Liam is 1!

Here is the birthday boy! Enjoying some toys and balloons.

Family came over to celebrate with cake and Liam games.

Troy kept everybody entertained with his mad skills on the iphone.

Sweet Aunt Brittany loves Liam.

Liam has a lot of family, and so he gets lot of gifts. Everyone was so sweet! We had Krispy Kreme donuts instead of cake. Ben isn't a big cake guy, and it was a fun change. Everybody liked them I think. Liam had his own cake, which may or may not have been dropped right after the candle was blown out. Oops, but he still got lots of frosting to play with and eat. He got so messy that he couldn't hold his bottle to drink. Troy kept yelling at Liam, "Auh! Liam, hands! Help him! Help him mom!" Troy did not like the mess that Liam was getting into. Haha. It was SO funny. Liam LOVES eating.

We had our picture game. You have to put the pictures in order. 0-11 months. There are two pictures for each month. It is really hard. Ben didn't even win, Mom Allsop did! I bet I would have gotten a few of them wrong.

We also had Liam trivia and a round of watching youtube videos while I went and bathed the birthday boy. We had so much fun!

Liam had is 1 year appointment on Monday. Ben and I were thinking that he would be a little bit over 50% for weight and same for height. But, he is actually tall and skinny like his brother. 87% height and 29% weight. 31 inches and 23 lbs, about. That's all from memory because I can't find the paper that I had sitting right here next to the computer. Blah. So that might be off. His head is about 53%. Somewhere around there.

He took his first step this week and 8 in a row this evening. He gets into everything and is learning fast how to speak his opinion! I'm trying to teach him signs or words so that he doesn't resort to screaming every time he wants something. I love my little Liam and he is so smiley and sweet. I think two more teeth are coming in, so he has been a little more clingy, but that's ok! I love my Liam so much!!!!

Troy's Potty Training

Troy has decided to go in the potty! Only for a treat, though. He is not motivated by underwear or even staying dry. Just a treat or sticker. So, we are working on the staying dry. But he can go in the potty on demand!!! HOORAY!!!!

He likes to empty his "potty into the toilet" by himself. I usually help so that it won't get splattered everywhere. He likes to make sure that it is completely empty or he won't put it back. He's very good about washing his hands and pulling up his pants.

The treat that finally did it was the push sucker that you see to the left. The second day we used the sucker and starbursts, and after that he just got stickers. Sometimes he gets a treat if he needs extra motivation.

I started to think this day would not come. Ok, I knew it would come, but I didn't think it would be anytime soon. The day that he decided to switch, started out with me putting underwear on him, just to see... He continued to pee in his pants several times without caring/embarrassed. I said, ok, I guess he is not ready and put the diaper back on. After about an hour he asked if he could have the sucker I had showed him. I told him that he could have it if he went peepee in the potty. He said, "Ok," and proceeded to drop his pants and sit on the potty. He sat for probably a good 5 minutes. I listened with my ear glued to the door. He finally said, "I'm done, sucker?" He had gone on demand!! He continued to do so the rest of the day. When he had to go poop, it freaked him out and he just kept going pee a little every 10 minutes. Finally when I put a diaper on him for nap, he went poop. Shoot. We are working on that one.

The next day I tried underwear again, but he had the same problem and once I put the diaper on, he would stay dry. Maybe the pressure of wearing underwear is too much? I don't know.

Anyway, he has been going in the potty for about a week, but no pooping in the potty. I thought that maybe this would just be gradual, but then today he started to go in his diaper and then pee a little in the potty when I asked him to go potty. We went straight to the store and had him pick out lots of Cars underwear and he still pees in them. I'm frustrated, but I am trying to be hopeful and help him understand the difference between wet and dry. We will see how tomorrow goes. Ben is at a Scout campout. I think there should be a blog for moms who's husbands have really time consuming callings and we can just give each other fun ideas for when they are gone a lot.

P.s. I hate potty training. Maybe because I feel that I am not that good at it. I guess I should appreciate the patience and lessons I am learning, but I still hate potty training. Proud of Troy though ;)

Double the Trouble and Twice as Nice

Trouble

Liam is getting into everything and Troy likes to help! And vice versa. This drawer is emptied often. Liam starts taking one or two things out and Troy thinks he can hurry the process along. I let Liam take out a couple to play with, but Troy's help makes it a big mess.

Troy got into my makeup 3 times and painted his face with mascara. Luckily it wasn't too bad. Liam got the blush all over him. I guess watching me put on my makeup was just too tempting.

On Sunday, Liam somehow got into the gallon of vegetable oil (I have NO idea how) and spilled it all over the floor and then fell into it and rolled all over. I had to leave to choir, so Ben had to clean it up and in the process, our sink sprayer broke. It still sprays, but it hits you right in the face if you don't remember to pull it out and point it down. It's powerful, which is why I love it so much, but now it gets the whole kitchen wet if you forget. Poor Ben got squirted 3 times, and me once, before I decided to put a rag over it. Duh.

When I got home I gave Ben a haircut and while I was doing that, Troy decided to go "check on baby" as he says (code for, I'm going to go wake him up.) Liam was awake anyway, so I didn't mind, but then Troy tried to get in the crib but got his knee stuck. He starts screaming and I don't know why, and I'm trying to finish the hair cut. I rush upstairs and realize the problem. I try to get his leg out, but I can't. I yell for Ben, but he's trying to clean up the hair and shake it off outside. Finally he comes up and helps Troy's knee get out of the crib.

Nice

As much trouble as these two are, they are extremely nice together most of the time. A common problem with brothers, I hear. It's mainly because of Troy. Troy makes sure Liam is always with us, fed, has toys, and comes upstairs for naps or bed. Even if Liam is not taking a nap, I usually have to bring him into Troy's room for the story, song, and prayer.

Liam teases Troy and Troy laughs at his attempts to grab his feet or hair. Liam can actually play pass with Troy, but the ball doesn't actually ever get as far as Troy wants it too. I do think Liam will be just as coordinated and strong of a thrower. He already throws it pretty hard. It's a little scary.

Liam is walking with his walker toy and Troy purposefully went in his potty this morning and tonight to get a certain candy that he wanted. Progress! Troy is learning the sounds of letters, which is really needed for his speech. Now I can emphasize a letter sound in a word so that he will say it correctly. Bibin becomes Vitamin.

Liam just had his first haircut! Not a lot of hair to cut, but the few he had were getting really long.