The Liam Chronicles

Toot Toot Chugga Chugga Big Red Car

2008-10-14T06:58:00.003-04:00

Sunday, September 14 (continued):

(If you don't know the Wiggles, you won't get the title) Our friend Jenn had given us this car after her son Sean outgrew it (just before Liam was born). And Liam can finally enjoy it now! His feet don't touch the ground, so we had to get creative - first resting his feet on the doors (uncomfortable), then with Liam sitting on a phone book (it kept sliding out), and finally with his booster seat strapped in (perfect).

Fun with a Ball Pit

2008-10-13T22:06:00.006-04:00

Sunday, September 14:

Daddy had the genius idea of using the froggy pool all year...by making it a ball pit! As you can see, Liam is a big fan of this idea...

Yes, Liam's shirt says, "Baby (not midget) Do Not Toss."

Liam's First Swimming Lesson

2008-10-13T20:29:00.003-04:00

Saturday, September 13:

Liam started swimming lessons at the YMCA. They start each lesson by singing songs in the water - like Wheels on the Bus and the Hokey Pokey. The "class" gets him used to the water and he gets to see the other kids kicking, so he's starting to catch on.

Liam seemed to like being in the water and splashing around; but he does not like floating on his back. He loves jumping to Daddy during "Humpty Dumpty had a great FALL!". Then there's the slide - - Liam likes sliding into the water, over and over and over again!

Super Liam!

2008-10-13T12:29:00.004-04:00

Thursday, September 11:

Liam's new teacher, Miss Susan, has come up with lots of fun craft projects for the Pre-Toddlers. This one is pretty amazing, and a little hilarious. The "pre-tods" paraded around school in their Super Baby costumes! After seeing Liam in his costume, I can't imagine how fun it was to coordinate four kids in these!

Liam can eat with a spoon!

2008-10-13T12:17:00.003-04:00

Thursday, September 4:

Mommy decided to just try it...she used the suction-cup bowl and scooped in the yogurt, then handed Liam a spoon. And he did it! (Most of) The yogurt made it into his mouth, like he'd been doing this for a while! What a pro! Sure, we needed a bath afterwards - but who cares?!

Back to the Butterfly Garden

2008-10-13T12:08:00.002-04:00

Monday, September 1:

Liam and mommy decided to get out of the house and have some fun. We went back to the butterfly garden at Mendon Ponds Park. Liam had fun playing with the windchimes and the little waterfall, and he thought that "smelling" the flowers was hysterical. (he kept snorting on the flowers, instead of smelling them!) Then we walked on a short trail - Liam led the way! And we saw some horses before we left.

Playing in the Pantry

2008-10-12T21:07:00.006-04:00

September 5:
Liam isn't fussy very often - usually only when he's sick, really hungry, or bored. So we try to keep things new for him - bring out a toy that he hasn't played with in a while, find an arts & crafts project, or introduce him to the pantry. Ah, the joys of stacking juice boxes and cans of beans. Woo Hoo! Who wouldn't love this?!?

Liam goes to Grandma & Paka's House

2008-10-12T15:55:00.005-04:00

Sunday August 31:
Liam had his first sleep-over at Grandma & Paka's house! He went home with them on Saturday afternoon so Mommy & Daddy could go out for their 5th anniversary. On Sunday, we went for a visit, and to pick up Liam. He had a great night and was a little angel for Grandma & Paka. Uncle Sean and cousin Quinn came over on Sunday too. We got to see the horses - Quinn even fed them some apples and hay. And Liam got to sit on the tractor with Paka. Liam is fascinated by trucks and tractors these days, so it was an exciting treat! (unfortunately, mommy & daddy forgot to bring the camera outside...)

Liam goes to Cousin Quinn's Birthday Party

2008-10-12T15:20:00.005-04:00

Sunday, August 24:

Liam was very excited about celebrating his cousin Quinn's 3rd Birthday today! First we played with Molly before she had to say bye-bye. AND...Liam had his very first pancakes!

After we said goodbye to Molly, we headed to Buffalo. Whenever we asked Liam where his head was, he proudly demonstrated, and said, "Head." (our lil' genius!!!)

At the party, Liam had fun playing with Quinn's water table and other toys.

Liam goes to Niagara Falls

2008-10-12T11:07:00.005-04:00

Saturday, August 23:

Liam was so excited that his friend Molly came to visit from NJ! She's an older woman, so naturally Liam is smitten. Mommy & Daddy were happy that Molly brought her parents along - Scott and Amanda. We all ventured to Niagara Falls on Saturday. Liam slept in the car; Molly did not. We saw the Falls, had some lunch, went back to the Falls, and then headed to Buffalo for some real wings (for the Courcys...not for us).

Liam slept most of the way to Buffalo; Molly slept a little bit too. But when she woke up, Scott and Amanda had to entertain her in the car...

Then we played at a park on Lake Erie. Channel 7 news was there getting some quotes about Biden as the Democratic VP candidate - so Daddy was on the 6:00 & 10:00 news in Buffalo! After playing in the shade, we went to Pearl Street Brewery for some wings, other food, and adult beverages. (don't worry, the grown ups were all responsible)

Liam goes to a Sorority House

2008-10-12T10:55:00.004-04:00

Friday, August 22:

Outside the Kappa house with Aunt Karen.

Trying to eat his toys while hanging out in Aunt Karen's room:

Take this headband off of me and let me take a nap already!!!

His shirt says, "Dude, your girlfriend keeps checking me out." All the ladies love this one!

Weekend with Grandma & Grandpa

2008-10-12T00:58:00.004-04:00

August 16-17:
This weekend we took Grandma & Grandpa to the Farmer's Market and to Mendon Ponds Park. We had fun walking around, picking out peppers and arugula and other yummy veggies. Then after Liam's nap we visited lots of stops at the park - the beach, Devil's Bathtub, and a butterfly garden. The best was the "waterfall" in the butterfly garden - - we were expecting something much bigger. :o)

On Sunday morning, we had fun just playing on the deck.

Playground Junkies

2008-08-14T07:40:00.002-04:00

August 10th -

The game of distraction continues! Today we went to the Tinker Nature Park. We walked a trail around the park, saw lots of trees, went over a bridge, saw a pond, and played on another playground. Whew!

Fish & A Playground

2008-08-14T07:19:00.003-04:00

August 9th -

This weekend has been all about distraction. Liam is up to 12 teeth now, with more breaking through. He just chomps on his hand all day, and can get a little fussy at times. So we counteract the fussiness with distractions. Today we went to the fish hatchery in Perinton and fed some trout, watched the ducks, and of course, stopped to look at the flowers.

On the way home we stopped at a playground for a little bit. Liam was excited to see "tuh" - trucks!

I Can Do It Myself

2008-08-13T22:26:00.003-04:00

August 8th -

Liam is getting really good at using his push-cart and truck to walk around. He can control the speed a bit better, and even figured out how to turn around when he hits an obstacle. So clever!!!

Birthday Buddies

2008-08-13T22:20:00.004-04:00

August 2nd -

Liam has had quite the social calendar this summer! Today was his friend Evan's 1st birthday party. They had fun in the ball pit! (Hmmm...I think Liam needs one. Do they come in an adult size?)

Stopping to Smell the Flowers

2008-08-13T22:11:00.003-04:00

July 29th -
Liam loves to play outside. No matter what the weather, or what the time, Liam will crawl over to the door and bang on it to let us know that he'd rather be outside. Sometimes we play on a blanket, but most of the time we walk around to look at the trees and the flowers. I love the fact that Liam is fascinated by nature, and really enjoys the little things. We usually make a stop by the flower beds; Liam plops down and picks up any flowers that have fallen off the plant. He can say "Tree", and he can point to different things if you ask him: rock, leaves, flowers, and grass!

Bucket Hat

2008-08-13T22:04:00.001-04:00

July 24th -

Just playing around the house, looking adorable in daddy's bucket hat!

Pool Party, Baby!

2008-08-13T21:57:00.002-04:00

July 20th -

Liam had his first swim in a big pool today! It took him a little while to get used to the water, and before long he was loving it! He had so much fun swimming in his new tube from Grandma Grandpa.

Liam's Birthday Bash - Part II

2008-08-13T21:40:00.003-04:00

July 19th-

We had a combination party at Grandma & Grandpa's house to celebrate Liam's 1st Birthday and Tarilyn's college graduation. It was fun to see the fam - but it was such a hot & humid day, thank goodness for the pool. We tried to take Liam in the water, but only got his feet in. He liked watching the kids play in the water, and he had plenty of fun outside the pool!

Liam got lots of fun toys and adorable clothes today. Of course, he had more fun with the wrapping paper than anything else. So silly!

And Liam took his first steps today. Daddy was helping him walk around, and then Liam took two steps on his own!!!

We're Goin to the Zoo, Zoo, Zoo...

2008-08-13T21:28:00.003-04:00

July 12 -
...How about you, you, you? (it's a song; I think it's from Sharon, Lois & Bram's Elephant Show)

We slopped on the SPF 55 and took Liam to the Seneca Park Zoo in Rochester today. He wasn't as excited as I'd thought he'd be. When we saw ducks at the Erie Canal, Liam practically threw himself out of the stroller, he was so excited. Today we saw a tiger, rhinoceros, wallaby - and nothing really thrilled him. Except the flowers. Liam pointed out all of the flowers today. Our little hippie!

Liam & Daddy looking at the tiger:

Liam & Mommy looking at the baboons:

And the elephants!

Being a Goober

2008-07-10T21:22:00.004-04:00

Yesterday Liam had his one-year check-up! He weighs 27 lb. 14 oz. (>95th percentile), he's 32 inches tall (>95th %), and he's a very healthy boy.

After the appointment, everything was normal until bedtime. It took almost two hours of screaming and crying before he fell asleep around 9...then he woke up at 2 a.m. and wouldn't fall back to sleep until 3:40 a.m. and got up again at 6. Mommy was very tired today (Daddy's been in Florida all week for work) - - but when Liam is being a goober, the tiredness isn't so bad.

This afternoon we spent some time outside again after work & day care. Who could be tired or have a bad day around this goofy boy?!?!

Almost forgot - - on Tuesday (July 8th) Liam stood on his own, without holding on! Chaka (our cat) was napping on the cot that was still in our office from our weekend guests. Liam crawled over and stood up - while holding on - to pet Chaka. Then he pointed to some toys on top of the file cabinet, so I grabbed them. I held one out, and Liam took it with one hand. I held the second one out, and Liam took that one in his other hand. He stood there for at least a minute before he realized what he was doing, and sat back on his tush. It was so exciting - I could hardly breathe!!!

In the Backyard

2008-07-08T07:13:00.003-04:00

Monday, July 7 -
After work and day care, Liam and mommy had some fun in the backyard. Liam loved watching mommy blow bubbles, and watching them float and pop. He also had a great time playing with the new red ball from Grandma and Grandpa.

My New Zebra

2008-07-08T06:52:00.004-04:00

Sunday, July 6 -
Today was all about post-party clean-up for the grown-ups, and all about fun new toys for Liam! This zebra is from Grandma and Grandpa...it's a big hit!

Liam's Birthday Bash - Part I

2008-07-08T06:32:00.004-04:00

Saturday, July 5 -
Aunt Karen came over last Friday...Uncle Brian got here on Thursday...Grandma, Grandpa, and Aunt T got in on Friday, and everyone else joined the party on Saturday! It was a beautiful day and Liam was an absolute angel. People started to arrive around 2:30, which is when Liam started his afternoon nap. After about an hour, he decided to make his grand entrance. Even though there were lots of unfamiliar faces, he was a smiley boy all afternoon.

Liam even sat through all the present opening! He had so much fun with the tissue paper, and just being his goofball self. Liam had a great time playing in the grass with Evan - they even gave each other a hug. As always, Liam had fun with Sayj (his doggie friend). And Liam made a new friend, Sam. She was so good with Liam, jumping with him and sitting in the grass with him. It was a very happy birthday for our one-year-old boy!

Liam and Evan:

Fun with tissue paper:

Making his get-away from the present-opening-process (don't worry - he came back for more!):

Fun with Balloons

2008-07-07T22:37:00.002-04:00

Saturday, June 28 -
Last week at Amelia's birthday party, Liam got a punching balloon in his goodie bag. He didn't like it at first, but now he thinks it's hilarious.

Happy 1st Birthday!

2008-06-25T08:10:00.003-04:00

Tuesday, June 24 -
One year ago today...Liam came into our lives!!! We tried singing Happy Birthday this morning, but he wasn't really interested. And even though he doesn't know what a birthday is, daddy bought a little something new for Liam to play with today!

Grandma Kriss came over to play with Liam today - they had lots of fun going for a walk, and playing outside in the grass. Aunt Aly and Uncle Brad stopped by. And Liam got a balloon-bouquet from Grandma and Grandpa! There was no cake, but it certainly was a fun first birthday for Liam!

Bounce House

2008-06-25T07:32:00.003-04:00

Saturday, June 21 -
Today we went to Amelia's birthday party. She's an older woman - - she's two! Daisy and Mike (Amelia's mommy & daddy) gave Liam an early birthday present: a "beach patrol" truck set. Liam had lots of fun playing with the trucks until Evan came. Then Liam and Evan had fun playing together.

When it was time to eat, Liam was very curious about mommy's plate. So we tried little bits of strawberry - - he actually ate them without gagging! Woo Hoo! Solid foods, here we come.

But the best part of the day was the Bounce House...

Daddy's First Father's Day

2008-06-15T13:43:00.006-04:00

We didn't do such a good job of letting Daddy sleep in this morning. He was playing with us before 7! So we gave Daddy his present - Guitar Hero (which we're pretty sure is a hit!). After Liam's first nap, we went to a park for a little while. First we played on the swings and the slide...

Then we sat on a blanket in the shade for a while...

Lovin' the breeze...weee:

Sitting with Mommy:

Paka & Grandma's House

2008-06-15T13:28:00.005-04:00

Saturday, June 14 -
We went to Paka & Grandma's house today for a Father's Day visit. We got to see Mary, and Aunt Aly & Uncle Brad were there with Ani. Even though his buddy Sayj and a new guest-doggie Sadie were there Liam just thought Ani was hilarious. These pictures don't really do justice to his giggles...Liam kept up some big belly-laughs that were keeping all of us laughing for a while!

Taking a walk with Paka:

Water Baby

2008-06-14T08:18:00.003-04:00

Friday, June 13-
We tried the froggy pool again today, and Liam loved it! He splashed so much, we were surprised there was any water left in the pool...

Hmm...I think I'll take a nap right here.

Froggy Pool!

2008-06-11T07:43:00.003-04:00

Saturday, June 7 -
After two days with a stomach bug, Liam was doing better today (kept his bottles down). So after his morning nap, when it was already in the 80s outside, we went to buy a kiddie pool. Then of course we needed a beach ball to play with. And new swim shorts. And a bucket hat to protect his adorable lil' head from the sun.

While I inflated the pool, Liam thought it was hilarious to sit in the middle of it...so cute. I filled up the pool while Liam took nap #2, and let the water warm up in the sun. He finally woke up around 4 and off we went!

At first, I just put his feet in the water - and he screamed. So we sat next to the pool and I put his hands in - and he screamed again. So we had a lovely afternoon sitting near the pool and playing.

Ladies' Man

2008-05-31T10:59:00.006-04:00

Friday, May 30 -
After his second nap, Liam and mommy went to the park for a little bit. Liam had fun flirting with some older girls (high school!), playing on the swing, going down the slide, and playing in the grass.

Picking dandelions...

...pulling apart the dandelions...

...now where did it go?

Going to Grandma & Grandpa's

2008-05-31T10:16:00.004-04:00

Saturday, May 24 -
Liam is a driving pro now...

And Liam had fun at Grandma & Grandpa's, playing with his new soccer ball!

Yup, the shirt says it all: What happens at Grandma's STAYS at Grandma's. Mom and Dad got to go to a wedding, so we don't exactly know what happened while we were gone. Were there cookies involved? Staying up late? We'll never know... (just kidding - we know Grandma & Grandpa wouldn't do that!)

New Couch

2008-05-31T10:06:00.003-04:00

Friday, May 23 -
We had to test out the new couch in the sunroom...

Get Up, Stand Up

2008-05-31T09:59:00.003-04:00

Thursday, May 22 -
Liam got so many toys at Christmas that we kept some in his closet and only took a new one out every few weeks. This week we pulled out the "learning table" and Liam used it to pull himself up to standing!

Starting to Crawl

2008-05-31T07:42:00.003-04:00

Sunday, April 19 -
We thought Liam would skip crawling, and just walk...but we were wrong. On Friday and Saturday he got close to crawling, but couldn't quite get that second leg to go behind him. Today, he figured it out!

Who Needs Sleep?

2008-04-24T03:59:00.002-04:00

This is the fifth night in a row that Liam has gotten up around 2 - 3 - 4 a.m. He's been having really good days - so happy; hardly any fussing. But something keeps waking him up. And he's not even that fussy when one of us goes in to get him...he's just UP. So he wants to play and it's definitely not playtime.

Right now I have the little rainforest-crib-thing going. It's great, but the music only lasts 6 minutes. I thought I had the 18 minute setting figured out. Apparently not. It keeps him quiet, until it stops.

Just stopped...I think I'll have to finish this post tomorrow...

Dress Up Day

2008-04-10T13:34:00.004-04:00

Yesterday was Dress Up Day at school. The kids all got to wear costumes and have their picture taken. Our little billy goat doesn't seem too happy...maybe something without ears next time?

We got home from day care and went for a walk (it was 71 degrees out - yeah!), but Liam didn't seem to enjoy it. So we took a bath, played for a bit, talked to Daddy on the phone, ate dinner (broccoli & apple sauce with rice cereal), read stories and went to sleep.

I think Liam knew that Daddy was away - he started fussing around 10:15, then was crying by 10:45. We were up for an hour before sleepiness set in. Then he was up again at 4 am, for about 45 minutes. UGH! Hopefully he'll sleep better tonight.

Saratoga Road Trip

2008-04-09T23:46:00.000-04:00

April 4-6, we went to visit Uncle Brian at his new digs in Saratoga Springs. We drove Friday night after dinner and Liam slept the whole way. When we got in, he was fascinated by the dart board and Cherise - the gecko. After a bottle and a new diaper, he was back to sleep for the night.

On Saturday, Grandma and Grandpa came over too. We all went for a walk around town - it was a gorgeous day. Liam had fun people-watching and dog-watching.

Grandma brought some new outfits for Liam, and a new duckie from Aunt D. The duck sings the chicken dance, and Liam just thinks it's hilarious.

Go Sabres

2008-04-09T22:41:00.004-04:00

On March 29-30, Mema and Great Grandma came to visit.

Puffy Vest Day

2008-03-28T22:43:00.002-04:00

Today was Happy Liam & Mommy Friday. That's what we call Fridays since we're home together. It was such a good day - Liam was in a goofy, happy mood all day. He woke up at 6, so I gave him a bottle and then we played for a while. He got cranky at 7, so I put him down for a nap - he slept until 8:30! When I went to pick him up, we played a little tug of war with his blanket, and Liam just giggled.

I put him in his orange puffy vest today - so we had to take some pictures. For the last one, I held the camera up to take the shot of us.

We went to see Dr. G for Liam's 9 month check up today: he's 25 lb. 4.5 oz (95%), 29.5 inches (85%), and very healthy. He was even a happy boy at the doctor's office! He got a shot today, and only cried for about 10 seconds. Then when we got home, he drank a bottle and we played a bit more. He was still in a good mood, despite the shot!

Liam practiced pulling himself up to stand today. While we were playing on the floor, he kept scooting over to me and then using my arms/shoulders/whatever he could grab to pull himself up. He gets so excited about it, too! Although he's not trying to use the furniture. YET. But I'm thinking it's going to be any day now. Better start baby-proofing!

It's 10:48 pm, and I'm going to catch some sleep while I can. Good night, Sweet Boy!

More Puppy Love!

2008-03-27T10:54:00.003-04:00

Liam had a blast at Grandma Kriss's on Tuesday. He just had so much fun playing with Sayj! I guess Liam needs his own puppy soon...

Easter Eggs

2008-03-26T00:04:00.006-04:00

It's midnight, and Liam is singing to himself. With his eyes closed. He just downed a bottle, and now he's having some trouble falling back to sleep. I bounced the mattress for about 10 minutes, but my arms are jelly and it doesn't seem to be helping anyway. Ugh. I'm just hoping he falls back to sleep soon, and that maybe this means he'll (we'll) sleep past 5:45 a.m.

So, this past weekend was Liam's first Easter. We drove down to Grandma and Grandpa's house - Liam did great on the ride down and slept all 4 and a half hours. We had such a fun time visiting with Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle Brian & Aunt T. We did the Easter stuff on Saturday, so we could leave when we wanted to on Sunday. Uncle Mike, Mary, and Diane, Lou & Bobby all came over to color eggs and we had a delicious lasagna dinner together.

Liam was the main reason for coloring eggs (although the "big kids" enjoyed it the most). Liam did well sitting at the table with everyone, but when it came to the eggs, he mostly just dropped them. Or tried to eat them. No throwing, but he gets distracted and forgets he's holding something. Then, smash. It made for some interestingly-colored egg salad on Sunday. :o)

And the Easter Bunny left Liam his first Easter basket.

It's 12:33 now - I've had to go back in and walk around with Liam for a while until he calmed down. Then I laid him down and had to bounce the mattress for another 5 minutes. I thought he was asleep again, but he keeps doing his little "Da da da da da da da" thing every few minutes. PLEASE stay asleep!

Good Night, Sweet Boy.

Puppy Love

2008-03-19T04:18:00.002-04:00

Liam had an awesome day playing with Grandma Kriss and the puppies! After Liam's breakfast, he took a road trip with Grandma Kriss back to her house. He just loves the dogs - giggles at them, grabs their faces and gives them kisses. It's too cute. Hopefully it will be sunny and warm one of these Tuesdays so they can get over to the barn and see the horses. But it always seems to rain or snow on Tuesdays. Oh well.

Liam actually ate all of his dinner, and drank his last bottle today (the first time in about a week). But he still only had 5 bottles total. So I wasn't surprised when he woke up at 3:45 am. It's 4:18 now...just waiting for him to fall back to sleep so I can turn off the lullabies.

Even though he's still not crawling, Liam is getting good at scooting around on the floor. We really have to watch him now - he's quick! He does this half-split move and just kind of inches himself along. Today Liam was playing with some Tupperware bowls on the floor while I cooked dinner. One minute he was in the middle of the floor, I turned around and he was over near the counter, trying to do something with the stool. He's not quite pulling himself up on furniture yet, but he does when he's sitting on mine or daddy's lap. We're getting close!

I think we are finally back to sleep now...Good Night Sweet Boy!

Baby or Banshee?

2008-03-17T00:29:00.002-04:00

It's 12:26 am and Liam just finished his bottle - he never drank his last one tonight. Just asparagus & rice cereal for dinner; he wasn't interested in the bottle then. Now that he's back in his crib, he's protesting. And we're on a whole new level of screaming these days! It's a cross between a ring raith (sp?) from Lord of the Rings...or in The Princess Bride, when Humperdink raises "the machine" to 50 on Wesley. Or just plain banshee. UGH!

When Liam was sick last week, he spent most of his naps and most of he nights sleeping on mommy on the couch. And when he'd wake up, we'd walk around until he settled down again. Toward the end of the week when we started putting him back in his crib, the banshee made his appearance. We weren't sure if he was in pain - the thrush? the congestion bothering him? was he teething? Or was it just protest-crying?

We'll never know.

It's 12:32 and the screaming has been replaced by the occasional whine. And some singing! I really think he tries to sing along with the lullabies. It just sounds like, "ahhh ahhh urrr ehhh," but I think he's trying. Hopefully he's asleep for the night now (fingers crossed).

He had a really good day. We read about a dozen books, watched big chunky snow flakes fall this morning, played with Chaka until she ran and hid, jumped in the jumperoo, and played with lots of toys. I'm trying to teach Liam what a monkey says, since he pretty much makes the noise on his own anyway. I think he's starting to catch on! And that's our story for today.

Good Night, Sweet Boy!

Back at full-Bubba strength!

2008-03-14T15:31:00.004-04:00

After being sick all week, it was nice to have Liam acting like a goober again today. Here we are, playing with some bowls on the kitchen floor while mommy makes peaches and oatmeal for breakfast (Liam's new favorite!).

It was so hard to see Liam so uncomfortable this week - with fevers anywhere from 100 to just over 103, a cough, a runny nose, and another bout with thrush...he just hasn't been himself since Sunday. Until today! Now, he's back to "full-Bubba strength!"

STICKY is funny!

2008-03-01T02:30:00.003-05:00

It's 2:27 a.m. and we just broke the amazing sleep cycle. It's been something along the lines of 16 nights in a row where Liam slept through from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. Until tonight.

Aside from the tear-filled diaper change, it wasn't so bad. Once we got the bottle, Liam was so cute - both of his hands were holding my bottle-hand while he ate. Once he was done, he just curled up against me; he's such a little snuggler.

We had a really good day. It was happy-Liam-and-Mommy Friday. After being away this week, it was nice to soak up some quality Liam time. We danced, we ate, we read books, played with toys, jumped in the jumperoo, watched MORE snow fall, and of course took naps.

While we read Violet's House, Liam was being adorable, as usual. It has different textures in the book, and he used to get visibly excited about the last page. He would just hold the red yarn-hair of the doll in the book while I read the last page. The other day, when we got to the page that shows "sticky finger paints", I put Liam's finger on the finger paints, and pulled it away and said, "STICKY!" He giggled so hard! Days later, and we're still getting lots of giggles over STICKY!

While we were reading it today, he kept touching the finger paints and laughing. Sticky is funny!

It's 2:36 and I think Liam's back to sleep. A few minutes ago, it sounded like he was singing to himself...but now I just hear the lullaby. Ah...

Good Night, Sweet Boy.

Sad Mommy

2008-02-26T09:58:00.002-05:00

Mommy is leaving for a few days for work...it's so sad leaving Liam.

The past two weeks have been great - Liam's been sleeping all night, so I haven't had those 2 a.m. stretches to keep up the blog! He's still on antibiotics for the ear infection, but he's doing much better. And the cough is pretty much gone now.

His new thing is biting his toes - so adorable. And Liam laughs at fake sneezes, and the word "STICKY!" We took some pictures before day care this morning...so I can look at them while I'm away.

Book-Crazy

2008-02-20T00:52:00.002-05:00

It's 12:49 a.m. ...just waiting for Liam to fall back to sleep. He downed the whole bottle, and fell asleep at the end (while drinking). I got a good burp out of him, but he still screamed when I laid him down. After some mattress-bouncing, he settled. But he's "complaining" to his mobile right now. We'll see...

Liam had a good day - no fever at all, and he seemed to be doing better and resting more today. He napped from 8 - 9:30 a.m. and from 11:30 - 2:30 p.m. When he was actually awake today, Liam was really into his books. As soon as I'd finish one and put it to the side, he'd lean over and pick it up to read again.

Whenever we read Violet's House, he gets excited and flaps his arms. The book has different textures, and he just loves the last page - it has a doll with real yarn for hair. He just lights up when we get to that page, and grabs the doll's hair.

He also goes crazy for the book Dogs (thanks, Kate!). There's one picture of a sheep dog, and you can touch his "shaggy" fur - he loves to touch that one. And there's a picture of a Dachsund (sp?) with ears that are "floppy" - he thinks that one is pretty funny, when you flop the ears. My favorite is a page that says, "All dogs poop," and then has a slider so that a dog lifts his leg..."All dogs pee." Ah, bathroom humor.

We spent lots of time making music today, too. Liam is getting really good at pushing the different buttons on his superstar toy...

Ah, it's 12:59 now and Liam's back to sleep. Good Night, Sweet Boy.

Lake Placid

2008-02-19T01:49:00.007-05:00

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 15...
We were on the road by 10 a.m. (good start). Liam was great; we played for the first hour & 15 minutes, then he took an hour nap, followed by a bottle. We stopped once to change Liam & so Chris could get gas and grab some sandwiches for us. Then Liam and I played for another hour; and he slept the rest of the way. The only problem was this little cough that Liam started in the car.

We got into town around 2:45 p.m. Liam had so much fun playing with Molly. Well, they didn't really play - but they laughed at each other, and Liam tried to grab Molly's arm while she tried to touch his face. Too cute. And they played with each other's toys.

Liam went to sleep at 7, as usual. But he woke up a few times soon after. Each time, I walked him around until he fell back to sleep, and then laid him down. Around 10, we just called it a night. Liam got up a few more times; we gave him Tylenol at one point; tried a bottle; and even tried bringing him into bed with us. He finally slept a good stretch from 3:30 - 6:30 a.m.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 16...
The kids had fun "playing" together again. Liam seemed back to normal and just loved all the (15?) people in the house - watching them walk around or talk or eat. And all the ladies just loved Liam! That cough was getting worse, so Liam didn't leave the house. Some people skied, others shopped, others went to a pub for a 3-hour lunch.

Here's Liam, being his silly self:

That night, I gave Liam a sponge bath (didn't trust the cleanliness of the tubs) and he went to bed a little early. But he was up at 7:30 (Chris got him back to sleep). Then again at 8:30 - he was really warm so I gave him Tylenol and got him back to sleep. He was up again shortly after, so I decided to just go to bed. From 9 p.m. until 7:30 a.m., it was a routine of fall asleep for anywhere from 15 minutes to 2 hours...and we tried all sorts of things to get Liam back to sleep. Repeatedly.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 17...
So we decided to cut the trip short. Good thing - Liam ran a fever again during the trip home (Tylenol was in easy reach...whew!) He woke up once Sunday night and had a fever of 101.3 - so Tylenol again, and Chris gave him a bottle.

Monday morning we called the doctor and went in to see what was wrong. Liam has an ear infection in both ears, and some congestion that needs to work itself out. He's on antibiotics now for the ears - and when he got up just now (1:15 a.m.), no fever. Yay! But that cough just breaks my heart. Poor little bubba.

He's back to sleep now, so Good Night, Sweet Boy!

Road Trip!

2008-02-15T07:41:00.003-05:00

Liam slept through the night for the second time in a row (7 pm - 6 am). Woo Hoo! Such happy parents are we.

It's 7:38 a.m. and Liam is taking his first nap. We're trying to finish packing, get ourselves ready and get the car loaded before he wakes up. Then it's diaper - get Liam dressed - feed him breakfast - diaper again - bundle the baby -- GO!

We're off to Lake Placid with some friends. Should be interesting, to say the least. A full blog report and pictures are promised on Tuesday.

Wish us luck!

Who's Your Daddy

2008-02-14T22:26:00.007-05:00

This is Liam's reaction when Daddy gets home:

Happy Valentine's Day

2008-02-14T07:44:00.006-05:00

Liam's Valentine's Day gift to us was sleeping through the night. YAY!!!!!!!! He went to bed at 7 last night and didn't wake up until 6 a.m. Woo Hoo!

He had a really good day yesterday, although he pulled Miss Jenn's hair and laughed about it. Little goober!

When we got home, we played a bit. And daddy rushed home so he could give Liam his dinner. Awww... We took this picture while we were playing yesterday afternoon; the caption is, "Uncle Brian, let me tell you about my day..."

Our Lil' Troublemaker

2008-02-13T12:24:00.004-05:00

Yesterday at day care, Miss Julie had 5 of the 6 babies napping at the same time. Who was the little rebel? Yup! You guessed it. And to top that - Liam started exercising his vocal cords to wake up all of his friends. Later, when Liam was napping, his friends were playing and that woke him up. So, they got him back.

Chris and I have a feeling that Liam is going to be one of those kids who does something bad, but then looks at you with his sweet smile...so you can never get mad at him. Little stinker!

But he's such a good kid - he is happy almost all of the time, laughs at almost anything, eats whatever we give him, and goes to sleep when he's supposed to (at least, for us). So, no complaints. He really keeps us laughing all the time. This weekend, he did the cutest thing: our friends Mike & Amy came over with their son Evan. Liam was so excited to have another baby here. At one point, Liam leaned over, grabbed Evan's sleeve & pulled him in for a slobbery kiss on the cheek. It was the cutest thing I've ever seen!

Liam is five weeks older than Evan; but check out the photo. Daddy & I like to call him a "Giant Among Babies"!

New Tricks

2008-02-12T04:13:00.000-05:00

It's 4:10 a.m. and Liam is being lullabied back to sleep...he started babbling and cracking himself up after the bottle; it's so hard to just walk away. Even when I put him in his crib, he just smiled and laughed at me - ugh! If it wasn't such an awful hour, I'd play with him. Ah, well.

So Liam has some new tricks these last few days...

...he grabs his toes. A lot. (hence, the photo above) Even when he's drinking a bottle, he'll reach out one arm, lift his leg, and grab his foot. He'll stay that way for a while. It's like baby yoga or something.

...he can wave hello & goodbye! Liam's friend Addison has been teaching him how to wave at day care, and this weekend he got lots of practice. Mike & Amy came over with Evan (he's just a few weeks younger than Liam) on Saturday, and then Paka, Grandma Kriss, Aunt Aly & Uncle Brad came over on Sunday.

...he can clap (almost). When Liam gets excited, he tries to clap - but there's no sound. And sometimes he misses. We're getting there!

...yogurt and oatmeal (but not together) have been added to the menu options. Liam is such a good eater - he just devours whatever we give him.

Every day, there's something new in the world of Liam. But right now, our world should be sleeping!

Good night, sweet boy.

Can You Hear Me Now?

2008-02-07T02:20:00.001-05:00

It's 2:17 a.m. and I'm waiting for Liam to fall back to sleep. He had a great day, except his naps were no longer than a half hour each today (usually he gets at least one good one of an hour or more). But he played, he ate, and he was his usual happy, silly self. Just a little tired.

While Liam was having his last bottle at 6:30 p.m., daddy called from Atlanta. This was the third night, so I think Liam knew it was daddy. He got all excited when the phone rang - stopped drinking his bottle and started laughing and flapping his arms. Then while I was talking with Chris, I was holding Liam - I think he could hear daddy's voice, because he got even more excited. When I put the phone up to Liam's ear so daddy could talk with him, Liam's face just lit up. He was smiling so much!

Earlier we had listened to a message from daddy, Liam stopped playing to whip around and stare at the answering machine. He just kept looking at the answering machine and giggling. Too cute.

Anyway, I think we have achieved sleep so it's off to bed for mommy, too.

Good night, sweet boy.

Sock it to me!

2008-02-05T22:45:00.001-05:00

So, we were up at 6 - we drank a bottle, danced to the Wiggles, and then took a nap around 8. Grandma Kriss came over today and Liam had such a great time. They played with lots of toys, ate bananas & cereal for breakfast...carrots and yogurt for lunch...it was a happy day.

When I finished work at 5, I came downstairs to find Liam and Grandma sitting by the glass door in the living room. Liam was looking out the window and chewing on his sock!

Lately Liam likes to grab his feet and pull off his socks...and I know his teether of choice is cloth...so it just makes sense. He's such a goober!

It's almost 11 - mommy stayed up too late and Liam will probably be up soon. UGH! Please stay asleep a bit longer.

Good night, sweet boy.

I Want My Two Ounces

2008-02-05T22:33:00.000-05:00

Monday, February 4, 2008

Another great day for Liam - such a happy kid! He missed his afternoon nap, so after day care he was a little fussy. One minute, he's cracking himself up playing with toys...the next minute, it would be tears (see photo). He just misses his daddy.

Chris called from Atlanta and I put the phone up to Liam's ear - he kept looking around for Chris, and smiling at daddy's voice. Too cute!

When I gave Liam his last bottle at 6:30 pm, he only drank 4 of the 6 ounces. A little before 11 pm, he woke up - I changed his diaper and walked him around, but he wanted his two ounces. He cried so hard, and even bit my arm; anything to get his point across!

With a full belly, Liam went back to sleep and didn't get up again until almost 6 a.m.

Good job, sweet boy!

Are you ready for some football?

2008-02-03T22:58:00.000-05:00

Liam's pick: the Giants. Nothing against the Patriots or their fans; he just wants his Grandpa and Uncle Brian to be happy. Fortunately, Liam didn't last through the Super Bowl - he was asleep by 7 as usual. He just woke up (10:40) with a soaked diaper and a BIG burp. After some walking around, and some mattress-bouncing, he fell back to sleep.

Liam was so good today. We started the day at 6:30. He ate, played, and napped before we took him to church for the second time. This church (Uncle Brad's church) was a bit more contemporary than the last - they had a band and group of singers (rather than the traditional organ and hymns). He was due for a bottle just as the service started - so I got one ready, but he was so excited & distracted by the music. He stood on daddy's lap, bounced to the music, and waved his hands around. Once the pastor started speaking, Liam started his bottle. When the bottle was done, Liam started speaking up!

But, there were accomodations - we watched the rest of the service on a screen in a room next to the main room. It worked out perfectly; I think we found a keeper. Plus we get to see Aunt Aly & Uncle Brad if we go to this one.

The rest of the day was great. More yogurt today; although, we gave him a bit less than yesterday. Trying to avoid the smelly spit up. And Liam took all of his naps. (even mommy got to sneak in a good half hour in the afternoon)

Cutest moment of the day: we were playing on the floor and Liam kept raising both arms toward me, so I decided to take that as "Give me a hug, Mom." He gave a squeeze right back - ah! I love Liam-hugs!!!

So it's 11:10 p.m. Liam is back to sleep. Here's hoping he stays asleep until 7 a.m. Fingers crossed!

Good night, sweet boy.

*************************************************
12:45 a.m. and we're up again. This time we walked around until he fell asleep; as soon as I laid him down he started screaming. So we changed the diaper (only a little wet) and walked some more. Still screaming - so we had a bottle. But only 4 oz. this time.

He still screamed when I laid him down, but he calmed himself down right away. The lullaby is still going, but I think he's already asleep. Whew. It's 1:22 a.m. and mommy's going back to sleep.

Mallrat

2008-02-03T04:25:00.000-05:00

It's 4:22 a.m. Liam just finished a bottle. He stirred a few times tonight, but this is the first time he woke up - with blood-curdling screams. So I changed a very wet diaper then decided to break down and give him a real bottle (not water). He downed it. Now he's watching sea creatures dance on his ceiling, the Muppet mobile is spinning, and Brahm's Lullaby is doing it's thing.

By the way - the whale on the sea creatures projector looks like Fudgie the Whale from the old Carvel commercials. Just sayin'.

So at 6 a.m. we started a great day (Feb.2). Liam & mommy got up, had a bottle, danced to the Wiggles, played with some toys, and got things ready for daddy's birthday breakfast. Then we both went back to sleep around 8:15. I got up at 10 and started breakfast...Liam stayed asleep for another half hour. Tired boy! Birthday breakfast was omelets with mushrooms, red & green peppers, onions, pepper jack cheese; meatless sausage links; and hash browns. Liam had pears & cereal.

Then we opened presents...played some more...and took another nap around 1 p.m. When Liam woke up, he had sweet potatoes and he ate yogurt for the first time! (he spit up a bit of the yogurt - the smell is awful!) But he seemed to like it. :o)

With full bellies, we headed out to the mall. This was Liam's second time in a mall. But the first time, he wasn't nearly as alert. Today he had fun in the stroller, watching the people & looking at all the lights. It was so cute to watch him just kicking his feet around, content as can be. Whenever there was a mirror in one of the stores, we played peek a boo in the stroller - he loved it. Although I think one of the guys in Banana Republic was getting a little ticked at us. Whatever. But Liam was so good - didn't fuss once the whole time we were out.

Back on the home front, Liam had peas & cereal and then his last bottle and went to sleep at 7 p.m. He stayed asleep until now -such a good boy! It's 4:33 a.m. now, and I think he's asleep once again. Gotta get some more sleep before church.

Good night, sweet boy.

Like Water for Milk

2008-02-02T01:23:00.000-05:00

It's 1:20 a.m. and I'm waiting for Liam to fall back to sleep. He had a really good day - a total of 3 hours of naps, ate all his meals, drank all his bottles, and went to bed by 7p.m. So all the books say he shouldn't need to get up at all. I let him fuss for almost 10 minutes, and then went in. Very wet diaper. Very upset little boy. We walked around a little. Then I gave him a bottle of water (trying to end the habit & the reward for getting up). He's still my little cuddle-bug...while he drinks his bottle, I just love it when he reaches up to squeeze my chin or touch my cheek or tug my hair. Awww...

After about 2 oz he sat up and started shaking his head, like he was telling me "No." Then, bleh...puked up water.

But then he settled down and seemed sleepy. The ocean creatures are dancing across his ceiling (projector) and Brahm's Lullaby is working its magic. It's been 5 minutes, and he's still fussing. UGH.

Funny new thing today - Liam and I were playing on the floor a lot; he loves to reach in the basket and pull out toys. Every once in a while, he would get frustrated because a toy rolled out of his reach, or because he couldn't pick it up with one hand...and he would clench his fists, make his face go beet-red, and let out this LOUD scream! Temper, temper.

At first I tried consoling & calming him. That did nothing. Then I tried screaming back. He just screamed more. So we had a little chorus of screams. But then he started "singing" in this high-pitched voice...just baby sounds, but it really sounded like he was trying to sing. Or yodel. He cracks me up! Oh, and the ABC-singing dog was about the only thing that would really calm him when he got angry today. Cousin Dawn is a genius for giving him that toy!!!

Ah, it's been 10 minutes and Liam is back to sleep. For now. Gotta go get some more sleep in while I can. Oh, and it's daddy's birthday today (Feb.2) - maybe that's why Liam woke up. He was so excited to celebrate daddy's b-day for the first time. :o)

Good night, sweet boy.

Party in my crib. Midnight. BYOB.

2008-02-01T00:25:00.001-05:00

We were so spoiled for a while. After 4 months of getting up every 2-3 hours, the last few months have been super easy: sleeping through the night (7 p.m. - 7 a.m.), or getting up once around 2-4 a.m. But lately, these midnight parties are exhausting mommy and daddy again.

Don't get me wrong; Liam had a great day - all smiles from when he woke up at 6:50 a.m. until we got jammies on around 6 p.m. He ate his peas, but then on the second spoonful of cereal, Liam started crying. With the cereal still in his mouth. So, it was out of the high chair and onto the couch for that oh-so-comforting bottle with daddy. Liam was asleep in minutes.

Well, he had a productive day - who wouldn't be asleep by 6:30? After entertaining everyone at day care with his belly-laughs, dancing around the kitchen with mommy, bouncing in the exersaucer, and chewing on a toy puppy...whew! I'm tired just writing all that!

But it's 12:30 a.m. After a diaper change, a full bottle, a little rocking, and a lot of mattress-bouncing, our bubba is fast asleep once again.

Today's menu: pears and rice cereal...carrots and tofu...peas and rice cereal.

Best moment of the day: Went to get Liam from day care at 5 - he was sitting on the floor, playing with some toys, and his face lit up when he saw me. So I picked him up and he gave me a big hug and then a slobbery, open-mouthed kiss on the cheek. Awww...

Good night, sweet boy.

Give Peas a Chance

2008-01-31T00:22:00.000-05:00

Liam is apparently the class clown. Miss Julie told me that Liam was laughing so hard, he had tears in his eyes. It was making her laugh pretty hard, too! Plus, the other kids all stopped what they were doing and just watched Liam.

He had bananas & cereal for breakfast, sweet potatoes & tofu for lunch, and peas & cereal for dinner. Liam is such a good eater - do you know any other 7-month-old who actually eats tofu?

Bathtime was right after dinner. Liam loves to "read" his Winnie the Pooh bath-book in the tub (excellent gift, Grandma!). He almost looks serious!

At 6:30, he had his last bottle of the day. He fell asleep while eating (ah, that's the life!), and didn't quite finish. Bedtime tonight: 6:50 p.m. He was so tired, he didn't even stir when I laid him down.

Good night, sweet boy.