Liam is 3 Months Old! And, a Trip to the State Fair.

Seriously? He is three months old already? The time is flying by. It seems like yesterday that we were in the hospital learning that the doctor was late and that my scheduled C-Section was delayed. Then, delayed again. Those minutes passed oh so slowly. But now....time is just whooshing by us!

Liam David weighed in at 13 pounds 8 ounces today. He is a growing boy! I have been worried about his neck and core muscles...so, we've been exercising those. Look at this boy's cobra pose now! What a champ!! He gets stronger and stronger every single day!
Isn't he a cutie pie? I love his crooked smile. It just melts my heart.

Here Liam is chilling with Chippie. He sure is enjoying the extra attention he is getting with Chippie and Auntie Maureen here!

Yesterday, I brought the Bumpo chair out. Liam really enjoyed seeing his toys from a new angle. He lasted only a couple of minutes in there before tiring and then falling alseep ;-) Amazing to think that holding your head up used to be so hard; but, now you just take it for granted.... I bet it is a big workout for him.

Today, Daddy Q took us all to the Texas State Fair. It was a blast. Here are a few images from our day....

getting a map....

owen and me.

owen winning a basketball game. he got 3 out of 3. check out the shock on the attendant's face. she was blown away... when she went to give him his prize, he kept telling her he didn't need a stuffed bubba....just give him that ball he used to win the darn thing. she said she wished she could ;-)

in our front room, i have hung characatures that gerard and i had done...my fav is from our honeymoon--it was done in St. Mark's Square in Venice. We had one done of Liam and Owen tonight. It was absolutely AWESOME.
But, this is the only remnant we have of it....it didn't make it home. I am so, so sad. I have a call in to Lost and Found and have my fingers crossed they find it. If not, we are going back for a re-do. It was too, too cute.

owen and his corn dog. he has started saying "corn dog." Is that indicative of one too many trips to sonic?

Auntie Maureen and her State Fair Cookie ;-) Yum, Yum!!

Chippie wanted a photograph of owen. she had a short talk with him and then he started posing for her. he is quite the professional in front of the camera!

owen winning at an easy duck game. all he had to do was pick up two ducks. i think he felt bad taking the prize after extending so little effort ;-)

What a fun day....minus losing the babies' portrait....that part was a bummer.

Liam's Baptism

Today was a very special day for our little family. Here are some photos from his big day.

Liam talking to Pa before the service.
The baptism followed Children's Time...Owen and Noble are usually in Sunday School during the church service. Today, they went to the children's sermon for the first time ever. When it was time to hold hands and pray...they did. It was so cute! Erin was awesome getting them to sit and listen the whole time!

Pastor Tom baptising my sweet boy, Liam David. Liam was getting fussy just before time for Pastor Tom to take him from me. He melted into Pastor Tom's arms and did awesome the whole time he had him.

This afternoon, I attempted to photograph Liam in his baptism outfit. I got one shot, and then...
he cried....
...and fell asleep.

In 15 years when he asks me why I have more photos of Owen than of him, I have a show and tell for him!! He was worn out!

Owen at Spoons Cafe

After Liam's baptism, the family had brunch at Spoon's Cafe. This has become my and Daddy Q's favorite brunch spot. Got a few photos of Owen outside that I wanted to share.

The last one is the "look." It appears on his face if 1) he doesn't know you and you are getting too near, 2) you are asking him to do something he needs to think about, or 3) he isn't sure about a situation. It is becoming famous around our stomping grounds.

Liam David's Room

Well...finally finished Liam's room!

The view from the door...
Close up of the canvases...Megan (Parker's Mom) painted these for Liam. Sooooo cool!

The crib and mobile.

Spare bed/changing table ;-) I will hang some of Melanie Johnson's pictures over the bed once they arrive.

I hope Liam likes it!!!

Yesterday was Zoo Day!

Yesterday, I took the boys to the zoo.

Well...me and about seven of my closest mama-friends! We had quite a group. This is about 60% of it! I told one of the moms that we probably need a name for our "organization." I am finding a lot of stay at home mom friends....that's for sure!! Lucky to have these ladies, to say the least!
Here's Liam chillin' in the stroller. He was so happy not being in the car seat. Owen loves looking over at him from time to time when he was in there with him. You see, most of the time, Liam was being held by another mom...this boy gets his way with the ladies, that's for sure!

We didn't see many animals. It was hot and they were in their enclosures. The Dallas Zoo is pretty bad for seeing zoo animals. Go figure. They need to step it up a notch. This giraffe was the most exciting part for Owen..not really, but darn close.

Me and the boys in front of a real giraffe that came to say hi!

After lunch, we went to the children's zoo. The animals weren't out there either... So, Owen entertained himelf on the jumping challenge.

How far can you jump, Owen?Uhhh....'bout as far as a flea according to the sign on the post by ya, hun. Oh well...its somethin' and he looked oh-so-cute doing it over and over again!

The highlight of the trip, for me, was getting my boys into the photobooth! I look forward to lots more of these before the boys leave for college ;-)

We had fun. It was really good to see Cutter and meet Gracie! Looking forward to a future playdate with those two!!!

Difficult Choices

This afternoon, Owen Michael wanted a sucker. We went to the pantry, he picked one, opened it, smiled and took a lick (or two or three). Then, he handed it to me and said "back." What? He's done already?

Owen then asked me for another sucker. Hmm. Maybe he didn't like the butterscotch one as much as his mama likes those. I let him get another. So, we went back to the pantry, he picked a red one, opened it, smiled, took a lick (or two or three). Then, he handed it to me and said "back."
Guess what came next... Yup. A third request for a sucker. Nosirreebob. We can't keep going back to the pantry for more. One of these will have to do, little fella. Oh did a tantrum ever ensue. But, I held my ground. I just got down on his level, asked him to look at me through a window of tears and told him that when he was calm and ready to have one of these two suckers to let me know. After 5 minutes, I just felt sorry for the little guy. I opened my arms to invite a hug. He came slowly to me and just folded himself into my lap. It brought tears to my eyes. Really.
After composing himself, he requested a sucker. So, I lifted him up and went to the scene of the two suckers left behind. It didn't take too many steps in that direction to get the drift that was NOT what Owen had in mind. He thought I had given in. He thought we were going back to the pantry. I love him, loved the hug, loved comforting him, but that doesn't mean I changed my tune....

It didn't take but 20 seconds or so for this tantrum to disappear and for him to ask for a sucker and point to the two on the counter. When he did, I lifted each up and asked him "red or brown." He smiled and extended his hand for both. Well...why not. I gave him both.
There have been countless times this week where I wished that I could choose both things I wanted. It has been a rough week. Owen had a cold that landed us in the doctor's office on Monday. Liam and I have been struggling through a transition to formula -- trying to find bottles and formula that works for the little fella. Sadly, it took me a few weeks to learn that what worked for Owen won't just automatically work for him. I am sorry, Liam.

There have been so many times this week where both of my babies were crying, both in pain, and both needing their mama. And, most of those times, I cannot meet both of their needs simultaneously. How do you choose which of the two little boys you most love in this world to wait it out?

Before Liam entered this world, I thought that answer was easy. The little one--right? He/She would be the one that was really in need of something to be made right. The newborn would be so impressionable--I had read somewhere that how quickly you respond to a newborn's needs directly correlates into how much they grow to trust you. i wanted my new baby to trust me as much as Owen...to get the same swift response Owen had gotten. Hands down, I thought, you choose the little 'un and explain to the toddler that he has to wait.

Guess what. Not so easy when it is really happening. AND, there isn't a handy little guidebook that lists situations faced by moms of two little 'uns and gives advice on what to do {and even if there was, I wouldn't have time to read it}. How do I look at my sick firstborn, who is crying for his mama to help him feel better, and tell him to wait until I achieve X, Y, and Z for his baby brother so that he is calm and happy? My sweet Owen, who so often waits to have a snack/new diaper/nap until after Liam is asleep/happy/fed. This 20 month old's life is filled with moments waiting patiently for me to meet his needs. So, now when he needs me, how do I ask him to wait? But, how do I put a crying newborn with a tummy ache to the side while I give Owen a new diaper/bath/lay with him to go to sleep for the night?

This week, more than ever, I wished I could choose both. A couple of times I was able to. I held them both on the couch Tuesday night. Both crying. Both tired. Both too uncomfortable to calm themselves. I rocked and sang. After a bit, they were both asleep. I didn't move a muscle. I just sat there listening to Sesame Street and watching my boys sleep. Afraid that the slightest move would break the calm. After a while, Liam woke and the calm was over. Sadly, Daddy Q wasn't due home for a bit, so I was faced with a choice.

This time, I chose Owen. I set a crying Liam in the swing and took Owen up to bed. I spent about 20 minutes getting him calm to sleep. My poor newborn cried himself to sleep in the swing. It was heartbreaking. It was, honestly, the most difficult evening I have had with the two since Liam was born.

Liam woke up about 20 minutes later and I loved and loved him until he peacefully fell into slumber for the night. I tried to make it up to him. I survived it. They survived it. It wasn't easy, but we all came out unscathed and the next day was, thankfully, calmer.

I learned a big lesson. I learned that from the outside looking in, it seems like the answers are easy. It seems easy to "know" what you would do in a situation. How you would handle something. Easy to figure out a way to meet both baby's needs. But, the reality is different. Sometimes one person can't make two happy. Sometimes you do have to choose, and sometimes the choice you make could surprise you. Could be something that makes you cringe, but that you must do anyway.

Like me wanting to make both of my boys feel better, Owen wanted to go back to the pantry. He likes the thrill of getting a new sucker from the bag, opening it, trying it, and then starting over. With a dum dum sucker...it is possible to do that; heck, a bag of over 100 cost less than $3. But, what lesson does he learn if I let him do that?

Once the reality that I wasn't going to provide an endless well of dum dums sunk in for him; but, he then couldn't decide between red or brown, I let him have what I have wanted all week...

I let him choose both.

On-The-Go Van Gough

Once upon a playroom, there was a little boy who loved to color. He was a busy little boy that had lots of other things to do, too.
One morning, while still clad in pj's, an idea came to him....he could color on foot...

That way, he could also do other things that weren't at his little table...like hug his little brother...

...and then resume coloring.

what a great idea!

he could just walk around the room and stop to add a mark on his page whenever inspiration struck!

After a while, the little boy found that coloring on the go by himself was no good. It would be much more fun to color with a friend...

Liam tried to explain that he was a little too little to color...

but, Owen insisted.

and the two colored {or held crayons} happily ever after.

The End.

P.S. Owen got the crayon in Liam's hand like that all by himself. I had nothing to do with it...honestly.