I'm 15 months old!

It has been such a long time since I have updated everyone on what I've been up to. I am sorry. There are so many things that I have done and learned and experienced in the past couple month that I will have to be brief and hit the highlights. So here is my picture story.

I started learning how to drink out of a cup. I love apple juice!

I got to meet and pet a horse! Horses are so fun!

Mommy got me my very own couch. I love my couch. I like to eat and watch my shows and sleep in my couch.

I am starting to use a fork! I am really good at. I still need a little help getting the food on the fork, but I can do the rest!

I really like lemons. Really I do!

Here I am next to my couch and in my cool hat. I'm a cool dude!

Daddy gave me my first driving lesson. I'm a pro. I knew where the keys go and how to turn the wheel.

My second Easter. I had so much fun. We were outside all day playing and eating and hunting for eggs. I am in the car.

We love to take rides in Nana's wagon. I sit in it all the time, even if no one is pulling me. Do you like our matching Easter shirts? Thank you Nana.

I know I am only 15 months old. But I already know what I want to be when I grow up.

Just like Daddy!

Had my first photo shoot. Not to shabby?

I'm one lucky guy.

Some things that mommy doesn't have pictures of are all the words I now can say. I say baby, because this is what Caiden calls me. And I can count to two! I can also say ni-ni (night night), ba (bath), bo (ball), no (means yes). 

And I understand a lot too. When mommy says lets go or outside, I get my shoes and run to the door. And when mommy asks me if I want to eat I run to my high chair. I am getting picky with my food, so I point to what I want to eat.

Finally, I have started to try and put myself to bed. When I get tired I go to my room and try to crawl into my crib. I cant do it on my own, so mommy or papa have to help me. They think its the coolest thing ever. I'm just ready to go to sleep!

Well thats all for now. I hope that you feel caught up in my life.

My new name

Hi everyone,

I have been very busy making sure my 2nd year of life is starting off right. Having my 1st birthday underneath my belt has given me a new perspective on life. There is a verse in the Bible that says, "When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me." So there are a few things that I have done away with now that I am a man. The most important is bottles. Bottles and babyfood are for babies. I only drink out of sippy cups now and eat grown up food. And I do not drink formula or milk either. They are for babies. Mommy thinks I am taking this man thing a little too far, but a mans gotta do what a mans gotta do! Usually mommies have to ween babies from their bottles, but this time, I think it was I who had to ween mommy. She says I turned into a big boy over night!


I have also downgraded from 2 naps to 1 per day. I have a lot of work to do now and I cant afford to be sleeping all day.



I have been putting a lot of my energy and focus into communications, specifically with women (ok, by women, I mean mommy). Daddy says this is a tough one. I am trying to affirm her and let her know that I listen and I can understand her. So I play a game with her. She will ask me where things are and either point to them or go find them. Things like my juice, my blanky, my cat, my new choo choo, my cheerios, my  , papa, and other people as well. She is so excited when I listen. I think I have tapped into the secret to success with mommies!

















My great grandparents are visiting me again. I got 2 awesome present from them. Great grandpa made me a rocking horse! My very own horse! And great grandma painted it. I need to take a few more lessons before I am comfortable riding him, but I love to stand beside him and rock him really fast. And great grandpa made me a choo choo train! Its amazing. I push it around while mommy makes the choo choo sound. 

Another part of being a man now, is that I am helping my papa out by being the man of the house while he is at work. Its tax season now so he has to be at work a lot. But its not a problem this year, because I am all grown up! I try to take care of mommy as good as papa does. I know its big shoes to fill, but I'll get there! Here I am helping mommy with the dishes.

And now I have saved the best for last. The final change to mark my passing from a little boy to a little man is my new name. "Big Brother." I am going to be a big brother this year! This is a very important job. I have a lot to do before my little sister or brother get here. I have to know how to do all kinds of things so that I can teach him or her how to do things. But I am not doing this all by myself. My best friend Caiden is going to be a big brother too! Our mommies let us tell our Grandparents that we are going to be big brothers, by wearing big brother t-shirts. It was fun.


These are all the updates in my new life as a man.

My 1st Birthday!

I told you last time that I would let you know when I found out what a 1st Birthday was. Well I did. It was a lot like Christmas, only all the presents were for me! I have to be honest, my mommy and daddy enjoyed it a lot more than me. I was really excited to see all my favorite people, but I get nervous and shy when everyone is looking at me. I had two parties. The first one was on my birthday with all my aunties and uncles from mommy and daddy's cell group. I helped play wiffle ball outside. I played on daddy's team and we won! Then I got presents and had a cup cake. I ate the whole cupcake all by myself. But I didn't like the icing, its slimy. Then I got my most favorite present of all. I got to go to my Nana's and spend the night. I played with Caiden and Nana and Grandpa all night. Nana put me to sleep but I didn't want to miss the ball drop. So I woke back up and counted down to 2010 with my Nana and Grandpa. Last year I counted down to the new year with my mommy and daddy in the hospital.

My second 1st birthday was with my family. My Great grandpa was there too! I got some awesome toys and clothes. I got a swing but it was too cold to swing in it. I am still waiting to get to swing in it. I got another cake with a picture of me on it and a candle. Everyone sang happy birthday to me and then gave me my own cake. I was really tired and not hungry so I had a melt down until mommy put me in my bed. I like my naps.

I had a great birthday. There are so many people that love me. I have learned so much in this first year of my life. I have so many talents. My favorites are walking, singing, dancing, and closing doors. And I love playing with legos. My life is great. I cant wait for year #2.

Enjoy my pictures!

Love, Little Liam

December is the best month ever!

December is a very special month for me and my family. We have a lot to celebrate. My Uncle Jared and Auntie Hope celebrated their 2nd anniversary. My papa and mama celebrated their 4th! And my grandfather and granmoggie celebrated their 33rd anniversary. Wow, that’s pretty cool!

The past couple weeks mommy has been taking me all around town to every store looking for a special outfit. Finally, a couple days ago she found what she wanted, it was a red jumper that said "Baby's 1st Christmas". She was so excited. She said that it was super hard to find this kind of outfit that fits me... and something about my 1st Christmas should have been last year. I didn’t know what she was talking about. What is a Christmas? And how could I have been late for something that I didn’t know about? I found out the next day. Christmas is the coolest day ever! I got so many presents. I got really cool clothes and grippy socks so I don’t slip when I am walking. I got 2 trucks, and legos, and books, and toys and a huge tent! I can’t wait for papa and me to make it our fort for boys only. I like all my presents a lot. But my favorite part about my 1st Christmas is that I got to have all my favorite people with me at the same time! That was the coolest. I even got to spend Christmas Eve at my granmoggies house.

I also have a few more talents to add to my resume'. I am a pro at walking now, it’s so much better than crawling. I can sing and dance now to music or to anyone who is singing something that sounds like a song. I have also decided to retire my baby food and eat big boy food. I love to feed myself. I like chicken, greens beans, potatoes, lima beans, bread. I love everything. But I don’t like picking up slimy things. Mommy says that I must be a texture person like her. I wish I knew what texture means.  All I know is that I love to eat; I could eat all day none stop. It’s fun and I am always hungry.

What a fun time December is. But it’s not over. I have my very Last First coming up. December 31 is my 1st Birthday. I am excited. I think it’s kind of like Christmas, the way mommy is talking about it. I will let you know.

I love you all so very much. I hope that you had a great December just like me. Happy December!

 

Liam walking to mama and granmoggie

Liam's 1st Thanksgiving

For Thanksgiving we loaded up a van with 2 grandparents, 4 aunts and uncles, 1 cousin, 1 mommy and daddy and a little buddy and off we went to Maggie Valley North Carolina to see Great grandpa! What an adventure. Other than a rock slide that made our 10 hour trip into 14 hour trip, we had a great time. Liam and cousin Caiden did a great job for their first road trip. The weather was great. We were too late to see the pretty leaves, but the first night there we saw some snow flurries. It was sunny and cool. We took great pictures of the boys and the family. Liam loved having his favorite people around for 5 days straight. I think his favorite part was having his Nana for so long. But he did have to share her with Caiden, which was difficult at times. Great grandpa taught Liam how to throw a ball. It’s his favorite thing to do now, as well as walking. Its a bit scary. He has a strong arm but you ever know where the ball is going to go.
As I mentioned before, Liam took his first step for his daddy's birthday. One month later, he is nearly a pro. He still wants everyone to watch and clap for him (he's all boy). He is making his way across the room now. If he falls, he finds the nearest piece of furniture to pull his self up on and keep going. Micah calls him 'Walk-a-thon'.
He also has 4 teeth now, 2 on top and 2 on the bottom. While his friends all have 7+, there are no more teeth in sight for Liam. In due time though. He is definitely changing into a little boy. He is becoming particular about the foods he likes. He loves feeding himself. He is starting to eat off my plate now. Mashed potatoes, meatballs, french fries, chicken. He is already shunning veggies.
He is trying very hard to communicate these days. If I don’t get it right, he screams till I do. And we have officially entered the "I only want mommy" stage. He thinks that anyone who evens looks in his direction is going to take him away. He also recognizes the places where I do leave him and starts to cling for dear life. For example: walking up to the gym, getting out of the car at church, going into his bedroom... We are working on this.
Micah and I could not be more proud of our little Liam. Every day with Liam is such a gift. Every cheesy line about appreciating life more is so true. I am looking forward to celebrating his 1st Christmas and his 1st birthday this month. I am using all of my self control to not buy him the world!

That’s all for now, enjoy the pictures!

Happy Birthday papa!

We celebrated Micah's birthday November 4th. I got him a book by one of his favorite authors and a hoodie. But Liam gave him the best gift ever!! He took his first steps! No joke. Micah came home early on his birthday and we were all in the living room together. I was on the floor with Liam and he suddenly let go of the coffee table and turned to me. I shouted at Micah, "Look! I think he is about to take a step!" And just as I said it, Liam took a step towards me! "Happy birthday papa!", I screamed. Wow!! Then Liam did it again, he took two steps, then four steps, and then five steps! He is a quick learner just like his daddy. Micah could not have been more proud. What a great birthday. There is no way I could top that present. Liam took a week off from walking, but now he is in full force. He doesn't just walk to me, he is now trying to go to other people and from table to chair to couch... It's so exciting. He likes to keep trying because he loves it when we say, "Yay, big boy!" and clap our hands. He gets a huge smile and sticks out his tongue and claps his hands too. So far, walking has not changed things that much. Crawling or walking, he is able to get around everywhere, and into everything. I imagine the more he perfects his walking skills, the more bumps and bruises he will acquire from falling. It will get crazy once he starts pulling up onto things and climbing.

I have taken up garage saling again and I have found some great deals! I got Liam a little car to sit in, with a handle for me to push. He feels like the king of the world! We push him around the block in it now instead of the stroller. He holds onto the steering wheel and the ignition key and just gasps with excitement! I have also gotten him his Christmas presents! But those are a surprise until then.

Liam's cousin, Caiden, celebrated his first birthday on November 6. We had so much fun. The entire family came over to our house and we had a picnic outside in the front lawn. He helped open all his presents, which were all kinds of sports stuff. His favorite gift was a baseball bat and tee. He also had a blast 'digging' into his cake. Lets just say that the tub was filled with chocolate soapy water when all was said and done. Liam got to practice the whole 1st birthday thing for his, which is coming up soon. Some days, I cant remember life without my little Liam, and other days, it seems like we just found out he was on his way. Now he is nearly one. Wow!

I will post some pictures to go with my story, soon. They are on granmoggies and nana's cameras.

Happy moments

My little Liam is making sure to pass a few more milestone before turning 10 months old. With cousin Caiden as his mentor (8 weeks Liams senior), he is on the fast track to learning so many things. He started clapping a few weeks ago, but now he is clapping in response to and along with anyone who claps. I did not get to see him, but my mom and sister said that he waved by-by to me yesterday. How precious! And while he was spending time with daddy he stood by himself!  He is taking more and more risks everyday while playing and crawling around. Liam is a true explorer and very clever too. Every day he finds a new place that I have not yet Liam-proofed (what a little helper) and he figures out how to get into everything. Pushing, pulling, turning, squeezing, lifting, he does it all. It has become my everyday quest to keep some things out of his reach, and his quest to reach everything. Can I just say, "Go go Gadget arms!"

He is so happy, always laughing and smiling. He does have a dark side though, he has started throwing fits when I take something from him. We are working on that.

Here are a couple of pictures I took yesterday. He is just too cute to not show him off. Can you see his two bottom teeth? Below is Liam playing with his new bigboy toy. It has doorbell that he pushes and he sits and opens and closes the door all day. He loves it.

Well thats all for now. I know that some of you tried to leave comments and were not able to. I have fixed that, so please send Liam your love!

First Time to Epcot

September 24, 2009
My sister Grace and I took our boys, Caiden and Liam, to Epcot. We grew up with Disney as our playground so it was very special to get to take our babies together for the first time. It was like experiencing it all over again. So much wonder and excitement! They loved it. I remember being pushed around in a stroller all day and now I was pushing the stroller. We took them to the Finding Nemo ride. Grace and I sat down in a big seashell with the boys on our laps as we were carried through the ride. Caiden (10 months) was so excited, he was standing up and talking and smiling and looking at all the lights and screens. Liam (8months) was so scared; he rode the entire way with his arms wrapped tightly around my neck and his face buried in my shoulder. He makes me laugh, he is so sensitive sometimes. But when we got to the fish tanks, Liam quickly got just as excited as Caiden. They pressed their little noses and mouths against the glass watching the little fishes swim in front of them. And in true baby form, he slept in his stroller the rest of the time we were there. It was a short trip and to most, uneventful. But for me, it was a day I had dreamt about since I was a little girl.

9 month check up

 So James Liam is now 9 months old. He went to the doctor yesterday and was so brave. He got one shot and they also pricked his finger for a blood sample. He is 18.9 lbs and 27.5 inches tall. Dr. Gross said that he was ready for a big boy carseat facing forward! I dont know if I am ready for one! His infant carseat is one of the last things that make him a baby. I find myself having to let him grow up already. He finally got his bottom 2 teeth a couple weeks ago, he loves how they feel on the bottom of his tongue. He is constantly pushing his tongue in and out of his mouth to feel them. He is contantly talking and making that sound we make to describe the sound of a car (brbrbrbrbrbrbrbr). He is so precious and so happy. Family, friends and even strangers always comment on how happy he is and how much he smiles. He is crawling everywhere and trying to get into everything. The most common phrases in our home right now are:
"Stop pulling my hair."
"Stop pulling the cats tail"
"Stop grabbing daddy's glasses"
"Stop playing with the cables and cords."
"Stop eating the cats food."
"Stop licking the bottom of shoes."

When he is not testing his boundaries, he is hugging, and kissing and singing and dancing and making me so happy and proud.