6 Months
Aug 24th
I cannot believe you are 6 months old already, my sweet sweet baby James. You are such a sweetheart. And a great sleeper! You are sleeping now, in fact. You usually go to bed at about 7:30 or 8, and sleep until 6:30, give or take a half hour. Your dad and I know that we are so, so lucky about that. We try not to take it for granted. We are lucky in many ways. You are so mellow; so even-tempered. You are a very go with the flow baby, and it makes our lives so much easier. I wish we could take credit for that, but I’m pretty sure it’s just how you are. Whatever it is, we’ll keep it!
You haven’t started solids yet, but Grandma Mary did give you a pickle last time we were at her house, and you had a couple tiny pieces of watermelon at Daddy’s company picnic on Sunday. You weren’t so sure about either one at first, but after a moment to consider you loved it and wanted more. At least until you were actually hungry. Then all you want is Momma’s milk.
You aren’t crawling, but you can roll from your back to your stomach and then back again. You don’t do it a lot, but you definitely are able, and you seem to do it most often when we aren’t watching you. We’ll be making dinner, or in the bedroom for a moment, and we’ll come back and you’ll be on a different side than we left you. You always look at us as if to say, “Well, duh! Why shouldn’t I roll over!?” You are also sitting on your own. We still need to be nearby, because you will invariably lean too far back or to the side and tip right over. It is so cute, and so far we’ve avoided any head bonks, but I’m sure they’ll be coming.
You don’t like tummy time very much, and so any progression towards crawling is slow. But you are a lot more tolerant of it now than you used to be, and so we’ll take that as a step forward, so to speak. Your dad and I aren’t too anxious for you to start crawling, anyway. That would mean we have to pack up all the cds and movies (or at least get them off the floor). Our apartment isn’t anywhere near baby-proof.
You started saying a couple consonants the weekend before last, and it is so amazing to see that progression. You babble at Daddy and I constantly; especially in the car on the way too and from daycare. I wish we could understand what you are saying, because I’m sure it is fascinating.
Daddy and I love you, sweet pea. We are excited to watch you continue to grow and learn. If you could just slow time down a bit so we are better able to enjoy it, that would be great.
Love,
Momma
In the hospital; just a couple days old.
James 1 month
James 2 months - photo by our friend Jason
James 3 months
James 4 months
James 5 months
James 6 months
And no, we aren’t letting him drink Mountain Dew. I promise.
How is another weekend gone?
Aug 15th
Here are a couple pictures from my weekend at my parents’ place:
All the girls ready to go out for the night. Note to self: hang out with people closer to my size so I don't look so huge.
Grandma gave James a pickle. He liked it!
This weekend Ryan’s parents & sister came up. We all went to the zoo today, and it was a lot of fun.
My future's so bright, I gotta wear shades. (He tried to eat them shortly after this photo was taken, so we aren't applying to Harvard just yet)
Polar bear. Duh.
What you can't see is that he is reaching for the camera. He's trying to eat it, along with everything else he can get his hands on.
Helping Auntie feed the goats (not really; he's just pretending).
We tried to tell him it was rude to chew on the giraffe's face while we were at the zoo, but he didn't care.
Another development this weekend: we now have (1 or 2) consonants. We’ve for sure heard the “d” sound. I never realized how excited I would get about someone making consonant sounds. It’s kind of ridiculous. But awesome.
Hope you all had a great weekend. It finally cooled off a little here (the high today was in the low 70s). I’m loving it.
So much fun…and so little sleep
Aug 9th
I will have more of an update later, after I’m done with work, laundry, filling out passport paperwork (we NEED to get that done!), and catching up on my sleep. For now, let’s say that the weekend was FABULOUS. The bachelorette party was great; there were jello shots, inflatable dolls named Brenda and Steve, and a “public nuisance” ticket involved. Too bad about the ticket, but really it helps describe the evening quite well. The rest of the weekend was awesome, too. We got to see all of my grandparents, and James had a pickle. It was very exciting.
Back to work. Too bad I can’t close my eyes for just a second here…
We are *those* people
Aug 5th
We brought our baby to a bar last night. Not intentionally, but there it is anyway. We wanted to go try out this new place in town that says it’s a pub; they serve pub food and drinks. We have taken James to other “pub-like” places in town. They all feel like restaurants that serve alcohol, so we didn’t think it would be a big deal. But as soon as we walked in I knew it would be weird. And of course the place was almost totally empty, so it was really awkward. We went and sat in the chairs/couch in the corner, and tried to keep James quiet, but we forgot his nook, and he’s at this stage where he likes to scream. He’s happy screaming, but still; it’s a weird noise, and distinctly a baby. In a bar.
I figured we would grab a beer and eat and be out of there quick, but of course everything took longer than it should have, and James started getting a little noisier, and so I fed him. Normally no big deal. But we were in a bar, remember? And I had a beer in front of me. I only drank half of it the entire time we were there, but still. Klassy. With a capital K. Oh well. No one said anything to us about it, and really, for a baby, James was awesome. I took him outside once we were done eating, and waited there for Sam and Ryan to finish and pay, and we said repeatedly that if we ever go back we’ll be getting a babysitter. It probably wouldn’t have been so bad if we had been able to sit outside, but of course the only time it rained that day was right when we wanted to go out.
James & I are heading North after work tomorrow. It is my middle-younger sister’s bachelorette party on Saturday, and Grandma is going to watch the baby for me (and my sister’s kids for her – Thanks, Grandma!). I haven’t been up North in a few months, so I’m excited to go. I’ll try to get pictures, although no promises.
Speaking of pictures, here is one of one of the ships we toured last weekend:
It was cool to see the ships. We only toured 2 of them; the HMS Bounty (from the movies!) and this one – the Europa. It was pretty hot and muggy down there, and there were a billion people, so I was ok with not spending all day wandering. It was fun, though, and seeing them sailing on the lake was AWESOME. One year I want to take the day they come in off work to go see them up close.
I really need to work on figuring out how to end posts. Maybe next time…
Happy World Breastfeeding Week!
Aug 2nd
I just found out from a friend on Facebook that it’s World Breastfeeding week. That is awesome. Hooray for all the women out there breastfeeding their children. I knew that I wanted to breastfeed James even before I knew I was pregnant with him, but I didn’t know how I would feel about it, or about feeding him with other people around. But since he was born and I got past the initial rough period, I love it. I love the bond I get while feeding him. And I don’t mind feeding him in public at all. I fed him in line to see the tall ships this weekend, and I feed him at restaurants and wherever else we might be when he gets hungry. I guess I figure that he needs to eat, and people would much rather I fed him than to have him fuss.
Anyway, I encourage all you breastfeeding moms out there to keep up the good work!
*****
I made this recipe from The Pioneer Woman for dinner tonight, and it was AWESOME. I’ve never used leeks before, but I’m a big fan. Probably could have used a little more pepper, but it was still really yummy. Ryan agreed. And how convenient! It only takes 1/2 cup of white wine. You wouldn’t want the rest to go to waste, would you?
Next time I think we’ll try it with bacon to cut down on the cost a little. But yeah; quick, and delicious.
Really, Facebook? You think?
Jul 30th
I know we have all seen the funny things Facebook recommends that we will like because we like something else (apparently because I like Stephen King I should like Country Music; who knew one had to do with the other!?). This one, though, I found a little bizarre:
Really Facebook? Because I like The Princess Bride, I might like The Princess Bride? You are so smart!
Ryan says I’m overthinking it; of COURSE you would like The Princess Bride if you like The Princess Bride. Duh!
By the way, in case you missed it, I do like The Princess Bride. The movie is great, but the book is even better.
Stuff (and an update about daycare)
Jul 27th
James and I attended the baby shower of a good friend of ours this past Saturday, and it was so much fun. Her family seems really nice, and it was fun to see all the little baby stuff. We all decorated onesies; that baby will have plenty of those for a while. :) James was a big hit, of course. He was his smiley, charming self. And he’s at such a fun age – he’s interactive in that he looks at you and smiles and laughs and plays. But he’s not mobile yet, so he isn’t as much work to look after.
There was another baby there that was 3 months old. He was a cutie too. It’s weird to think that was how James was just a couple months ago; kind of floppy and little and not so interested in whatever else is going on. The other little boy’s mom described time as a mother as passing quickly, but when you think back on things since he was born, it all seems so long ago. It seems like he’s always been able to do whatever he does now. I completely agree. It seems like forever ago that James was so little that he could fit in the crook of my arm, or all curled up on my chest. Now he stretches down to my lap when I hold him sitting down, and I have to make sure to lift him up when I put him in the crib so his little feet don’t get caught between the crib and my stomach. When I walk around with him he sits on my arm, holding himself up and looking around. And yet he’s only 5 months old! He hasn’t even been around for half a year. It’s just crazy. I just scheduled his 6 month checkup for next month. I can’t believe he’ll be 6 months already…time really does fly.
I wonder if my mom feels that way about us; that it was just yesterday that we were little babies? Being a mom really gives me a much better perspective on how parents feel about their kids. I never could have imagined it…it is so hard to describe. Someone I read once said that having kids feels like a little piece of your heart out walking around. I feel more like James has a string or tentacle or something attached to my heart. Like where ever he is, we are connected, and he can tug at it whenever he needs something. When he’s upset, it’s tight and tense. When he’s happy it’s relaxed, with lots of give. I don’t know how else to describe the feeling.
I didn’t know how much I would love being a mother when I was pregnant. I thought I would like it, and I knew I would love my baby. But I had no idea how much I would love him, or how much I would love being a mom. Or how much I would love watching Ryan as a dad. He’s awesome, and James adores him. The grins for Daddy; they kill me.
Anyway, I know all that has been said by other people, and much more elegantly than I could ever say it. But part of having this blog is being able to look back and see how I felt at certain times of my life, and that is how I feel now. Constantly connected to this other little person, who amazes me more and more every day.
*******
Daycare update:
We found a new daycare. I love her. It is the place that we were going to take James temporarily while we found something permanent (she usually just does drop-in care), but she said she’d be willing to try out a permanent spot. So we are trying it out. So far, so good. She does cloth diapering too, and is about our age. She went to school and knows some good friends of ours, and came pretty highly recommended. The only downside is that it now takes us about 40 minutes in the morning and 45 minutes after work to do drop-off/pick-up. Ick. That will improve, though, once all the road construction is finished.
We also got a letter about our old daycare, saying that the person’s license was suspended for 90 days due to “imminent harm” to the children. I don’t know if things were more serious than she lead us to believe, or if that’s just the wording the county always uses, or what. But I’m glad we are done with her.
She returned our money, which is great. She returned most of our bottles (there are a few parts missing), but as Ryan pointed out when I started to get angry about it – it’s not worth it. It’s not worth the effort to try to call her and figure out where things are and pick them up. Talking to her makes me so frustrated (she wants us to feel sorry for her! ACK!), and so it is worth whatever small cost it will be to get replacement parts for the bottles just to be done with it.
Speaking of done with it; it’s time for me to be done with the internet for tonight.
Quote of the day:
Jul 21st
“Not all Democrats are evil. And not all Republicans are good guys.” -spoken during the legislative update portion of my continuing ed class today.
Thanks for exposing your bias. FYI not all insurance agents are Republicans.
