Saturday, October 26, 2013

The One with the Pumpkin Patch

Last weekend, Hubs and I took L to a local farm to go pumpkin picking.

While I am not a big fan of Halloween, I do love me some fall activities so this was right up my alley.

I did have to block out the memories of the last time I went to this particular farms to pick pumpkins.  Way back during my second year of teaching, I ended up with a horrendous week-long migraine after a spinal tap (looong story) and during a field trip to pick pumpkins with my class I had to jump off the moving hayride to throw up in a corn field.  Wasn't my proudest moment, but Hubs loved bringing it up the whole time we were on the hayride this time.

Despite the flashbacks, we had a great time with Liam.  He's obviously too little to understand what was going on, but Hubs and I had a lot of fun in the corn maze and picking out pumpkins to carve.  This farm also makes the most amazing handcut red potato fries that are soooo good.

We came home with some fall goodies, several pumpkins, and a lot of pictures.



He doesn't look too miserable here.





Seriously cannot stand the cuteness.

Definitely looking forward to this being another fall tradition that we do with the little guy every year.

Sunday, October 6, 2013

The One with the Five Month Update

Liam Michael you are

FIVE MONTHS OLD!


You have had quite the exciting month, little boy!  It was full of a lot of firsts and it has been amazing to see all of your new skills develop.

What are your stats and what does the doctor say?
We haven't been to the doctor since your four month check-up, but Mommy is guessing you are weighing in somewhere between 19 and 20 pounds.  Nana has compared you to a Thanksgiving turkey.  We go back to see Dr. G. at the beginning of November.  Your blonde hair has come in even more and those blue eyes are as adorable as ever.

What are you eating?
You are still doing four 8-ounce bottles of Similac Advance formula a day.  We switched you to the level two nipples a few weeks ago and it definitely made a difference in how you take your bottles.  You were getting very bored with the slow nipples and it was taking you forever to drink a bottle.  Once we switched the nipple, it was smooth sailing again.  Dr. G. agreed with Mommy and Daddy about waiting until at least 6 months to start you on solid food.  Mommy is doing a lot of research on the subject to decide what will be best for our family.  You still have your 1-ounce bottle before bed every night.

When do you sleep and eat?
We have definitely seen just a teeny bit of sleep regression this month.  You had several nights where you were awake during the night.  Most of the time, you were pretty happy and just wanted to talk.  Mommy was able to get you back to sleep with the pacifier and a little rocking in your bed.  You didn't need to be held or fed, so we haven't created any "bad" habits to break later!  You are sleeping between 10 and 11 hours a night.  You are awake most mornings between 5:30 and 6:00.  Mommy still gives you that first morning bottle in your room and just loves spending that time with you before she has to go to work.  After your bottle, you go to hang out with Daddy in bed for a bit so Mommy can get dressed and ready for work.  Nana usually takes over after this and you just hang out in the kitchen watching Mommy and Daddy get ready for work.  Your first nap is usually around 7:30 or 8:00 and you still sleep for about 30 minutes, usually in your Boppy on the couch with Nana.  Your hiccups have lessened considerably this month.  You and Nana play with some of your toys (they all go right in your mouth!), sing songs and read lots of books.  You have your second bottle around 10:00 and you usually sleep after this.  This nap tends to be a little longer, with half of it in your bed and the other half in Nana's arms, usually adding up to around an hour in total.  You move so much when you aren't swaddled that you wake yourself up all the time.  Your next bottle is around 2:00 and sometimes you take a little cat nap after that.  Mommy is usually home around 4:00 and she is always so excited to see you!  We have been going on walks when Mommy gets home and you sometimes fall asleep for another 20 or 30 minutes in your stroller.  You have your last bottle around 6:00 and we start getting ready for bed by 6:45.  You are usually asleep between 7:00 and 7:30.

What do your routines look like?
Not much has changed in this area.  We still don't have a nap routine (think we'll ever get one?!), but your bedtime routine is the same every single night.  You have your bath, massage, swaddle, small bottle, story, and song.  You get rocked for a few minutes in your room and then it's off to sleep in the Rock 'n Play in Mommy and Daddy's room.

What size clothes and diapers are you wearing?
You are in a few 3-6 month clothes, but most of your outfits are 6 month ones.  You are finishing up a box of size 2 diapers and Mommy is going to exchange the other box of 2's that we have for size 3's.  Mommy has already started putting you in Halloween outfits she bought last year because who knows if they will actually fit you by the end of the month!

What are some things you love?
You are still just the happiest baby!  You love to talk and screech all the time.  You put everything in your mouth and love to grab for things.  You love playing the bib game - you take your bib and cover your face with it.  You kick and make funny noise under there.  At first Mommy thought you were scared, but every time we pull the bib off, you are smiling and laughing.  You are fascinated by screens of any sort and we have to be careful to keep you away from the TV, computers, and phones.  You have started to notice Max a lot more and want to grab his fur and pet him.  This dog is in for it once you start moving!  You love to lay on your mat and kick your feet.  In fact, any time you can kick your feet, you are a happy camper.  You are still loving Sophie the giraffe and your Sassy rings.  You also enjoy chewing on the sides of your pacifier.  You love riding in the car most days and still love to go for walks in the stroller.  Mommy started wearing you facing out in the Britax baby carrier and you really love to see everything now.  You love to sit in your highchair and get rolled around the house.  You also love to look at books...well, really you like to eat them.

What are some things you don't love?
It is rare that you get really fussy and you are pretty easily soothed.  However, you definitely have a "fussy time" of the day, usually between 4:30 and 6:00.  You let us know you are feeling tired or overstimulated and we can typically solve the problem with a walk or some time outside.  You are more tolerant of being on your tummy, but it still isn't your favorite.  You definitely get frustrated when you can't reach something you want or can't get it in your mouth. You also had your first cold this month. Just a stuffy nose but no fun at all!

What can you do?
You had quite the month of milestones!  One day shy of your five-month birthday, you decided to roll over.  And guess what?  You didn't do it the "normal" way like most babies.  You rolled from back to belly first!  Mommy came home from school and decided to put you on your mat.  You had been turning to your side lots all week, but hadn't quite made it over yet.  As soon as Mommy put you down, you rolled to your right side and over to your belly.  Mommy was so very happy she was home to see it!  You are also pulling yourself to a sitting position any time you are semi-reclined.  You almost immediately fall over, but you do not want to be laying down anymore!  This also means no more unsupervised time in any seat because you can easily fall forward if you aren't in a three-point harness (like in your bouncy chair).  You have found both feet and have just about figured out how to put them in your mouth.  You are almost transferring things between your hands, but it is not very coordinated yet.  You have managed to pick your whole body up when you are in your tub and splash it back down.  You make quite the mess!  

Where have you gone?
It's been pretty low key around here this month, especially with Mommy back at work.  You did go to Connecticut to celebrate your friend Sophia's first birthday and we also got to see Auntie Mary who told us she is going to have twins in the spring for you to play with!  We visited our Mommy friends up in Foxboro and went to Mommy's school for Pumpkin Somethin'.

Who has visited and watched you?
It's all Nana all the time now while Mommy is back at school.  Uncle R.J. and Auntie Sara came up for a visit last weekend and we went apple picking (more on that in another post).

What was Mommy's Mother of the Year moment this month?
Mommy has done pretty well this month, although she did manage to scratch you with her ring one day.

What are some of your nicknames?
No new nicknames this month.  Still calling you Peanut, Pumpkin, Squishy, and Mr. Man.

What are we looking forward to in the next month?
This month, you will celebrate your first Halloween.  Mommy really can't stand this holiday, but she is awfully excited to dress you up.  We still haven't decided what you are going to be yet.  We will also celebrate your great-grandfather's birthday next weekend with a trip to Connecticut.  Other than that, it should be a pretty quiet month.

And our pictures from your five month photo shoot.  It's getting harder and harder to keep you in one place for these!



 Sat right up from leaning in the corner of the chair...and then proceeded to tip right over.


 Oh you wanted me to sit straight up for these eleventy jillion pictures?  And here's some drool to share with everyone.


 Top right, Liam drool.
Bottom right, Max drool.

 I can roll here too, Mom.


Max had clearly just licked your face here.

Liam, you are the best thing that has ever happened to us and this month has been so much fun.  We cannot wait to see what the next month has in store for our family!  We love you to the moon and back!

Thursday, October 3, 2013

The One with the Apple Picking

Last Saturday, we went apple picking.  My brother and his girlfriend came up from Connecticut for the day and we drove up to an orchard in northern RI.

It ended up being way hotter than I thought it was going to be so I was kinda a sweaty mess by the time we left, but we did have a great time.

I already made a Dutch apple pie and apple fritters with some of the apples and I have plans for more yummy things this weekend.

I'll let the pictures do the talking.







 Obviously my kid tried to eat a leaf.


 Carrying the close-to-20-pound meatloaf around was exhausting!

We had a lot of fun and this is definitely a tradition I am looking forward to continuing with Liam.

The One with the Thursday Thoughts

Happy Friday Eve people!

How is everyone's week going?

Mine feels endless and I am so very happy that tomorrow is Friday.

The following thoroughly unimportant thoughts have been swirling in my brain...

  • I just whacked my elbow on the chair in the kitchen when I was walking by.  Of all the places on my body to hit, I choose the one place that has not an ounce of fat or flab.  There are certainly plenty of other cushy places that wouldn't have hurt as much, but somehow I managed to hit straight bone.
  • I have a shopping date this weekend with myself.  I need some retail therapy big time.  Even if I just browse, I need to get out and look at some pretty things (who am I kidding, I can't "just browse").
  • I need a Starbucks caramel apple spice in my life very soon.  I've managed to survive thus far this fall without one, but it is definitely in the plans this weekend.
  • As I was typing this post, I dropped my laptop on the floor while reaching for the baby monitor.  When I tried to stop it from falling, I somehow managed to smash/scrape my finger into the side of the screen and cut my skin enough to bleed.  Blogging injury?  I am a hot mess sometimes.
  • L is days away from rolling over from back to belly.  He apparently wants to defy all norms and go this way first.  He has no desire to go from belly to back.
  • This crazy beast is curled up next to me on the couch keeping my company until Hubs finally gets home from work.


  • My view from the shower the other morning (please excuse the mess of a bathroom).  Cannot handle his open-mouthed smile.

  • I realized the other day that I have no fall scented candles in the house.  Clearly my shopping trip this weekend will include a trip to Bath and Body Works.  While I'm not into the pumpkin, I can definitely get behind all the apple scented candles this year.
  • Several friends/acquaintances/blogging peeps are pregnant or just had babies.  I am already thinking about when we can do a FET (frozen embryo transfer).  We only have one frobaby and the chances of it leading to a successful pregnancy aren't great, but I feel like we have to try.  My IF brain is already preparing for the worst and we haven't even planned if/when we are going to do this.  That feeling of failure and disappointment is always there.
  • I need some new songs for my iPod.  What is everyone listening to these days?
(My finger and elbow are throbbing by the way)
  • This weekend will hopefully involve some of these apple fritters so I can use up some of the apples from our trip to the orchard last weekend.
I'm off to try to catch up on a few DVRed shows.  Keeping up with fall TV is tough this year with work and a baby!