Overheard from the dinner table

"Oh no, I just hugged the food out of your mouth"

First Fishing Trip

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books

When we were in CT for Luccia's birthday, we went over to this reservoir to take Liam on his FIRST fishing Trip! He thoroughly enjoyed himself; even managed to touch one of the fish the boys caught. He loved spending time with Dada, just hanging out by the water and learning a new Thing. This picture is from Matias' cell phone & I have some on my phone too but we have yet to download any of those (but we will be soon cause I got my new phone today!) & I will post them ASAP!

New Haircut (see #4) & Fun with Dada

Mr. Silly having fun with Dada & showing off his new haircut.
I'm still not 100% pleased with it but no one else seems to mind, so I think I need to give it up!
Altough Matias keeps finding weird things about it; like how she cut around his ears, left his swirl in one piece that now flaps in the wind when he runs, etc., etc.,etc.

Here's to hoping we survive his SECOND Birthday Party TOMORROW!!

Friday Five!

It's been a while, hasn't it? In my lame defense, we had Nana & Grandpa here for a bit & then I got sick on the tail-end of that and could barely do anything for a handful of days there...

But let's see if I can manage a Friday Five Round-up Style of Liam Happenings!

1. New Word: Wagon - Liam LOVES his wagon & asks to go out in it everyday. Stands by the garage & says "wagon" until Dada relents & takes him out! They go everywhere in it - to the pond to throw rocks, to the little stream to throw rocks, to the slide in the neighboring development cause they got a twisty slide...he's usually out & about for over an hour when they go exploring!
2. New Word: Belt - Liam got a belt for his skinny bum in Argentina but didn't really need them for his winter pants but I've been using them for some of his shorts and he LOVES it. He carries it around with him, points out other people's belts, and tells us (mainly Dada) to put a belt on when getting dressed. I think he would sleep with it if we let him!
3. Favorite Song: Wheels on the Bus - I got him a CD set of kids songs & this is the first track on it. He sings "round and round" in his little Fellowese whenever he sees a vehicle larger than a car - a truck, a bus, a firetruck, a digger - you get the point. He asks to listen to his song over and over throughout the day. This morning we had it on for about 3 hours throughout the morning! He knows all the motions for the words but doesn't do them all the time. Right now his favorite is the WAH WAH WAH where he will scrunch up his face & say WAH WAH WAH and then he makes me do the HUSH HUSH HUSH part along with him!
4. Favorite Video: Charlie Brown & the Great Pumpkin - Matias let him watch it earlier in the week & the kid just laughs his bum off at it! His favorite is Linus at the moment but he thinks Snoopy is funny too flying around on his doghouse.
5. Give Me Big Hug: When you ask him for a Big Hug he throws his arms around your neck and squeezes and says in a very tight, hard, squeezing voice "bill a bill a bah"! After his Big Hug he will plant a LARGE kiss on you complete with the loudest, longest kiss smacking sound you ever did hear!

I should be back on my game next week & will get more of anything & everything up in a timely manner!

This is the Pope calling...

Way back when we were told that we would totally get tickets to see the Pope in DC since Matias' sister is studying in Rome right now & that she had a "connection" that was fool proof. We were put on High Alert with orders to pick up our tickets at Will Call tomorrow for the Mass at Nationals Stadium. Then we were told that we were to wait for a call officially confirming all of this. Well that call never came, sadly.

I joked that we were waiting for the Pope himself to call us and then found out that we were in fact waiting for a call from Rome and not from his sister but from someone in the church or something or maybe Matias is just pulling my pagan leg. Either way, we didn't get a phone call & it's past midnight in Rome now so it looks like our sure thing sure wasn't.

Kind of a bummer because it would have been a special time for Matias & Liam, sure I would have found it neat to be a part of it but obviously not in the same way my Catholic boys would have. I'm not sad about getting up before dawn to take the metro into town to stand in the Pope knows how many lines to get inside finally to wait for a Mass with a toddler, you know? Hopefully, this won't be a once in a lifetime missed opportunity though & some other day, some time, probably some other place, my Catholic boys can see the Pope together, as I do feel it's important for them to share in this experience together.

Matias said that it would be like seeing the Royal Family trying to light some sort of fire under my enthusiasm but I do have to say that those two things do not generate the same sort of "fire" for me! Yes, I would love to be a part of a historical event but sometimes you gotta realize when he's just not that into you and the Pope sometimes just doesn't return his calls like he says he will.

Happy Birthday Dada!

Thank you for teaching me so many things but I really like it when we play outside & we get to play soccer!
You're the bestest Dada EVER!
I love you, Dada.
Besos, Liam Robert

Morning Inspiration

Inspired by Christina's post about their new waking routine, I'd thought I would share ours with you because it warms by cold, dead, morning hating heart. And isn't that a story you'd all like to hear?

Ever since the Fellow was home with us we've done the same thing. Matias always went & got Liam to be nursed during the night with a diaper change prior to bringing him to me. We had the nursing chair in our room along with the cradle & I do not do well with walking around right after getting out of bed AND I am not the type of person who just JUMPS out of bed all chipper like to start the day so it worked best for Matias to go get him for me.

This continued into the sleeping through the night stage... Matias will go get him once I tell him after 54069 times that Liam is awake & to go get him. I might not jump out of bed, but I'm awake & hearing everything around me, whereas Matias hears nothing & can sleep-walk to get the child changed & back to bed safely with nary a complaint!

So every morning, I listen to Matias greet Liam, change his diaper, wish him good morning & ask him if he wants to see Mama. Then they come back to bed where I promptly get a hug & a kiss and settle in for a quick snuggle. After a few minutes, I lumber downstairs to start the coffee, feed the cats & bring Liam his bottle. Then I leave him with Dada so that they can have some quiet time together while I head back downstairs to empty the dishwasher & clean up the kitchen if anything had been left behind the night before (we eat late in this house & sometimes I don't feel like cleaning up 100% at 11pm or so!) and let Mystic outside to do her business. By the time, I've poured myself a cup of Tim's, read my emails & tidied up a bit from the Hurricane the night before Dada is bringing Liam downstairs to start his day. While Liam is upstairs, he's got his basket of toys & books in bed with him. Two of his favorite books have been so well read that we've had to replace them (Freight Trains and Dear Zoo). He LOVES reading his books in bed, tuckled up with Dada in the morning.

I LOVE this routine. I LOVE bringing Liam into bed with us when he wakes up. I LOVE that we have snuggle time every single morning together as a family. I LOVE that we don't have to rush off anywhere but can savor the Us under the covers. I LOVE that I get time to get stuff done without Liam destroying anything. I LOVE that I get to greet the kitties every morning without someone chasing them off before they have fully woken up & gotten rid of that sleepy eyed look cats can walk around with. I LOVE that I can get some coffee in me before having to be ON for the rest of the day.

And I LOVE the routine & comforting sense of Family we've created for Liam. Even if it was born from our hate of the morn. He'll never know that & even if he did, I'm sure he wouldn't care cause I know he LOVES it as much as we do.

Sssssh. Don't tell.

I'm not sure if Matias would be embarrassed or not for me telling y'all (all 5 of you!) this but it's too cute that I have to share...

He has his own nickname for Liam (beyond Fellow) that just makes me smile & starts my day off right every morning. Matias goes & gets Liam in the morning (mostly cause I cannot change a diaper before coffee & walk in a straight line if I jump out of bed), changes his diaper & brings him back to bed with us to have his bottle & read some books.

Every morning when he opens the door & picks him up he says "hello Boy!" and then smothers him with kisses. I can hear this from the bedroom & I'm serious there is nothing that makes me smile wider than to hear him say that & for Liam to say "DADA!" right back at him.

WINDOWS!

Matias made & ordered this shirt for his little geek. You have NO IDEA how happy this shirt made Liam. He would look down at it & smile from ear to shining ear. There's a whole series of them up at drop shots but this one, by far, is the cutest, most edible one.

Putting himself to sleep!

I do believe we can consider it Official now since he put himself to sleep for his nightnight sleep last night WITHOUT A PEEP!

He cried when we left the room, after going through his routine of getting his chupie, his pillow & turning on the music but that was the only sound we heard out of him!

Matias, I think, is having a hard time with this also - he said "what am I going to do now?". This was also his "special time" with him after work & possibly not seeing him all day...so there will be some adjusting on both our behalf's occuring here.

I'm really not all that shocked that it's happened so quickly - when Liam decides he wants to do something, he really just kind of does it. End of story.

It is an end of an era though. Progress though, for sure, but sadness for Mama & Dada who really love(d) this special time with him.

Picture of the Day

Can you see the same little mischievous look in his eyes that I do?
Taken yesterday while grillin' out for Memorial Day (dressed in his CDN flag tshirt!)

Liam Fellow Update!

So we had to go to the doctor yesterday for Liam's anemia re-check & weigh in - I'm VERY happy to report that things are going FABULOUSLY!!

Weight - 20 lbs. 3 oz - that's a gain of 6 oz. in a months' time. They were very pleased with that AND also that means when he is 1 years old he can have his car seat FACE FORWARD! YIPPEEE!

Anemia re-check - last visit his levels were 10.4 & average good is 11.5 - I am VERY happy to report that his levels are now at 11.4!! GOOD JOB, Liam Robert! The doctor mentioned that she couldn't be happier with the progress in just a months' time :)

I was able to get him in & out of there in 1/2 hour time (record!) and home before he fell asleep so we didn't miss our Noni for the PM.

I don't know why but I didn't get him measured :( Bad Mommy.

His next check is at his 12 MONTH - when did this happen?? I didn't make it for his actual birthday or that Saturday (we are having his party that day) cause I didn't want to stick the kid for his shots on his birthday so we are going on that Monday.

I think we have found a babysitter too :) David (bald guy from the wedding who caught the garter...) was over on Sunday & they just had a blast playing together. Liam even gave him the biggest hug when he left! He's got lots of kid experience too - he teaches Vacation Bible School & Sunday School & is just a fun guy to have around :)

Daddy has been in Atlantic City since Sunday so I've been Flying Solo & I'm exhausted and not thinking in full complete thoughts so excuse my lack of posting - I know your day just isn't the same without your Liam Fix. I know Daddy's isn't :( But he is coming back tonight so he'll be able to get Liam in the morning and that will just make everyone's day!!

Helping Daddy in the Yard

Helping Daddy trim the edges out back

Three Things Thursday

Today is now officially Three Things Thursday!

Here are Three TOTALLY adorable new Things Liam is doing now that I will tell you about TODAY, Thursday!

1) He initiates playing Peek-a-Boo with me. More specifically he takes my hand and covers his face - I can still see his eyes behind/between my fingers & you can SEE the smile in his eyes. He's so excited to play with me! Then he pushes my hand away & just GIGGLES. It's just so cute! Liam is also playing Peek-a-Boo around the house - just about any place he can Peek around he does and laughs and grins when Mommy says "where's Liam gone?" followed by a very hearty "there he is!!"

2) Matias taught Liam how to give High Fives - although the first couple times he did it Liam cried - don't ask, we don't know either! I practiced with him the next day during meals & now he gives them whenever you ask - again - TOO CUTE! Just don't ask when he's too busy ZOOM!ZOOM! around somewhere cause he'll pretty much ignore everything you say to him. I'm trying to get Matias to ask for a High Five when he leaves for work so that they can have a little something they do when he leaves since he always gets upset when Daddy goes to work & I think it would just be a neat little thing they do - it would make him happy & maybe not so sad that Daddy has actually left. Cause you know, Daddies are the New Elvis' - he leaves the building & all the people cry.

3) The last thing he is initiating & attempting to do on his own is (for lack of a better description) is the Indian Sound - you know the one you hold your hand up to your mouth and make a noise? Except he makes the noise without his hand there - he just alters his voice & smiles. So I either put my hand there & his hand to help him along. He will also make this sound though when you just jiggle him & I usually only jiggle him when I'm attempting to tickle him so now tickling & Indian Sound are like Siamese Twins these days.

I think that's about it for cute, new Liam things for this Thursday! And yes, I still owe you GushFest & hopefully I will get to that tomorrow or at least before he turns 10 months ;)

Helping Daddy Grill for the Superbowl

Helping Daddy get the grill started.
Chillin' & Grillin'

My three boys

Family Portrait