Introducing Liam

It occurred to me recently that very few members of our friends and family really know Liam. When Braden and Lydia were babies we lived with family in MD, and friends and family alike got to know them really well. They have special relationships with grandparents, aunts, uncles and lifetime friends that were started during those first months of life. But most of our friends and family have only seen Liam once (if that), and I want them to get to know him, even if it is only in cyberspace.

Yesterday I was looking at a picture of Braden when he was 18 months old, and I was amazed at how similar the two boys look. I had never realized how much they look alike. But they are also completely unique, and have their own distinct personalities.

My alone time with Liam each day when the kids are at school is such a joy to me. He is such a busy boy who loves to climb onto the dining room table, attempt to launch himself from the back of the couch, climb onto chairs and stand up, etc., but he can also be extremely calm, and is no problem to take to the grocery store or errand-running. He is Mommy's boy, and although people in the store try to talk to him, he hides his face in my chest, and gives them dirty looks (I always tell people "it must be naptime" so as not to hurt their feelings).

A typical day with my little angel is like this: At 7 a.m. he wakes up and starts talking in his crib. I go in and say "Good morning, Sunshine," and kiss his warm, soft sleepy cheeks. We walk the big kids to the bus stop, and return to have breakfast. He likes feeding himself these days, and won't eat if I try to feed him. He eats yogurt, raisins or bananas, and cereal for breakfast.

He then plays (or we run errands, etc.). He enjoys playing with cars and trucks, and throwing balls. His favorite word is "ball!" and he says it all the time. Recently he discovered slides, when we took the kids to an indoor play place called Kinder Spiel. So I used some leftover birthday money to buy him his own little slide that I set up in the basement with some riding toys. Now, when we see slides he says, "wheeeeeee!"

Sometime between 10:30 and 11:30 he is ready for a nap, and he usually sleeps for two hours. Sleeping has been a real struggle for us. I practiced "attachment parenting" with him when he was a newborn. He slept with us in bed for the first 6 months, and even after that, when we tried to get him to sleep part of the night in his own crib, he ended up in bed with us for most of the night. I also held him for most of his naps for the first 6 months (they are only little once, and I didn't want to miss a chance to cuddle!). But when he reached a year old, it was just time for him to sleep in his own bed for the whole night, and he wasn't interested. We struggled for several months. We had just moved, I was newly-pregnant, and he was still nursing, so the lack of sleep at night was an especial hardship for me. But miraculously, one night, when he was 16 months old, he went down to bed with very little complaint, and only woke up once. He didn't even want to nurse, just to be cuddled. After that, he started to nap more regularly, and that is where we are at now. Putting him down for a nap is a special time for us each day. He usually lets me know when he is ready to take a nap. For instance, today he made the sign for "more" (tapping his fingertips together), and then pointed up (to where his bedroom is). We then go into his room, and I darken it by putting the ruladen down (I'll tell you about my favorite German house feature in another post, but they make the room completely dark even during the day!), and we cuddle for a minute before I lay him peacefully into his crib. Sometimes while we are cuddling, he lifts his head to look at me, and speaks a whole line of Liam-ese, smiles, and then lays his head back down. I think he is telling me how much he loves me. Whatever he is saying, I certainly feel his love.

Later in the day we walk to the bus stop to pick up the big kids, and he gets so excited when he sees their bus. He spends the rest of the day following them around, trying to play with them.

I think my favorite moment of each day is right after his bath, when he is warm, wet, and wrapped up in a towel. We snuggle and look at each other in the mirror. There is just something so comforting about snuggling with a warm, clean, happy baby. I love that feeling!

Liam is such an easy-going baby. He loves to laugh, be happy, and make other people happy. He likes to put on Mr. Potatohead glasses and walk around with a silly grin on his face. He is starting to learn to color (even if it is occassionally on the floors and tables). He is fearless, which instills great fear in me! He loves his Daddy. Whenever Morgan comes home from work, his whole face lights up, and if Morgan has to go to a different room, Liam shrieks! Yes, he shrieks like Braden did -- that high pitched sound that makes me want to poke my eyes out! He is unique, and he brings this family so much joy. If you don't know him well, I hope you get a chance to meet him in the future. He is definitely someone not to miss.