Liam's spoon

So, Liam is really making progress in the independence department. He no longer uses a sippy cup at school (still working on that at home), and he's pretty good at using a spoon to feed himself. As if that child would let anything like hand to mouth coordination get in the way of his eating!

Still not a fan

Liam is a good eater--he really does eat almost anything we'll put in front of him. Just the other night, Liam enjoyed pesto tortellini with asparagus--he ate every bite! After that, I decided to try broccoli again, but I took a tip from my friend Jen and put it in his macaroni and cheese. Needless to say, it didn't work. Next time, I guess I will make the pieces teeny-tiny! I am determined to get this boy to eat his broccoli!

The great birthday/baptism weekend!

My original plan was to make an individual posting for each event, but I decided one post would work since all the photos from that weekend are together in a Shutterfly slideshow below. Geoff's sister, Steph, took some really great shots--nearly 250 in all! We are so grateful to her because Geoff and I were able to enjoy the party and Christening without worrying about the camera. Feel free to look through them at your own leisure--there are some shots of the church first as Geoff, Steph, Colin, and I had to meet with Rev. Kempsell the morning of the party do a dry run-through. It's a gorgeous old church, St. John's Episcopal Church in Centreville. The church dates back to the 1800s, and that church bell you see is from a naval ship, but I've forgotten which one.

Then come shots of the party--fun pictures of the kids playing, Liam with his cake, and then the family just hanging out after the guests left. Towards the end of the slideshow, there is the actual Christening and some family shots outside of the church. For those who haven't met all the folks in those shots, here's a list of who attended the Christening: Steph and Colin--Geoff's sister and brother-in-law and Liam's Godparents; Matt, Laura, and Caleb--Geoff's brother, sister-in-law, and our sweet nephew, Jim and Janet--Geoff's mom and step-dad; Granny (Jean)--Geoff's grandmother, and finally Davis and Judy--my parents.

Now for the details, as best I can remember. The party was FUN! I decided on an alphabet block theme, and I think it turned out well. I decorated in primary colors, and had ABC favor boxes and a banner. The cake was the best part though. On top, there were 4 fondant-covered blocks that spelled out Liam's name and had designs on the side that started with each letter in his name--things like a lion, an ice cream cone, an apple, and a monkey. Not only was it the most darling thing I've seen, it was delicious! Liam was so sweet as people sang to him, being as observant as always. I was so full of emotion that I could not sing. Instead, I just watched him, tried to hold back the tears, and thanked God for the many blessings surrounding that precious baby boy. After cake, we opened presents, and Liam got many wonderful things, but he was most interested in 1) a green envelope someone's card came in and 2) a car. He played with those 2 items as I opened the rest of the gifts. Everyone was so generous! (I'm still working on thank you notes.) The evening of the party, the family members stayed for some burgers and college football. It was nice to hang out and relax after the fun stress of the day.

The Christening was absolutely beautiful. Sadly, Liam had long outgrown the heirloom gown from the Slater side of the family (Geoff's grandmother, Sally's side of the family), so he wore a pair of white shortalls and a collared onesie. A cute moment occurred when the time came to present him. The Rev. said, "The candidate will now be presented for baptism," and as if Liam knew that meant him, he said, "Ah-AHHHH" loudly. That got some laughs from the congregation. He looked angelic and behaved beautifully, even when sprinkled with water and marked with oil as "Christ's own forever." I choked up at the part in the service when Rev. Kempsell prayed that Liam be given "an inquiring and discerning heart, the courage to will and persevere, a spirit to know and to love [God], and the gift of joy and wonder in all your works." Those words have never meant more to me than now. I have added them to my prayers because it so beautifully expresses exactly what we want for Liam. After the service, an emotional Howard/Gallagher/Glenn clan posed for some family shots, and then we raced home for lunch, gifts, and various departures to the airport and points in Maryland.

It was a chaotic, hectic weekend, but we would not have changed anything. It meant so much to Geoff and me to be able to have so many friends and family members with us during two such important events. Thank you all for coming, and enjoy the pictures!

One year and walking toward the future!

Okay, corny title. Sorry. I was trying to combine the one-year-old updates with a walking video. (Pics from birthday party and Christening are forthcoming--they deserve their own posts!)

Height: 31 1/2 inches (90%)
Weight: 23 lbs. 12 ozs. (50-75%)

So again, we have confirmation that Liam is a really tall toddler, but not particularly fat. He's just a solid boy. I can't wait to teach him to throw a football!

Other updates--as you can see in the video below, Liam is really walking now. He's got the whole balance thing figured out and will speed walk clear across a room! He's also starting to show signs of concrete knowledge. He'll point to familiar objects when you ask him, "Where's ______?" (Bella, moon, etc.) He's still very curious and quite observant; I love watching him trying to figure things out. His joy in learning is so endearing, and I am constantly in awe of how quickly he catches on to things. He has learned a lot this year and has grown so much. I can't believe how quickly this year passed. He'll be 18 and playing Tight End for Auburn before I know it!

Family Breakfast

One thing about my new job that I am enjoying is the fact that I have more time at home in the mornings; therefore Liam has more time at home in the mornings. This morning, we were able to sit down and have a family breakfast. Liam decided to feed his Dada some Cheerios to get the morning started right!

Broccoli is not his fave...

11 months down, 1 to go!

Geoff and I are in denial that next month, we will be the parents of a 1-year-old! We are both excited (and a little saddened) that Liam is becoming a toddler. He's not only about to walk, he's also becoming more independent. He wants to get things for himself and not have things handed to him. He's drinking solely out of sippy cups during the day and eating mostly table food at daycare. His sense of humor has developed, and he loves to be tickled, to chase us or the dog, and to be chased in return. He definitely says Mama when wanting me, and I think he is associating Dada with Geoff and Buh with Bella. I just need someone else to confirm it so I know I am not being biased! Liam is still on the tall end of the spectrum--while he can wear 18 month shirts and pants, 18 month one pieces are very tight on his long little body! And my arms can certainly tell he's getting heavier. He's not fat by any means, but he is solid! Liam also has 2 teeth as of this morning: one central incisor on the bottom, and one side incisor on the top (yes, his vampire teeth are coming in first!). Teething has been hard on Liam (and us--as I write this, I am coming off a solo duty of comfort rocking every 2 hours last night!), but hopefully he will just get a bunch of teeth all in succession so we don't have to suffer over a long period of time!

In the next month, Liam will celebrate his birthday with a small party of family and close friends, he'll be Christened, he'll take his first steps, he'll transition to the toddler room at daycare, and he'll stop drinking from bottles and using his pacifier. In short, he will no longer be a baby. He'll be a big boy! My heart aches a little at that thought! Our love to all!

10 months old

Liam's 10th month has been fun! We visited Alabama and the Glenns, vacationed on St. George Island, and Liam got to hang out with his Gallagher grandparents for an entire weekend while Geoff and I celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary down in Hampton Roads (more detailed posts to come). Liam's personality is really starting to shine--he is still a pretty happy baby (except when he's hungry) and has become quite adventurous. He lets go of chairs and couches to try and walk on his own, and he loves to climb--up Mama and Dada, up the stairs, up and over just about anything! While we are STILL WAITING on teeth and more hair, Liam's smile and excited squeals can brighten any day.

9 month update

Well, here we are--time for the monthly update on all things Liam! Liam has made some real progress this month! For starters, he now crawls using his hands and knees instead of in the army crawl style. He also can pull himself up to a standing position, and he can "walk" the length of the couch. He still has no teeth and barely any hair (thus his sporting the hat and wanting to chew on Daddy's sunglasses), but he is as cute as ever. He is curious about everything and is all over the place with his explorations. At his 9 month appt., he weighed 20 pounds and 3 ounces and was 29 1/2 inches tall. He is in the 50th% for weight and the 90th% for height. We love him dearly and cannot wait for several firsts this next month: his first trip to the beach, his first boat ride on Logan Martin, and his first trip to Camp Winnataska!

8 months already!

Can you believe Liam is 8 months old?

His biggest accomplishment this month has been his development into a mobile baby. He is not crawling in the classic crawling pose, but he sure is fast using his own method! He scooches by pulling himself forward with his arms. When he starts to crawl, he looks as if he wants to use his knees or feet, often looking like a yoga master in downward dog or like Spiderman ready to attack, but then he just reverts back to his army crawl. I'm not worried. Many babies never use the traditional method before they learn to walk, or so I am told.



Liam's also trying to "pull-up" into a standing position. He likes using Geoff or me for this instead of any furniture, but I am sure that's only a matter of time since he is always more interested in the items on the tables than his toys. When we help him stand, he likes to pick up his feet and "walk" holding on to our fingers or hands. My guess is he'll be an early walker because he's got great balance and leg strength. Lord, help us!



I also think I have heard "Mama" a couple of times. It's happened when he's upset and I am not in sight. So, either my ears are playing tricks on me, making me hear my heart's desire, or Liam really understands who I am and is calling for me! Let's just say it's the latter.



I have no official stats on height or weight--those will come with his 9 month appointment next month, but Liam is still on the taller end of the spectrum. He is ready for 12 month onesies, and I will be buying size 4 diapers on the next shopping trip!

In addition to his progress, Liam is still a smiling, happy boy. He really does have a smile to share with everyone, and we hope that he can share on with you all soon! All our love!

7 months old

Liam turned 7 months old last Tuesday. He is getting to be such a big boy AND quite the little traveler. He has now flown 8 times--more times in 7 months than I flew in 22 years!

His recent accomplishments:

Sitting up steadily

Feeding self "puffs," a soft finger food (see photo)

Reaching arms out when wanting to be picked up (by his Mama)

Drinking water from a sippy cup

Scooching backwards and around in a circle, helicopter style (not a full-on crawl yet)

We are still waiting, a bit impatiently now, for hair and teeth, but little Liam is growing into such a smiling, precious little man. We love him so!

6 months old!

Liam hanging out on the back deck for the first time.

Geoff and I cannot believe Liam is 6 months old already. Time has flown, and we don't remember what life was like before he joined our family. He is such a joy to be around--he wakes up with a smile on his face every morning, and he usually has some sort of note at the bottom of his daily daycare report about what a happy, friendly boy he is. We are truly blessed.

Today at the doc, a cute moment occurred that even made the doctor laugh with amazement. While he had Liam in his arms listening to his heartbeat, Liam saw me in the mirror on the wall. He did a double take--looking from me standing next to him, to me in the mirror, and back again. The Doc provided Liam's inner monologue by stating, "Whoa, there're two mommies!"

Here are his 6 month stats (as of today's doc. appt.):

Height: 28 inches (95%)

Weight: 17 pounds, 8 ounces (50%)

And his are his newest developments:

rolling over from back to front

looking for dropped objects

eating baby food--sweet potatoes are his fave, carrots not so much

fake coughing to get mom and dad's attention

sitting briefly unsupported

showing distinct dislike for confining clothes and straps

LOTS of babbling--b sounds, blowing raspberries

reaching for objects out of reach

Liam is looking forward to his first visit to Alabama in less than two weeks! Mims, Grandfather, and the whole Glenn and Watson gang will be putty in his little hands!

Liam found his feet...

and they taste great!

Our babies

Geoff snapped this photo when he played Mr. Mom on President's Day while I worked. It is too cute not to share with everyone! Looks like my loved ones were having a good time snuggling in bed without me!

Bella and Liam

4 month update

I know this is 2 weeks late, but today was Liam's 4 month check-up. I wanted to wait for that to post his impressive baby stats.

Height: 26 inches (75%)

Weight: 16 lbs. (50-75%)

So, he's big, but he is not chunky, which is what I was a little afraid of. I do not see him as fat, but the ladies at the daycare keep calling him "Big Man" and joking about what an impatient eater he is. I am relieved to know his height and weight go together perfectly! I suppose that whole "cranky when hungry" trait is genetic (from his father's side, of course)!

Recent Accomplishments:

Rolling over

drooling massively (I suspect teething.)

bearing weight on legs when held upright

squealing with delight

protesting when mad (Liam grunts.)

and many other wonderful things that make Geoff and me smile!

We look forward to seeing many of you soon. Liam will be making his first trip to Alabama at the end of March to meet his great-grandparents, some great-aunts and great-uncles, and lots of his mommy's friends. It should be fun and hopefully quite warm. I sure am ready for this winter to end! Love to all!

Liam's new jumper

This is 2 mins. of poor quality iPhone video, but hopefully you can see our square-dancing/jigging son's legs! Please feel free to make fun of the baby talking parents.

Sick little guy

So, here I am, home from work today with my sick little man. He has had a pretty yucky cold for about a week, and Friday at daycare, a note was sent home saying that another child had been diagnosed with RSV--not a fun respiratory virus for infants. Lucky for us, Liam does not have a fever, but I am keeping him home today just to be on the safe side. Here is my sick little guy (can't you just tell by that smile that he feels awful? HA!)

Uncle Connor and Aunt Shannon

Little Liam got to meet Uncle Connor and Aunt Shannon this weekend. He was really quite excited to see them and would not stop talking to them the entire weekend! Although we could not convince Uncle Connor to change any dirty diapers despite the resemblances between Liam's and Connor's baby photos, Liam clearly has 2 very loving relatives wrapped around his little fingers.

We had a great weekend of dinner at Sweetwater Tavern, lasagna lunch at Naked Mountain Winery (where Liam also took the opportunity to charm all the ladies present--he got more compliments about being a beautiful baby than I have ever heard before--I hope it doesn't go to his head!), and a Ravens football game that didn't turn out like we wanted. We all enjoyed ourselves and are looking forward to the next family get together!

I know it is time for Liam's 4 month old update, but we don't go to the doc. until Feb. 1st, and I'd like to be able to post his weight and height stats. Everyone we meet thinks he's older than 4 months due to his size, and he is as big and tall as the 6 month old girls at his school. So I am VERY curious to know for certain just how big my baby is and will wait for Feb. 1st to do that posting. Love to all!

Liam's smile

Just look at that dimple!

3 months old!

Time for the monthly update on Liam! Above is one of his favorite poses--we constantly catch him with his fist to his head as if he's contemplating deep thoughts!

His actual stats are unknown, but estimates for height and weight are 25 inches long and at least 14 pounds!

Accomplishments: holding head steady, reaching for and holding on to toys (when he can get them), sleeping 6-7 hours at a stretch at night, eating cereal, and charming all the ladies at daycare (he's the only boy!).

He loves bathtime and songs, and he always has a smile to share (unless we try to take a picture of him smiling--here's the closest we've gotten!). He behaved beautifully while we hunted for the Howard family Christmas tree with the Nichols, and despite experiencing his first cold, the third month has been nothing but good times for Mr. Liam Howard! We look forward to seeing the Howard/Gallagher clan in Bradenton next week, and we hope to get a visit from Uncle Connor and Aunt Shannon in January! Fun times are ahead! Our love to all!