First haircut

This past weekend I got my hair highlighted by our dear friend and hairdresser, Will. Will was also kind enough to give Liam his very first haircut. This alleviated some of my fears, because I fretted about taking Liam to someplace that would butcher his curls. I had also heard horror stories from some of my friends of their kids first cuts. But Liam was calm and collected. And despite his shorter hair, the curls remain!

Liam enjoyed chewing on his comb. This wasn't too surprising considering that he also enjoys chewing on his chipmunk toothbrush, which we have to hide from him.

"I am not so sure about this..."

"Mom, how can you just stand there and watch all this?"

Trying to share his comb with Dad.

Success!

Will is constantly spoiling Liam. This was the cool, strange toy ball Will gave him. At first Liam didn't want anything to do with it. But in time he loved playing with it.

And another first - Popsicles! Liam loved his cool treat.

It was a great afternoon! Thanks again Will!

In other news, Eric and I have decided that it is time to put our house up on the market. We found a realtor we really like and it just feels like a good time to start a new chapter in our lives. However, as a result we have been tremendously busy getting the house "show ready." Tomorrow is the official day that the house is to be listed. Keep your fingers crossed!

More travels with the Baca Family

Here are a few more shots of our summer travels with the Baca Family (courtesy of Gabe, Stephanie and Annabelle [in utero]). Thanks for remembering to bring the camera Steph!



You may be wondering why the Bacas are wearing summer attire on the moon while the Pates have chosen much warmer clothing. Clearly the weather on the moon varies depending on your location.

For Steph

A visit from the Grandparents

This past weekend, my parents came to visit us from Albuquerque. And as a bonus they brought my Grandmother, Maria, with them. My "Abuelita" is from Puerto Rico, so we don't often times get to see her. And it was the very first time that Liam had the opportunity to meet his Abuelita.

Liam was a great help in helping me clean the floors.

Liam's sweet little curls. Eventually we will have to get his first haircut, but
for now I love his little tendrils.

Grandpa Marty walking with Liam. He lacks the confidence to walk
completely on his own, but if he would just let go...

Four generations

Our friends, Derek and Joannie found this book for their twins
and just had to bring it by to show us.

Funny!

Here is a video of Liam moving along the walls. I know that we should cherish these final days before he really "gets going" but it will be exciting to see him walk on his own.

The lazy blogger

So I have been a lazy blogger. Again. It is sort of like my trips to the gym. I get good at going really often. Then it gets easier to fall asleep on the couch while watching television. Nevertheless, here are some pictures of our summer so far!

Eric and I are notoriously clumsy. Which is why we had hoped that either (a) clumsiness skipped a generation, or (b) that two clumsy people cancel each other out, resulting in a ridiculously coordinated child. No such luck. Here is a picture of Liam with one of his more recent bumps on the noggin as a result of falling off the slide at school.

Grandma Becky came for a visit whereupon she spoiled Liam rotten. Who am I kidding? Eric and I were spoiled plenty rotten ourselves! Thanks Grandma B!

Liam and Daddy at "Donuts with Dad" at school.

Our longtime supper club at the first dinner of the summer.

Liam in his "big boy" car seat. Eric and I finally broke down and bought another car seat instead of trying to juggle cars. Thanks Grandma Gladys and Grandpa Marty for the generous gift!

Grandma B bought Liam some really fabulous wooden puzzles. However, he has chosen to use them in a much different fashion. He crawls around the house banging them against different objects to test the noise. What "joyful" noise he makes!

While Grandma B came to visit, we were blessed to also have a visit from our wonderful sister-in-law, Jolyn and our niece and nephew, Holly and Sam.

It is funny to look back on their Christmas pj pictures to
see how much all the cousins have grown!

Random cuteness

Liam enjoying his gift from Aunt Jolyn and Uncle Ryan. Notice the Christophen Walken hair he is sporting. A possible first hair-cut in his future?

Wrestling with Daddy. I love that my boys are best buddies!

I vow to...try...to be a better blogger.

If baby ain't sleeping, ain't nobody sleeping...

We have sort of a...love/hate relationship with Liam's sleep schedule. As many of you know, his early-day acid reflux made it difficult for him to sleep anywhere but his swing (*I should have taken stock out in Energizer batteries as a result). But after about the second month of life, Liam settled into a good schedule and slept mostly through the night. I think at that stage in a baby's life, sleeping five hour stretches was considered through the night. By the time he reached four months old, he was sleeping 10-12 hour stretches, save the occasional poopy diaper, teething discomfort, or illness.

About six weeks ago, around the same time he started daycare, he started waking up during the night a-la the "early days of his life." We gave him a little leeway, mostly because this was the period where he was going through the tri-fecta of sinus-eye-upper respiratory infections. But after the antibiotics were finished, the waking continued. Then he went through a stage where he started randomly throwing up at night. However, this too soon ended. But it seems like the damage has since been done.

Liam is now waking up two, sometimes even three times a night. We have gone through dozens of theories perpetuated by our pediatrician, daycare teachers, friends, random Chamber of Commerce members, UPS guy, etc. So here we are, confused as to whether this is just a stage, or whether we are fostering Liam's need to wake up at night. To make matters worse, I think he has now worked his metabolism around the nighttime "comfort" milk bottles we have given him to get him back to sleep.

Last night we tried to let him cry it out. As a result, today he sounds like a baby smoker emitting that throaty pathetic cry. We are trying to balance his need to be taken care of (obviously we don't want to be unresponsive to a poopy diaper, throw up, or teething pain), with what seems like his need to start hanging with Mom and Dad at 11:30 p.m. and again at 2:30 in the morning. So I ask those around me, not for your theories (I have a plethora of those), but rather for your advice on how to break this cycle.

We keep the lights dimmed when he wakes up and we have to change him or give him water. We don't engage him. We have tried to give him water instead of milk. I would even settle for stories of HOPE (i.e. my baby totally went through that stage but soon stopped, then slept until 7:30 in the morning, and later went on to have a successful career as a doctor, etc.).

Signed,
Sleepless Mama

A window opens...

For over the past month, Eric has been doing contract work for two separate architecture firms, which has kept him extremely busy. Adjusting to having him out of the house and Liam in daycare has been difficult at times, but has not felt impossible. It makes me feel better that when I drop him off at school, he is genuinely excited to see his teachers and the other kids.

Overall, it has not made me as apprehensive as I thought it was going to (despite the fact that he came home from school with a major bump on the noggin from falling off the slide - but he does come from clumsy stock so I can't blame his daycare for that!). And we have been taking turns passing off various illnesses to each other. I, myself, am recovering from bronchitis and an upper respiratory infection. Sorry to my friends who I have been delinquent in calling lately.

Ever since Liam had meningitis, I find myself worry about him, needlessly of course. For example, anytime he wakes up in the middle of the night inconsolable, I always feel his soft spot and feel for a temperature. And thank God for insurance, because I feel like I take him to the doctors for every little cough, etc. However, the older he gets, the better and more confident I feel about actually doing this...this whole parenthood thing! I wanted to be a mother my whole life, and the path that got us here was a little stressful, so sometimes I still have to pinch myself that we have a healthy, beautiful (albeit clumsy) baby. It is my hope that one day if and when we have another child, I will be more zen. But time will tell!

In other news, Eric received a job offer from one of the firms that he had been doing contract work for! It is a huge blessing and we feel really happy about the prospect of new beginnings. Although I often have to remind myself not to be so cautiously optimistic (a phrase I loathe). After a series of false starts during the past year, I think we trained ourselves not to get too excited in case things didn't work out. And I spent more time pricing lives in cities where Eric was applying for jobs than I care to admit.

I feel like a weight has been (partially) lifted from our shoulders. The past year it felt like we couldn't commit too much to our current life in case we had to up and move. "Do I plant new flowers in the pots? Hmmm. Maybe not if we have to move. Do we sign Liam up for Gymboree? Probably not because it is non-refundable if we have to pull him out." So finally, I feel like we can exhale a little bit. Plant some flowers. Take a swim class.

Do you remember that scene from Disney's Up where the couple had this money jar that they had to smash open every time an emergency occurred - a broken bone, a busted car, etc.? That is sort of how life feels sometimes, for everyone, I am convinced. This past week my student loan from college and mostly law school (sigh), got paid off. One small step towards financial freedom. A new job for Eric and paying off my student loan. Sort of makes me think that maybe I should go check the tread on my tires and inspect our plumbing. But that is a chapter for a later time.