Sunday morning

The picture is James reading the Sunday paper with his Daddy. James always wants to do what we're doing, especially at the dining room table.

James and I had a fun day yesterday with my sisters. We went to the Minneapolis Institute of Arts with Tia Kristina and Tia Ana. It was James' first time at the art museum. He did very well! He seemed pretty interested in some of the bigger art pieces. We pushed him around in his stroller and I would pause in front of different paintings to see his reaction. He would stare up for a few seconds and then go back to giggling/babbling. He received many compliments from people at the museum about how cute he is. James knows he's cute :)

We also went out to lunch at the Cheesecake Factory.

Last night we had a relaxing night at home, just James, Jim and I. We missed Tia Kristina but she was out on the town with Ana and Rich. I took James out on the deck and we sat and watched the birds. James really likes being outside. I think he likes the feeling of the wind and sun. I can't wait until the grass is green and we can lay out a blanket :) OR get a kiddie pool when its hot!

James is napping right now. Jim and I are trying to figure out something fun to do today. So far our excitement will be the grocery store and Menards! I'm sure we'll find other things to do :)

James will be 6 months old next weekend! I can't believe how fast the time has passed!

Oh, and we may have found a solution to our daycare situation until Fall. My friend has said she can help out with James until June! I have to call her and figure out the details. I think it will work out though- yay!

Attempted ESCAPE!

We were laughing this morning that James tried to escape his crib last night but really, I wasn't laughing last night. He scared the crap out of me! I woke up at 2:30am because I could hear him crying, which is unusual because when he wakes up for a bottle its not usually a cry but rather a sad little whine. So I went down to get a bottle right away. When I came upstairs I found James on his tummy and with his leg stuck in the crib! I have read about babies breaking their limbs when they get stuck and struggle. I tried to get his leg out but couldn't because his chubby thigh was the part stuck and I couldn't move it out of the posts! I was so afraid of hurting him. I ran to get Jim, probably scaring the *%!@ out of him too, because I switched on the light and said, Jim! I need your help! He ran to help and managed to get his leg out right away. Luckily, James wasn't hurt but probably just startled and uncomfortable.

So now I have to think about putting the crib bumpers back on the crib. I took them off because they're a safety concern for very young babies (suffocation). I think now that James can roll, its okay to put them on. I just want to make sure with the pediatrican first. Since James has been rolling, I have been a little more nervous about putting him in the crib for bed. I didn't really imagine his leg getting stuck, but more frequent wake-ups and the baby monitor alarm going off (its sensitive to rolling).

So that was our excitement last night. Oh, and it was really difficult getting James to sleep last night. Jim and I took turns trying to soothe James to sleep. He cried a lot and finally fell asleep with me singing to him. Poor kid that he had to listen to THAT!

Sorry, no new pictures.

Proud Mama

I was just showing off my latest "brag book" pictures to my Principal and some other staff at my school and they all said that James is so handsome! The other comment was that he is definitely BIG! He does look older than he is, especially since one of the pictures is of James sitting up, when he really isn't doing that on his own yet. I think I just got lucky with the camera!

James is doing well. I've increased his solids to 2 cubes (2 ozs) at a time. Every night James joins us at the dinner table and I have the baby food ready for him, in case he fusses. He always does! I think he knows that sitting at the table means food and he wants some too. I manage to take a bite of my own food in between his bites. It works out okay. Eventually he'll keep himself busy with his finger foods and dinner time will be less "work" for mom!

James had been sleeping through the night except for last night. Daddy (Jim) got to wake up at 3:30 with James. The other nights "sleeping through the night" means that we don't get out of bed, not necessarily that James is really sleeping through. He cries out, moans, and "talks" but goes back to sleep after a few minutes. One of my friends did tell me that eventually he will truly sleep through, and we won't hear a peep from him. Ahhhh... uninterrupted sleep!

I just wrote about how James is "work" and how he doesn't let us sleep. Well, I need to mention how much we love him and how much fun we have with him. I am certainly grateful and thrilled to have such a good baby in our lives. What would we do without Baby James!? :) The most beautiful thing I've ever seen is James' smile when he looks at me. I'm so lucky to have Baby James and a wonderful husband like Jimmy.

This is how I roll...

James can now roll from back to stomach! He started doing this yesterday and I think he loves it! When I lay him down on the floor he rolls. When I went to his crib this morning to get him up for the day, he was on his stomach! He's right on target for rolling. Usually babies will do this at 5 or 6 months. Sitting up independently is next!

Tia Kristina spent the weekend with Ana and Rich. I hear they had a sushi feast yesterday! She was back bright and early this morning, with huge smiles and hugs for Baby James. He also was very happy to see her, you could tell!

Jim and I spent a quiet weekend at home, mostly. On Saturday we first went to breakfast at Carol's and then went to the outlet mall in Albertville. Jim bought new clothing for himself and James. James has a new cute summer outfit and a Nautica coat for rainy days. James was a well behaved baby.

Starting a couple of days ago, James has been eating less. His usual 6 or 7 ozs bottles are no more. He now only takes 4 ozs or less. I don't know if this has anything to do with teething? It hasn't affected his mood or his sleep. He slept through the night the last two nights.

That's all the James news I have! Please see the new pictures in Baby Album "April" and the newest video clip.

Hola Jalapeno!

Just reporting on more great days with James. He went to bed a little late last night (9pm) and woke up later (7:45am). He is still waking up at least once a night for a bottle. I read that this is normal as he's adjusting to his new diet of solids, teething, and also it could be a growth spurt thing. I'm so curious to see James' progress at his next doctor's appointment- in May for his 6 month appointment.

I don't have any new pictures lately. I guess our nights have been full and I keep forgetting.

A new James development: he's grabbing at his feet! He's discovered his toes! He's been wearing shorts outfits and his little leg was scratched one day when he was overenthusiastic about grabbing at his feet. I've since cut his fingernails. I can't wait to see James suck on his toes- though I suspect it will be hard because he has that (big) little belly in the way!

Hola Jalapeno is the title of one of my favorite baby books. Tia Ana gave this book to James a while ago, its all about Mexican foods.

Tia Ana also just sent us (through Amazon) a baby foods cookbook. I had been checking out this book from the library and Tia Ana jumped right on the internet and ordered it for us when she was over for a visit. Thanks! I'm looking forward to experimenting with James' foods after we get the basics down. So far his foods are all just one ingredient foods. Pretty soon I can start some combination foods :)

All is well!

Happy Birthday Grandpa Frank!

Today is Grandpa's birthday and James will celebrate with a bottle of formula :) Happy Birthday, Grandpa Frank and we hope you have a great birthday! This is an older photo of James and Grandpa Frank.

James has been a great baby. His Tia reported that yesterday was a good day but for a little "crab apple" episode. The other day I bought him a vibrating teether and the mesh feeders to help with his teething, though it hasn't seemed to bother him lately. The teether is supposed to feel good on his gums and James does like it. The mesh feeders are these little mesh bags that you can put frozen fruit, bananas, or ice cubes in. James will only be able to suck out what fits through the tiny holes. I gave him ice cubes yesterday and he really worked hard on sucking those.

James had his first taste of sweet potatoes yesterday and the good news is that he didn't spit them out! We're still waiting to see if they are a good food for him. Each food is given for three days to check for allergic reactions. So far, so good with all foods.

All is well with Tia Kristina and her favorite nephew James. She said that yesterday she had him screaming with laughter as she tickled him. Sounds like a good time :)

I have a doctor's appointment on Friday to get my blood drawn for a diabetes check. I actually had an eye doctor appointment on Monday because I've been having trouble with my vision- blurry, uncomfortable. They actually turned me away from the eye exam, suspecting that I could have diabetes concerns. I'm supposed to go back after I find out if I test positive for diabetes or not. I honestly don't know if that's the true reason for my vision problems, but I'm hoping all is well. I can't even think about having diabetes.

Weekend update

Grandma Rosie and Grandpa Larry came to visit this weekend. It was a family-filled weekend! My sisters, Mom, and I went shopping and hung out on Saturday while Jim took care of James at home. They joined us later that day at Ana's house for a short visit. Grandpa Larry was able to see James, I think for the first time in several weeks.

"The boys" stayed at Ana's house for poker night, and "the girls" and James went back to our house for dinner and movies. James was a great baby all day! I think the worst of this round of teething is over. He didn't seem too crabby besides the initial crying at Ana's house. I think he was overwhelmed by the people and the strangeness of a new house (though he's been there before).

We had another good day on Sunday with James. We did just hang out at home but we also took a long walk in our neighborhood. James doesn't mind the stroller, which is great, and he actually fell asleep for a good length of time. We walked by the neighborhood park and there were a couple of bigger kids playing. It was nice to imagine James playing there in the near future. Maybe this summer I can try him on the (bucket) swings!

The picture on this page is James and his new sunglasses. They're a little big on him still but he doesn't mind them.

James had a difficult night last night. Or maybe it was difficult for his parents?! He woke up at 11:30pm (soothed back to sleep with pacifier), 3:30 am (bottle), 4:30, and then 5:30. All of these times we could hear him crying out in his sleep, but he would go back to sleep after a couple of minutes. Each time I tensed up, expecting that I'd have to get up. It was hard to go back to sleep :(

I hope its a good day for James and his Tia Kristina! I left them this morning and he was very smiley and happy. Tia loves him so much and we don't know what we would do without her!

Sitting

There's a short video clip of James sitting unassisted! What you don't see is that 20 seconds later he threw up all over himself! Oh well. I think it was a lot of pressure on his (big) little belly.

Oh, and you can also see the new drum that his Tia Kristina gave him for Easter. I love this drum! When you tap the top of the drum it plays music, spells out a letter in lights (on the top) and it says the alphabet letter. Its so cool! Its a toy from LeapFrog, the same company that makes the Baby Tad toy that his Grandma Laura gave him. That's also a great toy. Right now it sits in his crib and I use it to distract him while I change his diaper or change his clothes.

Gotta love toys!

I'm spending the day with my Mom and my sisters today. Jim is caring for James and will probably bring James over to my sister's house later this afternoon. It depends on James' mood. He's been a little "crabbypants", as I call him, because of his teething. It hasn't been too terrible but its so sad to see James in pain or frustrated.

I'll update tomorrow too after the big weekend with my family. :)

TWO!

There are TWO teeth! Kristina emailed me yesterday to tell me that she felt two teeth popping up on the bottom. I was so excited to get home and see them :) You can barely see them, but they're there.

I guess this explains why James is not sleeping through the night consistently, though he did last night. Yay!

First tooth!

I'm going to try and write this quickly. I'm not a morning person but I've been forcing myself to get up early- not only to get myself ready for work, but to be ready in case James wakes up before I leave for work. I can't imagine what our morning routine would have to be if we had to take James to daycare!

So you can see from the title of this journal entry that James is getting his first tooth!!! I thought I felt a tooth on Tuesday, and Kristina confirmed it yesterday. When you feel his gum, you can feel a tiny tooth trying to poke its way through! Its on the bottom. How cute James is going to look with a tooth! BUT how crabby he's going to be while he's teething! Tia Kristina said he was somewhat crabby yesterday during the day. Last night he was pretty quiet.

I don't have too many recent pictures. There are a couple of pictures in the April album of James' first playdate. Kristina's friend Kellee and her son, Maddox, came to visit on Tuesday. I guess James didn't have much of a reaction to another baby, just curiosity.

Its been a very busy week and I hope that I'll be able to calm down next week. I realized I hadn't updated this for many days. Sorry to all the fans!

Happy Day!

Happy Five Month Birthday James!

James is five months old today! We had our usual photo session today, though I expect I'll take more tonight when I have both of my sisters here. I'll maybe have one of them take a family picture of James, Jim and I. When you see the pictures from today, you'll see that most of them will have James with his fingers/thumb in his mouth- its that age!

The end of spring break is here! I go back to work on Monday and Tia Kristina will take over with James. Its so great to have no worries when it comes to James and his daycare right now.

Please check the photo albums for more pictures, the video library for a short video, and for journal entries. I haven't been updating this babysite as often as the beginning, but I usually do it every couple of days. Yesterday I took more pictures than usual so there are some really cute pics in the baby album "April".

Thanks for reading this! Please sign our guestbook so we know you were here :)

Mini photo shoot

James and I had a mini photo shoot today, not realizing that tomorrow is his 5 month birthday! I should have waited but he was so cute this morning and I liked his little Baby Gap outfit. Of course, James looks cute in anything :)

He was particularly photogenic this morning. Really smiley and cooperative. I think I just uploaded 10 new pictures, all taken within 3 minutes. I'm just in love with this little baby!

Today's news is that James had a new fruit today. He LOVES bananas! No tricks necessary today to get his mouth open. He very eagerly opened and ate his smashed bananas.

I actually started him on two feedings a day. This morning he had his oatmeal cereal and this afternoon it was the bananas. I think I'll keep doing this- a cereal in the morning, fruit or veggie in the afternoon. I think it did fill him up (or maybe it was just too much bananas) because he didn't really have an evening bottle. I'm afraid he'll be waking up at least once tonight because he's still hungry. But you never know.

All is well! Jim is doing well at his new job, my spring break is almost over and its been fairly relaxing- though I would have preferred nicer weather- and Tia Kristina is enjoying the time with James.

Check back tomorrow (Friday) because I'm still going to take my monthly pictures with James, Brownie, and the monkey chair.

Visit from Katy

My friend Katy came over to visit today. She said James is very handsome. We thought her little boy Owen was coming over too but it didn't work out today because Owen went over to his grandparents' house, because Katy is on her way to Florida. Ahhh.... Sun.

I'm so glad James isn't reacting badly to "strangers" anymore. There was a week or so when James would cry when someone other than Jim or I would hold him or even be in front of him.

Well, I did an unofficial, at-home weigh-in of James this morning. He is weighing in at 19 1/2 pounds!!! I think he would be a heavyweight in a baby wresting competition! Its no wonder his little pants are all tight at the waist. We have tried going up a size but the 9-12 month size is too skinny and too long. He's 6-9 months size in length, but a little chunky around the middle :)

James is doing well with his solids. We've mastered squash, carrots, oatmeal, and rice. We're going to try apples again today or tomorrow. I probably have mentioned this already, but bananas and sweet potatoes are next for the new foods. James is an efficient eater and doesn't waste much. He's also fairly neat and doesn't get too messy.

Another new thing that James is doing: James likes to sit upright and I've been propping him up on the couch with a body pillow wrapped around him. He likes to lean waaaaay forward at the waist, and he eventually will plop forward and work his way on to his stomach. Sometimes he can't get his legs out from under him so I have to help, but I usually let him "struggle" it out. I've tried to capture it on my video camera but he gets camera shy or self-conscious, stopping what he's doing.

Well, James just woke up from his nap so its playtime. All is well!

Happy Uncle Joe & Weekend update

We spent a very nice weekend with Grandma Rosie and Tia Kristina. Of course Tia Kristina has been here for almost a week now, and she's been very helpful and wonderful with James. James is getting valuable play time with his Tia, and probably gaining skillz each day.

Grandma Rosie came bearing Easter gifts. James got a big basket full of rubber ducky themed gifts- for his bathroom- and some clothing and bibs. Oh! And one of the best things- his space saver high chair! He can now sit at the table really comfortably and join the family in eating. Last night at dinner, I fed him his favorite food so far- squash- while we were all eating too. I think he appreciated being included in the meal time :)

Grandma Rosie came on Friday and helped to babysit while Jim and I went to the Blue Man Group show in St. Paul. Before the show we ate at Cosettas, an Italian restaurant. We're already planning on going back (with James?) at a more family friendly, less chaotic time.

On Saturday "the girls" went shopping while Jim had Daddy Duty. He ended up going to Uncle Joe and Aunt Kathy's with James, to help celebrate Uncle Joe's birthday. (HAPPY BIRTHDAY, UNCLE JOE!) Grandma Laura was there too. I'm sure James had a good time. Though I heard he was kind of cranky.

Last night (Saturday) James got up TWICE in the night! Its probably the fussiest he's been since he was a newborn. He woke up at 12:45am and then again at 5am. Both times he had bottles and had a hard time going to sleep. He kept his Daddy up for a whole hour at 12:45, as he tried to get James back to sleep. We don't know what caused him to be fussy. Maybe too many strangers at the party? A change in his routine? Not enough formula during the day?

This morning Grandma Rosie woke up with James, letting us sleep in again. She also gave James a much needed bath. There's nothing like a fresh, clean smelling baby! Grandma left with the promise of coming back in a few weeks. We hope she does!

I have the week off because of Spring Break. I'm hoping the weather clears up so that I can take James out for a walk in the stroller. He probably needs the fresh air and I need the exercise! :)

Here's hoping for great weather! I wonder how the weather is in NYC? Shout out to Tia Ana and Uncle Rich. They're at the Big Apple for a vay-cay.

I can't believe I don't have any new pictures from the weekend! ARGH!