Liam - Week 11

Date/Week: March 9; week 11


My Total weight gain/loss: -30.4 lbs

His Stats: approx 14 lbs

Milestones: Liam has made it through a week in the baby class and the absolutely love him!

Developmental Progress: He is comfortable sitting up in a swing. We tries to copy sounds - we really notice it with 'hi' and 'hello' since we usually greet him before we start talking to him. He LOVES music. He is so calm when it is playing so we continue to play classical music at night and also will play music in the morning when he is in his crib (it allows us to get ready).

Sleep: He slept through two nights but he has been up every 3 hours for the last two... As for napping at school, he revealed our secret... He flipped himself to his stomach in his crib yesterday morning and slept for 2 hours (he averages 20 minutes on his back).

Energy level: My energy is fine but my allergies are making me a bit drowsy. I need to see my GP for some meds!

Exercise: The 4 mile walk went well on Sunday. I am so out of shape but it felt good to get moving. I need to make sure I splint my abs when I work out. My home schedule was essentially scrapped last week by Liam but I am hopeful to get in a workout nights when Aidan is home.

Thoughts and Feelings? Slowly developing our new normal in the house. Hope to add back school work and evening walks along with bottle washing and laundry... Also need to get back ino things like sending out family birthday cards!

What I am looking forward to: Need to start planning the logistics for our May visit to the UK. I'd love some nice weather this weekend in order to do some work in the garden (Aidan did the lawn last Saturday). Pizza on Friday!

At School

Ready to go!

Bassinet is almost too small

I'm not awake

Liam - Week 10

Date/Week: March 2; week 10

My Total weight gain/loss: -28.6 lbs 

His Stats: 

Milestones: Liam has started at the nursery full-time and I have gone back to work. He was baptised on Sunday and his godparents are totally smitten with him. He did well with his 2 month set of shots last Wednesday.

Developmental Progress: I guess he is cooing but honestly I think he is trying to copy what we're saying to him. When we say 'hello' to him he seems to be able to be trying to say it back to us. He is able to copy a smile when he is being smiled at and will also stick his tongue out back at you. He's grabbing things and holding on tight - especially when it is my hair!
How do I feel about my body: Now that I am back at work I can be more consistent with my meals and snacks. It means that I need to update our grocery list because it is better for me to bring my lunch to work instead of buying it (walking past those donuts today was tough...). 

Sleep: In the last week he's been feeding every 2 hours. It appears to be growth related. Now that I am getting reports on his naps during the day, I notice when he sleeps more or less at night. We're working towards an 8.30 bedtime and it's moving well in that direction. 

Energy level: Better this week but my allergies are starting to enter the equation! 

Exercise:  we're doing a 4 mile walk on Sunday. I am trying out a schedule of cardio (Zumba) every other day and resistance training (Chalean Extreme) on the other days with Wednesdays off (i have dance class on Wednesdays). 
Thoughts and Feelings? It's been an emotional few days with the transition to nursery school and work. I m so sad to leave him in the morning yet I am happy to be in the office. Evenings at home have involved a lot of nursing and cuddling until my work-out time when Aidan cuddles him and gets him to bed. Soon I have to put school work and teaching dance back into the mix...

What I am looking forward to: Date night on Thursday - we're going to a play while Aidan's brother and SIL will babysit. 

Liam's Baptism

Today we celebrated Liam's Baptism. It was a wonderful  but a little nerve-wracking all the same. Consider having a two month old in a christening gown that was made out of Aidan's dad's altar server surplice that was made by his mom 55-odd years ago and will be then by used by family members to come. Yes, I was paranoid about Liam spitting up all over the gown so we put a white onesie with cream colour baby legs and a bib on him for the trip to the church and then put the gown over them (less the bib) and the beginning of the ceremony.

At that point Aidan became the nervous one. Aidan had to brief the Godparents as to what they had to say and do. There were three parts of the ceremony. The first took place at the door of the church. We all had to speak (basically answering 'we will') and make the sign of the cross on Liam's forehead. Once that portion was done, we processed to the front and the service flowed with Liam fussing a bit until the second part where we and the Godparents went up front for the Baptism part of the service. Liam cried a bit when the water was put over his head but literally fell asleep when the oil was put on the crown of his head. He was pretty silent for the balance of the service and slept through the final blessing at the front of the church. He woke up again for the pictures with everyone and received congratulations from many in the congregation.

We then had a breakfast at our house and it was great to have everyone over. Liam was passed around and he enjoyed every moment of it. He is just such a sociable little guy. We are so grateful for the gifts that Liam received - they will be treasured and we will ensure that he looks at them as special mementos of a special day. Perhaps the most interesting gift was a shillelagh made out of Bermuda Cedar. It was made by Aidan's dad and presented to Aidan's grandfather for Aidan's first St. Patrick's Day in 1973. We have placed it on the mantle and look forward to explaining its significance to Liam in the future.

Liam - Week 9

Date/Week: February 23; week 9

My Total weight gain/loss: 31.4 lbs

His Stats: 12lbs 3oz / 23.25 inches long

Milestones: Liam is officially 2 months old. He has had his 2 month check-up and his first set of shots. He will be starting baby class on Tuesday... I can't believe I'm going back to work already.

Developmental Progress: He's getting better at smiling back if you smile at him. He's rolling onto his side more often from either his back or his stomach. When doing tummy time he rolls from his stomach to his back and sometimes can roll back onto his stomach. He's grabbing things more often. He is getting better at self soothing and sucks his thumb sometimes.

How do I feel about my body: I haven't been consistent working out in the last week thanks to Liam - he seems to wake up whenever I go to work out. We have been walking regularly though so I've had great walks 5 out of 7 days. I've been reading up on techniques to work on tucking my pelvis regularly so my lower back won't hurt as much. Dance class tonight but I'm teaching and not dancing.

Sleep: He's been sleeping pretty well. He seems to go to sleep at about 8.30 and we then wake him up to change him at about 10.30/11pm. He then is usually up at 4am to be changed and fed and then will sleep until about 7/7.30am.

Energy level: It's up and down for me.

Exercise: Lots of walking. One session each of Zumba for wii and Chalean Extreme.

Thoughts and Feelings? I'm going back to work next week an we start Liam's transition into nursery school on Thursday. I know I'll miss him and the morning snuggles and tummy time in the afternoon but there are bills to be paid, schools to save up for and vacations to put aside money for... I have a feeling that I am going to be loving nights and weekends going forward!

What I am looking forward to: Christening on Feb 27th followed by brunch at our house.

1st Stroller Ride

Can you believe it has taken 2 months for us to put Liam in his stroller and take him out for a walk! Yes, I love the ease of taking him out in his sling or his Moby wrap but I thought it was a nice enough day to try out our Stokke Explory. So at lunchtime I bundled him up in his jacket and hood, put him in the bassinet and headed up the road towards Heydon Chapel.

The wheels on the Explory are excellent. They move well over the unpaved fields and tree roods an was so smooth on the paved railway trail. We walked to Sandys 360 to look at the facilities and then had a leisurely stroll back in the sun (hood off so the little boy could get some vitamin D.

I couldn't help but think that last June we were test driving the Explory in that store in London off of Trafalgar Square and now we're wheeling Liam around in it. I am so grateful!

Liam - Week 8

Date/Week: February 16; week 8 

My Total weight gain/loss: -32 lbs 

His Stats: 11lbs 6oz

Milestones: Liam is getting through his first cold; his baby acne has gotten worse and started to clear up during the week; He has spent more than 2 hours away from us; His newborn clothing is too small and has been packed away - he is now in 0-3 month clothing.

Developmental Progress: He has become more consistent in focusing on faces, smiling, grabbing things, and holding his head up. If you smile at him, he's starting to smile back. We've started to put a rattle on one of his wrists to get him to focus on that particular hand (he prefers often to put the rattle in his mouth...). He can play on his own for a while and entertains himself (sometimes) in his crib or bassinet. He has discovered his thumb...

How do I feel about my body: My legs may be strong but my abs are pretty weak and my posture sucks. I participated in a weekend highland dancing workshop and I could barely do anything. I am overcompensating with my back because it is difficult to consistently tuck my pelvis. By the end of the weekend I was not motivated to dance because there is so much to do to get back to even a basic level - how am I supposed to teach in the coming months??? Upon calming down (I have a cold, mind you. It took a while to think rationally.). I decided to start with resistance training and hopefully a water aerobics class for endurance. We also have signed up for a 4 mile charity walk on March 6th to kick off our fitness regime for 2011.

Sleep:He has slept for up to 6 hours at night. Since being sick, his naps have been all over the place. On Monday he would not nap for longer than 15 minutes while on Tuesday it was at least an hour. I was therefore shattered due to Monday and much better on Tuesday. Now I need some sleep!

Energy level: The dance workshop proved to me that I have a long way to go in relationship to having my old energy levels. I know I shouldn't be anxious to get to where I was. I also need to work with the reality that I have been below my normal energy levels since December 2009... so i have quite some work to do in the coming months. 

Exercise: I've done two workouts using Chalean Extreme and parts of our Highland Dancing workshop. A good start!

Thoughts and Feelings? I'm sorta ready to go back to work. I love the snuggles and tummy time and seeing him develop but at the moment I really could use some separation of my day. I'm now attempting to work from home and it is difficult - particularly when he wants to be in my arms or close to me. I know I need to value this time but right now my days (and nights) never seem to end. I belt I'll complain about not enough time with him when I go back to work next month but right now this is what I'm feeling.

What I am looking forward to: Liam meets his 1st Godmother on Feb 24th; Christening on Feb 27th

Liam - Week 7

Date/Week: February 9; week 7 

My Total weight gain/loss: -30 lbs (at pre-pregnancy weight)

His Stats: 

Milestones: We've approached the 3 potential Godparents and they have said yes; We have received his newborn photos and they're so wonderful (I am so glad we did them - he has changed so much!); Baptism invitations have been made using one of the newborn photos; the photo used for the birth announcement has been submitted to a local baby contest; Liam's birth announcement has been submitted to the local magazine that did a page on our wedding in 2006; has had his first (and second) shower with each of us and he LOVES it!; he has baby acne :( 

Developmental Progress: He is getting stronger and stronger - when held on a shoulder he can hold his head up and look around; he's smiling for others now and both sets of grandparents were through the moon when they got their first smile; tummy time is beginning to require that you turn him around on the playmat when he reaches the other end... he just wants to get moving already! Liam - Please stop and be a cuddly baby for a while longer!

How do I feel about my body: Clothing is fitting certain areas - my legs in particular - and not others - my belly and chest. I am definitely in my normal size. I wore a pair of jeans one size up on Saturday thinking they would be more comfortable for the belly and spent the whole morning hiking them up... frustrating but nice all the same. Looking forward to resistance training to tone up my gut (the chest is fine for now)!

Sleep: He must be having a growth spurt - he's sleeping anywhere from 2.5 to 5 hours at a time. Getting back to sleep is tough for me. Liam not wanting to go immediately back to sleep is tough for both of us!  

Energy level: Much better but day merges into night and into the next day. It's getting better though since he is taking some naps. Plus, our weekends are allowing us to do some of our regular activities with him.

Exercise: We did a 2 mile walk with the baby and the dogs on Saturday and a 1.5 mile walk on Sunday. It felt so good to be out and about. It promises to be a tiring yet rewarding spring as we get out and moving. I hope to participate (not jumping!) in a highland dancing workshop this weekend. 

Thoughts and Feelings? I'm loving the little guy's personality! He is so charming. He's going to be spending about 7 hours with my parents on Friday so it'll be the most time we will be apart to date... it should be interesting. Our night routine is evolving well. It's not taking 2 hours to get Liam and us to bed anymore. 

What I am looking forward to: Need to find Godparent gifts... the christening is close. Still waiting for his nursery acceptance letter.