First Snowfall of the Season

I'm so far behind in posting photos that on the blog it is still mid-summer, but in life it is mid-winter. And the updates are just so charming, they demand to be captured.

Today we had our first snowfall of the season, and we got about an inch of snow, which in Nashville is cause for a major shutdown. All the schools were closed, so Liam and I have been having a snow day together.

Before Terry headed out to work, we drove by the Hardware store to buy a sled. Then I got Liam super bundled up (and yes, there were some plastic baggies and masking tape involved at one point). When he was so bundled he had to waddle, I knew we were set. Out we went and I gave him a sled ride into Shelby park. He just laid on his back in the sled staring up at the snowy trees and seeming quite content.

Then we got out and tromped around in the snow. Whenever he would get ahead of me he would look back and call for me "mama!"

We went onto the golf course where they have some gentle hills that were perfect for sledding. I hauled the sled with Liam in it up the hill and then we rode down together. Weeeeee!

Then I found some pristine snow and took out the cups I had stashed in my backpack. I pressed the snow town into the cups and then poured some Vitamin Water over it to make a homemade snow-cone. I brought out the bendy snowman straws and we were all set for a feast. I wasn't sure how he would feel about them but he was thrilled. Absolutely loved his, ate/drank the entire thing. He finished it off as I was hauling him uphill out of the park on the sled again, which proved to be mommy's workout for the day.

When we got back to our house and I stopped the sled he looked up at me and started trying to communicate that he wanted more. "More! Go! Pull!" so I took him on one more pull around our block before forcing him to go in. It was quite cold out and I didn't want him to get cold dispite the multiple layers and wool socks.

Once inside I made us both some cocoa (his was only with a little bit of cocoa powder, and only a little warmed milk) and I poured his into his tiny kid-sized pastel tea cups and we stood at the kitchen counter and drank our cocoa together. The cocoa was also a major hit. His cheeks were rosy and he was slurping it down and when he got to the bottom of his tea cup he would put it down on the counter and say "More! cocoa! MMMMMMM!" and then smile a cheesy grin. He wound up drinking about half a regular cup full of cocoa.

The morning with him was charming and delightful, the sort of thing I wish I had been able to capture with the camera, but of course it was no where to be found and I didn't want the poor kid to overhead in his bundles while I searched for it. But it also makes me appreciate that some times you just have to go out there and have the kind of adventures that make an indelible impression on you even if they are never captured on film, because they stick in your heart.

Modelling glasses

Some of you may remember the original "professor liam" photo. Since then, Liam has developed a real love of glasses. He likes to wear sunglasses (both his and mine, but mostly mine). He loves to put glasses on his face but also on our faces (often upside down).









Shortly after these pictures were taken, he also managed to rip the stem off Terry's glasses and my glasses within 24 hours. That effectively put the kibosh on being allowed to experiment with mommy and daddy's glasses.

Playing with pots and pans!

Just like mommy, Liam loves playing in the cupboards




Whew, after all that work, nice to recline with a berry smoothie

Random Photos 2 -- Summer 2010

This is one kid who gets into his reading...or the bookcase at least (yeah pun!)


Liam repurposes his old infant tub into a reclined seat


New idea: banana hair treatment, eat the peel


A stellar and serious first experience with chocolate pudding


More gardening assistance


Our little monkey using tools

Sunday trip to Arrington Vineyards

We visit Arrington Vineyards for a Sunday afternoon picnic


Riding daddy's shoulders


Lets just see about this hat


Rally cap time daddy!




Everything is better upside down




Daddy takes a nap after all that hard work

Random Photos -- Summer 2010

Swinging with our friend Suzi


Already loves climbing


Liam and Cora decked out for a duo stroll while volunteers help Ariana (Cora's mom) put their basement back in order after the Nashville floods


My little hammock baby


Hammock smile


Hammock time with Mommy


Liam picks out a hand-made baby sized broom at the art fair

Adventures with the garden hose (April 2010)

Here's our helpful little man learning how to use the garden hose for the first time (April 23, 2010). I was impressed how quickly he figured out how to drink from it successfully, though the failures in this regard make for funnier photos than the successes (see below).










Helps mommy water the garden


Catch me if you can!

Review: March of Dimes

Here's a long overdue photo show of our March for Dimes walk. Tremendous thank you due to everyone from this blog and elsewhere who helped us surpass our fundraising goal! We were joined in our walk by Grandma and Pop McDonnell and numerous friends from the East Nashville MOMs Club. It was a wonderful show of support and it meant the world to me to walk with friends and family.


The March gave out three different colored bandanas: dark purple for normal births, light purple for preemies, and white for someone who had lost a baby. Liam sports his light purple preemie pride


Bonnie with her daughter


We roll out in style


Cora is especially stylish






Quetzal Sol gets a ride from his dad


The group after the walk


Liam having fun


Quetzal Sol is a buddy from playgroup who is right around Liam's adjusted age


Gal pal Cora gets a snuggle from her poppa


Leif is another buddy from playgroup who was born right around Liam's due date


Liam points to Grammy


Afterwards we do a craft together to record Liam's handprints


He is very interested in the whole process


And eager to keep going!


Pop wrestles him until we can get him cleaned off


It takes a village to remove paint from a little kid :)




Liam, playing with Pop's zipper