Sweet Baby James

Family Time

2012-01-31T08:49:00.000-08:00

Unbeknownst to James, we had a family snack time outside Whole Foods yesterday. We picked up some groceries after school, then sat in 68 degrees to eat a banana before heading home. I had a view of both my boys. See if you can spot John in the background!

[James was actually very happy, the sun was just in his eyes when I took this pic].

Fun with Gigi!

2012-01-24T07:44:00.001-08:00

Sensing a pattern here?

2012-01-09T16:38:00.000-08:00

What do these pictures have in common?

James is not in bed, it's not (actually) naptime, and it's not nighttime.

One day we'll figure this out...

Christmas in CA

2012-01-02T09:54:00.000-08:00

Great weather for the park!

Fun with cousins.

Making himself at home.

A week of time with Daddy!

Little Feet

2011-12-22T11:08:00.000-08:00

Santa fail

2011-12-22T10:39:00.000-08:00

James could not be less interested in Santa. Kiddo was so tired. At least he didn't cry!

Bill Waterson: Genius.

2011-12-17T10:50:00.001-08:00

Saturday morning

2011-12-17T10:38:00.000-08:00

PJs at Barnes and Noble.

You've got to admit...

2011-12-07T14:31:00.000-08:00

even with his finger in his nose, he's still pretty snuggly.

Thanksgiving #1-kiddo style

2011-11-25T11:51:00.000-08:00

Sick day

2011-11-16T15:40:00.000-08:00

View from the couch.

Lego love.

Just throw it on the pile

2011-11-16T07:53:00.000-08:00

Getting better

2011-11-14T07:00:00.000-08:00

Kiddo had a 104 fever for a couple days but bore it with his usual lovely disposition.

He's rested up...

and back to building castles:)

At last

2011-11-10T16:14:00.000-08:00

For you parents, you know when you first find out you are having a child and you think about all the things you have to look forward to? Some of these things may never happen, some happen, but are different from what you anticipated, and some are just what you imagined they would be.

Today brought a wonderful gift-my first piece of edible jewelry came home with James from preschool. And I love it.

Welcome Isaac Josiah Millstein!

2011-11-08T18:49:00.000-08:00

Latest offspring of Rachel and Dev! Love.

Various activities

2011-11-07T16:49:00.000-08:00

Trying on hats at Target. The only place James will wear headgear is in a store.

Fun with Daddy at the Walk for Community in the River Market.

Tower building. James still struggles a bit with the structural integrity of his work, but strives for great heights!

OMG!

2011-11-04T06:23:00.000-07:00

My son drinking from a straw!

Halloween, or not

2011-11-01T11:30:00.000-07:00

I made James's costume this year because he's suddenly gotten very sensitive about clothes, especially layers or things that zip up. I wanted him to be a sippy cup, but he wouldn't wear anything on his head (despite the hat fun at the store). So I went for 'a ray of sunshine' (or 'mini-me'-ha!). I had some fun face paint planned to up the interest level a bit. Alas, at the last minute James decided to be a 4y/o with a stomach bug (or he was just too embarrassed to wear a costume that Mom made), so we missed the school Halloween Parade and trick-or-treating. Maybe next year...

Thanks James!

2011-10-30T06:30:00.000-07:00

Helping with the laundry.

Ozarks

2011-10-29T21:49:00.000-07:00

Oh James

2011-10-26T19:01:00.000-07:00

One hour post-bedtime.

Halloween Store fun

2011-10-22T10:47:00.000-07:00

Finally Fall

2011-10-21T18:56:00.000-07:00

Sending this one into the J. Crew catalogue!

James and Dude

Walking Dude

Late nights, early mornings

2011-10-18T14:04:00.000-07:00

This was Jamo at school drop-off this morning. When you get up at 4am, 8am doesn't seem like a bad time for a nap!

It doesn't help bedtime these days that James is now tall enough to do this...

Fountain at Pleasant Ridge

2011-10-10T15:18:00.000-07:00

Cup update

2011-10-06T14:13:00.000-07:00

So I was afraid I had spoken too soon after my last post, since James then refused to drink out of the new cup for a couple of days. I was trying to introduce it while letting him still drink out of his old cup. I talked to his speech therapist and we decided to completely take away his old cup. But in a stroke of brilliance, she noticed that the new top fit on his old cup! So now he has the old cup with handles, but the new hard top. He's been drinking out of it with my (and his teacher's) assistance (thirst is a powerful thing), but has also started doing it on his own! He doesn't quite get lip placement, and we've left out the valve so there's more immediate satisfaction, so he kind of pours the water in his mouth as opposed to sipping, but we're cooking:)

THIS IS HUGE!

2011-10-02T14:51:00.000-07:00

So James had a birthday party yesterday and we'll get to that in a minute, but the big news is that I bought James a new cup. His teacher thinks it's time to retire his sippy cup as she's concerned about his biting the tops off (fair enough). I was pretty pessimistic about an easy transition, but bought this hard top sipper cup this weekend.

James is actually sipping out of it! I won't say 'drinking' because you can probably see I'm holding it in this picture, but he has taken some independent sips holding it himself. For those of you that conquered this phase when your kid was one, I don't expect you to understand the excitement, but I feel like this is a big step towards drinking out of perhaps a variety of cups, or do I dare even say an open cup!

We had James's party yesterday at Fair Park which was a lot of fun. It was a pretty small group which was how we wanted it. We managed to take not a one picture of the party which seems par for the course for us. The adults drank mimosas while the kids played and ate healthy things (see below). The more I read quotes from Michelle Bachmann, the more I feel James needs to learn about his Australian heritage. I also dug out his citizenship forms which I'll be filling out before November 2012 just in case. Pretty excited he's eligible!

It was such a beautiful weekend and we went to Motley's Pumpkin Patch this morning on LeeAnn's recommendation. We had hay rides, a train ride and got to watch pig races.

James had a great time as long as his skin wasn't actually touching the hay at any time!

Happy Birthday Jamo!

2011-09-30T07:19:00.000-07:00

We love you and are so proud of you every day!

Zoo expressions

2011-09-23T16:09:00.000-07:00

This cracks me up. And before you think I'm a terrible mother, James actually loved riding on the zoo train, this was his face right when the train started to move which caught him by surprise!

Are you sure the lions can't get through that glass?

New penguin exhibit!

It was a beautiful day for the zoo.

And in case you're wondering why my kid isn't dressed, it was pajama day at school!

James Sippyhands

2011-09-22T14:33:00.000-07:00

Edward's got nothing on this kid...

Somewhere along the way James has developed a somewhat unnatural attachment to his sippy cup. He will only drink out of this one kind and one color(!!) of cup. Then he chews through the tops and wears them on his hand. Hmmm.

Quoting John: 'That's commitment.'

B&N

2011-09-17T14:05:00.000-07:00

Some snack action in the philosophy section at the bookstore this afternoon.

Meanwhile elsewhere in the store...

SERIOUSLY??

Garden fun

2011-09-09T16:54:00.000-07:00

Still life of a foot [abstract]

2011-09-01T11:43:00.000-07:00

Back to building

2011-08-27T10:54:00.000-07:00

James had a great tower-building phase about two years ago, then it went by the wayside as other toys/hobbies became more interesting. But the building is back! I like it:)

Deck chair

2011-08-24T17:32:00.000-07:00

$5 at Walgreens buys some serious cuteness!

Sweeping the deck

2011-08-16T15:18:00.000-07:00

Two Rivers Bridge

2011-08-14T13:48:00.000-07:00

Finally some tolerable weather has allowed for more outdoor time!

Looking forward to Fall!

Back to the pool

2011-07-13T07:06:00.000-07:00

These pics are for Josh to assure him that Amphibious James lives on!

Weekend away/Josh's wedding

2011-07-12T07:48:00.000-07:00

Okay, so these pictures are not of James, and in fact he did not even accompany us on our trip to DC, but so be it. On the plus side, John and I are actually in both of these photos which is a rarity! We had a wonderful time at Josh's wedding, caught up with friends from college and missed Jamo like crazy, but knew he was being spoiled silly by Abi and Grandpa Al back home.

Look out Will Shortz!

2011-07-04T06:30:00.000-07:00

On a happier note...

2011-07-03T14:20:00.000-07:00

We finally had our deck redone and are very excited about using it this summer!

We celebrated Grandpa Al's Bday out there.

And Jamo is very pleased with it:)

June

2011-07-03T14:07:00.000-07:00

June was a busy month for us. John and I both took on new jobs, James is still in school intermittently between illnesses, my Mom was here briefly and James had a stay at Arkansas Children's Hospital.

The kiddo had us worried for a week during a bad virus/dehydration, but we're happy to say he's back on the road to recovery despite still being a bit wobbly on his feet.

Topping up his glucose.

[Sock] Monkey love.

Finally feeling better...

So happy to be home and in the tub!

Greek Food Festival

2011-05-21T18:37:00.000-07:00

We took James to the Greek Food Festival this evening and met up with Abi and Grandpa. James was a big fan of the falafel and middle eastern music!

Snoozin' on the job

2011-05-13T11:51:00.001-07:00

I know, I know, I haven't updated in forever...

Doesn't James look big here? Such long limbs!

Good Earth

2011-04-11T20:04:00.000-07:00

Spring swing

2011-03-25T13:17:00.000-07:00

Helping Daddy wash the car

2011-03-23T19:37:00.000-07:00

Kate turns 4!

2011-03-22T17:23:00.000-07:00

Kate had a fabulous birthday party today. All the kids brought their 'wheels' and got to decorate them, then have a parade to the park for pizza and cake!

James had a blast, but towards the end, he decided to take a break from all the activity and have a little quiet time to himself.

SUNday lunch

2011-03-21T17:44:00.001-07:00

Wye Mountain/I love my Mommy and flowers!

2011-03-19T11:59:00.000-07:00

This picture warms my heart:)

ON GUARD!

Wye Mountain Daffodil Festival/I love my Daddy!

2011-03-19T11:52:00.000-07:00

This is my new favorite-LOVE this picture!

Glorious day

2011-03-18T18:47:00.000-07:00

Friday afternoon found us knocking back a few on Cajun's Wharf in the 77 degree 'introduction to spring' weather!

Work, work, work...

2011-03-10T20:08:00.000-08:00

Uncle James visits

2011-03-06T16:35:00.000-08:00

Just chillin'.

Who's this guy again?

Oh right, Uncle Jamo:)

BACONNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

2011-03-05T09:35:00.000-08:00

Bday party

2011-02-27T12:58:00.000-08:00

James had a blast at his friend Sophia's Birthday part today at The Little Gym.

Blurry, but too cute to leave out!

In case it's not clear, James is catching bubbles in this picture!

Our happy goose:)

2011-02-23T18:56:00.000-08:00

Hospital James

2011-02-19T18:05:00.000-08:00

We had a 48-hour stay at Arkansas Children's Hospital this week to see if we could capture some of James's laughing fits on a video EEG. Although he had a few abnormal spikes while there, the neurologist did not see any activity that she thought was a seizure, which is good news. James tolerated the electrodes well overall and discovered that staying up till 1am and eating hospital food isn't so bad for a couple of days!

Dessert, etc.

2011-02-08T17:25:00.000-08:00

Snow, work and illness have kept me from updating recently, but here are a couple pics from the last week:

My brilliant husband making creme brulee from scratch!

This picture doesn't even do it justice. YUM!

My poor kiddo, who despite getting the flu shot, tested + for flu, type B. Yuck. Already missed both days of school this week, and school's closed tomorrow 'in anticipation of snow.'

Watching the world go by

2011-01-22T11:08:00.000-08:00

Hmmmm

2011-01-10T09:21:00.000-08:00

Where am I? What is this stuff?

Brrrrrrrrrrr Mommy

2011-01-09T14:23:00.000-08:00

Go Jets!

2011-01-08T10:26:00.000-08:00

Medley

2011-01-05T18:56:00.000-08:00

J helping Daddy with the crossword puzzle.

Playing with a Christmas gift with Grandpa Al.

Enjoying some sun and leaves at the park with Gigi.

An exotic twist on banana: eating it with chopsticks with Daddy at Sekisui:)

Christmas

2011-01-03T07:14:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Rachel and Dev for posting these, so I could steal them for our blog! Sadly, I don't think John and I took any of our own photos while everyone was together for Christmas, but we had a great time having the whole family together!

Chilly morning at the park

2010-12-11T11:35:00.000-08:00

James and Kate had a tete-a-tete over the park bench.

Trimming the tree!

2010-12-07T18:44:00.000-08:00

Heifer Village

2010-12-04T11:26:00.001-08:00

Heifer set up a mini petting zoo this morning, and James and I braved the wintry 65 degree weather to check it out.

Eli the goat was looking for some attention...

...which James was only too happy to supply, along with some goat food. I was proud of J for being brave enough to feed the goat! He laughed every time the goat licked his hand.

I think this is the first scolding look I've ever received from the Jamo!

I will be sure to try not to displease him again! Yikes.

School pic!

2010-12-02T07:05:00.000-08:00

Baller

2010-11-11T07:36:00.000-08:00

James got a prize for being a top seller in his school fundraiser! Mommy and Daddy almost passed out blowing it up, but it was a big hit!

Out and about with Daddy

2010-11-07T18:00:00.000-08:00

Halloween Preview

2010-10-28T18:56:00.000-07:00

Thank you Aimee for the pictures!! James is the alligator on the left:)

Stolen photos

2010-10-19T14:11:00.000-07:00

Lee-Ann took this picture at the Rendezvous Festival at Pinnacle Mountain State Park on Sunday. James had the best time in the bouncy castle! I wish we had more pics.

Out of Service

2010-10-17T14:47:00.001-07:00

Our camera has gone walkabout, so we may not be updating for a while. Sorry!

J's Birthday Party!

2010-10-02T12:03:00.000-07:00

It was a gorgeous morning at the park for Jamo's party today!

More Party Pics

2010-10-02T11:56:00.000-07:00

Cake!

2010-10-02T11:52:00.000-07:00

Eve and I made this cake for J's party! Barn with pigs, sheep and chicks!! A huge thanks to Eve for all of her help:)

Birthday Boy!

2010-09-30T19:36:00.000-07:00

Look how big I am!

Silly goose:)

Birthday cupcake-Yum!

Tuckered out. Good snuggle with Grandpa Al at the end of an exciting day!

Jacuzzi Tub

2010-09-24T18:03:00.000-07:00

The jury's still out on the bubbles!

Home sick from school

2010-09-21T08:39:00.000-07:00

*sigh*

Remote control caddy

2010-09-18T07:28:00.000-07:00

Long week

2010-09-17T15:29:00.000-07:00

Crib conversion

2010-09-15T17:43:00.000-07:00

Here goes nothing....

Sunday

2010-09-12T10:55:00.000-07:00

Multi-tasking.

They fly through the air with the greatest of ease!

Hat game

2010-09-06T11:15:00.000-07:00

Daddy day

2010-09-04T08:30:00.000-07:00

So nice out this morning!

Tub toys galore

2010-09-02T17:08:00.000-07:00

Transitions

2010-08-28T01:24:00.000-07:00

James just completed his second week of school at Access which is going really well so far. James walks right into the classroom, is happy to get there and happy at pick-up and is having great days! It's a big change for him though, and even though he's doing great in school, the changes are coming out in different ways at home. Pictures 1 & 2 below are 3am scenes at our house. In addition to some rough nights, James also seems to be on a mini-hunger strike at school. So interesting the ways kids try and control their environments in the face of change.

A couple minutes ago (3:30am).

A couple nights ago. Lots of couch cuddling for the kiddo in the wee hours this week!

J clapping for school!

Jeff's Wedding

2010-08-15T12:34:00.000-07:00

Girls are already running circles around James and he's loving it!

A pool of my own

2010-08-07T19:29:00.000-07:00

It's not exactly Cocoa Beach, but James loves his pool!

It's good for water sports.

A bit shallow for diving.

Le Petit Prince

2010-08-06T17:05:00.000-07:00

Grandpa Al at my service!

Beach trip

2010-08-02T10:55:00.000-07:00

We just spent a few days on the beach in Florida with the Adams extended clan. We had so much fun that I failed to take any of my own pictures and now have to shamelessly steal from my in-laws. I'm hoping they post more soon, so I can further update the blog!

More swimming with Gigi!

2010-07-27T06:16:00.000-07:00

Blowing bubbles with Daddy

2010-07-24T19:36:00.000-07:00

Gigi in Arkansas!

2010-07-23T20:26:00.000-07:00

We've had an exciting week with Gigi visiting. James has loved having another grandmother around to spoil him!

Here they live it up at Abbey's pool party.

We had a lovely dinner on the deck at Brave New Restaurant. There's supposed to be a river view in the backdrop of this pic, but we didn't take the picture until it was too dark to see it.

Saturday outings

2010-07-10T13:24:00.000-07:00

Baker park.

Taking a stroll.

Barnes and Noble with Declan. Hug!

Goodnight Moon-always a classic.

The return of Amphibious James

2010-07-02T11:25:00.000-07:00

We've gone swimming a few times so far this summer, and although James still seems to love the water in general, he's been a bit more tentative in the pool lately. We still had fun though. Thanks Nicole and Abbey for inviting us!

Happy 1st Birthday Rani!

2010-06-29T17:38:00.000-07:00

Sooo big!

2010-06-28T11:33:00.000-07:00

It may just be me, but I feel like James has gotten so big! I had one of those moments this morning looking at him and thinking 'what happened to my baby?' He just looked so tall and grown up! I know I'm not totally crazy because I've had to adjust his car seat shoulder straps up several times over the last month.

Back in action

2010-06-20T13:52:00.000-07:00

I was chastised for leaving the picture of James lying on the floor up for so long! So be assured, James is finally feeling better, and he enjoyed a Father's Day game of Bball with John this morning. Happy Father's Day! We love you John!