6 Months

Dear James,
Look at you!!!! You are changing so fast! I'm barely blinking, and you are different every single day.
I know your pants are hiked up like old man pants in this picture above - sorry. I tried to get them down, but it's so hard to get you to be still for a picture now. You want to reach to the right and left and grab stuff or reach forward and grab the camera. I have SO MANY pictures of you this past month! You have been up to a lot....so let me just hurry up and get started with this update.

- You celebrated your first Thanksgiving! We went to Florida for the week, and you did great. We spent time with your great Grandma and Grandpa, Grammie and GatorPa, Aunt Krista and Uncle Matt, Nana and Grandaddy, Zach, Noah, Madison, Aunt Wendy, Uncle Tom, Aunt Olivia, and Uncle Bryan.
Here you are with Aunt Krista:

Here you are at Mia's (one of Mommy's favorite Crestview restaurants) with Grammie and GatorPa. You can see GatorPa has on his nametag - he was hanging out with us during his lunch.

Here you on Thanksgiving morning with your Turkey jammies on. Are you funny and cute or what? Daddy got up with you and let me sleep a little longer.

Here we are before heading to Nana and Grandaddy's to eat our first Thanksgiving meal.

Here's Daddy holding you - aren't you sweet??!!

I bought you some Santa jammies...although I think they are very cute, I think they are VERY HOT....so I hesitate to make you wear them because I'm afraid you could be burning up. I love your dimples!!!! You know, Nana was showing me some of Daddy's baby pictures, and you got those dimples from him, I think. He had sweet little dimples just like you do!

Here you are in a Gator jacket, ready to go outside on a windy day!

It's been cold here, so we've been testing out our winter clothes. The only ones you really can't wear yet are some PRECIOUS clothes Aunt Wendy bought you at Gymboree. They are still too big. This outfit below Mr. Ray and Mrs. Lisa bought for you at Cracker Barrel a long time ago - before you were born!

Grammie and GatorPa bought this outfit below for you. This was on a Sunday morning a couple weeks ago. You can see how hard it is for me to get you to be still so I can take your picture! You are everywhere!!

I thought you were so sweet in your little Christmas clothes that I gave you the Christmas spatula to play with. Now, you have to remember that Mommy is a new mommy...so sometimes I don't always do the smartest stuff. I realized after I gave it to you and watched you for a minute that you could SHOVE IT DOWN YOUR THROAT, so uh, I took it away. No harm done :) Probably not a good idea to play with spatulas at this point. Oh, and isn't your hair funny? You can see really well in this picture how that one part is just really growing...the other hair is catching up, but that one part is seriously growing.

These are overalls Grandaddy picked out for you a while back. We were getting ready to go to the mall this day, and you were so cute!

We went a couple weeks ago with our Sr. Adults to the Lake Lanier lights. We weren't that caught up on you having a "professional" picture with Santa this year, so we just took our own (for free) while you sat on his lap. You were great - not afraid at all!

Here you are with Caroline. You were very sweet wanting to touch her (although you probably just wanted to eat her), until you almost stuck her in the eye. Then we had to pull you away :) But, we know she's going to be your good, good friend, so we know you had good intentions.

Mommy made you make a craft the other day. It did not go well, but we got it done. You can see in the picture below that you were NOT happy about it. I was making you press your hand in some clay so that we could make an ornament. It did not occur to me how difficult it would be to get a 6 month to be still long enough to press your hand into a mold....it was rough with some crying (from you), but we got it made.

The finished product:

Ronald Blue always has a Kids' Christmas Party each year, so we got to go this year...with our kid!!! Jadie helped us make an ornament - it is super cute with your fingerprints on it! It's hanging on the tree now.

Let's see...this is already so long, but I have so much more to say! And, since this is my letter to you, I can make it as long as I want. Here's what else has been going on!

- You love to "stand" and "walk". If I lay you down on the floor on your back now, you immediately start to cry unless I begin entertaining you RIGHT THEN. You cannot quite sit up yet and you can't crawl yet, but you want to SEE and MOVE. You do NOT want to lie on your back and play with the toys on your infant gym. You are almost like a Riverdance dancer or a tap dancer because you are so funny on your feet. Since you are steady, it's almost like you are hopping around all the time, but you sure do love it. You like to be in on the action.

- You are talking more - especially in the mornings. You are squealing like crazy, and saying mamama (but have no idea that's me), and bababa (but have no idea that's your bottle).

- You are reaching your arms out to us more. I wasn't really sure if that's what you were doing, at first, but I'm more and more sure that is what's happening. If I get your out of your exersaucer or up from the crib, you usually hold your arms up for me to get you - could be because you want to eat my hands though....

- You are making the funniest faces with your mouth. You are putting your top lip over your bottom lip - making sort of a "duck" face - and just drooling all over the place. It's really, really funny. You are doing the motorboat sound a lot.

- You have had a cold on and off this past month. Then, a couple of days ago, your right eye started getting gunky and kind of pinkish. We weren't sure if it was a cold or pink eye. We took you to the dr. (because we always take you to the dr. since we have no clue what we're doing). They said you were fine - even though you've had this little cold (which we took you to the dr. for about a month ago), they said they couldn't see any infections and that your lungs sounded great. They gave us eye drops to put in both of your eyes just in case it is pink eye. It's been very challenging getting those eye drops in your eyes - good grief it is hard! I cannot get your eye open!!! The coughing from your little cold scares me. I think it sounds like a fake cough, but when I tried to ask the dr. about it, she acted like um, no, that could not happen. So...I'm hoping the eye drops will clear up your pink eye or whatever it is and that your cough will continue to get better and better.

- You are teething like crazy...BUT STILL NO TEETH!!!! You are chewing on EVERYTHING. I mean, anything. paper. my hands. my hair. anything you can get your mouth on, literally. I'm really hoping soon a tooth will come through just so maybe you can get some relief for a little while before the next one breaks through!

- You are sleeping great. You are going to bed around 9pm every night and waking up around 7am. Between 7 and 7:30am. I think because of your gums hurting, you wake up sometimes in the early morning - like starting around 4, and usually I have to go in 2 or 3 times and put your paci in and you go right back to sleep. Sometimes this doesn't happen, but probably half the time, it does. You are taking 3 naps a day. One from around 9:30am-11:00am, a short one from about 1:30-2:15 or so, and then a longer one from about 4:00pm - 6:00pm. You still wake up a lot crying during your naps. I still don't know why, but usually I can help you go back to sleep. Times that you don't wake up crying are a huge victory to me - I'm hoping those times will begin to be more than the wake up crying times. Oh, and you are sleeping on your stomach almost all the time now. I put you on your back, but you immediately roll over onto your stomach. You can get over great, but still have a difficult time getting onto your back from your stomach, so that is frustrating. You aren't too happy when you wake up on your stomach in the morning or from naps, yet when I lay you down, you immediately roll onto your stomach.

- You are eating pretty well. In fact, when we went to the dr. about your eyes a couple of days ago, you weight 15 lbs - you gained a whole lb. this past month! Thank goodness because Dr. Evans was worried about your weight a month ago when we came in about your cold. You are supposed to be eating at least 24 oz. a day, and I'm feeding you oatmeal banana cereal for breakfast and then a fruit or vegetable for lunch. So far you have liked everything you've eaten. You've made funny faces, but you seem to like all the foods. You ate sweet potatoes on Thanksgiving - I felt like that was the closest to Thanksgiving food I could get for you. Not sure what I'll give you on Christmas. If you don't get to 24 oz one day, then I don't feed you real food the next day. The nurse line (my best friends) at your dr. office told me the most important thing is that you get your milk each day, so take out the food if you are not getting enough milk.

- Oh, this is a biggie. So...we learned that the entire time you've been alive, we've been buckling you into your car seat WRONG. We were doing the straps around your legs wrong. Thank goodness we didn't have a car accident (not that I hope we have one now since we're buckling you in right). Olivia buckled you in at church, and I told her no, she was doing it wrong, so she called Tiffany over and Tiffany buckled you in just like Olivia. Well, sure enough, I was wrong. HELLOOOOO!??? Did we not read the book!? It shows clearly in the book, in red, where the straps go. AND, we've had you buckled in the middle of the Murano, and you're not allowed to be in that seat - you have to be on one of the sides.

- Joy took our pictures for our Christmas card and just as a milestone for you at around 6 months. They are FANTASTIC. I mean, when she sent the preview, I just cried looking at them thinking how blessed my life is. It's a lot of work and trust me, I'm glad when you go to bed a lot of nights!....but boy I love you and Daddy!

- The crawling status is this: you are putting your legs up under your bottom to stick your bottom in the air and try to move, but you have no idea that your arms have to move too. It's like the top half of you is dead weight and you don't want to move it. I keep trying to push your feet to help you, and you move then, but still haven't figure out your arms. The sitting up status is this: You are almost sitting up on your own, but you don't understand that if you reach for something, you have to balance yourself with your other arm. So...I've tried to let you fall a few times (cushioned by me, of course) to help you see that you have to balance yourself. I think you'll get it in the next couple of weeks - it's definitely close.

- You have been so funny about the wrapping and tissue paper for Christmas. Just like you liked the leaves on the trees, you like the tissue paper rattle. I tried to give it to you, but you just want to eat it...I let you eat it for a second, but then I had to take it away from you since it like immediately starts melting in your mouth.

- One of your favorite things to do is sit in the bathroom sink (with no water, obviously) and look at yourself in the mirror. You love this, and so it's our go to when you are a maniac sometimes in the evenings. You also like to touch the Christmas tree, and the lights on it, and the ornaments.

- You are sitting in your toddler bathtub with no sling now!

- A funny thing - you love tags. I mean, on all of your toys, your favorite part is the tag. In your bouncy seat, you love the tag. In your exersaucer, you find the tags. You like to feel them between your fingers. This totally cracks me up because I truly thing some of your favorite toys are the ones with tags.

We are so excited about our first Christmas with you. Don't worry, I'm sure Santa will find our house! Daddy and I loved letting you look at the lights at Lake Lanier a couple of weeks ago. You were able to sit on our laps to look at them as we drove, and you actually paid attention! I know you won't care about presents, except maybe about chewing on them, but that's okay...I know those years will come. I love you, I love you, I love you, sweet Punky!! Please stop growing so fast - this mommy's heart can't take it!!!!

Your Mommy

P.S. I have to add to this - you had your actual 6 month appointment today - 01/07/2011. We had to go late for your checkup because of the Christmas/New Year's holidays. Here are your official stats:

Weight: 16 lbs 9 oz (22%)
Height: 28.25" (90%)
Head Circum: 16.75 (12%)

So...the dr. thought you looked GREAT! You are VERY, VERY tall! Yay! Daddy says if you are over 6 feet he will quit his job and teach you mad basketball skills and we'll just live off you, James :) You are still very skinny - but your percentile is going up, at least, so Dr. Evans says she is okay with it. You'll soon be 7 months!!

5 Months

Dear Jamesy,
I am LATE writing you for your 5 month birthday! And, this may not get written if you keep waking up from your nap crying! It's been very busy, so even though I've thought of all kinds of things to write about you, I just haven't had a chance. Here's what's been going on with you!
- You are definitely teething. I keep hoping I can feel a tooth. I can't. I keep thinking that ridge in the bottom middle of your gum is a tooth. It's not. You are drooling A LOT, chewing on EVERYTHING...like hair, anything you can find on the floor, clothes, fingers, thumbs, TOES...and the list could go on. You have been running a low grade temperature on and off this past month of around 99 degrees, but still no tooth yet! I am ready! I can't wait to see that sweet little tooth pop up! Plus, I'd like to see some fussiness subside. It is not encouraging to me that for the first two years of your life you get teeth! I'm hoping the process will hurry up a little...but if it doesn't (and I'm sure it won't), that's okay :)
- For the first time since you've been born, I got a bad, bad cold and ear infection this past month. My ear drum ruptured!! It really showed me that a momma has no time to get sick. You don't care if I am sick! You just want to play! One night I had taken a lot of Sudafed and could not sleep. It was like you'd taken Sudafed too (though clearly you had not) because you just weren't sleeping well. You spit out your paci and it fell off the crib down by the wall where I couldn't get to it in the middle of the night. Finally, I fed you about 2:45am, but then you kept rolling over on your stomach and crying because you couldn't get your arm out (you know your hate relationship with tummy time). Finally I sent Daddy in to help you. The first words I hear on the monitor after all that frustration from me was, "Good job, James!" Even in the midst of my cold and Sudafed and you not sleeping, it totally cracked me up. We know it's a big deal that you are rolling over, and we are proud of your milestones even if it's in the middle of the night!
- You have started to eat FOOD!!! In the mornings we try to eat oatmeal with bananas, and then a fruit or vegetable for lunch (your favorites are squash and sweet potatoes...and you really like carrots too!). We found out from the dr. that you should be eating at least 24 oz of milk every day, and that has been a real struggle for you. You just are not a big eater. I've had to back off several times on the real food to make sure we get in the milk we are supposed to. I have called the nurse line so many times at the pediatrician that they know me WELL. But, I will say that although you're not a big eater, you are getting the hang of eating really well. You know how to open your mouth and are barely pushing out any food when I feed you. I've learned better how to hold your hands down so we don't make such a huge mess, too (Grammie did such a neat job feeding you that I was inspired to try).
- Your friend Caroline was born this month! Eric and Kelli had Caroline and she is beautiful! We can't wait for you guys to form a life long friendship (no pressure though, of course).
- We got rid of the swing this past month! I mean, we boxed that thing up to send back to Jason and Jeanette! Dr. Evans thought it was getting dangerous for you to nap in there since you are sitting up so well now. So...although it's been a struggle, you are now napping in your crib, and for the most part, it's going great. You still wake up crying at least once in each nap, but I just put the paci back in and usually you go back to sleep.
- You learned to pull your socks off and eat your toes! We were in Wal-Mart a while back, and I looked down at you and your sock was in your mouth! What in the world? Just in time for winter! The next several days you worked your foot closer and closer to your mouth...and finally got it in there! You suck on your toes sometimes, but mostly you just like to suck on anything you can get in your mouth. I can barely get your diaper changed now because you so want to pull your feet up to your mouth. Sometimes I just pull your sock off for you while I'm changing your diaper so I can just get a second with your feet down!
- You are squealing a ton! Talking well...you started this really funny thing of putting your upper lip over your bottom lip and making an "mmmmm" sound.
- You are playing so well in your exersaucer and your jumper! You love those things! You are learning to jump up and down, and learning how to turn around in them so you can play with all the toys.

You didn't go to the dr. this month for a checkup, but you will next month for 6 months! I know you are getting taller and are pretty tall since you are now wearing 9 month pajamas so that the footies are big enough and the legs are long enough!

Boy, being a mom is something that is hard because I question everything - I so want to do the very best for you, and sometimes I feel like I'm definitely NOT the best because I have no idea what I'm doing. I am reminded, though, that God gave you to us for a reason. You are not a random baby that He just dumped into our lives. You are with us for a purpose. A purpose for us and a purpose for you. You, James, are supposed to be with us, Landon and Bethany Frymire. Whether we do things perfectly or not (clearly not), there's grace for it because God intends for you to be with us. Before time began, you were supposed to be our baby. We were supposed to be your parents. I am so thankful for these blessing and unworthy of His grace in my life. Before I go, I want to remind you (and me) of this.

The entire Psalm 139 is great, but here is my favorite part:

v 13 - 16
For You formed my inward parts; You covered my in my mother's womb.
I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.
My frame was not hidden from You,
when I was made in secret,
and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.
And in Your book they all were written,
the days fashioned for me,
When as yet there were none of them.

Don't ever forget that God has a purpose for you - right here it says "in Your book they were written"...God has a very special plan for you, and that plan included the privilege of Daddy and me being your parents. The Message says you are MARVELOUSLY MADE - WHAT A CREATION! and that "the days of my life were all prepared before I'd lived even one day."

I love you, Precious One. I'm sorry your update is late...real life is tough!!

James and Landon Playing Ball

The Sweetest Sound

Shutterfly!

I love Shutterfly! I have loved it for about 5 years now and have used any excuse (in the past when we had more money) to make a photo book. If it was a holiday I was off of work, I wanted to make a photo book about it - not quite that bad, but pretty bad...I love everything Shutterfly! I have bought their photo books mainly, but I've also purchased greeting cards and other gifts. I cannot wait to get my Christmas cards through them this year - but I have to wait to see what pictures we're going to use when Joy takes our pictures in a couple of weeks! One of my favorite cards right now says "Rejoice the Lord is King" but I'm not sure which one I'm really going to end up choosing. All the holiday cards are here. A couple of my other favorites are these!

Ooooh...and I'm thinking this calendar below would be a great present - I could put pictures of James on every single page!!! That link is here.

And then, while I was looking around on there, I just found these invitations - oh my word, how sweet! Before I know it I'll be getting invitations for James' 1st birthday. I found them here.
Basically, I'm a Shutterfly lover. Have you checked out Shutterfly? I LOVE, LOVE to make stuff on there. Just go to here to get your creative juices flowing...try not to get too obsessed like I have though! And, watch for my Christmas card in the mail this year!

The Most Exciting Thing EVER

Alright. This is it. I am so excited about this. I love the website Southern Savers - they always post the grocery coupons, specials deals, etc. I saw this deal about games at Toys R Us, and I GOT IT!!!! Okay, let me tell you what I did. If you spent $35 before tax on Hasbro games at Toy R Us, you got a $10 gift card to the store. Well, when I went, there was something going on with the promotion and the register at the store, so they just had to take $10 off my total - what a shame. So, then I'm down to $28 including tax for all these games. Then, Hasbro has a rebate right now where you can get a couple of dollars off of each Hasbro game you get - so, I got $15 off on my rebate I sent in...so....I GOT THESE 7 GAMES BELOW FOR $13. Is that a greal deal or what??? I was so excited. I remember playing Trouble, Chutes and Ladders, Candyland, Hi Ho Cherry-o, Memory and Kooties - I don't remember Don't Break the Ice. I made Landon take my picture with the games because I was SO EXCITED. Did I mention I was excited about this?? Landon didn't seem to care all that much - I don't think he must've been a big game player as a child. But...don't worry James, Mommy has the games ready!!!!

2 New Toys

We put together a new toy for James this past week! It's the Baby Einstein Jumper - I think it's called a Jumper - I can't remember right now...anyway, he seems to really like it. While the exersaucer says that a supported sitter can play in it, this Jumper thing says that they should be a sitter....so uh, oh well. But, I haven't been leaving him alone to play in it - I've been sitting there while he plays. He seems to think it's really fun. He doesn't have the hang of how you can turn around in it and play with the different sides...he just tried to lean his body over and play with the things on the sides.

Then, I've been trying to figure out how he might like tummy time better. I saw this thing and thought it might help. He LOVES to look in the mirror, so I ordered this floor mirror from Walmart.com. Okay, it works, but unless you strap it to the crib, it is very cheap. It falls over unless I hold it on the floor, but so far, he seems to love it - and forgets for a few minutes that he's on his stomach.

Eating "Real" Food

Boy, I was excited about James starting to eat real food. I could not wait to feed it to him! Even though he eats rice cereal in all his bottles because of his reflux, I couldn't wait to mix it up and feed him with a SPOON! Um, didn't quite go like I anticipated. I thought he was going to just gobble it right down. He didn't. These first two pictures are our first try at real food. Here's the before:

Here's the during:

He'd much rather eat the straps of his high chair in the picture above than his cereal. So, I got some tips. First of all, I know it's not that he needs the nutrition. So, no real pressure about whether or not he eats it. Also, I got some good advice about when to feed him so he'd be hungrier, etc. AND, it worked. So...slowly...after about two weeks of trying the rice cereal (with some applesauce mixed in), twice a day, he's really gotten the hang of it! He now eats oatmeal with bananas in the mornings (then his milk), a veggie for lunch (then his milk), and some rice cereal for dinner (then his milk) and two extra milk times in there :) He is doing great! Here he is yesterday...about to eat some carrots.

Here are the carrots:

Yum!

Eating is a messy job. The first time I gave him the carrots he sort of ate them and then turned his head and fake coughed a couple of times. Then, he kept eating them.

I think eating is going well. Next week we're going to try a new veggie...I'm thinking....maybe squash. :)

Vaccines

I forgot this picture in James' 4 month update, but I wanted to take his picture with all his bandaids after his check up. He got 4 shots - 2 bandaids on each leg!! What a trooper!

Our First Trip to the (Sort of) Zoo

A few weeks ago, my HR Team at work had a fun event we got to bring our families to. I was excited that they invited me to come - since I'm working from home now only 10 hours per week, I don't expect to get to do all the extra stuff, but they asked us to come! We went to Dahlonega to this Reserve place that had some animals, then out to eat at the Smith House. It was GREAT. The Fudge Factory was the greatest!! Here is Landon feeding the camel...remember, camels are my favorite...

Here's James and me...the camel is watching us. For the most part, James didn't care any about the animals. The camel was the one we got the closest to, so he was at least interested in it a little. He mainly just got mad if we were in the sun and the sun was in his eyes.

Here we are with the Robinson family :) Shannon, Mandy, and sweet Isabelle. Mandy is my co-worker, but also my great, great friend. They go to our church now, and I am so excited about it. I really love their family. Mandy has a personality kind of like Steph - that dry humor that totally cracks me up. I survived many RB&Co. days because of her helping keep me sane :)

We had a great time together! James was really good, so that was a great blessing.

My First Holiday Failure

Well, I failed on two accounts for Halloween. First of all, the costume. James was supposed to be Albert, our mascot. Well, I tried and tried to find an alligator costume I thought looked plush, like Albert, but I could not find one! Finally, I found this dragon costume and thought if I put this jersey over it, it would hide the dragon spikes and look like an alligator. It sort of did, but it made Albert look really fat. Ha, like fat Albert...but clearly not the real Fat Albert. I also got James the cutest monogrammed trick or treat bag from Pottery Barn (which we can keep using year after year).

My second failure came on the actual Halloween date, and it technically was not my fault, but still....Halloween was on Sunday. We had to drive down to Costco and Chuck E Cheese to get giftcards as prizes for our Trunk or Treat at the church that night. Well, on the way back home, on I-85, there was a RED ALERT. I am not even kidding. We sat for like almost 2 hours on the interstate just sitting there - James slept most of the time, but thank goodness I had extra food for him because I had to feed him after a while - it was crazy! That right there showed me why you should always be prepared with a baby. By the time we got back to the church, it was time for the trunk or treat. I had to run home and get Landon a change of clothes and then get back to the church immediately so that he could change. I didn't get to put James' costume on him or get his trick or treat MONOGRAMMED bag....it was yuck! The trunk or treat was a great success, so that was good, but I was really disappointed in our first Halloween...not that I ever have high expectations that NEVER live up to what I hope they'll be...

OH WELL! At least he is a baby - he has no idea there was anything. :)

4 Months

Dear James,

You are now 4 months old! Life is getting so fun for you! Every day I feel like your world is opening up more and more. I'm sad to see tiny baby days end, but even more so, I am excited to watch you investigate your toys and roll over...and SLEEP THROUGH THE NIGHT!! Clearly, we know we are raising a genius! This month your stats are:

Height: 26" (79%)
Weight: 13.13 lbs (21%)
Head Circumference: 16 cm (10%)

Here are notable things about this past month.

- At the beginning of the month Daddy realized that a place on your head was flat. We decided to take you to the pediatrician, just so they could look at it. We were trying EVERYTHING we knew to do, but we could not get you to turn your head to the left. You only wanted to look to the right - even if it meant staring at a bare wall with nothing on it! One night was like a circus in your room with me and Daddy as the clowns performing outside your crib...yet you STILL chose to turn toward the wall and stare, not caring about what in the world was going on on the other side. It was as if you were saying, "Could you jokers please get OUT of my room right now?!! I am trying to SLEEP, people!" As we've tried to do more tummy time (which you still hate with a passion) and have worked on deliberately having you turn your head to the left, things are slowly getting better! You are even sleeping some with your head turned the other way, and I could be wrong, but I think the flat spot is looking much improved.

- I did start giving you formula this month. I've been giving you my milk and formula. At the beginning of the month, you were doing your same old terrible eating tricks. You are not a big eater! But then...a couple of weeks ago, things really seemed to take a turn for the better! You started sleeping through the night! Not completely consistently, but some, and those days after you've slept through the night - you are a HUGE eater (huge eater for you, I mean). So, instead of only eating about 20 oz a day, you are eating more like 26 oz or so per day - I am so proud of this! We are still doing the rice cereal in your milk, and I am really hoping when we get to our 4 month appointment this week that Dr. Evans will say we can start some FOOD! I think you are ready! Even if it's just the rice cereal - I've tried putting a spoon in your mouth and you seem ready to eat. You don't thrust your tongue back out, you are sitting up great in your high chair, and you watch everything we eat very closely. It has been wonderful since you started eating more. I've been offering you 7 oz at each feeding because sometimes you actually eat that much - especially in the evenings. You are eating 5 times a day if you sleep through the night, and you are eating 6 times a day if you wake up once in the night.

- And, about you sleeping through the night...the month started out just like the last one with you waking up in the middle of the night once, around 3am to eat. While we were home in Florida, though, you slept GREAT, and I figured it was because you were off your schedule a little bit and were so exhausted at night. But, since arriving back home, you have continued to sleep well, and last week, for about 4 nights in a row, you slept 9-10 hours each night! WHOA! I know! Then, you regressed for a few nights, but then last night, again, you slept 9 hours. I think we are on the road to better sleep, my friend. If I can get a couple of weeks of consistent nighttime sleep, you just might have a new mommy! I worry about you though when you don't wake up because it's getting colder, and I don't have the opportunity to put more clothes on you in the middle of the night. I have to really plan ahead well for the entire night and make sure you are warm enough (since Daddy likes us to keep it on 68 degrees...)

- As far as naps go, you are still napping in the swing. This is something else we will discuss with the dr. - she is supposed to help us know how to transition you to the crib for naps. You are taking 3 naps a day, about 1.5 - 2 hours, for each nap. All in the swing, swaddled. Usually you don't even cry when I put you in there.

- You are definitely starting to teethe. When I pull your lower lip down, I can see your two teeth down there - I can't see them coming through the top, but I can see them through your gums. You are not really licking things anymore, you are just gnawing on anything you get your hands on. You are drooling more, but still not a crazy amount. You like to chew on your hands, and specifically, your thumbs. I have been concerned about this because I don't want you to be a thumb sucker! I've said a million times, "No, no, we don't suck our thumb." But, I am trying to just watch you - pull out your thumb if you are sucking it, but let you chew it if your are chewing. I know you need something to chew on. You crack me up when you stick your fingers too far back though. You may this funny hissing noise instead of gagging, and it's really cute. I've tried to give you the teething rings - cold and not cold - but you don't seem to care about them at this point. You would rather have fingers and thumbs - yours or anyone elses. You are not picky :)

- You went to your first car wash this past month - the kind where you sit in the car while you go through. You did not appreciate it, but I sat in the back with you, and we got through it. You also are not a fan of the vacuum. I got it out FOR THE FIRST time since you were born a few days ago (mind you, that means I have not vacuumed in 4 months). At first, I just vacuumed in the bedroom. I buckled you into the bouncy seat on the bed so you could watch - you were very, very still and just watched carefully. Daddy said you were trying to be invisible so whatever it was would not get you - smart. But then, I pushed my luck. I put you in your bumbo in the living room the next day and was going to vacuum the living room rug. Well, you were on the floor with the vacuum. At first you were just still and watched like before. But then, I saw some dust on the floor next to you...and I went for it with the vacuum. That was a mistake, and very dumb of me, and mean (although unintentional!). You started screaming that crazy, high pitched scream that you do when you are scared. I turned it off and jerked you out of there so I could hold you! I probably won't vacuum for another 4 months now :)

- You took your first trip home to FL! Everyone LOVED you!! You stayed in lots of different nurseries, and you just did great! You rolled over from your back to your tummy for the first time at Tonya Lawrence's house. We went by to visit Seth and Tonya for a little while, and all of sudden while you were lying on the floor on a blanket, you just rolled right over. It's hard to watch you fight to get your arm out from under you, but you get it eventually, and I'm on standby to help just in case. Here you are with both sets of your grandparents!

- I can barely get your diapers on anymore because you are so squirmy on the changing table. Your legs are in the air the entire time and you are just kicking away. I try to be quick so we get the business done and get down, but it's tough when you jerk yourself from one side to the other like you are trying to roll over and don't want to just lie back and still! You are wearing a size 2 diaper, but a size 3 diaper in the Costco diapers.

- I think you may be starting to recognize your name. Daddy showed me the other night that when he called your name you turned your head. That is so exciting! It could have been coincidence, but I really don't think so.

- You are talking and talking and talking! I mean, a lot. Your favorite thing to say this month sounds like "aggoooo" and "agheeeee". You are still a huge smiler. I mean, huge. HUGE. You smile all the time - you are a very happy baby.

One story before I go get your bottle ready. We are definitely at church now! You seem to love the nursery and anyone who holds you right now, so I'm thankful for that. Last Sunday night, I had a meeting at 4 and Daddy had a meeting at 5. I watched you in Daddy's office from 5-6 until night church started when I was going to take you to the nursery. Well...you had not been to the bathroom in a couple of days (and usually you go every day)...so I knew something might be coming. Well, it came. I was feeding you in his office, and you went to the bathroom. Serious business. I laid a blanket on the floor, then the disposable changing pad so I could change you. It was a big operation. You got yuck on your clothes, so I was having to take them off and put a different outfit on you. You got yuck on the changing pad, you got yuck on the blanket, you got yuck EVERYWHERE! I ran out of wipes...it was quickly becoming a disaster, and it did not smell good. So, Daddy finishes his meeting and sticks his head in the door talking t someone at the church. He needed to bring someone in the office to talk with them - and here I am with you on the floor and "yuck" is everywhere. He took one whiff in that office and I heard him say, "No, no, let's just step into this Sunday School room right here." Yep, that's right, good idea. I was glad you got some relief and went to the bathroom though. Your face gets very funny and red and you really, really push and make a noise that is hilarious - but Daddy and I are very serious about it and tell you to just get it out!

I've been calling you my pumpkin this month for Halloween. We went to the Pumpkin Patch to get our pumpkin and took great pictures with you there. Even though I am still tired, my life is such a blessing. It is everything I could have ever hoped for. Being at the pumpkin patch with you and Daddy was such a great day for me. I'm so, so blessed to be a momma, and specifically, your momma! I can't for Thanksgiving this next month, and Christmas....we are going to have so much fun! I love you with all my heart, sweet Jamesy. I am watching your world expand and become more exciting every day, and I LOVE IT! Thank you, Father, for this precious baby - clearly one of my life's all time greatest blessings.

Did I mention that I love you?? I do.

Your Mommy

Grandaddy!

Grandaddy, this one is for you! Am I cute or what?? Thank you for the outfit! - Love, James

Sunday Morning Best

I may be completely exhausted by the time we get to church, but let me tell you, James looks good. Is this cute or what? I cannot resist a baby in a SWEATER VEST!!

Equipment

I seriously do not know what people did a long time ago before there were so many entertaining contraptions for babies. I feel like we do 100 things together just in the first couple of hours of the day and then I'm like...uh...what are we going to do next??? I just got out the umbrella stroller that Grammie and GatorPa gave James. He's still a little small for it, but he's controlling his head great, so I thought it would be okay...here he is before our first walk. I was afraid the seat belt part would scratch his legs so I put a burp cloth in between.

Here he is in the bumbo (not a real bumbo - but a bumbo-like thing). He loves this thing now, and he can sit in it for 20 or 30 minutes or so.

This is our newest contraption. The exersaucer. I wanted Landon to put it together because I think we are close to being able to use it...but not quite. You should see our living room. I feel like the ringmaster of a baby circus or something. Anyway, he can play for a little bit in this but he doesn't have good control over his spine yet, so he just sort of falls forward wherever you put him. He thought it was really great at first, but I think then just got tired of holding himself up. Here he is though...fascinated by it.