Cute New Things; Vol. 1 Issue 6

Liam has been up to many cute & adorable things recently & although my goal was to chronicle them individually, he's been keeping Mama busy so a bullet list will have to work for now!

• He has a FellowSpeak word for his "boy parts". One day he just up & discovered his twigs & berries down below there & came up with his word, which of course is only pronouncable in FellowSpeak but it sounds/looks something like this: G'LGAH; or at least that's how Dada "spelled" it out for me. Sometimes he also uses this word for "crayon" which well, isn't too far off now is it? He's gotten quite acrobatic about his viewing angle on his changing table also, which I find to be quite adorable. I do think I could get him to do a somersault rather easily in one of his preferred positions if I just gently tipped him on over. Of course, not while on his changing table!
• After his string of colds this winter, he now allows me to successfully wipe his nose and even goes as far as coming over (hopefully before implementing his arm/sleeve into the process) says "noooo" and puts his little nose into the air for me to wipe, while he stands still. He wipes his hands & mouth after finishing a meal; not well enough to be considered clean but definitely well enough to be considered a Big Help.
• He's learning his body parts quite efficiently these days with only a tad bit of confusion on my behalf - I was under the impression that he had to know HIS OWN body parts in order to pass the Name 5 Body Parts on his 18 Month Old Midterm. I didn't realize he could be pointing out anyone's G'LGAH nose, foot, eyes...so he's been doing my facial features for a while now but we've stepped it up & can actually say some words! Mouth & nose are the most frequently attempted words in that forum but FOOT! is making a big run recently. He will show you his feet (especially while in his highchair) or just one foot on demand! He gets very proud & loves to do it with a sense of humor - very slyly & very slowly will this FOOT! appear.
• He walks around in our shoes/slippers! Doesn't that just melt everyone's heart when they see their child stumbling & bumbling around in Dada's shoes?? He gets a little confused though when he wants me to put Dada's slippers on & I already have my own on...usually resorts to taking mine off and sliding Dada's on my feet :)
• Liam has finally taken to Bedtime Stories - he was never a Book Before Bed kind of boy as we were too busy rocking him but now he takes a couple books to bed with him & reads to himself after we say our goodnights. The cute thing is making sure he has ALL the books he wants in bed with him. Must Have Books in Bed: Freight Train, Have You Seen My Cat?, Are You My Mother, Hello Spring!, & My [gay] Baby Elephant. It's really sweet to see him with his arms full of all his Must Haves & getting ready to snuggle in for the night.

On Being a Fellow

Here's a few more things Liam has been doing recently - mostly they melt my little heart & I just cannot get enough of this kid of ours and the rest of the mostly is just funny to me!

1. He is slowly starting to learn to self feed! But sadly, he is choosing really hard foods to do this with, like yogurt. He is taking the spoon nicely from me & putting it in his mouth & handing it back to me when he is ready! He rarely misses his mouth but doesn't do it consistently so while I'm happy about this progress, it's still in the baby stages. He eats finger foods but only his snackies and will rarely eat real food with his fingers as he prefers to use a spoon for that. He is still not a fan of eating real food/table food, we can offer till the cows come home but he still prefers his (now lumpier) home made food for his main course. He eats mushed fruit very well, but again with the spoon and little use of his fingers save for snackies.
2. Every night after dinner he runs over to his pillows on the floor & asks me to join him, which I gladly do. I just lie there while he body slams me and brings books over for me to read to him. It's our quiet chill out time before bedtime & I love it. I especially love that he comes and gets me for it!
3. He's learning to say Grover & not call every character from Sesame Street LaLa. Grover was my favorite so I am getting a kick out of this - especially when he recognizes my Grover magnet (don't judge) on the fridge.
4. He likes to open the freezer & microwave (sometimes at the same time) and slam them shut - usually this is accompanied with a TA DA! I let him do it cause I have to be holding him for him to be able to do it so I know he won't be running amok doing it on his own. He cannot open the fridge on his own yet & I don't encourage that by letting him play with/in it.
5. He petted a neighborhood dog this morning & made his little, whisper, of a bark at him!
6. He hides his chupie in the tape deck of his ghetto blaster in his room & then closes it.
7. He loves balloons & I'm surprised at how many places offer them for free - not ever actually on the look out for free balloons in my past, I've never taken note of it before. It's quite nice, this little treat!
8. He loves to watch videos of himself on dropshots. Every day he comes over & sits on my lap & we watch videos & I MUST have my hand on the mouse or else he gets very upset at me and places my hand back on it.
9. I gave him my baby Cabbage Patch Doll so he could have his own baby doll (which I firmly believe in doing for little boys) and he will not have anything to do with it. In fact, he pushes it away & will not allow me to hold him either. He's gone as far as coming over to me from across the room & taking it out of my hands and tossing it aside to then curl up in my lap himself. You would think after this new found love of Babies that he would like this addition, but no he does not! I'm hoping he warms up to him but I'm not sure about that at the moment!
10. He sleeps with his Curious George - you just have to hand him George & say "where's George?" and he hugs him real close against his face and smiles
11. He has a little Elmo (thanks Nana & GPa!) that he now carries around and hugs - he even gives him to me to hug!
12. He's been sharing things with me - like his bottle, his chupie, his Elmo, etc. He brings things over, say his bottle, and gives it to me to drink from, smiles & takes it back
13. If you give him something that he wants, he will take it, toddle away and say "thank you" over his shoulder
14. When he makes his "birdie" sound, it's a lot like a zerbert/motorboating noise
15. He has a new found love for trees & says something that sounds nothing like "tree" and smiles - we have a wall hanging made in Argentina that we call the Dreaming Tree & every time he smiles & points at it, I say "tree. That's our Dreaming Tree" The kid is going to call every tree a Dreaming Tree, and really, I have no problem with that, I think it's a neat concept - to believe that every tree is a Dreaming Tree.
16. He puts garbage in the garbage can - you can see the obvious problems inherent in this - sometimes it's trash other times it's his teething ring or bottle that isn't empty. He loves to play with my desk garbage can which only has paper products in it so I let him take it out and put it back in to his hearts' delight.
17. He paints the glass doors with his bottle. Not so endearing & he very much knows not to do it but still...I have milked painted doors now.
18. He's learned to put things in the toilet. Thought we had lost Matias' mini reading light but it works still! I've been not wanting to get the locks for the toilets, so instead I just close the doors, that's been working but I'm not sure for how long since he opens doors...
19. If out front, he will go to the garage door that opens to the magic of his Wagon & pull on the handle to go for a ride.
20. We went out front the other day (both of us shoeless as I wasn't anticipating a walk) and he took my hand and walked me all the way to the pond and home again. I'd walk to the end of the world (or at least our subdivision) if only he held my hand the entire way.
21. He cheers & claps at the end of every song - regardless of if it's a live track or not. And he likes his music loud - he will go over to the stereo and turn it up & walk away and clap.
22. I think he's almost saying his name! Sounds like LiLi though ;) He'll say, more recently, "Mama, Dada [toddler pause], LiLi" and smile. I've always said to him, when he says Mama & Dada together, that "Mama, Dada & Liam are family, we are a Family" & it's really cute to hear him attempt it!
23. He asks for bananas after his main course - when he sees me fixing up his fresh fruit he says "bananas?????" complete with the zillion question marks.
24. He really likes the baby that is at our Toddlin' Time class but clearly does not Mama to have any part of that (see Cabbage Patch Doll)

It's not easy being a Fellow but it sure does come naturally to love the stuffing out of him.

Liam Robert's 11 Month GushFest- just under the wire!

Boy oh Boy, am I late on this business! Please forgive me, the days are flying away from me!

In the last month, Liam’s personality, the good, the bad & the ugly, has exploded. He started to learn the fine art of tantrums by “expressing his negative emotions” through arching his back & kicking his legs when I attempt to get him to do something he does not want to do. Like, oh, get in his highchair or take a nap. (sidenote: I just typed ‘napa’ and instantly I thought, “if you’re tired you take a napa, you don’t move to napa” – total extra credit points if you know of what I’m speaking!) I’m thinking he has a short fuse, like you know who, or maybe this is just normal exploration of his feelings…either way it’s very interesting to see him expressing himself, negatively or not!

Liam started pointing at things and/or taking my hand to point things out – normally when he’s taking my hand to point, it’s because the item is a new addition to his environment & he’s being “cautiously curious” and plus, it’s really cute. He waves hi & bye to people – and that circle of being is expanding every day – he had Stranger Wave Anxiety for quiet a while but is slowly getting over that. He barely has any Stranger Anxiety when family comes over – he’s used to them now & fully recognizes everyone – especially in pictures! He will point to Grandma and smile – too sweet!

Liam’s favorite word of the moment is Dada – whether he is looking at his picture or actually in his Dada’s arms, he loves to just chattering away about his Dada. He still says “clock” when he sees the pictures of his clocks that Grandma gave him.

Liam went to his FIRST concert! It was such a pleasure to take him to see Huey Lewis with his Grandma & Grandpa – Fun! Fun! Fun!

Liam participated in his FIRST 5K Race for the Cure – he lounged the entire time & garnered many a comment from the surrounding ladies about that fact! I’ve got the pictures; I just need to post them. My thinking was (about participating) that since Liam benefited from MY healthy boobies that the two of us should support those who are afflicted & continue to Race for the Cure. He might be a boy, and at a lower risk, but his Momma was able to supply him with the Pimp Juice because she (me!) is healthy. And for that we are very thankful.

We played in the pool at Camp Carolina almost every evening & he loved every minute of it! We swung in his swing and giggled every time we approached “lift-off” – thank you so much Camp Carolina for making his stay SO much FUN for him! He truly loves exploring Camp & spending time with everyone – we are so lucky to have you so close & so available (and willing!) to come spend time with him & to make it so easy for us to come stay with y’all!

Liam is now walking with his walker but still prefers to use every either single thing that is not designed for walking with. Of course. He loves to push everything around & grins and giggles the entire time. He has made progress & will take ONE STEP between pieces of furniture, but still prefers to drop & ZOOM! ZOOM! to his destination of choice.

Liam has a new found love for his Goodnight Gorilla and we are back to reading it multiple times in a row, multiple times a day! He still laughs & does his adorable Scrunched Up Old Man Face when we get to the surprise of finding a gorilla in your bed. He can stand and pass me book after book after book, until his basket is empty and then he starts all over again. He loves his books!

His favorite thing on his Music Table is the ABC Song – he wants me to sing along with him & he grooves his little tukus to it every time. He really enjoys his fridge magnets & is especially partial to Farmer Tad & his banjo playing. He’s learning the correct way to put the animals on it so that he might get the song to play – he’s really funny when he dances to this – he stomps his foot & swivels himself around!

I cannot say enough about my Little Big Boy, as you can tell probably. He really is my little Star of Wonder. I feel so lucky to have him in my life every single day. It’s fun for me to tell Matias what he has done that day – I LOVE sharing him with everyone! He’s such a special HAPPY little Fellow that it’s hard not to be excited about him & what he is doing and experiencing. Even when he pushes my buttons, I know that this is the best thing that has ever happened to me (beyond, of course, meeting his father which without now of this would have been possible).

I know that everyday takes me further away from being his sole dependent (to an extent, people!) and it’s been really hard for me to wrap around my brain that he is going to be ONE YEARS OLD NEXT WEEK. Even Grandma somewhat “refuses” to refer to him as a Toddler but that’s what he is, my Little Bundle, our Bag of Potatoes, is now well on his way to being our Little Boy, our Toddler, our Forward Facing in the Car Seat, Self Feeding, Milk Drinking, Non-Pureed Eating Big Fellow Boy. It is truly bitter sweet, these ages & stages milestones we pass every day but I truly treasure every day I am able to be with him & watch him continue to develop into this HAPPY, SMILEY, GIGGILING BOY!

I also want to thank y’all for coming along for the ride with my little family. It means the world to me that I have this fantastic Global Virtual Family that will support, love & encourage Liam (and myself) through it all. I can feel the love & I feel connected to each of you through all of this & I hope you feel the same. Thanks for reading for the past 22 months, I really feel lucky to share our Fellow with you, I hope you feel a part of it all also.

I’m off to get the Liam Fellow dressed for the day – he’s up from his nap, talking away to himself. He’s got a huge kiss coming from me – just for being him. And lord knows, he deserves more than that, my little Star of Wonder.

Liam Robert’s 10 Month GushFest

Ever since Liam starting ZOOM!ZOOM! all around, I haven’t noticed many new skills that he has added to his repertoire but I have noticed a huge developmental rush in his personality & his emotions. He is still standing on the couches, beds & cruising around the ottomans and taking his first tentative “steps” at letting go & trying to move at the same time BUT it’s what he is doing when he is on the move that has become the Star of the Month!

Now when he is standing on the couch, he loves to throw himself backwards & belly laugh when he falls & is caught by all the pillows. He crawls over the obstacles that before would send him into tears - the pillows on the floor are no match for him, they toys previously in the way now get tossed aside (or more accurately backwards) & his reach is greater than ever. He has learned to pull his legs up & over things but this only leads to more throwing himself back & laughing – his favorite new game – along with climbing up Mama to give me a hug or a beso.

His affectionate side is coming out – hugs, kisses & zerberts abound throughout the day – always with a fierce grip & a wide smile. He will only drink his bottle if he is lounging in my lap & I really don’t mind as I see that as Our Time, just as it was during nursing & I’m inclined to believe that he feels the same. I would like to believe that the head-butts & body slams to Monkey Kitty are a reflection of his affection towards his cat & not some twisted sort of torture. His love of pictures (of himself and others) has grown – he has a favorite frame that he “carries” around the family room with him – it’s the one of all of the Hewitts raising our glasses to him as a newborn. The smiles & coos abound when he stops to take a peek at it multiple times a day! He lunges for his Latte & Mocha stuffed animals & hugs, kisses and bites them into submission all with wild abandon. He’s a cuddly little boy & even though he has always let me cuddle him the shift has come that he wants to be cuddled and asks for it often – how can any mother refuse that special time?

I’ll admit, that for selfish reasons, I (we) still rock him to sleep. I don’t want to just put him down & walk away – I really LOVE that time, for the 3-6 Beatles songs, that I get to rock, and cuddle & smooch on my little big boy. We play peek-a-boo with my hands, I steal his Chupie from him & I tickle his feet – and in a strange way, it calms him down (when you think it might really get him going…) but it’s become part of our Go to Sleep routine so I’m sticking with it. It’s a quiet time for us & I cherish it as there are rarely any other quiet times during the day!

Speaking of quiet times – he is Officially Sleeping through the Night! What a glorious feeling! I was never OVERLY sleep deprived – just unpleasant (ahem) at times in the morning. Thankfully, it didn’t really take any Crying It Out or Ferberizing (whatever that is!) – we did attempt the CIO method less than a handful of times, but strangely the permanent change came the day he was told he was in the 15% category of babies who don’t sleep through the night & a part of me really believes that he did not approve of that assessment and therefore changed his ways. I think that speaks volumes about his character – or rather a mix of his parents’ character – winkwink. Telling either Matias or myself that we cannot do something or that we are under-succeeding at something will basically put us on the track to prove you wrong…so I don’t doubt that he took that little percentage to heart & went about changing his ways!

His frustration comes out much quicker & bolder with each new obstacle also. I think I’ve got my hands full with this one – I can foresee many a “discussion” regarding the particulars about just exactly “why” & “how come” he cannot do some certain, surely, lethal Thing. Of course, all the while, he will have his “I’m too cute to punish” look on his face. His reach has extended to things on the bookshelves & my desk – whereas before he was _thisclose_ to reaching them – now a mere lift of the feet onto tip toes & he’s got everything within his grasp! More Liam Proofing to be done! Thing is – where on Earth do you put all this crap stuff? My Inner-Martha is not so thrilled with this aspect! He’s got a new face that he makes when frustrated and sometimes I think he’s just bored (and needs to move onto his next activity) I call it his Old Man Face – it’s a slight variation of his Scrunched Up Smiley Face – he scrunches his face but then adds this I Smell Rotten Eggs look to it. Quite humorous but also I’m afraid it might Stay that Way as our Mother’s warned us! Also, it is starting to resemble an I’m Disgusted by My Options face – which I’m is very similar to Matias’ Whatever Face & my accidental Letting Everyone Know How I Feel cause It’s Written All Over My Face face. He has been leaving the cords alone on the TV (why oh why are the inputs in the front?!!?) & simply bangs on the TV during bangable times – such as music & dancing.

Speaking of dancing – he’s getting his little groove on to almost anything these days & it’s too cute! But every time I try & capture it on film, he stops & attacks the camera. BOO! He LOVES to dance to his banjo playing Leap Frog fridge magnet & the Alphabet Song on his Learn & Groove Table. But by far, his favorite song to dance to is the one on his House – I think it’s called “There’s No Place Like Home” (please correct me, Grandma, if that is wrong!) but he has to ring the bell first & then hit it again to get the song to play – sometimes I can distract him from naughtiness by playing the song and then he will GiggleCrawl over to it and sit down & boogie!

The other day I was watching him play on the couch & I just couldn’t get over the fact that he is 10 months old now. He really isn’t a bebe anymore. He’s this young little big boy just bursting to the seams with personality & charisma, if I do say so myself! He’s so alert (as always) & engaged in whatever we are doing. We went to see Mr. Don sing again & he almost could not contain himself. I had to keep him in my lap for the majority of the time since when I let him down to crawl into the fray he nearly got trampled by the toddlers not paying attention to his little hands under their feet but he thoroughly enjoyed himself! He sang along, and cheered & danced while standing on my lap (alright, he was standing on my gut) and cheered when the songs ended. When I finally let him down, since the kids had gotten distracted in the back of the coffeehouse, he went straight for the instruments & started playing away – at one time he actually made a beeline FOR Mr. Don but I caught him before he unplugged is amp or grabbed the actual geeetar from him! He lasted the whole time & took a 3 hour nap when we got home! YAY for Mr. Don!!

Whenever I go up to get him from his naps, he always smiling away at me & I take that time to dance with him to one of his songs on his Neptune (again with the cuddle time!) & I like to think that he looks forward to that also. I think he does cause he always smiles & the majority of the time he plays the song & puts his arms up for me to pick him up – indicating to me that he DOES enjoy it & yes, please, dance with me Mama. I wouldn’t mind if he stayed at this stage for a few months, but I know that is selfish & I should WANT him to excel & move forward in his development but I am going to miss his Under 1 age bracket more than I ever thought I would. He’s so easy to “read” & communicate with – I know that’s a blessing – but I just don’t feel that I’ve gone through the struggles of babyhood with him that so many others do & I’m not so anxious to have him break away from our telepathic connection.

But when I think about him riding a tricycle or swimming in the pool (this weekend!!) or going down slides by himself I get all excited and weepy & I just cannot believe that I get to experience it all with this really cool little boy! I REALLY enjoy spending time with him! I might be exhausted by the end of the day & crave more rest time BUT I wouldn’t trade getting up the next morning & starting it all over again for the world.

I know the time is coming soon when he lets go of the ottoman and steps toward his next object & it’s so bittersweet. I’m proud of everything he has accomplished already but I’m not ready to leave it all behind just yet but the thrill of the future & what he will bring to it & to the family is so exciting I almost want to fast forward to it all! And I don’t want to miss a beat or more importantly, a step. I hold my breath so many times during the day just anticipating his next move, just waiting to see that little face light up when the HOLY COW DID YOU SEE WHAT I JUST DID look spreads across his face. And I’m sure I’ll cry my little eyes out through the smiles of pride & joy and sheer excitement. Cause, holy lord, this Parenting Thing – never imagined how EXCITING it could be.

I suppose that’s what happens when a Liam Fellow enters your home & heart.

Liam Robert’s 9 Month GushFest

A week late but better than nothing! The other week when I was Thank You card shopping at Hallmark, I found a Willow Tree figurine that I needed for Mother’s day so I sent Matias the link & when I clicked on it again this morning this was the quote associated with it & it made me cry thinking of Liam.

Child of the world, Into my heart you came -- Bringing sun into my life, Making family our name.

The theme for this months’ GushFest is Active Verbs, specifically ING verbs as I will illustrate below. And this is also a warning for those of you with bebes who are just learning to crawl & assert their independence – you might not want to read any further – this could be considered worse than my birthing story.

Consider yourself warned! Let’s start with a nice recipe list of what Liam Learned to do this Month, shall we?

· Crawling

· Standing

· Flipping

· Climbing

· [more] Reading

· Exploring

· Eating [finger foods]

· Singing

· Sleeping

Crawling

Once Liam mastered the BEEP!BEEP! & sit maneuver it was not long (maybe ½ a week?) before he just went full speed ahead into his ZOOM!ZOOM! stage. We quickly baby proofed the house, especially the main floor where we spend most of our day & hoped that we got it done right! He is really just all over the place – I put a video up on DropShots to illustrate my point – and he’s having so much fun doing it all! He squeals in delight when he gets to a spot where he has had fun in the past. The windows in the living room/crop area where he spent quite a bit of time with Auntie practicing his standing & looking out the windows are one of his favorite spots to crawl over to & pull himself up to look out the windows & bang on them. We like to take a ball in there with us so that he can chase it all over the place – throwing/rolling it himself and then ZOOM!ZOOM! after it – he is only distracted when a Kitty tries to see what all the commotion is about then he goes after them – laughing the entire time while they scurry in fear. I think the only way he would sit still is if you velcroed him to the ground. He still loves to crawl after his train but now he has added putting things into his train! It’s really amazing (and cute) to watch him decide to put something in there…so most of the time the giraffe is banished and his blocks or balls end up in there to take a ride around the house! I think I mentioned before that he is into everything – the toilet, the cabinets with locks on them (they open just enough to drive him batty), the cat food, the recycling (thank you garbage can with lid!), the garbage (he knows how it works, he just cannot do it YET), pulling the DVD player off the shelf, pulling the wireless mouse off the table, pulling dirt out of the plants (thank you Spring for finally staying so I can put those plants outside!), yanking my corded mouse off my desk, going through all my work stuff (need to find a good place for that!), etc…that brings me to my next Active Verb…

Standing

The Fellow mastered standing about a split second after he mastered ZOOM!ZOOM! He’d been practicing a lot on the couch, bed & of course his crib but he REALLY just pulls up on anything he can wrap his little paws around now! Especially Mommy’s legs – cleaning the dishes & cooking his meals has become interesting with a 9 Month Old attached to my legs! He pulls himself up on the toilets, the windows & doors, his Office, his House, the computer chairs, all the cabinets, the garbage can, the recycling can, the ottomans, the TV stands…I promise you, anything he can grasp even just a teenytiny bit, he does & boom he’s up! Usually it’s always to reach for something he should not be getting at in the first place – I have mastered the art of Push that Thing as Far Back as Possible, Daddy is still working on remembering that – the camera on the computer/stereo table, the DVDs on top of the other TV table, anything on my desk and various cooking utensils (actually that’s when he is in his backpack with Daddy). I find it especially endearing when he pulls himself up and looks out the front veranda doors – its’ so adorable that he’s just gazing outside – I was able to snap a few really cute, nicely lit pictures of it but the memory card or stupidstupid Media Center OS ate them. The baby gates are the cats savior though BUT I do have to add that this Fellow loves to torment them once they are on the other side. Banging & Shaking them and squealing the entire time but they must know it’s better than him banging shaking THEM! If you give him a bottle on the couch, you cannot count to five without him already being in the standing position looking over the back of the couch, checking out what you might be possibly doing besides sitting next to him watching him drink. The nerve of me! This whole learning to stand anywhere & everywhere segues nicely into our next Active Verb – Flipping.

Flipping

I don’t know when it really started but I think it had to do with figuring out the light switch in his room but the Liam Fellow now flips ALL THE TIME on his changing table & I was NOT prepared for this. It frustrates me to no end, especially since I’m trying to treat this lovely yeast infection (that is clearing up nicely). As soon as you set him down, he arches his back, and flips, grabs the railings & goes for the light switch – sadly, this was endearing at first because My Boy! He’s turning the light on & off! How smart of him! Now, I’ve resorted to pulling the table into the middle of the room when he gets difficult about it & strapping him down…and strapping him down only does so much because he still manages to flip, it just takes more effort on his part. Matias always just tells me “give him lots of toys to play with” & I do! He’s got a handful of distractions at his disposal but once he’s thrown all of those Overboard he goes back to the Flip N’ Switch. And I only have two hands so one holds him while I bend down to retrieve the Overboard distraction – which is usually right about the time I have the ointment on my fingers & a naked baby who could possibly pee any second if he so chooses. Then there’s the issue of the poop going everywhere as he flips & struggles against me & the straps…I think he’s ruined his cheap-o Target changing pad cover with the Poop & Flip combination. I think I need to put some bungee cords across his chest in order to keep him fully restrained but then I think Child Services might get a phone call…flipping will only lead to more exploratory ways…which leads me to our next Active Verb…

Climbing

Liam has always had an obsession with our Flaming June print above our bed – we call her “his lady”. When he was a baby, he would coo & smile at her every morning but now he has taken that to the next level – he CLIMBS for her & grabs the frame while standing on our pillows & clutching the headboard. This is dangerous and not so endearing for obvious reasons & if you’ve ever tried to wrangle a Fellow while lying on your back, with him possibly using you as a launching pad, you will learn quickly that someone is going to get hurt & 9 times out of 10 it will be YOU. That other 1 time it will be Liam who has managed to grab the frame & pull it away from the wall then somehow slamming it back down on his fingers & if you ask me before I’ve had coffee I’ll probably just say “he had that coming”. He also figured out how to climb up (or stand in) his train to reach things that have been pushed back further on any tables so that they are Out of His Reach (HA!) – at first, I was all “that’s fantastic! He’s climbing! He figured out what needed to be done!” now I’m just like “oh my god, now I have to just REMOVE that item from his existence completely before someone kills themselves clamoring all over himself”. Again, this is where the “newborns are a calkwalk” thoughts come to my mind. Thankfully, he has yet to figure out how to LIFT his leg to actually overcome the obstacles but we all know that will probably happen tomorrow! Example – if he gets his knee/leg stuck in a pot or pan, he just drags it behind him until he discovers that it is quite difficult to get anywhere with a pot attached to him then he calls out for Maman to come to his rescue. And I do but not before laughing atwith him about the silliness of it all.

Reading

Liam still loves his books & has started to spend more time reading to himself/alone. He loves to pick out some books & sit there and just flip through them, smiling and giggling the entire time! It’s really cute to watch & I have to restrain myself from constantly sitting down next to him & reading along with him because I know it’s good to have time to play by yourself (notice I didn’t say WITH yourself? We’ve got that covered on the changing table…) so I just watch from (a very short) distance. He’s accepting new books quicker than he was just a month ago so it’s been easier to rotate in some new ones without being stuck reading a chosen few 54097524 times in an afternoon! He loves lift the flap books, animal books (particularly farm animals) & his beloved kitty books. Runaway Bunny has too many words for him & that’s ok with me because I’m leaning towards thinking that this book causes the horrible Mother/Son relationship that creates the “I’ll follow you wherever you go & nothing will be better than being with your mother” dynamic that sometimes seems to happen…so I will gladly describe the scenes & point everything out to him but not necessarily the portion of the story that deals with the Stalker Mommy Bunny. If the book happens to have a mirror in it he will LICK that mirror every single time! I *think* he is on the verge of pointing to things on the pages, unprompted, but I’m getting the sense that he is recognizing favorite animals & bits of the story & will any day now – laugh & point at Joe the Zookeeper’s Wife (I’ve named her Betty) when she discovers there’s a gorilla in her bed! He already kills himself laughing about it now I’m just waiting for him to point out what’s so funny.

Exploring

I really don’t think I need to add anything more to this subject since I think it’s clear that he explores anywhere & everywhere, all within my safe reaches! And it’s all GOOD, it’s just also all TIRING! And I do tend to leave the mess out until he goes down for his nightnight sleep because I’m just not all about cleaning it up to have him destroy it all again once he figures out its been put away! He has figured out, 100%, how to put his blocks in his farm & get them out of the little slot again – and he gets a HURRAY for that almost every single time! He knows how to spin the lids and other kitchen tools I’ve given him to make them create that noisy clanging sound – I could tell he was frustrated when we first showed him how to do that but now that he has got it, he just gets so pleased with himself when he does it.

Eating [finger foods]

Liam has mastered the pick up and shove motion to get his Gerber Puffs into his mouth & even picking them back up when he drops them down his front but now we are moving onto pieces of fruit & Cheerios and he’s adjusting quite well to the changes! I’m still leery of the huge mess that allowing to feed himself will bring so I admit I’ve been putting that off as long as possible, but now I’m stepping up to the plate & giving him more freedom with his food. He holds a spoon (not the one I’m feeding him with) and knows to bring it to his mouth (even the right end of it!) so I know it’s only a matter of MY time before he’s starting down that road of Feeding Oneself! With that said, meal time takes a whole heck of a lot longer when you have to sit with a Fellow who is chewing on some cantaloupe. I think paint dries quicker.

Singing

Liam sings along to just about any music he listens to – if he’s chilling out before his nap he hums along to his Beatles music, in the car he sings along to DMB (Stand Up & Old Dirt Hill are favorites) or the Jimmy Buffet kids album. It’s so adorable to listen to him enjoying the music. I cannot get enough of it & if you watched the video of him listening to his Hippo CD, you can see how he reacts to it – and that is typical of him. You put music on & shake your booty & he’s squealing his little head off. I can listen to him singing all day long.

Sleeping

He is no longer doing “that thing” we don’t talk about and is now doing “that other thing” we want him to do! I cannot spell it out for you if you aren’t able to figure it out simply because the kid can read my mind & I am forced to speak in code unless you want me “doing something” during “that time of day”…

All in all, I cannot get over how much Liam learned this month! There were times, I simply wanted to say to him, PLEASE SLOW DOWN! I was losing my Bebe quickly & I really don’t have anything to hold onto anymore from that time. He’s not nursing, he’s got 3 teefies, and he’s rapidly becoming independent from me. Guess it’s time to have another* Liam has learned so many skills in the past month that are only leading to his inevitable walking (I think that will happen before he’s 10 months) and more exploring & exciting play times! He’s a really sweet, funny boy he loves his Daddy to pieces & cannot wait for him to get home & knows the value of a hug after a good nap. He plays well on his own but would rather have me down with him discovering the world together and I’m just fine with that. Liam Robert has made us a Family & I (still) cannot wait to see what the day brings us, each and every day, through all the trying & frustrating antics that having a Little Big Boy brings, I’m thrilled with each new discovery that he encounters on his own & with my guidance. I never dreamed of being a SAHM but now, I would never dare to dream of anything else for myself & our Family. It’s what works for me, for Liam & for us & I would not trade that for any job. He’s my Boy & I love him dearly. Especially when he’s napping. KIDDING! But I do love everything about him – the times we spend eating & trying new foods, watching him chew his first bite of fruit, cuddling on the couch watching his DVDs, playing Peek-a-Boo with him, tickling his feet, struggling to keep that butt on the changing table & making sure he doesn’t scalp the kitties – it all brings me joy I never knew I would feel. I know I’ve ended a chapter of his life at this benchmark period of time & I’m so happy I was here for every single second of it. And I know he is thrilled about that also. And when it comes down to it, that is all that really matters.

I love you Liam Robert, my Little Big Boy, my Fellow, my Star of Wonder, my Pumpkin Eater.

* just kidding, I just wanted to see who was still reading & paying attention at this point!

Liam Robert is 8 Months Old!

It’s amazing to me that Liam has hit so many milestones in the past 3 days. It’s upsetting to me also that I feel like I’m losing my bebe, he was just only a wee nino, wasn’t he? Now who is this kid who needs his crib lowered so he doesn’t fling himself out, who outgrew ALL his pajamas over the weekend & is now wearing TWO PIECE PJ sets in 18 MONTH SIZE, who is this little boy who goes straight for electrical cords when he’s BEEP!BEEP! crawling around the house? I barely recognize him. And my heart breaks just a little bit – I never thought I would love & miss him being a bebe SO much.

I tear up over almost everything these days – it just feels like everything is passing me by & I cannot get over how much you’ve grown, mentally & psychically in just the past few weeks. I feel like I’m being left in the dust. Guess who is going to be the one crying when dropping you off at preschool for the first time year? I’m sure your Daddy will too though.

We’ve been having “issues” with you & my boob. You’ve been dissing it steadily for a while now so we decided to give you a bottle at dinner to help fill you up before bedtime & you took to it like a bee to honey & even through my happiness about giving you the foods you need, I was upset that I couldn’t give you those foods you need. I became better with it as time passed but then you started dissing me even harder & I had to talk to Matias about giving you a second bottle during the day because you just were not nursing properly. When I added the 2^nd bottle at lunch time you started nursing much better at your other times. I’m thankful for that because I know I’m getting you the food stuffs you need & you eagerly nurse now which makes me very happy indeed. The first time I gave you the second bottle, I cried the entire time. I was slowly losing my bebe. Soon, before we know it, you’ll be drinking milk from a cup & not nursing at all – and on so many levels, I’m ready for that but this little connection that we established from day 1 at 2am in the morning has really made an impression on my little heart, Liam & I just don’t know how to handle/digest (no food related pun intended) that you’re moving on from me & our Us Time that is so precious to me. We are now nursing during the night, for breakfast & afternoon snack – lunch & dinner have been taken over by the bottle. Unfortunately, I am not able to pump for your bottles & the reason being is that you have always just nursed from one side…this, I believe, is also the reason why the “dissing of the boob” has occurred. I think my supply is decreasing & that saddens me BUT I, personally, think I rock because I’ve sustained you for 8 months with only one boob to begin with! Now, you nurse eagerly & for a longer period of time, rather than the 5 minutes of messing around you were doing, and you are happy to be nursing instead of us fighting over it & me getting frustrated & hurt. In the end it is a win-win but sometimes it’s hard to convince the heart of that.

Then we move onto the whole Mobility phase and WOWZERS, buddy you can BEEP!BEEP! with the best of them! And you are SO proud when you do it, it’s so hard NOT to cheer that little smiling face on & just go crazy over you & your accomplishments. So, I’ll squeal & yell & clap like a demented lady & that’s ok with me because you just eat it up & attempt bigger & bolder things – like, say, STANDING from your sitting position & crawling over to something to pull yourself up, or I don’t know, pulling apart anything you can get within your reach. It’s amazing how quick you little movers are – and how you know exactly what you SHOULD NOT go for. Like the humidifier (water, water everywhere!), the electrical cord for your lamps, the drapes in our bedroom & the ever present cat tails. For the first time yesterday, you & Monkey were at eye level with each other & he flipped out. He just didn’t know what to make of you crawling towards him with a smile that had “danger” written all over it. We are getting your baby gates ASAP & closing up the dangerous cabinets…baby proofing should prove entertaining! You think there are some products out there for Cat Proofing? Maybe we should just shave them…

Your sleep schedule leaves a little to be desired but for some reason I don’t think Daddy minds cuddling with you every hour on the hour throughout the night. I do believe that last night was just a bad night for you since it was the first time you slept in your crib with it lowered, it must feel strange to be lower & more “enclosed” in your bed so I don’t blame you for being a little off. It’s your fault anyway – you had to go & sit up the first chance you got once we got home FORCING us for YOUR OWN SAFETY to lower your mattress. It doesn’t even look like a bebe bed anymore, thankfully the bumper pads help make it look more bebe-ish. I rue the day when you even consider putting your little foot on those bumper pads to hoist yourself up – and listen, little Mister, just because I wrote that doesn’t mean you CAN DO IT, got it?

You’ve outgrown your clothes just recently too. I talked to Daddy about going in mid-April for your next size & season shopping extravaganza but I don’t think we can wait that long anymore. I snagged some adorable two piece jimmies from WALMART that were 100% organic and just too darn cute to pass up (notice, grandma, that I didn’t say that other curse word?) and they are 18 month size! How & when did that happen? We measured you last night on our Ghetto Growth Chart & you’ve grown about an inch in the last month, we think, putting you at about 31” at your 8 month mark. You don’t go to the doctor until 9 months, which thanks for reminding me to make your appointment, so we wont know “officially” until then. I was hoping you would make it to Spring before having to outfit your wardrobe for the next season but I’m beginning to see that you probably wont make it that long! Since you are still a slim boy, some of your pants still fall off you but we’re just going to have to roll them up so that you aren’t walking around to too short pants that now look like Manpris.

Thankfully, through all this growing up you’ve been doing lately, you still flash us a gummy smile – no teeth to report yet! You’ve got two trying to come through (one lower & an upper) but it’s still comforting in an “I’ve still got my bebe” sort of way that you are all gums. For the time being – now that I’ve said that you’re probably up there with two teeth jetting out. Thankfully, he did NOT have two teeth jetting out, just the same cute, gummy smile I’ve grown accustomed to!

Liam, you’ve become VERY attached to Mommy lately & I’m ok with that! You’re clingly & mushy & squishy in my arms every chance you get. We have a special Tuckle position that helps you fall asleep when I rock to you sleep & it involves throwing a leg over my forearm & tucking your foot under my arm against my body…you also have your head/face buried in my chest during this special time and that makes me feel quite warm on the inside. If you happen to make it into bed with us you snuggle so close to me, one night you slept with your face in my armpit (thank god, I shaved and had deodorant on!) and although I couldn’t believe that you could be comfortable, there you slept all night snug as a bug in a pit!

You blow raspberries like you’re entering a competition and P.S. you are so cute when you blow them that I think you would win! You only blow them out of one side of your mouth, tongue hanging out, raspberry-ing away! TOO CUTE!

One thing that is NOT SO CUTE is your new affection for the Wipees tub on your changing table. I’m not about to wrestle an 8 month old to get you to LIE STILL and not contort yourself while I put your diaper on! And, yes I know that there is so much more similar fun to come! It’s still a mad dash to your neither regions to see what gets there first – your hand or the wipe. I’m glad to report that I am still winning that battle most days. Now, letting you feed yourself is another battle completely. I’m not thrilled with the mess you make of yourself and your surroundings but I’m trying to let go of that and just let you have at it but it’s been tough going for me on that front…it doesn’t help that I “argue” with you to LET.GO.OF.THE.SPOON. but I’m just not ready to hand over those reins and watch that horse leave the gates. Plus that horse is DARN messy, mister.

I could go on forever about you, my little Pumpkin Eater but I wont…I’ll just stop here & tell you how much Mommy & Daddy cherish every single second with you & although the new “ages & stages” have us sad & a little nervous, I know only good things come of it all. Watching you grow up is the best job I could have ever asked for & who knew the interview process would be so much fun!

I love you, Liam Robert, my little Fellow, my baby boy, my little star, my favorite Prince, my Pumpkin Eater, my Stinky McStinkerton, my Son.

GushFest Vol.1 Issue 7 Part 2

So I have a few things to add to my GushFest...

This past month I left Liam and stayed overnight in DC & I missed the poop out of him. I knew he was in great hands cause Grandma was here & Matias was here for the nighttime duties but I still worried and fretted and missed him & couldnt wait to get home. And he did do fabulously! Grandma has such a great time with him :) But can you blame her? He's so easy to have a good time with!

I had some apprehensions about leaving him for the first time, like everybody would. I just called & checked in on him to make sure there were no lingering questions or if I could offer any advice to Grandma...she had it ALL under control! I would not want to leave him with anyone else.

Darn it all, I KNOW there was something else about Liam I wanted to recap also...maybe I'll remember and update [again] later!

Happy 7th Month Birthday, Liam Robert!

It’s hard for me to believe that you are ALREADY 7 months old, it really just seems like yesterday that you were turning 6 months and yet some how I don’t know where the time went. We are moving into our nostalgic phase with you because with all your new milestones, we leave others behind. Those “others” left behind have been hard for me to let go of & although I try not to cling to them because I know the new milestones coming are just as fabulous as the phases we are leaving behind…I’m just leaving my little bebe behind too & I’m really not quite ready for that.

Not only are you an Unassisted Sitter but you rarely tumble over anymore. You reach for things well out of your reach, pick them up with no problem and sit back into your original position as if you’ve been doing it for months. And sometimes I have to stop and tell myself he HAS been doing it for months – only now there are not as many dropped toys or something considered out of your reach and you don’t falter in your actions. The only time you will lie down is when you are sleeping, every other time you MUST be sitting OR standing. And again, you’ve been doing that for months (or at least one), I seem to ‘forget’ that these are huge milestones because I see you INSIST on doing them every single day but when someone sees you that hasn’t in a while, it’s the talk of the town. I keep being told that you are mastering things well before your ‘scheduled’ time & even though all babies are different, it doesn’t seem to me that you are ‘ahead of the curve’ simply because you INSIST on doing things and there’s no stopping you. Except for the foot in your mouth while I’m feeding you, that I REALLY must put a stop to.

The Big Trick that got you show-ponied around this weekend was your [natural] ability to pick up your Chupie, switch hands and put it directly in your mouth. Daddy & I sat there wondering what the big deal was because, seriously, you’ve been doing that for at least 2 months now. You don’t even bother to look AT the Chupie you just grab it and shove it back in your mouth, or perhaps you’re feeling playful & will twirl it around a few times, switch hands, toss it in the air and catch it behind your back before letting it land in your mouth. I did catch you playing the cutest game ever though with your Chupie the other day in bed – we had the pillow on an incline and you were LITERALLY tossing the Chupie up the pillow, letting it roll back down and CATCHING IT IN YOUR MOUTH! Now, that is a Big Trick, my little Fellow! I think you should join Circe de Soleil and be the Chupie Acrobat, but please let’s not start the “running off with the circus” discussions just yet.

You are a VERY huggy little boy & give Mommy kisses throughout the day – and even with all the baby goop on my face, I still jones for more. You give your smiles away VERY easily but your giggles and the new emerging chuckles of varying pitch and frequency are a little harder to come by. You discovered your belly this past month & jiggle it up and down like a little bowl of Jello & you make everyone laugh who watches you do this. Your feet are in CONSTANT motion, and I mean CONSTANT. Your right foot is in a continuous Figure Eight motion ALL THE TIME, but especially when you are eating in your highchair. When you are nursing your left arm is holding your left leg STRAIGHT up and sometimes I get bashed in the face with it. You love holding onto my necklace that Daddy gave me for our 2^nd anniversary & I just finally had to tell him to let me untangle you before he takes you from me because chances are good that you’ve got your little finger inside the circle.

You HATE peas with a passion. I’ve never seen you REFUSE food before. You clamp your little mouth shut & will not allow any particle of pea to pass. I’ve even tried leaving the spoon up against your mouth to see how long it would take for the tongue to dart out and AT LEAST taste a little more – yeah, I ended up with a lap full of peas because you threw the spoon at me. I really wanted to get you to eat something that wasn’t Orange cause you’re looking a little “tanned” these days! Last night Daddy came up and said “EAT YOUR FOOD” in the loud,scary voice that makes you laugh your tukus off & you didn’t let us down – you laughed so hard at him & tracked him around the room that we had to video tape you. Your favorites are still carrots & you love some apples too! Pears have made a nice addition to your morning cereal, and I’m hoping that adds a little somethingsomething to your morning. Consider it my note in your lunch bag to you. Because OH YES you will be getting those.

You are ALL boy. I’m expecting the Poop Jokes any day now. You look to the sky when planes are passing over and watch it soar through the sky. You do not cry when trains pass us at the station, you watch them go by. You play soccer with Daddy every night, although Mommy thinks it’s more like Fooze ball the way he swings you around after the ball…and I would LOVE to organize a Fooze ball game with all our little Freak Babies someday. Maybe at the GORGE while the ‘grown ups’ play Kickball! You have discovered your Penis and I’ve discovered that you don’t cry no matter how hard you tug on it. You splash something FIERCE in the tub – we normally strip down to tshirts and pants, no socks, no sweatshirts to bathe you since we become SOAKED after just a few moments of you being in there. And you laugh at us the entire time. You turn the pages of your books when Mommy reads them to you & smile at each and every page as if you understand already the joys of reading and exploring with books.

The three things that everyone always says about you are – you are all boy, you are very busy & you are the happiest baby they have ever seen. I’d love to take some credit for that but I know that I cannot because I just go with the flow & hope that I give you everything you need & want to help make you the best Little Liam Fellow I possibly can.

You are making strides (no pun intended) on your getting around skills. You know to put your arms up when you want to picked up from your Peek & Play, or if we are just chilling on the couch watching a Baby Einstein and want Mommy to hold you. You LUNGE at us when you want to pull yourself over to us. And you CRAWL all over me & I love every minute of it. You have started putting weight on your knees in your pre-crawl position and rocking on your arms/hands that are now fully extended and keeping your weight up. When you want something you vigorously NOD YOUR HEAD (too cute!) until we figure out what it is you want. For a while now you have known that your Baby Einstein’s come from the laptop and onto the TV and you will switch from watching the TV to watching the laptop and heaven forbid someone blocks your view of the laptop. If your view is EVER blocked you LEAN until you can see around the obstruction. And yes, we have video of you and your cousin, Luccia, doing your best to see around Daddy when he’s purposefully blocking your line of sight.

Again, I can go on and on about your affection for your Monkey & Mystic Kitties. You seriously LIGHT UP every time you see them. And Mystic just loves you to death in her own Mystic Kitty Way – you’ll learn more about that way as you grow up! Monkey Kitty would just love to curl up and nap with you, I’m sure of it. He just loves you to pieces and the feeling is returned to him ten-fold by your smiles & giggles.

Daddy has asked that I not write about certain Mommy Related Things on your blog because he wants to you to read all of this when you are older & it’s my hope too that you can look back & read about how much we love you & cherish every second we spend with you. I would be so privileged if you were to read about your days with us when you are older and I would hope that you could see just much we care beyond words for you. I do all of this for myself & for your family & friends who do not have the privilege to witness your amazingness on a daily basis but also there is a part of me that hopes my writings will exist as a lasting testimony to who you are and how you became that person. And really, I know that I’m just your voice at the moment & that quite soon you will be able to tell your story on your own.

I hope that your version of your story will have all the happy, cheerful, amazing moments in it that mine does. It’s all because of you, my dear little Star of Light and please do not ever forget that.

Happy Ash Wednesday!

Hmmm, not sure if that is appropriate or not, let me consultant my Catholicism for Dummies handbook...

Anyway...Liam went to Mass today at Holy Rosary in DC to participate in his First Ash Wednesday & thus the start of Lent & Fish Fridays!

He did really well & had a friend a few pews back who kept him smiling and giggling. He went and received his ashes and then promptly (and I mean less than 10 seconds) smeared them on my off-white shirt I was wearing. I continue to resist the urge to wipe Matias' forehead, it's something I struggle with every year. I only had to take him out during the liturgy over Communion as he was being a bit too loud for my taste...I brought him back in for Daddy to take him to be blessed but he had already done gone up. He slept in the car both ways - he really loves his new car seat, it's making a WORLD of difference!

Then we went to Whole Foods after & he slept in his Daddy's arm most of the time. We just needed to restock on his fruits & veggies (and believe it or not, Grandma, they DID NOT HAVE PEACHES!) but he was really good the whole time. I realized I cannot give him the Yo Baby yogurt yet as it contains whole milk...bummer...

I owe y'all (and Liam, of course) a 7th Month GushFest so I'll try and get to that tonight while I wait to see if I can make it to 10pm to watch LOST.