Fists and Shopping

Ever since I've been a baby, I have loved sucking on my fist. Finally, today, Mommy got a picture of me with my fist in my mouth. If my blog had sound, you would hear all kinds of slurping sounds. I'm quite noisy when I'm sucking my fist. It's so yummy!

Today was a good day with Great-Mom-mom. We started off the day by having my picture taken. The lady thought that shaking loud noisy things in my face would help me to smile, so most of my pictures have me with a terrified look on my face. I'm not so sure the picture lady knows about babies. I smiled lots when she stopped making noise!

Back home for some milk and a nap was the next thing we did. And then we went shopping. Today we stayed around town. Mommy got some Christmas presents and so did Great-Mom-mom. I was the perfect baby, and all the store ladies thought I was very adorable! I fell asleep in my stroller a few times. And as long as they kept me rocking and rolling, I was a trouper.

Tomorrow we're going to try to shop in the bigger town 30 minutes away. Mommy's a little bit nervous. Being in town today, we knew we could get home in five minutes if need be--which was a good thing cause I had a diaper blow-out. Good thing Great-Mom-mom is here to help tomorrow! Mommy has her list ready, so it should be quick shopping.

We'll keep you posted!

Great-Grandma Maryalice

She's here! Last night Mommy and I went to the airport again (I'm starting to wonder if we'll go to the airport every week to pick up someone new for me to play with...hum...). We were early enough to go inside, so we did. Here's a picture of me and my great grandma.

Actually I call Great-Grandma Maryalice "Great Mom-mom". Mommy calls her Mom-mom (cause she's her mom's mom--that's three-year-old logic from years ago), so I call her Great Mom-mom.

We went home and looked through all the presents people sent for me. Then I had my bedtime snack and went to bed.

Today we're going to get my pictures taken, and who knows what else we'll do! I know it will be fun!

Oh--and Great Mom-mom can't say I'm the cutest baby ever, cause she has other great grandkids. But she did say I'm just as cute as my cousin baby Noah. :-)

Snow Flurries and Wal-Mart

Adventures were everywhere today, it seems. Yesterday morning Grandma Lou and Grandpa Jere headed back home to Colorado, but they got stuck in Kansas! The main road taking them home was closed because of snow! I'm not sure what snow is, but the thought of it makes my Mommy very excited!

After spending the night in a hotel, Grandma Lou and Grandpa Jere found a different road to take them home. What an adventure for them.

Meanwhile, we had loud and scary wind last night. We are okay in our town, but other people got hit by tornadoes or they don't have electricity. Mommy and Daddy were glad our town was okay.

This morning Daddy left for a few days. He travels with work. Since I've been born, he hasn't traveled much. Now it's time for him to hit the road. Mommy and I miss him, but we're glad he has a job he likes.

Since me and Mommy are here by ourselves, we decided today was a good day for an adventure of our own. We decided to take my first trip to Wal-Mart. Mommy was afraid I would get cold, so she put way too many clothes on me, and then finished my outfit off with my bear suit. She thought the fur would keep me really warm. Then, as if I wasn't warm enough, she smothered me with a blanket. Whew! I was ROASTING!!!

We got in the car and headed out. And then Mommy noticed that there were snow flurries! She was very excited! The snow didn't stick, so Mommy says it doesn't count as a "snow experience" for me. It was freezing cold when we got to Wal-Mart--I was glad--It meant I had a chance to cool off before we got in the hot store.

We did our shopping and headed home. What a relief to get some of my layers off! While we were gone, Daddy called to say he arrived safely at his destination. Grandma Lou and Grandpa Jere are still traveling. And Mommy and me? Well, we're snuggled up safe and warm in our house drinking hot tea.

And tomorrow...well...we have another adventure! Great-Grandma Maryalice comes to town!

After my bath...

Here's a picture of my curly hair. After my bath, my hair curls and makes curls all over my sweet little head. Mommy likes straight hair best, so she usually brushes my hair to make the curls come out. Although she can't get them all out--a few curls always remain.

Grandma Lou was wondering what my curls looked like. And since all my grandmas like curls, Mommy thought she'd better take a picture.

Well...we're off to change and wash the sheets. Aunt Julia left today and Great-Grandma Maryalice is coming soon. We'd better get the sheets taken care of! :-) I think Norah is going to help us.

Eleven and a half pounds

Finally they weighed me. Mommy got on the scale by herself, and then she got on the scale with me. Daddy did the math, and we came up with eleven and a half pounds. I'm growing so fast! Mommy says I'm almost ready for my next size in clothes. She'll be sad when she has to pack up the cute outfits. Dad says not to worry cause I have tons more cute outfits in bigger sizes.

Sleepy Baby

Yesterday I was so tired, but I really didn't want to sleep. That happens to me sometimes--I get so tired, and then I can't sleep! Mommy says it happens to her, too. I think I might sleep more like my Mommy than my Daddy. Daddy can sleep anytime and through anything.

This is a picture of me when I finally got to sleep. Mommy and Daddy think I'm pretty cute when I'm sleeping. My mouth looks just like my Daddy's when he is sleeping. Mommy thinks it's fun that our mouths are the same.

Today we're having a good day. I've already had my tummy time with Norah, and Mommy has straightened up the house.

Happy Anniversary to Grandma Carolyn and Grandpa Patrick. And only TWO days until Great-Grandma Maryalice comes! Yeah!!!

Happy Birthday!

Today is my Uncle Rob's birthday. He is the dad of my little cousin Noah. Noah is three months older than me, and I cannot wait to meet him! Mommy says we'll get to play with Noah in June.

Happy Birthday Uncle Rob! We hope you're having a great day!

Decorating for Christmas

Aunt Julia ended up spending the night with us last night. We decided to decorate for Christmas this morning. This is a picture of me, Mommy, and Aunt Julia by the Christmas tree. Daddy sat on the sofa and supervised. When he said he would "supervise", Mommy laughed. I'm not sure why...I guess it's cause she always laughs at stuff my Daddy says. He really is a funny Daddy.

Now we're watching football and drinking hot cider. I thought only Saturdays and Sundays were football days, but Daddy says that cause of Thanksgiving there are FOUR football days this week. So we're excited--me and Dad--and we're watching football for four days in a row!

Later today, Grandma Lou, Grandpa Jere, and Aunt Joy are going to bring us leftovers from Thanksgiving dinner. We're starting to get hungry!

From Yesterday

Here's the picture my Mommy couldn't get posted yesterday. It's me taking my Thanksgiving Day bath!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Today is my first Thanksgiving. While I was having my breakfast this morning, Mommy told me about the pilgrims. I'm a bit confused about that whole deal... Maybe when I'm older I'll understand these kinds of things. I just don't get what pilgrims have to do with popcorn and boats? So for today, I just looked at my Mom and smiled while she was talking.

And she kept talking and talking...after the talk about the pilgrims was finished, she said we should think about the things we are thankful for. Mommy listed off lots of things (she was quite chatty this morning). Milk is really what I'm most thankful for--I'm easy!

Then it was bathtime! Mommy wanted me to smell sweet for my first Thanksgiving. Daddy took some really cute pictures of me while Mommy was giving me my bath, but for some reason Mommy can't upload them this morning.

Now I have one more nap to finish, then I have to eat my lunch, and then we're going to jump in the car and go to Aunt Joy and Uncle Seth's house. Norah even gets to come! Norah is very excited because she's pretty sure Grandpa Jere will sneak her a piece or two (or six) of turkey!

We're happy to be with family on this holiday, but we'll miss the family members we're not with. We hope you're having a good day Aunt Jenna--Hopefully we'll chat on the phone later. And to all my California family members--Have a wonderful day! Mommy tells me Great-Grandma Maryalice makes the best stuffing in the WHOLE world!!! Mommy says to enjoy some for her! She knows Grandma Lou's stuffing will be yummy, too, but there's nothing like stuffing with almonds and olives. YUM!!! Maybe Great-Grandma Maryalice will bring Mommy some stuffing when she comes to visit us on Tuesday...

Aunties and Airports

Last night, instead of putting me to bed, Mommy and Daddy put me in my carseat. I couldn't figure out what was happening at first, and then they told me we were going to the airport so I could meet my Aunt Julia!

Aunt Julia flew in from college last night for Thanksgiving. Mommy and Daddy really wanted to go to the airport to meet her, but with me--well--it's hard to plan things. So, they kept quiet about their tentative plans. Then when I had a great evening, we got to go to the airport and surprise the family and Aunt Julia! They didn't know we were coming. And in case you're wondering...yes, Aunt Julia does think I'm the cutest baby ever!

Now I've met two aunties--Joy and Julia. I have lots to go! One more to meet on my Dad's side and FIVE to meet on my Mom's side. That doesn't even count all of my great aunties and great-great aunties! I have so many family members, and I don't have enough fingers and toes to even count them. Good thing Mommy will take pictures to help me remember everyone.

Way before we went to the airport yesterday, I had a baby sitter for the very first time. Actually it was my Grandma Lou and Grandpa Jere--they are grandparents not babysitters! Anyway, on their way to Aunt Joy's house, they stopped by so my Mom and Dad could go out on a date--just the two of them. Mommy and Daddy had a really good time together, and I was so good for Grandma Lou and Grandpa Jere. They loved keeping me, and I loved staying with them.

Yesterday was a good day. And now it's Thanksgiving!

Playing with Norah

Tummy-time is really starting to be fun. But please don't tell my Mommy. As long as she thinks tummy-time isn't my favorite thing, she'll keep changing it up a little bit every day. I like the variety, so let's keep my new like of tummy-time between us. Okay?

Today Mommy put me on her bed with my buddy Norah. I loved having tummy-time with Norah. Norah would not sit still--she kept walking in circles around me. It gave me a chance to practice using my neck muscles, because I was trying to keep my eye on the forever wandering Norah!

Using those muscles has worn me out! I'd better go take a nap.

Baths and Bathrobes

After my bathtime today, Mommy put on my bathrobe. Isn't it just GREAT!!! My friend Ava gave it to me before I was born. She has a bathrobe, too. Mommy thinks it is the cutest thing ever. And it's fun that Ava gave me the robe, cause her mommy likes baths as much as my Mommy does.

I like the robe, too...except for one little thing...the robe has a HOOD! Remember? I'm the baby who doesn't like hats and hoods! I'm starting to think my Mommy is out to get me, cause she keeps putting hats and hoods on my head.

What am I going to do with my Mommy? I think Dad and I will have to have a chat tonight. He's my only hope in getting Mommy to stop putting things on my head.

We did it!!! We finally walked!!!

Determination was the theme for today. On Thursday Mommy got the okay from the doctor to start walking again. It has just never worked to walk since Thursday. Mommy tried a couple of times, but I had other plans for her day.

Today Mommy said we were going to go for a walk even if it was the only thing we did. She got me and Norah all ready, and we headed out. Here's a picture of me getting into my carseat (it attaches to my stroller).

We got outside and started around the block; only to meet a little dog who didn't have tags or a collar. This is one of the things that irritates my Mom. She thinks that if people are going to have pets, they should keep tags and collars on them. And she thinks pets should be kept in their own yards or houses unless they are being supervised. Back to this little dog we met... He harassed my buddy Norah! Norah did not like him one little bit! He nipped at her heels and sniffed her! How dare he mess with my Norah!

My Mommy--she's a wise one, because when she picked out my stroller, she made sure there was a little basket on the bottom where Norah could ride. Mommy picked up Norah and put her in the little basket, and then she told that other little dog to go home! He didn't listen. So she told him if he didn't go home right then, she would call animal control. I think she may have scared him a little, cause he started running towards home!

Since the other dog had left, Norah climbed out of her basket, and we finished our walk. Then it was naptime. I think going on a walk helped me to nap better. I hope we get to walk again tomorrow!

Happy Birthday!

Today is my Aunt Julia's birthday. She lives far away from me cause she's going to college. Someday when I'm big, I'm going to go to college, too! I'm very excited because I get to meet Aunt Julia on Thursday when she flies in for Thanksgiving.

This morning when my Daddy reminded my Mommy that today was Aunt Julia's birthday, Mommy remembered she forgot to blog about two of my other aunt's birthdays...so we'll take care of that right now!

Happy Birthday to Aunt Elizabeth on October 26th. I was only 10 days old then, and Mommy wasn't remembering much of anything! And my Mom isn't sure why she didn't remember my Aunt Jacey's birthday on November 13th--she thinks it may have been because she thought she was doing good just remembering Grandma Carolyn's (on the 8th) and Grandpa Patrick's (on the 11th)! My mom doesn't seem to remember much these days. So if she forgets to wish you a happy birthday, it's not because she doesn't care; but just because I'm using up too many of her brain cells!

Regardless... Happy Birthday to the aunts born in the fall-time. We love you!!!

My Silly Daddy

This morning my Daddy and I played a new game. Daddy would make silly faces, and then I would make the silly face back at him. And then it got better! Daddy stuck his tongue out and I stuck mine out too! Oh what fun we have--me and my Dad.

And by the way, my Mommy thinks that because I can mimic my Dad at five weeks old...I must be advanced for my age. :-)

My Dedication

My parents attend church on Saturday nights. You see, they are not morning people, and quite frankly, they couldn't make it to church on a Sunday morning even if you promised them millions! Until I came along, they had probably never seen the sun rise. Good thing I'm here--they were missing out on quite a bit!

Anyway, the church they attend has baby dedications twice a year and last night was one of the nights. Mommy and Daddy signed me up, put on my outfit from Uncle Jim and Aunt Linda, grabbed the blanket my Great-Great Grandma Hiett made for me, and we were off to the dedication! (Yep, once again, Mommy had to bring all the sentimental stuff along with us--the outfit, the blanket, etc.)

Mommy and Daddy had sent pictures to the church ahead of time so everyone could see how cute I am. While they were showing my slide, Uncle Seth's voice (Mommy and Daddy wrote the words) was saying the following:

"Our sweet Henry James--You are named after two people we love--your great-great grandfather and great uncle--two men who loved God and people. We desire to pass on this heritage and encourage you to walk with God and invest in people.

Proverbs 3:5-6 has become a very meaningful verse to us. We have had to trust the Lord throughout our pregnancy, your birth, and this first month of life because we don't always understand why things are the way they are. Not only has this verse taken on new meaning for us as parents, it is also our prayer for you--that this verse would become real to you. We pray that, at an early age, you would choose to trust in the Lord, that you would acknowledge Him, and allow Him to direct your paths.

We are looking forward to getting to know you as we watch you grow."

Mommy and Daddy wanted to have me dedicated because they recognize that I'm not really their's, but instead I'm a gift God has given them. They also know someday I will be making my own choices about life, and while they hope I make good choices, Mommy and Daddy will love me and pray for me regardless of the choices I make. They already love me and pray with me, so I think we're off to a good start.

After the pictures were finished, our pastor (his name is Chip and he really likes college football), said some nice things to Mommy and Daddy and prayed for me. Then, the ladies who will take care of me in the nursery when I'm older, gave Mommy a rose and Daddy a book. And the dedication was over; I could eat again! (And just between you and me--that was my FAVORITE part--the food afterwards!)

Mommy and Daddy's friend Elizabeth took this picture of us (below) after the service. We think we're a pretty nice little family. Our church doesn't let dogs come inside; that's why Norah isn't in the picture. But hopefully someday soon our church will recognize that Norah is more than a pet.

Party!!!

Yesterday I went to my very first birthday party. Our friend Jake turned three-years-old. Because he is so big, he got really fun gifts. Legos, air guns with bullets that really stick, and lots of hot wheels. Mommy says soon I'll be big enough to play with these kinds of toys myself. I cannot wait! Mommy says she can wait. We'll see who wins...

Say Cheese!!!

My parents are convinced that I, Henry James, can smile in response to their silly faces and tickles. Whether or not this is true, remains to be seen.

Today my Dad got the camera and my Mom made silly faces while my Dad took pictures. I smiled and smiled, however, I'm way too quick for them! They can only seem to get the tail end of my smiles on film. I'm posting their attempts at taking pictures of me smiling for them.

What do you think? Am I smiling for real?

A Gross Blog

You probably think this is going to be a blog about spit-up since my Mom thinks that is the most gross thing in the world. Alas it is not about spit-up, it is about something my Mom thinks is even GROSSER than spit-up.

Warning: This blog is not for the faint of heart. If you do not enjoy gross things, STOP reading right now!

My little buddy Norah has discovered a love for cat poop. Somewhere in our yard a kitty is leaving her mark, and Norah has found it! What Norah does with the cat poop shall remain a mystery for you, as my Mom can't bring herself to write about it.

Uggghhhh!!! After Norah has "done her thing" with the "treasures" left in our yard by Ms. Kitty, she comes inside smelling so TERRIBLE!!! Last night the whole house stunk after Norah came in from the great outdoors. My dad had to give Norah a bath; and let me say he was not happy about that! Who can blame him--it was ten o'clock at night.

We're wondering if anyone out there in blogland has suggestions for keeping Ms. Kitty out of our yard... HELP!

One Month Old

Today I am one month old. I celebrated this morning by spitting up all over my Mom. She can handle more than she thought she'd be able to handle liquid-wise in regards to me, but she still cannot handle spit-up. "SOOOOOO gross," she cries out whenever I spit-up. To tell you the truth, that's why I do it--for the reaction! :-)

Anyway, today I am one month old. Mommy can't believe it's been a month! And then she says she can't believe it's only been a month. I think she's having trouble making up her mind.

Mommy and Daddy say it's been a good month, and they are so glad to have me. I'm glad to have them, too! Along with Norah, we make a pretty happy little family.

This morning, Mommy dressed me in my Denver Broncos outfit and took a picture. She wanted to post today's picture (the top picture), and then post the picture of me on the day I came home from the hospital (bottom picture). Mommy thought it would be fun for my fan-club to compare pictures. I must say that I fill out my clothes better now, and I think my legs might be longer. After looking at both pictures, Mommy says I've grown a bunch!

Have fun comparing pictures!

I do not like them

Hats--I DO NOT like them one little bit! I was a perfectly happy baby until Mommy put this hat on my head, and I was happy when she took it off. I was NOT happy when the hat was on my head.

Mommy thought it was kind of funny that I would only cry when the hat was on my head, so she put the hat back on and got the camera. Why is it fun to torment babies and then take pictures? I'll never understand adults...

Overall, I really am a happy baby. Besides hats and naptime, I'm just the happiest thing. Mommy and Daddy are pretty convinced they can get me to smile. I'm not telling if they're truly hilarious people or if it's just gas--I don't want to hurt their feelings or burst their bubble. They are awfully proud of their ability to make me grin!

Toys

Yesterday, during tummy time (I'm liking it better and better), I grabbed a toy and pulled it towards me! Mommy's not sure if my finger got stuck in the toy or if I really grabbed it. I keep trying to tell her I really did grab it, but she says the books say I might be a bit young to be grabbing and pulling toys!

Of course, I could be advanced for my age. My cousin Noah is; he really surprised my Grandma Carolyn this week. Noah is only 4 months old, and Grandma Carolyn watched him "scoot" himself 8 inches towards a toy he wanted to play with. That Noah--I can't wait to meet him and learn how to scoot!

I tried to tell my Mom that perhaps early talent runs in the family. She says she doesn't want to be one of those first time moms who thinks their child is brilliant when they're really just average. Silly Mommy, of course I'm brilliant!!!

A lot of things to say...

I have a lot of things to say today, so we'll take it point by point.

Today's agenda: Today Mommy and I are having a snuggle-pajama day. It's grey and cloudy outside, so Mommy made tea and we snuggled on the sofa in our jammies.

This is a picture of me snuggling. I'm wrapped in my really soft blanket from Ami. Ami was my Daddy's first grade teacher. She made me this blanket and I love it! I sure hope I get to meet Ami at Christmas time. (Rumor has it that my Daddy is Ami's favorite student ever, but don't tell anyone cause we don't want to hurt feelings.)

Yesterday: I was 4 weeks old yesterday! Mommy and I wanted to blog about me being 4 weeks old, but our internet was messed up. Mommy said she had a few choice words for Cox Communications, but she wouldn't share those words with me. Now I'm very curious about what choice words are. Hum...I wonder...and I think I'll be wondering for a long time. I might check with Jonathan, Spike, and Ava; they are my friends and they sometimes know stuff that I don't know.

Batteries: Miracles of miracles! My parents finally got batteries for my things! I never in a million years thought this would ever happen! I figured I'd be going on three before the two of them even put batteries on the shopping list.

And then last night, since I was four weeks old, Mommy was healed enough to make a trip to the store. Guess what she came home with? Yep, you guessed it--batteries! Today she even put the batteries in the "Ocean Wonders Aquarium Bouncy Seat" and the "Link-a-doos Swing"! My bouncy seat now sounds like the ocean, and my swing rocks. It's a whole new world at our house.

Aunt Jenna's package: The package arrived FINALLY on Saturday, and I am one lucky boy. My Aunt Jenna sent me two Starbucks cards. Aunt Jenna is very cool because she works at Starbucks--she's the manager of her very own store, and someday I get to visit her there.

The first Starbucks card has Ichiro on the front of it. He's a baseball player for the Seattle Mariners. I am not allowed to touch this card. My Dad said it must stay in the package and out of my reach. I just don't understand, but Daddy said I'll learn about "limited editions" when I am older.

However, the second Starbucks card is all mine! It's the special 2005 Christmas card, and it comes in its own little pocket with a loop for hanging. Mommy says it's the prettier card. I like that card the best because Aunt Jenna put a 2005 Christmas Blend sticker in the pocket just for me. She knows kiddos love stickers!

I'm going to snuggle with Mommy now. We're having soup for lunch. It's a great meal for a snuggle-jammie-day, don't ya think?

Weekend Golf

On the weekends, this is usually one of the outfits I wear. It's my golf outfit from my cousin Beth in California. She knows about boys and what they like! Before I was born she gave me a present. When we opened it up, the package was full of boy things! My Dad said it was a good thing. He said I needed a few boy things to counteract all the rabbits in my room. My Mom says that Peter Rabbit IS a boy.

Regardless of the controversy at my house, I wear this outfit on the weekends because that's when me and Daddy watch golf. You can't really tell from the picture, but the front of the sleeper says "My First Golf Game". And then there is a little bear with a golf club on a putting green. Very cute!

It's a beautiful day here. Finally, it feels like fall. The sky is overcast and raining, the grass is brown, and the pretty fall leaves are almost off the trees. Mommy says she's ready for snow!

Well...Maybe after all of my grandma's visit me again would be a better time for snow. I certainly wouldn't want the weather to interfere with any of their visits! First Grandma Lou and Grandpa Jere come for Thanksgiving. Then Great-Grandma Maryalice comes to help us through Daddy's first long trip, and then Grandma Carolyn comes to help Mommy figure out how to work and take care of me at the same time. We are blessed to have so many grandmas! I have a Great-Great Grandma, too. Hopefully I'll get to meet her in June. She's 101 years old!

I'm hungry, so I'm going to eat and then sleep again. I'm getting better at sleeping in the daytime. It makes Mommy quite happy, and a happy mommy is a good thing. Have a good weekend!

I'm growing

Here's a picture of all of me! I'm starting to really fill out. My thighs are getting just a bit chunky. And my cheeks are filling out, too.

Mommy wonders what I weigh. She thinks maybe between 9 1/2 and 10 pounds based on the fact that I had to move up a size in diapers!

Maybe she'll weigh herself and then weigh again while holding me; then she could do the math and figure out how much I weigh. Well...perhaps my Dad could do the math. Mommy isn't so good at subtraction. We'll ask Daddy to help and let you know what we decide.

Hands and Feet

Yesterday my Great-Aunt Kendy asked my mom to take some pictures of my hands and feet. She said hands and feet are what she would check out if she saw me in person. It will probably be June before we see my California relatives, so Mommy thought we'd better take hand and feet pictures this afternoon.

Here are my feet. We think they look just like my Dad's. I have really long toes that kind of curl towards the bottom of my feet.















Here's a shot of my right hand. Mommy said getting the pictures of my hands was hard. I wouldn't stay still. She tried her best to get some good pictures.















Here's another hand shot. Mommy was trying to show you my fingers. They look like my Grandpa Jere's fingers. This is my left hand.















Here's another picture of my right hand. I think it looks just like the left one! I'm starting to reach for things. I can't quite grab them, but I headed that direction. Someday soon I'll be grabbing everything in sight!

Happy Birthday Grandpa Patrick!

Today is my Grandpa Patrick's birthday. He is a very lucky guy, because his birthday falls on a holiday, and he always has his birthday on a day he doesn't have to go to work.

Of course, with today being a holiday, my Mommy is a little bit sad because that means there won't be any mail today. We are expecting a package from my Aunt Jenna; I guess we're still waiting. Why oh why is it a holiday today? The holiday should have waited until AFTER the package arrived. I guess I'm learning about the harsh realities of this world; no mail on holidays or Sundays.

Spike is here!

We were so excited that we forgot to blog and let everyone know that my friend Spike was born this past Monday. We haven't been to visit him yet, cause babies and mommies need time to settle and adjust before visitors descend upon them. Plus, my Mommy isn't up for much visiting until she's healed a bit more. Just wanted to let you know about Spike... I can't wait to meet him!

No Leaks!

Mommy thought my fan club out there might like an update on the bathtub situation. I am pleased to announce that my Daddy fixed my bathtub. It no longer leaks and makes a river on the bathroom floor during bathtime.

Here's a picture of me getting clean tonight. I just love bathtime. One of my favorite things is to quickly put my hands in my mouth after Mommy soaps them! She tries to rinse them before I lick the soap off, but I'm a fast baby! Yum! Soap bubbles are so delicious!

Tummy Time

Well...You know my mom and how she likes to read about things--EVERYTHING to be exact. A couple of the books that she reads about how to take care of me say all babies should have "tummy time".

This is because the books also say babies have to sleep on their backs these days. (They--whoever "they" are--change their minds about how babies are to sleep all the time--today back sleeping is recommended.) Anyway, because babies sleep on their backs, they need to have time in the daytime on their tummies. This helps with large motor development. I didn't know I had a motor, but whatever the book says goes at my house! So I have to have tummy time a few times a day.

I don't always like tummy time. Sometimes I feel like I'm missing out on seeing things (like ceiling fans) during tummy time. Mommy has to get creative to keep me happy while I'm on my tummy. Today she did a great job as I loved tummy time this afternoon!

She propped me up on my Boppy and then put my Baby Einstein blocks in front of me. My buddy Norah thought the blocks looked like fun, so Mommy put Norah up by me for a minute. We had the greatest time! I'm looking forward to more tummy time tomorrow.

Bedtime

Mommy was just about to put me to bed when she remembered she hadn't blogged today. "Quick," she said, "take a picture!" My dad got the camera and this is what he snapped.

I have my jammies on and I'm ready for bed. People say I look like my Mommy. What do you think? Mommy says it must be the eyes that make people think I look like her, because the mouth, she says, is all Daddy's.

Looking back, today was a good day. Nothing too exciting happened, and nothing too traumatic happened. It was a good day. We're going to try for another good day tomorrow.

Well...I'm off to sleep. I hope all of you rest well tonight. Good night...

Happy Birthday Grandma Carolyn!

It's Grandma Carolyn's birthday today! Mommy dressed me in green, laid me on my "Aunt Elizabeth quilt", and took my picture to celebrate.

Grandma Carolyn LOVES green. She always wears green--she even has green shoes! At her wedding, a long time ago, Mommy says she had her wedding cake tinted green. And when Grandma Carolyn was a little girl, she used to soak her hair in my Great-great Grandpa Hiett's swimming pool, so she would have green hair! Yep, the lady LOVES the color green!

We hope you have a happy day, Grandma Carolyn!

My first tub bath

(My mom hasn't figured out how to get multiple photos in the right order on the same blog, so bear with her.)

Since I am being a good napper today--actually I'm being a GREAT napper today--Mommy decided to try giving me my first tub bath. We got our bathtub all set up and filled with water, and then Mommy soaped me up. At this point water started dripping onto the floor, but Mommy figured she was just being messy (although my Mommy is usually not messy). We continued with my bath. Mommy noticed the water was still gushing from the counter and the puddle on the floor was turning into a lake! It became apparent that my brand new, never-been-used-before bathtub was leaking!

Mommy quickly grabbed some towels to drape all over the counter and floor (2nd picture). "What to do now?," she thought, "Jamey is covered in soap and the tub is leaking!" She wrapped me up in a soggy towel and moved bath time to the other bathroom (3rd picture).

We finished up in the big boy tub; we used the insert from my baby tub. I loved my bath! The water felt so good. Mommy poured water on my head and tummy--what fun! I could take a bath everyday!

The water started getting cold, so Mommy took me out of the tub and wrapped me up in my frog towel (1st picture). Grandma Lou brought it to me when she came to meet me. The corners are shaped like frog feet. Very cute!


















After I was dressed and napping, Mommy cleaned up the mess in BOTH bathrooms. While she was drying off my bathtub, Mommy decided she didn't set the tub up right in the first place. She needs to have Daddy push this one part in to make the seal really tight. Oh well...Life is an adventure!

Once I was dry and dressed, I spit up ALL over myself...I was hoping for another bath...Mommy says one bath is enough for today...

An Outing

To help my Mommy cope while she's recovering from having me, my Daddy takes her on outings every other day or so. Here's me and my buddy Norah after our outing today.

We started off by taking a little drive. There was a very slow school bus on the road, and we got stuck behind it. My Daddy had to be a good example by being patient. Mommy says it's a good thing I came along to help Daddy learn how to be a good example while he's driving. What Mommy doesn't know yet is that I like a little action on the road! Daddy's driving and honking is exciting--I remember it from before I came into the world.

After the slow school bus, we went to see where Mommy works. All of the people were allowed to look at me, but Mommy wouldn't let them touch me. She's trying to keep me healthy. Of course, the people at Mommy's work thought I was the cutest thing.

Today was a pretty good nap day for me. Mommy thought things were going pretty well, so she decided not to disrupt the flow by figuring out how to give me a tub bath. She thought both an outing AND a tub bath on the same day might throw off the pretty good napping. She may have been right; she's a smart Mommy (she doesn't always feel that way, but Daddy says she is the smartest mommy ever).

Well...Mommy must do laundry now. Tomorrow is Grandma Carolyn's birthday, and we must wear a green outfit. Right now all of my green outfits are not so clean. Green is Grandma Carolyn's favorite color, and we're going to take a picture of me wearing green on her birthday and email it to her!

Yesterday

Well...yesterday went from starting out great to ending up rather terrible. By the time my Dad got home from the Razor back game, me, Mommy, and Norah were all lying on my parent's bed crying. Once again, I had decided to skip my naptimes.

I really don't like sleeping in the daytime. Maybe I'm afraid I'll miss out on something? Who knows! Mommy says we can be thankful that at least I'm a great night sleeper. Probably that's cause I'm so tired when nighttime comes, I can't help but sleep!

Anyway, when Daddy got home, he held me and listened to Mommy. It took a little time, but our world straightened up, and we remembered that every day is a new day with a fresh start.

Today we're very thankful for that fresh start. So far so good... I had one nap and skipped the next one. "One's better than none," says Mommy.

Shhh! Don't tell my Dad!

Regardless of how anyone might feel about the state of Arkansas, I was born here, and that makes me an Arkansan. Since I'm an Arkansas baby, some of my Mommy's work friends gave me some Razorback socks at one of my showers. Most Arkansans really love the Hogs...As in REALLY love the Hogs. You can always tell when it's game day here, because most people wear Razorback red--we're talking people who aren't even going to the game!

Anyway, when we opened up these socks at the shower, my dad said, "Jamey will NEVER wear these socks, we can just throw them away." My Dad is NOT a Hog fan. He's a CU Buffs kind of guy.

However, my Dad has friends who are Hog fans. One of these friends has season tickets, and he asked my dad if he wanted to go with him to the game today. My dad said sure--not because he's a fan--but because he loves football and games are better in person.

As a joke, my Mom said she'd put my socks on me in honor of my Dad going to the game. My Dad did not think this was funny. He said to my Mom, "I forbade you to put the socks on my boy and take pictures!"

Now my Mom--well, she has what my Dad calls "sass". So what did she do the minute my dad left the house? You guessed it; she put on the socks and took pictures! So... If I don't blog for a day or two, it's cause my mom (who helps me) has been grounded from using the computer and the digital camera.

Never fear all you non-Hog fans out there! When my Dad gets back from the Razorback game, we're going to settle in on the sofa and watch the CU Buff's game. My Uncle Paul (he's not really my uncle, he's my Dad's good friend) is a trainer for the team, and he might be on TV today! I think watching the CU game with my dad will undo any harm wearing the Hog socks may have done. :-)

But my Mom... She's going to be in a bunch of trouble!!!

A Great Day

Today was a great day! I napped like a champ! Napping during the daytime is sometimes hard for me. My Great-Grandma Maryalice said perhaps it's payback time for Mommy. I guess when Mommy was little, she didn't like to sleep in the daytime either! But today I did it--I napped!

These are pictures my Mommy took of me in my bouncy seat. It's a pretty cool seat. My Mommy took them off for the picture, but usually there is a bar that has ocean things (seahorses and starfish) hanging from it for me to look at. My mom and dad can never remember to buy batteries, but if they ever do remember, the seat does other cool things, too.

The little shoes are from my friends Dick and Rayetta. I haven't met them yet, but Mommy says we've know them for forever, and that they are wonderful friends who love me even though they've never met me! They love my Mommy and I'm her's so of course they love me.

My mom thinks I might be the cutest baby ever! I mean just look at that close-up picture of my sweet face! I'll bet it makes you think I'm the cutest little thing, too! Mommy says some of you out there may not be able to say I'm the cutest out loud, cause you are supposed to think your own babies are the cutest. Mommy says that's okay--she doesn't need other people to tell her I'm the cutest--she already knows it!!!

Yesterday we helped my Great-Grandma Maryalice find a ticket to come visit me. We are very excited. She's going to come after Thanksgiving. I'm so happy I get to meet her.

That's all from me for today! All that napping has made me tired. I'm calling it a day!

It's off!

During my nap this morning, I started crying really loud. Mommy came in to check on me and change my diaper (that's usually why I cry). She got started and realized that my cord was off!

Yeah!!! I can take a real bath now! Well, maybe... There's still a tiny bit of the cord attached to my belly button. Mommy has a call into the nurse to see if we have to wait until it's ALL off before we bathe. Oh, I hope I can take a bath today!!!

I'm so embarrassed!

Actually I'm not embarrassed; this is how I like to nurse. I put one hand over my eye. I don't know why I do this--I guess it's comfortable.

However, Mommy says, after yesterday, I should be embarrassed! I went through five outfits, two changing table covers, and one crib sheet! It was a rough day diaper-wise.

Mommy was starting to wonder if she was putting my diapers on wrong. Grandma Maryalice called, and she said that some days are like this with babies. She was sure Mommy was putting my diapers on right, but that I had another plan!

Needless to say, there was no time to blog yesterday. And we're doing laundry once again today... :-)

Nine Pounds

We got up this morning and got ready for the day. Mommy decided my hair really stunk--my cord hasn't fallen off yet, so I still haven't had a real bath. Mommy has been washing me every morning with a washcloth, but this morning she decided it was time for a deeper cleaning job.

She took me to the bathroom counter and striped me down to my diaper. Then she laid me on a towel, got a washcloth really wet with warm water, and started in. It felt so good! I love to hear the water running. Just when I thought we were finished, she wrapped me up in a towel and put me in the football hold. I was wondering what was coming next! Mommy took a deep breath and told Daddy she had no idea what she was doing, but she was going to wash my hair. The next thing I knew she was holding me over the sink pouring warm water over my head. Then she shampooed and rinsed. I REALLY liked having my hair washed! I'm so eager for real baths in my new tub! And now Mommy says I smell good again.

After the bath it was time for a nap before heading to the doctors. I had my weight check today, so Daddy took us to see the nurse. They weighed me, and I now weigh nine pounds! I'm really growing.

And now I have a funny story to tell you about our adventure to the doctors' office... Grandma Carolyn told my mom and dad to never leave the house without a diaper bag packed with a few complete wardrobe changes. So this morning, since we were going out, Mommy and Daddy packed the bag. Daddy grabbed me, so he thought Mommy would grab the bag. For some reason Mommy thought he grabbed me and the bag, so even though she was the person responsible for the bag, she didn't grab it on her way out the door.

We got to the doctors' office before we realized we did exactly what Grandma Carolyn warned us not to do! "What to do now?", we wondered. Figuring they could handle things on their own (they are "adults" after all), we went ahead and went into the doctors' office. Before long, we knew we were in trouble, so Daddy left Mommy with me and went home for the bag.

While Daddy was gone, me and Mommy got called to the back to be weighed. They had Mommy strip me naked, and then the nurse put me on the scale. Mommy warned her I was a shooter, but the nurse showed no fear. Let's just say I showed that nurse! So now, I'd hosed down the place, and Daddy still wasn't back. Mommy covered me in paper towels, and asked another nurse for help. Nurse number two found us the oldest, rattiest looking diaper. Being desperate, Mommy put it on me. Mommy took another deep breath (she has to do that a lot these days), and she took me back to the waiting room to wait for Daddy.

I think my parents have decided that Grandma Carolyn knows a lot about babies. And you'd better believe that from now on BOTH my parents will make sure we have the bag whenever we leave the house!