Liam Update: April 2012

One night while tucking Liam into bed, I helped him say a little prayer.  Once his chubby little arms were folded across his chest and his eyes were scrunched shut, we began.

"Dear Heavenly Father..." I prompted.  

"Dear Heavenwy Fatho, Frankyoofrthsdaaay," he said.

"Thank you for Mommy..."

"Mommy," he repeated.

"And for Daddy..."

At this point he opened his eyes and grinned.  "No, not Daddy!"  he said.

"And for Soren..."

Still grinning mischievously he said, "No, not Soren!"
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Briar recently acquired a pet ferret (and before you all run off squealing, "Ewww!  Stinky!" I feel that you should know he's been deglanded is not any smellier than your favorite pet dog).  But anyway, Liam's first word to shout when he interacts with the ferret is "Mice!"  And thus was Briar's pet named.  So we now have a ferret named Mice.
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Liam's current favorite foods are Graham crackers, Ritz crackers, bananas, fruit snacks, and butter.
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Liam pronounces the word "bed," "dead."  So if he ever tells you, "I want to be dead," don't go calling the preschool suicide hotline.   Just give him a pillow and a blanket.
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Our little three-year-old is a compulsive apologizer.  He says "sorry" all the time: when he bumps into something, when you accidentally knock him over, when you're trying to cajole Soren into apologizing to him.  He's also very sweet about saying "thank you" (or "thank you, Mommy"-- which he'll say to anyone, not just to me.)
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Lum Yum Yum also really loves to go for walks.  He'll strut along happily in his signature wiggly way for an impressive length of time.  One morning we walked for about forty five minutes before he decided he needed to be carried.
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Liam loves to pretend.  My favorite is when he lies down and makes snoring noises.  "Dead!"  he'll say, lifting up his head and grinning.  "Dead!"  And then he'll put his head down and snore some more.
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The child becomes completely insane at night.  He runs around in circles and giggles until he falls over.  He'll sometimes sneak out of bed and quietly crawl down the stairs to visit Briar and Daddy.  He'll run back and forth between them and open and close doors, much to his own unmitigated mirth.
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Liam loves music.  He'll sing along to any kind of song.  He "plays" the piano with enthusiasm and expression.  He dances and wiggles adorably in the kitchen.
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I continue to fret about Liam's development, though he tested for the Special Education preschool and wasn't "behind" enough to qualify.  He really struggles to differentiate between opposites:  he's just as likely to say "cold" as he is to say "hot" when commenting on the temperature of food just taken out of the oven.  He uses "up" and "down" interchangeably.  He still hasn't quite mastered "Daddy" versus "Mommy."  

I wish I knew if this signified some bigger problem-- or if I should just relax and let him do his thing.

Playing at the park with his brother.

Getting ready for a winter walk.

Excited about the snow.

Looking rather regal in his television-watching throne.  

Happy to be in Grandma Hanson's arms.

Liam loves to read, of course.  He'll lie in the corner by the bookshelf and "read" stories out loud to himself sometimes.

Experiencing the joy of olive fingers for the first time.  

I adore this child.  He is the sweetest, easiest little guy to get along with.  I nearly fall over with joy and amazement every time I tell him "no" and he says, "Okay, Mommy."  He is super cuddly and I can't get enough of his sweet chubby cheeks.  He is my little angel and I am so thankful for his presence in our home.