A Liam Update

All the last posts have been Julia-focused, so here's the Liam update:
Current Age: 7 months
Weight: 8.75kg (19lbs, 4oz)
Recent Milestones: 1st tooth, crawling, sitting up, pulling up to standing, saying "Mama"
Hobbies include: Chewing on everything in sight, following his sister around and laughing hysterically at her antics, playing hide-and-seek by crawling as quickly as possible under any nearby furniture or behind curtains, disappearing in less than a minute and scaring mama.

Liam crawls like a seal or like he's doing "The Worm", but boy can he move! He is no longer hindered by objects in his way (pillows, tables, toys). Now he just crawls over them or stops to pull up on top of them. We have had to lower his mattress so that he does pull himself up and out of the crib, and he's now getting his share of bumps and bruises as he hoists himself up on things and then topples over before we can catch him.

He still is just smitten with Julia, and despite continued sharing issues, she is really sweet to him. Car rides have become much more pleasant as she now plays peek-a-boo with him in the back seat to keep him laughing, and laugh he does! He saves his biggest belly laughs just for her and will crawl all over the house just to get close to her (lots of times even crawling up into her lap)!

Julia's 1st Haircut

Whenever I'm in Jackson, I go get a haircut with Cliff at Barnett's. I don't have a particularly trendy or special hairstyle that requires the overseas trip, but I've had some really really awful cuts in the past (including a mullet while I was pregnant with Julia...terrible!) so I don't trust anyone else but the guy who's always done a great job. So when it came time for Julia to finally get her first haircut, who else to go to but Cliff. Julia and I first went out to lunch (just the girls...Liam stayed with my mom), and then I got my hair done first so she could see that it was all a pain-free, easy process. No worries from Julia...she had a ball being a big girl!

At our big girl "tea party" beforehand


Dancing down the steps: "You put your right hand in, you take your right hand out.."


"You do the hokey pokey and you turn yourself around..."


They weren't planning on washing Julia's hair first, but she didn't want to miss out on any of the steps and climbed up in the chair while Cliff washed mine.

Nothing like big, spinning chairs to keep Julia entertained!

Poor Cliff had to put up with my indecisiveness-- cut her hair, oh but I don't know if I should let you cut off her pretty hair, yeah but it's in her eyes, oh but is she too little to need a real haircut yet, etc, etc. He was very reassuring.

And Julia amazed me, sitting so still.

Bye bye, curls! (They're in an envelope now for the baby book)

The finished product the next day (minus a good brushing).

Julia's Birthday Parties (Actual Day)

I had an exam on Julia's actual birthday, so we had spent the night at Nana's. Matt came down that morning, and we ate more cake and opened presents before I had to rush off to the exam. While I was away, Matt and Uncle Josh took Julia to the park and the beach.

"Hmm, which one to open first..."

"And this is mine. And this is mine..."

My girly-girl chef and her dump truck

Swinging with Uncle Josh

Julia's Birthday Parties (At School)

Julia had school the day before her birthday, so Nana & I took cupcakes and balloons to have a little celebration with her friends there. They were out on the playground when I arrived, and I enjoyed watching Julia when she didn't know I was watching.

Of course, she saw me right as I tried to take a photo


They all loved coming in to find balloons covering their classroom


And cupcakes are always a hit!

Julia's Birthday Parties (Mississippi)

Julia had a full month of celebrations for her birthday, and I'm finally getting around to posting some of the pictures. In Mississippi, we had a family party with some of her cousins. Seven children age 4 and under was really asking for trouble, but we survived the seven sugar highs, some sharing battles, and a bonk on the head (Julia's) with a small iron lizard (no lasting damage, I assure you). Julia had a wonderful time and was talking (even in her sleep), "Hap-birday" and "party party"...

Julia was fascinated by her cake with the "poke dots", her initials, and two candles

Just the girls

(from left: Anabelle, Shannon, Julia, Caroline, & Nana)

Really lovin' that cake! Julia literally licked her plate clean!

Liam stared enviously at the cake but loved being with Uncle Rick

Julia was in her element in the "princess seat" surrounded by people showering her with gifts!


A sweet hug from Hayes after the lizard incident

Liam
All partied out

Back in Oz

Nana, Liam, Julia & I are back in Australia and have jumped right back into the deep end as my law semester started the day we arrived. More posts to come as I catch up with all of the Mississippi photos, but as usual I will give my list of excuses first to point out that it might take awhile. So far, the stress list has included having to unpack, do our taxes, buy books, and watch the two lectures I missed on the day we got back (which I subsequently found out hadn't actually been web-streamed). That all seemed fairly manageable till I also found out (the day before tuition was due) that my financial aid application was rejected (another wonderful result of the immigration department...yes, that's right, permanent residency...that ticket I waited 2 1/2 years for...now means nothing and citizenship is demanded!). Oh yeah, and somehow along the way I've misplaced all of our passports! Enough excuses?? Now for some pictures...

Beets & Broadway

Just one bite of pureed beets and my little boy became...

a woman?!?

Poor guy, I know this photo will haunt him well into his teens and twenties, but it was just too funny to pass up! Great if he ever wants a part in Priscilla Queen of the Desert though.