liam's first christmas!

We spent Christmas weekend in Rochester with the Berndt side of the family. We've decided to flip flop on the major holidays so next year it will be Thanksgiving in Roch. and Christmas in DL. Liam did great in church on Christmas Eve. The threshold of patience for the other children around us seemed to be about 45 minutes but he didn't get fussy at all. I hope I can still say this when he is 2.

Here's a run down of Liam's holiday activities:

He opened a few a lot of gifts
Posed with a bow on his head (daddy was not very happy about this one!)

Played with the sock monkey Santa delivered (whom Nana affectionately named Earl)

Tried to eat his stocking

And attempted to dismantle the ornaments in the window at Chester's

All in all, he did well considering he was up for hours past his bed time on Christmas Eve. We tried to get him to sleep at the great grandparents, but he knew there was a party going on and would have none of that (he is his father's son). Until we got him in the car. He was asleep by the time we backed out of the driveway.

it's been awhile...

And not because of laziness, but rather we have been just plain busy...with work, with a 7 month old, and of course the holidays. I figured an update was long overdue, so here goes.

We spent Thanksgiving in Detroit Lakes with Grandpa John and Uncle Ox. Here is Liam wearing uncle's North Stars hat:

Liam now eats solids 3x a day, and lately prefers to eat this way over taking a bottle (except for naptime and bedtime). Nana and Grandpa Berndt gave us a cool babyfood maker for Christmas, so he eats a lot of what we do. He even tries to feed himself, but most of the puree ends up in his hair, not in his mouth:

We visited Santa at the Eden Prairie Mall last week. I was a litttle worried that he would cry (stranger anxiety has set in) and he did, but I was able to get him to laugh eventually:

AND the biggest news...our giggle monkey has two front teeth that finally popped through last week:


Our sweet baby Liam is turning into an adventuresome little boy. It is so fun to watch him "play" with his toys an the dogs. He sits really well unsupported. When he takes his bottle at night, he either bangs on it or kicks the arm of the rocking chair. He never sits still unless he is sound asleep. I think that we are going to have our hands full when this one starts moving! For all of his energy, he is a good-natured little guy. He hardly cries and is very easy to please, even when sick or teething. We are so, so blessed to have such a wonderful son.

Merry Christmas!

six month check-up

Liam has been to the pediatrician twice in the last week. On Friday I picked him up from day care and Miss Joyce was concerned about how hard he was coughing during his nap. She thought he had a spell where he quit breathing. I called the clinic and they asked me to bring him in immediately. I, of course, freaked out thinking something was horribly wrong. I was almost in tears as I flew into the clinic parking lot. Turns out he had a respiratory virus that he probably picked up from us. We were given a nebulizer and a prescription for Albuterol to help open up his lungs. Seemed to help, by Saturday afternoon he was feeling (and sleeping) like his normal self. Yesterday was his scheduled well baby visit. Dr. Garvis said his lungs sound much better. Whew! That was scary. Liam had four shots, which always seem to bother him a little, although he has taken it all pretty well considering he is teething too. Last night was rough (especially for daddy who had Liam duty) but Liam woke up with a big smile on his face.

Liam's 6 month stats are:

Height 27 inches (90th percentile)
Weight 16 lbs. 2 oz. (almost 50th percentile)

He's gained 4 pounds since his last visit! He is putting on weight like he should. He is a happy, healthy six month old and for that we are blessed.

stuff

Our Little Man is going to be 6 months old on Monday. I can't believe how fast the time goes! One of my classmates recently told me that he'll be a senior in high school before I know it. She should know, her oldest is graduating in May. This makes me feel really old!

Just wanted to update a bit on Liam's most recent accomplishments:

• He rolls over from tummy to back and giggles as soon as he makes the flip.
• Cereal and a fruit or veggie are part of his daily diet 3x a day: bananas, squash, pears, apples, beans and carrots are favorites
• He is a screamer, but not in a bad way
• He is very interested in the dogs and laughs when Hank barks at squirrels or other dogs
• He loves to pull on my jewelry
• He is a little jumper, even in his exersaucer
• He has a bit of a temper- if he feels like he is being ignored, he'll let you know with a not-so-happy squeal
• He lays it on thick for the ladies at the supermarket and Target
• He's teething
• He loves chicken wings, especially from Hooters!
  
  

checking in

Just decided I needed to make a post refuting what another blog is saying about poor Liam being a Packer fan just because he was dressed as a dragon who happened to be green for Halloween. This family is all for the Vikings. He hasn't missed a game and wears his Peterson jersey each and every week.

Jenn's brother is making up lies over at that other site. As this is a family related blog, I thought we should also be posting pictures of our extended families. I decided to find the best picture I could of my brothers-in-law getting ready for a big game. Enjoy the game and the Natty Light boys...love the Jorts by the way!

P.S. Watch for starting the Minnesota Vikings #1 WR to be Liam Daniel Berndt in the year 2030.

Halloween: Part II

Liam in his dragon costume. He doesn't look so scary with that big grin!

Liam with his little friend Jackson, who had no interest in wearing his lion costume!

Happy Halloween!!!!

Liam with his pumpkin from Miss Joyce. One of the day care kiddos decorated it for him- any idea what it is? He wasn't very interested in "posing" for the camera. But he was very curious about the big orange ball.


And of course, he tried to eat it!

random (cute) pics

it's a big, big world

Here are a few more pictures of our fall photo shoot last week. They turned out very cute, although it's hard to get Liam to "pose" as he can't quite sit up by himself. It was fun to see his little hands find new things to touch and explore (and eat).

bad hair day

I don't like the outfit I am wearing, my hair looks like crap, and my nose is so red I could be related to Rudolph because of this darn cold! Feeling like a harried housewife and I don't even stay home. Wondering why I even left the house today. Can someone send Stacy and Clinton from "What Not to Wear" to my house for a makeover to make me feel pretty?

working for the weekend

That is the story of my life. Too bad that the weekdays creep by and the weekends are over and done with in the blink of an eye. We packed in a ton of fun over the weekend and by Sunday night we were pretty tired. Liam did very well considering we toted him all over the Twin Cities. He's such an easy going little guy...just like his mommy when she was that age-ha!



My co-worker Linda came to our house Saturday morning to do Liam's 5 month photos (I am bit behind as they should be done at 3, 6, 9, 12 months). Here are a few teasers of the shoot. Can't wait to see the rest!

We then met up with Jason, Melissa, and Anthony Hyvare for lunch, the Gopher game, and a little bar bingo at the Lucky 13 in Mendota.
At this point Liam needed a nap, so we stopped at Uncle Ox's. Ox took a little study break and Liam slept until Mikko the crazy dog woke him up.




We ended our day on the East side by attending a fundrasier for my buddy Jason's brother and then watching Wisconsin get crushed at Kara and Grant's house. Liam went to cousin Vince's house during the game...what a good little helper Vince is! He didn't change any diapers but he did help feed Liam!

Sunday morning I met Melissa and Anthony at the Arboretum for a 3 mile stroll. It was absolutely gorgeous with the fall colors at their peak. Anthony is a little older than Liam, and he's not quite sure if he likes him yet. I'm sure when Liam is bigger they will be good buds!

baby babble

Liam "talks" all day long, from the minute he wakes up until he goes to bed. It is so funny, even at 3am...

new things

It's been a while since I've posted, mainly because we are so tired by the end of the day I don't have much time to blog. I feel like I've been in a bit of a fog since coming back to work. 5am comes way too soon. Gone are the nights of staying out until 1am (or later in some cases). It's just not that much fun when you have to get up with an active 4 1/2 month old. Liam slept through the night last night for the first time since the beginning of August. Of course Phil was on duty, so I'm sure he will be wide awake at 2am for me tonight:)

Liam is learning and discovering new things every day. He loves to touch everything he can get his hands on: our faces, the dogs, food, books, blankets, toys. When exploring, he concentrates really hard to figure out what it is. He is going to be a deep thinker. Whatever we have, he wants. He loves playing peek-a-boo and being read to at bed time. He knows how to work all of the toys on his exersaucer. Everything he has in his hands end up in his mouth. And he is a little drool monster! He's also realized that he has a voice so he squeals at everything and talks back at you when you talk to him. Check back in a few days for a video...it is the cutest thing ever!

Having fun in my new Jumperoo.

Eating bananas...not really sure if I like them!

Playing with my favorite toy Mr. Monkey. He usually ends up in my mouth.

Exploring daddy's face.

Who's that handsome dude looking at me in the mirror? Oh, it's me!

Look! I can hold my own bottle!

I am wearing big boy shoes!

bad mommy?

Liam had his 4-month well baby visit on Friday. Another round of immunizations for my Little Man. These were worse than the first (for me). He was smiling and playing happily with his feet when the nurse got him with the needle. He gave me a puzzled look and promptly burst into tears, which in turn made me tear up. Sigh. The sound of my baby crying is worse than the rap music on Phil's iPod. Heart-wrenching to say the least. Here are his stats:

Height: 26 1/4 in.
Weight: 12 lbs. 8 oz.
Head circumference: 16"

He grew almost three inches in two months, but didn't even gain one pound. 90th percentile for height, 10th percentile for weight. I had the nurse re-weigh him just to make sure. Considering my back is bothering me, I thought for sure he was closer to 15 lbs. No luck. It was the same. The average weight gain for an infant is roughly 1 oz. per day...do the math and Liam should have gained around 4 lbs.

So I felt horrible, believing I was starving my baby. The doctor wasn't so concerned- she described him as long and lean. She suggested adding a couple of ounces to each of his bottles at day care and supplement with one formula bottle to boost his caloric intake. We go back in two weeks to see where he's at. If he hasn't gained much, maybe I'll start feeding him candy.

I know this will be one of hundreds of times I question my instincts. He's generally a very happy little guy so I think I would have known but then again, everything is a guessing game.

Lack of Faith

Okay, Jenn has been asking me to make a post on this site for quite some time, and now I feel the need to do so after the last one she posted. As I agree with her about Jackson, insert many phrases here that I have said that I should not be repeated on this site, I do not think she has the faith that Liam and I have in the Vikings, particularly one Purple Jesus in the backfield for this team, meaning that every game is worth watching, and a possible win. Liam will only know the domination of the Vikings in his lifetime, not the disappointement we have had to live with. As Dave said on the day Liam was born, "with the 32nd pick in the NFL draft (32nd pick being the Superbowl winners of course) The Minnesota Vikings select Liam Daniel Berndt, WR, University of Minnesota!"