Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Grandma and Grandpa J

What do you think, is it time for another post??

Grandma and Grandpa J came for a visit last weekend, for a whole three days.  And it was a nice, kind of relaxing, all too short visit.  And Liam got his grandparent bonding ON.  (Seriously - he loved Grandpa J.  He would smile at him, and hug him, and ask him to pick him up, and sit on his lap to look at books.)


Grandpa J is an awesome grandpa, and he made a table for Liam (inlaid with a beautiful checkerboard) and a stool for Mommy.  We have since spent lots of time coloring at the table, driving cars on the table, and getting onto the chair.  And off.  And back on.  And off again.  On.  Off...  You get the idea.



Saturday we visited the farmers' market, went to the library to see their new RFID check-in system, and visited the fabric store to buy supplies for Mommy and Grandma J's QOV quilt.

Sunday was church and relaxing with the family.  (Which means, Mommy doesn't remember what else we did on Sunday.  Friday either, for that matter.)

Grandpa J / Grandma J, do you have any pictures you want to add to this post??

Friday, June 24, 2011

Liam's First Haircut

This baby is a boy!  How many times have we been told, "Oh, what a cute little girl!"  Ok, only about twice.  Still, it was time for a haircut.

Heck, it was time a couple months ago but... Well, Mommy 1) didn't want to pay someone to cut a little hair and 2) didn't want someone else to cut her own child's hair.  The fruit of her loom.  Fruit of her womb?  Whatever.

Mostly it was the second one - Mommy might not like to admit it, but she is a little sentimental.  How on earth could she let someone - some stranger! - cut her little baby's hair for the very first time!?  As silly as it sounds, she knew she would regret that.

So we put the coupon for Cookie Cutters' Haircuts for Kids in the recycling and Saturday after dinner gave Liam some Cheerios and turned on Sesame Street videos on the laptop.  Mommy snipped and Daddy gave moral support.  Liam had no idea what was going on, and except for a couple tiny mistakes, he looks like a normal boy.

Before...

First snip ever... 

No going back now...

Next up, after pictures, including whatever happened this last week but Mommy can't think of what happened this last week because she is too tired to thinkzzzz.......

Friday, June 17, 2011

Baby Bar Fights

This poor baby has had a rough day.  Last night Mommy and Liam went to Ladies' Night at Laura's house.  Her husband Matt is an amazingly kind man and took Liam outside to play so that Mommy could visit with the girls.  Unfortunately it was a bit buggy outside last night and Liam lot lots of mosquito bites: 4 on his legs, a big one on his ear, a few on his arms, and several on his face and head, including two (three??) on his right eyelid.


His eye is red and puffy and nearly swollen shut... Kid looks like he was in a nasty bar fight.

Mommy did call the nurse this morning, who said we could give him some allergy medicine for itchiness.  He was kind of grumpy / clingy / irritable / itchy today, but less so once he had taken some medicine.  Hopefully tomorrow he feels all better. 

Monday, June 13, 2011

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Teethies

We've got three molars coming in:  Top left and right and bottom right... uh, Liam's right, that is.

Saturday, June 11, 2011

Busy Bees

We have been BUSY lately!  Yesterday Liam and Mommy spent the afternoon with our friends Laura and the other Laura (Laura A.) and the other Laura's (Laura A's) three boys.  (Did you follow that?)  There was a small strawberry shortcake festival in Bedford and we partook of the bounty.  It was deeeelicious.  There was a photographer there taking pictures of Laura A's twins, and they made into the local paper.  Liam's cute, but apparently he can't compete with twins.  Whatever!...


We also went to a small Art Association exibit at the Wiley House, as well as the Lawrence County Museum of History.  The Museum of History had a ton of interesting artifacts.  Mommy is looking forward to going back without the baby so she can actually look at everything.  The visit was fun, but hectic with three boys and a baby.  And it turns out Laura A. is also interested in quilting and suggested she and Mommy take a quilting class together.  Yes!  Please!  Speaking of quilts...

This is a little old, but here is Cousin Grayson's finished quilt.  Not too shabby, eh?


Oh, but this baby loves playing with anything with wheels.  And sitting by the front door means he can watch REAL vehicles drive past the house - cars, motorcycles, construction trucks, vans, firetrucks...


There are days, and then there are DAYS.  DAYS when we need extra distraction and new activities.  (These DAYS are becoming more common lately.)  Mommy has turned to the internet for inspiration, and this website is our current go-to.  This week we are learning about circles, and here is one of our projects: a circle plate.  Mommy found her sticker collection from when she was little and a paper plate with a circle pattern on it.  We picked out some round stickers and decorated (and redecorated) the plate.  Between our "craft" projects, afternoon pool time, and trips to the library (to try to eat the train table pieces!), we are mostly managing to stay sane.


Mommy's peas are ripening as we speak.  On Thursday Liam helped Mommy pick peas.  Uh, helping meant stealing the picked pods from Mommy, chewing them up and spitting them out.  Also, eating dirt.  Mommy ended up with about 15 chigger bites - Liam had none.  Lucky baby!


Fresh peas - YUM!


And here's the money shot:
*
Well, helloooo Ladies!

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Baby Signs

As many of you know, we have been teaching Liam to use sign language. Last night at bedtime, while we were looking at a book with a bear in it, he all of a sudden signed "bear" for the first time. And he did it perfectly! Here is a list of signs Liam can currently do by himself:

More
Dog
Cat
Bear
Baby, which kind of also looks like...
Love / Hug
Bananas
Peas - Daddy thought he did this one last night at dinner.
Car / Truck / Tractor / Mower - They all kind of look the same.
Ball
Airplane
Shoes, maybe?
Apple, once

Question of the Day: What signs should we learn next?

Saturday, June 4, 2011

Great-Uncle Lynn's Retirement Party

Golly, it has been two weeks now since we took a little road trip to Wisconsin.  Would you like a late update?  You would!?  And would you like to see some pictures?  YOU WOULD!?  Well, okay - here we go!

Now that we have a squirmy, energetic little one, we have to time our drives.  This means we drive during naptime and when we do stop we have to work hard to wear him out.  It is a good plan, assuming you don't want to drive further than 5 or so hours in a day.  Which is the exact distance to Great-Aunt Celeste's house, our first night's lodging!

Before reaching Celeste's, we stopped for lunch at Fair Oaks Farm.  We walked around the learning center and Liam played on the toddler playground.  He went down a slide by himself for the first time!  We went on the bus tour (Justin's first time); the tractors were a bigger thrill for Liam than the cows.  We almost saw a calf born, but the monster was too antsy to sit still for it.  Lunch time!  Liam chowed down on a quesadilla, and Mommy and Daddy got some ice cream (after real food, of course)... Tired yet?  Liam was, so we got back on the road.

Liam woke up again just as we got off the highway for Roger and Celeste's.  The evening was a pleasant one, and we four chatted outside for awhile once Roger got home.  Dinner was yummy pizza and ice cream sandwiches for dessert.  Liam went to sleep fairly easily, but woke up during the night and then didn't go back to sleep.  Mommy and he sat up until the birds woke up and sang.

Mommy and Daddy have recently lost their minds and began training to run a 5K.  Saturday morning, Mommy, Daddy, and Liam woke up and went running before breakfast.  It was a nice run on a paved trail next to a pretty river (and some BIG houses!).  After showers and breakfast, Mommy, Daddy, Liam and Celeste went to visit Great-Grandma Mary at her new apartment.  The new place is pretty awesome - lots of exposed brick, a gorgeous chapel, and terribly friendly staff.

We got back on the road around lunchtime, headed for Madison.  Great-Uncle Lynn retired from the Army Reserves after a gajillion years, and Saturday afternoon / evening was a big party in his honor.  Grandma J, Grandpa J, and Bethy were meeting us there.

 Great-Grandma Biwer and Great-Aunt Carol

Just playin'... with pinecones... just 'cuz...

Gotcha, Cousin Sara!!

The Man of the Hour, Great-Uncle Lynn

Cousin Phil

Great-Aunt Colleen

 Great-Aunt Nancy and her new baby bunny

Then we went for a walk...

You just put your lips together and blow...

I love Grandma J!!!

The Hambone

Group hug!

Wheeeeeee!!!

That night, Mommy, Daddy, Liam, Grandma and Grandpa J, and Aunt Bethy all stayed at the same hotel.  Liam slept better (thank heavens!) and so everyone was rested for a quieter visit with Lynn and Colleen, a picnic, and a trip to the zoo.

Watching the bear with Dad

Riding an okapi, one of Mommy's (many) favorite animals

Baby's first popsicle: a BIG hit.

Back on the road!

That afternoon we drove halfway home, to Bloomington, IL to stay the night.  After a quick dinner we turned in for the night.  After a run in the morning, breakfast, and showers, were on the road again for home.

Ahhh, home.  As fun as the weekend was (and it was!), it surely is good to be home.