Willow - 15 months

In the beginning of October, Mandy was able to go to her friend Angi's baby shower, and on November 8th, she had her daughter. It seems like everyone is having babies lately. Andy turned 30 on October 13th; he has officially entered middle age, though he still acts like a child. Willow attempted to climb the stairs this month, though only at Bob & Dorothy's house. We were able to visit Sue, Shea, and Deagon; Willow loved cruising someone else's home, toys, and books. She was able to dress up as a cow twice this Halloween. She was definitely the cutest child out there. ;) As a family, we took pictures at JCPenny's. They can never get her to smile like we can. On November 4th, Willow came with Mandy to vote at the Rutland town hall; she wasn't enthused about the booth with the curtain. Finally, the beginning of November has brought Willow's courage to begin walking a few steps on her own. We are hoping she will be cruising by Thanksgiving.

Halloween

This year we dressed Willow up as a cow for Halloween. Willow really enjoyed the evening and managed to stay awake the whole time. We decided to travel in Bob & Karen's neighborhood in Oregon, since our area is not conducive to trick-or-treating. The weather was perfect, and Willow walked part of the way with a little handholding. She quickly learned the art of taking other people's candy and putting it in your own bucket. Willow even met a new friend, a lion, and attempted to befriend all the dogs. She was extremely friendly, telling everyone hi and bye.

Trick-or-Treat at the Zoo

Andy took Willow to the Madison Zoo for trick-or-treating on the 26th of October. They didn't get any candy, but everyone got to see cute Willow. She enjoyed the animals and even petted a snake, something that probably wouldn't have happened if Mandy was there. She also got to ride on the carousel.

Willow - 14 months

Thanks partly to the walker toy Luke gave us, Willow has been learning to walk with assistance. It's amazing how unsure they are at first. This month Willow was lucky enough to spend time with Grandma Kuck and Uncle Zach. Mandy began her subbing at the New Glarus School District in late September; this has been an interesting and enlightening experience. Mandy has learned so much about her future vocation. On September 27th, Badgers began their season. The first two games, which we were lucky enough to watch as a family, they lost by 2 points. But these games did nothing to prepare us for the crushing defeat on October 11th against Penn State. We had a great Friday night hanging out with Sheryl, Sesily, and Ashton, complete with a bonfire. Willow just loves Sesily and Ashton. Willow expanded her vocabulary to include caw, cracker (a favorite of hers), squirrel, car, vroom, and "whazat." She also really likes playing with Molly, throwing the toys for her, and she is able to find Pooh in her storybooks. When we compare Willow to her past pictures, she's still chubby, but not nearly as much as she used to be.

Willow - 13 months

In July, we got our kitties; a few days after Willow's birthday, Curiosity went missing. We never did find him. Willow developed a love of cake, inherited from her daddy. We went with Dorothy up to Appleton and got to visit Joyce, Marnee, and Grandma Marx. Throughout the summer, Mandy was looking for stuff on craigslist. We found this baby backpack for hiking that was a great deal, along with a duplo table, and a car and slide like Mandy had as a kid. If you keep your eye out, the deals can be really good. At Willow's 12-month appointment, she had to get several shots and have her blood taken. She didn't like the needles, but the worst was when they squeezed blood out of her finger. Patches went missing on the 21st and was found dead in the garage. The same thing happened to Superstition the next week. Willow copies everything we do now. She's started hugging and kissing her baby dolls and stuffed animals. She brushes her hair and is just starting to pull herself up to standing on her own. She is also giving us hugs, which is the most awesome experience. Willow has finally learned how to take bites out of a cracker and is getting much better at chewing. She now has 12 teeth. Sue's daughter, Shea Elizabeth, was born on August 30th; she was 8lbs 12oz and 18 1/2 inches long. Mandy started classes part-time at Edgewood again, and she is also subbing at the New Glarus School District now.

Willow's 1st Birthday Party

Willow turned 1 on August 10, 2008. We decided to have her party on Saturday the 9th. We were glad so many of our close family could come. Willow had to be convinced that the presents were worth her time; she wanted to crawl around and say hi to everyone. She didn't really understand how to open the gifts, but she did have fun playing with them. She also tried to share them with her guests. Grandpa showed Willow that socks can go on your hands and feet. We made Willow a cake shaped and decorated like a car because she loves cars so much. We had to put icing in her mouth to taste before she realized that she could eat it, not just play with it. Willow managed to eat plenty of cake while she made a mess. Tami and the girls were able to come down and stayed the night. We had a nice dinner and built a bonfire. Our kittens kept coming by the fire and nosing in the marshmellows.