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A Day at the Farm!

September 21, 2008

This weekend was filled with outdoor activities and today we headed to the apple orchard to do some picking! We started out with a wagon ride around the farm and through the orchard, the wagon was pulled by Bud and Bill.



We had our first taste of a fresh apple while on the wagon, Liam was a little jealous that he did not get any.

We then headed over to the wood cut outs that you stick your face in...

and then did some pics by a big haystack. We could not get Liam to cooperate for a picture, normally he is such a ham but he was more interested in the actual hay.
He is a true farmer in the making, who said that you had to follow in Daddy's footsteps?
We picked some apples, it looks like we each had a different way of doing things, at least Liam gets a little variety in life :)

Lastly we did a little visiting with the animals. Liam wanted to touch everything and laughed at all the animals. He is very grabby though and I had to be very careful he did not grab a fistful of the donkey's or pony's hair.

It was a great day and one that we will remember fondly, we can't wait to go pumpkin picking!

Going to the Zoo!

September 20, 2008
The whole family headed to the zoo today, the weather was beautiful and we know that won't last forever so we took advantage of it.
This picture is in front of the penguins, the smell in there was horrible but Liam did not seem to mind.
The bears were active and really cute but I don't think Liam could see them. We had a great day at the zoo!

Should Have Read the Cookbook!

September 18, 2008




This morning we tried out the apple puree, surprisingly Liam was not a big fan.
I was crushed, I thought it tasted great. But after a little research (like reading the side bar in the cookbook) I learned that Golden Delicious is the best apple for infants due to a lower acid level.
Hmm, should of read that before I made the apples. Oh well, it will give me another reason to use the Babycook! Liam had a good laugh over the whole situation.

Using the Babycook...

September 17, 2008




Today I tried out my fancy gadget the Babycook from William Sonoma to make some apple puree. I started out with a Honey Crisp apple from the farmer's market.

Steamed it in the Babycook,

removed the skins,

and pureed the apples.

Then it was off to the ice cube trays and the freezer.

I loved the Babycook machine, it made it quick and easy and the kitchen smelled sooo good. Hmm just thinking of it makes me want an apple.

Such a Happy Guy

September 15, 2008



Today was a long day for Liam and I, Mike had to work late and we had the whole day to ourselves. Sometimes this can backfire but today it worked out well. We started by going to play group this morning. One of the girls I met at the library organized a play group every Monday and Liam has a blast.


We then had a little playtime of our own later on that evening back at the house. Gosh this kid LOVES the camera!

Liam's Verdict on the Squash...

September 15, 2008

We tried the squash at dinner tonight,
Mike was still at work so I had to work the camera by myself. It was a little tricky to catch this moment but it was very serious.
He was not so sure about it but he still ate it all up. Such a good appetite.

Making Squash

September 14, 2008



Today while Liam napped I made some organic acorn squash for him. It was quite easy, I started out with 2 beautiful squash....

After scraping out seeds, I flipped them over and put some water in the pan and baked them for about 45 minutes.
Then I scrapped out the fleshy part and pureed them and thinned it with some water.
Then off to the ice cube trays and the freezer. What a breeze!

A Sippy Cup?

September 12, 2oo8




Today I introduced the sippy cup to Liam. At first he was not quite sure what to make of this strange blue thing.....

but once he figured it out he was all over it! He chokes on the water that comes out once he sucks but he just needs a little practice. It flows out much faster than the breast!

Happy Birthday Mommy!

September 12, 2008



Happy Birthday to me! Today was my birthday, and boy it was a great one. Liam and I spent the day together and then Mike took us out to dinner...a casual affair at Outback. Hmm, was it good. My parents sent me this great cookie bouquet, Mike makes fun of me because I will only share with him on a limited basis.
Mike did fabulous with gifts this year. He gave me a Willima Sonoma baby food cookbook and a steamer/puree machine called Babycook. I absolutely love it and it will make my baby food making a breeze! How clever. Liam gave me a beautiful bracelet with a heart locket with his initial on it. The men in my life are so wonderful!

Picnic at Reed's Lake

September 11, 2008



So it was another night that I did not have dinner planned (who can plan dinner when you have a busy social schedule?), so I figured we would do something fun. The weather here was beautiful so I thought it would be fun to have a picnic. We ordered out from Rose's Express and headed down to Reed's Lake, which is only a couple blocks from our house.
Liam loved to be outside and did quite a bit of people watching (just like his mama!). He rolled over for daddy for the first time and also took a header and did a face plant in the grass. He was not happy about that! We had a great time.

What a Gentleman

September 11, 2008

Check out this outfit!

Isn't he the cutest thing ever? He is such a big boy.

Making Baby Food?




September 8, 2008
Sometimes I look back at things that I have thought or even said and laugh when I actually do them. For example, Amanda J told me how she cried when Addie had her first shots and I think I told her "to get a grip and stop being such a baby", they were only shots right? Little did I know that when Liam would get his shots I would do the same thing! It is the same thing with making baby food. I have heard of crazy people that make their own baby food and I thought boy what a lot of work, but here I am trying to make my own for Liam. I know that the baby food at the store is absolutely fine and Liam would love it too but there is something about fresh produce for him that entices me. I have done some research and decided to give it a try.

My first attempt is with sweet potatoes. They seem like a good option...EASY. I picked out some delicious ones and scrubbed them really good.
I then boiled them until easily pierced with a fork (since this attempt I have read that it might be better to bake them instead).

I then skinned them and threw them in the food processor and used the left over boiled water to thin them out.


I set some aside for Liam and put the rest in ice cube trays to freeze. This way I just have to pull out a little baggie every morning and stick it in the fridge to thaw. Not bad.


So the big taste test will tell the truth about my end product. Liam really likes them :) YEAH!! A success. But then after about half of the serving he starts to gag...not a success? After some trials I discovered that it was too thick and had to thin it out some more and now he eats it like a champ! I can hardly wait to try my next one.

Playtime with Genevieve!

September 10, 2008

Today Liam and I went for our weekly play date with my friend Michele and her daughter Genevieve. Genevieve is about 4 weeks younger than Liam, we are hoping that they will grow up to be great pals. Liam is still such a ham with the camera, just say "Cheese!" and out comes that award winning smile!

Liam Rolls Over!

September 8, 2008

Today Liam and I were at Baby Time at our local library. He was laying on the floor playing with some toys and surrounded by big kids (which he loves) when all of a sudden he rolled from his back to his tummy. I said "Oh my he just rolled over for the first time!" everyone started cheering and clapping and he did it again! I am so proud!
He has been rolling over from his tummy to his back forever but could not get the hang of the other way until today. Now the developmental obsessing can stop, Mike is probably so grateful:)

Liam's Baptism

September 7, 2008

Liam's baptism finally arrives! Mike and I finally decided to have Liam baptized. Since Liam's birth we have been so busy with moving and living day to day that Liam's baptism was a bit delayed. After some pressure from family and a lot of soul searching we decided to baptize Liam Catholic. Mike and I both grew up Catholic but have not attended church or practiced in quite a while. We both felt that whatever religion we raised Liam in we needed to practice it so we made it our mission to find a church that would work for us. That church is Saint Andrew in downtown Grand Rapids. It is a liberal(as liberal as Catholic can get) and diverse church that seems to fit our needs.
Anyhow...the day of Liam's baptism came and I was so excited. I had planned everything out from the gown to the reception. Liam's gown (yup that's right our little boy wore a dress!) was made from the train of my wedding gown. It is simple but beautiful and accented by a blue sash.

I dressed him at my mom's and we then took some traditional photos under the evergreen tree out front. Ever since I can remember we have taken pictures out front...the first one I can think of was my preschool graduation and more recently of me and Annie when we were pregnant. The picture of Mike and Liam is my favorite!


Mike and I then headed to the church...we loaded Liam up in his stroller and walked to Saint John Fisher. SJF is the church/elementary school that I grew up in, it was kind of nostalgic walking that same route that I had a millions times before (we even crossed at Hooker's driveway diagonally to the red brick house just like when we were kids. ). SJF holds many fine memories not only for me but for Mike too since we were married there!
At the church we met family, friends, and Liam's Godparents. It was so great to be surrounded by so much love on his big day!
Mary DeVoto is Liam's Godmother. Mary and I go way back to when I was a scrawny little girl wanting to learn the flute. She taught me flute, piano, and how to be the best babysitter ever. I would spend hours down at their house playing with her oldest daughter Melanie. I took care of all three of her girls and in the process became like a fourth daughter to them. I went on vacations with them and adored them. Over the years Mary and I have stayed close. Mike and I thought that Mary would be a loving role model for Liam. She is strong in her faith and we hope she will pass this on to Liam also.
Jeff Crain is Liam's Godfather. Jeff is Mike's cousin and also a very close friend to both of us. Mike and Jeff grew up together and have many fun and probably not so good stories. Mike and I chose Jeff because he has played such an important role in Mike's childhood. He is a great dad to his two children and always put them first. We know that Jeff will be a loving and caring person for Liam to look up to in the years to come.
The ceremony went well, Liam was an angel. Mary and Jeff took turns holding him and keeping him happy. He did fuss just a bit when they poured the holy water over his head but recovered quickly

By the end of the baptism Liam was worn out and feel asleep for the pics on the altar.
We had the reception at Cooper's Hawk Winery in Orland Park, Illinois. We had a private room and the food was excellent. We had such a great time. Liam snoozed while we ate and then was loved on by just about everyone in the room. I think he had a blast!
I hope that Liam will alway be surrounded by as much love as we experienced today. I know that raising him in the Catholic faith is the right thing to do and hope that Mike and I can rise up to the challenge.