Hi From Florida

The weather is great. Liam's having a blast. His grandparents are giving him love and attention. Today we went swimming. Tomorrow we'll go over to the beach, but there was a red tide, so we probably won't swim there for a while.

Hugs to everyone!

Christmas Day

The pilot said we passed santa over Northern Utah. We didn't see him though. The overnight flight was tedious; Liam squirmed much of the way through a turbulent five-hour flight. He slept for a while on the tray tables, but how comfortable can that be?

These discomforts were a small price to pay though. Today Liam met his Great Grandparents. Tomorrow he gets to see his Granny and Grand-dad. And the weather here is sunny and warm

He's doing ok with napping, and he's getting a lot of attention. Liam's parents, on the other hand, are pooped. It may only be 6pm on the west coast, but we're calling it a night.

Baby's First Christmas

Santa's on his way, and so are we!

In a few hours, we'll all board a plane for sunny Florida. There Liam will meet his Great-Grandparents. What a wonderful Christmas present for everyone!

On Boxing Day, we meet up with Granny and Grand-dad, who are currently spending Christmas with Thomas and Amy. We saw them earlier today on Skype.

A few days ago we met two very nice girls; Miranda and Cassie. Liam enjoyed meeting them for the first time on Saturday. The last few days have been a whirlwind of packing and getting together with friends.

Today we went to see the mall santa. The wait was 3 hours long, so we took a photo of the boys near santa. I'm not a big fan of the mall Santa, so we may have a new tradition. Take a photo *near* the mall santa. We all know he's not the real santa anyway. Right?

This morning we opened our presents, seeing as we'll be on a plane and it's not practical to lug all those presents with us. Liam received many nice things. He's had the chance to break a few of them in. Liam says 'ah-tah' which we think means thank you.


So Merry Christmas to all our family and friends. Hugs from Baby Bean XOXO

Christmas Eve

New Friends, New Blog

We haven't met the new friends up at Joya's yet. Lester has had a nasty bug that we didn't want to share. I'm struggling with getting grades posted, packing for our trip, and (still) fighting my bug. Today the doc said it's an infection, so maybe with a little antibiotic, I can rejoin this holiday season, already in progress.

Today is Liam's last day of school. They really love him there.

Crawford family blog: http://seattlecrawfords.blogspot.com/

A Chrismas Wish Come True

Every now and then something really neat happens. Friday, after many years of waiting, Joya and Wiley met their kids. 

On Friday, they received a call about two little girls, Miranda (3) and Cassie (7). The girls were ready to move to a new foster family before Christmas. They are sisters, and they needed a family who would adopt them both. So yesterday they moved in, and hopefully they are getting comfortable in their new home.

Later this week, Liam and Cara and I will head up there to meet the girls. Liam says 'dah' which probably means 'I can't wait to meet them!'

Here they are: http://mountainido.com/

Penicillin Peril

Mommy's allergic to penicillin. Daddy's allergic too. So's granny... Mommy tried to tell them, but did the doctor listen? No. The doctor gave it to me anyway. She said penicillin allergy isn't inherited. (Actually, it's amoxicillin, but they're all 'cillins.)  And now I have spots. All over. 

Guess they won't do that again. I *hope* they won't do that again. 

But at least the ear infection is gone. :-)

da

December 5- 10

We thought Liam's first word might be da as in dog. He looks at Zoe and says da... da... da. But then we noticed that he also says da when he looks at Daddy... and Devin... and his duck. Maybe there's just a lot of da in his life.

Lately, Liam's favorite toys roll. He likes to chase things, especially on the hardwood floor. This coincides with Zoe's favorite past-time. The two of them are often chasing the same ball, but we try to keep Zoe away from Liam's toys (and vice versa).

Liam went to see Dr. Fasullo for a check-up this week. Good news; no shots at 9 months! Liam is growing, though he's slowed down quite a bit. He's a little shy of 20 pounds, which means he lost a little being as sick as he was. The doc also said his head shape is normalizing. (A few months ago she suggested seeing a specialist about an irregular head shape. We decided against it when we learned it was purely a cosmetic thing, and the treatment seemed worse than the ailment.) The doc also found an ear infection, and we're glad she found it when she did. We all are flying to Florida in a few weeks, and we need to be healthy. The doc also suggested more drastic baby-proofing. So we decided to take it to a new level.

Our dining room has been swapped with the family room, and the play room is where the dining room used to be. This is all because the glass dining table proved to be a serious hazard to little Bean. We're not *exactly* sure how the furniture going to fit, but it will.

Sunday morning was Liam's Christmas photo shoot. Devin came over so we could get the two boys in matching Santa Suits. Devin's five months younger, but they are already catching up. I'll put a few preview photos up; but you'll have to watch your mailbox for the cutest baby in the world picture. (Hint: It's Liam -- sorry Shannon, but Dev's a close second.)

This week ahead is full of holiday parties. We'll keep you posted. Meanwhile, keep an eye on your mailbox. :-)

Santa Baby

On 12/5 Liam weighed 19.5 pounds and was 26 inches long.

Hockey Night in Canada

Lester's in Calgary where it's colder than a frozen Wisconsin bubbler. Lester actually got excited when the Calgary forecast called for freezing temperatures. Tonight he's at a a hockey game, which even he seems to be enjoying. He called home at "half time." 

Lester called just after Liam exploded all over the furniture. Thank god for Shannon, who came over to help me get it off the floor, furniture, dog, etc. while I dumped Liam in the kitchen sink. Like the walls, Liam was covered in his dinner. How do single moms survive?

Just when I was putting him in his crib, Liam figured it out that da-da was gone for the night and he wasn't too pleased about that. But he's finally asleep. He likes a new CD -- actually it's one Katie sent him for Christmas last year. Normally he listens to birds chirping, but this week he likes the classical lullabies. 

Today at school Liam played with play dough for the first time. He also colored with a purple crayon. At home he tries to eat whatever I give him to be artistic with. Crafts are a challenge, but we try. It's a good thing he goes to school.

He came home with the photos they took at school a few weeks ago. These are the first unflattering photos I've seen of Liam. Perviously I thought he was just too photogenic for a blah photo to exist... but then I thought about it... it's Lester. He gets the good ones of Bean. Bean gives us good photo smiles because he's smiling for us. And it doesn't hurt that Bean's daddy is some kind of photo guru. :-)

Tomorrow we go to the doc, but I wonder about whether shots are a good idea. At least we can do the 9-month visit, and perhaps hold off on the shots.

The Power Family Plague

{Please use Purell after reading this message, or you too may become infected.}

Liam started this mess last week when he lost his lunch at daycare. Actually, it began the night before, in the middle of the night. I heard it on the baby monitor and went to find his bed a mess. He continued barfing for the next day, so much that the doc wanted him to go to the ER. We actually had a decent ER experience at Mary Bridge Children's Hospital -- though poor Liam had to have IV fluids and some medication to stop the vomiting.

It wouldn't be a plague if the story stopped here.

Exactly three days later, and Liam's feeling fine. It hit me first, and then Lester a few hours later. The only one to take care of poor Liam was Zoe. We both seem to be on the mend, but I'm still not well.

Now I really wish the story stopped here.

This morning the neighbors called to say they are sick, but luckily Baby Dev is still OK. Let's really hope it stays that way. I'm expecting someone to come over later today to paint the mark on our door telling no one to enter.

*sigh*

Gobble, Gobble & Gibberish

Bean's 1st Thanksgiving

(Published after the fact due to the Power Family Plague)

Liam's first Thanksgiving was quiet and cozy. It started with a Packers win in the morning and ended with pumpkin pie. What's better than that?

Despite numerous offers to celebrate the Turkey holiday with friends and their families, we opted to stay home and celebrate. That doesn't mean we cooked all day and cleaned up all night, however. With Little Liam to look after, we cooked a simple dinner -- a chicken, stuffing and green bean caserole. Liam sampled bits of it all, and was quite fond of pumpkin pie. (Proof that he's only half British!)

We relished in the ample free time to spend with Liam. But when it came time for him to go to school on Friday, we didn't even blink. Liam was one of the only kids there, but he was there all day! Yes, Lest and I had a day off, together, without diapers to change, for the first time in nearly a year. Most of you would assume we went to a movie... maybe lunch? Nah, we finished our shopping, went to the post office, and then went home to work on the baby proofing.

Liam is EVERYWHERE at home. He has a playroom and a bedroom, complete with outlet covers and lots of toys. But now that he can crawl, he wants to roam around the world. It's only a matter of time before he will need the whole house to be safe for him... and that's a lot of work.

The weekend was good for catching up with friends. Krysti and Carter came for dinner on Saturday, and wound up hanging out until Sunday morning. We really enjoy visits from them. Liam's old enough now to remember a handful of people -- so he smiles and waves when his best friends come over to play. Liam is now the age Carter was when they met.

We also went to lunch with the Crawfords. The last time they both saw Liam was early October... they were amazed by how much he's changed.

Running Around with a Runny Nose










After-Halloween Party

Taking a Stand

Early to mid November

Many people have asked why there hasn't been a Blog in a few weeks. The truth is that I'm working an awful lot... but with some reprieve in sight. I have a few days off for Thanksgiving, and then a few weeks for Christmas. Starting in January, I only teach in the evenings. But for right now, I teach a little too much.

Liam doesn't mind though. He loves going to school. When we get there, he wants to play right away, and they say he never cries. Or at least not while he's there. Often he's sad that he has to leave, and he cries when we get in the car to go home. It doesn't last long though; he's usually so tired that he zonks out before we get home. The photo is of Liam finger painting at school.

He really likes playing with the other babies, and there's one little guy, a little older than Liam, who he really gets along with. I think he also likes the daily routine. We're glad he's happy going to nursery school.


The last weeks have been a bit of a blur. There's one notable milestone: Liam can stand up now. One morning I went to his room, and there he was, grasping the crib rail with his baby death-grip. He sways and bounces, all while standing. Most of the time he remembers that he can sit, but he likes standing so much that he wants to stand even when he's too tired to hang on.

He can pull himself up on almost anything these days. Pants legs, furniture, Zoe... it's amazing how much strength he has.

Liam's also learning a lot about gravity. We give him little bits of food (puffed cereal, dried fruit, etc.) to give him practice picking things up. He bangs on the high chair tray and they bounce off. Zoe's learned that if she sits under the chair, she gets a shower of treats.

We're gearing up for Christmas by staying home for Turkey Day. Liam and I will watch the Packers Thursday morning, but other than that, we have no plans. Bean's a little too young for Turkey and all the trimmings. Maybe next year.

Nov. 4-7: Waahhhh -- I miss Daddy

[Bean is now old enough to write some from his own perspective.]

Daddy is out of town this week. Mommy said he's in a place called Las Vegas. She said it's a playground for grown-ups. I wonder if they have a slide there. Daddy is very busy at a conference, but maybe he will get a chance to find the slide and go down it a few times.

I go to school now. There are toys and other kids to play with. I'm getting better about taking naps there. It's hard to sleep when the lights are on, but I try sometimes.

Daddy comes home tomorrow. That's a good thing. I miss him lots. But there are many other people I miss too -- like the ones I love who live far away. Like Thomas and Amy and Granny and Nana. It's a good thing Mommy and Daddy don't live far away, or Zoe would have to take care of me. She means well, but I don't think she knows which blankie I like best.

Come home soon Daddy.

Oct 31 - Nov 1 Bean's Halloween

Liam is 8 months old today. He survived his first trick-or-treat. We only went to a handful of houses -- Andrea and Byron's, Mike and Erica's, Shannon's and Shannon's Neighbor. So what was Bean for Halloween? You guessed it... a penguin! He was very cute.

He's also doing really well at day care. He doesn't cry when he's there at all. It's not all rosey though; he doesn't nap either. But we're working on it...

10/12 - 10/24 Thomas & Amy's visit

A Day in Seattle

A Day in Seattle

An Early Halloween Party

An Early Hallowen Party

Boot Scoot and Boogie

Bean crawled today. Not sure if this is the first time he's crawled, or if this is the first time he's let anyone see him do it. It's kind of a rudimentary form: arms stretch forward, feet mash against the floor, and legs, in tandem, drag forward. He crawled all over the play room, so much that Thomas decided Liam now needs the pillow blockade we use for Carter.

Yesterday we went to see the snow. That's what you do in the Pacific NW... you go to the snow when you want to play in it. So we drove to Mt. Rainier, where it was gently snowing. We had a snowball fight -- Cara joined us on this adventure -- and snow was flying everywhere. Liam was the warmest of all. He was in a fleece snowsuit, in the baby carrier on my front, inside my zipped down jacket. He was so cozy that he fell asleep despite the conditions: howling wind and freezing temperatures. Thomas saved a snowball in the cooler, which we now have stored in the freezer. I wonder if it will last as long as the wedding cake.

On Wednesday, we went swimming at the brand new Federal Way Community Center. Liam is getting really good at pulling his legs back to swim. He paddles with his hands and kicks with his legs. He really enjoyed going down the slides with T & A,

We've overcome another bit of a crisis this week too... Krysti let us know that she's starting a new FT job with a job placement company. It's where she worked before she had Carter. They made her a fantastic offer, so next week will be her last week with Liam. The following week, Liam will start day care. (Krysti and Carter moved to a new apartment just before TTL&A arrived from England.)

We debated hiring a new nanny, but we really only need someone for two months. Then my teaching schedule moves entirely into evening courses for two months... and after that, Liam's a year old. (Can't believe it!) Our goal was to keep him out of day care until he was a year old, but we couldn't find a way to do that. We're lucky we've had him home this long. I really think it's made a big difference too; Liam sat up early and rolled over ahead of schedule. He now eats a little "real" food every day -- he likes pear and peach Yo Baby (yogurt) the best. He can wave on demand (that's all Krysti's doing) but he also knows to wave goodbye all on his own. And now, as of today, he's crawling. Plus, he's a joy to be around. Thank you Krysti for everything.

So today we are off to Seattle for a day in the city. More soon.

On October 15th Liam weighed 19 pounds.

Trip to the snow

October 14: To the Power of Seven

Trevor, Lynda, Thomas and Amy arrived Friday evening. I'm amazed how much the kids have grown! Amy's a little girl now. Last time we saw her, she was a baby!

The cousins have a great time together. Bean gets a lot of attention -- he's never without a lap to sit in these days. Amy especially likes playing with him.

Yesterday was a quiet day getting used to the neighborhood (and time zone). We walked to the grocery store, and the local park. At the end of the day, we drove to Dash Point State Park to see Puget Sound.

Today we went to the pumpkin farm, where there were many adventures: a giant corn maze, a cow train, pig races... and pumpkins of course! Our friends Devin (and his parents) met us there too!

I think we are all very tired, but it was a fun weekend.

Liam's ready to crawl any moment now. He's waving... an adaptation of Krysti's 'high five'. And he ate a whole container of Baby Yogurt for dinner last night (in addition to a little chicken, asparagus and broc).

Good stuff.

By the way, a lot has happened this week... the details are forthcoming on Tuesday. This is just a quick update with photos from today's adventures.

Pumpkin Patch

October 3-10: Teething

So Liam's first tooth arrived, and I think the second one is trying to follow on its heels. (Does a tooth have heels?)

Sleep is again a luxury reserved for other families. I suppose it could be worse; Liam sleeps for hours at a time. The problem is that he frequently wakes up in pain, and often nothing works to soothe him. But other than the zombie-like qualities his parents are showing, Bean's in good shape.

Rumor has it that he crawled forward for the first time this weekend, but Lester and I weren't there to see it. There might be some video forthcoming of the momentous event... until then, it's not official. And the rumor was that it was rocking, followed by a tiny movement forward. We'll see.

Liam went to the Crawford family birthday party on Sunday. It gave Lester and I a nice break to get things done. I spent much of the day trying to get a new carseat. Why are all of the employees at Babies R Us incompetent? Liam is nearly too tall for his car seat, so we're getting the next stage. Amy will use it when she's here. Then Liam graduates to the new seat.

T-minus three days until Thomas, Amy, Trevor and Lynda arrive. Don't worry Thomas, yesterday I found Wheatabix at Safeway.

October 5: Liam's First Tooth

Two nights with no sleep and we're all celebrating the arrival of Liam's first tooth. Perhaps it means tonight we can get caught up?

Welcome little tooth; we've been expecting you.

7 months old today!

How time flies. Little Bean has been around for seven months now. Now I know what all those parents mean when they talk about how much fun it is to watch the kids grow. I used to hear people say this, like when asked about their hobbies... and I was always amazed that anyone could get so exited to observe such a slow process. But now, as I see how Liam can grab his duck in the bath, and then decide to swap it out for the frog... and when he puts his little hand on the sparkley star on the page of his bedtime story book -- because he knows that's his job-- it leaves me speachless. Exactly seven months ago he was totally helpless, and now he can do things.

When he was tiny, we sang 'Happy Birthday' every week, and then every month. Well, no, actually, we would usually remember after he fell asleep every month. So sometimes I'd sneak in and sing, but mostly we agreed to wait until morning. And then we would forget.

Well just now, I almost forgot to sing to him again. This month I have every excuse to forget... I've got a cold, he's been cranky all day, etc. But I remembered. I even sang the bonus verse. He thanked me by wailing his normal two-minute goodnight cry, no longer than usual.

Goodnight Baby Bean

9/29 New Photos

Last week, I came home from school to a very cranky Liam. Krysti took a bunch of pictures to keep Liam happy until I got home. He loves the camera. Smart thinking!

We missed our swimming today, and we skipped going up to Snohomish. Mommy's not feeling well, Gives me a good opportunity to upload some new pictures though.

Krysti's Photos

9/20-9/26 Happy Birthday Auntie Katie!

Today is Katie's birthday. No colorful collage for Katie... but people's birthdays are special. So today I told Liam stories about when Katie and I were little.

The last week has been eventful. Uncle Trevor visited on Saturday, and we went to early breakfast at the Sunny Side (a/k/a Sunbreak? Sunrise?). Then we went to the Y for his swim lesson. He's kicking very well, and he dunked without too much concern. The instructor encouraged us to see if the babies know how to push the water out of their mouths after a dunk. Liam tried. He also blows bubbles a little. Baby steps.

The weather has turned nice again for a few days. On Monday afternoon Shannon, and Baby Dev joined us for a walk. We went over to a new park, where Liam tried the baby swing. He wasn't sure at first, but after a while, he liked it.

Not sure how much Liam weighs this week, but he moved up a notch in clothes. Luckily we still have hand-me-downs from the troops. :-)

Happy Birthday Nana

Click to play

September 15th: Bean's Busy Day

Today Bean went swimming twice. Normally we go once a week, but today we had our first swim lesson AND Nina-Simone's first birthday party. So at 10 AM Liam and Daddy jumped into the pool at the YMCA and then at 1PM, Liam and I explored the new Federal Way Community Center pool.

The swim lesson focused on getting used to the water. They played some baby games, like ring-around-the-rosie. Liam adored his morning swim with Daddy! I worried that he might be too tired to swim at the birthday party. Luckily he slept between the two swimming adventures, so he was ready to go once we hit the pool for the second time. We walked through the water (1.5-2 feet deep), sat in the shallow part (a few inches deep) and played in the various water toys at the spray playground. Someday he'll try the lazy river and the water slide, but not just yet.

Swimming

Aug. 28 to Sept. 14: Catching up

I never imagined we would be THIS busy. Gone are those days where we just hung out and ate/slept all day.

But who would want to? We're trying to steal every last drop of sunshine to propel us through those perpetually damp days in early spring. The Seattle weather in September is one of the reasons I'll live here forever.

The end of summer means the start of birthday season here at the Power House. In September alone we have (in order) Imants, Daddy, Nina-Simone, Auntie Karry, Auntie Lynda, Nana, and Auntie Katie. Liam sends brithday kisses, of course.

Daddy's birthday was last week. We celebrated in a low-key fashion. Liam made daddy a picture. Lester and I have been inseparable for a decade now. Can hardly believe Syracuse was that long ago. After dinner, Lest and I toasted the acquantence who introduced the two of us way back when on Lester's birthday.

On Friday Liam went to the doc for his 6-month visit. Liam's at 75% for weight, 50% for head circumference and 25% for length. So he's in good shape, except for a few little things. His eye seems to get irritated easily, and his head isn't perfectly round. We aren't worried about either situation; just things to monitor. The eye requires drops, and we are supposed to call a specialist about his head shape. I think his head is the same shape as Lester's... but the doc thinks we should get it checked to rule out problems. I hate to think about what she'll want to rule out when she learns Liam's inherited Daddy's British teeth.

Over the weekend Liam developed hives, most likely in response to his shots. He was rather uncomfortable for a while, but now most of the spots are gone. The hives could also be a reaction to food, but we still are rather cautious about the new foods. Lately he's added eaten peas, bananas and necterines. Yum.

Thanks to Krysti, Liam now is a jumping boy. She set up Carter's outgrown jumperoo, and Liam now jumps for short bursts. He still doesn't have the strength to go for much longer than 15 minutes, but he really loves being active.

Carter and Krysti are still hanging out with us... Liam loves having them around. When Carter spends the night with his Dad, Liam seems to miss him. And then when they are back together, they smile at each other, pat each other on the head and then play. Babies really aren't meant to play together at this age, but these boys do.

We also hung out with Devin a little this week. Dev's getting big enough that (with help) he can sit in with us on the floor. Liam gets to be the 'big boy' and he just watches Devin. Liam's such a little Zen Baby; so quiet, peaceful and gentle. It's really nice having a friend the same age (reletively) so close. As it turns out though, Devin's not the new kid on the block anymore. Over the weekend, an 'It's a Girl!' balloon showed up a few houses down. Must be something about living right next to a park. :-)

Liam spent a little time at school with me this week too. Yesterday we went to the school library for our 'Read' photo. Our librarian is taking photos of faculty reading their favorite books. I jokingly said the only book I get to read these days is Liam's 'Twinkle Twinkle' bedtime story. We discussed it for a bit, and then it was decided; Liam and I would pose for a 'Read' poster while reading his favorite book. The photo is really cute. I think Liam wound up eating the book.

On September 7th Liam weighed 17.9lbs.

Liam's New Toys

August 21-28: Entering Advanced Baby Mode

August 21 - August 28

I remember the days when his tiny head fit in the palm of my hand.

Is this the same baby?

16 days / 6 months

Liam is one week shy of six months. He sits up and plays with toys now. We no longer 'practice' sitting; he just does. Sure, he falls over sometimes, for no reason at all... but who doesn't?

He also figured out how to roll from front to back. In the same evening, he figured out how to crawl. Currently he doesn't really do either of these with any regularity, but he knows how. He really wants to crawl - you can see the determined look in his expression. Honestly, I think he just wants to walk and do the things other people do. He doesn't understand it; even the dog can walk and talk and eat real food, so why can't he?

I tell Liam he's an advanced baby, meaning he used to be a beginner baby. Pretty soon he'll be an expert baby and he will teach the other tiny babies how to look at things and say advanced words, like 'google.'

Now he's beyond the tiny baby things. For instance, he has outgrown most of his tiny baby toys. He still likes to hold onto them, but he's no longer engaged by rattles. The toy I call 'blinkie blinkie' was his first 'toy' that he could play with. Now he looks at it as though he's figured it out. After only a few minutes he scoots away to something else. I fear even his mobile has numbered days...

So this week I went to the second-hand store to buy some new toys. Yes, I went to Target first because I'm scared about all the toy recalls. Nearly all toys are made in China. Target has moderately-expensive toys, primarily for brand new babies. There were a few that he might like, but nothing exciting. But then we went to the second hand store, where he can at least see what the toys look like without all the packaging. That's part of the reason I don't like buying Liam new new toys... all the packaging just goes to a landfill anyway. There's life left in so many toys, and Liam doesn't know the difference if it's slightly used. Plus, the cost savings means we can buy twice or three times as many. Sure, I have to go online and make sure the toys haven't been recalled, but I figure thats the least we can do for this planet. Perhaps it helps to offset all the diapers.

This week brought more solid food. Liam now eats apples and sweet potatoes. We gave up on cereal -- it didn't like him. Granny has sent us so many baby spoons that we can use a different spoon every day of the week without the need to do dishes! The British spoons are better though, like almost everything. Some even change color when the food is too hot. Granny also sent a puppy puppet from their travels in Ireland. Liam says 'gooh' which could mean anything. We hope it means thank you.

Currently we have a little extra help. Our nanny and he son are staying with us for a little while. There are no complaints from the boys who now always have someone to play with.

Liam is 25 weeks old and he weighs 18 pounds. He is 28 inches long. (Can that be right?)

More photos:

End of August

Music

Liam also now really enjoys listening to music. One of his CDs has a song that goes like this:

There was a tree (there was a tree)
All in the wood (all in the wood)
The prettiest tree (the prettiest tree)
That you ever did see (that you ever did see)
The tree in a hole and the hole in the ground
And the green grass grows all around, all around
The green grass grows all around.
The song lists out a root in the hole, and a tree on the root and a branch on the tree...

You get the idea.

So Lester figured out it's the same song as an Irish drinking song.
It goes something like:
With the hole in the bog and the bog down in the Valley Oh
And in that hole there was a tree, a rare tree, a Ratlan tree ...
the likeness is that the verses are all parts of the tree, bird, etc.

The words are slightly different, but the tune is the same. :-)

August 14-21: Dog Days of Summer

This week Liam figured out that he has a doggie. He reaches out to pet Zoe and grabs a fist full of fur. Sometimes, with the right encouragement, he actually 'pets' Zoe, and so far, she's been receptive to the whole relationship. Zoe loves any attention she gets these days. With the right supervision, Zoe's allowed to sniff Liam. Sometimes he gets an unexpected 'kiss' on the cheek. He smiles and giggles -- dog might be man's best friend, but Liam is clearly Zoe's best friend.

Liam and I watched the Packers vs. the Seahawks on TV Saturday afternoon. It was preseason, but the Packers looked really good. This was Liam's first game. Normally Liam doesn't watch any TV, but this was a special event. In Wisconsin, it's never too early for football, and I was likely watching football before I could say 'Go Pack Go.' Lester thinks Liam should be a Seahawks fan, but I argue that he has Green & Gold blood in him. Besides, being a Seahawks fan is so ordinary. Being a Packer Backer shows character.

Also new this week, Liam is eating a little oatmeal every day. We will see how that goes. He seems to like it. According to all the advice I've seen, now is the time to encourage cereal. Despite the rice cereal problems, oatmeal looks good so far.

The hospital sends an email every week to tell me how many weeks old Liam is, and what's normal for that week. This week there was a link to a neat little timeline tool. http://www.talaris.org/5ways/index.htm

As for six months... which is next week, this is the only one I don't know about:
Can perform simple addition and subtraction exercises (5 - 10 months).

Babies are supposed to know how to do math? I know some adults who don't yet have a handle on that one... what next, quadratic equations at 9 months? We are most certainly pushing kids too hard these days. ;-)

I digress. He has reached all of the 6-month milestones. This week we noticed he is capable of responding to own name (4 - 5 months), though he prefers 'Bean' to 'Liam'. He likes it when we spell his name 'L-I-A-M, Liam!' and when we slowly say the vowel letters. He now responds to voices over the phone, recognizing quite a few familiar voices. When he hears Granny, he starts 'talking' nonstop, and when he hears Nana, he smiles and trys to hold the phone. I'd say he likes his grandmothers!

Next week is Lester's final presentation for his MBA. One more 8-week class after this week, and he's officially over-educated. Liam sat in on one of Lester's group meetings, and he helped Daddy put together a few slides.

Over the weekend, we got to see a MO-VIE! We took the boy up to Joya and Wiley's house, which now has more toys than ours does. Liam had a great time hanging out there while we saw the Simpsons movie, which was one of the best movies ever. Lisa falls in love with a smart Irish kid with a dreamy accent. Need I say more?

OK, So Liam has just now reminded me of one more thing... HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMY! Amy Power will be three years old this week! The four of them will get to meet Liam in October -- they are coming for a visit! Liam's so excited he just can't stop talking about it.

He's Growing Up Fast!

We missed the update for last week. I've hurt my wrist, so I'm keeping the typing to a minimum. However, today Liam finally figured out how to suck his thumb. I thought this was noteworthy, seeing as he has been trying so hard for so long.

More on Tuesday.

Week of 7/31-8/6: Liam's 5 months old!

Tuesday, July 31st to Tuesday August 6th


On August 1 Liam was 5 months old! In usual fashion, we remembered only after he fell asleep, so we sang to him the next day. I reveled in the idea that he's almost half a year old. He's also back to being a fully breastfed baby. The rice cereal made his tummy upset, so we've decided to wait until he's at least six months old. The doc is trying to convince me that he has acid reflux and perhaps needs medication. The way I see it, he ate the rice cereal and didn't feel well. Now that he's not eating cereal, he's back to normal... It doesn't take a Baby Einstein to figure out the problem here. So we are holding off until he's a little older.


We went swimming again this week. Liam loves the water. Next week we can register for swimming lessons which will start in early September. I know it sounds early, but my view is that it's never too early to learn how to be safe around water.


Speaking of water, Lester wanted to take some water photos for his photo club assignment. Keep in mind that it was Lester's idea to pour water on Liam's head. I am normally gentle, trying to get most of it down the back of his head. In fact, I even have a little visor, for days when he's not so pleased to start with. Contrast this with Lester's view. He thinks Liam should be able to handle water in his face without a bother, so he dumps the water right on his head. On this day, it made for a good picture, but I think tomorrow I'll go back to the old way.




On Thursday evening, with some effort, Liam rolled from his back to his front. By Friday morning he could flip around like he's been doing it his whole life. Now he's a pancake... that is he only flips one way... to his tummy. He hasn't figured out how to do it in reverse. So every morning, I go into his room, and he's frantically trying to get to his back. Sometimes it seems like an endless battle: roll, whine, flip, roll, whimper, flip.


Also this week, Liam met Nina Simone, who is the adorable little girl you might remember from the baby shower. We work with her parents (well actually her Daddy was my student when she was born; now he works at Weyerhaeuser, and her Mommy works at DeVry.) The two babies are so cute together - especially when they hold hands. She's almost one year old, so she's a little more gentle than the nanny's son, Carter.



It amazes me how at this age, even a few months difference in age is so profound, yet they could all be in the same Kindergarten class five years from now. I can hardly think about Liam eating with a fork or tying his shoes. This week I'm just so happy to see him roll to his front, and I'll be ever so pleased when he can roll back... on his own.




More pictures:

Rolling Over

Liam is now 5 months old; he weighs more than a gallon of milk and less than Zoe.

Week of July 25th: Food, Glorious Food

Wednesday, July 25 to Tuesday, July 31

Liam ate 'solid' food this week. Figuring that he was nearly 5 months old, we fed him a bowl of rice cereal. It looks a lot like wallpaper paste, but he thought it tasted pretty good.

We took lots of pictures of his first ever bowl of 'real' food. We have to give credit where it is due. The only reason why the first food off a spoon came even close to working was due to Granny's diligence in teaching Liam to take Gripe Water from a spoon. This is not to say that the event was a total success. Of the bowl of cereal, we estimate that about 1/3 went into Liam, 1/3 coated Liam, and the final third ended up a puddle he sat in. Needless to say it was bath time after that.

Friends came over to play our favorite game, Apples to Apples, on Sunday. Liam was happy to have all the extra attention (and hands to feed him). Margie seemed somewhat concerned that we take off Liam's clothes to feed him, suggesting he might grow up and think he needs to do the same. She suggested the bib; thanks Margie. However, with the mess he makes, it's still easiest to take the clothes off before eating. But the bib helps.

Cara and Joya helped me give Liam a bath after we all fed him cereal. Then we played Apples to Apples. I don't recall who won.

Liam also has a new exersaucer -- obtained mostly so that we have one for upstairs and one for downstairs. This also helps when Carter is over, so Krysti has a place to put both of them.

Finally, we met the newest baby on the block. Liam no longer has that title. There's nothing quite like a new, tiny little one, as light as a feather. Hard to believe Liam was ever so small.

Liam is 21 weeks old, and weighs 16.5 lb and is 24 inches long (that's 2 feet tall).

More pictures:

Food Glorious Food

July 18-24: I'll eat my words now...

Tuesday, July 17 - Tuesday July 24

Last week I said:

... getting him to sleep is now straightforward and dare I say it... easy?

Remember those words? HAH! I should have known better. I'd like to retract them. Liam had a rough week. He sleeps through the night on occasion now. As of today, short naps are back on the agenda, but I would no longer use the word easy. Today we had a 12 minute nap. Does that even count?

Friday night was tough; he was up at least 4 times, and I had to be at school at 8am on Saturday. Luckily, Lester took over at some dark and early morning hour.

He's also back on the Binkie. Our Nanny Krysti, gave it to him one day, and now he likes it when he falls asleep. I don't think it will be long-lived though because it's too much work to be very rewarding.

Back to our Nanny, she brings her 9-month-old Carter with her. Until now, the two played side-by-side. But now that they are more comfortable with each other, the two have been interacting a little. Liam reaches out for Carter, which looks a little like a swat at a nearby fly. And Carter 'pets' Liam on the head like he's a kitty.

Last week, Liam started making the broken car noise... neh--uh--neh--uh--neh--uh. I think it most resembles a car with a worn-out battery trying to start, unsuccessfully. This noise can go on for hours, and I think it means 'I'm bored'. Doesn't matter what toy or person he has in front of him... neh--uh--neh--uh--neh--uh. Sometimes there's a hint of pending tears, or laughter. Then, without warning, he's quiet again. That's who he is this week, I guess.

I think Liam is a Baby scientist. He loves to study things -- anything, really-- and he can look at it for a very long time. His reaction to seeing something new (or something he thinks is new) is a happy giggle with a smile, and then a long stare. When interrupted, he gives the same expression Lester uses, as if to say, right, where was I?

We have a new CD of kid songs, like the Hokie-Pokie. Liam likes to dance and he's actually starting to recognize the songs. Apparently Liam will have a lot to learn, as we are discovering many of the songs have American and British versions.

For example, I sing "Ten bears in the bed and the little one said,

Roll over, I'm crowded,

So they all rolled over and one fell out..."

But when Lester sings it, it goes something like this:

"Ten in a bed and the little one said,

Roll over, roll over,

And they all rolled over and one fell out...

Bumped his head,

And gave a shout, Please remember, To tie a knot in my pyjamas,

Single beds are only made for one, two, three, four, five, six in the bed and the little one said..."

Liam now grabs for things he wants to hold. It's really cute. Last night in the bath, he grabbed the washcloth I was using to sqeeze water onto his head. He just wanted to hold it. I guess it's only logical that he now can do things deliberately; he is almost 5 months old after all!

Liam is 20 weeks old and weighs 16.5 pounds.

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Week of July 10th

Tuesday July 10th through Tuesday July 17th


Liam has been settling into routines this week. At the suggestion of the pediatrician, we read Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child. This book suggested we try an early bedtime and several well-timed naps troughout the day. Liam's now going to bed at 8, and he usually sleeps until 6am. He also takes two short naps a day. This is a very good thing. And getting him to sleep is now straightforward and dare I say it... easy?


It was very hot last week; near 100 degrees every day. The house grew warmer and warmer with each passing hour, so we went out in the afternoons to avoid the heat. On Wednesday we went to the swimming pool, which was set to 1.5 feet. Liam loves the water, but there may have been too many kids in the pool for him to really feel comfortable.

On Saturday, Liam went to the zoo with Daddy, Guy (one of Liam's Godfathers), Granny Beth and Cara, Margie and Margie's son Max. This was a field trip for the Weyerhaeuser Photo Club. Guy, Lester, Margie and Max went on a photo scavenger hunt. Liam, Cara and Granny Beth looked at the animals and ate lunch.



Our house is now, and forever will be, Liam's playground. There are brightly-colored plastic toys everywhere... as it should be. He is really quite strong, and can sit on his own for short periods of time. There is a photo of him sitting up in the album below... I think his head looks so big compared to the rest of him that it amazing that he can manage to keep it upright. Eventually he does start to lean, and then he gently flops over, hopefully into something soft, or someone's waiting arms.


We started the week with a pillow behind him in the exersaucer (Office 2000) in case he toppled backward. Now he spins around and uses all the different toys, and the pillow gets in the way. I can happily put him in there for a while while I load the dishwasher or get ready to go to school. Last week I mentioned that the hand-me-down saucer is called "The Office" by the friends who gave it to us... so when I put Liam in the saucer, I tell him it's time for his office hours. I actully think if I had one of these in my office at work, he could do his office hours right beside me while I do mine!

Unfortunately that arrangement won't work, because most of the time I'm at work, I'm teaching. So Liam stays at home with Krysti, his nanny. She brings her 9-month-old son, Carter, with her, and the three of them play while I'm gone. Liam is going to learn a lot from Carter, I think, because Liam is constantly watching. When Krysti puts Carter in the Office, he jumps around like the drummer in a rock band (and makes about the same amount of noise). Liam just watches...

Today was his first day with the Nanny, and I really think this is an excellent arrangement for all of us. Plus, it was nice to get away for a few hours. Although Liam is my favorite student, and he learns so quickly, it's refreshing to focus on language skills at a (slightly) higher level. :-)

Next week should be as ordinary as tap water... but then again, you never know.

More photos:

Heatwave & the Zoo

On July 15th Liam was 4 1/2 months. He weighs more than 16 pounds.

Week of 7/3: Happy 4th!

Tuesday, July 3 to Monday, July 9

We spent a lot of time outside this week. The garden is now a nice place for all of us... we put a few more plants in, and the lilac finally has a home. Good thing too, because this week will be a scorcher!

On the 4th of July, we went to the local park in Auburn. Liam will really enjoy the activities there when he can run around and get wet at the spray playground. In the afternoon, we went up north for a BBQ at the Crawfords. We watched a few fireworks from the bedroom window - we can see three or four of the local displays going all the way out tho the sound. We were all so tired though!

Over the weekend, we had a chance to meet some of the neighbors. We all got together in the park in front of our house for a picnic. Liam behaved himself so well that we stayed out until his bedtime! We also

learned that he won't be the youngest boy on the block for very long -- seems there's something in the water around here!

We also met up with the Kresse's one last time before they move to Oregon. Joel was there -- we haven't seen him since Jill's wedding in Arkansas last year!

The week ended with Liam's 4-month check-up. He's in good health, and growing fast. At the official weigh-in, he was 16 pounds, 1 oz, and just under 25 inches long! As Granny says, he's a Baby Heffalump.

The doc has suggested an earlier bedtime and trying a little rice cereal once a day. I haven't decided about the baby cereal yet; she thinks it would be good to see how he does while he's still very young. Plus, rice allergies are rare. We'll see how it goes.

Something new for this week: Liam now is big enough for "Office 2000" the hand-me-down exersaucer that's been hanging out in our living room. (Zinta and Guntis came up with the clever name.) On Sunday he tried it for the first time and wasn't sure. By yesterday, he'd figured how to spin around in it, and how to use all the toys. I'll have pictures next week.

Liam's 1st 4th

On July 9th Liam was 4 months, one week old. He weighs 16 pounds.

Week of 6/25: Trains and boats and planes.

Monday, June 25th to Sunday, July 1st

This week was all about travel and weddings. Last weekend, Liam experienced his first road trip. We all piled into the new Matrix, and headed to Oregon.

On 6/23/07 the three of us piled in the car for a trip to Portland. Our friends Shaun and Sherry got married. As you can see from the photo, Liam slept most of the way.

The Westin created very nice accommodations for his first hotel stay. It was so cute, we had to take a picture. A few people asked to see it.

Liam did really well on the trip, even though Daddy forgot all his clothes for the wedding at home. So while Liam and I went for a walk and browsed the Kid's section at Powells, Daddy rushed over to the Men's Warehouse to get a new everything. Seems we were both so focused on having everything we needed for the little one that we forgot to look after ourselves!

That wasn't the case the following week with our trip to Texas. Liam enjoyed his first flight on Wednesday. He did quite well, though he was a little squirmy. I think we brought two of everything we needed!

Katie and Ronnie got married, and the wedding was very nice. We had a great time, and Liam met so many new people; family and friends. It was a good trip.

More photos from our two trips:

Weddings

On July 1st Liam was 4 months old. He weighs 15.5 pounds.