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Thursday, April 2, 2009
Sunday, March 29, 2009
An Unexpected Way that Baby Makes a Family
Just a little update, a thought more like. I've recently realized that there are many small ways in which having and caring for a baby makes you from a couple into a family and it isn't just in sacrificing sleep for someone else's benefit.
When Terry and I first started living together, we tried to do laundry together, but it worked terribly because we hadn't yet apportioned jobs as one person's duty or another, so we were still trying to just have us both equitably divide laundry duty without any sort of system. As you might guess, this worked like heck. I wound up doing a lot of our laundry and felt disgruntled about the uneven divide. So early on we lit upon a solution that served us perfectly until the arrival of little Liam: to each his own. I'd do my laundry, and then it would be done whenever I wanted it, and done how I wanted it (no drying my skinny jeans or they'll be too tight etc). Terry would do his, so if he had to go commando for lack of underwear, such was life. And of course there were little modifications. I frequently tried to look out for him and launder a pair or two of undies when I knew he was getting low, just to save him from himself.
But then along comes Liam. And it turns out he's gotta wear clothes too, and they are really tiny, but even so he gets them pretty messy. He spits up on them and manages to get the clothes despite bibs. He pees during diaper changes and manages to get the changing pad cover, his outfit, his socks and his face all in the two seconds it takes me to cover him up. So then all those things have to be washed. So he manages to make a lot of laundry for a little guy, but it's all pint sized. And pretty soon all his good outfits that fit him well are dirty and he wouldn't even make the washer one quarter full.
What happens then? Well, since we have to run the washer anyway I go around the house and collect whatever other dirty clothes need washing just to make the load. So I wind up washing my clothes, Terry's clothes, household towels, etc. So his-and-her wash has become family wash. Its just a little thing, but it makes me realize how much a baby can structure the practices of your household and start to produce activities that are typical of a family.
When Terry and I first started living together, we tried to do laundry together, but it worked terribly because we hadn't yet apportioned jobs as one person's duty or another, so we were still trying to just have us both equitably divide laundry duty without any sort of system. As you might guess, this worked like heck. I wound up doing a lot of our laundry and felt disgruntled about the uneven divide. So early on we lit upon a solution that served us perfectly until the arrival of little Liam: to each his own. I'd do my laundry, and then it would be done whenever I wanted it, and done how I wanted it (no drying my skinny jeans or they'll be too tight etc). Terry would do his, so if he had to go commando for lack of underwear, such was life. And of course there were little modifications. I frequently tried to look out for him and launder a pair or two of undies when I knew he was getting low, just to save him from himself.
But then along comes Liam. And it turns out he's gotta wear clothes too, and they are really tiny, but even so he gets them pretty messy. He spits up on them and manages to get the clothes despite bibs. He pees during diaper changes and manages to get the changing pad cover, his outfit, his socks and his face all in the two seconds it takes me to cover him up. So then all those things have to be washed. So he manages to make a lot of laundry for a little guy, but it's all pint sized. And pretty soon all his good outfits that fit him well are dirty and he wouldn't even make the washer one quarter full.
What happens then? Well, since we have to run the washer anyway I go around the house and collect whatever other dirty clothes need washing just to make the load. So I wind up washing my clothes, Terry's clothes, household towels, etc. So his-and-her wash has become family wash. Its just a little thing, but it makes me realize how much a baby can structure the practices of your household and start to produce activities that are typical of a family.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Lunchtime and Bathtime
Some of my favorite pictures of Liam were pictures of him eating (like this one in the NICU, and these from feeding time with Daddy). Maybe its because in real life he's so darn animated when it comes to his food, attacking the bottle with gusto, burping like a sailor, and all the while making incredibly expressive faces and noises. So here are a few more cute pictures, including a nice burping picture on Terry's shoulder that really shows how much chub he's putting on. Look at those pudgy little arms! He was so scrawny at birth that I called his arms and legs "chicken wings" and "chicken legs." Now I tease him that I'll have to start calling them ham hocks!
Here's Liam kicked back in his little bath hammock, enjoying the warm water. Again, this is a huge contrast to the crying wipe down that was his first little bath...
By the way, his belly button is totally ok. We checked it out with his pediatrician and he said its nothing to worry about. In fact, resources online say not to worry unless it doesn't go away before kindergarten. It happens because babies start using their tummy more, but don't yet have great muscular strength there.
Here's Liam kicked back in his little bath hammock, enjoying the warm water. Again, this is a huge contrast to the crying wipe down that was his first little bath...
By the way, his belly button is totally ok. We checked it out with his pediatrician and he said its nothing to worry about. In fact, resources online say not to worry unless it doesn't go away before kindergarten. It happens because babies start using their tummy more, but don't yet have great muscular strength there.
First Day of Spring
We recently received an adorable little footie outfit with little spring chicks all over it (below the big chick it says "just hatched). Too cute. But our rapidly growing kiddo wasnt going to fit it for long, so he wore his little chick outfit to celebrate the first day of spring.
We are also making sure he gets in his tummy time, so here he is a blur as I try to capture him lifting his head. And then you see him relaxed and tuckered out once he lifted his head and turned it to the other side. Its tough being a little guy.
We are also making sure he gets in his tummy time, so here he is a blur as I try to capture him lifting his head. And then you see him relaxed and tuckered out once he lifted his head and turned it to the other side. Its tough being a little guy.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Liam's Christening
I have been incredibly delinquent in getting birth announcements and baptism invitations out in the mail. So I wanted to get the word out in case anyone wanted to plan to join us for his baptism. If you are planning on joining us, please send us an email or call to confirm so we have an idea of how many to plan on for sandwiches and refreshments afterwards.
Liam will be baptized at the Catholic church--The Sheil Center--on Northwestern's Campus on Sunday April 26th. There will be a mass at 11 AM conducted by a visiting missionary priest. Following the mass around 12:15 will be a short personal christening and baptismal ceremony for Liam. Catholics and non-Catholics are invited to join us for both the mass and christening. The mass often fills up to standing-room only, so please plan on arriving about 15 minutes early.
After the christening, we will head up campus for sandwiches and refreshments at the Sociology Department. There is a campus map available for download here. Sheil Center is an L Shaped building approximately halfway down the map at the intersection of Garret and Sheridan. The shaded grey rectangles on the map are parking lots. The Sociology Department is three-quarters of the way down the map, opposite Alice Millar chapel, just past the Y-intersection where Sheridan road and Chicago Avenue split off. The most convenient parking for the Sociology Department is the lot (shaded grey rectangle) just west of the intersection of Chicago Ave and Clark St.
Mass and Christening Ceremony
Sheil Center
2110 Sheridan Rd
Evanston, IL 60201
(847) 328-4648
get directions
Parking: There is street parking available around the church, but on Sunday it may fill up fast. Also be careful to check the street signs, as some streets are open to parking while others are prohibited. Additionally, there is a very large campus parking lot that is available on the weekends and is just across Sheridan road from the church.
View Larger Map
Sandwiches and Refreshments
Sociology Department
1812 Chicago Avenue
Evanston, IL 60208
get directions
Parking: The most convenient parking for the Sociology Department is just behind the department, with entry from Clark Street. It is the large parking lot behind the Sociology buildings, just west of the intersection of Clark and Chicago Ave. The entrance is from Clark Avenue. You may also find street parking along Chicago Avenue, or metered parking in the area.
View Larger Map
If anyone is planning to join us and has trouble getting driving directions from google maps, please feel free to call or email us. I have also included the main line for Sheil Center, in case you get lost the day-of and we are unable to answer our cell phones.
Liam will be baptized at the Catholic church--The Sheil Center--on Northwestern's Campus on Sunday April 26th. There will be a mass at 11 AM conducted by a visiting missionary priest. Following the mass around 12:15 will be a short personal christening and baptismal ceremony for Liam. Catholics and non-Catholics are invited to join us for both the mass and christening. The mass often fills up to standing-room only, so please plan on arriving about 15 minutes early.
After the christening, we will head up campus for sandwiches and refreshments at the Sociology Department. There is a campus map available for download here. Sheil Center is an L Shaped building approximately halfway down the map at the intersection of Garret and Sheridan. The shaded grey rectangles on the map are parking lots. The Sociology Department is three-quarters of the way down the map, opposite Alice Millar chapel, just past the Y-intersection where Sheridan road and Chicago Avenue split off. The most convenient parking for the Sociology Department is the lot (shaded grey rectangle) just west of the intersection of Chicago Ave and Clark St.
Mass and Christening Ceremony
Sheil Center
2110 Sheridan Rd
Evanston, IL 60201
(847) 328-4648
get directions
Parking: There is street parking available around the church, but on Sunday it may fill up fast. Also be careful to check the street signs, as some streets are open to parking while others are prohibited. Additionally, there is a very large campus parking lot that is available on the weekends and is just across Sheridan road from the church.
View Larger Map
Sandwiches and Refreshments
Sociology Department1812 Chicago Avenue
Evanston, IL 60208
get directions
Parking: The most convenient parking for the Sociology Department is just behind the department, with entry from Clark Street. It is the large parking lot behind the Sociology buildings, just west of the intersection of Clark and Chicago Ave. The entrance is from Clark Avenue. You may also find street parking along Chicago Avenue, or metered parking in the area.
View Larger Map
If anyone is planning to join us and has trouble getting driving directions from google maps, please feel free to call or email us. I have also included the main line for Sheil Center, in case you get lost the day-of and we are unable to answer our cell phones.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Happy St Patrick's Day
Liam's first St Patrick's Day was an unseasonably warm and beautiful day. We dressed him up in his adorable first St. Patty's day gear. He has a kelly green onesie from Terry's Aunt Eileen. He has a green wool hat and sweater knitted for him by our friend Lynn Gazley. He's also got these incredible little socks that look like shoes from my Aunt Susie, so we busted out his kelly green sock-shoes to complete the outfit.
It was so unseasonably warm that as soon as I walked out the back door I had to turn around and make some modifications. I changed out of my kelly green t-shirt in favor of a tank top. I ditched the hefty boots for flip-flops. And Liam had to take his cute little knit hat and sweater (but of course, they'll be back because this is Chicago and the cold weather hasn't left us yet). So out we went for a little dose of Vitamin D (sunshine) and time down by the lake. We walked around for almost two hours and it was GLORIOUS. We ended the afternoon with Liam and I laying in the grass of the courtyard at our condo while I ate strawberries. Yes, it was incredible.
It was so unseasonably warm that as soon as I walked out the back door I had to turn around and make some modifications. I changed out of my kelly green t-shirt in favor of a tank top. I ditched the hefty boots for flip-flops. And Liam had to take his cute little knit hat and sweater (but of course, they'll be back because this is Chicago and the cold weather hasn't left us yet). So out we went for a little dose of Vitamin D (sunshine) and time down by the lake. We walked around for almost two hours and it was GLORIOUS. We ended the afternoon with Liam and I laying in the grass of the courtyard at our condo while I ate strawberries. Yes, it was incredible.
Time with Grandmas
My mom, Grandma Vicki, comes down once a week on friday to spend some time with Liam and help us catch up on dishes, house stuff, and some sleep. Grandma Brenda, my step-mom, has been trying to see Liam since the weekend he was discharged from the NICU, but every weekend something has come up to prevent it. So this past weekend on sunday Grandma Brenda and Grandpa Rick came down to spend some time with the little guy.
True to form, he likes to be a total angel when he has visitors.
Cuddling up with Grandma Vicki
Holding hands with Grandma Brenda
True to form, he likes to be a total angel when he has visitors.
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