10 Months, 2 Weeks: Falling Leaves

I changed the background of this blog to a more season-appropriate one. Hope it doesn't mess with your eyes too much! The photo of these leaves was taken in my parent's backyard.

Playing with leaves

Trying to run away from the paparazzi!

Bath time!

Running away with the phone

Liam in a dress!!! Oh wait... that's Jacy in a dress (15 mo. old)

I don't think I mentioned in any of my last posts that one thing Liam has been doing a lot of is pointing. He points to stuff he wants, stuff he wants to look at, where he wants to go, etc. And he also accompanies the pointing with saying "that" (it actually sounds more like "dat"). It's kinda funny.

Liam pointing at the breakdancing Mickey at Target
(a possible Bday/Christmas gift idea, but I hear these things are supposed to be one of the HOT toys this season)

This past weekend we stayed home. I raked up the leaves in my parent's backyard, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I don't think I've ever done this... not even when I was younger and living here (what a lazy daughter I was!), so my first time was pretty awesome, especially since I haven't been around trees with leaves that actually turn pretty colors before falling to the ground in about 11 years. I also took this opportunity to take some pictures of Liam with leaves. I think he had more fun eating the leaves than playing with them. I will post those pics up on the Shutterfly site later today.

Recently, I've been trying to get Liam to eat more finger and table foods... much to my frustration. Well, ever since that throw-up incident (see: 9 months, 3-4 weeks double post), I think we have both been pretty skeptical about it! But I've been trying. He just won't eat a LOT of stuff. Well, mainly, he refuses to pick up certain foods with his fingers (he has mastered the pincer grasp - using thumb and forefinger to pick things up) and bring them to his mouth. That's one thing. Then ANOTHER thing is getting him to eat the food if he even gets it to his mouth!!! For instance, he likes bananas. We have shared a banana a few times before, I'll take a bite, he'll take a bite. But he will not pick up cut-up banana pieces on his tray and feed them to himself! He'll point at it and mash it, then get bored with it and take his palm and rub the tray with it! Argh! But if I put it in his mouth with my fingers, he'll eat it (sometimes).

I've also tried:

• Pancakes: doesn't like picking them up OR eating them from my fingers, spits it out all the time
  
• Bread/Pizza: he can pick up and eat the crusts most of the time (especially if there's tomato sauce on it), but still not all the time we offer it
  
• Pasta: refuses to pick up, but will sometimes eat from a spoon
• small pieces of ground Meat or cut up Chicken: won't pick up, sometimes eats from my fingers
• Kashi Strawberry cereal bars: won't pick up, didn't like at first, but eventually took little bites when I offered the actual bar to his mouth
• Donuts/Cake/Muffins (yeah, I know this is bad, but I figure if he really liked it, he could practice with it, but...): will not pick up, will eat from my fingers
• small pieces of cut up Veggies (peas, carrots, etc): won't pick up OR eat from my fingers
• Mashed Taters: will eat from a spoon
• Mac and Cheese: won't pick up, will eat from my fingers
• Grandma's rice porridge (cooked rice - cooked with any type of homemade broth): will eat from a spoon
• The purees I make from steamed veggies and fruits: he will eat from a spoon, but I'm trying to cut back on these so he can learn to feed himself!
• Baby puffs/Cheerios: THE ONLY THING HE WILL FEED HIMSELF!
  

That's the list of stuff I've tried in the past couple of weeks. I haven't been forcing it, but I'm encouraging it. I'll offer it with my fingers to his mouth first. If he likes it, I'll place some on the tray for him to try to pick up. The only thing he has ever picked up and put to his mouth himself is the bread (crusts). I don't know what to do except keep offering until something happens. He just might be a picky eater like his mom! :) But I've also read that it could take up to 10-12 tries before a baby will take to a certain food. Who knows?!

Although much frustration has been brought on by all the food issues, he has mastered one more move this week... HOLDING HIS OWN BOTTLE!!! He will hold it and put it to his mouth and even tilt it up! Woohoo. He likes to walk around and drink, which doesn't work half the time because the liquid sways in the bottle so half the time he's sucking on air. This move is mastered pretty late... as he's only got a little over one more month to use it! (No more bottles after 1 year!) But at least it reassures me that with time, he will learn to do things himself. It seems like as soon as we gave up on trying to get him to hold his own bottle, he actually took on the task himself and then all of a sudden, he was feeding himself. I hope that happens with the finger foods soon!!

In teeth news, he's got 2 more teeth that broke through the gums - the 2 flanking the lone tooth that's already out on top! We also noticed a couple more white spots on top, but no more on the bottom yet. I wonder if this has anything to do with his lack of desire to eat finger foods?

10 Months, 1(and a half) weeks: More teething trouble

Liam walking around the basement at my parent's house (aka our "condo")

Scarlett in a pumpkin!!!! SO cute!!!!

Liam looking on as everyone cuts into pumpkins (he wasn't in the mood to join in!)

I think he was looking at our pumpkins...

Uncle Dave was messing with Liam! LOL he is not amused!

Yesterday, we went over to Scarlett's house for some pumpkin carving fun! Except, we didn't get much carving done because Liam turned into Mr. Crankypants and didn't want to join in the fun. So we ended up leaving before I could get into carving out a design. Oh well. I did manage to scoop out all the insides, so it's ready to carve! I just have to figure that out! (This is my first time ever carving a pumpkin!) Scarlett had fun, though! We got some cute pics of her in the massive pumpkin Shonna and Paul bought last week at the Pumpkin patch!

All last week, Liam was extremely crabby during his baths and getting ready for bed. It was hell! He even woke up in the middle of the night TWICE one night. And at least 3 nights last week, he woke up to where it would take almost 2 hours to get him back to sleep. We attribute it to adjustment to a new place and teething. I think it might be more of the teething. His front left tooth has come through the gums this past weekend AND we see even MORE white spots on the top where it looks like more teeth are coming through! Not sure if the teething tablets are working, but we are using them at night now. He seems to like them. I tried one and it didn't really taste like anything...

In other developments, Liam has learned "jump"! I'm not sure who taught him this...either my mom or dad... but if you tell him to jump, he will bend his knees, do a quick mini squat and then come up fast! At first it was just really funny to watch him do this move while walking or holding on to the wall, but last night as he was walking through the kitchen, I told him to jump and when he did, he actually got some AIR on that jump and when he landed he stumbled over! LOL it was pretty amazing and scary at the same time. haha

10 Months: Pumpkin Patch Fun

Scarlett and Liam's pumpkins from the pumpkin patch!

haha "my organ"... Liam the Bee

His first smile of the day was on the big red tractor! (He wasn't amused by the slides)

He also loved the goats and pigs!

Liam's mini-pumpkin

This week has been a little less hectic. We are still trying to feel settled, but that ain't gonna happen until we are back in a place of our own again. It's just hard going from a house that is all your own, that you have called "home" for the past 5 years...to living back at your parent's house! haha So for now, we are grateful for what my parents are providing us and are being patient for our house down in GA to sell. Last night it was hard for me to sleep because I was thinking about our old house. I never properly said "goodbye" to it because we were in such a rush to get out of there. It just started to hit me that we are actually gone and I started to really miss it, especially after posting all the 9 month pictures to the Shutterfly site... It was a sort of homesick feeling, even though I am really back HOME in the DC area. I can only imagine what Joel is feeling...

ANYWAY... on a happier, non-bittersweet note... We had another busy weekend... my lil sis Jessica came up to visit and my cousins and some old school buddies came by Saturday to welcome me back home! It was fun to catch up and hang out...with the babies! :) Sunday we went to a Corn Maze/Pumpkin Patch in the Plains, VA - Corn Maze in the Plains with Scarlett, Shonna and Paul. It was tons of fun! Although we didn't actually do the huge corn maze, there was plenty of stuff for kids to do... slides, a haystack maze for kids, a petting zoo... all sorts of activities! Liam wasn't digging the slides, although Scarlett was having a blast on the them!! She'd laugh all the way down! It was so cute! He did finally crack a smile when we placed him on a big red tractor! I think he even cried when we took him off! He also enjoyed the goats and pigs. Maybe because they reminded him of Mac and Snorty! He loves animals! At the end of the day, the babies got to pick out some pumpkins! It was a fun afternoon...next week we get to carve our pumpkins! Woohoo!

In developmental news, Liam is still walking all over the place. Ever since we moved back here, he hasn't been too into his toys. I think he would much rather explore and play with unfamiliar things than all of his boring old toys!! His sleeping habits still have been inconsistent, especially now that he's congested with a little cold. One night he woke up in the middle of the night and it took both of us about 2 hours to get him back to sleep. AND what makes it harder now is that when we assembled the crib here at my parent's house, we finally put the mattress to the lowest level on the crib. So now it's SUPER HARD for short me to place him down. I have to lean on the front rail, crushing my ribcage.

He has learned how to CLAP his hands this past week. I think my mom helped with that! :) He surely now understands the word "NO"... for example, if he goes up to something questionable, like say the dog's food bowls, he will sort of stop and look around first to see if anyone (me) is looking. I'll say "No Liam!" and he'll slowly try to grab some food, to where I repeat "No Liam!" again and he will start crying because he can't get his way. I find it cute and funny now, but I know as he gets older and this continues... I will not find it funny at all!

Please check out the Shutterfly site... I just posted all of his 9 month and 10 month (so far) pics. The 10 month album has the Pumpkin Patch pictures. (email me if you need the password)

DOUBLE POST! 9 months, 3-4 weeks: Byebye Savannah, Hello DC!

El Ranchito with Auntie Jen Lee (1st pic) and Auntie Claris (2nd pic)

One of the last sunny days on the porch of his first house

Watching the rain from his favorite window (which he also likes to chew/teethe on)

He loves pushing my work chair all around the house!

Mommys got new ink! My Liam tattoo... it's his birth flowers (narcissus) with his birthdate on a ribbon. This is not the best pic of it, but it is my favorite pic of me... it makes me look skinny! haha

Being a good boy at Chik-fil-a while eating lunch with Uncle Lee. He got another balloon!

Back in DC!! Scarlett's giving him some love!!!

Meeting Auntie Pennie and Uncle Jerry for the first time! (The shirt still fits!!! ...sorta!)

We finally found a sippy cup he can use! (it has a straw)

This post is waaay overdue.... and it is also my 100th post to this blog!!!

WOW!! What a hectic past couple of weeks!!! Between meeting up with friends and family before leaving Savannah, packing up the house, cleaning the house, packing up the car, driving 13 hours to get to DC with a baby, grandma and 2 dogs, in 2 cars, unpacking stuff, and getting settled back into work (in Joel's case, starting work at a new branch).... IT HAS BEEN HELL!! Well, meeting up with family and friends was not hell, but everything else was!!!

We met up with my SC mommy-buddies: Jen, Clarice and Bonnie at the El Ranchito Mexican restaurant by our house. That was fun. I will miss my girls!! Too bad we never got to go to Island Playground!

I also got my Liam tattoo completed! It's my first big tattoo. It's still itching and peeling a little bit, but I love it. I love the work that my artist does... check out the studio's website with her work: Kim Reed I had to get this done before we left! Thank goodness she had some time on Saturday the 25th to fit me in! It took 3.5 hours. A big THANKS goes to Tracy who came and kept me company for the first hour and a half. I hope you get to schedule your appointment soon!!! Thanks also for the awesome taggie blanket you made Liam!!! I love that print!!!

Last week, Liam seemed to be more irritated than usual. I blamed it on the teething, but I think he was feeling the same stress in the household that we were. Thankfully, I didn't kill anyone or myself in this process of moving. I was surprisingly calm (for the most part)... well, no, I take that back. I was pretty scatterbrained, but not pissy (not too pissy, anyway!). It was pretty much non-stop until we made it to my parents house. He still slept normal at night. He was just more irate during the day! He is definitely still adjusting to everything here (by the way, for those that do not know, we are now living at my parent's house in MD until we can sell our home in GA). Now not only will my grandma be helping, but my mom and my dad will be here too! They love it, but I am afraid that he will be even MORE spoiled than he already has been with my grandma. But what can you do. We are lucky enough to even have this as a problem...so I shouldn't be complaining too much!

Since we made it up here, Liam has seen a bunch of friends and family already! Scarlett came by last Friday to play. And she brought over some Georgetown cupcakes!!! And a cute GT Cupcakes T-shirt for Liam. We all got to experience PUKE-FEST 2010!!!! While we were feeding Liam dinner, Shonna was feeding Scarlett an apple. She must have choked on a piece of peel, because all of a sudden, she coughed and then puked up some apple bits and formula. While I was cleaning, I said, "man, I'm glad Liam isn't a much of a puker, otherwise, I'd be throwing up along with him" (I have a weak stomach for vomiting... I have to close my eyes if i have to puke and not open them until I flush) And then, realizing the jinxing that I just did, I said, "Watch, now that I said that, Liam is going to puke." So we go on feeding Liam... bad mommy ME decides to add some cooked rice to his zucchini (since I only had one cube that I brought up. I wanted to add real rice to make it thicker). I guess I added too much because shortly after, we hear him coughing, and he proceeds to throw up ALL of this dinner... *yak!* LOL I called it!!! I knew it would happen!!! AND THEN... Scarlett gets another peel lodged in her throat and pukes up more apple!!! Phew!!! It was like a game of Puke-Tag!!! LOL... It had to have been one of the funniest and grossest things ever. More funny than gross. At least it was all freshly digsted food and not chunky vomit... *gag* Definitely NOT looking forward to THAT type of puke.

Yesterday (Sunday) we went to visit Scarlett and walked to the playground. Liam didn't enjoy the swing too much, but he loved the slide and this spinny propeller thing. Scarlett was enjoying everything!!! It was so cute, she started crying when she went back in her stroller!! Too much fun!!! We got rained on the way back to the house, hopefully they babies didn't get too wet or get sick!!!

In the world of sippy cups, we FINALLY found a cup that Liam can use: The Nuby flip-top cup with a straw! It's a non-spill design, so he still has to suck to get liquid out, it's just easier because he doesn't have to tilt his head back...which he has not learned to do! But, he loves it. The only thing is that he gets so excited about sipping that he gets too much liquid and spills onto his shirt. We got the one with handles, but they make some that are bigger. We might have to buy some of those the next time we go back to Target!

Liam turns 10 months on Wednesday!!! Woohoo!!! I will update the Shutterfly album soon!