16 Months...17 Months... 18 Months!

I started this post over two months ago... *sigh*
Then August and September happened.
Need I say more?!

Our Joergen has changed so, so much in the last couple of months, so I have some serious updating to do!  He is really coming into his own little self: talking up a storm, climbing up (and often falling down from) everything, running, dancing, and asserting himself all over the place.  He is truly a  Toddler with a capital "T".

Look what I climbed, all by myself!

Back in August, he finally got tall enough to reach the door handles in our house.  They are all lever-style, and nothing made him feel more accomplished than getting up on his tippy-toes and demonstrating his new skill, over and over (and over and over) again.  See for yourself:

Joergen has recently taken an interest in learning his body parts.  I think it started with his cousin Colin's first birthday over the summer, when he got to wear a big funny clown nose:

Once Liam started preschool earlier this month, Miss Doreen took advantage of her one-on-one time with Joer to help him learn his body parts.  I caught him chatting about it in the bathtub the other day:

Given how long it took Liam to start talking, we have just been floored with the way Joergen has picked up a vocabulary... which grows and grows every day!  His first word was "Liam" (Ee-yum!) along with "Mama" and "Dada", and shortly thereafter was "Grandma" "Papa" "Nana" and "Grandpa" (Pum-Pa).  Aunt Jackie gave him a book about baby sign language for Christmas, and I really think that helped!  He is so cute signing for "more" when he wants more to eat or drink, and he signs for "light" when he wants to play with the light switch in his room.  He tells us whenever he messes his diaper by pointing to it and declaring "boop!" We couldn't help but laugh one morning when we heard Joergen in his crib yelling "EE-YUM" over and over at the top of his lungs, trying his hardest to wake up his brother (who was-- and still is-- sleeping on the floor in Joergen's room in a big pile of blankets and stuffed animals).  Liam finally opened his eyes and sleepily said, "What, Joergen?" to which Joergen, who had been hollering for Liam in earnest for several minutes, replied in his sweetest, quietest voice, "Hiiii!" Joergen is developing a funny little sense of humor, too.  He will say or do something, and then look at you sideways with a little smile on his face to let you know that he knows.  I caught the look the other day when we were playing dress-up with old Halloween costumes (side-note: can you believe Liam's first Halloween costume as a baby fits Joergen perfectly as an 18-month-old?!):

Joergen also has a little joke he likes to play on us.  He'll point to the sky (whether outdoors or in!) and declare "Airplane!!"  And you'll say, "An airplane?  Really?" and he'll shake his head with a smile and say, "Noooo...."  You can hear him do it in this little video:

Daddy's favorite thing for Joergen to say is "hhhhot!", which you can hear him say at the end of the clip.  I don't want to forget the sound of his sweet little toddler voice!

Other than make messes and throw things, I think hands down Joergen's favorite thing to do is read books.  He loves to be read to at any time of day, and even if no one is around to read to him, he'll hide out in his room going through book after book on his shelf.  He is especially interested in books with flaps or sensory details, and books about animals, trucks/tractors, and anything by Eric Carle are definitely his favorites!  Given Liam's interest in books as well (he can't get enough of the Berenstain Bears), he will take every opportunity to read with Joergen-- or pretend to read to him.  

If you're wondering about Liam's eyewear... that would be sunglasses with a mylar balloon tied to the bridge.  Naturally.

This picture makes me laugh.  Joergen saying "Cheeeese!" and Liam with a classic Liam expression.  Can you believe how light J's hair got this summer?

Joergen has also taken a real interest in mowing the grass, which is no real surprise.  Our only problem is that we only have one toy mower-- which Liam guards with his life-- so once in a while we'll try an alternative:

And should Liam run inside for a drink or to use the bathroom, look out!  Finders Keepers!

You know, one thing I really love is that as much as my baby boy is growing and changing, he is still a sweet little cuddle bug when he first wakes up in the morning.  That hasn't changed-- and I hope never will!  You know what else hasn't changed either?  That crazy mop of hair!

Visit from Grandma and Papa

At the end of July and into early August, Grandma, Papa, Aidan, and Toni came to visit us!  Liam and Joergen got a little "stay-cation" for the week, and everyone had a really special time together.  Although I sadly missed a chunk of the visit due to my work schedule, I was so grateful to have family here and to catch what moments I could with them.  Some of our favorites (you will notice that  Joergen is unfortunately not in many of my pictures, because he was often in bed by the time I got home!)...

Liam loved his time with Grandma.  She painted his toenails (it was clear, and he insisted)...

And told him stories...

(as did Papa, who also was the BEST fake crier when they would play a game of "You're Not Invited"!)

...and always let him know that he and Joergen are loved.

Nothing makes my heart happier than seeing my boys with their cousins.  They just adore all of their cousins, and especially look up to Toni and Aidan.  They were so cute playing football (clearly a very loose term) in the yard one evening:

Monkey Pile on Aidan!

Tackle?  Or hugs?

Definitely a tackle!

Hey! Come back here, Aidan!

Football!  ROAR!!

We also had some fun with sparklers one evening.  It proved impossible to get a picture of all three of them with lit sparklers at the same time... poor Toni....

Grandma brought an awesome bag of activities for the kids, and Liam just loved learning from her (he's so fortunate to have teachers for both grandmothers!).  He learned how to draw shapes, colored with paints, and learned to play Go Fish.  This is now a regular evening activity at our house.

There was plenty of fun to be had outside of the house that week too.  Daddy even took everyone to Dorney Park one day!  There was a lot to do for both the little guys and the big kids, and Liam even found his way on stage for a live show with some of his new friends:

Although I had to miss out on the Dorney trip, I was happy to catch a movie with Toni and Liam one evening while Dad took Papa and Aidan to a Phillies game.  We had every intention of going to see Brave, only to find out that the movie times online were wrong (what?!)... so Ice Age 4 it was!  These two were still excited:

We seriously loved that movie (who would have thought that a "part 4" of any movie could be that fun?!), and I loved getting some screen time with one of my very favorite girls.  We are definitely ham and cheese.  And you'll just have to see the movie to get my reference!

I got to take the kiddos over to Heuser Park one evening too.  They had some fun getting dizzy on the merry-go-round...

... and being silly...

...climbing up and down and up and down and....

...hiding!  Busted!

Thanks for visiting us, Grandma, Papa, Toni, and Aidan!  Can't wait to see you again for Thanksgiving!

Liam-isms

It must be awfully hard to be 3.

Liam has a hard time falling asleep at night, an equally hard time waking up in the morning, and as a result of this... on top of just being 3... he can be rather, well, emotional.

For bedtime, we have tried every routine in the book.  We even turn off every light in the house and all go to bed together to help him unwind.  But in the end, you can't make a kid actually fall asleep-- that part is on them.  All we can do is keep trying to help!

Stepping out of these frustrations, though, I must say that we have gotten to witness some pretty amusing outbursts.  Some examples:

Last week, we were talking about dinosaurs after dinner.  Liam bursts into tears, sobbing "I just want dinosaurs to be REAL!  But they're all DEAD!  Waaaaaaa!"  I told him we could ride pretend dinosaur rides, see real dinosaur bones in a museum, watch dinosaurs on TV... but there was just no comforting poor Liam.

He has also been very, very concerned about heaven.  What is heaven?  Where is heaven? And especially, What does heaven look like?  Can I see pictures?  I want to see the real heaven!  This is not easy to try to explain (suggestions welcome.  I think I need a book about how to explain God to kids...).  One particular day, I was trying to explain heaven to Liam, and he just started to cry.  "I don't want to go to heaven!  I just want to stay here with you guys!"  Many reassurances followed...

This morning as the boys were getting into the car with Dad to head off to Aunt Doreen's, I excitedly told Liam that we would be going to his buddies' Brigid and Kara's house tomorrow morning because it's the first day of ND football, and we are going to all watch the game together.
Me: "Yay!  Right?  Liam?  What's wrong?"
Again, he bursts into tears.
Liam: "But I just want to play football!"
Me: "Ok!  We can play football and watch football at Brigid and Kara's house!  No problem!"
Liam: (sobbing) "No!  I want to play football in the football GAME!"

I got this text from Dad later:
"Liam as we left and still crying says But Dad, all I want to do is play football at Notre Dame."

*sigh*

It is definitely a parenting challenge to try to address these "serious" concerns while keeping a straight face!

Two of my other favorite interactions with Liam that make me laugh every time I think of them (those of you who are my facebook friends have probably already read these...):

Liam and I were looking at a family photo from not quite 3 years ago that was taken at Grandma and Papa's house.
Liam: "Where's Joergen in this picture?"
Me: "He wasn't born yet."
Liam: "Oh... did we leave him at home?"
Me: "No-- he wasn't alive yet!"
Liam gasps: "You mean he was DEAD?!?!"

I was reading a magazine and saw an article about yoga for kids with some poses to try at home.
Me: "Hey Liam, wanna learn yoga with me?"
Liam: "Yeah!!  We'll be like Shrek!"
Me, puzzled: "Huh?"
Liam: "Yeah!  Shrek is a yoga!"
Me: "No honey.  Shrek is an ogre."
Liam, crestfallen: "Oh.  Then no thank you."

He is a special, special kid.

Breaking in my shoes for Jen and Pete's wedding

ROOOAAAR!  I'm a lion!

Look, Dad-- I made an airplane!

Beating the Heat

All right, East Coast friends-- you know I'm not lying when I say this summer was a hot one, with a capital H.O.T.  Hot as in the kind of summer that could make even the most skeptical believe in global warming.  Yet not too hot... never too hot... to keep our boys indoors.  I would have been quite content hanging by the AC with a cold drink, but we somehow just couldn't sell our kids on it.  So outdoors we went!

After our little lion pool sprung a leak last summer, we decided to upgrade to something a bit larger-- and we were glad we did!  Not only did Liam and Joergen do some serious slippin' and slidin' in that pool, but it also allowed for one of us to get in with them.  And with this heat, it was awesome.

First time out o' the box-- thank goodness for an electric pump this time around!

Liam getting ready to fill 'er up... but that devilish look let me know I better take cover first :)

My water babies:

Joergen spent an unbelievable amount of time just scooping and pouring... scooping and pouring.  I love to watch him deep in concentration!

Dad cleverly found other ways to give the boys something to do outside... chores!  They are still at the age where they think chores are fun, so we are going to milk this phase for all it's worth.  Swab the deck, matey!

On one particularly sweaty, steamy day, I stripped them of their sticky clothes and stuck them on the deck to play with the water table in their birthday suits... because hey, it was just that hot.  And what could be funnier than this?!

In the evenings after dinner were our prime time for bike rides around the neighborhood.  After our Vermilion vacation when Liam got to try out his first bike with training wheels, Dad came home one day with a new "big boy" bike.  He was so excited!  He really had outgrown his trike, so the timing was just right.  He is pretty scared of going "too fast"-- hills are his nemesis-- but he's getting more and more confident every day.

While we did our best this summer to beat the heat, though, there were unfortunately times when the heat beat us.  At the end of June, Joergen picked up a little respiratory infection and could not stop wheezing-- that stuffy heat certainly wasn't helping his breathing!  So his pediatrician hooked us up with an at-home nebulizer and many, many packets of albuterol, and instructed us to give him breathing treatments for the next few days.  He was so good about it... in the beginning, anyway.

Poor little guy!!  Given Liam's food allergies and eczema, and the breathing issues that have come up for both of them, I think I'm glad we now have a nebulizer at the house.  Just praying it doesn't get much use!

Mommy and Daddy's Getaway Weekend

In the middle of July, we took our first overnight trip away from the boys... and not just one overnight, but two!  Anthony surprised me with tickets for a 2-day "cruise to nowhere" on board the Disney Magic out of New York Harbor.  We boarded the ship around noon on Friday, set sail around 4 pm, sailed out into international waters, and docked back in New York around 6 am on Sunday.  It was the perfect getaway, and we were back home before we even had a chance to miss the boys (too much, anyway!).  HUGE thanks to Nana and Grandpa for holding down the home-front and taking care of Liam and Joergen for us.  They loved their time with alone with their grandparents... and I'm pretty sure they barely noticed we were gone!  Here are some of our favorite moments from the trip:

Getting ready to check in on Friday in NYC:

We were some of the first people on board, and since we couldn't check into our room just yet, we grabbed a drink and toured the ship.  Loved the "Goofy Pool" with the giant movie screen!

Anthony went all out and scored us a room with a veranda.  It was definitely worth it, as we spent a lot of time on our little deck.  We were amazed at how spacious Disney's staterooms are... definitely doable for bringing the boys next time!

Friday was unfortunately pretty cloudy and overcast, but we still got a great view of NYC as we sailed away.  It was especially cool seeing the new twin towers being constructed:

Us as the sendoff party:

We got an incredible view of Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty... and this "pirate ship"!  We couldn't wait to show Liam this picture.

Definitely a treat to get this kind of perspective on the Statue of Liberty, which I am typically looking at from either really far away or from her feet at Liberty Park.

One of our favorite times of day was early evening, when we would wind down from the day's action with a little wine and cheese on our veranda.  We had the late dinner seating, so this was the perfect treat before heading off to a show before dinner!  We loved that we could bring our own wine on board.

Friday night was a pirate theme on board, and our server at dinner "crowned" each of us with our own fitting attire.  It was amusing to see some 2000 people in their bandanas that night!  We took this quick self-portrait before heading off to see the fireworks at the Pirate Party.  In typical Disney fashion, they were amazing!

Saturday morning, enjoying the warm morning sun on the veranda.  This is the life :)

Walking through the lobby on our way to the pool, look who we ran into!

Water as far as the eye can see... so peaceful.

We spent a lot of our time at the "Quiet Cove" pool, where there was an 18+ age restriction.  To be honest, this was mainly because spending time around kids made us miss the boys and feel bad that we didn't bring them.  So we admittedly did our best to avoid :)

The other pools may have been full of activity at 9:30 am, but this was the scene at the adult pool... ahhhh:

Chaise lounges poolside were a hot commodity, and we were glad to have snagged two!  Drink in hand, a good book on my Kindle, and the open sea air were the perfect recipe for relaxation.

In the afternoon, we decided to take a break from the sun and play some pub trivia at one of the indoor bars.  Much to our surprise, we managed to win a round... still not sure how we pulled that off!

Saturday night was a little more dressy than Friday, and even Donald Duck got all decked out for the occasion.  We ran into him in the hallway on our way to a show at the theater:

Before our Saturday night dinner at Lumiere's, we took a quick photo in the lobby by the quintessential Disney Magic icon:

We were treated to a breathtaking sunset before dinner... it wouldn't have surprised us if Disney somehow had made sure that was the case!

I knew we'd be passing the NY skyline on Sunday morning around 4:30 am, and I didn't want to miss it!  Somehow I woke up on time, and it didn't take much to convince Anthony to join me outside to catch the sunrise.  We were SO glad we did-- it was amazing!

Disney made sure there was a little "magic" in every last detail on board... even the ship's whistle.  I missed the first couple of tones, but you'll get the idea quickly :)

Needless to say, it was an amazing weekend and reminded us how important it really is to take care of ourselves once in a while too.  Disney has always been a special place for us, and we can't wait to take the boys!