BIG News...

James took his first steps today.

He walked 3 steps from me to Kerianne, and then we got out the video camera, and he was so excited that we were so happy about it that he kept bouncing and losing his balance. We repeated this process several more times throughout the day, never getting it on camera. I have high hopes for tomorrow.

James is 9 months old.

Mama's Boy

James is a lot like me - he prefers Shane from everyone else. It's a beautiful thing.

Life goes on...with a little indulgence.

Now that James is a mobile little man, he is just about covered in scrapes and bruises. I knew that this time would come. Yesterday James had big fall - from an elevated surface, to the hard wood floor, head first. It scared me to death. Was he okay? Did he break any bones? Will he have a concussion? I HATE that this kind of thing is going to happen all the time now.

I was heart-broken listening to my baby sobbing and shaking for what seemed like forever. I HAD to make him feel better. I would do whatever it took to see him calm down and smile again. So, I did what I do best - I threw food at the problem - old reliable. As soon as he calmed down I left him with Shane and drove as fast as I could to my favorite bakery to get James a cupcake - his very first one.

He was intrigued.

What is this?

So, he gave it a try.

Oh yeah.

Then he got serious - he's just like his Mama, bless him.

Ding Ding Ding!

Dad needed a cupcake recovery too.

And, obviously I brought out the Big Guns for myself + one very large Diet Coke.

Of course, I don't intend to continue this kind of behavior. I don't want to teach my kids that food will solve their problems. But, doesn't all this talk of cupcakes put a little bounce in your step?

New Tricks

I put James down for a nap the other day, but when I went to check on him a few minutes later I found him like this. He can push himself up to sitting now, and apparently he likes to chew on his crib.

He was a little over-tired, and being really silly, so I went to get my video camera.

And, when I came back he was doing this. WHOA! This crib is no longer safe - we adjusted it to the lowest setting immediately. All of a sudden James is crawling, he can push himself up from laying on the floor to a sitting position, and he can pull himself to standing - jut in the last few days. My house is suddenly looking like a very dangerous place.

We have some videos of James taking his first real crawling steps, and pulling himself up. I'll post them if I can get Shane to do all the technical stuff for me.

Seriously?

What am I supposed to do with that face?

I can barely handle it.

I console myself with cookies ....... lots and lots of cookies.

All Better

Thank you for all the love and support! We are home, and James is all better!

Not only that, he is a different baby. He is into EVERYTHING. And he's threatening to crawl. He's been doing the inchworm/army crawl for a while, and I know that any day he's going to launch forward, fully mobile.

I know its going to be a lot more trouble to manage him (like the other day when he pulled himself up over the edge of his pack-n-play, and nearly fell out), but Shane and I love watching him learn new things. It's so fun! He holds his arms out for us to pick him up, and he crawls towards me and tries to get in my lap - it kills me. I love being a mom, and I love my baby.

Sad Day

James is OK. But, he has been very sick the last few days, and today after 5 hours of testing we have discovered that he has a pretty serious UTI and kidney infection. It is uncommon for his age, and the reasons why are still unclear. James is miserable, and may possibly be admitted to the hospital to be put on an IV to keep him hydrated.

Like I said, he is OK. He will recover and be fine, but it is breaking my heart to see him like this. His little body is fighting a painful and serious grown-up infection. So, James and I will stay in MD until he is well enough to go home. We'll call it an extended vacation, and take advantage of all the love and support we're getting from my family. Later.

Love Hate

Shane gave James his first popsicle today. Orange flavor. He didn't know what to think.

It was love/hate. He made faces like this because of the cold, but screamed at Shane when he took it away. Overall, a very funny, and cute experience.

He wants to show you...

He just cut a new tooth, which makes 2. Right next to each other, on the bottom, in the middle.

James

He is 5 1/2 months old right now. He started sitting up a few weeks ago, but it was still so fun to see him hanging out on the crash pad, blowing raspberries, when I came home today.

For as hard as he was the first couple of months , he is equally easy now. He sleeps 11-12 hours every night (without waking up, since he was 3 1/2 months..hallelujah! It contributes greatly to my personal well-being), and he is the happiest baby! He smiles and laughs all the time.

Also, he is a MAJOR thumb-sucker. It's his favorite thing to do, besides chew on his burp cloths. And, of course, he is still extremely active, rolling all-over the place all the time, and trying to crawl. He's growing like a weed, still in the 90th percentile for height, and people tell me everyday that life as I know it will soon be over. I have visions of my baby in a harness dragging me all over and destroying everything in his path.

However, despite the impending doom, I am amazed at how happy I am as a mother. Nothing could have prepared me for the amount of love and adoration Shane and I have for this child. And, I'm sure that when the next stage begins, and every inch of this house has to be baby-proofed, and things are being destroyed left and right, I will love him even more than I do now.

James loves his Dad

From the minute James was born, he was searching for Shane, craning his neck in the direction of Shane's voice. There has been an unmistakable bond between the two of them right from the start. James loves his Dad. If Shane is in the room, James will just stare at him until Shane looks over at him, and then light up with a big smile. It is a beautiful thing to watch, and the feeling is mutual. James is Shane's pride and joy. He takes him everywhere with him, talks with him, teaches him, and plays with him every chance he gets.

Dear Shane,
Watching you transform into a Dad has been one of the happiest experiences of my life. You amaze and surprise me everyday. Thank you for for taking such good care of our baby. I love you.

Happy Father's Day.

For your viewing pleasure...

We blessed 3 babies this past weekend - James, Eva, and Claire. It was really fun to do with so much family. Minna and Dan flew out form New York with their little girl, and while she was here, Minna (of Miriam Lovell Photography) took this picture of James. It absolutely kills me.

Sweet Baby James

We had a Doctors appointment today, where my suspicions were confirmed. James is HUGE! At 3 1/2 months he is 26" tall, and weighs in at 15 lbs 4 1/2 oz. That puts him in the 95th percentile for height, and 75-90th percentile for weight. He takes after his Dad.

3 Months

And, the little man can stand, but we have to watch him carefully.

Life gets easier as time passes, and James is becoming much more independent. He wakes up in the morning and hangs out in his crib smiling and eating his hands until I come to get him. He is learning new things all the time, and showing more of his personality. Everyday is still unpredictable, but we have the night-time routine down, and for that I am extremely grateful.

I love my boy, I love being a mother.

Little Things

A few weeks ago James learned that he had arms and legs, and that he had some measure of control over them. A week or so later he learned to put his right fist into his mouth, then his left, and more recently to put both hands in at the same time. Figuring out how to separate his thumb to suck on is his most recent accomplishment.
We started from scratch people - no knowledge whatsoever - this is a big deal in his little world.

Have you seen James lately?

He likes to do this a lot. He's really good at it.

But, he's also pretty cute for a short little bald guy, so I can deal with the bad behavior.

2 months

I can't believe another month has gone by! And, thank goodness the second month was easier than the first, or I think I would have met an early grave. I had no idea how hard it would be to listen to James screaming, or that I could be so tired it was physically painful. And things like brushing my teeth and putting on clean pajamas became a big accomplishment for the day. I'm so sorry to any of my friends or family that had babies that I didn't come to visit or help with. If I had known how hard it was I would have come!

Lately I feel like I can say we're coming out of the woods. I feel more like myself, I'm catching up on sleep, I'm making plans with friends, and I'm getting back in the kitchen. Life is good! And, no matter how hard it can be, it has always been worth it, and I love my little boy like crazy.

So, now that I'm feeling so much better and the fog is lifting, I'm realizing how much I am indebted to so many people. I have a lot of thank you's to give out, and that is my next order of business.

Hello Everyone

We hope you're having a good day. I'm hoping our day will be good too - full of napping and void of crying. Please James? I would very much appreciate it.

Today...

My baby is 1 month old.

People keep asking me what it feels like to be a mother... Before I had him everyone told me that my life would never be the same, which is true, but not in the way I expected. I feel a new, intense weight of responsibility. Every thought I have concerns him. I think that's what my Mother meant when she said that I would never be free again - I don't do anything anymore without thinking of him first - anything at all.

I feel overwhelmed with happiness, and tiredness, and sometimes extreme frustration, but also total contentment and fulfillment - and this is just the beginning. I know that I would never have made it through this past month without all the support I have had from family and friends. So, thank you to all of you for the comments, phone calls, emails, visits, meals, gifts, and physical help with the baby. It has meant so much to us.

I find myself looking forward now and not hoping so much that things will stay the same. James is growing fast and is more responsive everyday, and I love watching his progress. You were all right - it has only gotten better.

Bath Time

I just wanted to share another picture. I'll be posting a new recipe later on.