Some Photos!!!

Liam is about to be 9 months - I wanted to catch you up with some pictures we took over the last month and a half!!!

Always happy when food is involved...

This is how I weigh him - with the luggage scale :) Tie him in a blanket and lift away...

Mom - I don't want to know what I weigh!

fun times together

waking up with a huge smile..

"Speak Bear - where were you last night?"

Tell me now!!!

Lifeway has these awesome baskets - Auntie Heather and mommy got to browse nearby!

Asleep in Auntie Hollie's arms...

PRECIOUS!

Heather's birthday...

Story time...

The morning we took Heather to the airport...

Candid...

Big kisses - big goodbyes...

St Patty's Day with Gramma and Grandpa...

fun in the sun...

Nana made this adorable camo diaper cover - we're testing it out...

water time with my digits and letters...

Liam's first Carousel Ride after the Easter bunny photos...

Liam's Tots Swim class at the YMCA...

St. Patty Party with a smile!

Liam and I went to the Skelly's annual St. Patrick's Day Party and got to see many familiar and new faces and watch others enjoy some corn beef and cabbage (while everyone enjoyed corn beef and cabbage - I enjoyed bar-b-que pork and veges)! Liam enjoyed organic chicken dinner and mango/apple puree!!!

Anne Parke, a friend of the Skelly's captured the awesome pictures of Liam below.

Enjoy and get your green clothes set out for this Thursday!!!

P.S. Liam is 21 pounds now!!!

Sunshine and Aunties

This weekend was difficult - we said goodbye to Auntie Heather on Saturday morning - she arrived back in Cambodia Sunday at 11:50 pm Cambodia time. We will miss her dearly and enjoyed her visit home SO much!!!

Goodbye to Auntie Heather - but a hello from Auntie Hollie...

Auntie Hollie visited today while I was pulling some pesky ivy in the yard. Liam had a blast in the sun and Lucca got to run around and grab ivy from the rake!

We had a wonderful visit in the front yard - sitting on a blanket and taking in the awesome vitamin D!!!

Liam is already 7 months a nearly 2 weeks old - he's cutting two more teeth - numbers 5 and 6!!! There's plenty of drool and a bit of pain again - maybe he'll have a short break after these come in.

Love you all and hope you're enjoying the Spring weather - it was 70 degrees today and gorgeous!!!

drip of drool!

basking in the sun...

so adorable!

Playing with auntie Hollie...

baby blues...

Nearly 7 months!

Liam at the First Robotics - Kimberley Clark Corp. Playing with the obstacle course props!

Thank you Lord for each day - for it is a gift to know and love you and to share your love with our sweet little boy and others around us!!!!!

Auntie Heather is is town from Cambodia for Missions Festival!!! If you want to see and visit with her come to the 10:30 service at Mount Paran North this Sunday 2/27 - Mark Rutland is the visiting pastor...Heather will be speaking to the Journey Sunday School class at 9:00am Sunday morning and then we'll welcome all the missionaries for the 10:30 service. I will be carrying an international flag in an awesome processional to welcome them home!!! We were missing you sweet sister!!! Welcome home!!!

Now for an update on the little (I mean big) guy! Sweet Liam Brendan!!!

Today (2/25/11):
20.4 lbs (all I need is a luggage scale and a big receiving blanket)
29 3/4 in long (just need a small fabric measuring tape)
46 1/2 cm head circumference (")

So, the little guy is talking up a storm, been sitting with no support for several weeks, he loves bouncing, kicking, giggling, stretching, biting, drooling (I'm sure he can't help the drool!)....

We are pretty well into a set routine now (it will probably change soon :). Wake up 5:00am - start getting ready for work, then daddy gets up and changes diaper and leaves Liam in jammies. I am usually ready for work by 5:30am, daddy brings me the little guy and I nurse, vitamin D, iron, sometimes tylenol (for the teething pain). Burp throughout...Liam lays down for short sleepy time. Daddy gets ready for work. Daddy gets Liam ready for the day, some milk, changes of clothes, burp clothes, teether toys (usually ready to go the night before), mommy's home made purees (organic apples/oranges, chicken, carrots, sweet potatoes, etc.) we've been throwing in more protein with the Earth's Best turkey or chicken dinners (part of his lunch and dinner time meals). Daddy gets Liam up - daddy loads the little guy, and Lucca in the car. Usually off to Nana's by 7:15...Daddy hits a bit of traffic on the lovely 75S interstate...

Liam gets to Nana's sleeps a bit more (if not feeling playful), has milk and banana puree around 10:00am, plays, sleeps, has milk then chicken or turkey dinner, then milk, the plays and sleeps. Wakes up plays, has milk then plays some more...mommy leaves work around 5:15 or so - battles traffic up 75N. gets to Nana and Grandpa's - picks up Liam and Lucca - we head home. I nurse, then he gets the other half of the Earth's best jar, fruit puree and ends nursing. Bed time is usually around 8:00pm (after fun bath time - once every other day or so)...shew....mommy and daddy collapse around 9:30 or later...

Right now Liam recognizes his name so we say it often. We point and say DaDa, MaMa, Grandma, Grandpa, Nana, Auntie, Uncle, Lucca, Nani, doggy, kitty, etc.

He is noticing random things too...

Last night he saw my wedding band on my finger - wouldn't stop staring at it. This morning while being burped he tried to turn all the way around to stare at my feet (I was moving them around to music). He is focusing intently at things he never noticed before - so cool!!! His little brain can be seen working in his expressions and gurgling/talking....what will he do next???

Enjoy some photos below. As soon as he wakes up we're off the get Lucca's nails clipped and go to buy a Graco Jump in Jive doorway jumper - so excited about this because it has a musical mat that goes beneath it...how did we ever survive being raised without all these crazy contraptions...I remember seeing slides of my siblings and I playing with cereal boxes and wooden spoons!!!! Did you get that last part - SLIDES - you know like a projector and a screen - kids probably don't even know what that is :-)

All our love to you and your families! Enjoy the chirping birds and the beautiful weather we're getting in GA!!!

Daddy and Liam playing with Purply Bear

Explosion of patterns and colors!

 Meeting Auntie Heather for first time at Hartsfield!!!

First day Auntie is in town from Cambodia!

Are you serious - I don't want chicken - I want apple-banana puree!

Toesies after bath time!

We're at a Cuban restaurant and Liam has to eat sweet potato/turkey puree

 ...he did get some rice though!

Safety goggles to be worn at all times - Robotics Training... 

Play time with Lucca on 2-25-11

Lucca LOVES it!!!

Liam meets a girl!


Katrina "Tina" and Liam meet for the first time. This was one of Liam's first interactions with an older woman (closer to his age). Lumnia helps out Grampa and Gramma Skelly at their home and has been a friend of their family for many years. Adriana is Lumnia's first daughter (who you'll hear in the background) and Tina is Lumnia's youngest at nearly a year and a half old. Good thing Liam isn't intimidated by bigger kids or older women... he'll make friends with anyone.

Bad, bad teeth!

Hello friends and family!

This week has been a challenge with Liam's teeth - he will have moments where he is so happy and content and then almost without warning he will get crabby and upset. He is on the cusp of cutting another set of teeth. (he already has his two lower central teeth - started coming around 3 months). It's so funny when he smiles and you can see them!

Please pray for the teeth to not cause him a lot of pain and pray for mommy and daddy's sleep deprivation too!

Update - his top left tooth started showing on February 2nd! Just shy of Christmas and that oh so famous song..."All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth"...

Love you all!

Momma K

Gianna Jessen is my hero!!!

Listen to her entire address to Parliament at Queen's Hall, Parliament House, Victoria-Australia.

You can watch the two part videos by clicking on these links below. It may be hard for you to listen to her and what she has to say, but I encourage you to do so.

" God is using Gianna to remind the world that each human being is precious to Him. It is beautiful to see the strength of the love of Jesus, which he has poured into her heart. My prayer for Gianna, and for all who listen to her, is that this message of God's love will put an end to abortion with the power of love."

- Mother Teresa

Part I: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPF1FhCMPuQ

Part II: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8B1nKGIAeg



Spitting Milk!

Last night Liam was very sleepy once I got him home from Nana and Grandpa's house. I started feeding him, then had to wake him up to bring him to the kitchen for rice cereal time ("Rice Rice Baby seems to be the perfect song for this"). Went back to finish feeding him in the fireside room and he got into this strange goofy spell. He was blabbering, laughing, giggling and very ticklish...so mommy fed right into all that...

After getting myself a huge glass of milk (I LOVE MILK so yummy and good for you) I went back to sit down with him. I had him up on my shoulder trying to get a burp out of him and every once in awhile I'd lean over to do the "licky chicken" tickle on his neck - did your mom ever do the licky chicken to you? Well, mine did - that and the basketball would make us laugh sooooo hard...I'll tell you about the basketball later on.

Anyways - I digress - so, I am leaning over to take a BIG/HUGE drink of milk (gotta get what you can while you can) and Liam quickly leans to my left cheek and starts giving me the licky chicken and giggling at the same time - in a split second I spit all the milk out of my mouth and everything around us was soaked...blanket, burp cloth, my jammies, his jammies, the end table, lamp, remote, Bible, journal - EVERYTHING. We sat there together and just laughed and laughed...of course he had just been changed into DRY, CLEAN jammies...

Now - that was a moment that I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt..."This mother thing is a blast - it may be an interesting ride, but I'm going to make the most of each 'new' adventure" including getting my face sucked on and bathing in 2% milk!!!! It's the simplicity of spontaneous fun that makes life so enjoyable... 

Love you all - enjoy the pic below of Liam on a random furniture hunt with us a few weeks back - we were successful in finding a beautiful computer desk on sale!!! Here he is posing with the Serta lamb on a quite comfy $1400 mattress! No, we did not get it for him, but he did leave his mark on it - nice drips of drool from all his teething...

We love you sweetie - our lives will never be the same!!!

Two Teeth in and counting...

Happy New Year everyone!!! I know this comes a little late!!!

Our dear son is growing - growing - growing. He is grabbing, pulling, pushing, launching, screeching, saying da-da (or course no sign of ma-ma anytime soon)...and so much more. He loves books, rattles, songs, dancing, tickle fits...taking in the world around him...and kisses/hugs...

Each day brings a new sound or syllable - we're having so much fun playing with him and telling him about all of his surroundings. "Black doggie, red book, purple round ball....etc." VERY EXCITING STUFF HERE!!!

About 5 weeks ago I started making purees with my handy-dandy Beaba Cooker/Steamer...I've made organic: apples, oranges, chicken, carrots, green bean soup (tomatoes and potatoes) and yams. This little cooker does everything for you, once prepared all I have to do is place the puree in ice cube trays then once frozen - place into the food saver bags in weekly portions...I'm loving it and so are daddy and Liam. He has only tried the chicken out of all of that variety - so no one freak out!!! Most people have strong opinions/ideas about when to start purees and which ones to start etc... he had teeth coming in and was grabbing for our cups and plates and utensils when we started :).

We cut back on chicken purees last week because we noticed some dry skin patches on Liam. The winter weather is probably mostly to blame for this, but better safe than sorry. In place of chicken he has been having rice cereal - and he LOVES it. Anyone know of the best organic variety? Today nana will get to try feeding him rice cereal for her first time. Should be a good sloppy mess for her!

On the birthday front - on Sunday the 16th hubby surprised me with a gathering at the bowling alley for my 30th birthday party...of course Liam was in tow and we all had a blast together. Although, he's not quite big enough to throw the ball down the lane - I know one day he'll love the gutter guards like mommy used to. Daddy has a wicked curve and bowled pretty well compared to me!!!

Yes, readers, I am 30 now - I still feel young, but those joints are starting to scream at me a bit more with just small changes to my daily routine - i.e. picking up our 18.3 lb munchkin from all different angles :) Needless to say, we are planning to join the YMCA as a family this month so we can start taking advantage of the baby swim classes beginning at 6 months "Skippers Class". Check out this link if you want to learn more about introducing children to water at an early age. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aq4ZnrdtEGc.

Much love to you all from the Skelly fam!!!

Liam in Christmas Program

Last Friday night Liam and I helped out with the Christmas program at the Church of The Apostles titled A Children's Christmas. Liam was the baby Jesus in the program (last minute decision by our sweet Early Childhood Coordinator, Kimberley). If you would like to watch the short program see the face book link below... note Liam gets a bit upset half way through! That's me saying "He's fine" in the background. Mary leans over to kiss him several times to try and calm him down!

A few kids came home reporting that "the real baby Jesus" legs were wiggling while in the manger" : ) after the program ended several 4 and 5 year olds were motioning towards Liam saying "Jesus loves you and me" and "can you believe that's the real baby Jesus". It was a precious night to spend with the children in this ministry! Thank you Lord for all your many blessings!!!

Love,

Momma Skelly

http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Church-of-The-Apostles-Childrens-Ministry/159854194042749?v=wall#!/video/?id=159854194042749

Liam before his performance...

 Liam and mommy

Liam's 1st Laugh... back at 8 weeks old

You've asked for it... now it's here... after finally getting it into the file format for uploading. This is the video of little Big guy's FIRST LAUGH(s) while we were on a 3-day trip to Savannah / Tybee Island. Liam was just shy of 8 weeks-old when we took to the road... enjoy!

Tickling him before bed one night (13 weeks old) :)

Happy 4 month birthday Liam!!!

Liam had a very exciting 4 month birthday - Grandpa invited him to come meet Santa who was making his way through Roswell, GA last Thursday. He happened to be coming across the lake at Kimberly Clark the night of December 2nd. Liam was such a good boy. He was happy - even after waiting in line for over an hour to sit on Santa's lap...

Thanks to Santa's early stop - mommy and daddy won't have to try and go see Santa in the mall crowds at Phipps or Lenox this year!!!

Peace and joy to everyone!

Momma Skelly

Today's Stats!

Today Liam is 3 months 27 days old...holy cows!!!
Height: 26 in (87 percentile)
Weight: 16 lb 14 oz (87 percentile)
Head Circumference: 44.3 cm (94 percentile) Proof that he does have a generous noggin!!!

Blessings to all our family and friends...

We pray you will enjoy the next few weeks together - remember the Reason for the Season, Jesus Christ our LORD!!!!

17 pounder!!!

Kevin and I weighed Liam this weekend and figure he's at least 17 pounds...he's only 15 weeks as of yesterday and just keeps growing. Everyone keeps telling me that this is what happens for the rest of his childhood - but to actually see the changes day by day is incredible...I told Kevin I'm going to stop feeding him so he'll stop growing (I'M KIDDING OF COURSE)...

A few milestones - he is making a full spectrum of noises and sounds (including new toots everyday) - Liam has been a gassy boy since birth. He's now very ticklish on his belly, feet and underarms (new within the last week). He loves hearing himself cough, laugh, and seeing himself in any mirror. Grandpa tickles his feet with his wickers and this is probably Liam's favorite thing at the moment. Of course he loves mommy's ridiculous non-rhyming songs too. The latest one is "Liam, Liam, where's my Liam - where is he and what's he doin' I can hear him laughin' and tootn'" or Kevin's favorite - sung to the tune from the Wizard of Oz "Rub dub here, rub dub there and a couple of la-di-das, that's how we laugh the day away in the merry ol' land of Skell, toot toot here toot toot there and a couple of la-di-das that's how we laugh the day away in the merry ol' land of Skell, brush brush here, brush brush there" - I think you get the idea - insert any silly action verb and you will make Liam laugh with this one! {By the way, if anyone thinks of something that rhymes with la-di-das that's a fun make believe place - let me know and I'll pay you with snickerdoodle cookies this Christmas!!!}

Anyways, I digress!!! What else is new! This is happening more and more since the delivery of our beautiful boy! How long does pregnancy brain last? Well into your 90's???

We had his 3 month pictures done last Friday and the photographer said he did very well for a 3 month old. Usually they are squirmy and fussy, but Liam was just eatin' in up - smiling for the camera and laughing, gurgling. See below for a few proofs - you will literally melt!

He is too big for size 2 diapers now and too small for size 3 - so we are putting the 3's on him tightly - looks very funny indeed - he would kill us if he saw how far up his torso they go!

Well, friends and fam - just wanted to catch you up a bit...tune in because I'm going to try to give weekly updates to document this sweet boys' life.

In closing for today - what I can say is that Kevin and I are having an absolute blast with this little guy - we can't believe we made such an intuitive ball of cuteness - God is molding us and sculpting us into more patient and loving people just by being in Liam's presence. I'm learning the true meaning of having faith like a child - their joy and laughter is a direct reflection of the joy and laughter from the Lord - I know the Lord speaks to Liam in his sleep and during the day - because when I look at him there is such a peace and happiness and audible coos coming out - as if God is making him laugh and sprinkling love onto Liam in his dreams!!! As a mother this is absolutely sweet to see first hand!!!

Love you all and here is to a simplified, sweet and giving holiday season with friends and family!

Mom Skell

The little prince is over 5 weeks old now...

This is a picture of our sweetie at his one month/3 day check up with the pediatrician. He is 10 pounds 8 ounces now and over 23 1/4 inches! He is growing fast and capturing mommy and daddy's heart with each new expression and sound...

We are so excited to hear him talk one day and see him smile more and more.

Love you all and really appreciate all the encouragement and love!

Liam Brendan Skelly - updated post to follow