Happy Birthday, Daddy!

Daddy's birthday was Tuesday, and we had a great time celebrating as a little family! The festivities started after we got home from work, when Dad bravely gave Liam his dinner in his work clothes. How cute are these two?!



Liam had to miss out on the annual birthday meatloaf this year (don't ask if you don't already know...), but he seemed just tickled with the birthday green beans. I can't believe he let us put that hat on his head, let alone keep it there!



As we have come to find out about our little guy, he loves a party. This picture says it all:



Liam got Daddy the new Alice in Chains CD (and seemed quite pleased with himself). What a thoughtful little shopper!



Daddy also received a very cool Yuengling beer stein from Grandma and Papa, which was such a great surprise:

Happy Birthday, Dad!

Atlantic City

Mommy had a conference in Atlantic City this past week, so Liam and Nana came along to enjoy the boardwalk and the beautiful weather. Thank goodness Nana is on sabbatical this year! The conference and our hotel stay were both at the Trump Plaza, and Liam seemed to enjoy his stay. Here he is in his crib, where he held non-stop practice of his standing-up skills (too bad that's pretty much all he did in his crib...):




He was so proud every time he'd work his way up that he even showed off some of those teeth:



Ocean view from our room:



Liam and Nana had so much fun together during the day while Mommy was at the conference. We had weather in the 70s, so they were able to get out and enjoy the sunshine and boardwalk sights. He loved the music outside all the casinos, and especially the water show on Caesar's Pier. As I mentioned, Liam unfortunately didn't sleep very well at night, as he is dealing with ear infections again and a yucky cold (which we all have...). But he at least seemed happy and comfortable during the day! Here he is on the boardwalk:



Liam is also learning to feed himself a little, starting with some cereal puffs. He is totally enthralled, although not entirely successful. We apologize to the cafe staff at the Trump for the aftermath of our breakfast there! Anyway, here's Liam chowing down in his fancy chair in our room:

Great big thanks to Nana for joining us on our little trip and for taking such good care of Liam!

Surprise, Papa!

We went to Illinois this weekend to surprise Papa for his 60th birthday. It was a great trip! Here are some of our favorite memories from the weekend.

While Daddy and I were packing on Friday night, we put Liam in his crib to play. When we looked in to check on him, we were shocked to discover his new trick: pulling himself to standing! Needless to say, we took a break from packing to lower his mattress. Yikes!



On Saturday morning, we flew into Chicago, met up with Uncle Jake, Uncle Andrew, Antonia,and Aidan, and traveled together to Milford to surprise Papa for his birthday. I don't think we will ever forget the look on his face when we walked into the kitchen, and especially when he saw Liam! It was such a sweet moment.



A very happy Papa with his favorite birthday presents!



That night, we went to The Hangout for Papa's birthday dinner with some family friends. True to form, Liam once again caught a nap on a Fanning :) He was out like a light!



After his little snooze, Liam spent some time with Aunt Karen, who took a break from the kitchen to show Liam the jukebox and do some dancing. He had a blast!



Sunday was Antonia's 9th birthday! We enjoyed some quiet time together before the party that afternoon. Here's Liam with Grandma:



Another highlight was getting to meet Uncle Jake's girlfriend Surabhi and his adorable new dog Fox. We had so much fun together! Liam was of course fascinated by his new "cousin."



Daddy with his brothers:



Cousins:



Family photo:



Just wanted to apologize again to Papa for what happened to his birthday cake... I swear it was an accident!! I don't think I will ever live this one down...



Sigh. Back to the party!
Liam was reunited with his buddy Drake (see this post for their first visit), and they had so much fun playing together!



Daddy with his cousin Nate and their boys:



Daddy, Uncle Andrew, and Aidan playing football outside:




Inside, Liam was having a good laugh with Grandma:



Antonia feeding her little cousin:



Nice job, Toni!



Liam also had a nice visit with Sandy:



And with Penny (when he wasn't trying to eat her buttons, necklace, or earrings, that is!):



Time for bed! It was so nice to have little helpers! Toni and Aidan lending a hand for bathtime:



They also took turns reading Liam bedtime stories. They are such good readers and patient older cousins!

On Monday it was back to Philly. Thanks to everyone for such a wonderful visit, and we can't wait to see you all again soon!

Visit from Aunt Vicki and Uncle Dick

Liam enjoyed a fun visit this weekend with Aunt Vicki and Uncle Dick, who came from Illinois to see us for a couple of days during their RV foliage tour of the northeast. Their adorable Maltese, Bentley, was along for the ride-- and treated Liam to his first experience with a furry friend. They were too cute together! Liam tried to chase Bentley around the living room with his own little growl, attempting to pet (okay, pull) his fur. Thank goodness Bentley is a mild-mannered and very patient dog! Here they are eyeing each other up:




Liam with Aunt Vicki, trying to get that puppy!




On Saturday night, we watched another nail-biter Irish win. Liam, practicing his standing, watched intently with Daddy.




On Sunday, we enjoyed the gorgeous fall weather with a little trip to Peddler's Village for their Scarecrow Festival. Liam hamming it up with Vicki and Dick (note that Dick was wearing an Illini hat, which Liam promptly removed for him for the photo!):




On the way home, we stopped at Macaroni Grill for dinner, and for the first time Liam sat in a restaurant high chair like a big boy! It was short-lived, however, as all he wanted to do was rip up (and try to eat) the paper they put over the tablecloth, and then try to pull the actual tablecloth out from under us. Guess we'll have to wait until he's a little older to try again. Liam with his mischievous little grin...

7 Months Old

Seven does not seem to be a very lucky number around here! Following his (fortunately short) stint with the chicken pox, all the congestion (unfortunately) led to ear infections in both ears. So as Liam turned 7 months old last Tuesday, this was the face we got:



Can't say we blame him, as we had to hold him down in order to give him his antibiotic and ear drops and once again suction his poor little nose. I would be miserable too!

But we're happy to say that within 24 hours on that antibiotic, he started to feel a lot better and he's now finally back to his usual self! Here he is getting back into the swing of things with his top from Miss Doreen:




Liam spent quite a while today playing with that baby in the mirror again. He even tried to give him kisses, which I just couldn't catch on camera. So cute!




So to give you an idea of just how much Liam has grown, remember this picture from a post back in March? Compare that with today:



Incredible!

Chicken Pox

Yes, Liam has chicken pox. Let's just say it has not been a good week!

It all started last Friday, when Liam cut tooth #7 (sigh. Can we catch a break please?!) We were visiting Nana and Grandpa, and Liam went on both a sleep strike and a nursing strike. And if you know Liam, you know that this is rather unlike him!

After a VERY long Friday night/Saturday morning (Daddy and I agreed it was probably the worst night Liam/we had ever had), he finally caught some Zs in GGs lap during the Notre Dame-Michigan game. Don't worry, Liam... we didn't want to look either.



By Saturday night we realized that Liam was congested, which explained some of the wakefulness. We figured it was just a little cold. He seemed pretty happy during the day, so we took him out for some fresh air at Heritage Hills for brunch. Peekaboo, Nana!



Nana and Grandpa helping Liam drink from a big-boy cup. He loves cold water!



We also went to visit my friend Desiree and her adorable son Landon, who turned 2 in July. He is all ready to be a big brother by sharing all his fun toys with Liam... Desiree is due in 3 weeks with a baby girl! Here are the little friends (it had been a while since they'd seen each other!):



Back at home on Sunday night, Liam slept a little better, but he was still pretty congested. On Monday, we gave him a steamy bath-- his first time in the big tub! He LOVED it!



PS- If you are the lucky one to give Liam a bath these days, wear your poncho. He is a splasher!



The last pre-pox picture...

When Liam came home from Miss Doreen's on Tuesday, we noticed a bunch of what we thought were bug bites on his legs and feet. We assumed this was just from playing outside and didn't otherwise think much of it. I felt like something just wasn't right with him, though, so I picked him up early on Wednesday, and by Thursday morning, he had a fever and spots all over his chest and legs. A trip to the doc confirmed our suspicions.

Luckily it seems to be a pretty mild case all things considered-- the pox are still contained to his abdomen and legs, and he doesn't seem too itchy. The toughest part has been the fever and breathing problems from congestion, but armed with a steady supply of saline spray, Tylenol, and some extra TLC, we are managing!

Liam's Big Holiday Weekend

Big Holiday Weekend? But it's only Labor Day! Well, this weekend also marked the start of College Football, and in this house, that is a major holiday. And this year was extra festive as we celebrated Liam's first Notre Dame game (first game on TV, that is... a little too young for a road trip and a stadium experience!).

The holiday was complete with presents, and here is Liam sporting his first ND shirt, which he got from his Daddy. Don't mind our laundry in the background...



Liam also received his first Irish sweatshirt from Nana and Grandpa, which arrived on our doorstep right before the game. Great timing!

We decided to catch the game with friends downtown at the Philly ND Club Gamewatch. This was also Liam's first time in Philadelphia! Here we are showing our Irish pride at the Public House.

Liam also got to reunite with his buddies Brigid and Miss Julie. They hadn't seen each other since Mommy's first few days back to work in June, when Brigid helped inspire Liam to go mobile. Brigid just turned a year old in August, although Liam doesn't look much younger! Here's Liam checking out the little cheerleader (how cute are these two?!):

After a commanding Irish win over Nevada, Liam conked out from all the excitement. We have all spent many a football Saturday feeling the same way!

Back at home... just a couple of pictures of Liam enjoying his Labor Day:

mmmmm... love those keys!