July 19, 2009: Still recovering...

I'm still not feeling so great and am really limited around the house....so Grandma Debbie returns tomorrow to help us through this next week! Just in time too because Liam is sick...again. Urgh we can't wait for this daycare cough/cold/runny nose business to be over. We had a super mellow weekend. We did attend Drew's birthday party on Fri night, and spent a few minutes at the park and got our cars washed...Other than that I've been on the couch, trying to rest. Nick has been mommy and daddy this weekend with Liam and I think Liam's enjoyed the extra time they've had together. I know it will get better but right now it's so frustrating for me that I can't do more.

Here's Mal and Liam before she left...we miss you already!

Drew's 30th...I think the boys were already trying to teach Liam to get beers for them...

The park...this one had a huge dog park that Liam stood outside of to watch the dogs play.

Liam is getting better now that he's realized I just can't pick him up and he can't sit in my lap yet. So he sits next to me and we snuggle and read books.

The car wash...this is so sad that was my only outing all day :( But Liam enjoyed it! (Don't worry Mal, he's standing on the ledge, I'm not holding him.)

My sickly baby...good thing he's got his bat and doggy to comfort him.
Off to bed to rest up...let's hope we all get some good sleep tonight!

July 17, 2009: 11 months old and a missing appendix :(

Let's start from the beginning...This past weekend we had a wonderful visit planned with Grandma Debbie and Aunt Linds. The night they got in town I went to the emergency room for what turned out to be appendicitis and had an open appendectomy the next day. I was so bummed, but it turned out to be such a blessing they were in town. We left Liam at home and they all got some really good bonding time in. Nick was able to be with me until they wheeled me in the OR for which I was grateful cause I'm kind of a nervous patient :) Mal also flew in that morning and was delivered to the hospital (thanks Drew!) to meet me when I got out of surgery. Mal also stayed this first week to help take care of us and get me back on my feet. Mal has taken over my role, doing all Liam's meals and diapers, taking him to and from school, and getting up with him at night. And of course Nick stepped up coming straight home from work to whatever errands or tasks we had waiting for him. It's been hard to not be as hands on with Liam, but I guess I did need this break. Although this whole process was scary and unexpected, left me scarred and unable to carry Liam for 4 weeks (YIKES!!), and interrupted my first week on the job, there were some good things that came out of this. First, as you might have noticed from the blog, Liam is very attached to Nick and I. Although his daddy is so outgoing, Liam's a little slow to warm up to new people, probably like his mommy. Since this happened so fast, I was worried about leaving Liam with the grandmas and Linds cause I thought he would be so upset without me. I love that he needs me but was so happy to learn he was fine without me. He did so well, and as I said, formed really great bonds with all of them. The other blessing in disguise is that my surgery really weaned Liam....sorry if it's TMI but I was still nursing him and was a little concerned that he might never want to stop :) He switched easily over to formula and although it's a little sad for me, he's such a big boy now and I think it was the right time. And the last blessing is that I really think I was probably run down and this was my body's way of asking for a break. With my hectic schedule and since I was still nursing Liam, I had lost a lot of weight...like too much weight. I was tired and not eating well and this event has made me realize I need to take care of myself...not that I don't mind weighing what I did 10 years ago :) but a few more pounds probably couldn't hurt. Thanks for everyone's thoughts and prayers. They were much appreciated and I am now on the mend! Anyway sorry for the length but that's what has consumed my week. Now let's see it in pics!

Before surgery, Jamie and I took Liam to the beach for an afternoon. He LOVED the water even though the pacific is freezing.

Also before the surgery, Suz was in town and she and I went out to a lovely dinner with Liam. I think he liked her especially when she was feeding him avocado.

Liam came to visit me in the hospital and his love was JUST what I needed before going in to surgery.

Here are my helpers feeding, bathing, and playing with Liam! What a happy guy with his new BFF Linds and Grandma Debbie.

Grandma Debbie and Linds also celebrated Liam's 1st birthday while they were out here since they won't see him in August. He got so many clothes, books, and toys...what a lucky little boy! His party theme was Curious George and he had an angel food cake and opened his own gifts.

I can't believe he's almost a year old. He is still cruising on furniture and attempting to take a few steps, but not totally successful yet. His biggest development is that he has started signing to us! We have been using baby signs since he was little and he has started signing "all done" and "more" back to us! It's so neat to see him dictate his wants in his own words. He also loves to dance and if you start singing or play music he will literally freeze in place and start bopping his head and moving his body...I will get this on film! He's also transitioning to the toddler room at school, so I'm sure we'll see his development just take off. Oh and his hair is getting curlier by the day, just like his daddy :)

July 4, 2009: Baby Bam Bam and 4th of July!

Some kids carry around blankies or lovies...my kid carries a bat. Liam has learned to crawl with his baby bat and now takes it everywhere making noise all over the house. He mostly uses it to hit his baseball (how does he already understand that?!) but also loves the sound of the bat against our hardwood floors. You can guess what he'll be for Halloween if he keeps this up :)

We had a pretty low-key 4th of July. Just a lot of play time, going on walks, and daily visits to the park! Liam makes new friends everytime we visit the park with babies, toddler, and dogs :) Here are our weekend pics. Yeah, we spent the majority of the day in jammies!

Clapping for himself...he has a very healthy ego :)

The park!

Already trying to copy the big kids climbing UP the slide...

Liam and Daddy at church...

Liam's newest trick...using his Dorothy giraffe as a walker! No help from me, he's walking on his own!!

June 27, 2009: Britty and Sam's Wedding in Longboat Key, FL!

We were so excited to travel with family to see Brittany and Sam get married on the beach in FL. Unfortunately Liam spiked a fever on our flight out there and the fever continued...for 4 days!!! And these fevers were 102 and above so it was a little scary, since we had never seen him like this and were in a small beach community. What a bummer, especially since we had traveled so far and were around family we don't get to see often. We took him to a pediatrician there who thought he had an ear infection. We started him on antibiotics but the fever persisted. On our flight home, we finally figured out what was going on when his fever broke and the rash started all over his body...yup, he had roseola. Just wish his fever could have stopped while we were there, but we tried to make the best of it. Liam and I spent alot of time just chilling in the hotel room, but between drugging him with Tylenol and Motrin around the clock we did get him to parts of the wedding events. He just wasn't himself though, super fussy and clingy and just plain didn't feel good. But as you'll see in most of our pics, Liam was a trooper and even broke out a few smiles for the camera.

Liam is still a good traveler and loves to look out the windows now.

Liam was at the beach for maybe 10 minutes but he did put his feet in the Gulf!

Liam and Presley reunite! And then avoid each other to not spread Liam's germs :) But I got a little love time with her!

Dal letting Liam eat off the whole chunk of banana, what a treat!

The rehearsal dinner...it was at a cute beach restaurant and Liam felt pretty good for most of it. He even let me eat while Mal, Dal, and Nick walked him around outside.

Beach Wedding!! Here are pics of the sisters and babies, Liam and I with the bride, and the Renfro cousins!

Britty and Sam getting in some practice :)

Liam trying to hold Presley's hand...

Liam and I with my godfather, Uncle Tim!

The boys...

I loved this family pic, till I realized that my baby is half my body size!!!! He's a little boy almost :(

Family pic!

Love this outfit...yeah it says "dumper' on his butt and 'loader' on his tummy!

Of course we brought the books with us!

Here is my baby's rash...mostly his face, chest, back, and tummy. Thankfully, he's doing much better today!