Pre-Christmas festivities

The build up to Christmas was a ton of fun with a Christmas dinner with Gram and Gramps, Santa at the Cooksey's, and plenty of time to play with the Christmas tree with Thomas! (my buddy who I shared a nanny with)

Thanksgiving

We had a great Thanksgiving with both families this year! My parents, brother, and Grandma B (dad's mom) came to visit and we joined the Gary's for Thanksgiving at their house in Rockwall.

I'm so cute!

Cruikshank Christmas card picture

Mmmmmm! This stuffing is great!

Hanging out with Grandma B.

Our trip to Hawaii

So I am finally updating the blog and I'm starting by sharing a few pics from our trip to Kauai (2 months ago!) It was Josh and I's first real vacation together in almost two years! It was hard being away from Liam for a week but we knew he was in good hands with his Mimi (my mom.) Unfortunately, Mimi got more than she bargained for when Liam got his first major cold plus an ear infection in each ear two days before we left. Then, to top it all off, the cat got sick too. So at 8 am the morning we flew out, I was at the vet's office trying to get them to see poor Abby without an appointment so that she could get her much needed kitty meds! Thankfully, despite all that--all seemed to go well in our absence. Although I'm pretty sure mom was ready to have a full night's rest again once we got back and took our sick baby off her hands! So enjoy a few of our pics and I would highly recommend Kauai as a vacation spot if you want a combo of a "lay around on the beach" vacation (Josh's style) and a "Do some fun things" vacation (my style.)

For everyone out there who thinks Liam looks like "Josh Jr."....

Apparently Sundey was right on in her comment that Liam looks like a complete mix of Josh and I! I stole this from the Gibbons' blog. Isn't it cool?

Liam's 9 month check up

Just thought I'd post Liam's stats from his doctor's appointment yesterday:

Weight: 19lbs 11oz, 45% Length: 28 1/4, 50% Head: 17 3/4, 50%

So my little boy--who for the first 6 months was way off the charts on the bottom (<5% on weight) is now smack dab in the middle! Pretty average, just like his parents!

My little baby is growing up!

So I don't have any video--but I'll add it soon. My sweet baby is crawling! Just in time for his 9 month doctor's appointment he finally managed to move from the "1 crawl and then frog-legs"--to the "I can go across the room--look at me mommy!" stage.

I also had to go and buy 4 (yes--4!!) new car seats today since Liam is outgrowing his infant seat. Unlike the infant seat-convertible car seats don't let you buy one seat and multiple bases. So for every one of Liam's care givers--I had to buy a seat (Nanny, GiGi, me, and Josh.) Ugh. The lady at Babies R Us kept asking me if I wanted gift receipts- because what kind of person buys 4 car seats for themselves?!

Also, this weekend our Sunday School class had our family picnic. The weather was beautiful and we got a great pic of Liam and his little friend Whit (2 weeks his senior) going tandem on the baby swing! It was Liam's first time to swing and he got a kick out of it!

Diary of crazy working mommy

Okay--so I like to think I usually have it all pulled together nicely. In general, I feel I've achieved a pretty good balance in my life despite working full time and still having to travel on occasion. No--the house does not always look as nice as I'd like it and I'm terrible about keeping the blog and the baby book updated--but I feel like I get to spend plenty of time with Liam (not always as much time as I'd like with Josh but that's partly because of his job) and I love my job (and this is the first time in a long time--probably ever--that I can say that!) However, I still have my moments....here is a little evidence of that...


"What?" you think, "how can that be evidence of anything but how cute Chase and Liam look in their Halloween costumes?" Well, well my friend--the issue is that in this picture Liam is a chile pepper..great costume-but Liam was supposed to be a dragon! That's Chase's costume from last year that he's wearing!!

Yes--crazy mommy that I am--I realize half an hour into our traffic plagued 1 hour drive to Plano on Halloween night that Liam's sweet little dragon costume is still sitting in the kitchen! In my craze to get everything ready after flying in from LA that afternoon--I managed to walk out the door without it. At this point, it's way too late to turn around so I'm just stuck feeling sorry for myself and the fact that I've ruined my son's first Halloween. Overdramatic? Of course--after all Liam could care less if he's dressed up in some goofy costume--but it still upset me. Fortunately, the always thoughful Thompsons came to the rescue. They dug out Chase's costume from last year (gender neutral fortunately!) and let Liam borrow it. My heroes!

And Liam and Chase (a darling flamingo) had a great time-- so I was upset for nothing!

Adults-only Halloween!

Don't worry--no risque pics here! Just some pics of the 3rd year residents and wives from the Ortho Halloween Party. Josh and I had the weekend at home alone while Liam's GiGi and PawPaw (Josh's parents) took him to visit his Mimi and Granddaddy (my parents)in Horseshoe Bay. This gave Josh and I plenty of time to prep for the Saturday pre-party at our house before heading over to the big event at Across the Street Bar. Every year the 3rd year residents are in charge of planning the event and they also do a group costume. This year's costume was "tennis greats". See if you can pick out who's who!

The Dallas Arboretum Pumpkin Patch!

Liam was in a mellow mood and refusing to smile. I think he was hungry. Who can blame him? I wouldn't smile if I was hungry either!

Anderson's 2nd birthday and Liam's 1st trip to the zoo!

I don't know how we managed to leave with no pics with the b-day boy and his parents, Michael and Sundey. Probably because all of Anderson's fun new toys were far more entertaining to him than any of us!

First trip to the State Fair of Texas!

It was a beautiful Tuesday night with the Thompsons (Eric, Elyse, and Chase!) Liam especially loved the petting zoo--see his pic with with camel--who's nose he kept tring to pick--ewwww!

Liam's "faux-hawk"

Liam, his faux-hawk, and Nanny Carlene!

FINALLY updating the blog!!

So much to add after over a month without posts! I'll attempt to cover the highlights. I'll start with a few old pics that haven't made it on here yet...

Liam with PawPaw in his hippo float. Can you tell how much he loves to swim!

My little dude in his goofy sunglasses--this is about the only time he has ever let me put them on him!

"Looking" at mom's yearbook before my 10 year h.s. reunion---hmmm--who is that nerdy person he's reading about?

"Watching" the Cowboy's game

This is what I came home to after returning from the grocery store this afternoon!

Dr. Liam

Here is Liam in his scrubs. Josh wanted him to hold a knife for these pics to show he is a surgeon (he was dead serious in this request)--I quickly vetoed. Besides, everyone who knows Liam knows that if he's any kind of doctor it will be a vet! He loves animals--especially his sister kitty, Abby.

Oh and notice that he's sticking his

tongue out in a couple of these--that's his latest trick!

SMU games are sooooo exciting!

I like to eat wild game!

Nonnie and Mom's visit

Trip to New Orleans

We took Liam to meet Josh's Aunt Opal and Uncle Max down in New Orleans. Unfortunately, we have no pictures with them! I need to get better at this photo-snapping!

Liam month by month

I can't find 5 months!