Let the Wild Rumpus Start

Fifty Four Weeks

Ah, sweet fifty four weeks.  All week long John and I kept remarking on our comparison from last year.  We wouldn't have believed a year ago that we would have not a baby, but a person with interests and a personality on our hands.  Liam is big now. 

It's so funny.  I mean, you read the parenting and development books and you know what lies ahead - walking, talking, expressions - but it is a shock, let me tell you.  Liam picks up new things everyday and through these interactions we can see what kind of person he will be. 

Last night, for instance, we hosted the family potluck that we belong to.  We had 40 parents and babies in our house!  Liam played a good host and got all of the bibs down and handed them out to the babies, like he was offering beverages or something. 

And Liam really loves reading. We read all day long.  This past Wednesday I counted how many times we read Moo Baa Lalala - it was 32 times before 9:30am.  Really.  He flips the pages and we read it over and over again.  He says Baa and then mimics the rhythm of how John and I say Moo Baa Lalala with a garble of words, but you can see that he is mulling it over in his brain.  And one night while I was getting his dinner ready, he tugged at my pant leg to get me to hold him.  I asked him where Moo Baa ... is, thinking he would get distracted for a minute and come back.  But no.  Liam walked over to the book basket, pulled out every single book and found it on the very bottom. (This took a few minutes of digging!) Then he walked it over to me and after all that work, I had to drop it all to read it one more time. 

He surprised me Tuesday night when we were running some errands.  It was around 6:30 and dark outside.  Liam kept saying "BA!" over and over again.  At a red light, I turned around and saw that he was pointing out the window at the moon.  The full moon that looks just like a ball. 

It's the little things, but they mean so much to me. 

This past Friday, we went to a music together class.  It was at the Children's Museum (which is SO fun, by the way!) and we had a blast. Liam wanted nothing to do with me here and stood at the front of the class with the big kids by himself.  And he followed directions too!  :)  When the teacher asked everyone to take out maracas or egg shakers, shake them, and them put them back after the song was done, he did every time.  

We have a video camera this time.  So, naturally, I had to take video.  I love how he looks at the other kids to see what to do.

I love it when he wants to be with me.  It is so nice to feel needed like that, but I am so much happier when I see that he doesn't need me. I am so proud to see that he is building trust and confidence in himself so that he can accomplish these tasks on his own.  It must be so empowering as a little man to do it himself. 

Another video, because I got a little camera happy this week.  (Shocking, right?)

This is Liam's Dance.  How he learned how to do this, I really don't know.  But I LOVE IT!

The weather was spectacularly warm, so we really tried to drop all of the boring housework that we have on the weekends and went outside to soak it all in. 

 

 

We got squash, pumpkins for baking, and lots of apples at the last Farmer's Market of the year. 

Then after a much needed nap, we went to the Dream Park in Monona.  This park is one of the biggest and best I have ever seen.  And let me tell you, as a former nanny, I have been to a lot of parks.  It was great to explore all of the bridges, slides and swings.  Liam was fearless, of course -

 

 

 

On Sunday, it was a beautiful, hot day.  So before we hosted the potluck, we made it to Orton Park. 

Again, a video.  Here you can see Liam's walk.  He looks like a person, not our little baby. 

Liam is so big.  Not even thirteen months yet, but big to me.  Honestly, I feel like I am falling in love with my little man all over again.  The way that he curls up in my arms, gives me hugs, and expresses interests melts my heart.  I love it the process that he has of selecting the perfect book or toy and how he plays with it over and over again until he is satisfied with it and sets it down.  I love how he understands what we are saying more, so when he is drinking his cup and we tell him to set it down on the table when he is finished, he listens and does it.  I love how excited he is when he does something himself - when he climbs up on the chair, waves to some people going past on the bike path, then gets down from the chair safety.  I love these things and so much more.  I love a little more everyday. 

Much love, more next week.  

House Tour Part Two

Liam's room: 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We also have a huge walk in closet for him that I will turn into a fort/reading room for him.  There will be a small bookshelf, bean bag or floor cushions, and small lamp on one side, and a double hanging closet rod on the other side so he can reach all of his clothes, choose them, and dress himself.  Crazy to think, right?  I'm excited to have this walk in closet so we can have forts or pirate ships or hide and seek spots for years to come.  It will also be nice to prevent any possible monster in the closet fears (I know I had them for a while!). 

We also have three vintage travel posters, but two of the frames broke in the move so we have to buy new ones.  

Liam's Bathroom:

 

 

I also have a 50's Chutes and Ladders Game Board that I am looking for a frame for.  It will go over the toilet, I think.

Our Room:

 

 

 

This room is one that needs a lot of work, in my opinion.  The desk is the one that I use for business/bills and I think it needs something above it... but I don't know.  Any suggestions?  Also, the pictures above the desk and bookshelf all need to filled or replaced.  The chair is from Liam's room, but will go there when we are done with it in his room. And that tree next to it, ah that poor tree.  Don't worry.  It's a jasmine tree and every fall it loses its leaves.  She'll bounce back with a little love.  :)

And our walk in closet!  This was huge for us, but it is nice to see all of our clothes and not have everything crammed into a teeny space.  Our first apartment had one closet in the whole thing.  I'm serious, the whole thing.  Frankly, that's what we're used to, so it's weird adjusting to all this space.  But I just I'll just have to get more shoes for this closet.  ;)

And master bath:

 

More tomorrow.

We have lived here since the end of September, but I am just hanging the last frames and making it home now.  When I was younger, I always thought that a house would be a checklist.  Living room - furniture, frames, check.  Bathroom - towels, rugs, paint, check. Etc.  I never knew that each room would be a work in progress over the course of your life.  I love it more this way.  Your house becomes a testament to who you are, your path, your accomplishments in life (whether it is a Christmas bonus or great flea market find).  It is a living thing, growing through the years.  For us, this place is colorful, happy, and comfortable.  It is not a Pottery Barn catalog. It is messy, but messy with order. There are modern, retro, and second hand elements.  It reflects the things that are most important to us - family, friends, art, music, film.  It is home. 

This place is many things now. We are many things now.  We will become more, and I so gratefully look forward to the years to come and the years of growth.  Look out for crayon drawings on the wall, legos, stockings and Christmas trees, trains, dolls, and easels.  It is our family.  It is our home. 

House Tour Part One

We love our new apartment.  It is fantastic.  It is more space than we have ever dreamed of.  Really, we are used to bedrooms the size of a walk in closet.  Now we have a walk in closet.  Walk in closet.  Seriously.  It's totally crazy. 

I wanted to go all Dwell Magazine or Elle Decor on you and give you the grand tour of my house all in one post.  But I am a Mom.  Of a room destroyer.  And I have two babies that do a fine job helping/spilling food all over the floor.  So, I am doing it in sections over this next week.  Why this next week, you ask?  Because on Sunday we are hosting a potluck and thirty five people will be in my house, and there isn't a better motivation to finish unpacking and get your frames hung up for Christ's sake like thirty five people coming over. 

Without further ado...

Our Living Room!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Also, when we get a spare $50 we are going to buy this spectacular poster to frame and hang over the kitchen table:

 

Do you like the balls that were casually laying on the floor?  Nice touch, right? 

More pictures to come! 

Fifty Three Weeks

Our boy!  What!?!?

It is so crazy how fast this tiny man is growing up.  We are not at all prepared for this!  Everyday he does more.  Like over the weekend, I had my weekly Barnes and Noble trip where I run screaming from the house get free time to catch up on emails, photos, or God forbid read a book!  (Confession:  B&N is my library.  I read and read, but only buy if I LOVE the book. Sorry, sorry, I know, I know.)  While I was there, John IChatted with his parents.  After the ichat ended, John took Liam upstairs for his nap and pointed at the picture of his parents on the wall.  Liam paused for a minute, pointed at the photo, and said Gmpa.  What?!?! Now, whenever we ask where Grandma and Grandpa are, he points at the stairs where the picture is.

Also, if you ask him where his fish is, he scans the room and points to his fish bowl. 

This week he ABSOLUTELY fell in love with the Sandra Boynton book 'Moo, Baa, LaLaLa'.  He carries it around and loves to read it over and over and over over over over again.  Really, fifteen or twenty times in a row.  Then he's just satisfied with it for a while.

He carries around his Little People plane, boat, and bus.  As he plays with the boat, he makes a bbbbbbb sound.  

This morning, he held up a plastic potato we have.  I said Po-Ta-To, and he repeated TaTo. 

AH!  My heart explodes a little every time he does something new.  I am so proud.  

 

 

Our Little Danger Powers

On Halloween on Saturday we went to our friend's Jeanne, Dan, and Esme and Lindsay and Juna.  Liam was a baby bear and wore his bear sweater from his Grandma Powers.  It was so fun to see all three babies dressed up!  Liam is finally walking full time and was practicing running down the street and then running towards the street (fast cars - how awesome!), then he would crawl up the stairs to the house for trick or treating. 

 

 

At the end of the night, we had soup, freshly baked bread, our very first chocolate, and Charlie Brown's Great Pumpkin.  It was a great night and a great week. 

Much love and more next week. 

Great Expressions

I also took pictures of this wonderful family last weekend.  It was the most beautiful day!

Please check it out on my photo blog and thanks so much for everything.