved 3 feet. Do that now and he is probably in another room. He is keeping us busy but it has been so much fun. The most amazing thing though, is how he can find the 1 thing in the room that he shouldn't touch and make a B line for it. The cats aren't too thrilled right now, tails are sooo much fun to grab. Here is a pic I really like, we will upload more this weekend.



Will also got some new toys over the weekend. A ball from a company called "taggies" (he loves to gnaw on tags). Wasn't very interested in it evidently it has to be a real tag not some knockoff tag. We also broke out his cart to help him start walking. He does like that but the top toy for the weekend was a water bottle.

Direct Link - http://www.vimeo.com/3950375


Will Having Fun With Water Bottle from William Wright on Vimeo.

We meet Zoe!

Here are some initial pictures from the big event in our lives last week - meeting our niece / cousin Zoe Bay Hochman! As you can see, she is teeny tiny beautiful, and Will is ginormous.

It took Billy a few hours to work up the courage to hold the little peanut:

And then everyone got in to matching bear suits and we went out for a walk!

This gorgeous girl is clearly a ham, just like her cousin Will. :-)

Local Wildlife asks Will for help...

Hedgehog asks Will for Help from William Wright on Vimeo.

This video was shot 2 days before the Larry King interview with MoveOn.org and Ashley Judd. We had the story first...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2Bol2by4J0

Why I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired.

1. Things we've missed over the last two weeks include Meeting Zoe Bay, and smothering her with kisses; celebrating Yasmine's 2nd Birthday, and playing with our new neighbor Baby Shea.

2. I'm running through tissues like it's my job, and so of course, Will is obsessed with the tissue box. I'm constantly torn between having them close by and keeping them out of reach.

3. I still can't take anything fun to make me feel better or sleep better. I can't even take anything NOT fun besides Tylenol.

The battle of March 3rd

Well, there's irony, and there's this situation. You over do it when you go food shopping, anticipating a snow day or two, and lots of home-cooked goodness. Then the baby gets a stomach virus, which is short lived. Then Mom & Dad gets the stomach virus at the same time, and no one is eating anything. All we needed was Gatorade and soda, neither of which we had of course, until Ramona and Katherine delivered to our doorstep. We then had to call in the only babysitter we could get on short notice, our 4 year old neighbor Isobel. The stomach virus already worked its way through their house, so Isobel and her assistants, mom Lara and little brother Gio, took baby Will for a few hours so we could sleep and work up the strength to carry Will. With almost 2 years of experience in caring for baby boys, Isobel does an excellent job of feeding and cuddling:




















We are eternally grateful to them for their help and these awesome pictures of their adventure.