I am...17 Months Old

New Things:
Hanging out in his playpen (and trying to climb out)
Sleeping (mostly) through the night
Loves trains (and makes the cutest noise for them)
Temper tantrums (enough said)

Not So New Things:
Climbing
"Talking"
Removing his diaper any chance he gets
Breastfeeding (more than usual)

Liam has been so active over the past month. He is still climbing everything and we now have to keep the bathroom door closed at all times because he climbed onto the sink. He loves to be outside and gets really excited when we go for walks (which we need to do more often). He's trying to talk more and I wouldn't be surprised if he just starts putting words together and forming sentences (he already uses "read" and "book" together).

He's a really fun guy although he has been showing signs of aggression and anger lately. He gets really upset when he's told he can't do something and has started to hit things (and sometimes people) to show his frustration. This is something we really want to work on. Actually, our whole parenting method is something we need to work on. I tend to be the disciplinarian while Will is the "fun" parent. Even if Liam is doing something that Will knows he shouldn't, 80% of the time, Will will not correct the action. We will definitely need to get on the same page if we want to tackle Liam's temper tantrums and bouts of aggression.

Overall, we are loving this stage of Liam's growth especially when he gives hugs and kisses. He really is a sweet guy.

I Know What I Want To Be When I Grow Up...

Over the last few weeks, I've done a lot of soul searching. Reflecting.
Trying to figure out who I am when I'm not Will's wife and Liam's mommy.

There are things that I want to have figured out before Liam is in school and before we decide to have another child (although my baby fever has been out of control lately). I have always had the desire to work with women (I even majored in Women's Studies while in college) but I wasn't exactly sure how to go about finding a career that would work for our lives. As I started looking into portable careers, working in the medical field started to seem more and more appealing to me. I began to get excited at the thought of working as a nurse in a maternity ward (or birthing center) until I thought about the downside of a job like that. Then it clicked with me.

I want to be a Lactation Consultant! Breastfeeding has become a huge part of my life and it is something that I feel very passionate about. Since making this life altering discovery, I have been researching the pathways I can take to make this a reality. One of the things I will need to do in order to becoming a certified l.c. is log hours assisting nursing moms. I was wondering how I would be able to achieve this until I ran across an ad for a Breastfeeding Peer Consultant at our local health department. I decided to apply and guess what?! I got the job!! I am beyond excited for this opportunity and to be able to do something I enjoy. Everything seems to be falling into place and I feel great! Oh, and Liam and Will are great as well.

"Rude" Nurser

Liam and I are still breastfeeding and besides a one day nursing strike a few weeks ago, things are going pretty good. Well, except for the fact that he's a "rude" nurser. I'm sure other breastfeeding moms know what I mean but if you don't, I'll give you a few examples. Liam likes to slap my boob, put his feet on my face, put his hand in my mouth while I'm talking, pinch my boob, try to poke me in the eyes, this list could really continue for awhile. The last few months have been so different than the beginning of our nursing relationship.
Now, none of these things will keep me from nursing but I hope this is just a phase. And even if it isn't a phase, as long as the "high pitched screaming when boob is removed from his mouth while he sleeps" is, I can deal with everything else.
Anyone else have a "rude" nurser? What "fun" things did your little one like to do while nursing?