more 8 week pictures

8 weeks!

Liam is 8 weeks old today! I cannot believe how big and old he is getting..and so fast! He had his two month appointment today. Poor little guy got 3 shots for about 50 different things :). He screamed, but it only last a short little bit. He got over it quickly. Now he is pretty fussy and has a low fever due to the shots. Poor baby might not be too happy for the next couple of days. Other than the recent shots, he is doing very well!! He is smiling and interacting with us more and more every day. He definitely recognizes his mommy and daddy now which is the best feeling ever. He tries so hard to talk...it is adorable. I will take some video soon and post it. We just love him more and more every day. Today he was 12 pounds 4 ounces and 23 inches long! The doctor says he looks great, and everything is normal. Developmentally he is right on track...he smiles in response to voices and other smiles, and also to initiate socialization..he is cooing, focusing, tracking and recognizing with his eyes...he just really is the most amazing thing ever...

aunt erin

Tuesday morning came and mom, dad, Jeremy, Liam and I all piled in a rented mini-van and drove down to Eureka Springs, AR to see Erin! She had a 24 hour break from kamp so we were able to spend a little bit of time with her. It was GREAT to get to see her...we really miss her a lot. She was surprised how much Liam has grown in just the few weeks she has been gone. Mom, Erin and I walked around downtown Eureka Springs looking at some of their shops...I didn't realize this little town was such a "touristy" place! It is a really cute town right in the middle of the Ozarks. It was awesome to go back to the Ozarks...mom and I figured out that it has been seven years since we have been down there, and before that every summer we would be down there at Ponca Bible Camp. It is such a beautiful part of the country.



Erin is loving her experience at KAA (kids across america). She is there for two terms, each term being three weeks. Each week she has a different set of girls. By then end she will have counseled six cabins of girls (each cabin has about 11 girls). She LOVES her co-counselor, which makes all the difference in the world. She says that she feels like she has known her her whole life, and they work really well together. That has been a huge blessing for her. Her first week of girls, she really enjoyed. She said that was a good group of girls to start the term out with. I think that the week she is on now is a little more challenging, but it sounds like she is dealing with it all really well. Her third group of girls comes tomorrow. Erin is spending basically all of her time outside, so she is as tan as I can ever remember her...it is quite ridiculous when you put the two of us side by side :). She spends her days coaching basketball, life-guarding and being a boat driver. Those are her main responsibilities. She was very relieved to come to a hotel with air conditioning and where she could take a hot shower!

Just wanted to update everyone on her experiences. I know she is really enjoying it, and had nothing but good things to say about her time there. It takes an amazing person to be able to relate to the kids that she is working with...I am so impressed.

annette's 18!

Here are some pictures from Annette's 18th birthday party! Liam has really started to smile now, so a few of the pictures are of his big toothless grin! We had a great time getting to hang out with family...

for aunt k

Thanks for this cute little outfit!! Well this one...and many others :) Love you!

best friends

big boy!

We had our check-up yesterday at the pediatric cardiologist's office. Liam had a little murmur when he was born. While we were in the hospital they did an echocardiogram that showed a little flap that was not closed between the top chambers of his heart. Yesterday they did a repeat echo that showed everything is fine! It is all resolved, and he no longer has a murmur. The doctor said that there is absolutely nothing to worry about. That was all a big answer to prayer. At their office yesterday they weighed and measured him...any guesses?? He is a whopping 10 pounds 15 ounces, and 22 inches long. Seriously, basically 11 pounds!! He is only 5 weeks old..I would say that is a little above average. He is really starting to fill out and get chubby :) Here are a couple of pictures. Look at that double chin!

2 years!

Yesterday Jeremy and I celebrated out second anniversary! It feels like it should be longer than that. So much has happened in two years...move to Indiana, start a new job, Jeremy graduates, move back to Kansas, Jeremy starts new job, I go back to work at Wesley, rent a house, get a dog, found out we were pregnant, bought a house, and had a baby! Some of those events being more major than others, but I just can't believe all of that has happened in only two years! It has been an amazing two years.
Yesterday evening Jeremy and I went out to the east warren for dinner and a movie. It was the first time either of us had sat in the balcony in the big theater. It was actually worth it! It is kind of expensive (at $18/person), but the food is really good and the seats are actually bigger than love seats and really roomie. So we would recommend it. It was only the second time that we have left Liam, but I did much better the second time than I did the first! I actually enjoyed going out and wasn't worried about him the whole time :). Didn't even shed a tear...this time :).
And of course, here are a couple pictures.

**When I posted this earlier today, I forgot to mention the highlight of our night out! On the way home our tire blew...yeah, so not really the highlight, but it was amusing. We had just been talking about on the way to the movie how we needed new tires on the Honda. Guess we have to get them now! I was rather impressed with Jeremy. I asked him if he knew how to change a tire, and he said yes...I didn't really believe him, but 20 minutes later he had the spare on! Guess I can't call him a girly man anymore for not really knowing how to repair things ;).

He loves his baths!
































Superman pose :) He sleeps like this a lot.

more pics

Soon I will have posts that are more than just pictures of Liam, but for now I got a couple other pictures that I wanted to share.

4 weeks old!

Liam is 4 weeks old today. He is doing great, and mom and dad are surviving :). Two nights ago he actually slept for 5 hours straight! We are hoping that he continues that. We took him up to my work yesterday evening to show him off...I also wanted to put him on the scale there and see how much he weighed. He weighed a lot more than I thought he did! 10 pounds, 4 ounces! He is still 21 inches long. Here are some new pictures of him :)

hands and feet

hey jude

Mr and Mrs Birkey!

This last weekend we took our first little "vacation" with the baby :). We drove up to Ottawa for Justin and Amy's wedding. Liam got to meet his "other family" for the first time :)! We went up Friday evening for the rehersal dinner and then stayed Saturday for the wedding and came home. It was a bit overwhelming going somewhere with a child, but it was worth it. Their wedding was beautiful...here are some pictures! Congratulations Justin and Amy!




"Grandpa Birkey" with Liam














Erin, Jodi, Melisa and I














"Grandma Birkey" with Liam

















Our first family picture













The Birkeys!












Our family :)

2 weeks old!