Liam Lately

I have a crush.  He's a boy of three, with hazel eyes, wheat-colored hair and full pink cheeks.  When he's not being a royal pain in the you-know-what, he is melting every particle of me.  Liam Rawson Charles is the light of my life and so I'm going to tell you all about this munchkin who completely enriches my soul.  But first, Liam in his own words...

12/11/12  After I wrapped several gifts and put them under the Christmas tree during naps, Liam awoke, discovered them and ran to me saying, "Oh, Mamma!  Santa did come'd and bring'd presents!"

12/9/12 On a drive looking at Christmas lights in Salt Lake City, he said "this road makes my cheeks wobbly."  He also repeated "are we there yet?" which is a phrase I was fairly certain I would be able to avoid for at least a few more years.  And then, when I sang 50 Stars are on our Flag from my 4-year old ward talent show, he started singing Mary had a Little Lamb.  In twenty-nine years, I never once put two-and-two together that they have the same melody!  

12/27/12  "It's a complicated emotion."

1/13  "One day when I get married in the temple to a beautiful girl, I'll wear lipstick."  Me: "Oh, really?  What color?"  Liam: "Brown.  Brown is my favorite color."  

1/27/13  "Mamma, it's time to wake up!  The sun is shining!  The snow is white...and other stuff...There's nothing to worry about!"  Talk about the perfect wake-up call!  I was smiling from ear to ear.

2/4/13  I had recently taught him the meaning of "couch potato," and later that day he said, "If you spend too much time in the bath, you turn into a bath potato!"

2/10/13  "If you drive in the car too much, you're a car potato."  

I do not take it for granted that Liam's mind is a sponge, literally.  We definitely have to watch what we say!  Sometimes, though, he forgets the pronunciation of a new word and improvises a bit.  Here are a few of his etymological inventions:  Cereal Twist= Tweedle Stick, I'm dead tired= I'm dairy-idem!, Asteroids= Astronoids.  I love his creative little brain.  He loves to tell stories and play anything that involves pretending (pirates, soldiers, cowboys, etc.)  I'm hoping we avoid video games long enough for him to hone these creative skills.  Maybe he'll be a writer one day...

And now for some physical developments: 

No need to mince words; Liam is a tank.  The bottom of the chart above reflects Liam's weight compared to his peers.  As you can see he is still in a league of his own-- off the charts.  He's dropped a little in height, but I think his last well-check fell just before a growth spurt, so I'm guessing he's evened out.  He now weights near 45 pounds, which is the size of many eight year olds I know.  I lift other kids his age and they seem to just float up into the air because their relative lightness is just shocking!  According to Dr. Terry, Liam is solid but perfectly healthy.  With that said, we still try to lay off the carbs...

Liam is in swimming lessons now and I'll attempt to teach him basic piano soon.  More importantly, he started Primary last month.  He did not skip a beat when we told him he would be leaving Nursery to go to class with the "Big Kids."  He was most likely ready for it over a year ago, and he already knows many of the songs, how to pray, and he is NOT shy when it comes to public speaking.   As Primary pianist, I get to witness all of the hilarious and heart-melting moments that other moms miss out on when they drop their kids off for two hours.  Several times during Junior Primary, he sneaks over to the piano and whispers "Mamma, I gotta tell you a secret.  I love you!"  I hope I keep my calling until he's in Young Men.  Liam enjoys being a Sunbeam with two of his good friends, Dempsey Martin and George Harman and I can already sense that he has a desire to learn the gospel and follow Chirst.  

He has born his testimony in Sacrament meeting twice already.  His most recent testimony was last week and I happen to remember it verbatim. "I'd like to bear my testimony.  I love to go to Charly's blessing.  I love my Heavenly Father.  I love my Mamma and Dadda.  Especially Dadda.  (congregation erupts in laughter) In the name of Jesus Christ, amen."  Take a wild guess who helped him with that one...

Liam starts preschool at Shining Stars Co-op on September 4th.  He is going to LOVE it and I just know he will thrive there and I'm excited about the role I'll play in his early education.  Liam is a social creature; he introduces himself and hopes to be instant friends with everyone he meets. For example, he met an older girl at Del Taco in the play area and said, "Hi!  My name is Liam.  I have fun toys at my house and you can play them with me if you want!"  At Shining Stars, he'll be in a class with eight other three to four year olds taught by Ms. B (Carol Beal, my old boss's wife from Deer Valley.)  We loved her instantly when we spoke with her at the open house and feel great about leaving our baby in her care.  Liam had a screaming fit when we had to leave, so we know he's a fan.

Liam is a loving big brother to Aiden who helps his Mamma often with the (exhausting) daily task of caring for a toddler and infant.  He loves to feed the baby, sort of share toys, keep him awake in the car so that he'll nap when we return home, and make him giggle.  They are starting to interact more and more every day and I can't wait until they become closer friends.  We're trying to help Liam learn patience as Aiden destroys every block tower and train track that Liam meticulously builds.  

They say you spend the first year of your kid's life teaching them how to walk and talk and then the next twenty years telling them to sit down and shut up.  Thankfully, the latter moments are somewhat rare because I just can't wait to see what my darling boy will come up with next.  He has so much to look forward to in the coming years and so much to offer;  I am thrilled for him to experience it all.  My favorite moments are at bedtime when he is serene and sweet, when we are nose to nose giving butterfly kisses and he is softly singing our goodnight song or I Love to See the Temple in his angelic little voice.  It is in those precious moments that I feel an inexpressible joy and the infinite love of my Father in Heaven, that he has entrusted me to raise and care for sweet Liam Rawson Charles.