Dress up!

Katie and James played dress-up yesterday, boy style. Last time we were at the girls house James watched them dress up like princesses and animals. This time James showed Katie that it is fun to dress up like a pirate and a fireman.

Katie was the best model and even posed for pictures. James isn't that excited about hats still, and they don't stay on for long. But they had fun playing with all the hats.

Both were also big dancers. Katie has very fast foot action and she would stomp around. James prefers to bend and squat in beat to the music. They were so cute, and I am so sad I couldn't catch it on video....maybe next time!

Hello baby boy!

Well, it looks like the lady at Costco was right!

Here is my newest sweet baby boy. He is healthy, happy and very very wiggly. He also is a very shy boy, but before my appointment was over we found out for sure that this baby is a boy! I love his little hand in this picture, it's like he is saying "Hi Mom!".

We can't wait to meet him in October!

Pink or blue?

Tuesday is the big day, if all goes well we get to see if James will have a brother or a sister. I think James will be happy either way because he is going to be such a sweet big brother!

We are entertaining guesses as to boy or girl, leave a comment and let us know what you think! So far, the cashier at Costco gave us an unsolicited guess that it was a boy. And for full disclosure she is "almost always right". My personal guess is a girl. So the battle is on, mothering instinct or Costco cashier....

James and Eli's excellent adventure

We were so lucky to get to spend some time with Eli today! James was napping when Eli arrived, so I got some special time with Eli all by himself. He is such a cutie and is walking so fast!

Here is Eli taking a break from all the fun.

We were joined by our neighbor Natalie while we played outside. The boys were both very shy at first, but everyone was playing together in no time.

James and Eli, two peas in a pod.

Both boys wanted to see James' grandma. She was by far the favorite.

Come over again soon Eli!

Not a baby anymore

Well, my little toddler is growing fast! Today was James' 12 month visit at the doctors, and the doctor said so many nice things about him. Then he had his shots, and that did not make him happy at all. On the way out Grandma asked him if he was feeling better after his shots, and we both swore he looked right at her and said "No" in a very sad voice. Poor little guy!

Other updates are that he now has 10 teeth, and he is trying very hard to communicate. So far we think we have heard "clock", "dog", "go" and "all done".

Here are the stats!

Height: 31.5 inches (90%)
Weight: 24 pounds 2 ounces (50-75%)
Head Circ: 18 5/8 inches (90%)

So we have a skinny, tall guy with a big head! What a sweetie!

Happy Mother's Day!

A few pictures from my second mothers day with James.

James delivering my mothers day present.

Grandma has been working so hard in our backyard, isn't it looking beautiful?

James' new favorite game is to play "store". Yesterday he was very busy moving all the shoes from place to place. In the end they all ended up on Zion's bed...poor Zion! Today he got into our cereal cabinet. We have cereal boxes all over the kitchen, but he is having such a great time.

One man's trash...

...is our treasure! This morning we fought the sprinkling rain and went to a local community sale with James in search of fun and cheap baby toys. Most of the things we found were for when he is a little older, but we did find a drum that he is smitten with! He also loves his new shopping cart. All in all we spent $10 which sounds like a lot when you think the drum was 25 cents.

You can't tell from this picture, but James sat in a puddle while at the sale and has a very wet bottom. But that doesn't stop him from playing with his new favorite drum. As soon as I can catch him he will have dry pants on again....

All of the above

James was very adventurous on Monday, and yes he did attempt to eat a handful of dirt, a sip of Diet Coke, a caterpillar and a dog biscuit.

The dog biscuit isn't really a new thing that James is trying to eat, he and Zion often share their treats. Although recently Zion has been a picky eater and has been dropping his dog biscuits making them prime targets for a little baby boy wandering around.

The dirt and caterpillar were almost eaten while we were in the backyard gardening. James was picking up all kinds of things to give them a try, so he was under constant surveillance. The dirt was grabbed from a potted plant. I was sitting down when he spotted the caterpillar climbing up one of the deck posts...I shuttered as I saw his hand go directly to the post to pluck the caterpillar and then go directly to his mouth. I think I screamed and then ran to pull out the pieces from his mouth...ugh!

We went out to lunch and he was sitting on Grandma's lap. She took a sip of her Diet Coke and then forgot to move it out of James' reach. I looked over and he was getting ready to take a sip, but he really didn't get much because the glass was almost empty. He was really more interested in chewing the straw then anything else.

So there he is, my adventurous eater!

Pop quiz!

Which of the following items did James consume (or try to consume) today?

a. A handful of dirt
b. A sip of Grandma's Diet Coke
c. Zion's dog biscuit
d. A caterpillar
e. All of the above

Keep in mind, James is ALL boy. Good luck!

And because no post is complete without a picture, here is my little rascal enjoying the nice weather.

Happy (early) Birthday James!

James had a birthday bash and it was so much fun! We are so lucky to have such great friends here in Virginia to help us celebrate! James' Grandma, Uncle Morgan and Auntie Julia even traveled to Virginia to celebrate with us. This party would not have been so much fun without their help! We had lots of sweet kids roaming around, lots to eat, balloons, a monkey, a yummy cake and a water table! To see lots of pictures click here.


We saw this monkey in the party store and couldn't resist. Here is James and the mascot of the party. I saw this picture and couldn't believe how old he looks. To me he is still just a baby.

The gang is all here! James was joined by his favorite princesses (Katie and Madalyn), his best bud Eli and his newest bud JJ. James wasn't so sure about the cake at first, but he did take a few bites all by himself with a larger red spoon. Then it was outside to enjoy the sunshine and splash around. By the end Katie, Eli and James were stripped down to their diapers, but they were having so much fun. The adults kept pushing the chairs to stay out of the splash zone.

Happy Birthday James! You are getting to be such a big boy!