Some silly shots...

Just a few funny shots of Will. Not so much walking as running these days and eating everything in sight. He's a funny little guy!
Still loving the tub...

Wearing Daddy's Yankee jersey getting ready for my big baseball birthday party!

Mom, seriously, get this thing off of me.

Hmmmm... what's in here? Yea! Dirty clothes!

On the move helping me dust the floors. If only this would last until his teenage years!

Shoveling as many cooked carrots into his mouth as possible...

All gone!

Steeler Mania!

We've enjoyed the success of our Pittsburgh Steelers this year. It has provided a lot of opportunities for getting together with friends. Though you might enjoy some picture of the littlest fan!

We got together with my mom's group to watch the game a few weeks ago. Because Will is the only seriously mobile child he was walking all over and trying to pull the other kiddos' hair... kindergarten is going to be a trip...

Playing with Carl, Benjamin and Tyler.

Our friends Carolyn and Tom came over with their new little guy Eben to watch the first playoff game. The boys had a good time together!

We watched the AFC championship game with Nan and Pap. Will really loved the pom pom and scarf that Nan brought.

I'll be sure to post some pictures at Nan and Pap's Super Bowl party this weekend. Go Steelers!

Let it snow!

So it finally warmed up enough here for us to take Will out in the snow for a little play time. He was fascinated!

In a flashback to my childhood, I put plastic baggies on Will's hands and feet to keep them dry. This turned out to be a really good thing as his mittens didn't stay on very well as he tried to dig in the snow!

He didn't quite know what to make of all of these layers of clothes...

Ready to go...

Venturing out of the garage...

Here is a sort of belly shot for those of you who have requested it. BGG gets bigger everyday.

Christmas Cheer

I'm not even sure where to begin this post... There have been so many events this holiday season and buckets of pictures to go with all of them. We all had a MAGICAL Chirstmas this year, getting to celebrate with all of our family and many of our friends. Will, in true kiddo fashion, was more interested in wrapping paper, tissue paper and boxes than most of his presents, but certainly has a few new favorites! Christmas Eve we celebrated with family and went to Mass. We read Will The Night Before Christmas for the first time. I think we made it about half way through!

We spent Christmas morning at home just the three of us (and BGG of course). Will opened his presents from Santa and Mom and Dad. He also got to play with his new car from Joe's wonderful colleagues Lynn and Linda. He loves pushing it all around the living room.

After our early morning at home we all piled in the car in our PJ's and went to Nan and Pap's to open presents with them and Uncle Damon and Aunt Amy. Will loves the huge giraffe Nan and Pap got him and the airplane book from Damon and Amy. We are thinking he will be an outside linebacker because he has a lot of speed when he charges around the outside and wraps up the giraffe in a nice form tackle. I will post a video of this hilariousness soon! For now a picture of Will and his buddy will have to do.

We spent Christmas Day eating more than we should and relaxing around Nan and Pap's house with my grandmothers. Will got a motorized fire truck that we can't wait to see him ride in the spring around the cul-de-sac and up and down the driveway!

All tuckered out after all the Christmas fun...

Our next big event was Damon and Amy's beautiful wedding on New Year's Eve. While Will wasn't exceptionally well behaved at the ceremony, the rest of us were very happy to be a part of the wonderful event. The groom was dashing and the bride was beautiful. The reception was a great party- complete with a balloon drop at midnight and all the cookies your tummy could hold! We had a blast!

On New Year's Day Will went on his first plane ride to visit Grandmom and Grandpop and Aunt Jen and Uncle Fred in Connecticut. He was really good on the plane waving at everyone who went up or down the aisle. He loved watching the planes out the window with Daddy! He got lots of fun new things at his third Christmas, including a big bag of blocks and a fun plastic hammer that he carries everywhere he goes!

There really aren't words for how wonderful this holiday season has been. We are so lucky to have spent so much time with our loved ones. We are so blessed that Will has brought so much joy into our lives and his little sister on-the-way will just be double the fun!

Early Christmas Present!

Last weekend we all got an early Christmas present in the form of a visit from Anne and Tim, our dear friends who live in St. Louis. We had a great time just hanging out, getting in the Christmas spirit, and even going out for a grown-up dinner! We miss them already, but are looking forward to their return for BGG's baptism as they have graciously agreed to be her godparents. We miss them already. Here are some pictures of our fun weekend! Merry Christmas!

At one point, Will nearly played Tim to death...

We went into Pittsburgh to see the International Santa display, gingerbread houses and model trains. Will pointed to everything that he wanted to see, which was pretty much everything...

Checking out the gingerbread houses. He would have loved getting his little paws into those!

The Guarino's in front of the enormous Christmas tree!

Wonder Will

As promised, here is a little video of Will walking!

Here are some pictures from Thanksgiving!

Looking cute before eating.

Trying some mashed potatoes!

Escaping from getting his clothes changed because mashed potatoes were everywhere!

Trying a bit of dessert!

With Grandmom and Grandpop.

With Aunt Jennifer.

There is also a tradition in my family to go to the Festival of Trees which is a charitable event benefiting local children's services. We were excited to take Will to see the trees and meet Santa. He liked Santa for about 30 seconds and then wanted Mom! By far however, his favorite part were the model trains. He was mesmerized!

Watching the trains with Pap.

Looking at the trees with Dad.

We have WALKING!!

Yes, it is official, Will has taken his first steps. Last week, right around Thanksgiving he was letting go of things (like coffee tables, ottomans, etc.) and would take one step toward whatever he wanted. On Sunday evening, we witnessed about three steps and since then it has been 6 or so steps each time. We're really proud of the little monkey, but fearful of what this means for our home :-) We did manage to capture some of his first strolls on video and I'll work to post that soon.

In other news, Will also got 2 more teeth last week. That makes 6 total now. Joe is insistent he's ready for a steak on the grill! He also had his 9 month check up and is the picture of health. He's 20 lbs. 2 oz (50th percentile) and 29 inches tall (75th percentile). Our pediatrician also gave the green light for him to start exploring more table food. So far he likes mashed potatoes, cottage cheese, cooked carrots that he can pick up and feed himself, and pieces of rolls. He also had a bit of jello and ice cream dessert at Gandmom and Grandpop's for Thanksgiving!

More soon!