dear liam,

my sweet sweet smiling baby. there is so much to say, and so many things i want you to know about that happened in this 3rd month, but this is just a letter and not a novel, so i’ll try to keep it brief. you are such a sweet baby, you smile at the sound of our voices, and it just warms my heart. this month was the month that things seemed to click with you and i. from the moment you were born i knew that i loved you, but it was in this month that i really felt it.

i can’t get enough of you in fact. your daddy, can’t really either. there are times, in fact, where he’ll say, “don’t you want to just go wake up our son and watch him do tummy time?” to which i say, “no.” but in my heart i really want to see you, and cuddle with you, and watch you smile.

you dressed up as a glow worm for your first halloween, to be honest, i’ve never seen such a cute glow worm in my life.

today is thanksgiving and i must say that you dear liam have brought my heart to a whole new level of thanksgiving. i can’t even imagine loving you more than i do right now, but i am sure that you will show me how.

around 8 weeks was when we crossed our threshold with you. you are now starting to sleep longer at night, which is giving both of us better sleep, and for that we thank you. your on a little schedule now and for the most part you take fabulous naps now. we also starting swaddling you with one arm out, then both, and that’s how you are sleeping right now as i type this. you’ve started talking to us and laughing so sweetly as we tickle your belly. you are much more aware of things around you, and i think this helped calm your crying. although, don’t get me wrong, you still have your cry fits but, you seem to redeem those quickly by your smiles and little laughter.

you also hugged me for the first time this month, or what i translated into a hug with your little arms around my neck.

i love having you in my life, i’ve loved getting to know every ounce of you. thank you for coming into our lives and warming them up, and for bringing us so much joy, laughter and love. my heart is full.

i love you sweet baby liam, i can’t wait for you to read these letters, one day.

love,

your momma

These words are so helpful. Progress is a Spiral. 

Much more helpful in fact than, “just when you think you have the hang of it, they change!” Even though, they pretty much mean the same thing.

There is this post on Val’s babywise blog that says,

“…acquisition of new skills never proceeds in a straight line. Progress is more like movements along a spiral, which sometimes advances toward and sometimes recedes from the goal while oscillating upward until mastery is achieved…both [success and failure] are a part of the upward progression leading to mastery” (p. 86).

(from another -wise book)

I love that sentiment. It is so helpful, especially as we’re trying to reach this colossal mile-stone of sleeping through the night! It’s so funny because we really do oscillate between 2 middle of the night wakings and then just one, then back to two, and then just one. I’m hoping and praying that means that we are getting closer, since there really isn’t any habitual waking.

I had no idea how much I would learn in these first 12 weeks, but I’m so thankful for an online community through the babywise google group, to help get me through!

11. for the veterans, and our freedom, may we never take it for granted

12. for sunshine & rain, just alike

13. for my marriage, and the covenant it represents.

14. for the ability to create

15. for the odds

16. for each & every one of you that reads this post

I don’t know why, but all of a sudden it is starting to bother me that so many are trying to skip thanksgiving. I don’t want to skip it. I want to make sure that I remain thankful, and not rushed.

That’s why I am starting thankful thursday…

Savoring the season and this time, is what I intend to do.

I love that there is a trend on facebook right now of recording the things you are thankful for. I think it is the best way to find contentment is to realize the things that you have, what God has given you.

1. My loving and servant-minded husband, Jeremy.

2. Little sweet & precious Liam.

3. My family.

4. Friends & Community

5. The truth of the gospel

6. All that God has done in my life, and what He is currently doing!

7. Nap times

8. Being debt-free

9. Pumpkin Spice Lattes and Caramel Apple Spice

10. The gift of giving

Last week was Halloween and baby L was a glow worm! This came about because his aunt Kirby said he looked like a glow worm every time he was swaddled (which is often! he loves it), we all agreed. His grandma SuSu got him his very own glow worm! I mad his little antennae out of pipecleaners, and there we had it, L’s very first HALLOWEEN!

Since my computer was out of commission last week, I didn’t get to do my week in pictures post, so here ya go!

By the way this whole post was typed on an iPad, it took me twice as long, but I think I’m slowly getting better! (maybe??)

Jer, Liam and I went to Charleston for a brief getaway. It was so fun to walk around the battery, downtown, rainbow row, and to eat some delicious food. Our friend Rebecca, who lived there for several years, gave us the inside scoop on some delicious Charleston eats.

The first night we had dinner on the water, and this was our view:

The next day we just walked around, probably well over 6 miles…

Yes, as you can tell, our sweet Liam slept almost the whole time we were walking around the city!

This is us….

and this was Liam, just about the whole trip…

and lunch in the park…

We did have such a great time, great weather, and a beautiful city!

My little Liam is growing so fast. I’ve decided that doing a montage of the week in pictures each week will help track how he’s growing week-by-week.

We’ve made it 8 whole weeks + to get to our two month day of celebration! I honestly cannot believe that we’re here. The first month seemed to go by oh so slowly, and was so overwhelming in so many ways. But you’re a trooper, and your mom and dad have learned a ton just watching you grow. And my, how you have grown! You’re little belly extends over the diaper creating the only cute love-handles I’ve ever seen!

You’ve been busy in your 2nd month of life. You have taken trips to your grandparents in Cary, and to Charleston, South Carolina, your first time out of the state! You did amazing. Everywhere you go people seem to take to you, and you get many compliments. Just today your grandmother SuSu told me that you are “the cutest thing she’s ever seen” I’m not sure how to take that since she birthed me, but I’ll take it as a compliment, anyway! I’ll say though, I have to agree; you are stunningly cute, and oh so cuddly.

You are currently learning how to fall asleep on your own, we’ve discovered how amazingly short your wake-time really is, an hour at max, and I think you are one of those sweet babe’s that will need their sleep. You are admittedly, just like your momma in that category! Let me just tell you, you’re fighting those naps, increasingly as the day goes on – it’s okay though, we’re persevering. Lately, you’ve stopped loving falling asleep on your own at night… we’ll get there.

Oh, and on that whole sleep through the night goal, no, we’re not there yet, but you’re doing better and better, you’re making it 7 hours at a time, which a lot of books I’ve read, say 7 hours = “sleeping through the night.” But a 7 hour plus a 5 hour stretch is what you’re giving us, and it’s glorious compared to those early days. I’m getting used to waking up with you at 2am, I’ve actually come to enjoy the time with you that I get to just sit and cuddle with you while you gulp down what seems to be the only meal you’ve ever eaten in your two-month-life, each and everytime.

Your daddy and I just love you to pieces. We love your sweet smiles, and you are getting to be so vocal lately, we laugh at some of the things we think you are saying. In fact, sometimes I think you respond to me with words, maybe it’s just deliriousness, but I really thought you told me to go to Michael’s (craft store) the other day, when I gave you choices of what to do.

So ,not only in this 2nd month did you get to spend a week at your grandparents, you also somehow fetched a new wardrobe for 3 months and beyond at the carter’s outlet, I had so much fun picking out clothes for you, and I can’t wait to see you in them. In fact, it may be sooner than we would imagine because your 3 month clothes are already a little tight. That’s okay, it’s cute, and this is about the only time tight clothes get to be cute, so I say, let’s enjoy it!

Oh Liam, thanks for turning our lives upside down and back again, I’m loving every second of you.

love,

your momma

Yesterday was the most productive day in my recent history. And by that I mean, in addition to running errands and taking care of my dependent, I folded laundry, organized Liam’s ever-growing collection of clothes, did more laundry, tried to respond to emails..and tried, to do something besides change a diaper. Time is going by so quickly, the days are much faster now, bedtime is much earlier, and life is altogether different. They say, things like, “your life will never be the same.” Well, I never expected it to be. But, in all honestly, life is measured in 3 hour increments, in diapers…wait… all of a sudden I feel like a line out of “how do you measure a year”  from Rent.

I feel like I’m letting people down. Like I’m not able to do all that I used to do in a day. They say, being a mom will bring out the insecurities in you. I guess this is true, but maybe also it’s because I’m reading a book on insecurity. Nothing like that combo.

I took Liam’s one month pictures yesterday, yes 2 weeks late. But hey, atleast it was before month 2. I have grand plans for these pictures and these letters I’m writing. Here’s a snapshot of a couple of his one month pictures.

Today’s afternoon agenda includes a walk in the park, and by that I mean, a literal walk in the park. And some more diaper changing, of course. This is my life. Definitely not the same as it was, but 100% of it for the better.