Category: Pictures

Liam learned an important lesson today about the risks involved in requesting to have Paige sit on his shoulders.

Given his track record with learning lessons the first time he’s given the opportunity I’m sure he’ll end up with a faceful of Paige’s spit/poop/pee at least once (or twice, or thrice) more, but it’s always nice to have a visual aid with which to attempt to drive home the point.  Now we have such an aid.

I have tons more pictures to post at a later date, but right now I’d like to pause to show you what happens when trying to take a picture of 8 people in a group that includes an infant, a toddler, several people who can’t keep their eyes open when the camera flashes, several people who can’t seem to smile to save their lives, and several people who have serious trouble looking at the camera at all (these groups are not mutually exclusive obviously, and at any point in time, any person in this picture could belong to any or all of these groups…I wish I were exaggerating).

I know that this isn’t the winner for Christmas picture of the year, but it’s definitely my favorite.

A couple of weeks ago Liam had his first trip to the dentist.  It basically ended up being a very expensive professional toothbrushing experience, but the hygienist said that in her opinion it makes for better future experiences if the first time isn’t traumatic, so she showed him all the equipment and did as much as she could.  Then the dentist came in to count his teeth and check to make sure that they’re healthy.  All was well with the exception of his front teeth.  As I think I made obvious with the title of this post, this was the result of almost three years of daily pacifier use.  It’s been a while since he used his paci for anything but sleeping, but it was becoming clear that it was time to give it up.

Then came the hard part.

Let me preface this by saying that I have absolutely no idea why this went down the way that it did.  I honestly started the discussion with Liam with every intention of just talking about not using the paci anymore followed by a period of perhaps just taking naps without it before phasing it out completely.  Our boy was (and unfortunately, still is) very attached to his paci and this was not the best time to add any more sleep disturbances to our house than we already have.  But in having a discussion with him (this was not our first discussion about the topic, and he brought it up himself, which may be why I got all gung-ho about it) about the paci and how he is a big boy and he doesn’t need his paci anymore and that soon he was going to sleep with only his woobie I found myself telling him that he could have it at his nap that day and then that night would be his first night without it.

As anyone who has had kids (and has a similar parenting style) knows:  once you’ve laid down the law, you’ve gotta follow through.  As soon as the words left my mouth, I wished I hadn’t said it, but it was already too late.  Setting limits is especially important for Liam right now and I see part of my parenting job as being the wall that he comes up against.  When he knows the rules and the limits, he’s far better behaved (perhaps with the exception of the several weeks following Paige’s birth, but in all fairness I truly believe that he had lost his mind during that time period, and he came around to being the boy we all know and love in about a month’s time…with most rules and limits intact, I might add).

The next step (apparently) was to concoct a story about how the paci fairy was going to come and take his pacifiers and give them to babies who need them (since big boys and girls don’t need pacis, but babies do).  We started by making an envelope for the pacis and decorating it for the drop-off.

Brave face:

Honest face:

Next came the ceremonious paci pass-off (I decided — while making up everything as I was going along — that the paci fairy uses the USPS to receive her pacis for distribution).

The final step was a promised (and much anticipated by Liam…you know, for the whole 8 hours that this process lasted from conception to fruition) bubble blowing session with Dad and an impromptu romp around the yard afterwards.

The real work began when Matt had to put him to bed that night.  There were tears.  Lots of tears.  Big old pitiful crocodile tears.  I heard the phrase:  “I’m so sad” uttered by my son just enough times to break my heart into a thousand pieces.  When Matt replied that it was okay to be sad, but that it was something that needed to happen because Liam is a big boy now and I heard Liam say “but I don’t want to be a big boy, I want to be a little boy, I want my paci” I was very glad that I was rocking Paige in the next room.  It was pretty horrible to listen to, the worst part being, of course, that I knew that I had caused him pain and I never want to cause him pain.

Nowadays he still asks about his paci in passing and often wakes up from his naps wondering aloud where his paci is, but things are going much more smoothly.

I’d love for Paige to take to the paci for soothing purposes, but if I don’t have to go through this again it will be okay by me.

Because I had a baby 7 weeks ago, because I had the foresight last year to use underpinnings that will fit Liam for at least another year or so, because Liam was too young last year to really appreciate the awesomeness that is Superman, and because his costume is fantastic (if I do say so myself), Liam was Superman again this year.

He was absolutely thrilled to get to dress up in his costume and he enjoyed both the neighborhood Halloween party and his first real trick-or-treating experience.  I took an insane number of pictures of him in his costume.  Here they are.

Getting ready for the costuming:

Excitement:

Ta Da!

Aaaaannnnnd, he’s off!

I think he likes his costume…

What do you think?

Superman and his Mama:

Supermen:

Up, Up, & Away!

Mid-flight:

Getting caped with a little help from the master:

Taking the cape for a spin (literally):

Taking lessons:

Matt shows Liam the best way to fly…

…which thankfully didn’t involve a trip to Scottish Rite like someone else we know…

Superman shows us his sad face:

Giving directions:

In flight:

Paige takes a turn:

Paige wasn’t happy about her lack of a costume…

She can at least try to fly…

First trick-or-treating experience:

Ringing the bell:

A little last minute coaching from Dad:

“Oh, hi Kate!  Trick or treat!”

Picking his goodies:

Showing off his spoils:

Checking to make sure everything’s still there:

He had a great time and is already talking about going again next year!

This weekend we ventured out to the Gardens for Paige’s first visit.  The place was packed, but we had a great morning and Liam was psyched about seeing the scarecrows.  The difference between this trip and the last time we went (when I was very pregnant, the heat index hit 105, and Liam was pre-preschool and big brotherhood and therefore much less adventurous) was night and day.

Checking out the scarecrows:

A rare moment of standing still with Dad:

Checking out the progress being made on the holiday train installation:

Aaaannnd, he’s off:

Water break:

Cuteness abounds:

Liam does his best scarecrow impression:

Dad and Paige join in:

Checking out the bees:

Waterfall!

Scarecrows in Peter Rabbit’s den:

Checking out the revamped slide:

Checking out the ants:

Me and my babies:

Leaf dance:

Daddy and daughter:

Liam spent a large amount of time running away from us at breakneck speed and then “falling” and lying on the ground until we caught up, this was one such time:

And this was another:

Checking out the blown-glass cornucopia:

Aaaaannnnnd, he’s off (again):

Bat Boy:

Playing with the orange ball Part 1:

Playing with the orange ball Part 2:

Playing with the orange ball Part 3:

It was a beautiful morning and I can’t wait to get the chance to go again!

Here’s a random roundup of pictures from the last couple of weeks.  I may be slack in posting the pictures, but at least there are some getting taken…

Liam awaiting some Paige-holding time:

Paige doesn’t look so sure about this, Gran…

Brother and sister:

She gives us this look a lot…

Gran demonstrates how taking care of two children requires some creative thought when she holds Paige while playing pattycake with Liam with her feet:

Taking a snooze:

Fun with bristle blocks:

Singing with Gran:

Paige takes a snooze with Granddaddy:

Gratuitous cuteness:

Liam heard me taking pictures of Paige and wanted me to take a picture of him:

And then he wanted me to take a picture of Matt:

And then he wanted me to take a picture of the two of them:

You can’t tell that they’re related, can you…?

Back to Paige:

And back to Liam…

Sister and brother:

Holding hands:

More gratuitous cuteness:

Friends:

Another Paige-holding session:

Dancing baby:

Dancing boy:

More dancing baby:

More dancing boy:

More brother and sister:

Liam being Liam:

It’s a really good thing that someone invented cameras because the level of brain function in this house right now doesn’t allow for much in the way of wit…

Last weekend we headed out to Berry Patch Farms to do a little pumpkin pickin’.  Liam has been asking about going to the farm to pick a pumpkin for the last month or so and he was ecstatic when the day finally arrived.

Gillian and Ean joined us and we were set to leave at 9:15, but Paige reminded us once more of the cardinal rule of parenthood, which is that plans are for suckers (well, that and the fact that although we may be the ones who pretend to be in charge, but we’re actually being drug around by the skin of our woobies by the very people we created).  So after handling a feeding that started just as we were supposed to walk out the door followed by an epic poop that involved 4 diapers, 30 minutes, and poop on my face (not to mention the walls…again…), we were finally on our way.

The place was a zoo (there were actual farm animals which means there’s surely a joke in here somewhere, but I’m too tired right now to make it) but well-organized and we were off on the hayride out to the pumpkins in no time.  We finished up the day with fried pies and boiled peanuts and everyone had a blast.  Here are some pictures from the day.

[As a choir of angels sings]

Liam checks out the animals with Ean:

It’s kind of ridiculous, but I think that this is the first picture we have of all four of us together:

Hayride!

Pumpkins!

Aunt G offers a gourd:

Liam checks it out:

Hayride:

Back to the pumpkins:

This is how Paige spent her time at the farm:

Pumpkin-head:

She’s very excited about the pumpkins:

Off in search of greener pastures (read:  bigger pumpkins):

“Okay fine, Mama.  I’ll give Paige a pumpkin, but I won’t look at her while I do it…”

Enamored:

Aaaaannnnnd, he’s off!

Guarding his find:

Stand-off:

“Oh look!  Pumpkins everywhere!”

Liam checks out the merchandise:

Ean checks out the merchandise:

“Hey Ean — you may have the big one, but I’ve got three at one time!”

Decisions, decisions…

I thought we were just getting a cute picture amidst the pumpkins, but the bonus we got was rotten pumpkin all over his back…it was still worth it:

Fried pie!

The family:

Liam has developed a new habit of stealing our shoes from wherever he finds them and walking around the house in them.  It’s pretty much adorable.  Here are a few shots I managed to shoot when I caught him in the act.

Mama’s shoes:

Caught red-footed:

Dad’s shoes (ensemble completed nicely by dinosaur underwear and robot jammy top):

Right before the inevitable fall:

During the inevitable fall:

Aaaannnnd, he’s off!

“Hey Dad, I’ve got your shoes!”

Caught in the act, again: