Nine Months - None Too Little

Where oh where do you go time? I am shocked that I am writing a nine month update for Liam Spencer. But - each month brings more fun, new challenges, and ongoing sheer delight in getting to know him.

It seems like Liam has hit a whole new level of development. The world is his and he's sure of it LOL! He crawls with confidence and follows me around the house. The dishwasher and the dryer are his current obsessions. The second one of them is opened up - he stamps himself to it and starts playing and talking up a storm. It's especially fun when he drops metal forks on the tile - loudly. It delights him endlessly and gives me the opportunity to 'let go' a bit more each day :).

Speaking of endless delight (there's a lot of that these days I must say)...Liam's personality is blooming. Let's just say he's relational. He laughs all of the time! But not like 'oh that joke was hilarious' - more like he's trying to just interact by laughing. If the room gets quiet - he'll break out a laugh. If he's trying to get your attention - he'll laugh. If he wants to be part of the conversation - he'll laugh. And he still laughs after the second sneeze. It's adorable if I do say so myself.

Of course - these days he doesn't warm up instantaneously to just anyone. Nope. Strangers can expect a long cold stare. No matter how much we encourage him to go to someone new in those moments - it's not going to happen. Which is fine - I know it's a stage. He can take all the time he needs to warm up.

His fun new tricks include pointing to everything and 'clicking' his tongue for the lack of a better word. He'll start clicking away and then look at you and laugh. You're supposed to click too you see. It's a clicking conversation and he's leading it.

It's amazing because he is facinated by older kids. He instantly locks in on kids we see out and he follows them with his eyes. If I would let him, he'd crawl right over and introduce himself! LOL.

A friend recently told me that there is no such thing as a 'normal' baby. It may sound simple but it really meant a lot to hear that. Each baby is kind of going from weird occurance or challenge to the next and the 'normal' streaks seem to last a few weeks before something new presents itself. Let me tell you right now - getting eight teeth over the course of four and a half months presents a few challenges. Dealing with a virus and then flu presents challenges. And for Liam - when he doesn't feel good - you can forget him eating solids. I finally figured that out after a few episodes. So - we are still working on it. He's had a rough few months in the sense that he's had to deal with all that stuff so establishing a rhythm with solids has been tough.

At our last doctor's appointment his weight percentile dropped a lot and I had a 24 hour freak out. It's pretty yuck to feel like your baby isn't getting what he needs to grow. But God intervened in my lovely state of mind. He spoke truth. It's just what Liam does - no solids when he doesn't feel good. And over the past month he's just had a lot. God, my mom, Zion and Rena all encouraged me that he would snap out of it and get back into the swing of things. And he has! Over the course of a few days he has really turned around. We're not Mr. Chubs over here but he's eating and Mama's happy.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention how much this little man loves his daddy. And how much that I love that! In the morning after he nurses -he's ready to to hit the ground running and we usually go find Daddy. The second he sees Zion - he gets a huge smile on his face and lunges for him. Nothing will stand between him getting into Daddy's arms. No complaints from Zion! It's precious. There is something so stand-still-beautiful about seeing your child adore Daddy.

I know this update is all over the place but it's late. What can I say? Zion's asleep in bed next to me and the E! True Hollywood Story of Joan and Melissa Rivers is my background music. Are you surprised by the all over the place nature of this one given those facts? I think not.

The journey of mommyworld continues to change me and melt me. Sometimes the changes are a little tough (I don't think I'll ever sleep in again) but every change is worth it. I am getting to know this strong, sweet, fun, lively and focused boy named William Justice and I am more and more in awe that God asked us to steward his life. He's the perfect fit in our lives and I cherish him.

Mommyworld is no joke but it's the best hard thing I've ever done. So thankful for such a deeply held dream being a better reality than I had ever imagined it.

Time to start plotting that birthday party!

Eight Months Excitement

WOOOOOOWEEEEE! Wow life is full! It is mostly full of a little boy now eight months old and growing by leaps and bounds. He has hit the fast lane people and there is no turning back. :)

One word to describe Liam these days? Mobile. And that word has turned all of our worlds upside down! Last month's update had Liam revving that crawling engine and around 7.5 months he officially started taking some crawling steps. Once those steps started - each day brought more progress. I am trying to wait on pegging Liam's personality too much until he's older but this one thing I can say with certainty: little man is filled with determination. Once he gets a goal in his line of sight - it's on. About a week after he started crawling he started pulling up. No big steps yet after he has pulled up - but you can tell that brain is working on overtime discovering this whole new world where he can get himself around :). It's so amazing to watch those little brains discover things for the first time and make all of those connections!

I can now say that a sick baby is no fun for anyone. Last month was a doozy! We started it off with a lovely non-treatable virus, had a one week break, and then progressed to the flu. Seriously. We made it through both bouts of sickness but the aftermath is almost worse than the actual sickness. It seems to wipe out his appetite for anything but nursing for up to a week and a half AFTER the sickness is gone. Which means more waking up during the night and a huge pause to progressing with solid foods. Alas - we have made it through and now I am praying for all sickness to be kept far far away!

We're playing a bit of catch up with solids but our little man is making good progress. I can now report that Liam has had cereal, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, carrots, peas, avocados and a few tastes of green beans mixed with brown rice. Let's just say carrots are not on his nice list :). He tried multiple times but just couldn't stop the gag. LOL! We'll be revisiting carrots but for now - pass. We will stick to veggies a bit more and then start pulling in fruits. I don't think I've heard any new sounds - he's sticking to da, ga, ba, va, and looooots of growling. It's the cutest thing if I do say so myself! He just lets that gutteral back of the throat growl ooze out when he's thinking or playing. No mama yet fyi. Hmmmmmmm.

Speaking of playing, I think Liam takes playing quite seriously! As more time passes - the more his appetite for big person toys increases. These days - the things that get him WAY excited are boxes of pasta, wood spoons, pots and pans, Tylenol bottles, and then of course the forbidden fruit: iPhones, remote controls and Daddy's glasses.

(Easter with his big boy cousins)

One of the most fun things about his stage right now is that he's become such a game player. He likes to shove his fingers or whole hand in your mouth and then pull them out as you make a funny sound. Reactions vary from a Liam-grin to all out belly laughs. He also likes to scoot away on a bed or couch and bury his face down and pretend that he's hiding from you. Let me tell you - he finds himself hilarious! I love it. In terms of schedule, right around 8 months Liam started prety much doing a four hour schedule!!! NICE! We still have a little variance but he's definitely more there than not. I was beginning to wonder and then low and behold - he just started staying awake longer and sleeping a bit longer.

We're on the brink of a whole new world and I am just thankful for every day with him. Ch-ch-ch-changes!

Mommyworld: Role of a Lifetime

I have a funny feeling there will be a lot of Mommyworld posts over time. It's such a huge element of life and heart and soul once the journey starts. From the second you know that little person exists so small he's barely detectible - your heart is never the same. I remember the morning I took the pregnancy test around 5:45am in the morning. The second I saw those two bright pink lines I started doing a silent squealing dance all around the dark house. Your life changes in a split second in the most glorious/staggering way.

I have wanted to be a mom since - well since I was little little little. When I went to the grocery store with my mom I would bring my baby doll and grab a hand basket at the store and treat it like my baby carrier. But - may I say - there are these moments in mommyworld that take your breath away by the overwhelming responsibility of being a first time mom. These moments when you truly have no idea what to do or how to help. Moments that have you really really really praying for grace and wisdom and maybe a teeny tiny break from the relentless routine.

A mom who's blog I follow recently shared some thoughts on this role of being mommy. Her statement spoke to me so much that I printed it off and taped it to my refrigerator! It brings my thoughts back into perspective.

Here's what Megan said:

"We've chosen this life of changing diapers, watching your waistline expand to accommodate a growing nugget, and being on the never ending rotation of meals and baths. Because the truth is we've been entrusted with royalty, every parent has been. We've got babies to raise up so that when their little feet hit the ground, the enemy's heart trembles with fear."

YES! This makes every effort, every overwhelming and exhausted moment so very worth it. I love the thought of the enemy trembling in fear over Mr. Liam Spencer's feet on the ground. What an honor.

This role of a lifetime is better than I could have ever imagined - including the tough moments. Can't believe he's our's to love till we feel like we're going to explode. Thankful for reminder that this job is more important than just about anything I will ever do.

Movie Reviews: I Don't Know How She Does It and Good Deeds

Hola! Thursday night blogging instead of sleeping = lovely. So I have always enjoyed watching a movie at home or going to see a movie at the theater. Buuuuut since becoming parents - watching a movie feels more decadent. Kinda wild even. LOL!

So - a few weekends ago we were over the top crazy wild parents and saw TWO MOVIES. Shocker. On Friday night I we rented 'I Don't Know How She Does It.'

I didn't know what to expect and in fact, my expectations were low going into it. But I was so pleasantly surprised! It was fun, honest, cute, and relatable for any workin' mama. Now, keep in mind, I don't consider myself a critic of movies. I can thoroughly enjoy an absolutely predictable story with the best of them! So perhaps it would be considered predictable. But, the story took a little different turn than I anticipated and Sarah Jessica Parker was really fun. And - as a workin mama - I found myself saying "YES! That IS how it is!!!!" It was hopeful and I just liked it. Redbox it!

The next night we upped the ante to a whole nutha level sista. We went out to see a movie. Oh yeah. We ate popcorn and I snuck in my big coke in my big purse like the days before Mr. Liam :). We saw Good Deeds.

I also recommend this one! Honest admission: this was my first Tyler Perry movie to see. Sad! I have always heard good things about his work but just haven't seen his movies. I'd definitely say I am a fan after this. There's just something different about the story he tells and it's refreshing. Thandie Netwon played the lead opposite Tyler and she was on the verge of over-dramatized in most scenes....but I still enjoyed it and her. The story broke your heart in some ways, made you laugh, and connected me to the characters. I think it's out of the theaters now...so make it a RedBox yes when you need a little wildness in your life. :)

I can't imagine that your life could possibly be wilder than mine lol. In fact, maybe this post will inspire you to get a little more wild. You're welcome. Hmmmmm maybe I need to start planning my movie plans for this weekend!

Are you going to see Hunger Games? I think I need to read the first book - and then I'll go....which means I will likely be RedBoxing the first movie!!!!

Love y'all,
Abi

Seven Month Salutations!

Seven month pictures....this was the sole shot that gave me a sweet smile:

The rest of them looked like this:

All of the sudden - no more baby boy. Or maybe it's just no more little baby boy. Now William Justice is a big boy baby! Seeing that precious face every day sometimes you don't see the maturing until you take a picture and say - 'Wait! Is that what you look like now??' That face is so sweet.

I must say - so far it looks like he may have gotten my hair. Or at least maybe. LOL! Let's just say - it has body. And it continues to grow from the middle top of his head so little man rocks a mohawk fairly often.


Categorical update:

Sleep: Well! I would say we are still in that transition phase but there has been a few great steps he's tried out. We have now done a few four hour cycles between feedings during the day. Great! I am not really pushing it - still believing that he'll get there when he gets there. So - mostly Liam is awake an hour and a half and then naps an hour and a half. Two - three naps a day. He goes to sleep around 7:30pm and wakes up around 6:15am. Ahem. This mama continues to pray and problem-solve on that wake time. It's hard to get yourself going personally before you get baby up if that get up time is 6:15 in the morning. Merciful! But I continue to be thankful that he's sleeping through the night. He wakes up occasionally and is hungry but not very often.

(Mr. Spencer and his cousin Mr. Huntsinger. Ohhhhh the noise they will make and the fun they will have!)

Eating: Well! This mama has also been a tad slow on introducing solids beyond his oatmeal cereal. I tell you what - working part time and working some hours from home makes me feel like I am running in a million directions most of the time. So - making my own baby food - which I prefer over jarred for the most part - hasn't made it to the top of the to-do list. Until recently! Butternut squash was steamed and that Baby Bullet was put to good use for the first time. I am a fan of the Baby Bullet! And Mr. Spencer was a pretty big fan of butternut squash. :)

(Who doesn't wear their bib backward and take frequent breaks to look at the fan?!)


Activities: He's active alright! Liam embraces physical determination like his life depends on it. These days, it's even a challenge to hold him on my hip because he likes to lean forward like he's leading us. Or twist his whole body to see things from a different angle. Little man is just strong - no doubt about it. Which leads us to sitting and crawling. He's got sitting down pat and the crawling has been a goal of his for the past month and a half - no joke. He started a few crawling steps but most consistently he lunges/scoots himself wherever he wants to be. Including hanging off of the edge of the couch or bed while a parent holds his legs. I think we're going to have a climber on our hands.

(This is his now common position after he crawls for a bit. Just taking a little break before getting back to it.)

Personality: This boy is so fun. SO FUN! He loves to squeal, giggle, babble, growl, and cough (yes). It's nothing for him to stare someone down and then start coughing or laughing until that person looks at him. :) He's loving rough housing with Daddy more and more. Zion burries his face in Liam's tummy and the belly laugh that comes out of that boy makes me laugh and smile and burst.

Fun development: He's started crawling/scooting himself to people he wants to see. But, there's more and more coordinated crawling and less scooting each day. When I come in from work and he's playing, he sees me and starts getting that little body in my direction immediately. Oh be still this mama's heart.

Also random - after he sneezes he laughs. Seriously!

I am loving watching this person unfold. He hasn't met an electronic device that doesn't get him to breathing heavy. He loves the thermostat in the hallway as if it's Mickey Mouse at Disney World.

He's starting to climb us like we are great obstacle courses. We are having more and more fun adventuring out together and life gets sweeter the more I get to know this boy.

Life sure is fun with you Liam Spencer and I am starting to plot that first birthday party in my head already!!

P.S. I think I may start calling him chomper. Today I found his FIFTH tooth.

Oscar Fashion High Notes

I did it last year and I'm back at it this year! The past few weekends have definitely been 'weekend warrior' travel fiestas for the Spencers. So - I haven't actually gotten to watch the show yet. BUT - did I get home at 11:30pm last night and stay up to watch half of the red carpet show on E! before crashing? Yes I sure did! So - I haven't seen the show yet, but I have now seen the dresses (my favorite part anyways).

This year there were a lot of pretties but only five really made me swoon. I of all people am not one to criticize fashion so I'll only highlight the ones that I really loved. For you mental picture people like me: I sit here typing in my unfortunate uniform of black sweat pants and my black hoodie from high school. :)

Here are my top five!


Rose Byrne:

First, I have always loved a good bob. It's probably my favorite way to wear my own hair so I am having a moment with her hairstyle. Second, she just looks so dang cool. Look up her dress from last night because the back is equally devastating. I dream of wearing a backless dress someday :)

Viola Davis:

Ummmm hello. Could she look any better? This shade of green is one of my all time favorite colors. And let's face it - Viola has one fit body! She looks so strong and yet so feminine at the same time and I love that. The detailing on the bottom of the dress is gorgeous.

Michelle Williams:

I love Michelle. I really do. To me - she is a great combination of girlie, edgy, and vintage all wrapped up. The detailing on this dress is so beautiful and let's also acknowledge that big pink lips are a staple in my life. Her hair, plus her lipstick, plus her dress equals love in my book.

Jessica Chastain:

The more I look at it the more I love it. The color of the dress with her skin and hair is gorgeous. And the pattern of the fabric lays so well on her figure. Beautiful.

And now for my hands down winner of the night.....

Stacy Keibler:

I don't even know what to say other than wow. Wow wow wow. The dress is stunning and she looks fabulous. Enough said.

I love seeing all the dresses! I start looking forward to the Oscars in January :) I am sure you may have a few different favorites than mine but that is what is so fun about fashion isn't it? I am finally starting to see some Liam-baby-weight come off and I have to say that seeing those gorgeous dresses did give me an extra oomph of motivation for striving towards that goal. One pound at a time is the motto over here my friends!

Love y'all,
Abi

It's Wednesday

And frankly my to-do list is frightening. Impossible even. There aren't enough hours and there isn't enough energy to cross every last thing off that list between now and then. You know the feeling! But there is such a quietness and peace in my Spirit today that stress almost seems locked out. Only God can be thanked for that and so I relish today.

Do you ever think about this verse? Luke 1:35 "The angel answered, 'The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.' " That one word - overshadow.

Today that's how I feel. There are multiple reasons to be stressed or even to worry - if I listen to my emotions and take once glance at that list. From human eyes - there is no single reason NOT to be stressed LOL. But - then there's Him. And His shadow. And His wings. Today, I am overshadowed. Today I do a bit at a time. I cuddle that six month old bubby and whisper how much I love him. I have a half-swept kitchen (not even kidding). I negotiate a renewal of a billboard for a client. I listen to the birds sing their song. And my soul sighs.

Because He is greater. He is true. He loves me. And He truly loves you.

More overshadowing please. More.

Love y'all,
Abi