It's a Blizzard, Baby!

So I traveled to the upper Midwest for an interview and got stranded due to a blizzard. I was supposed to be home today, but it looks like it may be a couple days before I can fly home. All of the airports within 3 hours of here are closed. Even some of the highways have been shut down. I guess there is nothing to do but chill out in my hotel room and wait. But I'm missing my family pretty bad and really want to be home. I'm also worried because Grant will soon be out of his supply of mommy-milk. Thankfully he's eating solids now, but I'm sure he's going to be cranky and missing mommy to snuggle with.

Stage Star

Today Liam really made me proud! He had been practicing songs with his class for several weeks now. They were preparing for the Holiday pageant, which was tonight. At first, Sean and I were against letting him do it - thinking of the travesty that occurred at his "preschool graduation" last spring and of how loud and overwhelming it would be in an auditorium. But he seemed really excited and quite persistent in his preparations. So at last I relented and decided to let him go.

We were pleasantly surprised at how well he behaved. He sat and waited patiently before his class went up. He listened to his teachers, sang and performed well. He even sat through the next grade's performance afterwords! To top it all off, he left without a fight and when they gifted him with a doughnut as we left, he actually held it the whole way home and waited to eat it at the table instead of getting into it in the car! Totally AMAZING!

On the other hand, Grant has been quite beside himself. I'm not sure if it's his teeth or if he has the flu. He hasn't been able to keep solid food down for a couple days now and he has been crying a LOT. We lucked out, however, because he was actually happy at the concert and was dancing on my lap to the beat of the music!

The only bummer is that I was a terrible mom and forgot my camera! SO I have no documentation of the amazing evening. Nuts!

Giving Thanks

What a delightful Thanksgiving we had this year. It was the first time we stayed home, rather than traveling, in a very long time. We spent Thursday and Friday cooking tasty food for the thanksgiving feast that we hosted on Saturday. It was so nice to hang out, just the four of us.

Then on Friday evening, my sister and her friend, Mandy, came to stay with us. Liam flirted like a fool with Mandy. It was really quite embarrassing! Mandy was a good sport about it though and she loved little Grant too.

The rest of Sean's family and my family came up on Saturday. We had tons of yummy food for everyone. My sister's boyfriend and his two boys also came. Sean's nephews were also able to come. It was so nice to actually have kids in the house for Liam to play with. All the boys, and some of the big-kids, played with legos after dinner. Grant sat in the midst of it all, obviously wanting to play along with the rest of the kids. We had a great time and feel so fortunate to have such wonderful family and friends!

Treats, not Tricks

Today was Grant's first Halloween. He wore the same costume as his big brother did - a leopard outfit. However, since Liam was dressed as Diego: Animal Rescuer, we pretended that Grant was Diego's sidekick, Baby Jaguar.

We started our evening at my friend, Alissa's house. The older kiddo's played while the adults had a quick dinner. Then we went out trick or treating in that neighborhood. Just for fun I dressed up like a butterfly. Liam was moving to fast for Ashtyn, who got frustrated that Liam wasn't waiting for her. Grant and Jonas were just along for the ride: Jonas in his stroller and Grant in the sling.

Then we went home so that we could pass out candy at our house and also make a pass through our neighborhood and see out neighbors. This time Sean also dressed up - he re-purposed part of my old Princess Leah costume - it was quite amusing! We were sad that not many kids came to our house, but we had fun walking through our neighborhood.

Earlier in the week I was able to attend the Halloween party at Liam's public preschool. Here is his class all dressed up! The boy dressed as Buzz Lighyear next to Liam is his best friend, Joshua. The kids got to go on parade through the school in their costumes, then they had a bunch of yummy treats and a movie to watch - lucky kids!

We also took both the boys to the Halloween event in downtown. It was very busy, but there were a few activities that Liam enjoyed, such as a hay maze and petting some animals from the zoo. There were also cool street performers, a rarity in this town. We ran into our friends, Dan and Annie and their boy Aidan while we were there.

Roller-coaster

The past couple days have been quite a roller-coaster in terms of emotions. On Wednesday, I met with the public school district to discuss the results of their evaluation of Liam for Autism Spectrum Disorder. Their findings: Liam is borderline Autistic. The good news is that this means that Liam qualifies for assistance and/or therapy. We don't yet know what this will entail, specifically, but at least we know that the school district is on our side and will provide resources for Liam.

I was contacted to teach a third class for Spring semester this week. I thought about it for a night and then decided that it was a good idea. Hopefully, I won't kick myself for it next semester!

Liam had TWO Halloween parties on Thursday. I got to go to the morning party at the public preschool. Liam and his class went on parade through the school. They also had a bunch of food and got to watch a video. I got to meet some of the other mom's, which was nice. Liam was already acting a little unregulated by 10am, so it's no surprised that he was super hyped up by the end of the day. But it was fun to see him with his classmates. He has a friend, named Joshua. They paled around together and Joshua even gave him a hug when it was time for Liam to go.

Friday I finally got my car back, but in the excitement we missing Liam's therapy appointment! Friday was also Sean's birthday. We didn't do a whole lot to celebrate, other than eat breakfast out as a family.

We had planned to celebrate on Saturday, by taking him to the Airzoo. We got the family all set and headed to K-zoo for the day. My mom was going to meet us there. Unfortunately, Liam had a potty accident shortly after we arrived and was also extremely obstinate, so we had to go home. :( It was a really bummer, especially after we had driven all that way!

Then to top it all off, I received a call for an interview for a job that I applied for a month ago. I'm quite excited about the job, but I have to travel to New Orleans for the interview next month! Just what I needed, more stress!

I terms of Grant's growth. Well, he's trying hard to sit up. He's still very wobbly, but he likes to practice sitting. He also likes to stand and squat, exercising his legs. He's gotten quite good and grabbing for things. He even grabbed my napkin at dinner one night! He's a very happy guy most of the time and it's a stitch to get him laughing - not hard to do because he's sooo very ticklish. ;-)

Daddy's Birthday Starts with a Bang!

Grant rolled out of bed this morning at 5:30am. Not the best parenting moment ever and definitely not the best way for Sean to start his birthday! Luckily, Grant was fine and only got a small bruise. He was in good spirits the rest of the day, in spite of the incident. Sean took the day off work (for his birthday) and the rest of the day was quite pleasant.

Liam, Animal Rescuer

Well, Liam totally wowed me this Thursday (20th)! He was quite the hero. While waiting in line to go back into class after playing on the playground, he discovered that there was a dog curled up in the trash can. The teacher was surprised to see the poor animal in there and hurried the class inside so that she could call animal control. Liam was so proud that he had discovered the trapped animal, that he had to show it to me when I arrived a few minutes later. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I probably wouldn't have believed it!

I was so proud of him that we called daddy and he told daddy all about it. Later that day, we called his teacher to see what happened to the doggy. She told us that it was a girl doggy and that she was unharmed, just malnourished a bit. Apparently, the dog was wagging her tail when the animal control put her in the van.

So that's Liam's true story of being an animal rescuer, just like Diego!

Today, Liam is visiting with his Grandma's and Grandpa, while Daddy, Grant, and I are in Bloomington for a conference. I had a very sucessful paper presentation and have been enjoying myself a lot at this conference. It has been interesting traveling with Grant. I think it's really good that he and Daddy have been getting some quality time together. They don't usually get to spend so much time together. The weather has been unseasonably warm and the three of us have been taking advantage of it by walking around the IU campus and enjoying the fall colors.

Holding Pattern

Well, this past week things seem to have really smoothed out. If may just be because it's midterm and I know that the semester is half over and I've made it this far! But I'd like to think it's because I've finally figured out how to balance everything - at least for now. I've been sick all week and feeling terrible. But I've still managed to keep on top of my lecture and grading, as well as writing a conference paper, keeping the house minimally clean, and making sure the boys are fed and clothed. ;-)

It helps that Liam has been behaving fairly well. Grant has been cranky - he's also sick - but not overly so. He seems to be nursing a bit less now and actually slept fairly good the past two nights. He's been super cute lately. He's started grabbing his toys and holding them. He gets really excited about some of them - such as the mirror toy for the crib. I actually keep it where I change his diapers and he likes to reach up and spin the ball on it while I change him.

Today, the boys and I went for a lovely walk in the Scott Woods. It was just picture perfect. Liam had fun collecting leaves with me. Grant chilled out and enjoyed the lovely fall colors from his stroller. After our walk, Liam played on the playgroud for a bit. Grant and I swung on the swings next to Liam. We were all tuckered out by the time we headed home.

10.10.10

What a fun couple weekends we've had. Last weekend, October 3rd, was the Dino Dash for the MSU Museum. The morning was cool, but not bad. Liam did pretty good considering all of the excitement and anticipation - he didn't get too out of control. We bumped into a lot of friends and their kiddos this year. We all went out to lunch with Dan, Annie, and Aidan after the race and visit to the museum. The boys played and played in the gym at Burger King while the adults got to chat and relax.


Today we decided to trek to Grand Rapids to visit the John Ball Zoo - our favorite zoo in Michigan. It's not super big, but it has a lot of really nice exhibits. The weather was just perfect for us. Liam and Grant both cooperated well and we had a nice trip - except for the last few minutes, when everyone got tired and hungry....ooops.

Bad Week, Better Week

Well, last week was pretty darn terrible. Grant was ill and extremely out of sorts. So much so that I took him to the ER out of desperation one night. All that got us was sleep deprivation and aggravation. Grant and I suffered through a number of Dr. visits, and trips to the hospital for tests. In the end, we finally determined that there was nothing majorly wrong with his digestive track, but we still didn't get what we needed, which was a better GERD medication that didn't make him constipated.

This week, however, we finally got it! He is doing much better this week. He is back to his chipper self, cooing and babbling a lot. He's also started figuring out that he has hands and that hands are great for grabbing things. It's fun to watch him try to figure out how to extend his arm and try to grab something...it's a work in progress!

Montessori Milestones

Today was Liam's first day of Montessori school. Liam really seems to love it! His teachers seem to be very patient and have the skills necessary to deal with his willful personality. Apparently, he participates just great during circle time at the Montessori school - something he has yet to master at his private school. Even though I had initially thought of not taking him at the Montessori school because it was an inconvenience for me, I am really glad that I stuck with it.

I also made this Treasury on Etsy to celebrate the occasion: Back to School Montessori Style

Grant Goes to Daycare

So today was the first day of daycare for Mr. Grant. Of course it was difficult enough for me to leave my baby with practically strangers. Doing so was even more stressful given that when I arrived to drop him off on this 90 degree day, the daycare assistant had locked herself and all the kids out of the house by accident! I lingered for a while and then phoned the primary provider - knowing that she would be getting out of her class soon. Thankfully, I got a hold of her and told her what was going on. She hurried home to let everyone into the house. Not the best way to start things! I was so stressed walking into the classroom to teach!

Liam's first sweetie and Grant's first giggle

I meant to post this yesterday night, but a bizarre accident with the powerlines on our block knocked out some of our power for several hours. But I had to share two cute stories about the boys.

Grant had his first (and second) *real* giggle yesterday! One giggle was with me and other was with daddy. He is so easy to get smiling! We noticed that he seemed to be trying to giggle all last week, but yesterday was the first time he made a sweet little noise with his huge grin. :D

Liam's story is actually from last Tuesday. We went to the splash pad at the park to meet up with kids from his preschool. There he ran into Kenzie - the little girl that he paled around with last year. They immediately were playing together again, like they were never apart. They ran and chased each other playing tag. Too bad Kenzie is a year older and is starting Kindergarden. I know he will miss his little sweetheart in class this year.

The Great Outdoors

There is something so magical about mother nature - it sooths a fussy baby or a tantrum-prone preschooler. Both my boys calm right down when we are outside. Today I got out a little tent I purchased at a yard sale for Grant. He's sucking on his thumb in this picture. He happily hung-out while Sean painted the house, I gardened, and Liam "helped" me. It's really nice when things come together and everyone can enjoy a peaceful afternoon together.

My Boys

The picture pretty much says it all!

Cooler Weather

I'm so happy that the weather is more back to normal (for Michigan) the past few days! It was so lovely out this morning that the boys and I took a long walk around the neighborhood. We were out for nearly an hour. Liam had fun collecting different kinds of leaves from plants. We looked at all the leaves when we came home and then put some in the phone book to press.

This evening I took a few minutes to do a little gardening and then sat with Grant in the lovely sunshine on the patio. :)

A poop of biblical proportions!

I'm a little late posting this, but Grant had the hugest poop ever this Monday. It had been a week since his last poop and this one exploded right out of his cloth diaper and oozed up his back and down his legs! As luck would have it he pooped just before I had to lead for an appointment, but at least it was BEFORE the appointment, not DURING!

In good news, Liam has been a little better the past couple days. We've had much less screaming. He also went to daycare yesterday and had a really good day. He must have played really hard, because he fell asleep on the living room floor a 7pm! Grant also slept pretty well last night - his first ever 6 hour stretch!

Mr. Scream and Mr. Smile

Well, it's been a hard week. Liam has regressed a little and has gotten back into the habit of screaming when he gets upset or doesn't get what he wants. It's been quite exhausting to deal with and has lead me to look into additional therapy for him.

On the flip side, Grant has been very smiley and is a pleasantly happy baby - even when his brother is screaming nearby. Thank goodness for small favors! I've had a hard time trying to get a good picture of his smiling face, this photo is a little blurry.

CooCooCachoo

Grant has grown so much in the four weeks and handful of days he has been with us! He is already cooing and spends stretches of time being alert and looking/listening to everything around him. Just like his big brother, he likes to try to "stand" and push up with his legs. He can tolerate more that a couple minutes of tummy time and can lift his head up pretty high too. Liam enjoys playing with his little brother while he's on the mat or in swing. Liam shows him toys and fossils, sings songs to him, and even attempts to dazzle him with a few magic tricks. Liam also tries to sooth him when he cries. It's all too cute.

Four Years of Fun!

Well I just missed August 3rd by a few minutes - but we had such a busy day that I didn't get this post up in time. Today (the 3rd) Liam turned 4 years old! It's hard to believe that four years have passed since I first became a mother. Time really flies! Grant also turned 1 month old too. So there were important milestones for both my boys. It also just so happened that today was election day and both Grant and Liam accompanied me to the polling booth. A journalist snapped a picture of the three of us as I submitted my ballot - I wonder if our picture will make it into the newspaper?

I spoiled Liam in a couple of small ways today. First, I got him a sunday at McD's. I also let him pick what he wanted for lunch and dinner. Lunch was popcorn and a movie (Thomas the Train) at home. Dinner was chicken nuggets and macaroni/cheese. After dinner we had a little birthday party with the family. Earlier in the day Liam got to pick 4 cupcakes out at the bakery. I put a candle in each cupcake for him to blow out. Once we ate our sweet treats, Liam opened his presents. He got a sticker book, bug puzzle game, bug stamps, small stuffed lady bug, and a marble run block set. All items were a big hit! Liam and Daddy played with the marble run most of the evening. We had a blast!