Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Silly Old Bluebirds

We are closing on the house in the next day or two. And while this makes us SO happy, it also means a whole lot of work.

We signed a release of liability so we could get into the house and paint and start getting it ready so that we had a little less pressure to get it all done before we moved in. Everyone knows that if you don't paint before you move in, you will either NEVER paint, or it will be many years from now. The kitchen was Ice Pink, it is now Spice on some walls and Colosseum Marble on the other walls. The master bedroom is Stone Fence, a beautiful gray with tones of blue and green to it in the right light. The second bedroom was Ugly as Sin Pink and now is a nice Sliced Cucumber, a soft green with gray to it as well. I got the idea for that color from the lichens on the tree outside the window to that room.

And the best room of all is Liam's room. It is painted Hundred Acre Sky blue and will have an accent design of Silly Old Bluebirds blue as well. Apparently Disney sold Behr paint the rights to make colors with their name on them basically. But they really are some vibrant and bright colors. I loved the idea of his room being Hundred Acre Sky and Silly Old Bluebirds. It makes it sound like so much fun.

Speaking of Liam and fun, he is learning how to crawl SO fast. He can balance on his hands and knees and keep his head up now. He is trying to take a few little crawling steps.



This is happening at a great time since we can baby proof the house as we are moving in. Outlet covers. Cabinet locks. Wires all tucked away and we can watch for sharp corners or screws sticking out as we move things. I do not want to go overboard in baby proofing, but I do want to remove the chance of certain things happening. There will be no forks in the wall sockets, and no little baby/toddler hands getting into cleaning supplies under the sink.

The plan for now is to be moved in before Christmas. With that goal set for us, we can pick a final moving day and also spent time before then finishing getting the house painted and then packing some boxes up and moving them into the garage after we close, even if it is not painted yet.

I was going to start packing books this morning, but I can not find my tape!!! I guess it will have to wait.

Liam's Uncle Rob is going to watch him on Wednesday so that Dan and I can get a whole bunch of work done then. The second coat on the bedroom walls, and the kitchen cupboards painted, the second coat of Spice on the kitchen, the first coat of that other color we are doing.... I hope we can get all that done. It feels like so much work still!

But the yard is great, there are so many fruit trees and berry bushes. Peach tree, fig tree, two cherry trees, a pluot (a plum apricot hybrid) black berries, raspberries, some kind of gooseberry cross, two types of grapes, three types of apple, a pear tree that grows two or three kinds of pears and some weird edible root plant that is supposed to be like a water chestnut, called a Jerusalem Artichoke.

Plus a raised bed to plant a whole garden in!

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Thanks, and giving it

This is Liam's first Thanksgiving. He will get to try mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes, and maybe even a taste of pumpkin pie filling. We are going to my Aunt Judy's house in Vancouver to join her and her boyfriend's family for the holiday.

Dan is making the turkey, the house is filled with the smells of a really good turkey as it cooks in the oven. This year, the turkey weighs more than Liam does!

My mom is here visiting, we are about to close on a house and start the process of painting and getting ready to move in.

I tried to crochet a pumpkin pie hat last night, but it looked too feminine for Liam to wear.

His next thanksgiving, he will get to try more of the food, and maybe spend it with more people from his family.

While I do not care for the history of thanksgiving, the native american and pilgrim crap they try to teach us in school, I will use the day as a time to think about what we are thankful for.

I can teach Liam to think about what is important to him, and while we should be glad every day for these things, we can use this day as a time to reflect, and a time to spend sharing a meal with family. We can work as a family to prepare the meal too.

But for this year, we are mostly thankful for a house to make into a home, Liam being here with us and all of the people who love him, be they near or far. We are thankful for the love of our families and friends, and for the odd twists of life that brought us all together in such an amazing way.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Friday, November 19, 2010

Teeth, and the proper use for a book

Liam's front bottom teeth are coming in!!!


And while working on teething he got some new grabbing and shaking skills in the quest for getting things into his mouth. He is still making progress on the rolling and attempts to crawl.



And some great new funny faces!



We are going to be moving soon into a real house with a yard and everything! I will keep everyone up to date on the moving process. Liam will get to grow up in a nice house. I am so happy about this!!!

House
Yard

Friday, November 12, 2010

moving forward.... and backward a bit.

Liam is starting to learn to crawl. I am amazed. He can not even sit without help (though that is getting better too!). He sits with some help from pillows and mommy's leg. He pulls himself into a sitting position when he is leaned back, which at times can be frustrating when you just want him to stay PUT for a moment!




He will sometimes go forward by scooting on his face, and other times go backward by not moving his hands and legs at the right times. He has even gotten to his knees once or twice and pulled up his torso so he is in the right pose. Though that always leads to toppling over right now, which sometimes is the source of many giggles, and other times is the source of a frustrated cry.





He seems to enjoy when the cats come along to help him in his progress. Johnny especially appears to like interacting with Liam, even if it means the occasional handful of his tail will make a journey into a little drool covered hand. 



But truly, I am amazed at his determination and devotion to his progress. When he wants to work at it, he will cry and cry until me and Dan figure out that he wants to be on the floor.

He only occasionally gets into a tight spot and needs help getting out, and once he started licking the legs to Dan's desk chair. Other than a few stray cat hairs that I have to pull out of his fists and a few minor head bonks (darn those legs of the playpen!) he is just excited to have a new skill to perfect.

And I am excited to watch him learn it!

Saturday, November 6, 2010

My little crib scooter

So Liam is sleeping in his crib for the second night tonight. (Thank you Grammy Wanda for his beautiful crib!!!)

I put the bumper in the crib, jammed in between the bars and the mattress because my little baby boy scoots.

During the night he apparently puts his head down, gets his butt up in the air and pushes with his feet, sliding along on the side of his face.

He did this in the bassinet, but to a lesser degree simply because there was not as much room to move. Now that he has more space, he is using it. He managed to scoot along last night up and around the side of the crib, then around and down the other side, winding up upside down and backwards from where he started.

It was a little odd to not have him sleeping there right next to me. I missed the soft sounds of his baby snuffling as he turned over. The creak of the bassinet when he scooted or rolled. I missing being able to reach over and put my hand on his back and feel his breathing without getting up from my bed.

The baby monitor we have is one with a camera on it, so I get video and sound when I turn it on. It helps. I can watch for a moment and finally see him twitch a hand or move a foot. Or I catch him wiggling and rolling and scooting. But it isn't the same as touching him and feeling his little ribs move with each breath under my hand.

But it is time for the move into the crib... he is outgrowing the bassinet rapidly. And it also might mean he will sleep longer in the mornings without Daddy's alarms going off.

I admit, I cried a bit that first night. And I might cry some more tonight. I know it is good for him to sleep in his own room. Now we are not waking him up when we come in, and we can talk in normal voices when we head to bed and not hushed whispers.

He seems to be taking to the crib well. He is very easy going about a lot of things. I hope that trend continues as he grows up. He adapts well to new situations. I think I have a harder time adapting than he does!

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

And the things you can't remember, Tell the things you can't forget.....

I bought white bread on Sunday.

While this may not seem like a big deal, the smell of that bread reminded me of the Wonder Bread I use to get at my grandma's house. A slice of Wonder Bread, and I would put a little margarine on it... I don't remember ever having Wonder Bread at home, it was a Grandma thing.

Malt-o-meal reminds me of my grandpa. Spending the night at Grandma and Grandpa's and waking up early. He would make malt-o-meal and we would watch cartoons.

Poodles make me think of my Aunt Jean, Lemon meringue pie is for Aunt Judy. Cantaloupe for my Uncle John. He always had it at the table when I had dinner with him and my cousins.

Dinosaurs for my grandpa on my dads side. We always went to the museum in Houston when I visited them.

My Grammy Wanda would make cinnamon toast for me in the house in Houston with the lake out back. I remember mixing up cinnamon and sugar in a little cup or bowl to put on the toast.

The Mother's Frosted Oatmeal cookies remind me of my Aunt Saskia. I remember going to see her and we bought some of those while I was there.

And even though I have not seen my Uncle Bob for a long long time, I remember something about him having these beautiful stones. Like the kind I now go out and hunt from time to time. So when I go rock hunting, I think about him.

There are so many memories that tie the people I love to me. They come up at the most random times.

Like opening a loaf of bread that we bought for a dollar just so I could follow the recipe for my Swedish meatballs.

It is nice to know that these moments bring my family to me, even when they are far away or no longer in this world. They are with me in scents and sights, tastes and touch.

Liam is starting to recognize some people now, he hears his daddy's voice and turns to him, he sees me and smiles. He knows the neighbors, and sometimes will smile at Angie when she comes by with her baby girl, Jordyn, when I babysit for her.

What memories will Liam have of his family? Even the ones I rarely see, I have things that remind me of them.

Even my new family. Knitted things make me think of Liam's Grandma Julie. I see a nice yarn and keep thinking that I should learn how to knit. I keep trying but it never comes out right.

Some day when Liam is older, I want to ask him what makes him think of his family, what reminds him of the people who love him. If nothing else, then to put the idea in his mind to remember things.
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