Red Hot Chili Pepper

I had my first Halloween tonight and completely OD'd on mom's chocolate milk. I think I'm developing her sweet tooth. Boot and rally!

Grandad's Birthday

Liam spent some quality time with his new cousins this past weekend while visiting and celebrating his Grandad's 59th birthday (and his 1 month). He took part in his first basketball game and had some guy time with Dave and Aidan. Much fun and much love, Poconos style.

Places where Liam likes to sleep

Like the rest of us, Liam loves to sleep. Check out his fave spots around the house...

Liam Hiccups

Thought we would post some live action of our Liam. It's pretty indicative of his basic being at 7 days old.

Camille

It has become clear that the unsung hero of our new family is the four-legged beast that sleeps at the foot of our bed. Like the little hungry caterpillar, Camille has gone through a sudden and remarkable metamorphosis since she ran to the door and insisted on meeting Liam the moment he came home from the hospital. Theories abound, but our ever-sweet female dog is becoming the obediant and family-oriented friend we've always willed her to be.

Consider the following before and after scneario:

Lindsay was induced after visiting the midwife and learning that her blood pressure was dangerously high. That pressure was undoubtedly high due to the fact that she spent the better part of that day's morning chasing a chicken-bone-craving-Camille through the park. It was one of those rare occasions where Lindsay - even with assistance from Aunt Julia - gave up on Camille and left her to a life on the streets. (Only after she gave up looking for her did she find Camille sitting on our front steps, several blocks from where she was last spotted.)

24 hours later, Liam enters scene.

One week later, Lindsay, Will, Liam and Camille visit Wissahickon Creek for a Rockwellian romp through the Fall foliage. Camille, true to form, spends the two hours running with reckless abandon through the trees, rolls in mudholes, and ends her day rinsing in the creek. On the short walk back to our car, Will casually mentions to Camille that it would be pretty nice if she (like so many dogs we've pined for with owners we envy) jumped into the back of the car with the simple prompt of opening the hatch. It was said, fully prepared to chase her for the next 20 or so minutes, with a hopeless indifference common in our daily interactions like, "come," or "no," or "off the couch." Will opened the hatch and faked an expectant look on his face. Camille quietly sauntered toward the car and assuredly jumped into the back. We wouldn't have been more amazed if Jesus Christ had done the same. Could it be possible? No more stranger conscriptions to herd the herder? We both laughed with confused excitement as we praised and petted the hell out of her standing like the perfect dog in the back of the wagon. A repeat performance the following weekend sealed the deal. Camille is officially our newest best friend. It's like falling in love all over again.

Camille's daily kisses for Liam, cuddling, and overall pleasure with her little bro (her tail wags even when he's crying right beside her) is icing on the cake. So the next time you visit or see us out and about, please make sure to give Camille her props.

Second week at home

Liam had a bit of a rough start this week. On Tuesday, after Dad spent weeks trying to convince mom that circumcision was the best option for young Liam's future, he was taken to The Birth Center for the procedure. No, the midwives did not perform the circ., a trained pediatrician did it. Mom was praying for her poor baby the entire time he was in the back. After the procedure was done, the pediatrician handed our son to us and said that everything went fine and now his hoo-hoo looks like a red crayola crayon. Poor baby. Despite how painful it looked after it was done, Liam bounced back quickly and acted as though nothing happened.

Dad went back to work this week, but Nana Jeannie came up for a few days to help out. She made excellent meals every night and loved every second she spent with her new grandson. She was a big help.

Camille and Liam are getting along great. Camille sneaks him kisses every now and then on his face.

He and Mom have almost mastered the art of breastfeeding. He's already gained about a pound since his birth, which means that he's getting enough food. I should hope so. It has become a full time job. Thankfully, he lets us sleep for about a 4-5 hour block during the night.

The picture on top is Liam posing with his first ever large 'Bobbie' from Capriotti's - compliments of his grandmother MJ. (For those of you in the dark, a 'Bobbie' is Thanksgiving dinner on a roll. It has been a favorite of ours since boarding school days.) Although he can only eat them through breastmilk now, we know he's going to be a big fan of Capriotti's once his teeth come in.

First week at home

We've had a lot of fun getting to know Liam these past couple of weeks. We know that he enjoys eating, sleeping, clean diapers and sleeping in our bed. He doesn't care for baths, being hungry, getting his diaper changed or sleeping on his back--he prefers to be face first into the mattress or on his side, of course both of which are against all the safety recommendations. He had his first sponge bath this week and cried through the whole thing but felt much better after he was bundled in his frog towel and sucking on his mom's finger.

Introducing Our Little Liam

Sweet Liam was born on September 28, 2007 at 10:40 pm. Mom and Dad went in for a routine visit to The Birth Center on the eve of the 27th. Because my blood pressure was running high, they sent us over to the hospital to get some tests done to make sure Baby Bins and I were okay. After a couple of hours, the midwives decided that it would be best to induce me...approximately 22 hours later we met our Liam.

Stats:
Weight - 8lbs. 1oz.
Height - 21.25 in.
Apgar - 9 and 9

Scouting Report:
+ Strong legs, bright eyes, alertness, soft hands, resembles mother.
- Incapable of feeding himself, will not hesitate to use bathroom wherever and/or whenever.