8 Months

Today Liam is 8 months old! Hard to believe, I still feel like I just brought him home from the hospital only a couple of months ago. Dang, it feels like life is on fast forward. Here are all the new things Liam has been doing.
Eating! This little guy loves to eat just about anything I'll give him. It was slow at first, but now he just seems to love everything. He has tried just about every veggie and most fruits and has had a little bit of chicken and turkey. He is a slow eater and gets distracted easily, but that doesn't really bother me. I've got all the time in the world for him. He is also a very messy eater! He always wants to grab the spoon away from me. I usually am able to keep a fairly firm grip on it, but those tiny hands are so quick! And just about every meal ends up all over him, including his hair and ears.
Liam loves to play with everything! Especially anything plastic that makes noise. He also loves his Sophie, his racoon, and his toys that when you pull on them they vibrate. He also loves his talking puppy, "scout" who sings songs with Liam's name in them, super cute. But Liam is really content crawling all over and finding anything to play with or to put in his mouth or something he can grab onto to stand with. He loves to lay inbetween mom and dad on our bed so that he is able to play with both of us. He'll switch back and forth, it's so cute. He loves when his dad is goofy with him and also loves a good game of peek-a-boo. He still loves to stick out his tongue and he gets the biggest kick out of squirming away from me in the middle of a diaper change. He laughs and smiles all the time, I love him so. He makes it so hard to get anything done, I just want to cuddle and play with him all day long!
We are currently working on getting Liam well again. He is developed a cough last Thursday and I thought it best to have him seen on Friday when he began wheezing as well. The after hours Pediatric office I took him to, perscribed an albuterol inhaler which was far less than pleasant to give an 8 month old. Luckily our primary pediatrician perscribed it to him on Monday in a syrup instead. She also thinks he has another ear infection. Poor babe. They also performed a 5 minute breathing treatment when we were there to see if it would help, it did a little, but he cried just about the whole time. And just to make sure there wasn't any pnuemonia she had him get a chest x-ray. If you haven't seen one done on an infant, let me fill you in. It's sad. They put Liam in this little wooden seat with these plastic like sleeve things so that his arms were held up above his head. He was so good during the ordeal and was giggling when I took him out of it. He gets excited over the wierdest stuff sometimes. So, we're armed with 2 perscriptions, an inhaler, vicks baby rub, and a humidifier. I want this baby healthy again! I'm just relieved that Liam is acting fine and dandy as if he had no health issues going on.
When they weighed him on Monday he was 17lbs 1oz, he is still lean, so I think he is more muscle and not much fat. And on September 1st he was measured at 24 3/4" in height and I can't remember what his head circumfrence was, but he does have kind of a big head hahaha! That's just because he is a genius baby, of course. I never pay much attention to the whole percentile stuff they tell you. I know it would just tell me that he is short and skinny. But he is happy and my perfect baby.
Does not sleep through the night and hasn't in months now.
Takes 2-3 naps a day.
Has no set bed time.. (we're working on it, folks..)
wears some 6 month clothes, some 6-12 month, 6 and 9 month pjs, and in pants 3-6 month
LOVES our kitty, Toulouse and giggles and smiles whenever he see him.
Started babbling about a week ago and loves to just go "baabaabaabaa" on and on, it's adorable.
Loves to eat Gerber Puffs!

Playing catch up

I always get so behind on this blog thing. Sometimes it's because I feel so overwhelmed with all the things I should blog about I just don't blog at all. Sometimes I'm too busy playing mom and attempting to play good wife. Sometimes I'm too busy on pinterest and/or dreaming of all the projects I want to do. Sometimes I 2nd guess updating, not knwing if anyone really even reads this anyways. Right now I'm going to try to catch you all up on what has been going on with us. :)

Brandon: No more internship! Yep, you heard right! Brandon's life has calmed down so much since his internship with the Hilton hotel ended about a month ago. He still works very hard at his job, as a manager in a powerwashing business. He also does little side projects here and there. And always has another idea cooking up for his next business venture. We are crossing our fingers that bigger and better things come our way. Brandon did just get a raise (well deserved, of course), and while we are so grateful for the blessing of a good job, Brandon still hopes to work in his family's business one day. And that business could even take us to the Dominican Republic one day. We'll see. Maybe not. Brandon is loving being a daddy. And Liam loves having a daddy to rough house with (very gently, of course!) and gives him the best giggles all the time. It sure makes this momma's heart happy to see the two of them playing.

Liam: I feel like I could go on and on! I'll start off with informing you this kid has just survived 7 flights in the period of a month! He really was a tropper on all flights as well as our 2 trips.  I will write more about the trips later. In between our 2 trips Liam got a cold that started with Brandon and then went to me, and then unfortunately to poor Liam. I wasn't even sure at first if he even had anything. He was just so happy. After debating for a few days I finally did take him to the doctor. Since we were going on another trip, I thought it was best to just make sure it was just a cold. It was just a little cold- PHEW! AND big news, the doctor finally gave us permission to start Liam on solids! They had wanted to wait until he doubled his birth weight, he had done just that and even a little more! A little less than a week later, we left for Ohio and he seemed like he was fine. I don't know if his cold was just doormant for a few days or if he caught it again from his younger cousin, but while we were there Liam seemed to be getting sick again! When we got home from our trip Liam was supposed to have a check up and his latest round of shots. We went only to find out he couldn't have them since he had a temperature and an ear infection, stemming from the nasal congestion from his cold! Poor baby! And to add to it, Liam started getting another tooth! This one, on the top. (I love how sometimes when he smiles really big you can see the 2 on the bottom) He has done really well for a baby with so much going on! Tomorrow will be day 10 and the last day of having to give Liam his Ammoxicillin twice a day. Thank goodness, that was getting old.

And while this has all been going on, we have been trying to finally transition him to the crib. If you didn't already know, Liam has been sleeping in his swing from the time he was about a month old! Crazy kid! Too complicate things even more, Brandon accidently broke the crib while trying to force it through our doorway, hah! Luckily, that crib had been used by at least 2 other families before it made it's way into our grateful hands. So, before going to Ohio I ordered a new crib. Only I didn't think to check if it our mattress would fit it. So, while it did get delivered before I got home from OH, we don't get the mattress until tomorrow. I wish we could have just walked into a store and have boughten one, but the mattresses made for "mini cribs" are few and are only sold online. Bah. So new crib- check, new bedding-check, new mattress- to be delivered tomorrow. Now, I admit he has been sleeping in our bed a bit since we got home from OH. The crib only came with a little pad, combined with Liam being sick, and I haven't wanted him to get back in the habit of sleeping in his swing. I know doctors and others everywhere are giving me the stink eye reading this. We are safe about it, I assure you. Our bed is pretty big, and neither me, nor my husband are big.

He is now 16 pounds.. or was 10 days ago. He doesn't care for rice cereal or green beens, but tolerates banana oatmeal, and seems to like sweet potatoes. He is sitting really well on his own and is making tons of new faces, it is so fun to watch. He is still as happy as ever and enjoys rolling underneath our furniture. He has discovered he can stick out his tongue and spit and loves doing that all the time. He can also scratch his bum haha and still loves to play with his toes and stick them in his mouth. Liam still loves bathtime, especially now when he is playing with bath toys and/or turning on the faucet or shower. He still wakes up a bunch at night and demands a lot of attention during the day.. but he still takes 1-3 good naps a day, allowing me to get in at least some rest.

Me: Well, what is there to say.. hhmm not much to write about. I survived traveling alone with an infant. And as a mommy traveling all alone.. well, you will never see the amount of kindess from strangers until you are in that situation. I will post later about my trips, both were lovely though. I have big dreams about craft projects and home projects. There is just so much to be done, I haven't even done any of it. I also don't much like working on projects alone. I really wish I had friends that lived closer that could just come over and chat with me as I did things. Moving on. I am slowly building up my post baby wardrobe. I'm working on trying to embrace what I can't change and finding the clothes that fit and flatter my body. And when I say "what I can't change", I'm not talking about a few extra baby pounds, that I can and will get rid of soon. I'm talking more about my wider hips and ribs. Crazy how carrying around a baby in your tummy can alter your body. Some of me still can't believe I'm even talking about "mom" stuff. Goodness, I'm so dang lucky, blessed, and whatever better word you can think of. I just love my sweet boy so much. He makes me want to be better. The best I can be. Because that's what he deserves. He is perfect. Everyday I'm grateful for every minute with him. This whole little family thing is turning out to be pretty incredible.

Almost 6 months!

Want the bad news or the good news?.. Haha. Alright, I'll start with the bad news. Well, just over a week ago my teeth started hurting really bad; and we don't have insurance. But, luckily Brandon had bought one of those online groupons to get x-rays, check up and a cleaning. So, I went a few days ago and the bad news is I need to get a lot of work done on my teeth. I knew it was going to be bad by the way I felt. Pregnancy killed my teeth. That and not seeing the dentist for about a year and a half. Blah. At least the dentist gave me a perscription and I'm already feeling a lot better. And since Brandon's uncle is a dentist, I'm going to fly to Ohio for a week and visit family and friends and hopefully get at least the most expensive dental work taken care of there. Phew! I'm really glad to be able to get it taken care of. It really is amazing how much even just a problem in your teeth can make you feel awful! The right side of my face and even my head was hurting really bad. And it's hard when you don't feel 100%, then add to that being tired from taking care of an infant all on my own.

I have so many projects I want to start right now! I have fallen in love with DIY/crafting blogs, and I am eager to get some things done for my home. I'm also working on some stuff for my girls at church, which has been fun. I hope that I can accomplish it all and that it all comes together for them. Brandon's last day at his internship is on Wednesday!! Can't believe we can finally close the book on this 2 job nightmare. And to make it even nicer, Brandon's manager salary will be raised to compensate! I still might pick up a shift here or there at Disney.. maybe haha. It's just hard to imagine leaving my dear sweet boy for too long.

Speaking of which, Liam is only days away from turning 6 months old. Dang, where have these past 6 months gone?! Hard to believe the tiny newborn with his chocolate brown hair is no longer a newborn! (And his hair is kind of an auburn color now, and he has even more of it!) He is still just the sweetest baby. The last few days I have really been reveling every moment with him; especially the cuddling. Everytime I have been holding him as he is drifting off to sleep, I've been holding him extra long, not wanting to give him up to his bed. I almost wish I could freeze time and keep him just the size he is. I know exciting developments are going to come and that he will still be a sweet little boy, but the thought of him not being my baby boy kind of breaks my heart. I am so grateful that I'm his mom. What a beautiful gift he has been to his daddy and I, we love him to pieces. I love when he sees me, how his eyes light up and he gives me a big toothless grin. I love the way he stretches when I pick him up and snuggles into me as he is still waking up. I love whispering in his ear, secrets for just the 2 of us. I love his happy sounds and how you don't even have to see him smile to know that he is pleased about something. I love how everything is a toy to him and how he can get into things. I love how when he has something he isn't supposed to, how firm of a grip he has! I love his easy laughter when you kiss or blow a rasberry on his tummy. I love how quickly he can get across the room by only rolling. I love his beautiful blue eyes and his crazy hair. I love the way he smells, especially his hair after beeing washed. I love how when he is scared, his cries only last about 10 seconds, then he is over it. I love the way he looks at his daddy, like he is the coolest thing ever. I love the way he tries so hard to sit and stand when he is just a little guy. I love that he loves baths like I do. I love the way he loves to roll, even when I'm trying to change him. I love the way that he laughs when I'm telling him that he is being a bad baby. I love his little hands and they way he holds me when I'm feeding him. I love his easy going personality and how he is always happy. Is there anything I don't love about this kid?? I try to find something.. but I just can't.

Mythbusters

There are some moms out there who make having a baby look like cake. Well, I'm here to set the record straight. IT'S NOT. Some moms just look like they have it all together.. I am not one of them. Are they faking it? Hhhmm.. not sure. If you don't want to hear my soapbox speaking, you may want to stop reading now.

Myth: It's easy to "bounce back" after you've had a baby. I still have body issues. I had Liam over 5 months ago.. my closet has been cut in way more than half, as I now have (permanent?) wider hips and have yet to loose the few extra pounds of prego weight.. have I been trying to loose it? Honestly, between Liam waking up 3 times still most nights, cleaning, laundry, diapering, feeding baby & self, bathing Liam, changing baby after he spits up (again).. there is little time or energy for working out. Hopefully with Bran's internship ending soon, he'll be able to give me a hand more often. If you've forgotten, my husband is currently working 2 jobs. Yuck. It's insane. I did just get my hair cut yesterday, and for the first time since before I got pregnant, I feel pretty. Funny how something that seems miniscule can actually make yourself feel better. Another boost to help me keep goin.

Myth- It's easy and fun to take a baby out. FACT: It is not. Before you even go anywhere you have to pack your bag and/or double check your baby bag to make sure you have everything and anything you may need to keep baby clean and happy. A bottle. A pacifier. A 2nd outfit. A blanket. Toys. Diapers. Wipes. Spit up cloth.. And of course, you have to make sure you have your own keys, wallet and phone. If you forget, you have to take the baby out of the carseat and all the way back upstairs to the apartment. And, if your in-between naps, it's only a matter of time before baby is tired and ready to go back to sleep. Every minute counts. I can typically only be away for about an hour before Liam informs me it is time to go home. There is also the whole issue on where to put baby once you've arrived at the store. In the cart? Only if baby is big enough and you have one of those covers. Otherwise you have to bring the carseat in, too, which is very heavy. And then most stores if you put the carseat in the front part of the cart, it does not lock in, leaving baby in a precarious spot. So then, you may have to put the carseat in the main part of the shopping cart, where it takes up 90% of the cart leaving no room for the groceries. The other options are either a baby carrier-make sure baby is secure before you go into the store, because if you need to adjust it, there is no where to put baby down. OR you can bring in your stroller, which is only convenient if you're going to a department store or something. And if you are like me and you still need to use the carseat or don't have a little stroller, you have to deal with folding and unfolding the big stroller. Bother. And there is also the whole feeding issue. If you're going to be out and about for a while, you may need to feed your baby. If you have a bottle, that is doable. If you are nursing... good luck. The only place that has a mother's lounge is Babies r us. I don't know why more stores don't take a leaf out of their book, it's seriously genius. I'm talking to you, Target. It makes me want to shop at Babies r us even more knowing I can stop and feed my baby somewhere private and quiet.

Myth: Chaning diapers is awful, and boys go potty all over you. Liam isn't one of those babies who cries if he needs his diaper changed, thank goodness. He also never minds it being changed, either. I give him the clean diaper to play with as I get him undressed, which he loves, then as I change him I'll sing to him and make funny noises for him. He gets a kick out of it. The only time Liam has used the restroom without a diaper on, has been when I have left him nakie for a few minutes. And the only time I have been peed on was in the begining, when either we didn't put the diaper on correctly or if he was in a cheap diaper. We've improved, and learned our lesson about cheap diapers.

Myth: Having a baby will improve your marriage and/or make you happier. PLEASE don't take this out of context, or make you believe that I am not happy with being a mom or a wife. Being just a married couple is DIFFERENT, than being a married couple that are also now a mom and dad. Having a baby is fun, but it comes with a lot of difficulties and a lot of emotions. Emotions run high when you are constantly exhausted, stressed, busy, ect. We just have a different relationship now and a different happiness. Different does NOT mean worse or better. I will also say, that being a mom has made me feel more complete, nothing could be more fullfilling. And I KNOW that nothing in this world could ever be more important than being a mom. A good mom. Nothing could bring about the feeling of love that a mom can have for her baby. It's almost unexplainable.

Fact: Baby smiles and giggles never get old. But screaming does.

Fact: You can never have too much baby stuff. Everything helps to make life easier and convenient. And if it doesn't .. you return it for something that does. :)

Fact: Just because you're a mom, doesn't make you know everything or that you are super woman or have amazing patients. But, I'm learning and growing everyday; if Liam is healthy and happy.. then I've done my job.

Fact: Sometimes you might feel like you're going to have a nervous breakdown from all the crazy hormones, lack of sleep, stress, ect. Don't be worried or embarrassed, I have a feeling it happens to most, if not all moms.

Well, there you have it, folks. Honesty. Some people want to sugar-coat the struggles that is motherhood.. I'm just not one of them. Even though there are lots of struggles, I wouldn't trade a day away from my sweet precious boy. I could spend all day snuggling with him. He is my greatest accomplishment and I am so blessed that I was trusted with the gift to be a mom.

Comings and Goings

Life is still kind of hectic, but we make due.

Brandon was recently promoted to manager at his new job. I'm super proud of him and excited that he is no longer hourly, but salaried. With his internship with the Hilton hotel ends in August, we are begining to see the light at the end of the tunnel! Plus, he says he is going to try to buy me a new car in August! Wooo! What a relief that would be. We are still hoping for bigger and better oppurtunities that will lead us out of Orlando someday.

Liam is doing good.. most days haha. He is typically the sweetest, happiest baby I've ever seen and he is such a joy to have in our home. He loves rolling around on the floor, but even more lately, he loves having me help him to sit and stand. He has a smile and a laugh that melts me all the time. He loves to be played with and read to and being lifted into the air. Only problem is, these are things he loves to do ALLthe time. Liam hardly lets me leave him alone for 2 seconds before he starts to cry. At least lots of playing leads to naps! He is a great napper; as long as he is at home, in his swing. The only other place he will sleep is in the car, and he wakes up almost the moment the car stops. Liam doesn't sleep at night as well as he used to, but he started to regress when he started teething. And though, it has been a week it seems, since they were hurting him, he still is doing only slighty better at night. Luckily, it usually doesn't take too long to get him back to sleep. Since he's been teething on and off, Liam has been spitting up like crazy. More laundry for me. Joy.

Not much of an update for me. Just been working on keeping my home clean, and my family happy. The only other thing of note, is an upcoming vacation. Liam and I will be going to visit my parents and my brother (and his adorable new wife) in Idaho. I'm pretty pumped, but I'm terrified about the thought of traveling all alone with Liam. I hope he doesn't scream in the airports and our on flights. I hope he sleeps alright away from home. We'll just have to wait and see what happens.

Goals

Being stuck inside my apartment sure has given me a lot of time to think (maybe too much time) of all the things I want to do to our home, the things want, (yep, you heard me being materialistic, who isn't) and the goals I have for my family and myself. I finda figure that by writing it on my blog, it makes it official and I HAVE to at least try to get through my list.

Apartment stuff: Seeing that we may be stuck (yes, STUCK) in our apartment until fall 2011 I figure I need to do whatever I can to make it better.

• The whole apartment needs to be deep cleaned, organized, and in some rooms a little paint is needed to cover marks and little holes in the walls.



• Our apartment is small. So, less is definitely more. We need to throw out (give to Goodwill) all the clothes we don't wear, all the ugly furniture we don't use and is just taking up space, and just the junk we have acquired over the years.



• Our little storage unit needs to be looked over, organized, and more de-junking.



• Liam's "nursery" needs more shelves/storage and pictures framed and put up.

Things I want: notice how I did not say "need".

• Big food containers for things like sugar, flour, rice, beans, ect.



• Under the bed/crib storage boxes for my maternity clothes (I GUESS I'll want another one someday), Liam's little clothes he can no longer wear and the ones he can wear when he gets bigger. We already have a couple currently housing our winter clothes.



• A carseat sun shade for Liam. http://www.amazon.com/Mommys-Helper-Car-Seat-Shade/dp/B00125NZSQ/ref=wl_it_dp_o?ie=UTF8&coliid=I1HIYF99IXBEJF&colid=2B9THSMZHW98B Taking 2 trips to the car everytime I want to go somewhere is not so pleasant in the FL heat. By the time I've gone all the way back to the apartment, up the stairs to fetch Liam and all the way back to the car, buckled him in.. I'm sweaty. Please keep in mind a typical day here is in the upper 90's. Gross. I got him a carseat fan just the other day. So, I think if I had this to keep the carseat cool while he is not in it, it would be very beneficial. Save me the time and unnecessary sweat in making multiple trips to the car that feels like a sauna.



• Speaking of cars... I would like a new car. A nice car. A safe car. A car I can turn on (and turn the a/c on) without even being in it. I car that I can press the little button on my key and hear a reassuring little "beep beep" when I can't find it.



• I would love some books for Liam. We have a few, but I would love to add to it. Some of my favorites would definitely include classics by Dr Seuss and Shel Silverstein.



• Now, this want is the bottom of my list, which really surprises me. Clothes. I hate pretty much all the clothes I have from my pre-mommy days. And either they just fit me awkwardky now, or I just feel weird wearing some of them now (I already look young, I don't want people to think I'm 18 with a baby).

Now this want tops all the other wants. I want to be financially stable. I want my husband to have a good job, with benefits. I want a him to have a job that allows him to be home with his wife and child. And I mean be "home", not "be home and sleeping because he just worked all through the night and/or worked almost 24 hours straight". He deserves it. He has held many jobs, and has worked his tail off at each and every one. And he has a degree, which shows he is a smart cookie. He seriously can accomplish anything he wants to. He has the determination, motivation and passion that most people can only dream about. And he is a good person. I have never met someone who is so willing to help another person out.
I think these wishes and needs are attainable, and I really don't feel like I'm being unreasonable.

Liam's stats

Liam had his 4 month doctors appointment today. Which is kinda crazy, how did my baby get to 4 months already!? For the first time the office was super busy. We had arrived on time, but still waited a good amount to be seen, which was really hard since Liam was really sleepy. He did great at waiting untl the very end, what a trooper.

He weighed in at 12 pounds 8 ounces and his height is 23 1/4 inches. I knew he had gotten taller, I think we had to adjust his carseat straps twice in the past month. I was a little worried that he hadn't gained enough weight, but Liam's doctor says he is doing great. Phew! He has hit every developement landmark that he should have. Go Liam! He had to get 4 shots today, which is always the hardest part, but I had a bottle ready and waiting for him. That really helped! He slept all the way home, and continued his nap for a couple of hours. Which meant I got a nap, too. Nice! He's been a little fussy since his shots, but he went to bed just fine. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for him sleeping all the way through the night.

Liam has had a few new developments over the past couple of days; he can grab his toes and loves them! He has discovered his thumb, and while very frowned upon by his dad and me, it looks so cute when he does it. He can turn completely over! SO fun to watch him be able to move around.

I haven't taken any pictures since our Sarasota trip! I couldn't find my charger and I was stubbornly looking through our bags again and again. I finally gave up and called the Hyatt, and they had it! Thank goodness! I should get it in the mail in a couple of days.