Friends With Benefits

A boy and his cat bonding over a twelve ounce bag of treats. 

I Am Not a Cow. A Reading

Liam is 21 months old.  As such, you can ask him questions and get straight forward answers.   For example, ask him what he would like to name his brother and he will tell you,"Minnie."  Ask him why he is hiding behind the chair and he will tell you he's "pooping."  The kid tells no lies.

This video highlights his accurate and succinct responses to the existential inquiries posed by Sandra Boynton's book, "Are You a Cow?

Head Down and Eye on the Ball

When Tiger Woods was two years old his dad put him on television so the world could watch him hit golf balls.

This post is basically the same thing.  Just a little less pure on the follow-through.   

Skeeters Baseball Enthusiast

On Saturday I took Liam to a Sugar Land Skeeters baseball game with my old next door neighbor, Derek. Liam loved it. Every single pitch, hit or missed, was cheered for with the passion of a new car winner on the Price is Right.

 

This video captures his overwhelmingly positive reaction to a ground out to third. 

Maternity in the Woods: A Sampling.

Rachel, Liam and I ventured north to Spring, Texas for a photo shoot with Cherry Street Photography. 

The newborn pictures will include more children and less sunlight.

Bigger Child, Lower Chair

It has been awhile since the last post. Between moving, not having internet, and not taking pictures, blogging was low on the to-do list. Fortunately times have changed. We are moved in, the internet is running and Rachel took a picture of Liam sitting in his new booster seat eating a banana.

Now 20 months old, Liam dislikes every shopping cart that doesn’t look like a car. His passions include counting to two, reading "Goodnight Moon", hiding, seeking, and using the word "No."

Remembering Grandpa Johnnie

This Saturday we buried Rachel's grandfather, Johnnie Hajek, Sr., in his hometown of Shiner, Texas.  His obituary provides a detailed account of his life, accurately reflecting that he was a great man and an American hero.

I had met Johnnie three or four times before he ever told me he had fought in the Army in WWII.  It was my fifth or sixth visit before he told me he was a prisoner of war.  He never once told me the details.  Just that he survived.

On the battlefield Johnnie was strong and impossibly courageous.  In life he was humble, kind, smart, funny and loving.  My wife and children are incredibly blessed to share in his genetic legacy and he will be greatly missed. 

Welcome to Fort Bend County! What's Your Dream?

In six days Rachel and I are moving the family from Houston's Energy Corridor to the suburban utopia of Sienna Plantation in Missouri City, TX.  

Old House

New House

Our commitments to public schools and splash pads couldn't be any stronger.

The Astros Experience

Liam's first baseball game started with a pedicab ride from the parking lot.  The four minute trip was the happiest event of my child's life.  He laughed, he yelled and he made this face the entire time:

After eating hotdogs in the Club Level we made our way to the seats in time to watch the mighty Jon Singleton send the Minute Maid train scurrying down the tracks with a deep home run to left.  The excitement of the choo-choo was almost too much.   

Finally, Rachel did her thing and got Bo Porter to throw Liam a ball.  Liam used the ball as a spoon for his helmet-cup of ice cream.  

It was an amazing night that he will never remember. 

Hooked on Phonics and Animal Husbandry

Liam likes peek-a-boo books and animal books.  Give him a peek-a-boo book featuring animals and he'll lose his mind telling you every onomatopoeia he knows.  

Here he is perusing the horse section. "Neigh, Neigh, Neigh"

 

Here he is searching for cats. "Mew, Mew, Mew"

And in case you were wondering, his favorite animal is the goat, his favorite object is the ball, and his favorite activity is running a Google image search for either.

Older and Still Pregnant

In the spirit of teaching Liam to share his digital real estate, here are pictures of his beautiful mother.  
  

Celebrating her 27th birthday

Attending the Lady Gaga concert

Performing the gravid handshake with friends.

We will now return to posts about children and cats. 

Correction: It is a Boy

In a previous post titled, “It is Almost Definitely a Girl,” I strongly inferred that baby number two was a girl.  Maybe it was the pink flowers.  In any event, that was wrong. At twenty-one weeks our unborn child was found to have the proud wiener of a gentleman and the silhouette of a hat-less smurf. 

This is his face.

This is his brother.

Welcome to club.

Roxanne & Phil Get Married

Last week our family took a trip to Terranea in celebration of Roxanne and Phil.  Neither Rachel or I took reasonable pictures so this is what we are left with. 

A picture of Liam watching Mickey on the plane.

A picture of Liam watching Mickey on the couch.

A picture of Liam watching Mickey from the table.

A stock photo of the resort.

A stolen image from Mrs. Haines' Facebook page.

In case the pictures don't make it entirely clear, the wedding was an amazing event.  Congratulations and thank you for letting us be part of it. 

Extreme Anglers of Sugar Land

After a quick walk to Pecan Park, Liam set his sites on catching monsters.

Step 1: Strap into a fighting chair.

Step 2: Wait for the hit

 

Step 3: Land giants. 

It is Almost Definitely a Girl

The doctor decided that we're having a girl. She didn’t give us a picture and she hedged by saying she is only 75% confident but that is close enough.  Pink flowers and smiles all around.  

Brown Bear, Brown Bear: A Reading

Sixteen months after charging headfirst into the delivery room Liam has a mouthful of teeth, three feet of length, and an extensive vocabulary that includes words like "Daddy" and "Ball".  The kid is killing it.

Unfortunately his parents are awful and don't take enough pictures so tonight while I was reading, Rachel shot some video from the supine position.  What she and I lack in effort, Liam makes up for in magical displays of complete satisfaction.

Leg Pressing the Womb

After 13 weeks of growth, Baby Swanburg #2 is now about three and a half inches in length.  And while the doctor won't opine on the sex until week 20, the ultrasound tech - a bolder woman with more experience baby sexing - believes the image is that of a boy with a mound of budding penis parts.          

Will Work for Bubbles

While other parents are busy coaxing their children down a path of enlightenment and self realization, I'm sitting idly in the driveway watching Liam do my chores.

If you have a minute thirty-four and a desire to know what Mister Car Wash would look like if it employed 16 month old children in pajamas, press play and imagine no more.  

Enjoys Easter, Distrusts the Magical Rabbit

The events started on Saturday at Westside Tennis.

He lost and found many eggs. (video)

 

He received many prizes.

On Sunday he made his way to Sweetwater for brunch.

He posed for many pictures.

He grabbed a young girl's chest.

He stuck out his tongue.

He took a picture with his parents.  All in all it was a fine way to celebrate Jesus. 

Life Lessons at Fifteen Months

As the proud owner of five teeth, Liam spends his days marching around the house, breaking things, and identifying body parts at the request of his mother. Ears, teeth, hair, belly, feet and hands are all firmly in his repertoire. Nose is tricky. Ask him to point to his nose and he shakes his head.

“Incorrect,” I’ll explain. “That is no . . . N – O. I’m asking about your nose . . . N-O-S-E.”

All he hears is the word correct and he begins to clap. This inevitably leads to an alternate approach.

“Is this my nose?” I’ll ask. This time remaining very still and directing his attention to my proud fatherly beak. “No” he continues, shaking his head pleased that he hasn’t fallen for my tricks. We go back and forth a few times before he walks away, realizing that moving on is more important than understanding.

There are a lot of teaching moments that go like this and I try not to get discouraged. Every time he mistakes a tractor for an ambulance or moos like a cow when asked to quack like a duck, I tell myself that he is making jokes.  Dry, bold, learning jokes.