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!

proof of recent accomplishments

I like my highchair!

Thursday, Feb. 25th was a big day in the Howard household. First of all, Geoff came home from an exciting trip down to Florida where he spent some time with his ol' pal, the Dalai Lama.Geoff Also was able to link up with his cousins Nancy and Lance Moore (Aunt Sharon's daughter) in Hollywood. While that was pretty darn cool, seeing Liam's face when he saw Geoff was even better! Second, Liam ate his first "real" food and sat in his highchair for the first time. Sweet potatoes was the magic meal, and at first he wasn't too sure about them, but then he started pulling my hand toward his mouth as if to hurry me up when feeding him. And last, but not least, I finally received my diploma in the mail. While I have now been a "Master" for 2 1/2 months, the diploma makes it seem more genuine. Now all I need to do is find a school in need of a good librarian. Wish me luck!

Ummm...what's this stuff?

Hey! I could get used to this!

I wonder if "Master Leslie" sounds as impressive as Master Yoda...

A photo of Geoff with His Holiness is forthcoming!

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

The big snow, parts 2 and 3

Our snowy house

I am sure most of you have seen the national news coverage our area has received recently. To put this winter into perspective, here are some facts:

• this is the "snowiest" winter DC has ever seen (72.8 inches at Dulles as of 2/11)

• the DC area has gotten more snow this winter than Buffalo, NY

• the Federal Government was closed for an almost unprecedented 4 days

• I have been out of work now for 6 days, and MORE snow is in the forecast for Monday and Tuesday (We surrender, Mother Nature! Please, show mercy!)

Fortunately, we never lost power like many of our friends, so we always had ways to entertain ourselves. We had lots of fun with Liam--watching him play, reading to him, and dressing him in his new 6-9 month sized clothes. Geoff and I read books and watched movies, but we also worked on the house a bit. Besides our continuous shoveling of the sidewalk and back deck, Geoff painted the main level hallway and did our taxes. A tad bit of cabin fever did set it, but that was quickly remedied by walking Bella in the cold and snow! I now have lots more sympathy for the Ingalls family in Little House on the Prairie's The Long Winter. Enjoy some of the photos from the big second and third rounds of "snowpacolypse and snowmageddon."

Can you spot the Civic?

Bella on our shoveled sidewalk

The view from our front porch

And what do nearly 5 month old babies do while snowed in?

lounge and play in pj's and slippers

read with Daddy

teethe

and smile!

The world needs a hero

I very rarely post to this blog as this has been Leslie's undertaking for the better part of last year. I wanted to share a link that has an important message that i think everyone could benefit from. It is not a partisan issue by any means; rather a world issue that needs our attention. Please be patient with the video as it is in Swedish, but i promise that if you watch all 2 minutes of it, you will enjoy. Please ensure your volume is turned up for this one.

-Geoff



http://en.tackfilm.se/?id=1265633334195RA30

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!