October Fun

Some highlights from October...

Silliness at Pumpkinland with Marc and Cathleen:


Liam scooping out his first pumpkin (from Pumpkinland, of course). I have no idea why we didn't get one last year!


Helping Dad with the last of the guts:


Ta-daa!


On Saturday, Nana and Grandpa came to stay with Liam (thanks guys!!) while Daddy and I went off to see Notre Dame play Navy at the new Giants stadium in NJ. The game was a total disaster, but at least we had a blast tailgating with old friends! Best part-- getting to meet sweet baby James. Congrats Carly and Murph!



Liam "playing" my guitar. Our little August Rush?


Baby 2 is starting to stir-- felt him/her move for the first time last week! First ultrasound coming up on November 8.

Daddy's birthday is tomorrow...!

Columbus Weekend in AC

Mom was at Penn State for a conference all last week, so Daddy played Mr. Mom and held down the fort with the little guy. I missed my boys!! This was about the extent of our interactions:



Don't ya love the footwear?! We've been more or less drowning in all this rain, so a guy has to be prepared, right?

After a week apart and a whole lot of crummy weather, we were excited to get away for a long weekend in Atlantic City with Nana and Grandpa. It had been almost exactly a year since Liam had been there last. What a difference a year makes!! It was surprisingly warm, and we couldn't have asked for more beautiful weather. Liam was totally in his element on the beach, although the water was waaaay too cold. Here he is daring to follow Grandpa into the water:



(Which was shortly followed by Liam falling down in the water and getting completely soaked! Who knew we needed a bathing suit in October?!)

An outfit change later, we hit up the boardwalk for a little walk:



Liam found some "friends" (who he promptly gave hugs to):



So much to do in AC-- what first?! Liam couldn't decide if he wanted to sleep, watch football, go for a walk in his stroller, or go swimming (see outfit below):



Hey, he insisted on this getup! What can I say?! Swimming won out, so we hit up the (fortunately indoor) pool at the resort:



The water was a little chilly there, too, so he hit up the not-very-hot tub with Nana to warm up;



On Monday, we went to Brigantine Beach-- so peaceful and quiet, and a much nicer beach than AC. Liam loved chasing the giant seagulls all over the beach! The seagulls, however, were not to be bullied. While we were down by the water, one actually went through Liam's diaper bag and stole a whole bag of pretzels!



Grandpa and Dad burying Liam in the sand:



Nana and Grandpa on the beach:



Family photo op:

Team Expansion

We are excited to announce that Liam is going to be a big brother!! Yes, he is holding what you think he is (and no, it was not my idea to give it to him. But how priceless is that reaction!).

Baby 2 is due March 29!

Fist Pumpin'

Liam flew to Illinois this past weekend with Daddy and brought a little East Coast (Jersey Shore to be exact) to share with Surabhi and Uncle Jake in the car...

19 Months Old

Liam is 19 months old this week! He had his 18 month check-up a few weeks ago and survived another round of vaccines. He lost a little weight since his 15-month check-up, but since he is a pretty serious eater, we'll chalk it up to how much he runs around. He's in about the 70th percentile in weight at 27 lbs 13 oz and in the 80th for height at 33.5 inches. His big ol' melon is in the 90th percentile :) No surprise there-- this kid goes through ball caps like it's his job! Thank goodness for his adjustable Phillies hat!

He still isn't talking much, if at all, which of course has made us a little concerned. He is very expressive and has no problem understanding what is said, but his "words" just don't make any sense yet. He's interested in words themselves-- and insists you tell him the word for everything he sees-- but he just isn't interested in repeating anything back. We got a referral for a speech therapist, but Uncle Sam (who is one!) has reassured us that all the building blocks are there-- especially with regards to how good his comprehension is-- and he'll talk when he's ready. So I guess time will tell! We're so glad that Uncle Sam is able to work with him informally whenever they're together, and we know he'll tell us if/when it's time to call to get him regular appointments.

So while he's not saying much, he is... um... "expressing" himself in other ways... mainly with some GROSS incidents of "finger painting" with the contents of his diaper! He has become very concerned with his diaper over the last couple of weeks, and yes, this includes some exploration of the yucky stuff. It only ever happens if he has a dirty diaper while he's sleeping (and most often as he's waking up from a nap) and if he has somewhat easy access to it. Needless to say, this is one of the most foul things a parent could encounter. The clean-up is quite an undertaking, including scrubbing crib rails, washing every piece of fabric in the vicinity, and a major bath! So GONE are the days of sleeping in onesies or in just a diaper, Mr. Liam-- you are officially only allowed to sleep in footed pajamas!

The good news, though, is that with his new-found interest in the goings-on in his diaper, he has also been interested in actually using the potty! By no means a regular thing, but in general, Liam will sit on the toilet whenever he needs a diaper change and will actually go! No #2 yet, but there have been plenty of #1s to celebrate (which is clearly his favorite part. Again, no one is prouder of Liam than Liam!!).

On to some photos....

Liam had a blast playing with his good buddy Brigid during an ND game the other weekend. These two make such good pals!



Saturday morning, 7 am. Liam running around in only a diaper (refused any other clothes). Wanted to go outside, so he grabbed his hat and his mower and headed for the door. Hold up, buddy! Missing some key elements!



We enjoyed a fun visit from Nana and Grandpa this weekend. We spent some time at Linvilla Orchards for their music and arts festival on Saturday. Liam and Grandpa checking out some of the animals:

Nana and Liam dancing to some tunes:

Liam was a riot feeding the chickens-- was equally scared and excited by the little pinch when they'd peck the corn out of his fingers!

Climbing a tree:

Labor Day Weekend in Milford

Hi everyone! I know it's been a while, but after some traveling and some hectic work stuff, we're back in business!

We had an awesome weekend in Milford for Labor Day-- it was so good to see so many friends and family members! Thanks to all who made an effort to get together over that weekend. We arrived on Friday, and were very, very relieved that the plane ride was without incident (read: biting), as it was obviously much easier to keep Liam entertained for an hour and 45 minute flight!

On Saturday morning, Mom and Dad snuck out before dawn and trekked over to South Bend to see the Irish WIN in their season opener against Purdue! It had been many years (8 for Dad, more for Mom!) since we'd been back in the Notre Dame stadium, so it was really great to get away for the day. We also got to see several of our college friends-- and their babies! So much has changed since our college days for sure.

While we got away, Liam stayed in Milford for a fun day with Grandma, Papa, Uncle Andrew, Beth, Toni, and Aidan. They all took great care of him and he had a blast! He was a little confused at first:



But he warmed up fast. This, by the way, is Liam's "Antonia look". She makes the exact same face, and they look just like each other when they do it!

Liam enjoying some AM fun with Toni on the Aerobed:



Later that morning, they all went to the Hoopeston Sweet Corn Festival Parade to see fire trucks, marching bands, and more! It was chillier than we'd expected that morning, so thanks to Grandma for supplementing Liam's wardrobe :) Liam watching the action with Uncle Andrew:



On Sunday, Grandma and Papa hosted a party for Aidan's 8th birthday, and we were excited to see lots of family and friends. Liam helped Papa prepare for the party by hammering in a stake for the tent:



Aunt Vicki got Cousin Drake and Liam these adorable Illinois t-shirts-- they didn't have a "Thing 2", so they are both "Thing 1"s! Can't believe how much these two have grown!



Liam discovered a new interest in football-- good timing! And nice spiral, little guy!



Liam got to put his new football skills to use all day in an exciting and sometimes heated backyard football game. Granted, he insisted on being carried through the action for most of it-- but who could blame him? The thing went on for hours!



And being carried meant he was always right in the middle of the action!



Another new love-- the fist bump. Knuckling up with Bill after a good play:



(As a side note... at Costco yesterday, Liam held out his fist from his stroller and was fist-bumping total strangers up and down the aisles. So funny!)

Chugging some H2O with Grandma after the game:



Liam also got to hang out with his little buddy Owen, who has really grown since last we saw him! How cute are these two?



Liam trying to make a getaway in German's van. Nice try, dude. Look at that devilish look!

18 Months Old

Liam turned 18 months old last weekend, and he is growing into one funny little kid. Some of his current loves:
1. Playing hide and seek. He's terrible at it, but it is super funny! He even puts his hands over his eyes and pretends to count. Get ready to find him in the exact same hiding spot every time, though (most often behind the couch or in the bathroom).
2. His bubble mower. This was a gift from Nana and Grandpa this weekend, and it already makes the top of the list. He brings it into every room with him and insists on even hauling it up the stairs, bringing it into the bathroom when he takes a bath, etc.
3. Speaking of stairs... Liam likes to go both up and down the steps like a big boy. He wants to hold the railings and even alternate feet. Just make sure you leave plenty of time before you need to actually get anywhere, because while precise he is definitely not fast!
4. Eating with a fork and spoon, and drinking out of a regular cup. This he is actually pretty good at! He also really likes helping Mom cook dinner at night.
5. Pillow fights, tickle fights, and whenever Mom or Dad jump out of a hiding place to scare the daylights out of him. The more surprised he is, the more he loves the game!

He also has some serious pet peeves:
1. Being left out of anything the big kids or grownups are doing. He doesn't care what it is, he just wants IN.
2. Whenever one of us leaves the house and doesn't take him with us.
3. On the other hand, he is guaranteed to throw a fit if you try to take him somewhere/make him do something he doesn't want to do. This requires some major creativity at times-- especially if you need him to get in his carseat!
4. Getting his nails clipped.

Luckily, however, he has chilled out a little with the biting-- so the tantrums are a little easier to manage :)

On to some pics...

Our parish hosted a community carnival a couple of weeks ago, and Liam had a blast. Here he is waiving to his cousin Cait riding the ferris wheel right before we got on:



Sure enough, his ferris wheel ride did not disappoint!



Liam and I were playing chase one day, and here he is coming after me!



Playing ball with Nana this weekend:



Liam taking his bubble mower for a spin:



After he "mowed" Nana and Grandpa's lawn, he took off down the street-- perhaps it needed some maintenance? Or maybe it was time to see if the neighbors needed their lawns cut?



After a busy afternoon of yard work, the boys enjoyed a cold drink on the deck-- Cheers!



Enjoying a little snuggle with Nana:

Liam has his 18-month checkup tomorrow morning... wish us luck!