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!"

are you ready for some Vikings football?

Liam certainly was...daddy had an AD jersey hanging in his closet before he was even born. We watched the first game at Mel and Jay's house and the second at home. Contemplating whether I will watch this week's contest v. Carolina or not. Do we teach Liam about the frustrations and constant disappointment that comes from being a Vikes fan so early in his life?


I recently read that a child's chance of becoming a quarterback in the NFL is 1 in 100,000. At this point, I think Liam would be a better bet than T-Jack. This football, after all, is his favorite toy.

Okay, my mini-rant is over. I hope that at the end of the season I will eat my words.

after bath

When we first brought Liam home he didn't care much for being naked. He is now a little water baby and loves the tub and bath time. Check out his favorite part...the after bath baby massage!

where are my toes?

In my mouth of course! Always!

new and different yum yums

Liam started on solids this week! So far he only gets one tablespoon of rice cereal mixed with milk before bedtime. He does pretty good, more in the mouth than on the bib. And he actually seems to like it. Obviously he has a very inexperienced palate because this stuff isn't really that tasty. Here are a few pics:



Notice that Hank is right there waiting for leftovers...I can only imagine how fat he'll get when Liam starts feeding himself and most of the food ends up on the floor!

september 4, 2007

September 4. It was one year ago today that I found out I was pregnant. At work. Not expected at all. It was also on this day that I went to visit my friends Jami and Robbie, and their new baby Cooper. I hadn't told Phil yet about the baby, and as I walked into that hospital I was thinking holy crap, what kind of mom am I going to be? I was used to selfishly living my own life, doing what I wanted, and spending my money as I pleased. With consideration of Phil, but he was pretty much the same. I had already passed THAT birthday, the one in which Down's Syndrome is more prevalent. And I never thought that I wanted to be the oldest mom with a kid in kindergarten.

Fast forward one year.

Cooper just turned 1


Liam and I were there to help celebrate.


Life is grand! Holy crap, yep we can do it are doing it. Being a parent is a big job, overwhelming if you think about all 18 years at once. Taking things day by day makes it a little less stressful. All of the diaper changes, sleepless nights, and fussy teething spells are totally worth it. Being a parent is the best thing ever, even when my sweet baby Liam turns into Mr. Crabby Pants:)