Two things...

Two new things today- a new fruit, pineapple, and James gained a new skill. He can now scoot himself up to standing and then take off walking. He even seems to be walking much faster now and less like a "zombie". He has much more balance and is tottering all over the house now.

I mention the pineapple because its been a long time since James has had anything new. Our challenge is to feed James enough nutritious foods now that he doesn't take formula. I'm trying very hard to get proteins and veggies into this baby- he only seems to want fruits (bananas mostly), carbs (goldfish, bread, pasta) and dairy (milk, yogurt). Tonight he did pretty well with dinner (chicken, squash, whole wheat crackers) because he dropped a bottle. He didn't have a late afternoon bottle and I was glad because everything I've read says he's getting too much dairy and that's why he doesn't have an appetite for real food. So we will try to consistently offer food before milk bottles and hope for the best. We want James to be healthy and strong :)

Christmas Whirlwind 2007

Jim and I just thanked each other for a great Christmas. We agreed it was a whirlwind of fun and activity with our families. We've followed our tradition of spending Christmas Eve with the Tauer side and then Christmas Day with my family (the Koldens, the Hulletts, maybe next year the Esteves and Reyes familias?)

Christmas Eve

We spent the morning just the three of us (Jim, James and myself). We opened some of our presents for James but all of them to Jim and myself. We gave James his PBK Everywhere chair and a few little toys. It was a nice morning :) We finished the morning by baking and decorating cookies and getting the house ready for our families. Grandma Laura, Grandpa Roger, Uncle Joe, and Aunt Kathy came over in the late morning and we had an early dinner and then opened presents! James got some great toys, clothing, and college money for gifts. He is already learning to save money :)

Christmas Day
Tia Ana and Tio Rich came over in the late morning and they were able to play with James before his naptime. Grandma Rosie and Grandpa Larry made it to our house in the early afternoon, after a long drive from northern Minnesota, visiting the Hulletts. We prepped all of our dinner items and then decided to open presents before dinner. Yay! There were tons of presents and James liked to carry them around- even if they weren't for him :) Again, he got some great toys, books, and clothing.

We would like to thank everyone for their love and generosity this Christmas!

James continues to have a runny nose and was a little crabby most of the holiday week. He seems to be better now that I put him back on his regular two nap schedule. I tried to do the one nap, like Sandra does, but it was too hard. I really wanted to enjoy my weeks off with James so I reverted back to two naps. I figured too that I was introducing enough of a change by taking him completely off of formula and trying to get more real food in him with meals and snacks too. He's been in a much better mood yesterday and today.

Weekend plans

Jim and I are headed to the Mall of America tomorrow for fun and to make a Cinnabon run :)

On Sunday we will relax and play with our Christmas gifts and help James with his.

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We Love Sandra!

It was a busy busy day. I had a work party after school so I rushed home after that to meet James and Jim for our daycare holiday party. Sandra had her kids and families come over for a party at her house. Santa was there too! Santa arrived and the kids went wild. Oh wait, they didn't need Santa to be wild. They were running around like crazy when we got there, screaming with joy when they saw James. (At one point I whispered to Jim, "Do you want to have four more kids? Imagine five kids running around like this." I think I scared him :)

It was a bit much to handle, so we kept James safely on our laps. He did get down and show off his walking skills for the other parents. He was very cute :)

James did not cry for Santa this time! Another little girl, Rhea, kicked and screamed but James did great. Can you believe I forgot my camera!?! Sandra took lots of pictures and promised to send them to me.

At the end of the party we all headed downstairs to the Christmas tree and the presents! Sandra had presents for each kid- James got a truck and a toy baseball. The best gift was that Sandra had a homemade gift for Jim and myself FROM JAMES! He MADE us an ornament. When I saw it, I immediately started to tear up. I was overwhelmed with happiness and pride. The gift is perfect and so special to us. I can't wait for our families to see James' gifts for us :)

On the way home Jim said he was so thankful that we found Sandra. She really and truly cares about her families. We were so surprised to see the gifts and all of her efforts tonight. We are so thankful.

In other news, Jim has found a new job! He hasn't given his notice yet but will soon. Its been a great day for this family :)

Oh, and James is completely back to normal. Happy, playing and lovable. He went to bed late tonight (8pm) because we were out partying :)

What's up with Toddler James?

I picked up James today from daycare and he was crying. Sandra was flying around the house getting organized, and I didn't think anything of it because I was later than usual (I had an after school group until 4pm) She said he had been crabby for about 10 minutes.

Well, we got back home and he was content to watch his Baby Einstein video while I cooked dinner. He sat completely still. No playing. Maybe not weird but unusual.

At dinner he didn't touch any of his food, literally. He would only accept yogurt. He looked like he was going to fall asleep in his highchair.

After dinner I sat with James on the couch. He put his head on my shoulder, sighed, and started mumbling. He fell asleep. We didn't let him sleep for long. We tried a bottle. He perked up a little bit. We ended up putting him to bed early because he looked tired again, his little head was bobbing and he was rubbing his eyes.

Well, two hours later he has woken up several times, crying for several minutes and just when I'm about to go up and comfort him, he stops.

I'm crossing my fingers that he (and we) get a good night's sleep. Poor James! I really hope its not an ear infection again. I know one of the symptoms is loss of appetite and difficulty swallowing (explaining the no food and half bottle). Last time he was crabby and clingy too.

I'm sure he'll be back to normal tomorrow.

Walking!

I don't know when this happened, but all of a sudden James is using walking as his preferred method of getting around. I watched him walk from the TV all the way to his Dada's office last night. He looks a bit like a "zombie" (as Jim says) because he's walking with his arms out, but I know its for balance. He's just doing so well! Its amazing to watch him walk around the house now. He still isn't able to stand on his own, from a sitting/floor position, but he has to crawl over to a piece of furniture or the wall and pull himself up.

I've also been really surprised that he hasn't taken any bad falls. Once he did walk towards me, dive at my lap, and hit his head on my knee. He cried for about 10 seconds.

Well, the weekend is over and its going to be one of the busiest weeks ever. Lots of work stuff to do before I have my two weeks off! Lots of cookies and candy to make too :) And last minute shopping, though I think we're pretty much done but for two members of our family. They are hard to shop for!

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Thanks Mom!

Thanks a whole bunch for teaching me how to clean like a madwoman before guests. I just spent the last few hours cleaning/organizing my house because my work friends are coming over for a Girls' Night cookie party. I just found myself cleaning doorknobs and shining the kitchen sink. I figured I should just stop before I go really crazy :)

I have crazy childhood memories of how we would clean our house before we had people over for dinner, holidays, etc. My Mom took a lot of pride in our house and family. I guess they're not bad memories :)

It should be a lot of fun tomorrow night, I think there's about 7 of us total. They are so anxious to see James, and my friend Elizabeth is bringing over her son Alex (he's 2+) and my friend Tatiana is bringing her niece who is 6. So its a girls night with kids, but I know James will enjoy the company. I hope he shares his toys!

We have a full weekend. On Saturday I hope to do some shopping with James, and then I have an eye appointment. On Sunday Jim is going over to Roger's to fix/set up his computer. I'll be home with James but I have a ton of website work I can work on.

One more week of work and then I have TWO weeks off! Yay :) Lots of quality Mama and James time! We hope to visit Dada at his work, and maybe Tia.

Update

As Sandra says, James is back to being Mr. Happy Mellow Fellow. He is doing great. He is even taking his medicine so much better, I think he might actually like the flavor of it.

All better!

James is well. Yesterday was the best baby day ever. James was so active, happy, independent, and ate well. I actually got a lot done around the house and for James- I put up Christmas decorations, baked James' favorite squash, washed his clothes, and we had lots and lots of play time. He was like normal, not at all sick. It was still nice to be home with him to give him one more day of Mama time and recuperation.

At this point he is not getting Baby Motrin anymore, just his antibiotics 3x daily for the next 4 days.

When Jim came home from work I know he was surprised to see James so happy and well. It was like a small miracle :) We even commented that we had never seen James so happy.

I forgot to upload the happy pictures that I took yesterday. Check back later.

So I felt pretty confident that James could be at daycare today. When I dropped him off, I watched as he crawled over to his friends and started playing. He loves his friends :)

Poor Baby!

James continued his crabby streak and now we know why. This morning James woke us up with very sad, loud cries. We took his temperature and it was 101.9- not really high but reason enough for him to be upset. We gave him more Baby Motrin and a bottle. He was crabby all morning, not his usual self.

Late in the morning, after his nap, he was again very hot and we took his temperature. It was 104! Jim called the doctor's office and they wanted us to come in, since his temperature was high. An hour or so later we saw the doctor and he found that James has ear infections too :( He is now on antibiotics.

James has been sick, crabby, and very clingy all day. We were glad to cuddle our little one. I can't remember the last time James let me hold him on my lap, rocking him. It was sweet but so sad because he must be in pain! He's refused foods for the past two days too.

On Saturday I *knew* that something was wrong. James went to Minneapolis with me for some shopping and he was off. I should have trusted my Mama instincts that something was wrong. Maybe he wasn't quite sick yet, but he wasn't himself. I thought I was being a worrywart, but I guess I was right to sense that something wasn't quite right. I won't doubt myself again.

I'm already planning on staying home from work on Monday. He might not be contagious but he's needing constant attention. I would also worry all day that he's needing me or that he's still feeling miserable. James is always our first priority.

Rough night

If this is as bad as it gets, we're still very lucky. All day James was "off"- grumpy, no smiles, little appetite, crying, needing constant holding. He also refused his afternoon nap, so he was overtired, I guess. Finally I got James to sleep, laying on the living room, as I sang "You are my Sunshine". Poor James listening to me singing! He napped for about 20 minutes. We were tiptoeing around him, and then realized we couldn't make dinner because it would make too much noise. I think we just used that excuse to get Chinese from our favorite place.

So I left to get the food, and Jim tried to give James his dinner. He refused. Constant crying. When I got back, we decided to take his temperature. It was slight. We gave him Baby Motrin. As we ate, we let James watch Baby Einstein and play with my wallet (he loves it). It cheered him up a little, or at least he stopped crying. We ate and we watched him fall asleep sitting up! His eyes would close, he would drift off, but then jolt awake. It was kind of funny to watch, but we were so worried about him!

The Baby Motrin kicked in, or his last bottle made him happier. He was almost back to normal when bedtime arrived. He's been crying out a little in his sleep but I think he's okay finally.

So that's the worst. We are so lucky to have a happy, healthy baby.

The cutest moment today: right before bedtime, Jim went upstairs to take a shower. James kept saying "Dada" over and over. So I called Jim back and Jim said goodnight again from the catwalk. James kept repeating "Dada Dada Da-da!" He has the cutest little boy voice! Too bad he could care less about saying "Mama"!

Happy 13 months!

James is 13 months today. I didn't do a Brownie photo shoot because now that he's a year old, he'll see Brownie every 6 months. I will miss bringing Brownie out every month, but I know it was more for ME.

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A Mama's Gratitude

Here's a small list of things I (as Mama) am grateful for:

*James' round belly (he is healthy and eats well :)

*Our Blankie book (James lights up when he sees it and it helps with crankiness.)

*A flexible, understanding Dada (he puts up with my moods, goes with the flow when it comes to James, etc)

*A daycare provider that really cares for James, tells me the small details, and is obviously in love with the children. I also appreciate that she says that "Mama is best" when James reaches for me. I know that she is encouraging and understanding of the time Mamas need to spend away from their babies.

*Doting family members. James has all the love he could ever want. He also gets the best, thoughtful presents- handknit hats, homemade quilts (Grandma Julie), cute outfits, wonderful books & toys.

*STTN (sleeping through the night)

*The hour before bedtime. We try to turn off the TV, read books to James, and let James climb on Dada. I think its one of the best times of the day. James is at his best and so obviously happy to play with us.

*Good friends to help me keep my perspective and sanity. (Thanks for the phone call Anna!)

I'm sure there are many more but this is my short list that I thought of tonight.

Family Fun

We have snow! We waited for the snow to finish falling and for the temperature to be okay to take James outside for his first winter adventure. I knew he would do well because he seems to like wind, the chill, and of course being with his Mama & Dada :)

Our little adventure was only in the backyard but its the first time we've ever "played" outside of our house. It was very exciting! James sat quietly in his sled, smiled a lot when he was in motion, and had lots of fun. We only stayed outside for about 5 minutes. Jim doesn't have snow boots yet so we were most worried about HIM. I, however, have adult moon boots. Ha!

The snowsuit that Grandma Rosie bought for James worked so great! The mittens are attached, and there are little footsies that attach (and can be removed) so today we just used those instead of boots. We didn't expect James to get out of the sled at all. Maybe next time we'll be up for the adventure of putting James IN the snow to play.

James just had an unexplained crying fit. He didn't eat well today and has a runny nose. His afternoon nap was very short.

BUT James has skillz: Today he did two new things. One is he can share! I would put out my hand and say "Can you give the _____ to Mama?" And he would very gently put the object in my hand. He did this for just about everything (toys) except for his Blankie :) The second new thing James did today was put toys BACK into his Lego bin. He has always just thrown things out, making a huge mess. Tonight he helped Mama and Dada put away the Legos. Yay! A cleaner living room :)

Here is a longish video of James at play and on the move. Also, please see the video on the home page of James in his sled.

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When Dada is away...

Mama and James play with the camera! Jim was at pool tonight, James and I were having a quiet evening and I realized I hadn't taken pictures in a while. Its so difficult lately getting James to sit still for pictures, which is a big reason I don't take as many.

These pictures were the best I could do tonight. We had fun regardless :) He was a very good baby, ate well and played quietly while I did dishes and other things.

Bum troubles

Poor Baby James! His little bottom is red and raw :( This has happened before, where he gets a diaper rash that flares up pretty badly and then it goes away within a few days. I got to daycare today and Sandra told me that it was bad, that its only in one little spot but he had bled a little. My heart just about broke! And then again when I changed his diaper at home and saw it for myself. We cuddled James a little extra tonight and were very gentle with him. He will be fine but I don't know why this happens.

I'm going to a baby shower tomorrow! A teacher friend is coming to the school for a baby shower, she had the baby last month and is still on her leave. This is what they did for me at the school too, for my shower. I found the Blankie book at Target and bought a little blanket, and other things for her gift. I'm just excited to see a baby and remember how little James was at one month.

First Kiss

Okay, the first kiss happened a while ago and I guess I didn't really write about it. But today, when I dropped James off at daycare, he kissed the same girl and in the cutest way. I was talking to Sandra in the doorway and she put James down to play with the other kids. He immediately crawled over to the kids, looked at the little girl Reagan and leaned in for a kiss. She leaned in too and let James kiss her. She's about 3 so she's talking. She made a big deal of the "wet kiss" and how James likes her. Sandra says that she's very attentive to James and will give him his Blankie whenever he looks unhappy or starts to cry.

Also, James received a lot of attention at the Cheesecake Factory on Sunday. We were sitting at lunch and at the next table was a family, with a couple of girls who kept ooohing and ahhhing over James and his beautiful brown eyes. He kept turning in his highchair to look at them, doing the cutest things like clapping and babbling. They were in love with him and stopped to chat after their lunch. I'm glad they didn't try to steal James from us!

James is too cute!

Mall Santas suck

We tried to visit Santa today at Rosedale mall, and he was there, but the CD burner wasn't working so we couldn't buy the picture CD. So we did not bother. We are hoping to visit Santa at another location, especially since Jim is now bitter towards the Rosedale Santa. Ha. Ho.

James was especially handsome today in his new sweater, cords, and brown shoes. Its too bad that Santa's elves couldn't figure out the CD/picture burner.

We also stopped at Babies R Us for more babyproofing supplies. James is into every drawer and cabinet he can reach. Jim bought a fancy new system that uses magnets, so he doesn't have to drill holes in the cabinets. Hope they work!

Thanksgiving was quiet and peaceful. Grandma Laura and Grandpa Roger came over for turkey and other goodies. James didn't realize it was a special meal- he didn't want to eat the homemade green bean casserole, the turkey, or the pumpkin cheesecake. He liked Stove Top, dinner rolls, mashed potatoes (so-so), and cranberries (so-so).

Its been cold enough that we brought out James' winter coat. He seems to like it okay, though its big and poofy. I think its pretty warm for him. James does not seem to mind the cold! He actually perks up a bit when we're rushing between stores or the house, and he smiles. I think he's going to like winter :)

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Baby Steps

James was a bit crabby all weekend, but nothing we couldn't handle. I think all three of us have the same cold. I think James passed his cold to us through his wet, open-mouthed kisses. I can't get enough of his "besos"- he's very cute, even when he's coming at you with his mouth open, and you're not sure if he's going to peck you or bite you!

See the video below for our walking practice. James is getting quite good. I think he lacks the confidence to walk on his own, without prompts. He hasn't figured out how to pull himself to standing unless he has furniture in front of him. I love that he gets this intense, excited look on his face as he realizes he's walking!

Thanksgiving is coming up. We are having a quiet day with just Grandma Laura and Grandpa Roger. Joe and Kathy were going to come, but their plans changed. More food for us! I think James is going to love turkey, cranberries, grean bean casserole, and pumpkin cheesecake!

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James on the loose

See below for what happens when I turn my back. I was at the bathroom mirror putting on make up, I turn around and see James doing this! Haha.

James and I went shopping today. We ended up returning the Baby Gap winter coat and snowpants :( Grandma Rosie gave us a much better snowsuit- probably more practical too. For daycare, I would guess that Sandra would prefer a one piece. The two pieces were terribly hard to get on James, and he literally could not move! So we took the set back to Baby Gap, where they told me that they will have NO problem reselling it. They are selling like hotcakes or something. For everyday use, I found a winter jacket at Macy's for $14.99! They were having a huge sale and I had a 20% off coupon too, so the jacket was even less! Bargain! We also found winter boots at Stride Rite. Yay :)

James flirted with all of the sales people and women in lines. One lady gushed about his beautiful eyes. James enjoyed the attention, but even more he liked looking at himself in the mirror whenever we passed one. He knows he's cute!

Jim has been sick all week. James too. They both have runny noses and coughs, just slight though. I've been sniffly too but I didn't have time to be sick! I had a lot going on at work and I had two nights out (one was a beading class and last night I had a girls night- movies, food, friends).

James did very well for his Dada on Wednesday night. Last night he was a little fussy, this morning too. We think he's teething- there is lots of drool too.

James showed off a new word for me today. Jim practiced "tickle-tickle-tickle" with James and he repeats it! He makes the tttttick sound. With me, he has been practicing "Uh oh!" He even mimics the tone I use. He's a genius baby :)

James loves his little cars from Tia Ana and Uncle Tio. The cool thing is that they also work in the parking garage from Grandma Laura. James hasn't quite figured out that the cars zoom down the ramp, but he will. For now, he is happy to pull up on the parking garage, grab a car, and then scoot across the room with it. He once mimicked me making the "bbbbbbbb" car sound as he pushed it across the carpet. Cute! It was such a little boy sound :)

James is amazing! I had a chance to brag about him to my friend Elizabeth last night. She was eager to hear all the details, since she hasn't seen him since early June, when she helped to care for him. Her little man is two years old plus and she's expecting! She said James inspired their family- that they could handle a second baby :)

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Love!

We love James! He is a sweet baby :)

Poor James has a cold. Since Sunday he's been on the snotty side (yuck!), and he was very crabby on Monday night. We checked his temperature and he was fine. He was just not a happy boy though. A little bit of Baby Motrin and he was okay.

I updated his growthchart to include his weight and height measurements. It seems like he went down but the doctor said that last time was an informal visit and he was weighed with his clothes and shoes. I guess that's correct, so really he didn't lose weight but has stayed the same for the last month or so. Normal. He is at the 60th percentile for both weight and height.

James is doing well enough with his whole milk/formula bottles. He still doesn't care for whole milk on its own- I give him a sippy cup with just milk at meals and he doesn't ever drink it. I even bought some drinkable Yobaby yogurt, but he doesn't touch that either unless he's reclined on the Boppy. I guess the problem could be (with the whole milk) that he can't tip the cup far enough to get the milk.

Well, there's not much to update! James is a great baby and just really happy :)

Birthday party

We had our 1st birthday party on Saturday for James. It was a wonderful day! Please see our photos for all of the little details- the train cake, the balloons, the cute baby :)

We showed our One Year montage DVD (17 minutes of James' picture and video highlights!) and then we had lunch. Jim made his great Wild Rice and Chicken soup (stoup) in sourdough breadbowls. Yum. James had his birthday cake immediately following lunch and it was so fun! Our little boy took the piece of cake and took enthusiastic bites. He ended up crumbling the cake and of course getting frosting on his face. Classic baby :) (See the short video below)

Our families were very generous and James has many new toys, clothes, and books. James even has his own pool cue from his Dada! I'm not sure when the boys will be able to play pool together, but I know Jim is anxious :)

Like I said, it was a wonderful day. We can't believe our little baby is ONE already! We love him very much!

Dear Grandma Rosie

Hi Grandma Rosie! This is James writing. I'm very excited you're coming today. I can practice my words with you. And you can play with me tonight while my Mama and Dada go on a date (what's that?)

See you later!

Love,

James

(Mama speaking)

James had a doctor's appointment yesterday. He is a healthy little boy! He did not gain any weight (I forget the exact measurements, I'll update with them later today) but he is healthy as can be! The doctor gave the go ahead for whole milk, eggs, turning the car seat forward (yay!), and everything else that goes along with being a ONE year old!

I am only working half a day (I got the okay from my supervisor) and will be picking James up at 11:30, just in time for his nap at home. Hopefully while he naps I can straighten up the house before Grandma Rosie comes over with the white glove test. Ha!

We are so excited to see our families this weekend! We will be missing Tia Kristina, Tio Gilbert, Grandpa Frank and Grandma Julie though. Hopefully we can see them soon!

Sweet Baby James

Well, we are gearing up for the big birthday party! We are having our immediate family over for a birthday lunch on Saturday. We aren't going over the top with anything- no ponies, no clowns, no tents. Haha. I think James will just be happy to have his adoring Grandmas, Grandpas, Tia, Tio, Aunt Kathy, and Uncle Joe around him. I mean, that's already 10 adults including Mama and Dada. A full, happy house :)

I still have not figured out the birthday cake thing. Our original plan of train cakes has not become reality yet. I have one last experiment tonight and then its on to Plan B: cupcakes! I almost wonder if James would enjoy a frosted chocolate cupcake more? We shall see!

I thought about taking Friday off but I'm not sure how that will work out. My supervisor is being a grump so I'm not sure if I dare ask for the day off. I really should save my sick/personal days anyway. It sure would be nice to be at home with James!

I think James really enjoyed his birthday at daycare. The other kids went NUTS with excitement. I was pleasantly surprised to see that Sandra had a gift for James! She waited until the end of the day to give it to him. I got to daycare that afternoon and the kids screamed with joy- they had been waiting for me so that James could open his gift. So they took my hands and dragged me to the living room :) Sandra took our picture with James, the other kids, and the gift. It was a Fisher Price toolbench (small sized). James loves to hit the buttons with the little hammer and watch them light up and sing.

We also gave James a present from Mama and Dada- its a Fisher Price Amazing Animals Train. He seems to like it okay. It also lights up and sings, and James like to push the smokestack to activate it. It also moves forward. James likes to crawl behind it and follow. He hasn't really caught on that he can play with the animals too, but he will :)

Dada is saving his special present for James for Saturday!

James is a wonderful baby!

Check back later for an update after James' doctor appointment today! We are so curious to see how big our little boy is!

Genius baby

Yes, James is a genius baby. He has figured out how to steer his walker now! He used to walk the thing right up against the wall and then get frustrated. He now scoots the walker (or whatever he's pushing) to the side and can navigate around the kitchen island or through the hallway with no problems!

He is pushing the dining room chairs, his Lego tub, the walker of course, and anything else he can get his hands on. He is so happy to be moving around.

He was babbling like crazy today too. It almost sounds like Chinese sometimes!

The video below is from the Mexican restaurant this weekend. James had his own quesadilla... and french fries. I don't know why they served french fries because they're not Mexican. I didn't give him many, but he tried a couple and did okay with them. I don't want to make fast food a habit for him even though he already had McDonald's at daycare. (Insert shocked reactions here.) They went to the Playland one day, unexpectedly, and James tried some chicken nuggets and fries.

JAMES IS ONE TOMORROW!!!

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Good boy

James really is a good boy. Jim had pool last night so it was just James and myself. We ran some errands before going home, and then he played quietly while I made us our dinner. James loves spaghetti and chicken, so I decided to combine the both. We had the same dinner, but James' was cut into baby-sized pieces :) He was a great eater!

After dinner we played until bedtime. The time passed so fast! James was very talkative so I practiced Mama, Dada, Good Boy, and other sounds. He's doing very well! Sometimes he will repeat sounds back, but usually he will babble whatever he likes. Please see the video below for my attempts to get him to say "Good Boy". He is still trying to say Good Girl after learning that at daycare. The other fun video is James having a great time with making funny noises with his hand and mouth. It was fun!

We missed Dada, but we made the most out of a quiet evening at home.

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Baby Yoda

James was Baby Yoda for Halloween! He was the cutest!

I wasn't very enthusiastic about Halloween this year but I made myself make the effort for James' sake- his first Halloween! I think I was upset that we couldn't go drop in on any of MY family because they don't live close by :( I guess I was feeling some family blues!

But Grandma Laura and Uncle Joe/Aunt Kathy were very excited to receive James for Halloween. We only stayed a few minutes at Laura's, but Joe/Kathy included James in their candy hand-out so we ended up staying longer and missing James' usual bottle/bedtime by 15 minutes. James was fine :) He was happy to explore a new house (we hadn't been there in awhile) and to see other kids dressed up too.

Sandra told me that at daycare James was talking up a storm! She was telling one of the little girls that she was a "Good Girl" and James shocked them all by repeating that! So Sandra worked on that with James, and he repeated it when I got there to pick him up too! I think "Good" is definitely his first word- we think he's been saying "Good-Bah", or goodbye, for a while now. Jim also swears that James said "High Five" the other day. We have a genius baby! I think he's going to shock me by just talking all of a sudden.

James was quite the talker this morning- babbling and trying to get our attention constantly. Jim and I were proud parents this morning, as we ate our breakfast and watched James play. He is the best baby ever!!

Mama moments

So my first moment to write about is my panic attack yesterday. I had an "off" day because I was feeling shaky, weak- probably low blood sugar. Well, I had finished eating and James finished too. I looked away and then looked at James and I swear he was purple! and shaking! His finger was in his mouth. I screamed and screamed for Jim but he didn't hear because he was in the garage. I couldn't get James out of the highchair fast enough. I pulled his finger out of this mouth and ran with him to the garage. James was perfectly fine and normal looking when we got to Jim. I think Jim thought I was crazy.

I laid down on the floor, my heart beating too fast, and I just cried. James was fine.

My nice Mommy moment today is just the pride I feel looking at James, not just today in particular. I am especially proud of him now that he is standing on his own and scooting around with his walker. He is a little man!

Please see our new pictures. The pictures of James trying on his snowpants and his new coat make me laugh! I thought of the movie "The Christmas Story" because of the little boy who was bundled up so much that he couldn't put his arms down or move! James reminded me of that little boy. He couldn't do much besides roll over. I don't know how he is supposed to PLAY in that gear! Oh, and please see the video below :) James is standing on his own!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Ladies' man

James has the girls fighting over him already. I already told Grandma Laura this story because we saw her walking in the neighborhood. James and I were on the way home from daycare.

Anyway, when I picked up James today, I asked one of the little girls if she would get James' pillow from the other room. Two girls went running and fought over the pillow. One girl won and brought it to me. The other girl had a fit and started screaming, "I wanted James' pillow! James! James! James!" I didn't know what to do! Sandra calmed her down, telling her to use her words, and then asked her if she would like to take James his blankie, that he left in the playroom. She very nicely brought the blankie to James and said "Bye James!"

I guess they love James!

Mama's birthday

James and his Dada were very good to me for my birthday. James even signed my card! Jim gave me the most beautiful locket necklace, with James' picture in it- so its close to my heart :)

We went out for dinner, but it ended up being a short time out because James was not happy. He didn't people watch as he normally will do, and he didn't want to eat any of the food I cut up for him. Oh well. He wasn't misbehaving, but it was unusual for him. We still had a nice meal and margaritas :)

We had good news yesterday that Jim sold his car! We are buying Tia Ana's car, and she will be getting a new one too. My car is being fixed today, while Jim has taken the day off. I hope our car is done in time today to pick up James- since that is our only car seat! Well, once we buy Tia's car and get a second car seat, it should be a lot easier for Jim and I to share the responsibility of picking up and dropping off James. I will be able to attend early morning school meetings again. I have been avoiding them so far this year.

Well, it should be an uneventful day. I hope Jim manages to relax today because he's been up since 3am! He could not sleep. When that happens, I can't sleep either because I am worried about him. Let's just hope that James is well rested later today or we're in trouble!

We are thinking about my family in California. I know that my Dad/Julie, and my grandparents are safe but its really scary to think about all of those poor people who have lost homes or who have had to evacuate! I haven't talked to my Dad yet (I missed his call last night) but I hope to talk to him later today.

First steps!

James took his first steps last night! I thought I was just wishful thinking the first time he did it. But then the second time (witnessed by Dada Jim) we both agreed that they count! I was balancing James so that he was standing on his own, and he would do that for 5-10 seconds each time. And then all of a sudden he would take tiny little steps forward and then fall. Yay! He's almost walking :)

Of course it happened so fast that I wasn't able to capture it on video. I didn't want to miss a second so I didn't tear myself away to get the camera. Next time!

In other news, James slept through the night. I figured out that he does have a molar tooth coming in on the top. Poor baby- I think those are painful. So last night, even though he seemed fine, we did give him a bit of baby Motrin to ease his pain. He also sucked on ice cubes earlier in the evening like a crazy, frantic baby! They must have felt good on his sore gums.

Oh! And James said "goodbye" (more like "gooodbah") to his Dada this morning as we left for daycare. We both heard it and thought he is an amazing, smart baby! Okay, so maybe he doesn't really know what goodbye is, but we still think he's amazing!

Happy Birthday to me. We are going out to dinner and will have much fun celebrating :)

Rough night

We had a very nice afternoon with Tia Ana and Tio Rich. James amused us all!

It seemed like a normal night, until 10pm when James woke up crying. (He did this the night before too, but after a shushing and patting he went to sleep within a minute.) Jim went to check on him this time, picked him up and he stopped crying. But he continued to cry after he was put down. He cried for an hour and a half. I changed his diaper, checked on him every 15 minutes, changed his pajamas (maybe he was uncomfortable?)- but nothing worked. He wasn't cold and didn't feel warm. Jim wanted to give him a bottle, thinking he was hungry, but James hasn't needed a bottle at night in months. Also, I didn't want to start that habit. With "Cry It Out" you don't pick him up, you check on him every 10-15 minutes until he stops crying. Jim couldn't take it so he went downstairs, where he couldn't hear James as well. I had the monitor turned down really low but I watched the monitor light up with every cry. He wasn't screaming or doing the ugly cry, but just a constant sad cry. Believe me, I was worried about James and couldn't sleep until I knew he was okay. Eventually he fell asleep on his own, but it took too long. I felt like a terrible Mama but I think in the long run, it was for the best. I don't think I can go back to waking up in the middle of the night to give him a bottle, etc.

Of course James woke up promptly at 6am! I was exhausted but I got up and dressed him, and took him downstairs for a bottle. Luckily, he cooperated and held his own bottle as I rushed around and got dressed. He was happy as can be this morning. I don't think he remembered last night.

I told Sandra this morning that James had a rough night and he might be a little tired this morning. I think he'll be fine!

Well, wish us luck for tonight! We're going back to our bedtime baths, so maybe that will help. His diaper rash and his back have cleared up.

Fun at the Park

All I wanted to do today was take James to the park. I'm so glad we made it there and the weather cooperated! It was actually great weather- the right temperature and blue skies.

Sandra has told me that at daycare they visit the park often and James likes to climb on the equipment. So I was eager to see what he can do. He did great! The first picture from our park adventure is the greatest- Jim caught James by the foot before he went too far and down the slide! I think James could have climbed all over that toddler playground for hours. He kept going back and forth, up and down. He did so well going down the stairs- it must be a skill gained at daycare because we didn't teach him how to scoot backwards and then down a stair. He hardly needed us!

It was a fun adventure- please see our pictures and the video clip below.

We have another adventure tomorrow when Tia Ana and Tio Rich come over to help me celebrate my birthday a little early! (Oh, and watch the Vikings game too.)

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Our Friday off

James and I had a great visit with Katy and Esme! Esme was the cutest little girl! James wasn't his usual self (bad naps?) so it took a while for him to really notice her. She is about 7 1/2 months old, so getting ready to crawl herself. Katy wanted Esme to watch James and learn from a pro :) She seemed like a really happy baby- and Katy seemed like a happy, proud Mama.

We also made it to El Burrito Market to buy pinata candy for my student party on Tuesday. I think James really liked the bright colors and the people at the market. I showed him the pinatas, the pottery, and the blankets. He was a good Mexican baby :)

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Our Thursday off

James and I had a pleasant day. After his morning nap, we went to the library for new books, to get his haircut, and finally to Target to get a gift for Owen (Esme's brother). James also picked up a little something for himself. He liked a toy so much in the store that I did buy it for him. Of course he's less than enthusiastic now that we have it home! Ha.

Jim surprised us by skipping pool tonight so we had a nice night at home, the three of us. There are some pictures of Jim and James in the photo album. You can see that James likes to bite his Dada. I think that picture is funny because it really was the precise moment that James bit Jim, too bad Jim's face was out of the picture but he yelped quite loudly! You can also see all the slobber marks on Jim's jeans. I don't know why James likes to bite his Dada on the leg. With me, James bites my shoulder. Surprisingly, James does not have a biting problem at daycare!

Well, we have a problem. James' rash has come back on his back. He also has diaper rash. The diaper rash is bad enough that he's crying at diaper changes and as soon as his bottom hits the bath water. We're applying diaper cream, so hopefully it will go away soon. As for his back, I've switched his bath products and we're going to go without baths for a couple of days to let it clear up again.

James has stood twice on his own! He looked as surprised as I was! It was too cute.

Check back tomorrow for pictures of our visit with Esme, Katy, and Owen.

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Happy Birthday Grandma Laura!

Update 10/18: I just added some pictures from this morning. James and I are enjoying a pajama day on this rainy day :) After his morning nap, we're going to get dressed and run errands and get his hair cut. Enjoy the pictures :)

(A day late.)

James and Jim had a great night, taking out Grandma Laura for her birthday dinner. I, unfortunately, was stuck at work for parent/teacher conferences. I heard that James was very well behaved and very interested in people watching. He usually eats well and I think he did for that dinner. I'm sure Grandma Laura enjoyed the time with James.

I missed being with James yesterday! I only really saw him in the morning, before work. Jim dropped off and picked up James yesterday because I had an early morning meeting and then the conferences after school. It was a long day, made even longer by not seeing Jim or James very much.

I don't have school tomorrow or Friday though! James and I will enjoy some time at home. Tomorrow I plan on taking James for a haircut. On Friday we finally will be meeting Baby Esme, my friend Katy's daughter. They came back from Columbia more than a month ago, but we haven't been able to coordinate schedules. Finally on Friday! I think James will enjoy seeing Esme, she has big brown eyes like him :)

Jim thinks that James is enjoying plenty of female attention at daycare. Most of the other kids are girls, and they LOVE James. One little girl refers to James as "Pete"- no reason why. Sandra corrects her and tells her that James is James, and she's learning, but she kept saying "Pete, Pete, Pete!" when I picked up James. It was cute.

No recent pictures. I don't know why I keep forgetting to take pictures.

I hope that James and I enjoy our days off and the weather cooperates!

The Pumpkin Patch

The morning started off late. We all slept in until 7:30am. I turned the baby monitor down too low at 2am (the first time James woke up) and then didn't hear anything else until 7:30am. I jumped out of bed, thinking that James probably really needed to be up already. When I got to him, he was sleeping peacefully. He must have needed to sleep in too :)

So I went to get my haircut (it turned out just okay) while Jim and James had breakfast and got ready for the day. After that we headed out to the pumpkin farm in Wyoming. I've always passed the farm, thinking it was just a christmas tree farm, but it turned out to be so much more! They had a pretty big petting zoo, a tractor trolley ride to the pumpkin patch, and old-fashioned games for kids- like pumpkin cannonballs, apple cannons (3 shots for $1!), tractor tricycles, hay mazes, etc. We were pretty impressed. Please see our pictures :)

After the farm, we ran an errand and then went to the nearby Toys R Us for fun. James was such a good boy and took his bottle in his stroller. He's been holding his bottle for a while now and he did very well on the move. I reclined the stroller seat down to almost laying down and he happily held the bottle as we shopped. This could make traveling so much easier! I stress about finding a good place to give a bottle when we're at the mall or wherever, so if he takes a bottle like this- I'm thrilled!

It was just a very happy, pretty day.

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11 months!

James has been 11 months old for a couple of days now. Jim and I had our romantic Duluth weekend and so we actually missed the 11 month birthday day. I haven't taken my usual pictures but I hope to this weekend. The weekday nights are just too full and short to take the time I need to get James dressed, clean, and posed. He is a squirmy baby and doesn't sit still long enough for a series of pictures :)

At 11 months James is still busy crawling (fast!) and cruising around the house, holding on to the walls, cabinets, or furniture as he walks around. He also loves his push walking toy but gets really, really frustrated when he walks into the wall and can't steer away. I'll go over and steer him towards empty space and he's happy again.

Also at 11 months: James can hold his own bottle, says "Da Da" a lot, claps his hands, holds his arms up asking to be held, can repeat back some sounds- like Da, Ba, Bee, Muah, etc. I'm not sure if he associates "Da Da" with his Daddy, or Ma Ma with me yet. I'm sure that will come soon!

I took a couple of pictures tonight of a messy spaghetti dinner. He is definitely a big eater when the mood strikes him. Tonight he had whole wheat spaghetti and sauce and then peas. He amazes me by how much he can eat. It was especially funny tonight to see him with spaghetti sauce everywhere! I thought he looked like an Ooompa Looompa with his red/orange face. Haha.

We have great weekend plans! We plan on going to the Mall of America and a pumpkin patch! We're starting to think of James' birthday next month and we must hit every toy store in the state! (Jim, don't be scared.)

Check back often :)

Love,

The Tauer family

We missed James!

We missed James terribly this weekend! Jim and I had our weekend away in Duluth while Grandma Rosie and Tia Ana took care of James. I know they had a great weekend and kept James very entertained and happy. I don't think James really noticed we were gone! All weekend though we missed him, and thought about what he might be doing at those exact moments. We knew he was in good hands but I worried about him being "off" because he's still getting over his cough. He was fine though!

Duluth was rainy and overcast the entire weekend. We drove up the North Shore and did a little sightseeing, stopping at the resort that we stayed at for our first anniversary. We did quite a bit of shopping and picked up some early Christmas presents for James. (It was all about James!) Overall, it was a quiet weekend and we got lots of sleep!

It was so exciting to see James yesterday when we got home. I expected a huge greeting but he was busy with his bottle so I got a big smile only. I think Jim got a bigger greeting because he was a minute behind me. James sat up and squealed for his Dada. He was in a great mood all day up until near bedtime. He didn't eat much for dinner, but then guzzled his bottle at 7pm. I guess he was hungrier then and that settled him down because he was happy again.

Being away from James was probably a good thing. We always are aware of how much we love him but I think I appreciate the time we have with him much more now. He really is a loveable, fun little kid! His smile is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen!

Sorry! No new pictures. Jim and I didn't even take any pictures on our trip. I will have to take some tonight, especially since I missed his 11 month birthday on Saturday.

Anyone know a good lullabye?!

That Baby James has an internal clock that is so reliable! He has been waking up at 3am on the dot for the last couple of days. Last night was no different. At 3am I heard James "talking" and playing. We didn't make a move to get him so after a while he must have got bored and started to whine. Cry. This went on for about an hour. We felt like cruel parents letting him get back to sleep himself, but we don't want any 3am habits forming. The nights before we did go in to soothe him because he was sick. He doesn't seem sick any longer so we have to let him cry and get back to sleep. It was just so sad. I knew that if I went in his room, and if he saw me, he would cry harder. I was probably awake for an hour, listening to him talk to himself, cry, and crawl around in the crib. We turned down the monitor so we didn't hear everything- but I stayed awake and watched the monitor lights go up and down with the sound of his voice. Here's hoping that tonight is a better night. This Mama needs a good night of sleep!

I'm also worried about this weekend- if Jim and I are away, what will happen? I don't think Grandma Rosie will be able to stand James crying at night. Well, I hope he breaks this habit before then.

Can you see the new football theme? This babysite finally updated itself with new themes, a wider screen (?) and soon they'll have new photo tools.

Sorry there are new pictures. I have some new ones in the camera but I haven't had the time or energy to upload them.

Happy Anniversary to us!

Can you believe that both Jim and I forgot this morning?! My Mom called to wish me a Happy Anniversary and it occurred to me that Jim and I didn't even remember! Well, we had a busy morning so that's our excuse. James is feeling much better but didn't sleep well. He woke up several times again last night, and at 3:30am Jim took over.

James just didn't want to sleep! He cried a lot but I think because we wanted to get him back to bed, and he was wide awake. I heard the crying and Jim tending to him, so finally at 5:30 am I gave up on sleeping. James was wide awake and playing with his Dada. Dada looked wiped out and was laying on the ground, with James climbing on him and playing around him. We made the decision at 6:30 to take James to daycare. He doesn't have a temperature anymore and seemed so normal. Slight cough and runny nose, but mellow and happy.

James fell asleep in the car, on the way to daycare. Sandra gladly accepted him and James seemed to perk up at the sight of the other kids playing.

School in lockdown!!!

I had to leave for a bit because my school had a practice lockdown. I had to lock my office door, turn out the lights and the computer, and sit on the floor. And then there was a medical situation where a student was taken away in an ambulance. I don't know if it was related to the drill.

Anyway, James is at daycare and I'm sure he's fine- but for being really tired. I hope he gets a good nap. Yesterday he did not want to nap! I laid him down twice for naps and got maybe 10-15 minutes at each nap, and then at 3pm he did finally sleep. I woke him up at 4:15 so he wouldn't sleep the night away.

Poor little Baby James. And poor Parents! We're just glad that James is feeling better. We hope to celebrate our anniversary with a nice dinner tonight. We'll see! I'm sooooooo tired right now- I hope I feel up to cooking and can stay awake for it! I'm sure Jim isn't feeling so hot either!

Sick and tired

James is sick and tired, probably of me! I'm the mean mommy trying to give him foods (refusing), trying to get him to nap (twice, each only 10-15 minutes long), and then wiping his nose with soft kleenex. James is not digging me today!

Well, even though he's not napping or eating foods- bottles are fine and his mood is improved. His temp is also almost normal at 100.9 (100.4 is normal, ummm, rectally).

I'm pretty tired but not sick myself. James woke up every 1-2 hours last night, with his cough. He's still coughing but its not as bad. He's much improved but he's still not a happy baby. He cheered up when I put his Baby Einstein DVD on. Well, that lasted for about an hour.

Back to James. He is starting to cry :(

Sick baby

James is sick again. He and I have been fighting colds for a couple of weeks now, I thought it was mostly gone until last night. Jim and I were startled to hear coughing through the baby monitor last night. James has never really had a cough before! Actually this will be his second real illness since birth!

Yesterday we prepared for our football guests by cleaning the house and getting groceries. Jim was a master chef and made all the football goodies. So Jim's friends came over today for the football game. The Vikings lost. Oh well. There were a couple of kids here today but I kept James away from them, thinking they wouldn't want to be sick- especially the 2 month old baby! James was pretty intrigued by the kids, too bad he was crabby most of the day :(

I didn't end up giving James a bath tonight because he looked so miserable. It was a struggle anyway to give him a bottle (only drank half) and then change his diaper. I knew the bath wouldn't go over well. I also took his temperature and it was 102. Poor James! I gave him some Baby Motrin.

Well, we'll decide in the morning if James should go to daycare. I have to review their sick policy. I don't think they would appreciate James giving his cold/flu to everyone!

There are still photo issues- I tried uploading the pictures again but there must be something wrong with this babysite. I know I did it right, so there is something wrong on this end. They better fix this! It will get pretty annoying soon.

Doctor

James had his doctor's appointment yesterday, and of course after I made the appointment his skin seemed to be getting better. I felt a little foolish but then decided I would rather be too cautious and play it safe. The doctor did say that it looked like a reaction to soap, fabric, or something like that. He recommended that we not bathe James for a few days and apply (prescribed) hydrocortisone cream to his back, let it clear up, and then go ahead with baths using our regular products. If it flares up again, we will know that it is the bath products or laundry detergent. The rash could be from a scratchy fabric or just a sudden reaction to bath products we've been using for months. Who knows! He did want us to get this cleared up ASAP because he said he's seen nasty rashes that spread to a child's face, arms, neck, etc.

Oh, and James is weighing in at 24 lbs, 2 ozs.! No wonder he seems heavy lately. He is a big boy!

James is doing well at daycare, he's been happier at night and lots of fun. I love to watch James climb and play on his Dada. He climbs over Jim like he's a mountain to conquer! Its interesting to see how James plays differently with both of us. With me, James likes to be held or likes the rough and tumble play- I throw him up in the air, chase him around the ottoman, or swing him around in circles. With Jim, he will play on the floor or climb over him- fascinated with his Dada's stubble and his face. I also love the greeting that Jim gets when he comes home from work- James will stop what he is doing, crawl over to the door, and raise his hands up like he want to be picked up. Its so cute how excited he gets! I always say, "Dada is home! Dada is home!"

James is also getting really good at saying "Da". We practice in the car. Now if we can just get him to say "Da Da" and know it means Jim!

B is for Baby, Bedtime, Bath, and Books

Jim has been working with James to repeat words and sounds. We had a lively conversation in the car, on the way home from Minneapolis on Saturday. We had gone to Tia Ana's to check on Cousin Maya and then we went to Peter's Billiards to browse the pool tables, wall art, and barstools.

On Sunday we met Grandma Rosie and Larry for breakfast. Sorry the pictures aren't up yet, but the website was under maintenance last night and I couldn't upload or update. I'm actually surprised to see no change to the babysite. I had hoped they were adding new backgrounds or features. Oh well!

Anyway, the breakfast was fun. Grandma is always fun! BUT when we got home we were pretty alarmed to see James sweating heavily! He was asleep for the whole ride home and didn't fuss... I did notice the sun was shining on him but it wasn't hot in the car. We quickly stripped him down and gave him a bottle and he was fine. It was just weird.

There is another concern that I need to address- James has a really bad rash or dry patch of skin on the top of his back. We've noticed it for a while but it doesn't seem to be getting better- despite lotion and natural bath products. We're worried because the last couple of times James has screamed/cried when we put lotion on his back :( I don't know what else to do but take him to the doctor. Hopefully that will happen tomorrow or Wednesday.

James was a bit crabby all weekend. I think he misses being around kids. He keeps himself busy at times, playing happily with toys or household items, but then would cry/fuss until we picked him up. He is one squirmy baby though! I tried sitting on the deck with him but he just doesn't sit still. I think he just really wants to crawl/walk and be wild :)

I must be forgetting something, but I have to go. Afternoon meeting. Adios!

Journal

Come back tomorrow! Tired.

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Mr. Happy Mellow Fellow

This is what Sandra calls James. She says he is always happy, always mellow. Mr. Happy Mellow Fellow!

Nothing too exciting to report. Work has been busy for both Jim and myself, James is doing well at daycare- we can't wait for the weekends to come. This weekend Grandma Rosie and Larry will be in MN for the Renaissance Festival. We're joining them for breakfast on Sunday.

Mondays

James is so unlike me in the mornings. He is happy as can be! I am definitely not a morning person and most mornings I will run around crazy trying to get organized and ready in time to leave. James doesn't have a care in the world- he's a baby! He gets his bottle and his diaper changed and he's good to go :)

Yesterday was an eventful day. Well, I was excited. I took James to the mall and we bought several things for him- he got his first pair of "real" shoes (!!!!), some baby house slippers, a winter coat, and matching snowpants. First the shoes. We went to Stride Rite (Grandma Rosie recommended, I think she took me there when I was a little girl?) and James was fitted for shoes- a size 5 wide according to them. The shoes are brown leather, casual but not sneakers, as they said. He seems to like them just fine. He likes the velcro sound.

Next we went to the Baby Gap and I looked at the chocolate brown winter coats that I had admired last week. They had his size and matching snowpants so I decided to get them, knowing that they have a 90 day return policy. I *think* I got the right sizes (the 12-18 mo size coat is roomy, the snowpants I got 18-24 month size because the smaller size fit him just right and I wanted them to be a bit bigger). I hope I did okay. I doubted my purchases but knowing that I can return them if they don't work out makes me feel better. A similar coat is on the Baby Gap website, but ours doesn't have the fur trimmed hood.

I'm wondering what to do with a winter baby though. He isn't supposed to have a winter coat on in the car because of the carseat (the puffy coats interfere with safety)... so I think he wears a coat before/after the carseat. I guess we need to warm up the car and have a lap blanket for him?

After the mall, James had his afternoon nap and then I left to go run errands with my friend Anna. James and Jim went to Grandma Laura's for a quick visit.

We had yummy leftovers for dinner (the apple tart was just as good as the night before, warmed in the oven) and a quiet night afterwards.

Its a busy work week for me! I hope James is doing well at daycare today. He had some poop issues yesterday. I'm sure he'll love to read this years from now :)

I think James looks like Grandma Rosie in this picture.

Don't you love...?

a beautiful fall day at an apple orchard? Please see the September photo album for our orchard pictures.

It was a beautiful day to go to the apple orchard for apples, apple treats, and a short walk through the orchard. James was especially cute in his "Elmer Fudd" hat, bundled up for the cool fall day.

We came home with two bags of apples. We knew that Tia Ana was going to make a special apple tart for our dinner that night and we also wanted extras. Tia Ana and Tio Rich came over for a visit and brought a great dinner- Tio grilled a pork tenderloin (it was very "m", ahem, moist), Tia Ana made her special smashed red potatoes with chives, and we also had grilled zucchini, red onions, and bell peppers. OMG. It was good! James could not get enough of the pork. I think he had at least half of what I ate myself. He is a growing boy after all! He also loved the potatoes and had a bit of zucchini. We were amazed by how much he was able to put away :)

After James went to bed, Ana made the apple tart. It was pretty easy to make, she said, but it had some involved steps. The apples needed to be carmelized on the stovetop with sugar and butter, baked for half an hour in the same pan, and then a pie crust was added to the top for an additional fifteen minutes. She then inverted the apple tart on to a plate and it was so pretty! OMG good too! We were sorry James went to bed and couldn't have apple tart but luckily there are leftovers though I doubt he'll get them (not when Jim and I can polish it off!)

My favorite thing that James is doing right now is still playing in his kitchen cupboard. He gets very involved in taking everything out of the cupboard, chewing on them, or scooting the items around on the floor. He will take a tupperware lid and push it around the kitchen floor (kind of like you would a toy car). I have tried giving him a toy car to see if that would be more fun for him, but it doesn't seem to be. He prefers remote controls, tupperware lids, and "the claw". Oh, and right now he has a small yellow jingle ball that he likes to push around on the floor. Its great fun!

JAMES is fun! Today (Sunday) we're going to the mall after he wakes up from his nap. We will buy his first pair of REAL shoes. He had a pair of Robeez from his Tia Kristina- they were the cutest shoes with penguins :) but now we'll buy him a big boy pair of shoes that will actually be functional and not just decorative! A lot of people have suggested Stride Rite so we will go for a shoe fitting and hopefully he will have a great pair of walking shoes :)

James is awake! I hear him stirring through the baby monitor. I may update later today if we end up getting those shoes so check back?

James- big boy or little?

Just when I think James is such a big boy, something happens and I realize he's really still a little boy. I finished his nightly bath and decided to put him in his new footed pajamas because its going to be cold tonight. The pjs reminded me of his little baby pjs and he looked very little sitting up in the crib and looking up at me. I felt sad leaving him in the semidark room, alone. He fell asleep really quickly tonight so no worries.

Sorry, no pictures of the pjs because I didn't want to blind a sleepy James with the camera flash!

Daycare is still going well. I was told he ate really well and they played outside. I'm glad they are active and the day is full. Pretty soon they'll be playing out in the snow!

I spoke with Grandpa Frank last night and he and Julie are definitely coming out in January! I'll be so happy to see them together with James.

Up for this weekend: On Saturday we're hoping to visit the apple orchard for a lovely fall day :) And on Saturday night Tia Ana and Tio Rich are coming to visit. Yay! And on Sunday we'll hang out and possibly go to the Lakes' Old Fashioned Day. Our development is having a family day- we won't be able to participate in much because James is too little, but we may go to meet other people. We'll see!

10 months!

James is a wonderful, happy baby at 10 months. We're so lucky!

Jim and James shared their first Vikings game of the season. Its amazing the difference in pictures from last year and then this year. James is a different little boy! He was so fragile and thin in Jim's arms, now he's a squirmy chunk! He looked so grown up in his Vikings jersey.

Today he thrilled us with clapping his hands at our prompts and waving goodnight to his Daddy. Its like every day there's something new or something to make us proud :)

His favorite thing to do today was open and close a kitchen cabinet repeatedly. I finally filled the cabinet with baby friendly things- tupperware lids, plastic ice trays, measuring spoons, etc. No need for toys when you have such fun things! He was content to open and close the cabinet door, take out items, and then I'd put them back. Repeat. Repeat. Fun stuff! James may want to be a chef one day with all the kitchen time he's accumulating :)

So I was a couple of days late with the Brownie teddy bear pictures. On the 6th the day was very long and James wasn't in the right mood for pictures. I then held off until the weekend. Finally today it was a good day but then James didn't have ANY interest in Brownie the Bear. Oh well. I did get some cute bathtime pictures if you'd like to look at yesterday's journal entry, video clips, and then the pictures in the Baby Album "September".

Enjoy the pictures and video! Please sign our guestbook too!

Love,
Lisa, Jim and James

(In other news- welcome to MN, Baby Esme! The Bakkos are back in the U.S. with their beautiful baby girl! We can't wait to meet her :)

Bathtime

Poor James. He has naked baby pictures now!

It was a pretty good day. I wondered how James would do after a full week of daycare, especially with a couple of naptime changes. Sandra has been giving James only one nap, usually from 12-3pm. He's been a bit crabby at night so I decided to keep him on his normal schedule today to see if it was because of the napping switch. Well, we found out that he still is a little crabby at night even with the normal two naps. He drooled an awful lot today so maybe he has another tooth coming in? That might explalin crabbiness. I tried to feel inside his mouth but James doesn't like that so I wasn't able to determine anything.

Well, 10 month pictures are definitely happening tomorrow. We waited because I really wanted to do outdoor pictures but the sun didn't cooperate today. Maybe tomorrow? And anyway its football tomorrow! There is a new Vikings jersey for James to wear so that might be the perfect outfit for 10 month pictures :)

Check back soon!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

10 months and Yay!

When I picked up James today from daycare, he waved at me! Sandra came to the door with James in her arms, he saw me, and when I smiled and spoke to him he waved! He waved to Sandra (kind of) as we left the house too.

I was a happy Mama to see my son wave hello! And a proud Mama because we ran an errand and the people at the store were seriously gushing about how beautiful James is. This happens a lot and I'm just so proud that he's a good, beautiful little boy!

Can you believe that I did not take pictures today to celebrate James' 10 month birthday? I did not forget. I wanted to take them tomorrow when Jim is home. He is at pool tonight and I wanted him to be home to take a few pictures of James and I, and then to be in a couple of pictures with James too. It will be the first month that I didn't do it on the exact day (the 6th) but I think it will be okay!

Check back tomorrow night if you'd like!

Labor Day

James started a new thing today. He was making this weird, throaty sound- it reminded me of speaking another language- German perhaps? Anyway, I would imitate him and it cracked him up. We started doing the sound back and forth today with always the same results- James laughing. (video below)

After his (short) morning nap I took James to Kmart for their big baby sale. James will probably need some fall/winter clothing and I was a little obsessed with the idea of finding clothes TODAY. I did find some long sleeved onesies with cute sayings, some corduroy pants, and some sweat/athletic pants. Oh, and a coat. I'm still on the lookout for snowpants (needed for outside play and daycare) but its going to be tough. I found that clothes shopping for James is hard. The sizes are all over the place and I needed to look at the suggested height and weight on the tags.

Just thinking about fall/winter is getting me so excited for Halloween, apple orchards, and winter fun (snowman building, sledding, etc.) I'm not an outdoorsy person but I'm looking forward to a hopefully mild winter where James can get outside and enjoy the outdoors.

Oh, another thing I purchased today was a Walk n Ride toy for James. He's not showing too much interest in walking solo besides pulling up on furniture and cruising around in that way. I figured a walking toy would be nice to get him moving around the house in a different way. The toy also converts to a mini car that he'll be able to ride on. He also seemed to like this! (video below)

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Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com