Gawd Bless Carolyn Hax & the Washington Post

Carolyn:

Best friend has child. Her: exhausted, busy, no time for self, no time for me, etc. Me (no kids): Wow. Sorry. What'd you do today? Her: Park, play group . . .

Okay. I've done Internet searches, I've talked to parents. I don't get it. What do stay-at-home moms do all day? Please no lists of library, grocery store, dry cleaners . . . I do all those things, too, and I don't do them EVERY DAY. I guess what I'm asking is: What is a typical day and why don't moms have time for a call or e-mail? I work and am away from home nine hours a day (plus a few late work events) and I manage to get it all done. I'm feeling like the kid is an excuse to relax and enjoy -- not a bad thing at all -- but if so, why won't my friend tell me the truth? Is this a peeing contest ("My life is so much harder than yours")? What's the deal? I've got friends with and without kids and all us child-free folks get the same story and have the same questions.

Tacoma, Wash.

Relax and enjoy. You're funny.

Or you're lying about having friends with kids.

Or you're taking them at their word that they actually have kids, because you haven't personally been in the same room with them.

Internet searches?

I keep wavering between giving you a straight answer and giving my forehead some keyboard. To claim you want to understand, while in the same breath implying that the only logical conclusions are that your mom-friends are either lying or competing with you, is disingenuous indeed.

So, since it's validation you seem to want, the real answer is what you get. In list form. When you have young kids, your typical day is: constant attention, from getting them out of bed, fed, clean, dressed; to keeping them out of harm's way; to answering their coos, cries, questions; to having two arms and carrying one kid, one set of car keys, and supplies for even the quickest trips, including the latest-to-be-declared-essential piece of molded plastic gear; to keeping them from unshelving books at the library; to enforcing rest times; to staying one step ahead of them lest they get too hungry, tired or bored, any one of which produces the kind of checkout-line screaming that gets the checkout line shaking its head.

It's needing 45 minutes to do what takes others 15.

It's constant vigilance, constant touch, constant use of your voice, constant relegation of your needs to the second tier.

It's constant scrutiny and second-guessing from family and friends, well-meaning and otherwise. It's resisting constant temptation to seek short-term relief at everyone's long-term expense.

It's doing all this while concurrently teaching virtually everything -- language, manners, safety, resourcefulness, discipline, curiosity, creativity. Empathy. Everything.

It's also a choice, yes. And a joy. But if you spent all day, every day, with this brand of joy, and then, when you got your first 10 minutes to yourself, wanted to be alone with your thoughts instead of calling a good friend, a good friend wouldn't judge you, complain about you to mutual friends, or marvel how much more productively she uses her time. Either make a sincere effort to understand or keep your snit to yourself.

Two new games we like to play

I finally hunted down a spare keyboard (doesn't everyone have one in their garage?) and gave it to Liam to play with on the ottomans & he cannot get enough :) Actually, his favorite thing to do is grab my hand & make me go crazy typing away - he sways back & forth, laughs & finally joins in & slams away himself!

His next new game to play is with my office chair - it's on wheels & he will stand at it & WALK with it! He gets a big kick out of this too & smiles as wide as possible and is quite proud of himself :)

I think it's only a wee matter of time before he's doing it without the chair - of course I'll try & get video but like the dancing he usually stops & comes after the camera when I turn it on. Stinker.

P.S. You can see pictures of him playing with his keyboard on dropshots - I'll get some of us playing together this weekend. It's in the top set of pictures with the "helping in the yard" title - we took a lot of pictures/videos that day it seems :)

Old Man Face - Disgusted Version

Here it is in all it's Disgusted Glory although a bit dark!

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.

Thanks a lot, god.

One of my LEAST favorite things my niece did when she was a baby was to chase me around grinding her teeth. I CANNOT stand that sound and now Liam is doing it. With all four teeth that he has in his mouth.

Is this ok for him to be doing so young? Do I need to take him to the dentist? How do you communicate to a 10 month old to stop grinding your stinking teefies before you make your beloved Mama lose her ever-loving mind?

Incoming!

Photo Sharing - Upload Video - Video Sharing - Share Photos

When talking about food doesn't equal DIETING!

Isn't is nice to be able to talk about food & eating MORE and it doesn't mean anything negative?!?!

Liam has been re-introduced to some foods that he originally rejected & has been eating them up!

I cut up some bananas for him to have as finger foods & he LOVES them! And his poop has not been an issue :)

I also gave him some peas mixed with some potatoes & again, he just ate them up - not like the last time where he clenched his jaw shut so tight...

He didn't mind the kiwi last time I served it but this time I'm offering it in his vanilla yogurt & he's enjoying that too :)

I have also started adding cinnamon & nutmeg to his apples & pears and he hasn't even as much batted an eyelash (or spoon) at the new tastes so I can only guess that he approves!

Woke up, got out of bed, ran a comb across my head...

Oh wait, that's not what happened this morning!

Our Little Liam Fellow had a nightmare this morning - was loudly crying in his crib then started loudly screaming for MAMA. I jumped up to go get him & staggered past the guest room, where I normally peek in to look at the clock but couldn't see it since the sun was shining to brightly...

Got the poor little guy who was very, very upset & brought him back to bed where he saw DADA! Then all was fine...except...it was six o'clock in the morning.

He didn't go back to sleep.

Then the power went out.

Thawed out his plums for his cereal on the GAS stove top (thank god!) & he cried & fussed through his breakfast. Took him upstairs after plucking some banana out of his hair and from between his grubby little paws to put him down for his nap at nine am.

Who knows what this day is going to bring for us but Mama is a Crank Master (thankfully the power came back on while breekie was being served so coffee was made) & Daddy is back in bed with the Ms. Mys.

I'll keep you updated :)

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!!

Test! Test!

I've had complaints that comments are not showing up & here I was thinking no one cared ;)

So would someone mind commenting that isn't me since mine showed up but who knows if it's because I am the owner or not!

THANKS!!

Before & After

Before Mommy decides that "wow, this place looks like a tornado tore through it" & picks up the Liam Fellow's toys

After Mommy decides that "wow, this place looks like a tornado tore through it" & picks up the Liam Fellow's toys

A peek into the thrilling world of Liam's Family Room of Destruction - aka - his play space!

This Time Last Year

Another blast from the past, another episode of This Time Last Year!

I carried high (girl) or low (boy) BOY
I carried way out front (boy) or wide (girl) BOY
My morning sickness was worse in early pregnancy (girl) GIRL
My looks improved (boy) or worsened (girl) during pregnancy BOY (or so I’ve been told…)
My partner gained weight with me (boy) or stayed the same (girl) BOY (HA!! 10lbs!!)
The baby's heart rate was fast (girl) or slow (boy) Too Close to Call – 144 is smack dab in the middle AND if you know otherwise, please don’t tell me!!!

Do we need to start a Pool? If I knew how to set one up I would…I think the Office Folks want to do one too…is it strange to start your own Baby Pool?

Heavy Handed Reader

Liam is not aggressive with his books BUT he does wear them out - his Goodnight Gorilla died a painful death of a broken spine & then pages just falling out & now his special Easter book from his Auntie has met a similar demise! Since he flips through them ALL the TIME & with great gusto (but not roughly) the spines just aren't holding up very well! I'm going to nicely tape this one back together but I am also going to put it away for "safe keeping". Better late than never, right?

Did anyone else have any experience with their little readers being a little too excited about the page turning?He's not damaging the books on purpose - they are just being well-read! I know you have to teach Book Respect but you also have to foster the Book Love & I think we are entering the Combine the Two Stage here at Casa Nino...

Picture of the Day

If you look closely enough, you can see the spit flying from the Motor Boating Liam

Mommy & Liam

The ONE GOOD PICTURE I got of us & I put my finger over the flash my own self! This was on my birthday :)

Here & There

I have a larger post to write about our weekend at Camp Carolina but I thought I would throw out some new things that Liam is doing these days :)

• He is now WAVING! It's a full arm wave but totally adorable & he's catching on & waving more often now - he really started to do it on my birthday so Mommy was very happy!
  
• He's saying "KA", which, of course, I believe is the beginning of CAT :)
• The babbling has been ramped up a notch in the past week as has the Motor Boating noises
• He is sticking out his tongue & good lord is it adorable
• I'm not so sure he will be walking anytime soon because he is such an expert crawler that he only "walks" these days when he is cruising & does not really show any interest when he is not holding onto furniture
• He learned to crawl up stairs this weekend! Daddy was behind him & Mommy went up top to give him a Goal :) He did get stuck about 1/2 way up & didn't know what to do once he was holding onto the banisters so Daddy had to rescue him. He wasn't quite sure if he wanted to let go & if he did what his next move was!
• He plays Peek-a-Boo with just about anything - the pillows, his blankets, his (MINE!) cuddle pillow, and especially my hand when we are getting ready for his nap
• The Fake Coughing is in FULL EFFECT. He also mimics our laughs - tis very cute!
  

For the record books

Just so you know, ever since Liam was told he was in the 15% of babies who do not do that thing for like a dozen hours or so at a time he HAS BEEN DOING THAT THING FOR LIKE A DOZEN HOURS OR SO AT A TIME! Seriously, ever since his 9 Month "birthday" he has been doing that thing he wasn't doing before that! Not one peep out of him & he's doing that thing for 10 - 12 hours at a time during the time he supposed to be doing it!

Mommy is very happy about this accomplishment!

Roll Call is NO MORE!

Helping Daddy in the Yard

Helping Daddy trim the edges out back

His phone is ok!

I checked the date code on the "recalled" phone & his is safe! No need to deal with the manufacturer about a refund/replacement!

The Leap Frog Learn & Groove Table

This is the Leap Frog table we got Liam - so far it's a HIT! He's touched everything & cruised around it even. He's also put a cat toy in the little green bin thing that opens/closes AND ACTUALLY SAYS "open & close" for YOU (YAY for the end of the demented parent parrot!) which is pretty cute, If I do say so myself. He's having a hard time figuring out the little frog in the bottom left area there - you have to slide the arm of the banjo down to make it spin & he wants to make it spin by spinning it - novel idea, eh? He LOVES the ABC song too :) All in all, it's been Liam Tested, Fellow Approved!

New Wallpaper - Sneak Peek!

Auntie Leanne made this & sent it along to Mommy :)

This & That

Here are a few more things that Liam is up to these days:

1. He knows that he has to slap the table in order to get his singing penguin Ramon in motion & he slaps it all the time
2. He's growing to like Cheerios but will still pick them out of his Puff & Cheerios pile & throw them ONLY on the ground. Sometimes he even pushes my hand away if I offer him one! I know it will take some time but they way they market them (and Goldfish) to kids you would have thought they would have treated them like gold!
3. He has a new phone (that just got recalled) that he can talk on & he [was] having a lot of fun with it [until I had to take it away from him]. He opens it & babbles away and pushes all the buttons. It's also helped improve his regular phone talking skills :)
4. Now he has learned to arch his back when he doesn't want to do something - like go in his highchair, go on the changing table, be held...I'm not liking these turn of events but it's never anything hardcore and he usually chills out as soon as he is in place...
5. He threw up on my foot in Sears this morning. Just leaned over and puked. Lovely! Thank you!
6. He hands me things all the time now :) It's too cute!
7. His kisses are getting much more frequent & also much more sloppy - but I won't stop him :)
   

I managed to score the Leap Frog Learn & Groove table at Target for a discounted price by about $20 cheaper than listed other place - go Mommy! I have to put that together for him but I'm really excited that I got it at such a good price :)

OH!

Another "new thing" Liam is doing is putting a ball into the chute on his house! Instead of just putting it in his mouth (however far it fits...) he now knows it actually goes somewhere :)

Quick recap

Liam has been busy keeping Mommy on her toes so I haven't had as much time to devote to my ramblings here but here's a quick recap of things that have happened this week!

On Friday Grandpa's flight got canceled from Dulles to home so he rented a car and stopped on by & decided to stay the night :) He fed Liam his dinner, napped while he napped & just generally hung out & hugged & kissed on him the entire time! Grandpa has the same double cough that Grandma has & the copying was in full force again & now even when we cough (and poor Matias with his allergies...) he mimics us :) It's too cute! He's not quite sure what to make of the 9 sneezes Daddy manages to get out in a row though! You can see his little brain working away to figure out how to copy that noise!

Saturday we went to Lowe's to get a freezer for the garage - our little freezer doesn't cut it with all of Liam's foods & Matias' Favorite Food (Meat!) so we got one for the garage. And then browsed around looking at the patio furniture & bought some PLANTS! Matias planted an herb garden after successfully growing his own basil for quite some time now & I actually planted some flower pots! Liam hung out outside with us in his Pack n' Play - making that the first time we've used the Play portion of that device! He watched us but mostly spent his timing watching the landing pattern for Dulles :) The boy loves his planes!

Sunday, I held my Memoranza (CM's equivalent for National Scrapbooking Day/Month) so it was a Liam & Daddy day! They spent most of it at the mall while Matias got new tires & brakes & he hung out in his stroller most of the time. Matias said he had a good time and that he took a nap while they were wasting time. He's got quite the little crush on one of my friends/customers Jodi & he hammed it up good for her whenever he got the chance!

The yeast infection pretty much cleared up over the weekend as well - and along with that the FLIPPING STOPPED! I'm assuming he was in such discomfort that flipping was one of his ways of dealing with it - whatever it was I'm SO GLAD it has disappeared!

Also, since we've been giving him Heartier Meals I've started offering him water in between bites - he basically refused to use a sippy cup & will only drink from a cup - assisted, of course. He's getting much better at each meal & only dribbles the tiniest bit on himself & I really do think he appreciates the chance to cleanse his palette ;)

Another milestone that I've noticed him reaching has been Sorting - he puts things into their proper place, he puts his Cheerios into the "cup holder" on his tray & has mastered the cubes for his farm, along with fitting the circle in the circle hole - the triangle is giving him some issues but I'm sure he will work it out in no time! It's really cute to watch him put his finger goods in his cup holder :) He also hands me things now - the remote, his bottle, the phone(s), a book...and that is just totally adorable :) I say "thank you" every time he hands me something & I think that encourages him to hand me more things...

And that brings me to something else - having to tell him "NO". We've, of course, had to start telling him "no touch" once he became mobile and he wasn't REALLY grasping the concept until the past handful of days. He listens about 90% of the time but the ONLY downside is when he stops touching the thing, I say "thank you, that's a good boy" & since I've praised him for doing what I've asked, he does it again to hear me say "thank you" - you can see where that is leading...he reaches out for the forbidden item & smiles at me, waiting for me to say "no touch" & "thank you". So, I do it. Again, I'm the demented parent parrot saying "no touch", "thank you" & "open/closed". It's no wonder I cannot speak in full sentences anymore ;)

The Cruising is increasing daily :) Please someone give me a cute Liam Fellow term for Cruising - I can only think of gay boys at a truck stop or Tom Cruise - oh wait, those are the same thing...anyway I digress...the Cruising is getting much better although he's still working on his confidence - he reaches out to the ottoman from the couch & just barely cannot make it so instead of just letting go for that brief moment he sits & crawls two paces to get there. But when he Cruises on one piece of furniture, he's much more confident about it & now goes all along the couch, daybed downstairs, Pack n' Play & he walks around his Office (now refusing actually go IN it). I'm sure it will just be days before he lets himself take that plunge and releases one hand to grab his next piece of Cruising material (refraining from making Katie Holmes joke here...).

Liam is blowing raspberries on ME now - usually my thigh/knee area or upper arm (the nice flabby sections!) and also attempting to hit his open mouth on me to make the Indian Sound.

And for a quick recap, this got awful long :) Don't fret I'm wrapping it up as LOST is on! Tomorrow, I will talk about my need to clean out & sort his baby toys from his Little Big Boy toys & more exciting things like Gymboree sales & polo shirts!

What's in YOUR freezer?

Welcome to May's Edition of "What's in YOUR freezer?"

1. Ground Beef - that smells like dog food - Liam will eat it if it is mixed with another veggie, otherwise he gags on it.
2. Potatoes - I add butter to them to help fatten him up & give it a little more taste
3. Nectarines - he usually gets these after his cereal in the morning
4. Plums - he LOVES these in his cereal!
5. Pears - I switch it up & give him pears one day & plums the next in his cereal
6. Broccoli - IRON! I think I'm going to add some butter to these also just to give him something a little extra
7. Spinach - this "meal" is pretty lacking in substance so I normally mix it with zucchini to add some weight & a little more taste & also it took 2 bags to make only 1 cube tray!
   
8. Zucchini - although he loves this it takes about 4 squashes to make only 1 cube tray - it helps to make it last longer if I mix it with something else
9. Apples - good old standby - usually mixed into cereal if I'm out of pears - I try not to keep both on hand at the same time!
10. Carrots - heaven forbid we don't stock carrots ;)
11. Butternut Squash - his "other" orange veggie!
12. Yogurt - he LOVES his yogurt but blueberry is definitely his favorite
13. Cantaloupe - He is eating this now as a finger food & I puree the other 1/2 for his cereal - it is a thin puree so it's better mixed in with something

I have a Honeydew melon to cut up & puree for him also, just need to do it :) I also have some cottage cheese for him to experiment with in self feeding & something to help fatten him up!

He's like Popeye - only messier

He didn't hate it but he definitely loved it more when I added some butter & yellow squash (that's zucchini but easier to spell!)

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!

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 ;)

Kids in Motion

Or as Grandma calls it "the crawling convention" ;)

This week I took Liam to another Mommy's Group event at Kids in Motion - basically a place where they can play around with all these inflatable things & toddler sized gymnastic equipment, balls, etc...without (much) fear of them getting injured. Again, he had a blast! He ZOOM!ZOOM! all over the place, I honestly think he went to every single corner in that place & then tried to climb behind anything in his way to get even further...

This time there were a handful of Mommy's there including Joey & Jacob who brought their Mommy Kym with them so it was nice to have someone to laugh at me while I chased Liam around. Brooke was there with her Mommy Lisa - she's a month younger than Liam (that is REALLY something to take into consideration) and she was still "controllable" - meaning, you set her down in one spot to explore and she barely went further than 5 feet in any given direction - ah, I miss those days.

Liam had a blast though - of course he went for things he shouldn't have - like the cross bars holding the child proof parallel bar up or the springs on the tiny child trampoline or reaching up for the net on the basketball hoop. To name just a few. He didn't show much (or any) fear, just when he started to get tired did he want me to hold him or be right there.

Once again, it took him a good long while to chill out once we got home BUT then he took a 2+ hour nap!! Good thing cause Mommy needed one too!

I will also be taking him back there for more Free Play - he had a great time & I'm sure each time he'll enjoy himself even more!

Our Adventure with Mr. Don

Last week, or so, I took Liam to the local independent coffee shop to watch/listen to Mr. Don, a local preformer of childrens songs...he was a maniac.

I tried to sit in the back with the other mothers of 9 month olds, that lasted for about 2 minutes when Liam decided to get down & explore his immediate surroundings. I would you to note that the little girl who was 9 1/2 months & the little boy who was born on the same day as Liam rarely left their mother's laps - IN FACT - the little boy NEVER EVEN BUDGED. Sure, he smiled & possibly laughed but he did not move one inch. My little boy on the other hand had to CRAWL ON CEMENT to the front & hang out/dance/explore with all the little kids. He even got an instrument to play with. When he wasnt crawling (mainly because Mommy picked him up so that he didn't get run the hell over when other kids were doing the Conga) he was in my arms with my dancing away like a crazy lady WHILE ALL THE OTHER MOTHERS STOOD THERE AND WATCHED ME. If this wasn't my son's blog, I would use very bad words here to tell you how I feel about people staring at me for dancing with my son because he is enjoying himself. But it is his blog, so I won't :)

With that said, Liam had a fantastic time! I'll be taking him back the next time Mr. Don graces us with his presence - this time I'll have the $5 suggested donation that my Mommy's Group neglected to tell anyone about in the posting of said event. He squealed & cheered after almost every song & throughly enjoyed the Extended Version of Old McDonald - got extremely squealy during the "sheep" part which is something new for him - normally the cow really does it for him.

It did take him a long time to unwind to take his nap - he was already pushing nap time back as it was & then he didn't end up going down until about an hour later than normal. I'm just chalking that up to not being able to calm down :)

And since this was one of the first Mommy's Groups event I could attend with Liam actually participating in it only seems right that no one else showed. Unless those women staring...

The TEEFIES are HERE!

Liam's upper left tooth broke through yesterday evening :)

We are still waiting on the right hand side one to break on through [to the other side...]

Unfortunately, it's a little difficult to capture these teefies on film especially since if I got that close with the camera he would grab for it (note to self: clean spinach off of lens) AND you cannot really get him to open his mouth without either biting you or licking you...

All is right in the Fellow's World

We acquired a new copy of Goodnight Gorilla yesterday :)

He read it all the way through Target - happy as can be! When I handed it to him he "oh'ed & awe'ed" over it - it was too cute!

The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

I figured I would start with the easiest thing to write & get that out of the way - his 9 Month Doctor Appointment!

It was a long appointment but it felt REALLY rushed by the doctor which somewhat rubbed me the wrong way cause as you will see when I finally get to writing about it, there was a lot to digest.

The Good

Liam's stats are really good & he is very healthy, if not on the thin side. The dr. even said that since "he is so active" he is probably burning his calories off quickly - don't ask me how she could tell HOW active he is since I was struggling to keep him (naked) in my arms...

Height: 30" (at the top/basically off the chart)
Weight: 19 lbs. 13 oz. (40%)
Head Circumference: 18"

Since he's so tall that also makes things out of whack with his weight...we've gotten the go ahead to start pumping him full of carbs & starches. I made him ground beef & potatoes this week already & she even said he was good to have gravy & butter slathered on anything & everything.

When he was being measured & weighed he decided to flip on their table & stand up to play with the scale. I just turned the woman behind me with the newborn & said "this is what you have to look forward to" - she didn't even smile - I dont think she spoke English.

The whole not really sleeping through the night thing was somewhat shrugged off since it seems that the Fellow falls into the 15% of babies who wake once during the night & like I've mentioned, since he's on the skinny side that if he wants/needs to nurse, I will nurse him, as agreed with by the doctor. Now, he no longer reports for Roll Call but I will not speak about what he is also no longer doing since we know that will force him to prove me wrong or prove his ability to read my mind.

The Bad

He got two more shots, my stupid book said he wouldn't be getting any this month (stupidstupidbook) & I was alone since Matias is in Crunch Time at work, so the screaming & soothing was all on my shoulders. I would rather have two of us there when he gets his shots...but whatever. It wasn't that bad. One of those shots was his second flu shot so we should be covered!

The Ugly

We got two shocks this visit...

1) Liam is anemic - which is not uncommon in 9 month olds BUT we've been instructed to ramp up his "high iron" foods ASAP and to keep it up every day until we go back in a month to recheck his numbers. "High Iron" foods consist of broccoli (which he loves anyway), spinach & ground beef. Today he didnt really care for his spinach so I melted some butter (fattener!) and mixed it in - not a peep out of him after that. According to Matias, who was on Daddy Duty last night while I was at a meeting, he balked for 10 mouthfuls about his ground beef (that just STINKS when pureed) but when he added a "pinch of salt" he ate it right up. He doesn't need to be on any iron supplements right now, so we have to wait & see how his next testing goes.

Historically, I was anemic during my teen years (we dont know if they tested for it before then...) & it was decided after months & months of poking me & shoving iron supplements & "High Iron" foods down my throat that my "normal" was simply a "low average". I mentioned that to the doctor & she remarked that it was something to keep in mind but nothing to really base anything on. Duly noted!

So we go back in a months' time to retest him & see where we stand after the pumping of the High Iron foodstuffs. And you know, maybe they need to stock some "infant size" bandaids for these occasions because sticking a regular kid bandage on a 9 month old is not very smart seeing as they stick EVERYTHING in their mouths & then continue to spread the blood all over while they suck on the bandaid. I'm just saying...

2) Liam has a YEAST INFECTION. Yes, a boy has a yeast infection. I was asking about the "rash" anyway because it seemed a little hard core for a diaper rash but Liam has never had a diaper rash before so...(insert First Time Mother Shoulder Shrug here)...turns out those little, red, angry, bumps with white heads on them, yeah those are yeast buds that are infected. I got an antibiotic for him & it's FINALLY starting to clear up - no more white buds, the anger is gone from the red ones & I think we are on the mend! He doesn't cry in pain anymore when wiping him clean & it just looks less painful to us also so...if it doesn't clear up anymore than this though by Friday (one week later) I'm going to call the doctor about it (I nearly typed VET).

I think that is all from his appointment - now the fun mushy task of writing up his GushFest!

I know! I know!

I owe y'all two posts - one 9 month dr. update & a 9 month GushFest!

I've been busy with CM work & haven't had my normal time to write during nap hours cause I've been busting my butt trying to generate sales & leads :)

I will put aside time this afternoon or evening to get everything written out though!

I have updated his stats though & if you noticed I took away the Chapter Headings as I have too many tags to keep it a short list :)

Picture(s) of the Day

Day at the park & Liam's first time on a SWING!

We went to Free Play at Kids in Motion & played/crawled all over the place!

Sad News

Liam Fellow tore his Goodnight Gorilla in 1/2 the other day. I fear we have to retire it but not before getting a new one - that would be catastrophic!

Can we all give a moment of silence at bedtime for the loss of our first favorite book?

Mish Mash, Hodge Podge

Liam has been experiencing so many new things lately that I'm just going to write quick blurbs (with full sentences!!) about each thing before they become passe!

Teefies

I mentioned earlier that he is starting to cut an upper (left upper to be exact) teefie! I wasnt sure where the tooth would actually come in - if it would approach from the rear, come straight down OR the thing I wasnt expecting come in from the front of his gums! Low & behold, there it is, surging to get through! He looks so cute with his emerging teefies but definitely takes away from his remaining ounces of Babyness. He "chews" his lip & you can see him working his little gums against the teefies! He also puts things in his mouth to feel them against his teefies - you can hear it scraping over them - something I are NOT used to hearing from my recent teefie-less Little Big Boy!

This "On The Go" Business

Liam is into EVERYTHING these days & I do mean EVERYTHING. If he's not racing after the cats to beat them to their food dishes, he's opening & closing doors, turning light switches on & off, opening kitchen drawers (while standing) with the latches on them - if he's not doing all these things then he's slamming the dishwasher drawer open & closed OR he's beating me to the toilet bowl, standing & thrusting his hands into it. I am inclined to believe that this toilet business is a little earlier then expected, or at least I thought it would not start until he was a toddler for some reason or another. This happened 3 times yesterday! The first time he was up & standing with hands going in before I had even finished doing my pants up (sorry if that's TMI), the second time, I thought I was being wiser & had flushed before standing but he was still there while the flushing was still occuring. The 3rd time we were in the master bath while Mommy was getting freshened up & he was playing with the ThwackThwack Thing on the back of the door when it got really quiet...I went back there & he was standing with his hands going down towards the bowl when I realized with HORROR that Daddy had not flushed the toilet that morning (again sorry about the TMI) & I was able to get the lid down & flushed before anything disgusting happened. So now, for the first time in my life I have to live with the lid down. Being the youngest I never had to deal with this issue before so it's a learning curve for me as well!

The Cats

Liam LOVES himself some Mystic & Monkey kitty. He chases them around - literally - ZOOM!ZOOM! he's after them - and they just are not quite sure what to make of it! Poor Monka Kitty has even started to meow (something he normally does not do during daylight hours) when he gets close to him. I'm trying to warn them but sometimes they are not very quick on the up take with my attempts. Mystic is being REALLY good with him & has yet to swat at him (her warning before biting) but I also try & stay between them and only let him at her if I can control his touching. Usually I just bellow "Run, Mystic, Run" a la Forest Gump. The other morning there was some horrific banging around upstairs & I hollered at Matias to stop stomping around - he came down to tell me that it was Liam chasing after Monkey. Sounded like an elephant to me! His love for the Kitties is only second to his love for the Kitties Food - he's only beat me to their bowls a handful of times & since their food is usually empty it's just water I'm left soaking up. The figuring out about what to do with their bowls is an evolving thing so far with me but I think I've got it all figured out! Sadly, I thought the cats would fit through the banister railings to the downstairs but Mystic's shoulders get stuck - as I found out trying to "show" her how to go through so we cannot keep the gates shut all the time. I've been putting their food on the steps after their "meals" so that they can still graze & I'm not constantly running after Liam as he ZOOM!ZOOM! towards disaster!

Opened, Closed

Liam is really good at opening & closing all the doors that he happens upon & I'm curious as to if he learned that from us doing it OR if since he has a door on his house if that has taught him...it's really cute though & keeps him nice & busy whilst I am able to do other things, like pee or brush my teeth. I'm sure I sound like a demented parrot though constantly saying "Opened...Closed". But like the article Ms. Christina posted, telling your bebe what is happening with a constant running dialogue is best for them so - demented parrot it is! At least it's not demented PARENT. At least not yet :)

No More BEEP!BEEP!

Liam has not been using BEEP!BEEP! anymore - I believe it can be considered Officially Retired. He's all about the ZOOM!ZOOM! now & turning himself around and ZOOM!ZOOM! the other way, if that's what is needed! What he is just gaining more confidence with is his Cruising...he's mastering that quite quickly & I fear one day he will just RUN...I fear this is going to happen QUITE SOON! I really think he will be walking before 10 months. And my word, I do NOT think I am ready for that! Forget baby proofing the house - you have to baby proof YOURSELF! He just started crossing his hands over when Cruising around the ottomans too - it's really cute to watch him figure out just what needs to be done & then doing it! But more on this "On the Go" business - this stage is BY FAR the most tiring YET. That newborn stage? Cake! This mobility business? Cow Pies! My back is killing, I'm exhausted by days' end, I sweat my tuckus off chasing after him & barricading his way. People with newborns or non-"On the Go" little ones - RELISH IN IT WHILE YOU CAN!

Nursing

I believe the Pimp Juice is about near done. One new factor into this equation is the Teefies. He bite me multiple times yesterday (one stung for about 10 minutes after) & my telling him no in a stern voice did nothing but illicit grins & giggles from this little twerp. I'm also only nursing him about once a day depending on his sleep schedule & what he demands during the night & at what time. My supply has decreased to the point where I only have enough to nurse him once during a 12 hour period. In fact, today I am wearing a NORMAL bra for the first time in years, it seems. I might even go a little wild and NOT WEAR A BRA TO BED tonight! I know, talk about crazy! And he seems to really love his Ba. He smiles & nearly claps his hands every time he sees me shaking it up for him - so he's happy, my Pimp Juice "goblets" arent bleeding - I think we can call this a Good Thing.

And since he just woke up from his nap & we must get ready to go get his 9 Month Pictures taken, I'm going to take this as my cue to wrap it up - plus he's discovered his monitor and just pulled it down from the window sill! OH JOY!

(Long) Easter Weekend

I figured I should get on this before his 9 Month GushFest is due at the end of the week & I have a lot of recapping to do before then!

My parents came into town on Wednesday to help us finish getting ready for GG & Auntie Carol coming into town on Friday. I had tried to do as much cleaning as I could work around Liam’s schedule hoping that we/they didn’t have much to do before our company arrived…we really only had Things To Hang on the Walls, vacuuming (with two long hair cats that is REALLY a project), and final cleanings on the kitchen and such. I hope it wasn’t too much for everyone involved but it was REALLY nice to have an extra set, or two extra sets, of hands on hand to help with Liam while I tried to get the work done. Grandpa hung all the pictures while I played Little Helper – they all look so nice hanging, so much better than leaning against the foyer walls! Grandma was a TROOPER and took on the vacuuming duties – what a freaking difference it really makes to get all that hair up – you have NO IDEA how much those kids shed in a day. I know other people who have hard wood floors and no matter how much I sweep, there is still a ton the next day. I don’t know what they do overnight but I’m sure it involves pulling off hair and throwing it around – that is when Monkey is walking around screaming to no one in particular. Weirdo.

Grandma & Grandpa had a great time with Liam – watching him do all his new tricks – and learning more every day, it seemed! It’s nice to have people who are eager to feed him, maybe not so eager to change the diapers, but help out nonetheless, get him up from his naps & play with him non-stop. He didn’t have any “stranger anxiety” when they came – I think it helps him when he’s in his own environment & not at a “new” place plus “new” people. Like I mentioned earlier, Liam got his first set of swim trunks, a little swim jacket cover-up thingie, some shorts, a couple tshirts & totally kick ass adorable two piece pajamas! THANKS AGAIN! They also got to witness the Fellow taking a bath – finally getting to see what we mean by him “thoroughly enjoying himself” in the tub! OH! And also! Grandpa put all the child proof cabinet latches on in the kitchen. That is still taking some getting use to! THANKS FOR THAT! I would NOT have had the patience (or the tools) to do it properly!

Friday afternoon GG & Auntie Carol arrived from Montreal at Dulles & neither Liam or I could accompany them due to the amount of luggage they brought with them – even the Explorer could not fit us all! Liam was a prefect Fellow for everyone – no big displays of anxiety – just the normal 5 Minute Meet & Greet and then back to normal Fellow mode. Everyone was really happy to meet him & finally be able to spend time with him outside of cyberland! It was great to see my Grandma with him – even if she was a little antsy about holding him due to the damage the stroke inflicted in her arm/hands. Friday night/Saturday morning was a little rough for Mommy, Daddy & Liam will all the new strange noises that were happening during our normally quiet sleep time, so some of us were crankier than usual (guilty!) and a little on the tired side. I think Liam was up 5 times that night – and it is a little difficult to practice the CIO method with two people sleeping in the guest room & two more in our Ghetto Guest Room (aka the formal living room) so we just sucked it up & made the best of it while trying to get him to sleep peacefully.

Auntie Leanne came in the early afternoon after driving through the Great Blizzard of Spring 2007 (we actually only got about an inch but she made it seem like she drove through 12 foot drifts to get here!) and commenced Operation Spend Time with Liam!

No one could contain their Easter gifts to Liam until Easter morning so after he went to bed, and Grandpa was snoring on the couch, we got presented some wonderful gifts for my Little Big Boy. I had been searching high & low for the Anne Murray children’s album There’s a Hippo in my Bathtub for over a year and Auntie Carol managed to find it up north! I was really excited to get this for Liam since it was my favorite album growing up & I wanted to be able to pass it along to him. My favorite version of Teddy Bear’s Picnic is on there along with some other wonderful songs – what a great treat – a Canadian musician from our Canadian family! Auntie gave him an adorable assortment of socks – they are all just TOO CUTE! GG gave him money for a US Savings Bond which we plan on putting forth to his college fund. Grandma was the only one who could hold out until morning to give Liam his gifts…

We spent the rest of the night listening to stories, decorating the Easter table & hiding Easter candy for our hunt/race the next day. Liam slept a lot better that night since the new “noises” were, thankfully, being held to a minimum. YAY!

Sunday, we all got up & started getting ready to go to church downtown for Easter Mass at Holy Rosary. It was a really nice Mass & I always enjoy watching Daddy with Liam in church. Liam is normally well behaved if we have books & puffs with us to keep him entertained. Now he has started “singing” along with the choir (don’t know if 3 people make a choir…) & it’s just really adorable since he REALLY likes to be the loudest singer there! Then he bit the priest. But in all honestly, you really shouldn’t put your finger THAT close to a teething baby’s mouth without expecting him to take a little nibble out of your digit. Totally the priests’ fault. After we went to the Dubliner (the Irish Pub that is in the hotel we had our reception at, for those playing along at home) and had a nice Irish brunch, complete with pints & stolen pint glasses! Liam was, again, really well behaved – he ate his lunch after we ordered & sat eating his puffs while we ate – all in all it worked out quite nice! We drove back down Independence instead of Constitution so that we might catch a glimpse of the snow-damaged Cherry Blossoms but it really wasn’t worth looking at since they were already past-Peak & been done snowed on and all…and we headed back home to get ready for our Easter dinner & late starting Candy Hunt/Race.

Liam spent a lot of time with Auntie on the Guest “Bed” in the Ghetto Guest Bedroom & he basically mastered his Standing Up Without Holding Onto Anything! And he was ESTATIC! Every time he let go, we would ALL yell “HURRAY” and “WOW” and “YAY!!” and he would scream with delight – by the end of it all he was ‘saying’ HURRAY along with us & continues to do that any time he thinks he does something HURRAY Worthy – which to an almost 9 month old, pretty much constitutes every thing & anything! He had so much fun & was being such a good Little Big Boy, I’m so glad Auntie got to spend that time with him.

We had a fantastic Easter dinner & I TOTALLY won the Easter Candy Hunt/Race of 2007…Matias managed to make himself sick by eating ALL of the jellybeans he received & gathered up from me once he found out I didn’t enjoy the bean. Liam ate dinner with us on his NEW Bunnykin “china” dinner setting – it’s too cute & just about prefect! It’s not the same design of my set but I don’t care about that, it was so great to be able to give that to him (THANKS GRANDMA & GRANDPA!) and share that little bit of our tradition with him! Now he has his own set of Good China to use on special occasions :)

Everyone was packing up & moving out on Monday afternoon so we spent the morning making sure everyone had everything they needed for the rest of their trip & just hung out getting in all the Liam Time they could! GG got to give Liam a bottle, he didn’t flip & flop himself all over the place as he has been known to do lately & Auntie Carol even fed him a few meals claiming it’s the First Baby She’s Ever Fed, but as you can tell from my capitalization of the Event I somewhat doubt it. Auntie believes she peeked the first signs of his upper teffie coming in but I didn’t really spy or feel anything until today, actually, so I’m not really sure about that one! But he definitely did get his second lower teefie while they were all here! After everyone left, it was amazingly quiet & I think I could have napped for the rest of the week, if Liam would only have let me!

I’m amazed at how well he acted & reacted to all the commotion & new people hanging out in his house – it was a joy to be able to host everyone for Easter & have my family come together – all FOUR GENERATIONS! Hell, I’m surprised at how well I acted & reacted to all the commotion & new people hanging out in my house J It was a fantastic time & I’m really glad that we all got to be together & spend some QT hearing stories from the Olden Days, about Yupie being an asshole, and people losing their fingers at work. And thankfully, GG did NOT throw up on Auntie’s Blankie - she is learning to make it over the phone with GG’s guidance!

I’m just waiting on pictures from everyone so that I can post some here – hint hint! But I think that is all, & I HOPE I am not leaving anything out! Correct me, if I am, please! Oh yes, the Great Eggplant Reaction of Spring 2007 – wowzers – I’ll let that be a post all of its own!

Recovery Part Deux

We are back from CT - survived the Nor'easter et all! Now, I'm still just recovering once again & will update for REAL, REAL SOON!

I think we have some video of Liam crawling around with his cousin Luccia...

But right now, I'm stuck watching the news about VA Tech & wondering what in the hell I would do in that situation...I DO KNOW my ass would be at the Inn at VA right quick.

Liam has been napping for the past 2 1/2 hours so I've been enjoying lunch, catching up with Grandma & lounging while watching the news...not complaining about the nap though! I'm sure he needs to "recover" just as much as Mommy does :)

But quickly - does everyone's little ones get SO HAPPY to be home? Liam CANNOT calm down when we get home - he MUST see all his things, and squeal and then go from room to room just bursting. God help you if he happens to stumble upon the cats! I just cannot get over how happy he gets when he returns home. I do have to say though that it makes me very happy that he loves his home so much & recognizes this AS HOME, you know? I swear if he could talk he would be all "MY CRIB!, THE COUCH!, THE BABY GATES!, THE BATHROOM MIRROR!, THE CEILING!" He's a loonie sometimes this one.

QUICK recap

I'm going to do this quickly & later come back & add more details and speak in full sentences :)

But for now, here's a list of things Liam is doing & accomplished in the past week:

• he now has two bottom teefies!
• he is allergic to eggplant!
• he is pulling up to standing!
• he lets go & stands by himself for a few seconds!
• he is "saying" HURRAY!
• some of his hair is so long that it falls over his ears & collars of his shirts
• he's crawling everywhere & finding every bit of cat food & water bowl there is to find
• he's flipping over on his changing table to switch off & on the light switch
• he's chasing Monkey around
• he loves chasing after his train
• he still loves his books & will normally choose one over a toy & crawl into Mommy's lap
• he met his Great Grandmother (GG) from Montreal who is 90 years old & he let her hold him & feed him a bottle
• he met his Great Auntie Carol & was not allowed to have any of the sugar or cookies she kept offering him
• he got his first bathing suit from Grandma & Grandpa (along with a bunch of totally cute clothes!)
  
• his Great Auntie Carol got him MY favorite children's CD - Anne Murray "There's a Hippo in my Bathtub" - it's out of print in the US but was able to find it for me
  
• his Auntie Leanne got him some adorable sockies & some toy soccer balls (which he loves to play with in the track of the sliding doors)
  

Green veggies

Liam did enjoy his broccoli - so YAY a green veggie! But tonight he did not enjoy his eggplant so much - BOO! Daddy was able to get him to eat it all by making him laugh with every bite ensuring he could shovel a spoon in when he opened his mouth.

Cantaloupe is next on his Menu of New Foods so we will see how that goes over - he does extremely well with fruits so I'm not too worried. He didnt go GA GA over his kiwi but he still tolerates them. He loves his avocados though - eats about 1/2 of one at lunch before his yogurt. Papaya has gone the way of the peas though - I cannot get more than 2 spoons in before he figures out that even though it might be orange it is NOT something he favors. I tried mixing his chicken in with rice cereal last night at dinner & he ate about 1/2 of it before the kicking & screaming began...Matias thinks I put too much chicken in - I used 2 oz. like I do with his fruits in the morning cereal mix so I'm not sure about that one...

I did bump him up on his intake but I mix it up - usually in the morning he gets 2 oz. in his cereal and then another 2 oz. after of a different fruit. Lunch he gets 2 oz. then yogurt (4 oz.) and then dinner he gets 4 oz. veggie & then cereal (with no mix).

And that's all I have to say about that...believe it or not!

Mommy woes

I just packed up Liam's winter/dont fit no more clothes & it was a little bitter sweet for me. I'm sure it is for everyone. I had to get them out from behind his rocker since they just could not stay there forever & we have company coming tomorrow! I put them in an actual bin to be put in the garage as opposed to his newborn clothes that are in his closet in a drawer and some spread out to his deacon's bench so those are not really away yet. I'll have to get another bin for that...

So my bebe is growing up. There's just a lot been happening lately & putting away all these clothes that he was just wearing a week or two ago just cements it.

I'm just an old sentimental sap.

Shots will be DROPPING!

We upgraded to the STAR account so we could abuse their bandwidth with permission :)

PLEASE note that we changed the URL to better reflect our family - I didnt realize that my username would be the URL when I first set it up!

I've updated the link on the sidebar but here it is again - www.dropshots.com/hewittnino

EDITED: I've added a months' worth of pictures & videos - please note that to see them all you have to go to page 2 :)

Few other things

While I'm on a posting streak I might as well fill y'all in on some other little things that have been happening or said lately...

• We no longer have to ride in the back seat with Liam on trips around town! He loves his new car seat and is happy looking out the windows (we keep one slightly open for some wind, which he loves) or sleeping peacefully.
• Matias asked "how old does he have to be before we can put skates on him?" GIGGLE.
• Liam is picking up his Gerber Puffs and feeding himself :) Still mostly using the grasp in the hand & open entire hand inside mouth maneuver but slowly learning his Pincer Grasp also!
• Matias said the other night "His Z is for Zamboni is like War & Peace for him" Which is totally true & utterly amusing to me. It's a long book with lots of words so right now he's really only getting to "C is for coach..." before searching out another book.
  

Picture(s) of the Day

More Big Boy jammies - Liam playing with his toys

Watching Sesame Street for the FIRST time - he got a real kick out of Elmo

Outside on the deck watching airplanes pass over

Full Contact Bottle Drinking - requires that you use ALL your appendages to hold the bottle. Red teething cheeks are optional.

Another Milestone

Liam pulled himself up to standing on the ottoman this morning!

I'm counting this one as his "official" pulled to standing since I saw it happen :)

He's also successfully turning himself in circles (while standing) from the ottoman to the couch (with our legs straddling him like a cattle chute)! And he's also shuffling along either the couch or ottomans - the beginning of his walking phase!

He very much loves to try and pull himself to standing while doing anything but particularly when he is in bed with us in the mornings - he uses the side of my body and goes into his Downward Facing Dog position and then attempts to right himself without holding onto anything. Sometimes he searches for our hands as support but mostly he's just trying to launch himself up to standing!

The forward crawl is now his main form of mobility - BEEP!BEEP! has been retired for the moment unless he needs it for a simple thing, like reaching a book or part of turning around to ZOOM!ZOOM! in the other direction.

Today is Palm Sunday so we are off to DC for church & then possibly to take in the Cherry Blossoms depending on everything...