We were in Baltimore to celebrate Easter and Little Ethan’s baptism. It was a blur – as these weekend trips usually are – but we got to see lots of people! Including Bridget and Remey who happened to be in Baltimore.
We went out to Suffern to visit Greg and very pregnant (and now new mommy!!!) Kim. We took a little nature hike and put all of Baby Ethan’s (note Little Ethan belongs to Emily and Jarred and Baby Ethan belongs to Kim and Greg) new baby gear to use. I’m hoping Liam left his smell behind and baby Ethan will get to know it and therefore love Liam and they’ll be friends forever.
We flew to California to visit Vera and Chas. Jason had a week-long training for work, so just Liam and I headed to the west coast. Although we missed Jason, we had a fantastic time. We also saw Pia, Raymond, Whitney, and Amy who all drove down from LA to meet Liam. The weather was cool but beautiful and Liam and I spent lots of time outside. We even dipped his little tootsies in the Pacific Ocean. We really miss Vera and Chas and I am searching for reasons to return to Cardiff by the Sea as soon as possible.
In more recent news:
Liam had an appointment with the pediatrician earlier this week. Liam weighed in at 15 lbs 13 oz (38th percentile) and was 26.5 inches long (70th percentile). And his head circumference was in the 47th percentile. When the doctor examined him she said he is a “text book” baby and wishes she could bring him to the classes she teaches to show her students what an almost 6 month old baby is supposed to be like.
He also got another round of the same vaccinations that he got at 2 and 4 months and he took them like a pro. He screamed his head off for a few minutes and then forgot all about it as soon as I picked him up. He smiled at the doctor and went on with his life. And this time he didn’t develop a fever afterwards!
Dr. Zbar also told us we could start solid foods whenever we’re ready and gave us some general advice about how to do that.
Liam had an appointment with the pediatrician earlier this week. Liam weighed in at 15 lbs 13 oz (38th percentile) and was 26.5 inches long (70th percentile). And his head circumference was in the 47th percentile. When the doctor examined him she said he is a “text book” baby and wishes she could bring him to the classes she teaches to show her students what an almost 6 month old baby is supposed to be like.
He also got another round of the same vaccinations that he got at 2 and 4 months and he took them like a pro. He screamed his head off for a few minutes and then forgot all about it as soon as I picked him up. He smiled at the doctor and went on with his life. And this time he didn’t develop a fever afterwards!
Dr. Zbar also told us we could start solid foods whenever we’re ready and gave us some general advice about how to do that.
Liam is also starting to roll and sit on his own. Both are a work in progress. So far, he can only roll from his back to his front. And he does it only when he’s trying to go after something that is slightly out of his reach. For about a week I only knew he was able to roll because I would suddenly find him on his belly when he had been on his back. But now, just once, I’ve actually caught him in the act. He’s also getting pretty good at sitting in his own. His forward/backward balance is great. It’s the side to side that still needs a little work. He can sit with just a little support – but if you let go completely, he balances for a bit and then tips over sideways.
For Liam and me, this is our last full week at home together. On the 18th Liam is starting childcare at a center at Columbia. He’ll be there for three mornings per week so that I can get to work on my dissertation. I think he’s really going to enjoy being around other kids, the teachers, and new toys and activities. And I am certainly glad to have the time to be able to work. But at the same time it makes me a little sad as well. Recently I have finally surrendered to this mommy life. As my mom pointed out to me: one upside to being a stay at home mom is that you finally get to live life at a normal pace. It took me a while to get used to this slower pace, but now that I have, I like it. The day is filled with small pockets of activity, always interrupted by Liam’s need to eat or sleep. And every day, with almost no exception, we get some time outside. When I am walking through the park in the sun during the middle of a work day when most people are cooped up inside, I feel truly lucky. Our days are predictable and routine – but, because Liam is always changing, there is also plenty that is new and interesting. And when one day is over, the routine repeats itself the next day. Even though I am still sleep deprived, and I would definitely classify our days as busy, I feel the stress of the last 20,000 years of school (give or take a few) has melted away. So, half of me is sad that I have to reintroduce the real world into my life – but the other half of me is eager to regain some intensity and reclaim the parts of my brain that are currently covered in cobwebs.
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