The Boo Boo Bunny

Another one of Annie's fabulous finds!



It's a soft wash cloth folded, tied and adorned with various doo-dads to resemble a bunny.

the tag reads:
"If a boo boo has you feeling crummy, stick and ice cube in my tummy.
Hold it to your boo boo tight, soon everything will be alright!"

Update: Liam has since pulled the eyes off of boo boo bunny.

Toast and Jam

Today we decided to try something new.

But sometimes new things take some getting used to.

So after squishing, inspecting...

...and eventually tasting

we decided that toast and jam go on the list of things we like!

Angel Kisses

When Liam was in Heaven waiting for the perfect time to come to us he spent his days lounging, dangling his legs off of clouds. He palled around with the angels and told jokes to the Holy Ghost.

When it was time for him leave, everyone was sad to see him go but they knew we were down here waiting for him. So with heavy hearts they said their goodbyes. I imagine it was something like a scene out of The Wizard of Oz.. you know the one at the end when Dorothy leans in close to the Scarecrow and says "I think I'll miss you most of all" . When it was time to say goodbye to his Guardian angel, Lily, She whispered to him that she would always be with him and then she kissed him softly on the cheek bone, twice. And there, just below his right eye, is her mark. her kisses forever on his cheek.

Georgies Jacket

How sweet are these hand crafted, little wooden modes of transportation! When Liam was first born Chris's sister, Annie aka Taunta Nonnie- don't ask me, I married into this family- came down to spend a few days with her Godson. On one of our outings we went to my favorite little pottery store in Carrboro. We went because she fell in love with my ceramic candle stick holders and that's where I bought them years ago. Well we didn't find a single candle stick holder in the place but Annie did find a few things she couldn't pass up which included these for Liam.

A train, a truck like daddy's and a georgies jacket. Hold up. WHAT is a georgies jacket?

Its what Chris used to call Volkswagen Beetles when he was a tot. Like I said, I married into it.

NC State (Un)Fair.

Yesterday we went to the North Carolina State fair in Raleigh. I was sort of excited to go this year because it was to be a beautiful day, the kind best spent outdoors with your two best guys. I thought all the commotion and sights and sounds would be a nice change of pace for Liam. You know, anything other than staring at my ugly mug all day. So we drove, we paid, we parked, we walked, we paid again and we were inside the fair grounds. Within minutes Liam wanted nothing to do with his stroller. Its not his fault, its a stupid design that leaves him exhausted from doing chin ups just to see over the stupid snack tray. In case you missed it I think our stroller is stupid.

So we pull him out and take turns carrying him while the other pushes the empty stroller. The empty stroller that kept bashing into the Achilles heel of many a stranger unfortunate enough to be moving along at a slower clip than us. Excuse me, I'm sorry. Whoops, Sorrrrrrry.

After a Butcher Boy's London broil sandwich we head off to the kiddie rides. I had been talking up the tea cups all week and was really looking forward to seeing how Liam would react. However my teacup dreams were dashed as Liam was about 10 inches shy of the height requirement WITH a paid adult. I'm sorry but that too, is stupid. I'm going to be sitting in the teacup holding him while the teacup moves in circles at a staggeringly slow pace. Sorry ma'am rules is rules. Well if there's one thing fair ride operators are known for its their dedication to safety. I shouldn't be pissed, as we walked away the yellow teacup broke loose and spun off throwing its passengers onto the midway.

I'm kidding.

After we walked by every kiddie ride and discovered there wasn't a single one we could go on I suppose we were looking a little haggard and defeated because a young lady called to us from her booth. "A game even baby boys can win, just catch a duck and win a prize" Even Baby Boys Can Win!?! Honey, did you hear that? This game is for us!! Yeah, she saw me coming a mile away, I know. So we walk over to see yellow rubber duckies floating by in circles. You get three tries and all you have to do is catch a duck. That's it. And perhaps catch isn't the right word perhaps pick up would be a more accurate description. Its not like they're moving at a challenging speed. They're just floating along like they would in your tub. So I sit down on the stool with Liam in my lap, leaning against the counter, watching the duckies. He's eager, hungry for it. I can see it in his eyes. So we pay up and she gives us the go ahead. Liam dives his hands into the water and proceeds to splash the [expletive] out of the booth. Did I mention he loves the water? I guess I should have seen it coming. With a little redirection (and a lot of help) he managed to pull three ducks out of the water but I'm pretty sure he was just trying to get them out of his way so he could splash more. Whatever, he won a prize. We picked out a Carolina blue monkey which apparently pleased him because every time we show him that silly monkey he starts laughing like its the funniest thing he's ever seen.

All that duck hunting must have really tired him out because by the time we found the petting zoo he was out cold. Which again, was slightly disappointing for me but certainly not disappointing enough to wake him. So he slept and we found our way back to the car. Maybe we'll have better luck next year. Hopefully they will have the kinks worked out with the teacups by then.

The sweetest thing

All together now:

Awww!

Children of the corn... maze.

Yesterday was Chris' birthday. Per his request, for once, I did not make a fuss but rather let him quietly turn 37. Instead of a party or a special dinner we made plans to go to the Mckee Corn Maze with his U12 girls team. Can you say family man?
Every Year the maze is a different pattern discernible only from a aerial view. Throughout the 12 acres of maze are check points, eight in all, they are well hidden in dead ends and it takes about 2 full hours to find them all. You get a card upon entering and at each check point there is a small sign with a hole punch attached to it. Each one is unique so you can't cheat! As soon as everyone had arrived the girls took off into the maze. We were a few minutes behind them and it was a little eerie how quiet it was when we entered. I was sure we would know where 10 squealing, giggling girls were at all times but the corn muffles the noise. It really does make a great back drop for a horror movie.
Closer to the end of the month the folks at Mckee's really go all out and have a haunted corn maze. A few years back a bunch of my girlfriends and I got together to check it out. It has to be my favorite Halloween memory to date. We all met at the pub for a pint or two and by the time we got to the maze we were filled with nervous excitement. Foley could be heard mildly protesting "who talked me into this? I'm not sure this is such a good idea anymore" While the rest of us countered "it'll be fine, how bad can it be"? A full moon, strobe lights, teenagers dressed as psychopathic killers wielding chainsaws and 12 acres of corn to get lost in. You know you're not alone in there because you bore witness to the group entering before you but you can't hear their footfalls, you can only hear chainsaws accompanied by screams in the distance. Piece of cake.
That same year Chris and I did the un-haunted maze and felt like kids again. This time it was a little more difficult to run and play while pushing a stroller but we managed. Although Liam had no idea what was going on and got bored of the scenery very early on he loves being outdoors so we made it a grand game of peek-a-boo for him.
















The weather was perfect, a nice crisp autumn day. I don't normally feel this way about fall in North Carolina and neither does Chris which is why its likely in our future to head back north. But sometimes, on days like today, I love it here. I think about family and tradition and I look forward to coming back to this place in the years to come. I can see Liam running through the corn while we hide and jump out at him, I can imagine his squeals and giggles as he shakes his hands in the air and waddles off through the corn. While I'm sure there will be corn mazes where ever we end up, the nostalgia of the original will always make this one my favorite.

Fughetaboutit.

This is Vinny.

He'll make you and offer you can't refuse.

I say we've got trouble my friends, with a capital T that stands for tooth!

At long last, our wait is over! It is my esteemed honor to present to you, at nine and a half months, Liam's first tooth!!

Since around three months, every time Li would gnaw on my shoulder, drool profusely or feel slightly warm I'd proclaim with conviction "He's teething" I thought, perhaps, that was the reason for Liam's constant displeasure, discomfort, dissatisfaction and any other word beginning with dis. You see, when you're a mother of a newborn with colic you find yourself looking for another explanation, ANY OTHER explanation. Except he wasn't teething, he was just being Liam. Because of the colic we knew the havoc he was capable of reaping. We also knew what teething did to even the the most angelic of babes. We have friends whose babies morphed into a drooling, screaming bundle of sleeplessness that all the baby Tylenol and orajel in the world couldn't soothe. So for months we have been waiting for the other shoe to drop. We could see the storm clouds on the horizon and were just waiting for them to roll in. Except they didn't.

He cut his first tooth without so much as a whimper. Piece of cake mom, what's the big deal and why is that vein on the side of your face bulging?

Full of surprises, this kid!

"We start and end with family"

The majority of my family arrived in NC Friday afternoon. The coolers were full so we spent the evening catching up and blowing off some steam. Liam was introduced to his sweet cousin Sophie AND the word gentle, geeeentllllle. We ate and drank while "long train runnin" and "fool in the rain" played over the stereo. Before I knew it, it was 2 am! That tends to happen when we all get together. So everyone retired to their respective sleeping quarters and there wasn't a clear spot of floor to be found.
Because Kim wouldn't be released from the hospital on Saturday as hoped, everyone took shifts going to Rex to visit her. Despite the onslaught of twenty-plus family members she was in good spirits and had gotten her appetite back. She even had it in her to put a certain couple in the "hot seat" by asking what exactly was going on with them (which resulted in a non-answer if I've ever heard one). After our visit we headed back to the "borough". Later that night we narrowly avoided a trip to the ER when a sibling wrestling match on the front lawn ended with the competitors slamming into the porch.
Thankfully both Joel and Devon were able to shake it off. Sunday morning we got the news that Kim was on her way home so we all organized ourselves to head over to her house for a little welcome home/anniversary/birthday party. In September mom and dad made it to the wedded equivalent of summiting Everest. Because getting us all in the same place at the same time is like herding cats we hadn't been able to honor their 50th anniversary so we rolled that and Dillon's 2nd birthday into one big party.



Excluding his wedding photos there isn't a picture out there where my brother, Chris is acting normal. Keeps it interesting.
Actually, its surprising that he's in such a good mood because the Redskins had just lost, AGAIN.
Anyway, here we are, the Hodge 5 from left to right: Leslie, Lara, Chris, Kim and Joel.

Dillon managed to score some pretty cool birthday presents and then we all ate SpongeBob birthday cake, including Liam, thanks to his Aunt Kimmy who spoils him rotten!

Let me just say that my poor husband was a
trooper through it all. A long stressful week ending in a house full of crazies and he only snapped once. I think both big and little Joel will be careful not to push his buttons in the future.



This weekend was a hectic one, but the good kind of hectic. The kind where almost everyone you love in this world is gathered under one roof and despite the reason for the occasion, there is laughter and comfort in simply being together.

This incredible slide show not only represents hours of hard work on Rachel and Becky's behalf but also the last 50 years of our family.

Sit up straight, young man.

I'd like to apologize in advance for the quality of these pictures. I'm no photographer but even I can do better than this. I was in a hurry trying to capture the moment and didn't realize I had the camera set to macro close up. Oh well.

So just to the right of the frame is Chris with the djembe. They were drumming together as they usually do in the evenings after dinner.

Well he must have been really tuckered out because all of a sudden he just spun his chair away from Chris and slowly nodded off.

Liam loves a remote and like most men gets really upset when a woman tries to take it from him:

Before

After

Black and Blue and riddled with guilt

Have you ever noticed that no matter how 'baby proof' your house is, no matter how vigilant you are in monitoring his play, your child will find a way to put himself in harms way.
Liam has become quite proficient at pulling himself up to a standing position from his belly. He still hasn't figured out how to get to a sitting position or crawl with his belly off of the floor but you just try and stop him from standing.
Now this new development has its ups and downs. Of course its a milestone that makes a father proud. Chris is already boasting that Liam will be walking by ten months just like he did. "That's my boy, chip off the old block"... OK I just channeled MY father there. Chris doesn't actually say those things, yet.
As a mother, I think Whoa there, slow down, whats your hurry?
There's plenty of time, later, for standing and walking and moving in the general direction of independence; a direction that points you away from your mommy. Stop that!
Only he's not listening to me, he is too busy doing a chin up off the crib rail.

Although I can't remember, it seems the business of standing up is quite rewarding and only achieved if one is committed to its habitual execution, at all costs.

Liam's training schedule is quite demanding. He hardly has a free moment anymore. Every morning, after breakfast we used to retire to the living room to play on the floor. Toys? Psh, mother, I can't be bothered with toys, I have to practice standing up here, and over there and off your leg and BANG, followed by SCREEEEAAAAAM. Soothe and repeat.

Our living room floor is covered with blankets and pillows. But I swear, on his way down, he scans the area for that one patch of rug not protected. Does it hurt? I'm sure. Will he be brain damaged or even concussed? No. Do I feel a wave of anxiety when I'm in the bathroom or in the kitchen or sitting right next to him and he falls? Yes. Anxiety followed by guilt. Soothe and repeat.
We had a super long day yesterday. We spent the early afternoon visiting with friends at their home in Raleigh. Then we went to Chris' soccer game and then to visit my sister in the hospital. By the time we got home it was late but Liam was in such a good mood, showing no signs of sleepiness so we plunked him down on the floor to play for a few. Chris and I collapsed on the couch and rehashed the days events. Chris is a little more protective of the babe than I am when it comes to letting him figure things out on his own. I'm not sure why that is or if that's even normal. So when Chris got up to leave the room he offhandly said "watch him". If I responded at all it was a slight nod or "mhmm". I pulled out the laptop to check my email, Liam simultaneously decided to take this opportunity to check the top of the coffee table for any "off limits" items. I'm watching him over the top of my monitor. He's on one knee, in the proposal position if you will, with both hands gripping the table top. And hes wobbly, trying to remember just how he gets that other knee off the ground. Just as Chris walks into the room Liam loses his handling on the table and goes over like a brick. one the way down he hits the side of his face on the table leg AND THEN hits his head on the floor. And I'm sitting there, watching him. Nice. In one single, fluid motion Chris scoops the babe up, glares me down for being a horrible mother and calms Liam's cries. Ok, maybe he just looked at me as if to say you should have been watching him closer. One can't be sure. Either way the lesson is the same: If you let your child exersize their independence they may very well get hurt. When they do you can be damn sure its going to hurt you more than it hurts them.

Time flies when you're exhausted and covered in baby food

Today marks Liam's 9 month birthday. Its so hard to believe that in such a short amount of time we've come so far.
Liam came to us after only 22 hours of labor start to finish. Actually it was a fairly uneventful L & D. Once he was safely in my arms, that's when the real work began.
I had such an easy pregnancy, never once got sick, I should have known the Gods wouldn't let me off so easily. After 2 full days in the hospital we brought our little bundle of joy home. As expected the first few days were sleepless and chaotic. Liam had his days and nights mixed up and I had my hands full trying to figure out what the heck I was doing. So imagine my surprise when, after several weeks, the constant crying and sleeplessness continued. WHAT? Um, excuse me Doctor but I think mine is broken.

Well as it turns out, some babies just cry for no apparent reason. And though every web search, article and experienced mother will tell you its not your fault, deep down you feel like a failure. For 9 months you imagined how it would be. You imagined soothing your newborns cries with a snuggle, a caress and a coo. What you did not imagine is pacing the floor with a screaming newborn until 4 in the morning. You did not imagine that this perfect little expression of love would have you and your spouse screaming at each other out of frustration. You did not imagine that you could be defeated by a newborn. We were so not prepared for this!



Liam had colic for the first 5 months and I wasn't sure any of us would survive, thankfully we pulled through; baby and marriage in tact. As we enter what I refer to as "mobile phase 1" I have an overwhelming sense of anticipation and excitement. His developing personality is becoming oh so apparent.
Earlier today I had a glass of water on the coffee table where he was practicing pulling himself up. I was spotting him, ready to break the inevitable fall and encourage him to try again rather than lay on the floor screaming in frustration. But he made it without falling and discovered the wonders that live on top: 3 of the always sought after remote controls, some magazines good for shredding and eating and a glass of water. He looked at my glass with wide eyes and reached his hand out longingly he looked at me as if asking permission. "No sir" I said, shaking my head "that's mommy's". He looked back at the glass and then again at me and with out missing a beat reached out and grabbed it. He knew he wasn't to touch it but the allure was just too great. He Could Not resist. And I love that about him. I suspect it wont be long before his selective hearing infuriates me but today, on his 9 month birthday, its a testament to how far we have come and oh how far we still have to go.

I got this

I'll steer dad, you work the pedals.

Not cool, not cool at all

Liam: What do you mean dad gets to eat all my easter candy this year?

He's a professional, don't try this at home

Liam: Well, well, well. What do we have here?



Liam: hmm they seem to be susceptible to influence...


Liam: Ok now, concentrate. You can do this.


Liam: Alright, easy now, thaaats it.



Liam: And, we're back were we started, Damn!

Tastes like chicken

After hours of practicing and maneuvering, it all came together: an elaborate and perfectly synced orchestration. Really I couldn't be more proud.

Jam Session

He's always dreamed of captivating an audience.

Move over John Paul Jones

The startle reflex OR the makings of the next bass guitar great? Im just saying...

Negotiations

Mommy: Liam PLEEEEAASE stop crying, I've changed your diaper, fed you, burped you, I dont know what else you could want...I'll do anything just PLEASE stop crying.
Liam: Hmm, interesting, anything you say? Yes, well then, if Im anything I'm flexible. Let me mull this over and get back to you.

That Irish temper

You're asking for a knuckle sandwich, bub.

East Syyde

On the streets he's known simply as "Deuce".


shiit.

Honor thy father and mother...

...or its solitary confinement for thou.

Uh, ma what the heck is a Hokie anyway?

The game today was a real nail biter. How would the Tarheels fare without their star point guard? The analysts were skeptical. But one little boy never lost faith in his team. And that made all the difference...

Wait, what was I saying?

To Do List:
*Get a jump start on ADD

Check.