Holding Up the Wall

We can't explain it - and believe me, we've tried to figure it out - but Liam has a new passion for wall climbing. The old school popper toy you see here has been one of his favorites for a while. He'll run in circles around the kitchen island with it, or do laps up and down the hall making all sorts of beautiful noise. But recently he has started balancing it against the wall and climbing it. He'll stand on top of the ball and just...hang out. Sometimes he'll drum his fingers on the wall. But he'll stay there for quite a while and he does this (in exactly the same location beside the fridge) several times a day. Not sure if this makes him a bit OCD but he always seems very pleased with his accomplishment!

Monkeying Around...

...in new monkey pj's!
Liam was so happy in his new jammies that we left them on all morning and even drove all the way over to see Grandma in them. A comfy way to travel!

Getting Pruney

Liam and bath time...sometimes a giggle fest with lots of splashing and bubble eating. (Yes, I know.) Other times it's a chance for some serious water experimentation. This particular bath time was an example of the latter.

He was so focused I felt like if I sang "Five Little Ducks" like I usually do, I might interrupt some groundbreaking science. I did it anyways. I don't think he was amused:

This one is dedicated to all the Who's in Whoville:

My favorite time of day with Liam is just before he goes to bed. Not just because it means there are a few moments of stillness and quiet ahead (although that's nice too!) but because it's the only time of day he gets really snuggly. And there's not many things that are better than a clean, cuddly baby all tuckered out and cozy in his jammies. Except when that baby "hides" under his crib, giggling hysterically....

It's a Bird, It's a Plane it's a....Stroller?

Another thing we've been doing to prepare for baby is assessing (and reassessing...over and over) our stroller fleet. We have come to the conclusion that living on a mountain necessitates an "off-road" stroller with a heavy-duty braking system. However, that tends to be a bit of overkill at the mall! So we've been maintaining a two stroller system and now it's time to add another seat to both.
Welcome to the newest member of our family: The Chariot.
This is a behemoth of a stroller. It's a jogger. It's a stroller. It's a bike trailer. It's got an optional x-country ski attachment. And as long as it's around I don't think my car will ever be parked in the garage. Because frankly, this baby has more options.

Unfortunately, Liam's reaction to his new wheels could be coined "Chariot Rage":

We're not sure if he's missing his old one-seater or if he's just annoyed with all the layers he's being dressed in to keep warm in the brisker weather. Either way, my sweet-natured little Liam has been making a fuss - make that a SCENE - just about every time he gets in there. Hopefully when his sister is sitting beside him he'll be distracted by the company!

Artist at Work

We're all busy getting ready for baby in these last weeks before she arrives...even Liam! This morning he donned a paintbrush and got to work preparing his new room.Now we are left with the challenge of finding homes for some of the odds and ends that were tucked away when this room was an office. What do people DO with quarter rollers? Liam is busy brainstorming a solution. So far I have found 3 in my sock drawer and a Hansel & Gretel-like trail down the hall from our bedroom to his. Not that I have come up with a better suggestion!

Born to be a Grandma

That was going through my head yesterday as Liam and my Mom happily trundled off to the dollar store together in search of the perfect balloon. No special occasion. Just a good day for a balloon. They picked out a nice round helium one with a baby dinosaur montage, and with the balloon secured very tightly (I know because I had to cut it off with an Olfa) Liam sat a little taller in his stroller for the rest of the day.
Fast forward to this morning.....Liam and the balloon are inseparable. We played cars with the balloon....... read books with the balloon....

....and even ate breakfast one handed so that we could hold onto the balloon.

Sheer balloon joy....

Guess what happened here....

The Holidays are Exhausting!

This is Liam at the biggest, most impressive Christmas Craft Fair of all time. Sleeping. I have to admit he was a trooper....he tolerated the shopping very well with a constant supply of snacks and drinks. Very much like his Dad's shopping habits. :)
But as one lady was gushing over his supersized eyelashes his lids just kind of fell. Cue the sugarplums.

1 potato, 2 potato, 3 potato, 4.....

I never thought I'd ever have my very own sous chef, but here's proof!
Liam 'helps' me make dinner by moving potatoes from a bowl to the pot of water....and back....then back into the water....and back....a little splashing and a few sniffs of the potatoes (not sure what that's about) and then back into the bowl....



And just look how fast he works - he's all a blur!

Through Liam's Eyes

What can I say...it's been a pretty quiet week around here.
Turns out that all the rain that did NOT fall in October was being saved up for this week. So we've been lying low a bit. We've been doing some swimming and some indoor jungle gym time, and really enjoying some long afternoon naps.
One of Liam's latest hobbies is photography. Under very intense adult supervision we've been letting Liam explore the camera. Just like he knows the phone goes to his ear, so the camera goes up to his eye. He even squints! Here are a couple of shots as seen through Liam's lens...

This is Liam's first photo and is titled "Mom Needs to Do Laundry". Decent composition, I would say:



This one here is known as "Wherefore Art Thou Raisins?":



And because I know you're here to see the artist himself, here's a look at Liam just doing his thing on a rainy day. (This was last week actually, but who's counting?)



And here he is with his favorite book: "Goodnight Moon." He can show you the kittens on any one of the pages.



That's it for us tonight! Goodnight Moon.....Goodnight Kittens, Goodnight Mittens....
ZZZZZZZZZZ

In with the New

For someone so unpolitical, I can hardly believe how much CNN has been part of the background in our house. Not just tonight or the last week before the US Presidential election...but the last 2 years that lead up to tonight. Give or take. I think it's time we take a news break.
But all the campaigning (and face time with Anderson Cooper) has been going on for Liam's whole life. So when CNN projected Obama as the winner tonight and the crowds went crazy, Liam got up and clapped right along with them. Maybe he has politics in his future. Maybe he was excited to see history in the making. Or maybe he's just glad it's time to get on with things now too. Or...maybe he really likes his new robot jammies.