Liam, you were baptized on April 19th at St. Joseph Church here in our little town. It was special and beautiful. I will work my hardest to teach you all about Jesus and why we live our lives to help others in our own unique special ways. We should always try our best to love others, no matter what. We need to pray for those who are in their hardest times and know that we are all equal and children of God. Every person matters and every person deserves love and an amazing life.
We love you little peanut!
Here you are with your proud Godparents (Auntie Anne and Uncle Brian) and Daddy making funny faces...
href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/48901172@N00/17375369248" title="Untitled by Megan Carty, on Flickr">
Whoa, I've let waaaaaay too much time pass before updating our family journal! I suppose I could have been much more proactive about it, but I let "life" get in the way. I'm so sorry! It doesn't mean I don't care or love you less. It means I've been a busy Mama...taking care of you kiddos and with my art business. I'm learning I need to prioritize better. Isn't that always the way?
First of all, I have to say this: You are SUCH A DELIGHT! You are so sweet!!! I can already tell you have the sweetest soul, the most jolly little personality ever. Let's see what you've been up to...
At around 4 months you began rolling over...you looked a bit surprised at first but you're so laid back it was all without much fanfare on your part.
Now, at five months you have begun sprouting your two little tiny baby front teeth! They haven't fully broken through yet, but you are drooling up a soaky-storm! I just love your cute gummy smile.
Did you know that you smile at us EVERY TIME we come in your room to get you out of bed? You look up at us and reach your little arms up with the biggest gummy grin ever. Nothing melts my heart more. Then, you smile and make happy gurgles every time we look at you. It's so great and so addicting.
You are not a fussy baby. You play on your play mat, kick, and roll around grabbing at your toys and mouthing them. You smile whenever we come hang out with you and you eat very well. You sleep like a champ and have been sleeping through the night since just before 3 months old. (It helps that you are our third child and we now clearly know what cries to answer and what cries are just you trying to sleep). Being with you is just plain fun and sweetness.
You've started babbling...yesterday you starting saying "ma maaaa" and "ba baaaaa" and I know the floodgates will open soon to all sorts of funny little noises. What a joy to watch you hit new milestones!
It hasn't all been perfect, of course. Last night I was trimming your little nails and clipped your pinky finger. I cried and cried...I felt so awful that I hurt you. There was a lot of blood and the nurse at your doctor's office told us to go over to the emergency room. So, at 8:40 at night I whisked you off to the local community hospital where they simply put a little bandage on and told me to put my sock on your arm so you wouldn't choke on the bandage. Phew! No permanent damage! To be fair to our panic, you'd been bleeding for about an hour and it just wasn't really stopping. But, of course, it stopped on the way there! That's how life is buddy. I'm just glad you are ok and back to your old self this morning. I was in such a panic I had nightmares all night long. There's nothing worse than hurting your own child; even though it was just an accident. I'm so sorry it happened!
Your brother and sister have been very doting on you! Noah cuddles you every chance he gets and Paige likes to come over and make silly faces and sounds at you to make you smile. She's experiencing the joy of babies first hand and it's wonderful to watch. Those kids really love you so much. Little Noah even cried for you last night when I hurt your finger. He was worried about you and was sad you were crying and hurt. That was touching to see; although it broke my Mama heart at the same time!
And the last thing I wanted to update you on is how BIG you are! At your last check up you weighed 18 pounds, 4 oz. And I'm sure you weigh more now!!! That was a month ago! You fit snugly into 9-month onesies and the 12 month onesies fit nicely with some room to grow. You are huge! The doctor guesses you will be 6 ft. 3" one day. Just like Daddy. Everyone thinks you are older than you are. But everyone agrees that you are one cute baby. Even the E.R. doctor said so last night, so it must be true! Ha!
I want you to know I love you so very much. You are such a TREASURE and a JOY and I just can't get enough of you. Your drooly kisses, your big smiles, and your little chuckles all make life worth living. It truly is the little things that make life special. These are all the good times and I feel so lucky every day. Not a moment goes by where I don't know how blessed I am at every turn.
Liam, God is so great. Even in the hardest and darkest times, I lean on God and I know he is leading the way toward greener pastures. The key is to trust it and know it. When I look back to all my hard times, I see now that they were necessary to get to where I really wanted and prayed to go. God listens to your prayers and sometimes you go through messy things in order for things to become great. Trust in that messy time knowing it is a tunnel leading you to wonderful things.
I love you so much little peanut. You are our sun, moon and stars. You are our greatest adventure.
I love you always and forever,
Mama
Hi friends!
Here's a time-lapse video I made of myself creating a painting of a junco wearing a capelet. It features collage and gouache and I hope you enjoy watching it! It was fun to make! For reference I used a photo my father took (with his permission of course!) and I created the capelet myself from imagination. The final piece is 5x5 inches.
Hi friends!
I just finished up a little time-lapse landscape painting demonstration! This is from an image I took of Sand Beach in Acadia National Park. Enjoy!
Yep! I'm working on a whole lotta paintings of baby animals and pets! I'm doing a whole series of 5 x 5 inch acryla gouache paintings on Aquabord in fun colors...the plan is to also include a little easel for each painting to stand on. So cute for nurseries! Any animals you wanna see? I've got a huge list I'd like to do.
I'm also plotting and planning a series of large calming coastal-inspired landscapes with seabirds. Those I plan to paint quite large and in charge. It's gonna be a busy April!!!
You are 2 months old as of yesterday! Where is the time going? I think it's going into your tummy as it is very cute and round. At your checkup we found that you weigh 15 pounds already! And you are 24.5 inches long. Such a big boy. You are wearing 6-month sized onesies and it's just all going too fast. You continue to be so sweet and gentle and you have the most wonderful smiles around. Cuddling with you in our middle of the night rendezvous (your meal) is such a treasure for me. It's quiet and warm and snuggly...just the kind of feeling I want to remember for always. I look in your eyes and all I see is love and possibility.
I love you always and forever my sweet!
Love,
Mama
"Hey Figaro, (loud whispering voice) That crazy lady keeps lookin' at me and takin' pictures! What's her freakin' deal?"
Hi!
We finally finished up Liam's room just after he was born...I'm sorry it took so long to share his space! Juggling three kiddos is no joke; I don't know how people with do it with even MORE! I am in "go-mode" all day until bedtime just with household tasks and childcare. Phew! I have to add, though, that it is a fulfilling kind of tired and I feel so happy these days.
So, this is Liam's room and I hope you like it as much as I do!
As you can see, it's an eclectic mix of items that come together to form a sort of vintage adventure/into the wilds theme. I chose to use the same Robin's Nest blue color (#618 from Benjamin Moore) that we used in the other kids' nurseries because it's such a happy color and so versatile. Paige's room had a yellow accent, Noah's had an orange accent, and Liam's now is a red accent. We also used the same crib and dresser the other kids used (recycle it!!!). Liam's room is a bit smaller in this new house than the nursery was in our old home, so we couldn't put as much stuff in here--no giant Ikea Expedit shelving for this room! But instead we used a bookcase we had on hand that I spray painted red (it used to be aqua).
Here you can see we hung up a vintage wooden drawer from some sort of old manufacturing storage unit to be used as a decorative shelf. Inside we put some knit rattle-birdies (they came from Bla Bla Kids years ago), some vintage alphabet blocks we got at the Spaulding Cooperage (a local coop that sells reclaimed/refinished furniture and vintage goodies), a black and white postcard of a mountain range a friend gave me, Liam's hospital anklet, a vintage camping lantern I got from my friend Becky at her business "Box 121 Antiques," and a little knit owl hat Liam got as a baby gift. The huge kraft letter "L" hung on the wall came from Plum online boutique. That is such a cool little shop!!! Check it out! I considered painting the L a red color, but decided it looked more rugged and "vintage" just as it is.
This little vintage wooden box sits on the dresser top...it's a nice little place to store some medicines and the lavender oil I like to rub on Liam's baby skin. (Baby skin!!! SIGH!!!!!) I got this from my friend Kris of Cricket Acres Studio. She is forever finding the coolest and most unique vintage items for the home and she has a really great way of re-purposing those things into cool new products.She has an inspiring blog too.
My friend Becky at her business "Box 121 Antiques," also sold me that rustic old oar that I decided to hang as wall decor. I thought it would be cool to create a vintage-looking poster for the room. I knew what I wanted it to look like and say, but I couldn't settle on a design. Then, a few days later, I found this post from Joni at Lay Baby Lay and went wild. That was exactly the look I wanted for my poster! I simply followed her instructions and it worked like a charm. She's a genius, that one! I then saw this post of her's and used this look for my own poster (it was the exact look I'd been planning!) She has her own poster for sale in many sizes here, so check it out! (Mine is not for sale since it is her design look...though not exact). Also, the photo in my poster is of Mt. Rainier that my friend Laura and her husband took. She generously let me use it for my poster. I changed the look of it in Photoshop to give it a vintage look to the colors and then I brought my poster design over to Staples to have it printed large.
Becky sold me this really cool vintage fruit/orchard crate...I love the colors and the label and knew I had to have it for the nursery. I intended to put casters on the bottom to make it roll, but I'm thinking better of it as the kids would try to ride around the house in it (thus scratching our wood floors) and the box itself is fragile. So, for now it is storing some baby blankets and soft toys.
On the wall next to the dresser is this really great shadowbox art display my friend Shenna of Shenna's Vintage Creations gave me. She made it herself to match the theme of the nursery and I simply need to add photos of Liam to make it complete. Isn't it cool? She can make these in customized themes (she recently made one in a vintage Winnie the Pooh theme using a vintage children's book and other found props). It opens on the side like a cabinet so I can move things around as needed.
This metal antler curtain tie is just a fun and whimsical touch in the space. We find, though, that it is a bit dangerous...it's heavy and sharp-ish. That's why we hung it up high. We don't want anyone to lose an eye. It came from Urban Outfitters.
This is such a fun corner! This is a knock-off Eames-style rocker I got from Overstock.com. The little sheepskin is from Ikea and the pillow is from Pier One Imports. The antique fox lamp was in my husband's childhood bedroom and I asked my wonderful in-laws if we could have it for Liam's room. It matched the theme and colors so well. It also has a really cool hand-painted shade. I love it! My friend Kris made the bunting as a gift...it's boyish, simple and sweet.
These little guys are from BlaBla Kids. I love their products...they are well made and the color combinations are so perfect and fun! Figaro the bird watches over the space and keeps everyone in check.
Finally, I got this little red vintage mailbox from the Spaulding Cooperage as well. I thought it would make a cute little wall decoration. We hung it down low so the kids can put little trinkets inside and exchange messages to each other when they are a bit older. It's a bit of a nod to my obsession with Little Women and their secret mailbox with Laurie next door (any fans will know what I mean!).
So, that's the space! I'm still tweaking a bit here and there, but I love being in that room. It's bright and happy and that's just how I feel with Liam. I hope you liked it too! And, for a flashback, here are the posts I had done for Paige's nursery, and for Noah's nursery.
I also made a little video tour if you are interested in watching!!! Thanks for stopping by!!!
Here's a normal everyday sort of vlog. Basic boring ramblings, but much more fun for me than typing! :) Here I am "keeping it real." Feel free to subscribe to my You Tube channel or leave a comment here to discuss anything from the post! :)
A little while back (on Feb. 11th!) you turned One Month old! You're now in your 6th week, so I'm sorry this is late!
You are the sweetest little fella! You eat, you sleep, you burp, you poop, and you peer all around. Such a champ! After a chunk of time where you were very fussy, your doctor came to the conclusion that you have reflux so you've started taking Zantac. We've seen improvement! You are also fussy from gas, so you are a gentle formula made to help with gas. And now, you are so much more happy and sleeping better during your naps.
At night, you've dropped your 10 o'clock feeding time (or thereabouts!) and go long stretches until the early morning hours. We've subscribed to the idea that we not run to you the second you make sounds...and usually, you will let out a yelp or two and go right back to sleep...learning to connect your sleep cycles. When you SCREAM and it doesn't let up, I know it's time for you to eat.
You've also started smiling a few days ago; and this is something I cannot get enough of. You light up like all the stars in the sky and you just make my day.
In other news, you went from 8.4 pounds at your first doctor checkup to 12.4 pounds at your one-month checkup! You've become quite round and plump much to the joy of everyone at the doctors' office. I'm happy you're round and plump, but boy, you are getting heavy!! I'm a lucky Mama...I'll carry you to the ends of the Earth and back no matter how heavy you are.
I will close this little message to let you know how thrilled I am you are here. You are such a love; a dream. I cannot imagine life without you in it and I'm so lucky to be your Mama. I love you so very much and I always will forever and ever.
I love you always,
Mama
You lost your first tooth two nights ago! (Sunday night, Feb. 22nd, 2015) We were finishing dinner (I was washing dishes) and you said "Mommy! Daddy! Help meeeeee!" and you thought your wiggly tooth broke. But, in fact, it had come out! I've NEVER seen you so excited. You ran around the house, dancing and hooting and hollering about your tooth and the fact the tooth fairy would be coming that night. You even said "This is the BEST day of my life!!!!!" I hugged you and told you how excited I was for you. I also made a little groan and said how you are growing so fast. And you know what you said? "Mommy, it's ok. I'm still your little girl!!!" and then you said "I still love and need you and Daddy!" Well that about melted my heart. You lost the tooth that happened to be the first tiny tooth that grew in your mouth as a little baby. It's bittersweet. (I will try not to cry now!)
I love you so much and am so proud of you. Here's to many more tooth fairy visits!
(she gave you a dollar in the little paper tooth pouch you made...a lot of money, but it's your first tooth, so I think she gives a bonus for that.)
I love you always and forever,
Mama
Here's a video of us calling my parents (you talking to Nana and Grampa) and telling them all about your tooth. Precious!!!
My favorite part of this little family movie vlog is how Paige shows everything she packed in her purse. She's never used her purse before and she was so excited to go on this little excursion, she got it out and packed it with her "essentials." It's funny to hear her explanations about "what's in my bag." I'm sad that she will be six in April...time is going too fast! But, I have to say she is SO FUN to be with and she says the funniest things. Love that kiddo.
In recent news, Paige has her first wiggly tooth! It's all she can talk about lately. It's very cute how she's so excited, but I refuse to touch it because that just gives me the willies.
Here's a little interview I recorded with her one morning after the kids got up. I find this video hilarious because Noah refuses to let Paige have her moment in the spotlight. He keeps saying "me too!!!" after everything and keeps trying to take over the interview. He just turned three...he does NOT have a wiggly tooth. He also DOES NOT like pink. Nor does he love unicorns. But he has to copy his sister however he can. Paige gets so frustrated with him; I can't help but find it funny sometimes. Enjoy this little snippet of their relationship!
Here is my account of Liam's labor and delivery story; born at 39 weeks. I hope you enjoy!
And to answer my longtime reader "Sapphire's" question in my previous post: Paige is going to be 6 in April, Noah has just turned 3 (a post about that to come soon!), and now Liam is here! He was born 3 days before Noah's birthday! Looks like we'll have a busy January from now on! And your idea to do a post/video about our routine with 3 kids is a good one! I'll work on that soon; especially once I HAVE a routine with 3! Ha! We're muddling it out right now...so far so good! And I also will be doing a video about my Mommy Must-Haves, now that I've had 3 kids and a bunch of perspective in hind-sight. See y'all soon!
To see frequent updates, you can follow us on instagram! Our user name is @meandwee.
We are thrilled and proud to announce the arrival of our third (and last!) precious baby: Liam Philip Carty Born on January 11, 2015 at 8:32 pm. 8lb. 12oz, 22.5 inches long
Quick facts: Born via C-Section almost 2 hours after we got to the hospital because he was transverse breech (sideways in my belly!) and I was totally dilated and ready to go! Also, it turns out his umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck 3 times! (I had a feeling). He is cute, he is cuddly, he is a great eater, he's a good sleeper, and he's a good little fella. *sigh*
More details to come!
We all know you really just wanna see photos...so here ya go!
This is right before we put him in his car seat to bring him home from the hospital. He'd just spit up all over his going home outfit, so on went the oversized onesie! I love those little kicks.
Here's a vlog I quickly put together regarding my antepartum depression because I just couldn't fathom typing out the whole story! Lazy, or genius? I'm sorry this post is so late! I have much to update you on, so I bet more vlogs will be coming your way asap! (It's so much faster than typing and much more fun!) Excuse my messy bed. Making it wasn't a priority today. Too bad! :)
So, I'm 35 weeks into this pregnancy and feeling exhausted, sore, crampy and every other thing that makes it hard to function. But I'm thrilled to be in the home stretch and feeling excited to see little "baby bean!" I thought I'd take some time in this post to discuss the very beginning drama of this tricky pregnancy.
If you have followed this blog, you might remember that I suffer from depression and anxiety. I'd been managing and getting by for a while using Paxil (after unsuccessful attempts with Prozac and Lexapro). I felt fine enough, but I was still severely lacking in motivation and "oomph." The day I found out I was pregnant (SURPRISE!!!!! And we'd JUST donated most of our baby stuff!) I realized that Paxil is a Class D drug and not for use during pregnancy. So, I stopped taking my pill that very day. I figured, "eh, I'm feeling good enough. I'm going to have to tough it out without it for the sake of the baby."
Oh my. I ended up having severe Paxil withdrawal. The next day, I woke up and felt so seasick. I had severe vertigo and began throwing up. This went on for days. I never had morning sickness with my other kids and this felt different somehow to things I'd heard. It was the same response my body had at other times on days I forgot to take my Paxil...I would become incredibly dizzy and nauseated. I would then spend the day throwing up. But I always felt better once I took my Paxil and it took a while to make the correlation that THAT was what was making me sick. My body depended on it.
It took me exactly 3 weeks for the "seasickness" to end. I couldn't drive or function normally during that time. I had to lay down all the time and it was so hard to take care of my kids. I depended on friends who brought Paige to and from preschool those days when I couldn't move or lift my head up. I had horrible night-sweats where I had to change my clothes 2 times per night. There wasn't a moment where I felt good. It was awful.
It was such a relief when the withdrawal ended and I felt like myself again! I will NEVER go back to taking Paxil. NEVER. Please know that this drug keeps you physically addicted by making it almost impossible to come off of. I wouldn't wish the hell of that sickness on my worst enemies. I wish I had been warned about this before ever taking it in the first place. I share this post to let others know my story so they don't feel alone if they are going through the same thing. A friend of mine who suffered similarly said "I'd rather go back into basic training than take that drug again." Sounds fair to me.
In my next post, I will talk about the ramifications I went through during my pregnancy after I stopped taking my anti-depressant and what I had to do to fix it. Depression and pregnancy is very serious and no joke. See you soon!
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