oops!

I am not sure how we did it, but we managed to forget to put up a post about Liam's first birthday party. We did have one for him, it was a little late but it was a great time. We attempted to make a Hungry Caterpillar cake for him but the face got a little melted. Anyway, the food was good, the company was great and Liam was as cute as ever.

I am also posting some pictures of the house. Mike has been slaving away painting the outside yellow and people have wanted to see pics, so here they are at long last.

Changes and Visits with Friends

It has been a busy few weeks since our last post. As you can note by the new pictures, Liam has had his first haircut and he is finally popping his two front teeth. They are so slow coming in but Liam is coping with it well. We are amazed with how much Liam's haircut has changed his looks. By having the trim he seemed to morph from baby to toddler instantanously. We would have pictures of him sitting in the barber's chair getting the cut but our camera battery died just as we got there. Liam did really well sitting for most of the haircut. The barber that we took him too is a classic old time barber shop down to the red and white striped pole outside the shop to the two older gentlemen who are inside cutting hair. It was actually intimidating to walk into the shop as it has the feel of a secert club. They were incredibly good with Liam though and there were a host of others in the shop there to witness the first haircut and to distract Liam. The shop is called Razor Ray's so I had to make sure to specify that I didn't want a buzz cut. I wanted some length left on Liam's hair and they honored my wishes.
A week or so ago, I met up in Belfast with two old and great friends. Lindsay lives in Bath, Maine with her husband Rick. Mike and I don't get to see near enough of Lindsay and Rick. For whatever reason the three hours between us seems huge. Lindsay is pregnant so maybe after baby Davis comes along we will try to get the kids together more often. Claire lives in Florida but was visiting her parents who have retired to Maine. Claire and her husband Jay have a litte boy named Jack. He is too cute and gave me a glimpse of what life will be shortly with Liam. It was great to see them all.
On Thursday of this week, Lindsay's parents called to say that they were in Bar Harbor and asked if they could stop by. I had a quick visit with the Pappas clan, which included Linday's sister and her husband. The Pappas' have a dog, which Liam could not get enough of. He loves dogs and was literally hopping with excitement. It was really funny.
The last of the big news this post is that I recently switched jobs. I will now be teaching in Southwest Harbor instead of on Swan's Island. It is still a special ed position but this one doesn't require a boat ride. It will be really great to have less travel time in my life. The position will have me working with kindergarten through fifth grade students. I look forward to having more time in the morning and afternoons to spend with Liam and Mike too!
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Canoe Camping

Last weekend we went canoe camping on Rocky Lake. It was a trip we took last year when Liam was just eight weeks old. We weren't sure how he was going to do this year being older and more mobile. I had tried him in his life vest around the house just to get him used to it. In the house he hated it so I feared a canoe trip filled with his screams. Thankfully, once we were in the boat and on the water he was perfectly fine with the life jacket. The best part of Rocky Lake is that we can camp on an island. This year we went to Rocky Lake with our friends Angie and Chris and their children Eliza and Sam. It is great to have Eliza and Sam around as they are fantastic at entertaining Liam. It is so cute to watch them play with him and take care of him. Sammy and Eliza are also great little campers. They had a ball swimming, canoeing and camping.
The downside to camping this time of year was the mosquitos. They were horrible for a period of about two hours. The kids all tried to be tough but they were being eaten alive as were the adults. Baby Liam as the kids call him, has quite a lot of bites on him now. One bite that I could have lived with out this camping trip was a leech bite. Yep, Liam had his first leech on his wee little leg. I had just told Angie the day before that it was no big deal if there were leeches in the lake. If one happened to latch onto any of us we would just pull it off. I was not so calm and collected when I found the leech on Liam. I might have yelled out like a girl and made Mike pull it off Liam's leg. Luckily, Liam didn't seem at all phased by the leech and continued to be happy to be out in the canoe with us.
We were totally amazed by how well Liam did sleeping in the tent. We thought for sure that he would not want to go down for a nap or for bedtime in the tent. Boy did he prove us wrong. He was amazing in the tent. He went right to sleep and seemed to be really happy hanging out in the tent. We are so lucky to have such a little nature boy.
Angie, Chris, Mike and I decided that since our Rocky Lake trip was such a success we would try Kayak camping later on this summer. Should be fun!

Rehoboth Beach Trip

Liam had his first trip to a real sandy beach. Beaches around here just don't count, really. We met up with the entire Dunlap clan for a week at Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. My Uncle Jess and Aunt Linda have a condo there so they and my cousins Byron and Jenn as well as their significant others stayed in their condo while Mom, Dad, Ty, Leanne, Quinn, Colin, Trevor, Sarah, Ashton, Mattie, MIke, Liam and I all stayed in the condo next door. Boy was it crazy sometimes with all of those kids in one condo. As crazy as it was, it was fantastic to get to spend so much time with the family. I am not sure that Liam knew what to make with so many people around. He is used to the relative quiet of our three person home. Having the cousins around to entertain him and love on him was a definite pleasure though. He would trail behind them as they all went along their way doing the things that small children will do.
The first few days, Liam was not at all sure what to make of the ocean waves. He has been dipped into the frigid ocean waters of Maine but being near the waves of Delaware is an entirely different experience. The first few times we ventured near the water he would get quite scared of the waves rolling up towards him. Eventually, he grew to love them. On many occasions he would set off crawling away from out small village of umbrellas and towels and jet towards the wave without so much as a backward glance. We would trail behind him trying to determine what he would do. It soon became apparent that he was fully ready just to crawl right down to and in the water. We would scoop him up right as the water came sweeping past his knees and he would laugh. We certainly have a little water baby on our hands.
Liam was also a huge fan of the sand. He was perfectly content to sit and play in the sand and eat a ton of it as well. One would think that after your first mouthful of sand, you would not put more in your mouth. Liam seemed to think it was tasty as he would just keep shoveling more in. I guess he really believes in becomming one with nature.
Rehoboth has a nice little boardwalk that has a small amusement park for kids and grownups alike. Trevor was addicted to skiball the entire time that we were there and he seemed to pass on his addiction to Ashon. Liam just loved to got to Funland and watch the people and see the lights. Mike did take him on the Merry-go-round but he was not at all sure what to make of that. The rest of the cousins though were totally into the rides. At one point Colin, Mattie, Ashton and Quinn all were on these little kiddie swings, it was ridiciously cute.
I am sure that we will have many more beach vacations to look forward too. Next time I have no doubt that Liam will be ready to go all the way into the water and take on the waves.

Playing Catch Up!

It seems that I always think about needing to blog, but never quite do it. Since our last post, we have celebrated Mike's first father's day. We celebrated by going out to breakfast in Ellsworth, a town about 30 minutes from us. On our way home, we stopped by a field of lupine to catch some pics of Liam. The lupine blooms for such a small window of time but it is so beautiful while it is in bloom. You really can't beat fields of purple and pink. Liam seemed to really like the lupine but also seemed to want to try to eat the flowers.








Today, Liam and I joined our friend Natalie and her daughter Anouk for a trip to Birdsacre, a sanctuary in Ellsworth. None of us had been there before and it was really amazing! The are about 200 acres of per served land right in the heart of Ellsworth. The sanctuary has restored the childhood home of Cordelia Stanwood who was an ornithologist and photographer in the early to mid 1900's. In addition to being able to tour the home you can walk the trails on the 200 acres and enjoy the tranquility that you wouldn't expect to find so close to town. Birdsacre also takes in injured birds so Liam got to see many owls and hawks. It was a beautiful day and a fantastic discovery.

As many of you may remember, Liam will be turning one on Friday! It hardly seems possible that so much time has already gone by. So, here is the lowdown on Liam at almost one. He isn't walking yet but cruises around on the furniture constantly. He will let go and stand for a few seconds but will eventually ease himself to the floor. He is the fastest crawler around, really. He still only has two teeth, we are getting a little worried that the rest of his teeth will never come in. Perhaps we will get him dentures for his first birthday. He pretty much will eat anything so long as he is in control of getting the food to his mouth. He loves fresh fruit, kalamata olives, tofu, avocado, pita bread w/ or w/out humus and cheerios. His favorite books are Hop on Pop (still), The Hungry Caterpillar and Brown Bear, Brown Bear. The only time he sits still is when we are reading, it is amazing. His favorite song is No Bad News by Patty Griffin. He dances to it every time. He already loves folk music, just like Mom and Dad.

We are heading to Rehoboth Beach to meet up with the Dunlap side of the family Friday after Mike gets off work. We are so excited to see everyone and to introduce Liam to a warm section of ocean, hot sand and real waves!

Closing in on the big day

We had a lot of fun with Liam in May during this large gulf between posts. I promise we weren't sitting around at home learning the abacus or something. Grampy McKernan came up for Memorial Day weekend and helped us get a huge start on the summer project (I hope it doesn't last all summer) to paint the outside of the house. I'm continuing to plug away on the weekends and after work.

Liam is excited because he has a new bike trailer in which to zip around, attached like a little wagon to my bike. A few Sundays ago, he was out on the Park loop road for about three hours - there was a lot of stopping - and he did great. He also enjoyed the carriage roads, which are gravelly and a little bumpy, and more for mountain or cross bikes than for roadies.

While I was painting, Tara took Liam and had with some friends a lovely picnic at the Wonderland area in Acadia National Park. This spot has somewhat flat granite blocks, which make up the beach, providing plenty of space for little 11 month olds to crawl around.



And speaking of 11 months old, we're getting close to the big day! It's just crazy how much he has changed in just 12 months. The two big things right now are learning how to stand and learning how to feed himself. Liam is now to the point where he would rather feed himself than be fed by Tara or me. In fact, when we approach with a spoon full of something pureed, he will try to whack it away with some baby jujitsu move. It's cute at first, but can be a little trying. I have learned to be wicked fast and to anticipate his moves, so I'm pretty good at feeding despite his defensive moves. He has also recently learned that food can be thrown (as he tests his parents' will and ability to modify his behavior). Food throwing was the next logical step after he mastered the art of food smashing - a surefire sign that Liam is full. "Nothing else can fit in my stomach, so whatever is left...it must be destroyed."

Anyway, the self-feeding works pretty well when the food is banana or avocado or Cheerios, etc. Not so much when it's puree sweet potato, squash, blueberry. You get the idea. I think we're done with purees and might instead opt for thick-cut steamed veggies. I'll have to try that this week to see how he fares. However, I suppose he has to learn how to use a spoon eventually.



Liam is starting to stand a little bit. It usually happens when he's pulled himself up onto something. Before he realizes what he's doing, he's been standing for 5-7 seconds, completely unsupported. Still haven't been able to capture it on film, as much as I'd like to have record of this milestone.

Mother's Day breakfast

Liam and I took Tara out to breakfast on Sunday to one of our favorite (and unfortunately, seasonal) breafast spots in Bar Harbor. Liam had his first blueberry pancake - no syrup - and made it about two thirds of the way through before sputtering out. What I love about this series is you can see him struggling to finish - and stay awake. After a trip to see his summer friends at the farmers market, we went home and put him down for a LONG nap.

Spring at last!

Well, Bar Harbor has officially reopend her doors. The shops are opening, the cruise ships are spewing out their passengers, the Park loop road is once again feeling vehicles on its pavement. We have arrived. For those of you who haven't visited Bar Harbor in the winter (or at all), everything closes and our little town resembles something from the set of Northern Exposure. All year round residents breathe a sigh of relief as things begin to quiet down but come May we are ready for our favorite haunts to open again.

As the bars and restaurants reopen the trees start to bud and the sun finally begins producing heat. Today was the type of day I love here on MDI. The whole town was alive and buzzing. Liam and I set out to hang out for a bit in the Village Green. We sat in the sun for awhile. Liam was getting the biggest kick out of watching other kids run around and play in the fountain. He sat still (this never happens) watching and taking in the sights. He finally decided that he had to join the action so he took of crawling. I followed him as he explored the green. Towards the end of his explorations, we ran into some friends and their dogs. I have to add here that Liam adores dogs. They make him laugh the cutest little belly laugh. So, he was thrilled to learn that we would be going on a walk with the dogs and their owners. He giggled for a good part of our walk down the Shore path. He loved it. After we parted with our friends we started to head towards home. We got a few minutes up the street before running into another friend, Jen. Jen and I stood on the sidewalk talking and as we did so, Liam crashed. Head to the side he let himself sleep in the warmth of the sun.

A little less then two weeks ago, our friends Rich and Natalie gave birth to a little girl. We are so pleased that Liam has a new friend to play with. He is not at all sure what to make of Anouk right now. He kind of gives her curious looks and every now and then tries to reach out and grab her. On Thursday night, Anouk and her parents asked a bunch of us to meet them at the Lompoc (our favorite restaurant/bar) for drinks and dinner. Towards the end of the evening both Liam and Anouk were fast asleep. It was so cute. Liam used to fall asleep at the Lompoc all of the time when he was wee little. We were convinced we would never be lucky enough to have that happen again. It seems to hold its sleeping magic though as two nights now have found Liam fast asleep in my arms after dinner.

I am posting many pictures of the boy as he has grown and changed so much. It is amazing to think that we are fast approaching his first birthday. We no longer have a baby, I fear he has already become a toddler.

Easter Weekend

First of all, let me apoligize for not posting in such a long time. I just couldn't seemm to get my act together in order to post. There is no good excuse for this except maybe that my thumb is still splinted and it is a drag to do modified typing.

At any rate, we have some catching up to do.

Grammy and Grampy McKernan came for a visit over Easter weekend. They timed their visit just perfecty enough that the had to drive through Maine at the tail end of an April Nor'easter. Yep, we got well over a foot of snow for Easter weekend. It seemed impossible that I would find myself with a snow day in April but I did. While I wasn't super excited about the snow at first, it did provide is with the opportunity to go snowshoeing. On the Saturday of Easter weekend, we all strapped on our snowshoes and took to the hills. It was fantastic. As you can see in the pictures, Liam made the switch from the Baby Bjorn to the backpack. We were finding that Liam was a little too tall for the Bjorn these days. It is so hard to believe that he has grown so much but he has!

At his nine month well child check Liam checked in at almost 30 inches tall and about 19.5 pounds. We were checking the weight limit on his car seat after the appt. and were shocked to find that he was too tall for it by four inches! So, if anyone has an extra convertable car seat kicking around let us know.

We had a great rest of our visit with Grammy and Grampy. Easter was a pretty laid back affair as Liam was feeling a little under the weather. He had a temp and seemed pretty exhausted. We thought he had the start of a cold but a few days later we realized that what he really had was a new tooth popping through. Little Liam now has two tiny little teeth poking through the surface of his bottom gums.

I had this week off for our April Break. I was hoping for georgous weather so that Liam and I could walk everyday. Sadly, the first four days were rainy, windy and cold. We got out Thursday afternoon for a good walk. It was a bit cold but we were just so happy to see sun we didn't care. Today was beautiful. It was warm enough that as we were walking our loop I was able to wear a tank top. It felt good to get some sun on my skin. Liam seemed to enjoy soaking up the rays as well. I did have to remember to lather him with sunscreen. He is so fair skinned I was sure that he would be burnt to a crisp if the sun had a direct path to his face. After our walk we went for a nice swim. He still loves the water and has no fear. He kept wanting to swim away from me.

Mike is in a canoe race tomorrow. We are hoping for the best as the water appears to be pretty high. Luckily, he is paddling with an experienced white water paddler. We will let you know how it goes. While Mike is racing Liam and I will be enjoying some Earth Day activities at the College of the Atlantic. I promise a new report after the weekend.

Last Ski of the Season (we think)

Liam had another exciting weekend of indoor and outdoor fun. Friday night was his first wine tasting (and I think ours, too), as we tasted some possible wines for Chris(tine) and Joel's wedding. Liam did great and we he got to bedtime, we laid him down in spare bedroom at C and J's place and, go figure, he actually fell asleep. Allowing for a more indepth study of the wine. I think we concluded that more research would be necessary.

On Saturday, we ventured off at the crack of dawn to The Sunday River Inn with a group of our friends.
The weather was amazing and the skiing was pretty decent for the last weekend in March. We had to pick our way around some mud and water but a good number of the trails were very skiable. On Sunday we were able to ski in short sleeves. I believe we even managed to get the first sunburns of the season.
Two members of our group (Steve and Rich) made a last minute decision to enter the Inn's annual triathlon
Liam as always was great and seemed to have a lot of fun skiing and hanging out with the crew. He was very lucky to have two older friends (Eliza and Sammy) to entertain him on the car ride and for most of the weekend. Liam seems happiest when outside playing. He spent much time in the Bjorn skiing with Mike. He and I also took an early morning walk on Sunday while we were waiting for everyone else to wake up.
I am still in my splint so it was pretty interesting figuring out how to x-country ski without hurting my thumb. I had to be a bit more cautious then usual but I did mangage to make it through the weekend without anymore breaks.
We are so lucky to be surrounded by great people with whom we are able to share some really fun weekends. We are even more fortunate in that they all love Liam and seem to enjoy him as much as we do.

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Today is Tara's 30th birthday! Happy birthday Tara! T is going to celebrate her birthday with a Thai yoga massage, which I think she'll enjoy. During the massage, Liam and I are going for a hike. Temps this week will be in the 50s, and I'm willing to bet we've seen the last skiable snowfall (at least on the coast). So, welcome spring.

Speaking of spring, I discovered this morning that Liam's first tooth is starting to emerge. Bottom tooth, left side from Liam's perspective. The crown is just peeking through the gums, and it probably cut through yesterday or overnight. I'd post a picture, but it would take three of us to hold him down, hold his mouth open, and snap a picture which would inevitably be blurry. Sounds humane. But it's exciting that he's on the breach of another new development.

Liam's is getting better and better at crawling around the house and we are learning to be very watchful. I think just as kids slowly learn to move around and explore and satisfy their curiosity, so does 'parental radar' develop and become more refined. So by the time a kid is 16, the radar is pretty much like a walking NORAD station.

Liam is crawling between rooms - going from the living room to the entry way where he can play with a big pile of shoes. Yesterday, he criss crossed the kitchen as I was trying to bake Tara's birthday pie and cake - going from the shelves on one side to the trash can on the other to the stack of cookbooks, and then in the middle of the floor, I put a wooden spoon and few other toys. I was baking and redirecting and saving him from potential pitfalls all at the same time. It was more fitness than baking. He's also starting to get into a crawling position and push himself up by his feet into a brief quasi-downward facing dog position.

We're also hearing a few new sounds like mamamamama and Brian and I are almost certain he said Emma. As Tara was holding Liam the other day, she and I swore he turned around and gestured with is hands and said 'hi'. Probaby a great coincidence though. Not sure if anything qualifies as a first word, but Tara is pretty excited about mamama.

Finally, I know who's going to protect me from the neighborhood toughs now...