Thursday, May 31, 2012

Little Liam's 2 Month Appointment

Our little Liam had his first round of shots this morning.


Looking a little concerned.

Daddy giving him a pep talk.
He was all smiles this morning and flirting with the nurses. Little did he know what was coming. The doctor examined his first and said he was doing fantastic. At 11 weeks, 5 days he weighs 13lbs and is 24 inches long. After we asked some 'new parent' questions the doctor sent the nurse back in to administer the painful pricks. One was given with a syringe orally and the three were old fashioned needles in the thigh. When the nurse gave him the first one, for a second he looked stunned until the pain set in and then he let out a huge cry and my heart shattered. I had never heard him cry like that. I never understood how parents said that they could distinguish different cries, well now I know...and that was definitely an UNHAPPY cry that I had never heard and I hope to hear rarely (if never again, impossible I know...) in his lifetime.

An unhappy Mr. Liam.



All three were given in a blink of an eye and as soon as they were finished Alex held him first for a while and then I sat and tried to nurse him to help comfort him. It seemed to work only for a few seconds until he began wailing again in pain. I just help him close and sang to him walking around the little exam room. As I hummed a little tune to him he seemed to quiet down here and there and I hoped that I was doing my best job to be his protector and comfort him when he needed it. I hoped he felt soothed in my arms as a child should feel in their mothers embrace.
It was tough for me to see him go through this but I knew it was for his best interest. A first for the books...
He slept after the appointment but when we got home he woke up crying and I could tell he was in pain still and not happy. We gave him a small dose of infant tylenol, I nursed him and cuddled him all afternoon and by around 6pm he was smiling again...still a little more fussy than usual but at least I saw a few smiles...almost to say, "Thanks Mama for making me feel a little better." 



He's sleeping comfortably now and I hope that he doesn't have nightmares of today's events :( He'll probably be sleeping between us tonight for a little extra TLC, for Liam and Mama ;) Goodnight!

Monday, May 21, 2012

A Moment in Time

Liam is now 10 weeks and 2 days old and weighs 13lbs. He is getting bigger and smarter everyday and everyday my love for him grows. He is very interested in picture frames on the walls and lights. He quickly recognizes his Mama and Daddy and loves to chit chat with us. He is starting to get on a little schedule, I think...He goes to sleep around 9pm (which means I try to go to sleep within the hour...) wakes around 3am and then at 7am, in which I stay up for the day. We are slowly but surely feeling more and more comfortable with our little roommate and his schedule. Either the effect of sleep deprivation is lessening or we are accustomed to four to five hours of sleep...He did sleep the whole night through last Wednesday, but, I think the fact that we both fell asleep in the recliner and he slept on the chest the whole night had a little to do with it... ;p
Liam got his first cold a couple weeks ago which broke my heart! He had such a hard time and I could sense his frustration! I just wanted to blow his nose for him! So we became quickly familiar with the bulb suction thing and had to give him saline drops a few times a day. I hardly slept the first few night because I was so afraid he would choke or stop breathing, his poor little nose was so stuffed :(
We celebrated my first Mother's Day last Sunday at Audra and Scott's house, as we were house sitting for them while they went to Colorado. Alex made a big breakfast for me and let me scrapbook to hearts content. Liam and Alex got me an adorable silver ring with Liam's name printed into it and a Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf gift card :) I didn't get too much scrapbooking done because as all you Mama's know, you are never really off the hook...but I appreciated the gesture and got as much done as I could. I also got to spend the evening with my amazing Mama!


First Mother's Day - May 13, 2012        





Last night I made a nice dinner for Alex and I, shrimp scampi and nice garden salad. I actually set the dinner table with something other than paper plates and we ate with nice music playing and Liam swinging nearby. Dinner was so delicious and the ambiance, of course, made me shed a few happy tears. Just seeing Liam there happily watching us eat dinner from his swing made me excited for him to eat at the table for us one day and tell us how his day was. I was in a 'moment' that I had hoped for my whole life. My wonderful husband across from me and my beautiful baby watching us, US! his mother and father! I could hear the shutter sound in my head while the image was super imposed into my memory and as much as I tried to hold back the ridiculous tears over this moment that happens to many many people all over the world, I just couldn't help it. I guess I just really stop, and take in the moment, when so many others don't. You may be thinking, "My goodness, what an emotional sap Belinda is..." Well, I am. And I'm darn proud of it too. I was bad before, and now since Liam, it's gotten a thousand times...better! I hear songs (country in particular) on the radio and I can't even finish singing because that lump in my throat just blocks any sound from continuing. Sometimes I'm just flooded with happiness!
I still can't get over the joy of being Liam's mother! I don't think I every will!


9 weeks - Tummy Time
Handmade Fuzzy Security Blanket from Grandma
shopping for a sun hat - Old Navy 5/21/12
10 weeks, 2 days

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

7 weeks, 4 days

Little Liam Love - 7 weeks

Over seven weeks have flown by since Liam was brought into the world. It seems as though we've always had him though! There have been so many little joys in this last month and a half. We've smiled joyfully at his smiles and coos, we've congratulated many head lifts and given a Mr. or Mrs. title to every stuffed animal in the house.
Things are getting a little easier than they were the first two weeks or so of his life. We have established a little bit of a schedule with his feedings and sleeping. He still throws us for a loop sometimes but at least we can now expect to be woken up around 3am and then again at 6am, makes it not so bad...


"Look at my muscles Mama!"
play time!


I love this pose when he sleeps!

When I first hear him cry at those times I am so tired and frustrated but while I nurse him and he is looking into my eyes I just melt, the tiredness is happily validated and the frustration quickly melts away. After his 6ish or 7am-ish feeding, I get him dressed and brush (I LOVE brushing his hair, he's like my little doll) his hair then we play with him on his ocean play-mat or put him in his swing. He usually ends up falling asleep in his swing while watching Mr. and Mrs. Owl above... he will sleep until 11am or so. This is my time to get chores done...or blog! After lunch he usually sleeps another 3-4 hours, we play again or do some tummy time and then he sleeps again. I try to start dinner around 6 pm while he's finishing his last nap before bedtime and hope to eat dinner before he wakes up! Every other night we give him a bath in his whale tub, nurse him and then put him to bed. Then the whole thing starts all over again! There are fussy periods, of course, sprinkled through out the day but they are never too bad. We love taking him out with us on nice days and so far this is pretty easy because he sleeps most of the time! I am definitely a Mama bear with my cub out in the open when we go out! My senses are heightened to everything and everyone around me!

Parenthood has definitely changed our lives! I find myself singing and making up little tunes, saying 'it's ok, it's ok, it's ok' to the rhythm of me bouncing him around as I walk, I drink even more coffee than I did before! It really does take double the time to do everything, I must run down a mental checklist before leaving the house and Liam seems to know right when I am about to start a project or when Daddy and I settle down to watch some TV or cuddle together (I tell Alex he gets jealous...) Ha, that's another thing, Alex and I know refer to each other as Mama and Daddy! All those things people tell you will happen REALLY do happen.



I cannot express (I know Alex would agree) how AMAZING this experience is and I'm sure will continue to be. There a thousand times a day when I am enamoured by my little Liam. Sometimes when he's laying on the changing table, waiting to be changed and I am reaching for a diaper and I look back at him and he's already looking at me, waiting for me...what an unexplainable feeling! To know that he is looking at me and knows that I am his Mama! I feel the connection with him when he looks at me, another one of those things you can't explain to someone...you will just know when you have your own baby. I still can't believe sometimes that I am his MOTHER! and I will ALWAYS be his Mother! I am that one person who he will feel can make things better, who he will compare other women to and who he will (hopefully) look up to his whole life! What a responsibility!
It's funny to think that there actually was a time in my life, sometime in my early twenties, when I thought maybe I didn't want to have kids. I liked going out, having all my time not to mention having my own money! I thought I am not going to be one of those stereotypical moms, with a BABY ON BOARD sticker on the car, holding a giant coffee and making up a song with only three words...well, guess what? THAT'S ME! Baby on board cling on and
 all! I do vow that I will never sport 'MOM JEANS' though!
daddy and liam both drink from a bottle ;)


I LOVE pushing him in the stroller around town! I am just so proud of my little boy and he's only 7 weeks old!!! There are SOOOO many more things to look forward to! Being a Mother is the best thing in the world!!! I know there will be rough patches along the way but I also know there will be many more great times to soften up those rough ones!


Things to Remember of Liam at 7 weeks:
*His hands being moving up when he's startled.
*Starting to laugh out loud.
*Loves music and being sung to.
*He loves bath time.
*Favorite toys - Mr. and Mrs. Owl on the swing and Mr. Caterpillar
*He is sleeping up to 4 hours straight a night!
*Little yawns and exhales
*He holds my shirt or a blanket while nursing.
*Loves to be cuddled and rocked.