The House of Fries.: summer adventures + eight months old.

hey everybody! it's been pretty quiet over here in my part of the blogosphere, and i'm a few days late on this month's update for liam (whoops!), but this past month has been jam-packed with family, wedding festivities, and adventures, and we've loved every single second of it! there's absolutely nothing like being with family and friends. it's seriously been the best!

first, my siblings hannah and caden came to visit us in chicago. they flew over on the 4th of july, and from day one, we had a blast! hannah had multiple photography sessions lined up with people in the Chicago area, and caden, liam and i got to tag along to see her do her thing and take amazing pictures (check her out at www.hannahfinephotography.com!). other adventures included visiting shedd aquarium, swimming in our complex's pool, shopping for souvenirs, going to the top of the willis tower and stepping out onto the skydeck (a glass box extended out from the building 103 floors into the air! NUTS!), harry potter movie marathons, and eating at our favorite restaurants including Potbelly sandwich shop, Portillo's, Walker Brother's Pancake House, and Lou Malnati's chicago deep dish pizza. the time flew by way too fast.

is that insane or what?

we were in need of family pictures, and we are so thankful that hannah was able to take our pictures while she was here. we absolutely LOVE them! here are a few of our favorites.

yup, totally and completely thrilled with our pictures! having a photographer for a sister is pretty dang awesome sometimes.

after two weeks of fun in illinois, we all flew together to my good ol' hometown of olympia, washington to visit my family, and watch my older sister get married. the wedding was beautiful, and we were so happy that we were able to travel to be a part of it.

so happy for you, mr. and mrs. dohrman!

aside from all of the adventures, our little boy is all grown up to EIGHT MONTHS OLD! this past month has been packed with first words, scooting, starting to crawl, and finally sleeping through the night. ten to twelve hours per night to be exact...can i get an amen? let's just say that john and i are loving that!

at eight months, liam is a very squirmy and curious child. he doesn't like to sit still or snuggle. he loves to scoot himself around the house to explore his surroundings, picking up every object or toy, and trying to figure out how it works. whether it be my keys, a book, or a sock, he loves to shake the object he's holding, examine it for a few moments, and then finish it off with shoving the object in his mouth before moving on to the next. he is such a goofy, and happy baby. he loves to smile at you, unless you are a brand new face, then he likes to scan your face for a few moments with a puzzled and serious look on his face until he flashes his toothless little gums at you. he loves books, bathtime, swimming, being outside, and playing with his mommy and daddy, but especially daddy. when john had to leave us in washington to go back to work, liam said "da-da? da-da? da-da?" repeatedly every day, almost as if he was searching for him. it was the sweetest thing. we are absolutely loving this time in his life, and sometimes i wish we could freeze time. people are right, they grow up way too fast.

here are a few fun videos showcasing our little liam boy.

his first word! so proud of this.

liam l-o-v-e-s to swim!

first trip to the beach.

pulling himself up.

kiss attack.

liam loves being on people's shoulders.

not too crazy about the duster...

first time on a skateboard.

being a parent is not an easy task, and that is why i love it. i love the person i am now way more than the person i was before i was a parent, and it is all because of this sweet little boy. together as his parents, john and i are going to continue to nurture, encourage, and teach liam to follow his dreams, to live a life full of adventure, and to know that he is loved infinitely by his parents, his family, his friends, and his Heavenly Father.

this little boy is our world.

happy eight months, liam eugene! we love you, sweet boy.