Will is 4!

Happy 4th Birthday Will Odom!

You have grown up in a blink of an eye. I cannot fathom that you will start Pre-K in august. 

At 4, YOU

• Weigh: 43.8 lbs (93%)
• Height: 41.5 in (75%)
• 20/20 vision
• Love, love,love sports
• Just finished your second soccer season and scored almost every game.
• Are the best playmate. 
• Are very protective of your siblings and your little girlfriends at school.
• Mimic everything your daddy does or teaches you.
• Are a pretty good helper.
• Are still as intense as ever.
• Are cautious and a little timid with a few things animals especially dogs, riding your bike, parts of swimming, and still will not go near mascots, Santa, etc.
• Love school.
• Know most of your letters and numbers.
• Are starting to draw real things.
• Cannot go by your brother without hitting, pushing, or at least touching him.
• Have the best grin.
• Want to be as big as your bro so bad.
• We love you so much William Garrick Odom.

Will Odom from birth to a 4 year old.

Will's Official Birthday

Will woke up to his 4th birthday with balloons, a new shirt, and breakfast delivery from Panera Bread. We had a very busy day celebrating. Strawberry Patch with our church friends, swim lessons, and Buffalo Wild Wings for dinner. Turning 4 is not too bad!

Birthday Breakfast

Celebrating at the Strawberry Patch

Our buddies Luke and Lydia Blevins

Our church play group

Swim lessons

Luke and Will
These boys are getting so big and still pick up and play like brothers

Ella Jo gave Will his gift.

Wrestling and baseball cards and a football. What more can a boy want.

Will is 4!

Sports Fan

Will said the best part of his birthday was his brother playing football with him and these pictures are awesome and pretty much sum of his personality.

Will

Catch me if you can

Love!

Worship Without Walls

This year was the first year we really got the boys involved with our church's Worship Without Walls day. They had the opportunity to go sing at the Assisted Living home with their Songbirds group. Will has learned the songs and is so close to 4- I broke the rules and signed him up anyways. I was so proud of him! He did such a great job!!!

Worship Without Walls

Add caption

Our Offer Group representing

So proud of my big boy Will

Will's Thanksgiving Feast

Today we had a Thanksgiving feast with Will's class. All the parents enjoyed lunch as well. His little class really is so cute. They all play together. Ms.Cassie told me that Will is Madison's protector. She is this petite little girl in his class. She said he will literally put his arm around her and his hand up to the boys for getting to rough around her. With all his aggressive and all boy traits he truly is a caretaker as well. I love watching him.

Will's Thanksgiving Feast

There is nothing better than a "hand" made craft. Love my little turkey Will.

Will
Age 3
Thanksgiving at school

Ring around the Rosie with friends

Decorating cookies...add icing, more icing, and a little more.

Madison, Chloe, Will, and Lily
Hanging with his girls

Crazies!

Will's Class

Will's teacher Ms.Cassie is so good about taking pictures of their day. Will seems to really love all the kids in his class. He says they play Monster on the playground and Power Rangers. Will is such a good playmate. Here are some pics from the past month or so.

And there you have it...

Will & Lily "Sleeping"

Sweet Class

When I'm an Adult...

In the car today Gaines pipes in from the back and says:

G: Mom, when I'm an adult I know where I'm going to live.

Me: Where?

G: Not with a husband or a wife. You are going to be so excited when I tell you! 

Me: Where?

G: With your friends Jessica, Melissa, Chris and their cute little baby girl. She is so cute! 

Me: But Gaines I will miss you so much.

G: You can come visit. 

Me: Well, Atlanta is too far.

G: Then I'll move to Knoxville and live with Aunt Stacie, she doesn't have a husband.

Me: Gaines, this makes me so sad. I don't want you to leave me.

G: You can visit me at Christmas. 

Well, that was when the conversation ended. At least he is independent.

We were telling Daddy about this tonight and Will said, "I'm going to live here FOREVER!" Bless him!

Country Lovin' Will

All of Garrick's family has a love for music and for Pop Culture in general and I think Will has that love as well. I thought he was going to be more of my Hip-Hop boy but he seems to LOVE Country music and prefers that to the children's music in the van. His favorite song on the radio right now is Wagon Wheel by Darius Rucker. His absolute favorite singer is Greg Hanna as in Mr. Greg -  Saylor and Hallee's dad. This is who we went to see in June at the Country Music Fest in Nashville. The Hanna's moved here from Canada where he is a Top 40 Country music singer and working on making it in the US. We have a copy of his new album in the van and Will listens to it non-stop - which means I listen to it non-stop. Don't get me wrong I really like it but cannot listen to it anymore! Now he has me pull up Mr. Greg's videos on You Tube. It is hysterical how much is loves him and his music. He will see someone with boots like "Mr. Greg" or the way he wears his hat. #1 Fan right here. 

Will performing "It Rained" by Greg Hanna:

Will performing "Wagon Wheel" by Darius Rucker:

Paci Fairy

Will has slept  4 times now without his paci or the collection of 5. He finally made the choice to send to the Paci Fairy in hopes that she would leave him a scooter. He was so excited when he woke up to a big red scooter. I am praying this goes well and he doesn't stop napping or sleeping as well without it. Yay Will and Yay Mommy and Daddy for finally doing it!!!

No more Paci...3 years old!

Croup

Will started running a fever on Thursday night and had no appetite but I thought at first it may just be a fever virus. Then by Friday morning he had started a croup cough. Every time he would sneeze or cough it would sound like a seal bark (because everyone knows what that sounds like..right?) or a sound that made you turn around and say, "What in the world was that?!?!" I took him to the doctor on Friday morning and he confirmed it was Croup. I remember Gaines had croup but I do not remember it being as bad as this. 

He has been so lethargic with no appetite. When he has a croup fit, it is so scary because he is just grasping for air and then panics because he can't breathe. Basically all you can do for it is keep him calm, a hot steamy shower, and a humidifier. 

Friday night was miserable. Garrick and I both were up every hour almost. I slept in Will's room and when he would wake up with a coughing/breathing fit Garrick would start the shower in the bathroom and I would bring him in as we tried to keep him calm to catch his breath. 

Saturday morning around 9am he got a little energy but still running fever his fits were less severe during the day. Saturday night, we were not doing the shower thing as much but more trying to keep him from gagging and throwing up. 

Sunday, still running a fever and screaming when even water went down his throat. This is miserable! 

Monday seemed to be better. He even ate and had energy and then totally crashed after nap. He threw up everything he ate. He still has not eaten much. I weighed him and he has lost 2 pounds in 4 days. 

Today, we headed back to doc and everything seemed to check out ok. Dr. Mukundan seemed to think the croup has just affected everything but he was super concerned about the weight loss. Hoping we can get him to eat something soon. For my baby boy to deny sweets means he is really sick. We are going on Day 6 of not doing anything besides hang at home. We are going stir crazy!

At the doc on Friday

On Saturday morning I finally got him to get off the couch for about 2 hours.

Sunday Night - pitiful

Frustrated

Will has been in underwear except at nap and night time since beginning of May. He has done excellent with peeing but #2 is about to send me into an early grave. It is miserable. He goes to the bathroom just enough to have to change his underwear at least 5 times a day and he will sit on the potty but will not go. Then it hurts because he has held it in. It is truly miserable and he will finally just poop all in his underwear. I don't know what to do. He would be totally content with wearing pull-ups but I can't go backwards. Rewards or threats are not working either. We took away paci (yeah great parenting since he is 3 years old) and said if he pooped in potty he could have back. Not working so instead he just screams for it and poops on himself! I know this too will pass but I'm hoping it does soon!

Will's 3 Year Check-Up - A month late

Today was Will's 3 year check-up about a month late.

3 YEAR STATS:

WEIGHT: 37.2 pounds - 90%

HEIGHT: 38 inches - 60%

BMI: 18.13 - 95%

VISION: 20/20

LINEBACKER BUILD AND STRAIGHT UP SIZEMORE FAMILY JEANS - BLESS HIM.

On his 3 year list of items I wanted to talk to the doc about:

1) Potty - Trouble pooping, hurts, miralax, enema - Doc said to continue the Miralax for a while until 2 weeks of good stools.

2) Mole on his head that has grown quite a bit - Doc said not to worry. Personally, I am still watching. It is in the exact spot that he had the IV in his head when he was in the NICU as a newborn.

3) His speech - Has trouble with quite a few sounds, you have to pay attention to understand him, and stuttering. Doc was not worried thought he was on track.

4) Hearing - He keeps asking me to turn up radio louder and louder. Wasn't sure if this was preference or a real problem. Doc said he was fine=).

5) Aggressiveness - Doc said to give consistent time-outs and consequences no tv, favorite toy. Well isn't that just great advice! He needs to go to that Super Nanny show to straighten this little toot out.

He still is on Zortec at night and has to use breathing machine every once in a while for wheezing. Mainly in the fall with hay.

Gaines was pretty patient until the doctor actually came into the room.

One more birthday surprise

We used the birthday money that the Great-Grandparents gave Will to get the boys a Kindle tablet. We debated between that an iPad and went in this direction. They both loved it! Will kept telling Gaines it was his "iPad." Gaines was unusually patient and took his turn. We would give it to him as soon as Gaines woke up where we would not have to deal with "sharing" with Will - great parenting I know!

I think he was protecting his "iPad"

I found Will in his room behind the door.

In his Ninja Turtle gear form his friend Chase.

Birthday Bowling

We are STILL celebrating and today is Will's actual birthday. Uncle Grant is hanging with us and we are taking the boys bowling for the first time. We meet at Hermitage Lanes and we walk in and busloads of kids had piled in. We were so lucky they had a lane available for us! Gaines was milking Uncle Grant for any help he could get and Will wanted to do it "his self." We hit the HUGE Arcade after bowling. Will just kept running from one to the other and Will headed straight to the basketball game.

Will did not like taking turns at all.

Uncle Grant and his nephews

Mommy's Boys

Intense.

Will's first choice in the Arcade.