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Road Trip to Atlanta

May 20-23, 2008

This past week Liam and I took a road trip to Atlanta to meet some friends from Indianapolis. It was great to see everyone, I miss them so much. We had plans to go to the Georgia Aquarium and the Atlanta Zoo.

I was so excited about going to the aquarium, it is the world's largest and has 4 whale sharks and even a hammerhead shark (pictured above). Mike and I have always dreamed of going scuba diving with the whale sharks in Belize but have been unable to plan a trip there due to the short amount of time that they are there each year. So this would be so exciting to see...the 4 whale sharks at the aquarium range from 17 feet to 19 feet long and could grow to 35 feet long!

It was everything I had dreamed of, there was a tunnel that you could stand in to see the whale sharks and then also a big glass wall that you could watch from too.

The glass wall was really neat because you could sit down in front of it and watch the fish go by. Liam seemed to enjoy all the colors and watching the fish float by.


While we were there I did a little research into a new program that starts in July...diving with the whale sharks!!!

I am so excited about this and surprised Mike with the details when we got home. I have made reservations for Mike, my brother John, and myself to do this in November. Now don't worry about how big the whale sharks are they can only swallow things smaller than a quarter even though their mouths are 4 feet wide. It is a little intimidating to think about getting in the water with something so big but I just can't wait to do it...when else will we have a guaranteed dive with a whale shark? It will be an experience of a lifetime. The other neat thing is that my sister-in-law, niece, and Liam will be able to watch us! I wonder if Liam will be old enough to recognize me with scuba equipment on?


Well after all the excitement of the aquarium I wondered how the zoo would compare...it was pretty nice. We had an enjoyable day there. My favorite was the gorillas. The exhibit was quite expansive had about 4 different groups of gorillas...I think they said there was 27 gorillas in all! There were a lot of babies in the exhibit, this mother had twins and brought them right up to the glass for us to view. Amazing!


My friends boys (Pete and Blake) really seemed to enjoy the zoo and were able to run off some of their crazy energy! It was great to watch and
something to look forward to when Liam gets older.
The other really neat exhibit at the park was the pandas. When we went in to see them one was up moving around. Pete was standing by the glass and it stood right next to him on the other side. What a sight!

Well I could not have asked for a better trip...I am thankful for having such great friends! I am looking forward to moving closer to home so that I could spend more time with them.

Doo Dah Days!

May 17, 2008

Today was Doo Dah Days, which is a kind of pet parade/celebration that raises money for local animal shelters. Mike, Liam, Sassy, Fletcher, and I walked in the parade with the Birmingham Greyhounds. It was our first time meeting everyone with this organization and they were so welcoming!

During the parade Sassy rode on the float to take a break from the heat and walking. We thought that she would be nervous up there but she was like a pageant queen waving her paw and smiling for the crowd.
Fletcher walked the entire way because he discovered that the people watching the parade had treats. He was not shy about it and went up to people looking for the treats and even riffled through some bags. What a character!


After the parade we dropped the dogs off at home and headed back to the parks to listen to some music and enjoy the beautiful day. We spread out our trusty Star Wars blanket (Mike has had this since he was a kid!) and lounged around. It was an enjoyable day.

CMMA Dinner

May 15, 2008
Tonight was a dinner sponsored by CMMA, which is a Christian Medical Group that Mike and I belong to. I know it is a surprise to many that Mike and I would join a religious based group but it has truly been a great experience. My friend Lindsey invited me to go to a Monday night meeting for couples that are med students, residents, fellows, physical therapist etc. At the meeting we discuss challenges that couples need to overcome in such a demanding career. We have made some great friends there and have learned a lot.


So back to the dinner, it was at Vestavia Country Club so the whole family had to get dressed up. Liam wore a true "Southern Boy" outfit commonly referred to as a bubble suit...he looked too cute. My outfit was a little more challenging, nothing seems to fit like it used to! I was grateful that my boobs did not fall out of my top during dinner! Dinner was great, Liam behaved and the speaker Tom Randall was excellent. He told inspiring stories and really made me want to strive to become a better person.


Rub-a-Dub-Dub

May 14, 2008

Liam is in the tub! Today I took the sling out of the bathtub...maybe I should have done it sooner? Anyhow Liam had a great time splashing and making a mess! He is just such a sweet boy and makes me laugh all the time.

Playtime!

May 11, 2008
Liam is a busy guy, he loves to lay on his back and play. He recently discovered his hands, especially his left hand. He constantly has it stuffed in his mouth and sucks on his knuckles.
The pediatrician has stressed the importance of tummy time to strengthen his neck, unfortunately Liam is not so fond of it. I have tried different toys and games to play with him but he never seems to last very long. Today Fletcher wanted to get in on the act of tummy time and help Liam out!



Meeting Mommy's Family

May 4, 2008
Today we went to my Aunt Lorie's home for my cousin Shelby's birthday party. My mom's family can be a little overwhelming due to the number of brothers and sisters she has and the volume of noise at get togethers but Liam did not seem to mind.


This is Shelby, the birthday girl! She really liked holding Liam and I think out of everyone she held him the most.
The Woody Clan: Liam's Great Aunt Lorie, Great Uncle John, and their daughters Sam, Abigail (middle pic), Sam holding Liam by herself and Shelby (above holding Liam)


The Richardson-Hagen Clan: Great Aunt Bette, Great Uncle Ron, and cousin Ingrid (cousin Greta is away at college)
Great Uncle Ross and Great Uncle Larry
Great Aunt Kathy
Great Aunt Lyda

Great Uncle John
Great Grandma
Wow! That is overwhelming just on the blog :) I wish that we had more time at Aunt Lorie's so that everyone could really get a chance to enjoy Liam but we had to leave to get to the airport. I am truly looking forward to the big move so that we can become part of the family again instead of just visitors. It was great to see everyone but it was also bittersweet to have to leave so soon.

The Talman Boys

May 3, 2008
I grew up on Talman Ave in Chicago, the neighborhood was loaded with kids and we all played really well together. Lauren was a neighbor that lived 2 doors North of my parents and Annie lived 1 door South of my parents.
It just so happened that all of us got pregnant at the same time, all of us delivered within 2 weeks of each other, and all of us had boys! When I was home visiting Lauren was at her mom's visiting and Annie was in seeing me so all the boys got to meet. It was fun to spend some time together and exchange fun times and the horrible struggles of being a first time mom!

Me and Liam, Lauren and Nick, Annie and Caleb

Metting Daddy's Family

May 3, 2008

Tonight we invited Mike's family to stop and visit at my mom's house. It was great to see everyone and watch them interact with Liam.

Great Aunt Cyndy and Great Uncle Ziggy

Jeff (Mike's cousin) and his 2 children Alex and Kaylin (the best behaved children ever!)

Alex loved Liam and was very interested in holding him and participating in all his care. I think that it is a sign to Jeff and Dina that he would like one more sibling! :)

Look at these two monkeys, Jeff wanted to see if he still had diaper changing skills. It is moments like these that I miss so much and make me appreciate moving back north all the more.

Great Auntie Maureen loved holding Liam even though he was a little grumpy!

Metting Little Caleb

May 3, 2008


This afternoon Liam met a very important family. My best friend from childhood had a baby 2 weeks after me, she lives in Wisconsin and drove down to see us while we were in Chicago. Annie and I are one year apart and grew up living next door to each other, we will be friends forever so it was important to me that Liam met Caleb.



They visitied with us on Saturday and Sunday. The boys were able to sleep (notice how Caleb is leaning his head on Liam's shoulder...I think they are true friends already!), lay on the floor, and just hang out.
I hope that Liam and Caleb become close friends just like Annie and I did. The memories I have from the last 31 years of friendship are unforgettable and something I will cherish forever. Thanks Annie!!!!



Liam meets Grandma Boyle

May 3, 2008
After house hunting in Michigan Mike and I drove to Chicago so that Liam could start to meet the family. We took Mike's mom out to lunch with Liam, she seemed pleased with the little guy.

It was nice to see Mike so proud of his son and showing him off to his mom.

Our Trip to Michigan

May 1, 2008
Mike, Liam, and I flew into Chicago and then drove to Grand Rapids Michigan to look for a home to rent. The flight into Chicago was great, Liam slept most of the way and did a great job nursing on the plane. The drive to Grand Rapids was slightly painful and required some stops but we made it one peice.
The next day our realtor Linda took us to look at 4 different homes to rent. Out of the 4 homes 2 were what we were looking for, I was so excited. We picked a brick bungalow that has 3 bedrooms, 1 bath, a garage, and a fenced in yard. The most important part is that it is located in the town of East Grand Rapids. When we walked through the neighborhood kids were out playing, people were out walking, and there is a lake about 3 blocks from the house with a walking path around it. This rental will give us a chance to make sure that Mike likes the practice, and that I like the neighborhood before we buy our "forever home."I am getting very excited about moving closer to home and starting the next chapter in our lives.





Uncle John Visits Birmingham

April 26,2008My brother John was in Alabama for the race at Talladega and came to our house for lunch. It was the first time that John got to see little Liam. I think that it brought back a lot of memories from when my niece Sydney was this young. We were glad that he made the trip to see us!






Having a Fun Day

April 28, 2008

Today Liam was in a great mood, he was full of smiles and made some cooing noises while playing on the floor.
When I put him in his swing with his luvie he was desperately trying to find his thumb.