JOY

Babies seem to feel joy in ways adults aren't even able to. I love that deep, belly laugh; the way they suck air in as though they are about to hyperventilate when something really excites them.

Pure, unadulterated, joy.

Talk about living vicariously.

What Happens at the Playground with Daddy, Stays at the Playground (or not)

Liam said "Daddy" (instead of Da Da) for the first time today...

So Well Prepared

Did I mention, this weekend we were honored with the award for best parents of the year?

Yeah, not really...

I still haven't perfected the art of packing a diaper bag. This weekend, we were out and a about without a change of clothes for Liam. This wouldn't have been a problem if he hadn't gotten into the water at the beach...

He ended up having to wear my shirt home. Oh, we were out of diapers too. Thank God Pampers can hold a ton!

Happy Fun Times

Yesterday was the best day of Liam's life, thus far. It was also the best day we have ever had as a family.

It started with me getting to "sleep in" until 8 am. Then, a huge breakfast of bacon, almond flour pancakes, and eggs. My mom didn't make breakfast for us very often when we were kids; I was always jealous of the kids whose moms got up to cook for them. (My mom is not a morning person. I was the kid waking up her parents to make sure I got to school on time.) So I determined even then that I would make breakfasts for my family, and I love doing it.

After breakfast, we decided to take our Boston terrier, Marla, to the dog park. My relationship with Marla has been strained ever since the baby has come along. Not only am I suddenly very sensitive to smells (and she has a skin condition that makes her smell like a corpse anytime fresh air hits her) but also to sounds.

Do you have any idea the kind of awful sounds flat faced dogs will make?? Do ya??

My mom has a Boston, and he is wonderfully calm. Marla, not so much. She danced and jumps and tramples on your feet with her awful claws and makes you bleed. She has no regard for human life, especially not that of a babies. So she has spent much of the last 7 months or so either in the back yard or in her crate. Now that Liam is getting bigger, and he can hold his own with her, things are getting better.

Taking her to the dog park reminded me of why I liked her, and dogs in general, in the first place.

The park we went to was small but awesome. A stretch of beach had been fenced in for the dogs, so they were able to go in the water to play and fetch balls.

Marla likes to herd other dogs; she was OBSESSED with this dog.

These 3, 250 pound mastiffs were gentle giants. Just the kind of dog Liam needs. They were incredibly calm and chill.

It was only noon when we left the park, and the whole glorious day stretched ahead of us. 

We decided to head downtown, since many of the restaurants there have outdoor seating and it was too hot to leave the dog in the car. Every Saturday, there is market there with vendors selling handcrafted items, local meats, etc, and I was excited to visit it. Lo and behold, they don't allow dogs, so we had to pass on it. We ended up eating lunch at one of our favorite places - Pita Pit. If there is one near you, and you have't tried it yet, do so. NOW. I fully endorse this brand, even though they are not paying me for it. Sadly.

At this point, Liam has been up for 5 hours without a nap. He usually doesn't go more than 3. So we loaded up and Liam fell asleep close to the house. I was totally high on the success of the day - ZERO meltdowns! and wanted to take advantage of the mood. So we ditched the dog at home and headed for the beach.

Let me just say, we go to the beach several times a week. I know Liam loves it. But yesterday was the first really WARM day we had, where people other than crazy surfers were getting in the water. 

I took Liam up to a tidal pool that kids were splashing around in, and set him down to stand in front of it. He dipped a toe in, squealed in shock and jumped away... and then ran into the water to the have the time of his life. Lots of splashing, crawling, laughing, wet-sand-eating ensued. 

Seeing Liam wrapped up in a towel wearing nothing but a diaper and eating a post-play snack made me realize what a person he is. He isn't just a baby anymore. We can do things with him, as a family, and have him involved. Our outings don't always have to be executed with gritting teeth and a screaming baby. 

Life is, dare I say it, fun again!

In case you are wondering, that strange sea monster I found is a sea louse. I'd never seen one before; they look like alien bugs.

To sweeten the animal-sighting pot a bit more, check this out....

That, my friends, is what we call an osprey nest. Osprey's seem to be quite common around here. I seem them almost daily, and we pass two nests on the way to the beach.

At the end of a long, awesome day, Patrick and I cuddled up beneath our blanket fort in the living room with cupcakes, beer and cinnamon pretzels to watch Supernatural.

Perfection.

11 Months

Yesterday, my Liam Lamb turned 11 months old. That's almost a whole year.

One year of love, cuddles, travel and adventure.

One year of sleepless nights, more nursing sessions than I can count, and even more tears (from both of us).

One year of baby clothes, most of which have now been folded away because they no longer fit.

One year of spit-up stained laundry.

One year of chubby baby hands grabbing at mama's hair.

One year of smothering stinky baby feet with countless kisses every day.

One year, but not yet. Just almost.

                        ~ ~ ~

In the mean time, Lammy is walking like a pro. Sometimes he sleeps well, mostly he still doesn't. 

He loves the playground, playing with the big kids, and he loves water most of all.

His favorite place to sit is the couch, because it makes him feel like a big boy.

He loves to roll around on the living room floor with me, and rest his wee head on pillows (or the dog) (or my tummy).

He gives the best, slobbery, toothy kisses any momma could ask for.

Congrats, baby.

I can't believe they let us leave the hospital with you, but here we are, eleven months later, still chugging a long. Momma loves you.

Time to Ride!

Before Patrick and I even got pregnant, I was eyeing a bike seat for babies. In Germany, where I am originally from, everyone bikes. So if you have a kid, naturally you will have a bike seat for them, or a trailer. While you can use some trailers from just about newborn age up, bike seats are generally only used after one year of age.

I have been patiently waiting for my Lamkin to turn one. I could wait no longer! Since he is 11 months tomorrow, we decided it would be alright to go ahead and get a bike seat.

We got the Bell Cocoon, which you can view here.

There are several things I love about this seat!

First off, it has a 5-point harness. Safety first! It also has a cushioned seat, which the cheaper seats usually don't have. (Speaking of cheap, we got our seat at Toys R Us for $80. Searching for a link for you made me realize I got have saved $20 had I ordered it from Amazon. D'oh!) Second, the sides add extra protection and really do make the seat seem like a cocoon. And third, the lap bar gives Liam something to hang on to and prevents him from leaning forward. Lastly, there is also a light reflector on the back, should I ever chose to ride in the dark (hey, with his sleeping habits these days, I just might try it to get him to sleep!).

We also got him an adorable little helmet with octopi and piranhas on it. He looks super cute.

Since my child doesn't like anything involving sitting, holding still, and *shudder* especially not STRAPS, I wasn't sure if he would like it.

But...see for yourself.

He was quite happy.

He was mainly quiet when I started biking, so I am not 100%  sure about his mood, but he didn't complain and he swung his legs, which usually means he is happy.

I really wished for a rear view mirror so I could see what was going on back there! 

Since we live off the side of a busy highway, we won't be able to leave the neighborhood, but it's better than nothing. We can still get out and feel the (chilly) wind and the (hot) sun on our skin (Florida weather is weird). 

For those of you who are interested in trying one of these yourself but are nervous: don't be! I honestly didn't notice the extra weight at all. It was tiny bit harder to balance initially, until I picked up speed, but other than that, it was a breeze!

I will probably invest in a trailer once we have a second child. I don't have any experience with them myself, but outsidemom.com has a review which you can read here.

Raising a Boy to be a Good Man

When I first found out I was having a boy, I was heartbroken. Gender disappointment is a real thing, not a vain, heartless concern of the mother. You can read about it here. Those who feel it, feel it for different reasons. For me, I only wanted one child, and I wanted a girl. Probably to work out some mommy issues. Not to mention the fact that having a boy simply terrified me. Let's just say, I have some daddy issues too.

Sometimes, I am still scared of raising a boy to be a good man. I don't want to coddle him too much. It's easy for mothers to do. We love our little boys and want to spoil them, in a different way than moms love their daughters. I want to raise Liam to be strong. Independent. Courageous. Reliable. Strong. Opinionated. 

But, I also want to raise him to understand that women are these things too, and they deserve respect and good treatment. I want him to know that, even if his significant other hasn't been viewed to think of herself or sex this way, that intercourse is more than just that, more than just pleasure, more than just what two people do because they love each other.

I want to teach him to hold doors open for women, to bring them flowers just because, to pick his dirty clothes off the floor and to help make the bed and do the dishes. I want to teach him good personal hygiene, and to be kind. 

Am I being idealistic? I don't think it's wrong to teach my son that, in a man's world, women hold their own place too, and he has a responsibility to see to it that sisters, mothers, friends and wives are treated the way they want and deserve to be treated. 

I want to teach my son to be like his father.