Chatterbox

by Savannah

At eight months old (today!), Liam is a talker! He chats while he plays, he sings while he eats and he babbles at us in long baby language sentences. We know where he gets it...

Flashback: My Grandmother "T" and my mother Jan in a full kitchen, their voices harmonizing in a stream of busy chatter. My Grandfather Max laughs from his brown leather chair in the adjacent room, "You gals could talk the stripes off a tiger!"

I am a sometimes talker. When I am stressed, excited or have something to share, I can keep up with the best of them. Other times, I am happy to observe or listen. Caleb was quite plithy as a youngster, but these days, he is a more reticient teenager.

At five months old, Liam was laying on the changing table, looking up at his Papa. "Baby," he sputtered. "What did you say, Bop?" Again, "Baby". He performed his miracle for me a few days later in the car. Some unknown, to me, musician was crooning on the radio, "Baby,oh, baby, baby..." And from the backseat I hear a little response, "Baby."

Next came the standard "Ma, ma, ma, ma" and "Da da da". Then, "Hi!" And once, "Hi mama!"

Lately his favorite word is "Errah" (Ella). In the morning, he stands on the bed, peering over the guardrail and calls in his loudest voice: "Errah". She stumbles into the room (after sleeping for sixteen hours) and he laughs at his powers.

Some people spend the first year of a baby's life waiting for them to talk and the next seventeen hoping they will be quiet. We look forward to all eighteen years of his childhood chatter! (uhm, someone remind me I said this when the four-year-old "why?" shows up!)

The World According to Liam

by Savannah

Everything is changing fast with the little guy these days.

Just a couple of months ago, he was a little immobile baby, satisfied to bat at a hanging toy or mouth a wooden rattle. Now, suddenly it seems, he is crawling (and fast!), pulling up to standing, grinning with sharp little teeth in his mouth!

His perspective of the world seems so different. Every piece of furniture is an obstacle to be considered, tested and then climbed.

Food is fascinating and he begs for the most improbable things from my plate (like a hamburger). Watching him explore with innocent curiosity the light through a drape or the space beneath the chair can be a true teaching on mindfulness.


His favorite obstacle to explore is Ella, the dog. He digs his little hands into her fur and drags himself up over her body. She is tender. She bats her lashes at him and considers any attention to be good attention (especially now that she is “down a peg”).

And her rawhide dog bones? Well, Liam thinks they are great teething toys… Yuck!



Liam also got to see a bit more of the world a few weeks ago on a big trip to Florida and Texas. We stayed in the beach town of Destin in a beach condo for several days with my parents and brother and sister-in-law. The sand and salt were no fun for Liam, but he soaked up some love from his family (more Florida pix are below).



Back in Texas, he got to spend time with his big brother Caleb. At first, he shocked by Caleb’s blue Mohawk! He cried and pulled away when he saw his brother’s head.



But in no time, he was back in Caleb’s arms. He also met more of my family, including our beloved Memom, matriarch of the Mayfield clan.



What a joyful experience it is to see the world through the purity of his eyes: his radiant smile at the sight of Grandpa Johnny’s face; his surprise at the sweetness of a fresh peach; his chubby hand signing for “milk” as he nurses himself to sleep.




So far, in the world according to Mr. Liam, all is good.





More photos!!




















Happy Halloween!