My 15 month old boy!

I meant to do this 2 nights ago but the internet was being slow so here goes. 


Tuesday, June 21, 2011.. Liam is 15 months old! 
Really, I know I say this ALLLL the time but where does the time go?! When it comes to my kids, time goes by way too fast! 


Liam is doing so much now, and he has been getting into everything. He has no fear! Which scares me alot! He will climb up and down anything, we constantly find him on top of the table, pushing chairs and stools around to get what he wants, opening cabinets and getting snacks. He loves to find opened boxes of pasta and then tries to eat the pasta. He throws almost everything, mostly balls but he will throw anything and has a good arm, so you need to watch out that he's not aiming for you. We are trying to teach him not to throw everything....wish us luck with that one!

Since he was born Liam has been very easy, he isn't a fussy kid, sleeps great, eats anything and doesn't give me much trouble. Although the past month sure has been difficult. His sleep was so messed up, he was hot and climbing out, tried the toddler bed...failed and now that he has his crib tent, sleep is back to normal. As 8pm nears he is sooo ready for bed, grabs his teddy bear and snuggles on my shoulder. I turn on his music, kiss him goodnight, he lays down and I zip up the tent and he is out! It's great! I'm so happy to have found something that works for him again, because I know his lack of sleep was affecting us all and I felt so bad for him during those times. 


He isn't saying anything new but he def knows how to communicate with you so you know what he wants or needs. I'm breaking out more baby signs this week and we'll see where that takes us. He also has 12 teeth now and is working on more so our next step is taking away the pacifier. Not sure how I'm going to do it but want to do it soon. He only gets it to calm down at bedtime and naptime so that is a good thing. Just not sure if its better to just take  it away like I did with his bottle back in December or slowly take it away...hmm?!


He loves saying hi and bye to everyone, you will walk in the room and he says "hi" and keeps waving at you, he does the same thing when someone leaves he will say "byebye" and wave like crazy. He even likes to stand by the window and say hi and bye to the cars that drive by. 

Liam this time last year (June 21, 2010)

silly boy

he did not want to sit still

cheese!

love this boy!! <3

POOL FUN!!

So normally I would be on top of getting a pool right away but with moving and the summer weather coming later here in NY that it does in NC we just got one this week. I searched around for the past few weeks to find one that I liked, one that would work well for both kids. I've seen Barbie ones and princess ones which Chloe would love but that's no good for my little man lol. So Sunday morning I was browsing thru the circulars and saw Target's sales. I love Target so any excuse to go there is a good one for me, so Monday we checked it out and found the pool! It has a volcano slide, waterfall, palm tree sprinkler and an alligator ball thing (basically basketball but instead of throwing the ball in the hoop, you feed the balls to the alligator.)
The kids love it and I was definitely pleased with the $25 price tag :) 
Chloe loves sitting under the waterfall and going belly first down the slide, and Liam loves playing with all the balls. He runs around the pool, chasing after them yelling" all all all!" He hasn't gotten the "B" sound yet but its soo cute! 


Here are some pics :) 

They absolutely LOVE it!! and it makes me soo happy to watch them having so much fun together :) 








<3 Liz 

Crib Tent!!

Soo 2 weeks ago we tried transitioning Liam into his toddler bed and lets just say it didn't go well...AT ALL!! He really liked playing in it during the day but when it came to nap time and bed time it was an absolute NIGHTMARE! 
It all started because he figured out how to climb out of his crib so I thought, hmm he is young but maybe he is ready...I was soo wrong, he would cry and scream and bang on the door, I would go in the room every 10-15 mins to calm him down and then it would start all over again until he would finally pass out behind his door or on a pillow that he threw on his floor. Then he would either wake up in the middle of the night screaming or wake up sooo early and not want to go back to sleep. It was awful. My son has always been the BEST sleeper! Never since he's been born, have I had a problem with this kid sleeping, even the first night in the hospital he slept 5 1/2 hours straight and I had the nurse yell at me because I didn't wake him to feed him. He's just a great sleeper and he LOVES his sleep. So this situation just continued to frustrate me more and more. 
I gave it 2 weeks, I hoped and prayed that something would happen and he would get used to the bed and go to sleep nice and easy and calm like he use to.. :( it didnt happen. 
This week I decided we had to go back to the crib, although I was terrified he would continue to climb out and possibly hurt himself, we had to go back to it. So I lined the floor all around his bed with pillows and we went back to the crib. We still had the climbing out and crying at the door and falling asleep on pillows on the floor but I was able to move him in his crib and he would sleep all night. 
I did ALOT of research on what to do and Wednesday I order a Crib Tent from Amazon.com and had it delivered the next day. After all the research I had done and hundreds of reviews I read I was convinced that this would save my sanity and keep my baby safe and give him his sleep back. 

Last night was the first time using it, he cried for a little but within a half hour of laying him down he was sound asleep in his crib, and didnt wake up until 9am!!! HALLELUJAH!! I would say it was a success!! 
But wait it gets better...tonight I laid him down, I heard him fuss a little as I left the room, I walked to the den and back and no noises coming from his room. no crying, whining, fussing, not a single noise coming from his room other than his bedtime music!!! Thats what I call a successful night and back to normal bedtime!!
Now I just pray that I didn't jinx myself and celebrate too soon lol 










<3 Liz

Transition to Toddler bed

Well as some of you may have read in a previous post from memorial day weekend, that Liam has started climbing more than usual. He is climbing out of his bed. His bed has been at the lowest setting for quite awhile now, probably ever since he started standing up in it, it's been low. I tried the toddler bed last weekend and it worked for one day and then bedtime was not going well so I put the side back on and changed it back into a crib, well then Monday he climbed out 5 times. I def can't have him doing that and def don't want him to get hurt. So back to the Toddler bed it is and I am determined to make this work. It has been a rough week but it's getting better. He has been going to bed later than usual and waking up earlier than usual but we are still working out the kinks in this so we'll get out routine better once he gets use to this new bed. 
Naptime has gone pretty well, I lay him in his bed and he fusses a few seconds and then I hear quite, I check in a few minutes later and he is passed out. Night time is not as easy. The first few nights, I was laying him down over and over and over and over again, him crying "momma momma", getting out of his bed and banging on the door until I come back in and put him in his bed over and over again. It's been very trying but I am holding my frustrations together and trying my best to stay calm and praying that he adjusts to this soon. 
He has never had problems at bedtime (problems with bedtime have always been Chloe's department LOL) so I know this won't last long and last night I had a silent victory in the hallway when I realized he was finally asleep at 8:59pm!!! 
I first laid him down at 8: 21. Checked on him at 8:31 and put him back in bed, again 8:41..back in bed and then finally at 8: 51 back in bed! And a few mins later all was silent and he was asleep :) 

Little man up before 7am one morning... ugh what a stinker! lol good think we decided to make iced coffee the morning cuz momma needed it ;)

 

my little Chloe when she started sleeping in her toddler bed! She looks soooo little <3

Anyone else transitioning or have transitioned a toddler from crib to toddler bed?! I gladly would take some tips of what worked for you! 

I know I did this with Chloe but that feels like so long ago and she was much older. She didn't go into her toddler bed until she was 21-22 months old and at that time she didn't have any problems with bedtime. Liam will be 15 months in a few weeks and is growing up too fast for his momma! 

<3 Liz

New Summer Haircuts

I decided last week that Liam really needed a haircut because the heat was really getting to him, then Chloe said she wanted one too. So Wednesday we went to a place I found nearby and they both got new summer cuts! I really would like to find a kids salon like I took Liam to in NC but this will do for now. 

 

Here is Chloe's BEFORE and AFTER: 

BEFORE

AFTER

my beautiful girl <3

We went shopping after the haircuts at Kohl's and this is her in one of her newest summer outfits!! She rushed to her room as soon as we got home and wanted to try it on! :) 



Now for Liam's BEFORE and AFTER: 

BEFORE

another BEFORE ( you can see how much more hair he has in this one)

AFTER :)

My boy is such a cutie!! He is wearing one of his new outfits and his new shoes! First pair of sandals that we got on sale and with coupon, at payless :) 

<3 Liz

Liam's 14 months

Last Saturday, May 21st, my little Liam turned 14 months old! I can't believe how much time has gone by. This time last year he was just a little tiny baby. Only 2 months old. My mommom and poppop and dad came down to visit and met him for the very first time :) It was so nice and so special to me that they we're able to come and not only meet their grandson and great-grandson, but celebrate my college graduation with me. 

I miss my poppop everyday but am so thankful that he was able to meet my children! and that he had such a great part in my life. 

Poppop holding Liam for the first time. Liam at almost 2 months old

Liam has changed so much in the past 14 months. He is running everywhere, climbing on top of everything. He is my little monkey! He falls all the time, yells "uhhh-ohhh" and just gets right back up and goes. Once he has his mind set on doing something he is determined to to it, even if we are chasing after him and telling him no. He doesn't talk awhole lot, but he talks enough for now. Chloe was a talker at a very early age. By her 1st birthday she would say 2-3 word sentences. It was great to be able to communicate with her but you also couldn't get her to stop talking and you still can't! Lol she talks all the time and loves it and my dad tells her that shes just like her momma! hehe ;) What can I say...we have lots to say!
Anyway, I know that alot of things factor into Liam's speech, he has tubes now in his ears so his talking will come when he is good and ready. He says, momma, dada and daduuu is his new name for daddy sometimes, and Sean loves when he says daduu. He says bye-bye, hello (which sounds more like he-rro) But when he does it he puts his hands to his ear like hes answering a phone! (Sooo stinkin' cute!) He also says form of sissy and grandma. I feel like I am missing something but atleast its written in his baby book. 

Probably the funniest thing Liam is doing right now, is barking like a dog! ALL the time time! He hears a dog bark and he starts jumping up and down and going "roh roh roh roh" Its so funny to watch and he looks so happy doing it. He loves animals, especially dogs! Good thing there are 2 in the house to keep him busy and entertained. 

Dancing to music is another of his favorite things to do, he hears music on the radio or tv and loves to dance. 

He is also pointing to everything. If you ask him where something is like his cup, teddy bear, blanket, he points to it. He wants something, he points to it. Grandma made cookies over the weekend and since he had his first cookie from the batch, he knew where they were kept on the counter and would push a stool over and climb up, point and yell. Sean finally hid the box of them so that he would stop trying to climb. 

Here are a few pics of my growing boy when we we're camping on Saturday! 

running around the campsite

my baby boy

watching the fire

A little sad that he is getting so big but it's so exciting watching him grow :) 

<3 Liz 

The past month...its been a long one

We'll I am sorry it has been so long but moving was crazy! and it wasn't just moving it was everything that happened all at once. 


Our last week in NC was great but sad all at the same time. It was nice to spend time with friends but sad to say goodbyes. We really miss all of our friends! but we know we will keep in touch and see you again!

Liam's surgery was also 2 days before our move, it went very well and we can really tell a difference. He has been to his new pediatrician this week. He got a referral to the ENT and will be seeing him soon for another check and hearing test. His pediatrician said he is doing well, the tubes in his ears look good. He is 25 lbs and 31 inches long! I can't believe how big my boy is getting. When we first arrived in NY he had a hard time adjusting. He wanted momma all the time and that was all he was saying. He would follow me around and yell " mommmm, momma" over and over again! As a mommy I love feeling needed by my kids but it was difficult at times with trying to move and unpack and get settled. But he is doing much better now and is pretty well adjusted. He went back to saying all the words he was using and learning the past few months and last night said a form of "grandma" for the first time! It was soo cute! My MIL came home from work last night and when she was saying hi to him he started waving and said something like "gamma" cute! and she loved it! He said it again a few times this evening. 


Chloe is adjusting well to the move too! She pushes her limits at times because she is around Grandma and knows she will get away with more but we've been staying on top of her to make sure that she listens and behaves as she is supposed to and continues to know that the move doesn't mean the rules change. 
She has spent alot of time at the library since we got here, and the first week we we're here, Chloe, Liam and I got library cards. She goes often with Grandma and other times with Liam and I. The library here is pretty cool, it has a play place, amazing children's section with ALOT of DVD's so Chloe loves to get them! We also see the little frogs there and got to see the chicks through webcam that just hatched today!
She misses her friends alot, she is always talking about her boyfriend Robert, and her friends Lillian and Gabrielle. She plays Barbie's and will name them after her friends that she misses. She has made a new friend here named Gianna, she really likes playing with her and asks me each day when she can again.


I have had a difficult time adjusting. It's hard not being in my own home, living with my MIL is taking some getting use to but I am dealing with it all as best I can and taking it one day at a time. Some days are great and other days can be miserable. It all depends on the day and whats going on. I am very grateful that we are able to stay with her, especially since our NC house is still empty. Not having all of my friends around is hard too. I know people here through Sean, but haven't spent alot of time with them in the past so it kind of feels like the getting to know you part of a friendship. Not many people we know here have kids either, which is a huge thing we have in common with all of our friends in NC. I know this will all change with time.  Its also difficult learning where things are located, how to get there and how long it takes to get there. I took Liam to his pediatrician on Wednesday and the closest one that our insurance covers is 45 mins away :/ and on top of that it was pouring rain the whole way there and back. I've been job hunting and not having much luck. I went on 3 interviews, the first I was OVERqualified...seriously! and the other 2 we're for the same place, it seemed a done deal and then they never called back. So that has been pretty frustrating. I've sent out over 100 resumes at this point so we'll just see what happens. Atleast I have my work at home business :) I LOVE THIRTY-ONE!!! <3


Some days Sean goes stir-crazy, he was sooo looking forward to all this time off but he gets sooo bored! LOL.  He even started to look for jobs! Just looked though, no applications! hehe. He got accepted to Stonybrook University, so he is all set to start school at the end of the month. He is registered for summer classes and that will help to keep him busy and not go crazy at home with me and the kids! He even said to me one day, "I don't know how you do this all day!" Haha...made my day! 
He also took us to see the lighthouse out in Montauk! Made me and Chloe happy and Liam had fun! He's been telling me since we met that he was going to and Chloe likes a song that has a part about the lighthouse in Montauk so she had really been wanting to go! It was beautiful!! 

Lighthouse in Montauk, NY

So happy she's at the lighthouse

daddy and Liam throwing rocks

We celebrated Easter with Sean's mom, his Aunt Barbara and his cousin, Kristin and her bf, Victor. I made a big Ham and all the sides! Sean made a yummy ricotta cheesecake :) We dyed eggs and the kids had an egg hunt to their baskets in the morning and then one outside after dinner. They we're both soo happy, and for the most part it turned out to be a really good day! 

trying to eat the eggs

Liam in his cute Easter outfit

my pretty girl 

Love my kiddos <3

momma and Chloe <3

this has become a lonnng blog, maybe my longest, maybe not, and I'm sure I've forgotten ALOT that we have been up to but the plan is that now that we are more settled I will be on top of my blog!! Promise :) 

until next time...

<3 Liz 

Liam's 1st Haircut!!

Today my baby boy was 12 months and 1 week old and he got his very first haircut!!!! :) 
Sean has been telling me for awhile that we should get it cut, I said not until around his first birthday and only if we take his to this kids salon I've heard of where the kids can sit in these cool seats while getting it cut. So we went Saturday, to Toadly Kool Me Kids Salon. It's on Bragg Blvd for any Fayetteville moms that are interested :) Unfortunately they were too busy so we made an appt to go back Monday! 
* The reason they were too busy is even a great story...they do parties there for the girls to go and get their hair done, nails and toes done! They come out all glitzed and glamored! Such a cute idea! I know Chloe would love something like that! 


Anyway so we went this afternoon and of course Liam fell asleep the moment we pulled in the parking lot. Chloe was even talking to him and telling him to stay awake and wake up because she could see him eyelids closing. He was ok and not whiny or anything but he wasn't his smiley self for such a fun place. 
I took him over to the chair and it was a little airplane! ADORABLE! He sat there really well, moved around a little but for the most part he did great! I was so proud! :) He looks soo cute with his new cut too! Big sissy was proud too! She kept saying "Oh Liam you did such a great job!" :) 

BEFORE

DURING

AFTER!

I'd say the first hair cut experience was a success! Liam did great, and momma did too!! ;) 


<3 Liz 

Moving!!!

Moving day is getting closer and closer, tomorrow we will be down to 10 days left in North Carolina and tomorrow will also be the last night sleeping in our bed until we are in NY! The movers come on Wednesday!! They will be packing everything up so the past week we have really been doing more than ever. Each day is filled with getting stuff moved around, going through boxes, throwing out ALOT of junk and when I mean ALOT  I really mean ALOT..those poor garbage men tomorrow will be busy in front of our house! LOL We have donated ALOT too and have even sold a few things on craigslist and braggyardsales.com.
Sean and I spent a pretty good amount of time in the garage lately going through all of his Army gear. There is sooo much! So much that is getting turned in but so much that he gets to keep too...I swear there are like 25 sets of ACU's that have NEVER been worn! It's crazy! We dumped everything out on the floor and separated into piles and they were more than piles it was like you had to climb over a couple of mountains to get from one side of the garage to the other! On Wednesday morning he has his appt to turn in everything thats on the list so while he is doing that me and the kids will be watching the movers pack up all of our belongings! 

MOUNTAINS!!!

Today I spent the entire day getting the house ready! I mean we've gone through things for the past 3 months so that our house would be presentable to potential buyers and renters but now that movers are coming its time to cut out ALL the extra junk! Some people would rather move themselves but I am so thankful that we are having movers do it. It has really made us look at everything we have and go through it all piece by piece. I feel like if we moved ourselves not only would it be alot of work with 2 kids and an 11-12+ hour trip with moving trucks, I think we would probably just throw everything in boxes just so it was packed and not actually go through it thoroughly. I spent alot of time in the kids rooms today and picked out what clothes and toys we will be keeping for the next 10 days so that it can be kept separate from everything else. It was so cute watching Chloe decide what toys she wanted to stay and then she would get so sad that other things were getting packed and I had to remind her that it wasn't going to be packed forever and she would get them all back in NY. She was sick last night and for most of the day today so she spent the day on the couch and in the early evening, after dinner she got involved and said to me...."mom you sure did alot of stuff while I was sick on the couch! You did an amazing job!" It was so sweet! 
Made me feel really good that she took notice to how much work at had done because from the time I woke up this morning until about 10 o'clock tonight I have been going going going! Sean finally said ok its soo late, sit down and relax, and even after that I still finished cleaning the kitchen until I was satisfied! 

Tomorrow will be another day like today was, and it will probably be even busier! Sean picked up his clearing papers this morning so he will get to alot of what he has to do tomorrow, and I will do alot more at home. I need to finish doing all the laundry that I have left because the movers are taking the washer and dryer too! This is probably the one this that I am not looking forward to most! But we will deal with it for the 10 days that we have to. 

Even though we've been so busy, I have still been trying to make sure that I am doing something with the kids each day so that they don't feel like they aren't being paid attention to because lets face it with all this craziness there are times when I just need to keep going and can't always do what I'd like to be doing with them. 

The other day we stopped at Walmart and Chloe really wanted pizza for lunch so we grabbed one and got her fav toppings, when we got home she put all the toppings on and it made her day! :) 

walked in from topping off the pizza and little man was caught putting his foot on the table! 

my girl LOVES her black olives!! 

while mommy empties out the drawers, Liam decides to fill them back up with himself ;)
I could not keep him out!! LOL

<3 Liz

Liam's Ear Update

Not to long ago I shared everything that was going on with my baby Liam's ear. 
He had his hearing test and visit with the Audiologist and ENT early in February and this past Thursday we went in again for follow up check with both doctors. The results this time we're not happy to hear...his hearing test showed significant hearing loss since the test he had in February :(
Chloe, Liam and I were at Womack by 8am that morning and after the hearing test the audiologist told me that the ENT would most likely advise us to have tubes placed in his ears. I talked with Sean in between the appointments and hoped that he would be able to meet us for the ENT appointment but if not we wanted to make a decision about the tubes. We decided that we wanted him to have the tubes if that's what the doctor wanted to do.  And then Sean met me at that ENT office and the surgeon strongly suggested that Liam have it done. So my poor little guy will be having surgery :/ He will have tubes put in his ear and we are told that it should help his hearing alot and soon after we will notice a great difference! I am not looking forward to my baby having surgery, especially so young but I am thankful that because of an accident of him getting poked in the ear by his sister, we were able to find out about this problem sooner rather than later and are than able to fix it before it delays his development. As of right now his pediatrician says he is advanced for his development and speech so I am very thankful that this hasn't put him behind. But we do notice when we talk to him that often he doesn't respond until you talk louder. Soon my baby will be able to hear properly and I can't wait to see how much it helps him :) 


Because Sean is getting out of the Army soon and we are moving the 9th of April, the surgeon was able to get us a date for the surgery very soon. We have an appointment for the 5th to get all the instructions on what to do and ask any questions, the surgery is the following day and we will learn the time of the surgery at the appt too. Wish us luck and Liam luck and please keep him in your prayers! 
I am a nervous momma! Worried about my baby even though I know and keep telling myself that its a routine thing, won't take the surgeon long and it happens to alot of kids but he's my little baby..

my baby boy...his "mom I  need a nap sleepy face!"

<3Liz

My growing boy!

Can't believe how much Liam is doing now and that in only 10 days he will turn 1 :) 

<3 Liz