I am...18 Months Old (Super Late!)

New Things:
Climbing in and out of his playpen and high chair
Saying actual words (like "Hey!" when he notices something)
Hiding when taking poops (he actually went into the closet and closed the door)
Mimicking behaviors

Not So New Things:
Climbing on everything
Removing his diaper any chance he gets
Breastfeeding
Co-sleeping

18 Month Appointment:
Liam weighed 28.8 lbs (84th percentile) and was 34.84 inches tall (99th percentile) at his appointment. I don't know if I've mentioned this before but I am slightly obsessed with Liam's height. Even though Will is over 6', I'm scared that Liam will end up with my short genes (I'm 5').
During his appointment, we discussed a concern I had about his speech. He is not behind but he's also not ahead. We talked a little about things we can do at home to help with his speech since he's an only child and doesn't go to any sort of daycare or play dates. Since then, I have made plans to start setting up play dates for him just to help with, not only his speech, but also give him a social life. Other than that, Liam is right on task and we couldn't be happier. Now here are a few pictures of the little guy. Enjoy!!

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.

15 Month Update

15 months old...wow. I know I should be used to it by now but I'm still amazed at how old/big Liam is getting.

This month has been the month of the "wild child". Liam is all over the place and extremely vocal. When he doesn't want to do something, he will let you know by shrieking at the top of his lungs and since Liam is a very independent toddler, you can only imagine the sound level in our house right now. He pretty much wants to do what he wants to do and doesn't care what anyone thinks about it. We're crossing our fingers that this is just a stage.

Teething is another shriek inducing milestone in Liam's life. He is currently getting all four of his first year molars (yes, all four decided to come in at the same time, lucky us). He is so much pain and discomfort. It kills me since there is very little I can do to help him. So far our teething remedies are pain reducer, nursing and lots of hugs and kisses. A few friends recommended amber teething necklaces as a teething remedy so I think we'll be giving that a try as well.


And now on to the pictures!

14 Month Update!

Liam is now 14 months old. Wow, I still can't believe how fast he has grown. We haven't been to the Dr. in awhile but Liam is obsessed with weighing himself so I know he weighs 26 lbs. I haven't measured his height in awhile but he has grown a little (his K-State pajamas are no longer too long).

Our big guy has had a few milestones this month. He says "Pepper", "Hi", "Bye", "Stop", in addition to "Yes", "No", "Mama", and "Dada". He babbles all the time and loves to talk (he loves to pretend that objects around the house are phones and say, "Hello"). Lately when we are out at the grocery store, he'll randomly say "hi" to people as we pass them in the aisles. He also has one of his first molars coming in.

He's such a fun little guy to be around especially since he thinks he's hilarious. He loves taking pictures. Here are a few of our little guy over the past month. I absolutely love this face.

This is late but...13 months Old!

I'm a few days late with this update but Liam is now 13 months old. He's growing so fast and the last month has been pretty exciting for us. There have been a few milestones as well as a few lessons learned.
I shared a few things with you guys already (such as his first haircut) but there have been a few things that haven't made it into the blog yet. Liam has officially started saying "bye" as well as waving. Now Liam is a stubborn little guy. He only does this when he wants to and if you try to get him to do it when he doesn't want to, he'll just look at you like he has no idea what you're doing. I'm sure there will be many more "talking" milestones to come but as of right now, "mama" and "bah" (we're still trying to figure out what "bah" means exactly) seem to be his favorites. He especially loves to say "mama" while making spit bubbles.

Other than that, his other milestone is climbing. He can climb onto the sectional and just figured out that he can climb onto the ottoman as well. This milestone (which can also be called the "give mom a heart attack" milestone) has not been much fun for me. I'm hoping that this daredevil phase doesn't last too long but then again, I do have a boy on my hands.

Okay, here are a few more stats on Liam's growth before we get to his 13 month picture. I weighed him a few days ago and he came in at 24.5 lbs. I didn't take his height but I'm guessing that he's maybe grown an inch since the last time he was measured. He's wearing 12 month clothing and size 5 shoes. He's growing into such a big boy and now on to the picture.

11 Months Old!!! Ahhh!!!

Liam is (almost one) 11 months old! I can't believe it. It's gone so fast.
I took his measurements today and he's coming in at 22.6 lbs and 30 inches tall. Liam is working on his SEVENTH tooth (which just seems like a lot of teeth to me). He's a walking pro now and actually walks 85-90% of the time. He's still co-sleeping and breastfeeding. The word, "weaning", has been floating around a lot when I tell people I'm breastfeeding an 11 month old. Even though nursing a "toddler" is a lot different than nursing an infant, I don't think we'll be weaning for awhile.

He's starting to babble a lot more. He says something that sounds like "peek-a-boo" but right now his favorite word is "bah". Not sure what it means but he says it all the time. He has started to show and verbalize when he is frustrated. He doesn't like to be told "no" but understands what it means. When he feels frustrated, he tends to grunt, scream and sometimes hit. I fully understand that it is a sign of him maturing and that it's completely normal  for him to attempt to express himself

Even with the grunting and screaming, Liam is a loving boy. He loves his Mommy and Daddy although he is still trying to figure out Daddy. He's a joy to be around and usually has a smile on his face. Speaking of that sweet little face, it's picture time!

10 Months Old (and a 9 month old recap)!!

I didn't do a nine month update on Liam since I had planned on waiting until he had a doctor's appointment. Well, we ended up not doing a nine month appointment (which isn't required) so I'll just do a small recap. Liam had a ton of milestones during his ninth month. He stands for longer periods of time, has six(!!) teeth, and has started shaking his head "no". He's such a big boy and loves to stand up. Here are some pictures that were actually taken when he turned nine months old.

Top teeth!

Bottom teeth!!

Love!!

Okay, and now on to the 10 month update!
Liam is doing great! He's "talking" so much and I love it. He even plays peek-a-boo sometimes by pulling his shirt up over his face and then saying what I think is "peek-a-boo". He's gotten a lot better during diaper changing time. He used to scream at the top of his lungs every time I changed him but now it's maybe once or twice a day (usually when he needs a nap). We still haven't gone to another doctor's appointment but I weighed Liam this morning (he wanted to stand on the scale when I weighed myself). He's 21.4 lbs. He hasn't really been gaining much weight but he's also a lot more active than he's been in the past. Okay, now on to the pictures!

Love this face!

Hope everyone is enjoying their hump day!

Eight Months Old?!?! Where has the time gone?

This is a little late but Liam is eight months old! He's growing into such a big boy and is learning and exploring all the time. He's an expert crawler and has started pulling up on furniture. He has four teeth (!!) and is loving all the new foods I let him try (he actually starts smacking his lips whenever he sees me with food). He has been a little needy lately but I think that's due to our few weeks of work and daycare. Overall, Liam is doing great! He's a bundle of joy and so much fun!

And so it begins...

Liam wasn't satisfied with being an expert crawler, he just had to take things up a notch. A few days ago, he was playing with toys on the floor while I sat on our sectional. Well, one second he's sitting down and the next he's standing up and staring at me. I immediately called my mom and updated my status on Facebook and then reality set in. Liam will be walking before I know it...Liam will be walking before I know it!! He is growing up way too fast. How do I make it stop!?!

Yay! Maybe...

Liam is on the go!!

A few days ago for a microsecond, I wanted Liam to start crawling (mostly just so I didn't have to hear him "complain" about not being able to crawl). Well, Liam must have listen because he is now trying his hardest to start crawling. So, now the baby-proofing begins!

It's Almost Time For A Big Boy Car Seat

Every time I turn around, Liam is getting bigger. He is constantly growing out of clothing, shoes and pretty soon, his car seat. Technically, he could stay in his Chicco Key Fit 30 until he reaches either 30 inches long and/or 30 pounds (he currently 26.5 inches long and a little over 19 pounds), however, I'm not sure my arms can take carrying him around much longer. He's sooo heavy!!
So, I've decided to start researching convertible car seats. Here are my favorites so far:

Safety 1st Alpha Omega Convertible Car Seat in Nitron

"The Safety 1st Alpha Omega Elite provides 3 different car seats in one single product. The Alpha Omega Elite can be used rear-facing for infants from 5 to 35 pounds, then forward-facing with the harness for toddlers from 22 to 40 pounds. It then converts to a belt-positioning booster from 40 to 100 pounds. The QuickFit harness system allows the harness to be adjusted from the front, without rethreading the harness or uninstalling the car seat from the vehicle."

Britax Marathon 70 Convertible Car Seat in Cowmooflage

"The Britax Marathon 70 convertible car seat is designed for children rear facing from 5 to 40 pounds and forward facing from 1 year and 20 lbs up to 70 pounds. The Marathon 70 achieves revolutionary head safety through the use of Britax SafeCell Technology, Integrated Steel Bars, and Versa-Tether that work together to minimize head excursion and reduce the risk of head injury during a frontal impact. The Marathon 70 also incorporates Britax Side Impact Protection, offers a no re-thread and quick-adjust, five-point harness, multiple buckle and recline adjustments, and an easy access cover and access to belt paths from the front of the seat."

 I am definitely going to keep looking around although the Britax Marathon 70 seems to be one of the top rated convertible car seats on all the review websites I've viewed. So, what car seat are you using and how long did your little one stay in their infant car seat (if you used one)?