Baby #2 Update-16 Weeks

How far along: 16-17 weeks (complicated because I measure 6 days ahead of my due date and they only move the due date if I'm 7 days or more off lol)

Due Date: (officially) March 1, 2020

Baby's Size: According to my apps an avocado/pomegranate

Total weight gain/loss: Not completely sure, approximately 10 lbs gained.

Maternity clothes: Some but I can still wear most of my non maternity clothes too

Stretch marks: Not yet

Sleep: Depends on the day, lol. Overall it's fine.

Best moment of this week: I felt the baby move a couple weeks ago and anytime I feel it is exciting.

Miss anything: Being not constantly starving lol.

Movement: Tiny bit every now and then.

Food cravings: Not really.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Not in general, anymore.

Have you started to show yet: There is definitely a bump! Still very easy to hide but it's there lol.

Gender: Don't know yet!

Labor signs: Eep nope.

Belly button in or out: In.

Wedding rings on or off: On.

Happy or moody most of the time: Happy usually, sometimes I get a little more overwhelmed and emotional.

Looking forward to: Anatomy ultrasound in a few weeks and feeling baby move more!


(I think it's fun to compare to when I was pregnant with James so here was my 17 week pregnancy update with him)

James-18 Months!

Date: June 10, 2019

Height:  33 inches (as of his doctor's appointment on the 13th)

Weight: 23 lbs. 1.7 oz (^ditto)

Sleeping Pattern: Pretty much the same as my last update, just with a smidgen less overall sleep time. James usually sleeps from about 12-2 (sometimes he naps a little shorter, sometimes a little longer). We start bedtime around 7pm by cleaning up toys and then I lotion him. Michael then has him say goodnight to things and then they read his superhero rules. We floss him and help him brush his teeth, and then change his diaper, put him in his pj's and sleepsack, and read a story. Then we say goodnight to his stuffed dinosaur and tuck it in with his pooh bear lovey on top of his bookshelf. Michael and I then take turns on which of us stays with James and sings to him before laying him in his crib (usually around 7:30). He then falls asleep around 7:45-8ish and (hopefully) sleeps until about 7. It's a well oiled machine and I LOVE that lol. (ha ha ha since I wrote this we seem to have hit the 18 month sleep regression...I don't want to talk about it, ugh).

Eating Habits: Every day is a new adventure. Overall, James still eats well BUT he is definitively more picky and is constantly changing up what things he'll eat on what day (although some constants he always will eat: yogurt, bread, berries...obviously if ice cream or chocolate is presented as an option he's all about that.) But I know this is all a part of him asserting his independence and figuring stuff out so I just keep trying to offer him things and he eats what he eats. There have been some meals where he didn't eat anything but it's always fine. He eats breakfast sometime between when he wakes up and 8am, generally. It's usually yogurt and bread with peanut butter (he's come to expect it as his routine, but sometimes it's different and he's usually cool with that). Sometimes we do a snack around 9ish, sometimes we don't. Lunch time is about 10:30. He then has a snack sometime after his nap, around 2:30/3. Then sometimes he has another snack around 4ish to tide him over until dinner. Dinner is usually at 5:30 (6 at the latest) and then that's it--unless he didn't eat dinner. Then he'll usually ask for a snack right before bedtime and I'll give him a little something. He's a good eater, though. He doesn't fight it or throw fits. He usually happily digs in or just plays if he doesn't want to eat it. The other day he actually ate a little slider burger like a big boy and it was maybe my proudest moment. He's a cute little hungry hippo.

Development & Firsts:  I mean he just keeps getting smarter and talking more and more clearly. James honestly blows my mind with how quickly he picks things up. He quickly learned body parts (knees, elbows, "beebo" aka belly button, etc.) We started working on colors one day and like a week later he knew all the colors (and is a complete pro now)-I also love how he says orange. He says "oonge". He got a toy to put different shapes into for Easter and less than 2 weeks later he had it completely down and knows all the names of the shapes. Now he's been working on identifying letters (he has little books with animals and letters so some letters he identifies as the animal-if he sees a T he'll say "turtle", for example.) He knows "M for mama! D for dada!" His mind makes awesome connections: if I say something about "my mom" he immediately says "Grandma!" and knows who I'm talking about. If the freezer is mentioned he goes "ice cream!" (HE ONE TIME HAD ICE CREAM FROM THE FREEZER AND NOW IT'S JUST WHERE IT LIVES TO HIM). One that really shocked me was there was a big box we'd had delivered and he walked to the kitchen, asked for the keys, then took them to the box and put the keys on the seam while saying "box!" BECAUSE HE WANTED TO OPEN IT. He had seen us use keys to open boxes and put that together. Insanity. Anyway I'm sure there's been other developmental stuff I haven't even thought of but let's move on. There have been a lot of new teeth. February 9th James got his 9th tooth (his bottom right molar), March 2nd his 10th tooth (his top right molar), April 7th his 11th tooth (bottom left molar), April 27th his 12th tooth (top left molar), May 3rd his 13th tooth (bottom right canine), and May 30th his 14th tooth (bottom left canine). On February 23rd he got his 1st haircut (it was just a tiny trim by mine and Michael's hairdresser, Patrick). He did not like it and cried but even through his tears the sweet boy thanked Patrick.  There was a sad first on March 15th when he got his first stomach bug (which I then caught...then Michael...then Michael's mom). It was not a fun one. April 17th was an auspicious occasion with his first ice cream. He had a baby vanilla cone but mostly went to town on mine and Michael's chocolate peanut butter cones. HE LOVES ICE CREAM. It's maybe his favorite food now. He had a blast and asks for ice cream all the time. And then on May 16th he went to the zoo for the first time which was so much fun. He loved it and is still talking about it. I can't wait to go again but to the bigger Cleveland zoo next time!

Mischief: James still enjoys exercising his ability to yell, scream, cry, and just call "MAMA MAMAMAMA  MAMAAAAA!" He definitely understands the concept of mischief and revels in it (that's Michael's boy). He'll pucker his lips and go "mmm" for a kiss and then when you're close he'll run away giggling (or turn his head with a smirk saying "no.") . If I ask him who his favorite is he gets this glint in his eye then says "grandpa" BECAUSE HE KNOWS I WANT HIM TO SAY MAMA AND THE LITTLE STINKER LIKES TO MESS WITH ME. He knows exactly what he's not supposed to play with or where he's supposed to go and he loves to have fun with that. He'll giggle as I chase him into the bathroom and he slams the door shut in my face. If I come into a room and he's grabbed the DVD's off the shelf (he knows that's a no no, and will frequently wave his hand in the direction of them or other things he shouldn't mess with and say "nooo" in a somewhat mocking manner) he'll throw the evidence away and run. (Which makes me laugh internally). He does say no a fair amount, usually very matter of factly lol (just a short dismissive "no.)  He's a big fan of throwing things in the trash cans and in the bathroom he likes to rip pieces of the toilet paper off so he can throw them away. Diaper changes are still a struggle that usually result in distraught crying and running away/attempts to run away mid-change. When he's not upset, though, he has figured out how to purposefully pee whilst not covered and finds it sooo funny. I find the bladder control a good sign (you can see/feel him purposefully forcing it) but don't love the results. Sometimes he stills throws food which is frustrating but it is what it is. Ah and if it wasn't clear he can open doors so the world is pretty much his oyster at this point-we did childproof the basement door so he doesn't tumble down the stairs and the doors to the outside are locked but otherwise it isn't a huge deal. 

Cuteness: Look I mean have you seen his cheeks and eyes and hair and just overall cuteness? It's undeniable. The sound of his voice is also adorableness personified. This section is always so hard because I frankly think everything James does is cute. All of the talking that's in the below talking section is amazing. He's so friendly and outgoing (he loves to wave and say "hii" to people) and such a little ham! He learned how to do "cheeeese" and frequently makes that cheesy grinning face (which is like looking in a mirror, let me tell you). He still furrows his brow when thinking or concentrating, and then he is so his daddy (also when he gets his mischievous face on). He's so funny, I love his sense of humor. He likes to go hide places and say "shh shh" (like if he and I are hiding from Michael or vice versa). He has a little spot that he fits perfectly into between 2 bookshelves that he likes to hide in, also. And it's hilarious to watch him back into it slowly. If you tickle him he'll eventually exclaim "Nooo!" but then when you stop: "More..." I also taught him to fist bump and make it explode. If you put your fist up and say pound it he'll bump it with his fist then either say "boom" or make an exploding sound. James will also imitate the way I say "Hm hm hmmm..." when I'm considering something-he now always does that when deciding on a book, what to eat, etc. He's gotten really into being a "big boy" and sitting on the couch or in a chair (if he's telling you that's what he wants he'll tell you by saying "big boy").  James also loooves to be a "helper". He'll see laundry or grab the broom and go "Helper!" It's very sweet and I try to encourage it, although it's not actually all that helpful usually. He is also so cute and will take his arms and hold them out wide and say "BIIIG" for anything, well....big. Particularly dogs or other animals. If he sees a "Biiiig dog dog" he is likely to talk about it for some time. He loves animals in general, but especially dogs. He gets very excited anytime he sees one. He still thinks smelling feet and saying "stinky" or "peee ewwww" is funny. In the car James likes to give me approval or rejections on song choices. There was a pretty large "Greatest Show" phase where James was constantly requesting the song by saying "Ohhhhh" (and not just in the car, pretty much anywhere anytime. It was our Baby Shark. Much preferred, no complaints). He sometimes kind of pulls on his eyelashes when he's tired or upset, I'm really not sure why and I'm always worried he'll pull them out but I have to admit there's something sweet about it.  He is so cute with his grandparents and aunts and uncles, he loves to see them, even just over facetime! Or in pictures. He loves to look at photo albums and identify people (including baby him, he'll point to the picture: "James", then himself: "James!") But most of all he likes to see pictures of his grandpa. That's usually how he requests a photo album he'll just point and yell "Andpa!" There was a lovely phase where we were cuddling quite a bit but that has been less frequent lately, maybe because of the warm weather? BUT there have been lots of kisses, usually anytime you go to him saying "mmmm" with pursed lips, then you get a kiss and say "uahh!" (so "muah") He'll do it too and anytime we see/hear it we come running for kisses (and hoping it's not a fakeout one). Sometimes we'll have little family kissing moments where Michael and I will smooch then James will want a smooch from each of us. Sometimes he'll literally shove Michael's face to my face for a kiss (IT'S SO CUTE). The other day he baited Michael for a kiss and then last minute redirected him to me hahaha. He also says I love you back when we say it to him most of the time which you know warms my heart and is the sweetest. I'll ask him how much he loves us or how much we love him and he holds his arms wide and says "soooo much!"  James also still loves to play with my hair and frequently smells it/nuzzles it and says "Mmmm!" He also says "Mmmm" and/or just nods emphatically anytime he eats something particularly delicious, like ice cream or a macaron. He's a smart, cute, sweet little nugget.

Nicknames: James-y, Jamesy-pie, Nugget (or Nug or Nuggy or Nuggy Nug or Nuggety or Nougat),  Noodle/Noodle-bug/Noodle boy, Hey you, Goofy or Goof-Nugget, Silly, Cutie McCuterson, Cuddle Bug, Snuggle Bunny, Mister, Sir, Bud/Buddy, Friend, Sweet Boy, Baby, Love (My love, little love, sweet love, lovey), Cutie patootie/pie, My Sweetie/Sweetie-pie, Little/Sweet/Baby Boy (or any combo with any of the other nicknames listed-particularly Sir Baby and Mister Boy).

Talking: HE IS SO TALKATIVE. This is my baby. James talks constantly pretty much. I love it. He still repeats almost anything you say to him but conversations are fairly legit. He really understands you and actually can recall a lot of things. If I bring up the zoo he'll talk about all the stuff he saw there "BIIIG turtle! walk walk, *penguin sound* *sleeping sound* otter!" Or he'll talk about something he saw his aunt do on facetime the day before and then proceed to list their 3 chihuahuas names (Pua aka Poo Poo, Kiki, and Pepper). He says more all the time, it's one of his favorite words (usually for food or something fun or funny you just did or said that he would like to continue). He asks for foods by name. Says please and thank you (usually when prompted but occasionally on his own). He can say like everyone's name. Mama and Dada, obviously. "Andpa" for Michael's dad, "Pop pop" for mine. All his grandmas are "Andma" but he also calls Jeanne "Nini" and my mom (whose name is Sandi) "Di Di". His Aunt Shannan is "Stinky" (they play a game and that's just become her name now hahahaa). He says his own version of Joshy and "Djilly" for my brother and sister-in-law. He usually calls his Uncle Kevin dada in pictures (they resemble each other) but always knows his Aunt "Em". He also knows his own name and points to himself and says "James!" He actually frequently does this when meeting people to introduce himself and it's the sweetest. He knows and can say the colors (red, blue, purple, green, orange, yellow, black, and pink). Shapes (circle, oval, square, rectangle, hexagon, star, heart, triangle...probably others). Body parts (head, ears, eyes, nose, mouth, lips, tongue, teeth, hair, neck, elbow, arm, hand, fingers, chest, belly, bebo, butt, leg, knee, foot, toes). So many animals and animal sounds (he started actually saying "elephant" in addition to being able to do its noise and it's adorable). He's getting pretty good at knowing his letters, he's got B, M, D, S, U, I, L, and O completely down and usually also gets (or calls by animal name that starts with it) H, P, R, E, J, N, T. The rest he gets sometimes. I taught him how to hold his finger up and yell "One!" So when I say "How old is James?" that's how he responds. He also counts to 2, ("One, two, one, two....") sometimes 3 but his "Night Night Little Pookie" had a part where they count "One, two, three-It's Me!" So he usually just points to himself and exclaims "Me!" instead of saying 3--and I find it charming as hell. Speaking of books-he has most of his favorites pretty much memorized and can tell you what happens on each page. In his Little Pookie books (by Sandra Boyton) he frequently will do the Little Pookie response parts (like aforementioned "It's me!") James went through a phase where his response to everything was "yeah" (I called him my "anti-toddler") and then one day it switched to frequent no's. Now he usually nods when asked something, but about 40% of the time he'll say no, depending on if it's very objectionable (ie "Can we change your diaper" has like a 99% chance of getting a "no!) But, yeah. He's just chatty. I'm constantly just listening to him babble on and on, sometimes after he wakes up in his crib he just like recaps the previous day essentially (or talks about the zoo, it made quite an impression). He's always going on just long enthusiastic chatty fits. It's so cute and so fun and I'm pretty proud of how good of a talker he is. And he makes me laugh. So it's wins all around.

Favorites: Me and Michael. His grandparents and aunts and uncles. People/friends in general. Dogs (he gets so stoked to see the neighbors dogs or dogs on walks or pictures of dogs...he just really likes dogs). Babies/other kids. Socializing, in general. Going on walks and playing outside. The zoo. Dancing/singing/music (less than he used to, though, which makes me sad). Reading. Playing. . Running and hiding/chasing or being chased. His dinosaurs (especially the mobile above his bed and his stuffed one). His baby doll and all his stuffed animals and toys. Making silly faces/sounds-especially if it's an imitation of us. Making animal sounds. Cuddling up with pillows and/or blankets or whatever he's decided is cuddly. Hair. Feet (particularly smelling them and saying "stinky!".) ATTENTION. Baths. Yogurt, cheese, fruit. Ice cream and chocolate. Batman.

Dislikes: Having his diaper changed (he doesn't mind having his clothes changed anymore! Yay! But diaper oh boy he hates it.) Being held or forced to stay still if he wants to go do things. Being taken from something he wants or somewhere he wants to go. Getting hurt. Not being paid attention to. Being in the car for too long. Most green vegetables, peppers, spicy food, eggs, tomatoes, and whatever he's decided he doesn't like that day *eye roll*. The exam table at the doctor's office.

Concerns: Same as last time-nothing really. Just normal parenting worries about if we're doing a good job and teaching him well and such. 

A Day in the Life: James wakes up around 7 and I go in and get him. He likes to play around a bit before letting me take him out of the crib and sit with him in the rocking chair to take his sleepsack off. He then wants to just sit and play and read books in his room and I eventually have to mention food to get him to go downstairs so I can get him breakfast. He immediately asks for water once he sees his cup and then I make myself toast while making him peanut butter bread (he calls it toast but I don't usually bother toasting it. Also I frequently give him plain bread while I'm getting everything else ready if he's impatient and asking for some) and then putting his yogurt in a bowl with a spoon for him. We eat breakfast, change his diaper (if I haven't already prior to that) and then usually say bye to Michael if it's a week day. James and I play, sometimes we run an errand or go on a walk or to the park or something. If we're not too busy/if he asks for one he may have another snack around 9. Then lunch is at 10:30ish. After lunch I usually change his diaper and we play for the little bit of time there is before nap-where I change his diaper again and put him in his pj's and lay him down around 12. He then will hopefully sleep for about 2 hours while I eat and enjoy my midday time of watching TV/Netflix and doing not much else. After he's up (as long as it's been at least 2 hours--if he wakes up before I leave him in his crib until it's the 2 hour mark) I got and get him and we repeat the reluctant to leave room dance of the morning. I eventually will give him a snack when he is ready, and change his diaper. We play. I probably make dinner. Michael gets home and then we eat around 5:30. Afterwards we play for a little bit and then start our bedtime routine. It's honestly great. I love every day with him.

James-14 Months!

I managed to skip 1 whole month of updating. Don't judge me. I just found myself thinking about all the amazing and awesome things James is doing and worrying I'd forget what he was like at this age soooo...here we are. I'm still only planning on occasionally doing these, whenever the mood strikes I suppose. Regardless, I love this boy and he gets even more awesome every day.

Date: February 10, 2019

Sleeping Pattern: A month ago we switched to 1 nap! Which is early but I always sort of assumed he'd make this transition early based on how his sleep stuff has always gone. His naps just started not going well so I took the leap and overall it's gone pretty well. James goes down for his nap around 12 and sleeps for (hopefully) 2+ hours. Frequently it's more like 1 hour 45 minutes-ish but we're getting better at hitting the 2 hour mark more. Then bedtime up until this week was the same it's always been (although if he has a short nap we do an early bedtime). But this week we cut out his bedtime nursing session and changed up his routine a bit. Now I lotion him up (he has mild eczema) and then Michael takes him around to say goodnight to everything on the way upstairs. They read his "superhero rules", then we brush his teeth, and then we take him to his room where we change his diaper, put him in his pj's, and then his sleepsack. We read a story and then turn out the light and I sing to him a little bit then lay him down. He then falls asleep within like 15 minutes and is down until morning (he usually sleeps 11-11.5 hours!)

Eating Habits: So, since he turned 1 I've been cutting out one nursing session a month. Up until this week he'd been down to nursing in the morning and at bedtime, but now we just cut the bedtime session so it's just the morning. Then he has breakfast (usually yogurt and toast or something like that). He can completely feed himself with a spoon, he's actually super good with it. He usually has a snack somewhere around 9 or so and then lunch(ish) around 10:30/11. After he wakes up from his nap he has a snack (sometimes after playing for a bit first) and then maybe another snack around 4ish and then dinner around 5:30/6. He's very demanding about his food though and will frequently just walk up to the refrigerator smacking his lips and asking for a "bopple" (apple) or "cheeeeese" or "nana" or something so his snack times are all very variable lol. But he's a good eater! He's gotten a bit more particular about wanting to eat certain things and not others but he goes through phases with it so we just keep riding it out, he still eats super well compared to most toddlers lol. Still messy, but not quite as bad as when he was younger! At this point most of the messes are caused by him throwing food which is usually a fully conscious toddler decision. 

Development & Firsts:  Developmentally speaking...omigosh I don't even think I could think of all the things that have happened over these past couple months. All I can say is he's gotten super good with blocks and his toys that are like that. He talks A TON (usually repeats just about any word) and understands even more. If I can't find one of his toys he'll usually find it for me or point to where it is. He gets things I ask him to get. One time we read the Hungry Caterpillar and he walked into the other room and got the butterfly from there (which is actually the one from the book but we've never told him that)-like...what!? He requests things that he wants (especially food lol). He has a full blown sense of humor-like...he understands absurdity and things that are silly. And I don't even know what else all I know is that he's crazy smart and becoming such a big boy (*sob*). He's running all over the place, of course. Other than that he got an 8th tooth shortly after turning 1 and has just been working on his 1 year molars ever since. He got to play in the snow for the first time (he loves looking at it and walking in it and sledding on it-does not love being submerged in it). Ooh! He had his 2nd Christmas but it was so much more fun and wonderful now than when he was 2 weeks old lol. He was so excited about all the presents and getting to see all his grandparents, he looooved it. And....mmmm...yeah. I think that's it. 

Mischief: James is vocal in all ways, including when he's displeased lol. He still runs away mid-diaper change, while naked (which is pretty cute actually hehe) but now he's also figured out how to unsnap his diapers. As soon as a snap comes undone he immediately starts maniacally laughing and running away as you go get him. There have been a couple times where he had the thing half hanging off him as he laughed and laughed. And honestly I laughed too. His throwing food situation has gotten much better but he still is going through it. Especially when he's full or if he doesn't like what the food is (hi broccoli GET THE HECK OUTTA HEEEERE) or is just cranky for whatever reason. Or if he's being playful. Meh, it's a work in progress. Another thing he likes to do is get into things he shouldn't. Particularly this one bookshelf. Honestly, it's not a huge deal-we tell him not to take the books off and he usually does but he doesn't do anything to them and we don't really care about them so meh. 80% of the time he's good about not messing with things he really shouldn't (namely pushing the buttons on the cable box, getting into the coffee table, etc.) but that 20% happens when he's desperate for attention (AKA mommy's making dinner). I also need to make sure the bathroom door is always closed or else he has too much fun with the toilet paper. He likes to mock us telling him now by either going "bowwww" or "nonononoooo" in a very exaggerated way. And the cutest (and arguably saddest) bit of mischief is his fake out hugs. He'll run at you with a big smile on his face, your arms are open and you're just sure he's coming for a hug: sometimes you're right! But sometimes he's faking you out and will run right past you or at the last minute swerve away to something else. RUDE.

Cuteness: This section is both the largest reason I want to write these updates and the hardest part for me to do. I don't want to forget any of the cute things he does but IT'S SO HARD TO THINK OF AND WRITE ABOUT ALL OF THEM! Ahhhhh. He is just so stinking funny-he makes the most hilarious expressions and sounds and has such a great sense of humor. He knows he's being funny and seeks it out. His grin is just the cutest best thing. He's also sooo EXTRA (that's my baby!) He'll just like raise his hands to the sky and look up and like squeal. He'll just jabber loudly and excitedly and make fun faces and scream and run at you. He sings to meatballs (he like just was eating meatballs at dinner and was so happy about it that he was like happily singing to them...) Sometimes we put this little Batman cape on him and he'll just flip it behind him so dramatically, it kills me. And even cuter is how he'll do this adorable waddle run while wearing it and it just flies out behind him. He wants everyone to pay attention to him always and he'll act as cute as possible to receive it (he's a wee bit attention spoiled, one time when we were at breakfast and the people at the table next to us were *gasp* just paying attention to each other and eating their food James made it his mission to get them to look at him and smile at him lol.) He just loves people so much! He gets so excited about visitors or seeing people when we're out. He even gets excited when he sees pictures of people (if I even mention his Uncle Joshy-my brother who lives in Hawaii and he met once when he was a month old-he points to the picture of him on the wall and gets excited. He calls his little photo album of people "pop pop" because he loves seeing the picture of my dad in it and exclaiming "pop pop!") And omigosh guyssss....James twirls. Like if there's music on (and sometimes when there's not--he also likes to just walk around and dance and sing "doo doo doo" to himself even when there's no music) he puts his arms out and twirls in circles. He even usually spots (aka keeps his gaze fixed on one point--usually me) when he does it! It's SO ADORABLE. He still just loves dance and music so much. It is just in him. The Greatest Showman soundtrack is a particular favorite. Something else that kills me is how James annihilates apples (and also how he says "bopple" for apple. I don't want him to stop ever.) I will seriously give him a whole apple and I have to keep a close eye on him or he will devour the entire thing, core and all (it happened once when I wasn't watching close enough). He also gets super super excited about getting to go play in the basement (it's essentially his playroom down there--don't worry, it's a nice finished basement lol) and will run to the door and excitedly giggle when you tell him we're going downstairs. Pretty much anything involving feet or socks will get a silly nose wrinkle and grin as he proclaims "stinky!" He'll also usually grab his foot and smell it and proclaim it "stinky". And then he's also so sweet. He's gotten really into cuddling soft things. He'll just lay on the floor on a pillow or blanket or a stuffed animal or even just like a soft sweater or something and go "mmmm." He's become such a cuddle bug. But a very active cuddler-he never stays still. He'll lay and go "mmm," then he'll change position "mmm," flip all around again, "mmmm" and so on. This is also the case if I'm laying down and he decides to cuddle on me: it's an interesting, and adorable, situation. The first day that he was down to 1 nap, James ended up gathering all the pillows and blankets in the living room and created a little nest to cuddle up and roll around in and there is like always a nest now. He'll even get a bit peeved if he finds you've taken a blanket from it haha. We still get occasional, wonderful kisses. But his affection in general has really ramped up-he'll just run and give Michael (and sometimes me) a tackle hug around the leg. Sometimes if I'm sitting and he's standing James will wrap his arms around my head and sort of nuzzle it. He likes to pat us on the shoulder when we're holding him and we still sometimes get those sweet slow dances. The best is that everyone and everything is identifiable now. We'll say "Where's mommy?" and he'll point to me. "Go give daddy a hug," -he'll run and hug Michael. "Where's James?" he points to his chest and exclaims proudly, "James!" (He actually says it really well!) IT IS THE BEST. Especially when Michael tells him to give mommy a kiss and he complies (he only complies about 40% of the time but I'll take it!) When one of us gets home from work he gets so excited and usually runs away right before we come in the door, like he's going to hide, but then he changes his mind and runs back so he's there to greet us with a big grin. He likes to put his little fits over his eyes and then take them away to play peek-a-boo! Oh! And he loves to play with this one ladle I have (he'll go "ladewlllll") and use it to stir a big pot with his toys in it (aka soup). He'll give Michael and I tastes of it or take a slurp himself and say "mmmm." SO CUTE. Michael's an accomplished whistler and James has gotten super fascinated and trying to figure out how to do it (you see his mouth try to make the shape and he'll like blow out or say "doooo"). Watching him try to learn how to whistle is so amazing to watch. He just loves to copy Michael in general (we call him his little "monkey do"-as in monkey see monkey do). James is still a fan of books and is super cute when I read "I Love You Stinky Face" (he gets so sweet and gives me so many cuddles and kisses while reading it!) He also still gets excited anytime he sees anything with Batman. He still makes the animal sounds anytime he sees the animal that goes with that sound (our neighbors have dogs and anytime he hears a bark he runs to whatever window is closest to the direction the bark came from and is panting and looking for the doggy). 

Nicknames: James-y, Jamesy-pie, Nugget (or Nug or Nuggy or Nuggy Nug or Nuggety or Nougat), Lumpkin, Noodle, Doo-doo (because he frequently walks around saying "doo doo" in reference to music/musical toys), Goofy or Goof-Nugget, Silly, Kid/Kiddo, Cutie McCuterson, Cuddle Bug, Snuggle Bunny, Kookaburra (because he's cooky), Mister, Sir, Bud/Buddy, Friend, Sweet Boy, Baby, Love (My love, little love, sweet love, lovey), Cutie patootie/pie, My Sweetie/Sweetie-pie, Sweet Pea, The Baby, Little/Sweet/Baby Boy (or any combo with any of the other nicknames listed-particularly Sir Baby and Mister Boy).

Talking: Yeah he talks A TON. He'll repeat almost any word you say to him and you can actually sort of converse with him. He listens (sometimes) and responds and it's just insane. People are usually pretty impressed with how well and how much he talks. He says lots of food words ("bopple" for apple, cheese, "toto" for toast, "nana" for banana, "bawk bawk" for chicken, oatmeal, etc.) and says please and thank you (sometimes, and in his own little toddler-talk way). He calls people by name. Of course he still says "Dada" but he's started using "Mama" more again and calls my dad "pop pop" and is starting to sort of say "papa" or "ampa" for Michael's dad. His grandma is a work in progress and sometimes comes out like "nana" and sometimes like "andma" He says "sha sha" for his Aunt Shannan and "doshie!" for his Uncle Josh(y). He also calls Josh's dog by her name "Kiki!" And we can't forget our stuffed animal friends "Ala" (Nala), "Dasmine" (Jasmine), "Tiggooo" (Tigger) and "Di di" (dinosaur). He has a pair of Incredibles pajamas that he points to and exclaims "Jack Jack!" (he doesn't have screentime so he has no clue who that is, we just told him it was Jack Jack, but soon! lol) He also has Dumbo pj's that he points to and says "Dumboooow". We've been working on identifying body parts-he has nose (or "bose") down and usually gets (and says) eyes. He like always can point out hair (because he weirdly loves it) and usually knows where ears and bellies/belly buttons are. His feet he knows and usually sniffs haha. Mouth he gets about 65% of the time. And then he sometimes can also point out (and say) neck, elbow, and cheekies. The rest we're still working on. His animal sound game is on point. It includes (but is not limited to): waddling and making a little penguiny sound for penguins, and doing a similar thing with more of a quacky sound for ducks, he roars for dinosaurs and lions, he blows air through his lips for an elephant, he clicks his tongue for a crocodile and smacks his lips for giraffe, cows go "mooo", he shakes his head and blows out air for a horse and snorts for piggies, sheeps say "baa", monkeys go "ooh ooh" (and sometimes pounds on his chest lol), he says "blub blub" for fish, makes a sort of "arf" sound for a seal, makes a crowing sounds for a rooster, soooometimes he makes sort of cat cry, and of course he pants (and sometimes uses his tongue :P) for doggies. He's hilarious. But yeah, in summation, the child talks a lot and talks really well for his age. 

Favorites: Me and Michael. His grandparents and aunts and uncles. People/friends in general. Babies/other kids. Dancing/singing/music. Reading. Being tickled. Playing. Toys (especially balls and his trains, currently). Running and hiding/chasing or being chased. His dinosaurs. His stuffed Tigger, anything with Jasmine (from the Disney movie Aladdin-I have a few things with her on them), and my old stuffed Nala (from The Lion King) from when I was little. Making silly faces/sounds (sticking his tongue out and wiggling it in a goofy way is a new favorite). Sniffing (either faux-angrily because there are flowers nearby to be sniffed, or because he's pretending things are stinky.) Making animal sounds. Cuddling up with pillows and/or blankets (or the vest from his one buffalo outfit...I dunno). Hair. Feet (particularly smelling them and saying "stinky!".) ATTENTION. Baths. Food (fruit especially right now-apples and bananas and strawberries!). Batman. 

Dislikes: Being changed (clothes or diaper)-he still freaks out almost ever time, especially for the diaper. Being held or forced to stay still if he wants to go do things. Being taken from something he wants or somewhere he wants to go. Getting hurt. Not being paid attention to. Being in the car for too long. Most green vegetables, peppers, spicy food.

Concerns: Not really! Just trying to make sure we do a good job and are teaching him the right amount of stuff/playing enough with him, etc. Normal parenting stress but he himself is great. No concerns.

A Day in the Life: James wakes up around 7 and I go in and get him. He happily sits down so I can get him out of his sleepsack and then I take him out of his crib and I nurse him. After that he usually says hi to daddy and maybe plays in our room for a couple minutes then we go get breakfast. We then play and get things done/potentially run an errand. He has lunch around 10:30-11 (and usually has a snack sometime between breakfast and then). Then he goes down for his nap around 12. He hopefully sleeps until at least 2 but regardless I don't get him until after then, just in case. He's usually up by 3 at the laaaatest. Then we play for a little bit until he decides he's ready for a snack. Then I usually work on dinner and sometimes he has another snack before that. Dinner is around 5:30 or 6 and Michael usually gets home shortly before that. After dinner we have happy family time then bedtime routine starts around 7-7:15ish (unless it's an early bedtime day if he napped poorly) and he's asleep between 7:30 and 8. Then we start it all over again!  

Baby Must-Haves (7-12 Months)

It has been QUITE AWHILE since I shared with you some of my recommendations for things for babies! So here we are, it's time! I will say from the get-go, I haven't recommended a ton of toys because, frankly, I don't think kids need a ton of toys and there's so dang many and they're usually pretty pleased with most things. So yeah. You do you. But everything on this list has been a total hit/really works for us so I hope they're helpful for you too! (Disclaimer-there are some Amazon affiliate links which, if you click on them and purchase anything, I get a small commission from at no extra cost to you!)

1. Munchkin Miracle 360 Trainer Cup
   Our favorite sippy cup (and the fave of pretty much every other parent/kid I've met). It's just super easy to use and pretty much spill free and great. James has been using it since he was about 6 months old and figured out how it worked within a few days.
2. Kid Basix by New Wave Safe Sippy 2
   Our other favorite sippy! It has capabilities to be used as a spouted sippy or with a straw (we usually use the straw for variety's sake) and it has another travel attachment so nothing can come out. Thusly it is what we use when we go out. 
3. Tommee Tippee Easi Roll Drip Catcher Baby Bib
   Fave bib: it catches  (most of) the million and ten things that get dropped when James eats and is easy to clean (yay!)
4. Baby Loves Science books by Ruth Spiro
   THE BEST book series for babies!! Michael and I (and, most importantly, James) love love love them. They're so cute and fun and informative.
5. Baby University books by Chris Ferrie
   More awesome ways to teach science to your baby-every one starts with "This is a ball" (which, since James loves anything with a ball, means they're off to a strong start) and then they proceed to explain super intense concepts in a way that a baby can understand. Mostly. Admittedly I still can't wrap my head around general relativity. 
6. Baby Banana Infant Training Toothbrush and Teether
   James is just now starting to get the hang of actually using this as a toothbrush but he's always loved chewing on it so it's the perfect intro to teeth brushing for your little!
7. Babyganics Eczema Care Skin Protectant Cream
   James has mild eczema and generally dry skin (sorry buddy, inherited from me) and this lotion helps so much.
8. Honest Diaper Rash Cream
   I love that there's nothing gunky or bad or dangerous in this and James loves that it actually works when he's got some discomfort in the diaper area lol. And it hasn't messed with our cloth diapers (bonus)!
9. Hape Pound & Tap Bench with Slide Out Xylophone - Award Winning Durable Wooden Musical Pounding Toy for Toddlers
   This was our only non-book Christmas gift for James and he adores it. It's the first toy he plays with every day and he is consistently amused by it. There are balls that he loves to throw and roll around and play with. There's a musical/xylophone component (music is always a fave). A wooden mallet is of course great to a toddler. And he's learning his colors from it (I'll ask him to go get me the red ball, then the blue, etc.) So-big fans.
10. Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn 3-in-1 Smart Car
    James got this for his 1st birthday from Michael's dad and it's been fun times ever since! James loves to push it around, be pushed on it, and bounce on it (hopefully he eventually figures out how to ride it on his own). I love the music. Seriously. There's a particular song I love to groove to, lol. In the scheme of kid's toys, it's actually pretty fun and not annoying. And James has fun with it. What more can you ask for?

James' 1 Year Photos

I hope everyone had/is having amazing holidays!!! We had the best one yet, James was SO happy. I think he approves of this Christmas thing. Since his 1 year pictures were semi-holiday themed I thought I'd share with you guys!

James was in a a great mood for his 1 year photo session BUT he was just so curious and confused about everything so he was not the most cooperative lol. But he's adorable and Amanda Ellis Photography is amazing so we still got lots of cute shots of my sweet boy! And these are some of my favorites <3

James-12 Months!

Date: December 10, 2018

Height:  29.33 inches (as of his doctor's appointment on the 12th)

Weight: 19 lbs. 8.4 oz (^ditto)

Sleeping Pattern: James is still on 2 naps. He usually goes down for his first nap around 9:30 (falling asleep around 9:45) and then gets up around 11, no later than 11:30 though. I put him down again 3 hours after he gets up from the first nap, it usually takes him at least 20 minutes to fall asleep then (part of this week has been trying to figure out why sometimes it takes him foreverrr to go down and I think we may have figured out now that he needs to be really active to burn off energy before this nap). He then is asleep until 3:30, or 4 at the latest. He usually gets 2-2.5 hours (3 if it's a real good day) total between the 2 naps. When he gets under 2 hours it's a rough day, lol. Then nighttime sleep is usually great and about 11 hours.

Eating Habits: He was on the same nursing schedule as normal until last week we eliminated his 3rd nursing session (he'd been trying to squirm away and play very quickly during it and I had planned on getting rid of it first for the weaning process). He hasn't missed it at all. He just eats a snack of real food instead and is perfectly pleased with that. He has 3 meals and 2 snacks of real food and is still a good eater, but it definitely is different every day how good lol. He is currently in a throwing food phase which is annoying but, ya know, what are you going to do. He's eaten out at restaurants a few more times and actually does well, which is great.

Development & Firsts: This was a big one-James had his first birthday (cue all the crying)! He also had his 1st birthday party (and a smash cake but it was healthy and sugar free lol-he did love it though!) On his actual birthday I made chocolate chip cookies (made with coconut sugar, but still)--he'd never had a real cookie or chocolate before and it was a hit (he actually got really intense and a little aggressive about it lol.) He also had his first Thanksgiving. And this was the month where he full on learned how to walk. He can stand himself up from a sitting or crawling (or any) position and just walks everywhere now. Like it's nothing. It's insane how quickly it happened. First it was like "Oh he'll do a step or 2." Then, "Oh wow he did like 10 steps in a row!" "Oh hey he walked across the room!" And then, "Huh I guess he just walks everywhere now." He also got a 7th tooth (bottom right lateral incisor). Other than that he really just super understands when you're talking to him and will respond (he'll choose between options, say "yeah"/nod his head, etc.) and he keeps talking more and more. 

Mischief: James is still super vocal about letting you know he isn't happy with something. He still tries to run away when you're trying to change him (including in the middle of a diaper change--after a couple incidents where he walked somewhere naked and peed there, I am now MUCH quicker about going after him and wrestling him into a diaper). He also still likes to pretend he wants to share his food with you and then quickly take it away and eat it with a smile (he usually does this to Michael, only occasionally does he fake me out). Now when he doesn't want you to pick him up (usually in an effort to remove him from a place he shouldn't be) he'll try to force himself to sit down to avoid you. He's also having that phase where he throws food. It's normal for his age but gah it's annoying. He thinks it's pretty hilarious though and it can be really hard not to laugh sometimes when he's staring at you in the eyes and grinning and then just lobs something. We were out to dinner the other night with Michael's dad and stepmom, Jeanne, and James was playing with a card they'd given him and he tossed it over his head so hard that it landed on the table behind us. Jeanne was crying she was laughing so hard. And of course he loves to go everywhere he shouldn't and get into everything he can't have (and throw books off the shelf...), especially if he thinks you're not looking he'll dark away. Then when you catch him he giggles. It's darn cute mischief. 

Cuteness: Surprise-he's still cute. All of James' talking and little sounds are super adorable, and I love his animal sounds. Watching him just walk around is insane and the slightly unsteady gait he has kills me. He's still a sweet sweet boy who loves kisses and giving/receiving cuddles and hugs. We haven't been slow dancing as often since he's on the move but the other day we were and towards the end of the song he wanted back down to play. When the song ended he pointed to my phone for me to put on another song, when Storybook Love came on (theme to The Princess Bride and mine and Michael's 1st dance song) he smiled and looked at me and when I asked if he wanted to dance again he put his arms around my neck and laid his head back down on my shoulder. I melted. He's started sort of appreciating coziness-if there's a soft blanket or if he's feeling affectionate he'll like nuzzle his head on the blanket or your lap or whatever and lay there for a minute (more like a few seconds since he's rarely still but you get the idea). The way he starts that off, actually, is another cute/weird thing he started doing this month: he'll go down into like downward facing dog/a pre-somersault. I don't understand it but it's hilarious watching him peer at you from between his legs haha. We also like to play the "up/down" game. He'll be standing and we'll say "up!" then he'll squat down, "down!" I think it started when we got him out of his crib one day but he does it frequently now, usually he initiates it by squatting and saying "down!" (He apparently can't say up but he gets very enthusiastic about the "down!") We've started doing a fun thing where when he sees flowers he starts sniffing. He had been pointing to the painting of flowers we have above the couch and I said "What do we do with flowers?" then I started sniffing in his face before saying, "we sniff 'em!" Which he found hilarious so now it's a thing (we also have poinsettias on the kitchen table which helps perpetuate the flower game). I'm in love with his little stuck out bottom lip-he doesn't actually do it to pout, usually he does it because he's exerting effort or sometimes he does it for no reason at all but it's SO CUTE AND I AM OBSESSED WITH IT. He still loves music and will start dancing (he has a new "smart car" toy that has a radio function that plays music which he loves to groove to). He still loves reading and will get so into certain books you read to him (a favorite has been Bedtime for Batman because of course he still loves Batman and gets so excited when he sees anything with him or his symbol on it). If he sees an animal (more accurately, a toy that looks like that animal) he knows the sound of (usually a dog or elephant) he'll start relentlessly making the sound as if to alert you to it's presence/because he's so excited. Oh and this is magical: James loves Christmas lights. When he first saw our neighbors' lights out our front room's window he was rapt and he still is full of wonder each time he sees them. He'll spot them from somewhere else and immediately walk to the window and stare with wide eyes, smiling and dancing. Sometimes as it starts to get dark he'll go check at the window to see if they're on yet. Now that our Christmas tree is up he's even happier. He's so adorable when he's loving his food, he'll do a happy dance/wiggle. He dies things because they're funny and ahhh his grin. And his full on big boy belly laugh/unstoppable giggles. When he laughs a lot he always ends up with the hiccups, poor little thing. But of course that's cute too. He just loves people-he's super friendly and social and relishes attention (ha, that's my baby alright!) and has become fascinated with babies/other kids (in real life and pictures). He's just so fun and funny and silly and happy and sweet and wonderful. I'm so lucky. 

Nicknames: James-y, Jamesy-pie, Nugget (or Nug or Nuggy or Nuggy Nug or Nuggety or Nougat), Goofy or Goof-Nugget, Kid/Kiddo, Cutie McCuterson, Cuddle Bug, Snuggle Bunny, Kookaburra (because he's cooky), Mister, Sir, Bud/Buddy, Friend, Sweet Boy, Baby, Love (My love, little love, sweet love, lovey), Cutie patootie/pie, My Sweetie/Sweetie-pie, Sweet Pea, The Baby, Little/Sweet/Baby Boy (or any combo with any of the other nicknames listed-particularly Sir Baby and Mister Boy).

Talking: He understands things, he responds, he asks questions. We're like genuinely able to (in a rudimentary way) converse. It's insane. And James is always playing around with new words-he recently started to call snow "bow". We've also been working on please and thank you (he's said cheese a few times too, thanks to Michael telling him to ask for the "cheese, please", lol). James has also gotten really good at animal sounds this month-he learned how to do the elephant sound by watching his daddy and aunt and grandpa (they puff up their cheeks and blow air through their lips in a way that I can't figure out how to replicate but somehow my 1 year old did.) He acts like he's chewing for a giraffe, shakes his head and blows out air for a horse, goes "mmmm" for a cow, and pants for the doggy (that and the elephant are his favorites). We're working on fish, saying "blub blub" (he says "bub bub"). Today he started say "bawk bawk" for chicken (although the food, not the farm animal...as far as he knows.) He's also starting to get the hang of Santa and ho ho ho ("ta" and "oh" or "ho") and today he just started saying "boppy" (the nursing pillow). He still says "dad/daddy/dada" the most (he usually only says "mama" when he's crying, *sigh*) followed closely by "ball" and "ba-" (aka Batman). He's just a little chatterbox and repeats words frequently (Today I said "pepper" and he said "peppew" for example) and he's learning more every day!

Favorites: Me and Michael. His grandparents and Aunt Shannan. Dancing/singing/music in general. Kisses. Reading. Facetiming. Christmas lights/the Christmas tree. Being tickled. Playing. Particular toys (especially balls and his new push/ride "smart car"). His dinosaurs. His stuffed Tigger. Making silly faces/sounds. Sniffing (either faux-angrily or because there are flowers nearby to be sniffed.) Making animal sounds. Hair. Feet. Running away from you/hiding and then popping back out. ATTENTION. His birthday. Baths. Babies/other kids. Food (new discover=chocolate). Batman. 

Dislikes: Being changed (clothes or diaper)-he seriously wails and sobs (and usually will start freaking out as soon as you lay him down). Being held or forced to stay still if he wants to go do things. Being told no/that he can't have something/be somewhere. Getting hurt. Not being paid attention to. Not being with mommy/daddy. Being in the car for too long, especially if it's dark outside. 

Concerns: Honestly, not really anything! Just making sure I'm feeding him a balanced diet and that he's getting enough activity (he sleeps better when he can burn off his energy lol) and trying to keep the inevitable toddler accidents/boo boos to a minimum. 

A Day in the Life: James wakes up around 7 and I go in and get him (he usually happy dances in his crib when he sees me and wraps his arms tightly around my neck. He also likes to be given his stuffed dinosaur to hold-and then throw-while I take him out of his sleep sack) and then I nurse him. We have breakfast (usually yogurt + something else) and then play, maybe spend a little time with daddy before he leaves for work. I put him down for his nap around 9:30, he usually falls asleep in about 15 minutes and naps until about 11 (11:30 at the latest). After he wakes up I nurse him again and then we have lunch. Then we play, I maybe get some stuff done or run an errand or 2. I give him a snack somewhere between 12:30 and 1. He goes down for his nap 3 hours after he got up from his last nap (so usually 2-2:30) and then he hopefully falls asleep in about 20-30 minutes (or less! But that like never happens). He naps until 3:30-4. Then I give him a snack and we play/I prep dinner. Michael gets home and we eat around 6. Then more playtime before the bedtime routine starts at 7:15. We change his diaper, lotion him, read a story, then Michael dresses him and takes him to say goodnight to things and read the superhero rules and then we sleepsack him and I nurse him until he's super sleepy and full. I put him in his crib and he usually rolls over and falls asleep pretty much immediately (around 8ish) and he sleeps until morning. It's a pretty good life. 

And here we are...the last of my monthly updates! This year has flown, but at the same time it feels forever ago that he was so small. I'm sure I'll do another update at some point (maybe 18 months?) but in the mean time, here's a look back at my cutie cutie's past 12 months.:

1 Month ｜ 2 Months ｜ 3 Months ｜ 4 Months ｜ 5 Months ｜ 6 Months 

7 Months ｜ 8 Months ｜ 9 Months ｜ 10 Months ｜ 11 Months ｜ 12 Months

James-11 Months!

Uhhhh I'm freaking out. Next month my baby will be turning ONE WHOLE YEAR OLD. HOW, HOWWWW???? Also, I turned 29 yesterday so I'm struggling with a lot of "where did the time go" feelings.

Date: November 10, 2018

Sleeping Pattern: The same as the last 2 months. James takes 2 naps during the day that usually total between 2 and 3 hours and then he sleeps about 10.5-11 hours at night. He usually does really well unless something is disrupting him but he does pretty darn great. 

Eating Habits: Still nursing 4 times a day, he's definitely getting really antsy and distracted during most of his feedings so I can see that we're moving towards weaning soon (I'm planning on doing it slowly, though). He's super loving table food, still. AND he's finally come around to vegetables! Yay! He's completely able to use and scoop with a spoon and he's starting to get the hang of a fork. It's amazing how much that little boy can eat when he wants to! It's also amazing the giant messes he can make, ha. The worst is when he puts his dirty hands in his hair (frequently making eye contact with you and slowly making his hair stick up with gunk as you gawk and say "noooooo....") Also, for some reason, he sometimes shoves his food down by his right leg. I have no idea why. It's very weird, and very messy.

Development & Firsts: OMG every month is full of huge firsts lately! James got a 6th tooth (top lateral left incisor), went to his first pumpkin patch, met his dog "cousin" Millie for the first time, had his first Halloween (he was Winnie the Pooh), and HE TOOK HIS FIRST STEPS! On November 6th my big boy was standing on his own in the kitchen (he can pull himself to standing on pretty much anything, he's a world class stander at this point) and doing so well and standing for so long that I told Michael to look. Not long after that, James took 4 steps! We were so lucky we both got to be here to see it! Since that time little guy has only taken the occasional step or two but I sense he's working on it. Other than that, he's just understanding so much of what we say and talking a ton.

Mischief: James will let you know when he does not like something-at the least he'll shout at you and make an angry face or maybe whine, at the worst he'll freak out and scream as if you are causing him physical harm. His poor aunt Shannan experienced the latter for the 1st time while babysitting and trying to change his diaper (how dare she!) and felt awful. Every single time you change his clothes or diaper he will crawl away from you-frequently naked as a jaybird. It's pretty adorable actually, but his squirminess while trying to change him can get pretty frustrating also. Sometimes the crawling away becomes a funny game and he giggles and crawls as fast as possible away from you. He can and will get into anything and everything and generally protests at being taken away from things he shouldn't be into. He also has gotten sneaky about trying to get stuff he shouldn't. One time he positioned his pack n play (because he can move it, weirdly strong baby) so that Michael's view of him was blocked and he couldn't see him trying to hang on the vacuum cleaner. Anytime he knows I'm not looking he will speed crawl towards one of the areas I don't let him play in. James also likes to pretend he wants to share food with his daddy, then he'll last minute take the food back and giggle (he never does this with me, he just shares the food and doesn't fake me out lol). He still has this face and this smile that he'll make when he's feeling sly. It's sort of insane how mischievous he can be. But like he's still so sweet so, it's mostly ok lol.

Cuteness:  Oh my cutie cutie cutie. James is still so sweet and gives big kisses (when he decides he wants to). Sometimes we'll just be sitting and reading, he'll sometimes be holding my hand (ah!) and then he'll raise his head up, grab your face, and give you a big smackeroo (he gave Michael one of these the other day and he just melted). Speaking of reading, James has gotten SO into books this last month. He wants you to just read and read and read to him. He just lights up and is so attentive and it's crazy (he learned how to do all the parts of the Pat the Bunny book after reading it like twice). He'll sit down and pick up a book and hold it for you, or you'll say "What do you want to read?" and he'll point or pick a book up. He's also started giving big tight squeezes around the neck this month, which we LOVE. If I get him from the crib and he's standing and I kneel to be on his level he'll wrap his arms around my neck. And he's just gotten even more attached to Michael and I, if that's even possible. He gets displeased when one (or both) of us leaves and is SO happy when we come home. He can also be a bit clingy which-although sometimes difficult-is so sweet. I'll be trying to cook in the kitchen, or something, and he'll pull himself to standing on my legs and hang there, holding them, wanting to be picked up and paid attention to. He's just so insanely interactive, how much conversation we're already starting to be able to have. And he's just always learning-he'll point to things and say "dat?" because he wants to know what it is.  He'll cheers his food with yours-it's so adorable just how much he adores food-he LOVES it. He'll do a little happy dance when he's getting to eat, particularly things he's really into. He'll also do a little happy wiggle/dance on his own when there's music of pretty much any sort (whether I'm singing, Michael and I are playing The Greatest Showman soundtrack for the umpteenth time, or he pushed the song button on his Somebunny Loves You book). He's always making the funniest faces and doing the funniest things. He started doing this faux-angry sniffing which we were confused about where it came from at first until I realized Michael loves to get in his face and do that little "angry" sniff also so, of course, he always has to copy his daddy (and apparently Michael did the same thing when he was little). He also has started smacking his lips when he has an inkling food might be around, lol. This has also evolved into clicking his tongue and he'll do it pretty much anytime and it's crazy cute. And he'll wiggle his tongue in his mouth and make a like "wawawa" sound for some reason, I have no idea why but it makes me laugh. Anytime James sees his reflection he likes to kiss it (this results in a lot of lip-prints on the glass door we have that goes out to the deck, also on the window of the oven). He still loves Batman and gets insanely stoked when he sees anything with him on it and will yell "Ba!" and the same also applies to balls-anything round is a ball (picture of the moon, picture of the sun, my dad's bald head...) and he will enthusiastically call "BALL!" He now has 2 balls that he loves to play with. It's funny, the ball thing started at the pumpkin patch-he played with a tether-ball and ever since everything has been a ball, including when he picked out his pumpkin (which he legit pointed to and said "ball." like "yes, this is the ball I want.") Feet are hilarious to him thanks to the stinky footsie game and he loves to hold up his foot or a sock or just about anything for you to sniff and then act like it's stinky. Kills him. I don't know, in general his sense of humor is awesome and we all giggle a lot. He's gotten really into his stuffed Tigger this month too-it used to be on a shelf on the wall in his room but he started reaching for it and then giving it all sorts of cuddles and kisses and loves so now it's just on the main floor available for him to play with whenever he wants because that's adorbs (he also loves to give his stuffed dinosaur the occasional snuggle in his room after waking but seems content to let you put it back on his bookshelf before leaving the room). Chasing James or having him "chase" you has become a favorite game, as has hiding behind a corner and then "peek-a-boo"-ing out (he's usually the one who likes to hide then pop out at you). He'll laugh and laugh (and it's the best laugh there is). And finally, he got to meet his Uncle Kevin and Aunt Emily's dog Millie (they live out of town) and this was the first time he's really spent any time with a dog. He was definitely wary at first but during dinner they made friends and James ended up purposefully feeding his food to Millie. And he would giggle whilst he did so. HOW CUTE IS THAT?! So yeah, as always, sweetest cutest baby on the planet.

Nicknames: James-y, Jamesy-pie, Nugget (or Nug or Nuggy or Nuggy Nug or Nuggety or Nougat), Goofy or Goof-Nugget, Kid, Cutie McCuterson, Cuddle Bug, Snuggle Bunny, Kookaburra (because he's cooky), Mister, Sir, Bud/Buddy, Friend, Sweet Boy, Baby, Love (My love, little love, sweet love, lovey), Cutie patootie/pie, My Sweetie/Sweetie-pie, Sweet Pea, The Baby, Little/Sweet/Baby Boy (or any combo with any of the other nicknames listed-particularly Sir Baby and Mister Boy), Baby-man (Michael calls him this).

Talking: He's saying sooo many things and it's getting more and more conversational. He'll respond if we ask him things, or sometimes he'll ask us something ("Who's dis?" "Where's Dad?" "Dat?"--aka "what's that?") There are a lot of words and things he will just say randomly out of the blue and then you like never or rarely hear it again, but he says "dada/dad/da" all the time (mama less so, *harumph*). His 2nd most used word is probably "ball" or potentially "bat" (Batman). He went through a phase where he was saying "book" a lot but now he just sits and holds it for you, instead. He frequently says "hi" (in the cutest little happy elongated "hiiii" way), "yeah", "no", "buhbuh"(bye bye), and sometimes "duh" for dinosaur (as opposed to "da" for dad). He's said dog, meow, woof, and really just a bunch of stuff. He's kind of amazing.  

Favorites: Me and Michael. His grandparents and Aunt Shannan. Dancing/singing. Cuddles. Kisses. Reading. Facetiming. Being tickled. Playing. Particular toys (especially balls). His dinosaurs. His stuffed Tigger. Blowing raspberries (making silly sounds/faces in general). Hair. Feet. Animal sounds. Running (more accurately, crawling) away from you. Attention, always. Baths. Food. Batman. 

Dislikes: Being changed (clothes or diaper). Staying still if he's not in the mood. Getting hurt (I hate it too.) Taking anything he wants away from him/telling him he can't have something/taking him away from somewhere he shouldn't be. Not being able to sleep. Not being paid attention to. Not being with mommy/daddy.

Concerns: Not much! Little boy is so good, my only concern is just hoping he stays safe and doesn't get hurt like...in general lol. Especially with how he loves to get into everything.

A Day in the Life: This month was a little weird because we spent most of it adjusting slowly to help make up for daylight savings time. But it's pretty much the same schedule we've always had, just with the times moving forward. And now that daylight savings is over it's back to norma. James wakes up around 7am and then I nurse him. We have breakfast and then play/read/spend a little bit of time with daddy before he leaves for work. I put him down for his nap around 9:30am. I get him up at 11am (or 11:30 at the latest) and nurse him. We have lunch and play and read and I maybe get a couple things done also (cooking, stuff around house, errands, etc.). He goes back to sleep between 2 and 2:30 (or at least that's when he goes down, he usually plays in his crib for a bit before he finally conks out) and then gets up anywhere from 3:30-4. I nurse him and then we have a snack, sometimes while I cook dinner. After Michael gets home we all eat together (usually like 5:3-6ish) and then have a little bit of playtime before our nightly routine (change diaper, read book, Michael dresses him and says goodnight to things around the house, reads his superhero rules we have hung up, then hands him off to me in his room). I nurse him at 7:30 and he's usually asleep and in his crib around 8ish.

James-10 Months!

Date: October 10, 2018

Sleeping Pattern: Literally exactly the same as last month! James sleeps pretty great 80% of the time (he has had a few issues from teething/separation anxiety but overall it's been good) he takes 2 naps during the day and sleeps about 10.5-11 hours at night usually.

Eating Habits: Great news-we've (at least currently) mostly gotten over the biting situation. So that's good lol. James nurses 4 times a day still, usually for 10-15 minutes (once in the morning, once late morning, once late afternoon, and once before bed). Solid foods are still going really well-he eats like a champ and we can give him almost anything (he may or may not decide he likes it but that's neither here nor there.) We're up to 3 full meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) + a pre-dinner snack. He's so cute and funny when he's eating: he'll do a little happy dance because he's happy and he's eating. When he wants more of something he usually starts kicking his legs and getting demanding (and sometimes says "mo") haha. When he's done he'll just sort of play around and frequently says "All done!" (more like "a-dun" or an insistent "DUN!"). One time I was nursing him and he stopped, said "all done" and then patted the other side because he wanted to nurse on that side-I diiiied. Also, for some strange reason, he sniffs his food before he eats it. It's so strange but also kind of cute.

Development & Firsts: It's been another big month developmentally!!! James got his 5th tooth (his top right lateral incisor). He can pull himself up to standing (and now does so on everythaaaang. NOTHING IS SAFE! Including his crib, we had to move that mattress down reeeal quick) and finally learned to sit himself up from laying. He can do a legit crawl (not just the army crawl). He can crawl up the stairs (with me following very close behind and worrying the entire time--we also installed the baby gates as a result.) He can walk if someone is holding his hands or if he's pushing the laundry basket around--he also stood up independently for about half a minute one time so that's coming. AND he's waving and clapping! So much happening and it's so fun and cute and craaazy.

Mischief: This child still has a mind very much of his own and is starting to get more vocal about protesting when you try to take him away from what he wants (since he's moving everywhere and getting into everything). One pretty funny example is one day Michael was having pizza and James reached for the crust so he let him grab it to have a bite. When he tried to take it back James would not let go and ended up yelling "ahhhh!" with a look of disgust that he would even attempt to take that pizza from him. The next day he was cranky because Michael was trying to eat the same pizza covertly across the room and ended up letting out a loud cry as if he'd been hurt but when I tried to see what was wrong I just saw him staring at Michael in betrayal and then he turned to me and made a pouty, pleading expression and "talked" in such a way that I could only ascertain the meaning to be "Mommy: daddy isn't sharing that's not nice!" One of the funniest moments of my young(ish) life. He still gets a little devilish grin sometimes when doing something he shouldn't or if he's crawling somewhere he shouldn't go and you say "Where are you going?" he'll start giggling and speed up. He also still enjoys shaking his head "no" at you.

Cuteness:  This section kills me every month because HOW CAN I POSSIBLY SUM UP ALL OF THE CUTENESS THAT IS MY BABY? He's still cute in all the ways he's always been. He loves music and dancing, he loves kisses, listening to him jabber and talk is amazing, even when he's yelling at you it's cute. His hair just keeps getting poofier (like his daddy's--it gets tall instead of long lol). His little toothy smile is the best (and sometimes you can just see one of his 2 front teeth peeking out which is killer). He's started sticking his tongue out to the side recently. Slow dancing is going strong, it is one of my favorite things to just put on a song and have him lay his head on my shoulder and snuggle me-it's one of the few times he's not trying to go go go. His face when he sees me after I've been gone is the best thing, he gets SO excited and usually starts to giggle and crawl over to me very quickly where he then gives me hugs and kisses. When his daddy gets home he hears the garage door and his face immediately lights up and he gets SO STOKED to see him! When he crawls up the stairs he's so proud of himself and starts giggling at the accomplishment (which is true of pretty much anytime he does something that he or we are proud of). Watching him just walking the laundry basket around is adorable. Whenever he claps it's so so sweet and fun, he's so happy! The waving hi and bye bye is cuteness. This baby still loves Batman and it's pretty epic haha-he just gets so excited to see him (on his rags, the big poster upstairs, etc.) and always points and goes "Bat!" And in the epitome of all cuteness, this story: One day during dinner Michael came over and put his arms around me. James' face lit up and this big grin slowly stole over his face. Michael then kissed me and James giggled. So we then kissed either side of his face and he was SO HAPPY and smiling and laughing and everyone was tearing up. It was one of the best moments of my life, my heart was so full. Honestly, he's just the sweetest cutest best baby. 

Nicknames: James-y, Jamesy-pie, Nugget (or Nug or Nuggy or Nuggy Nug or Nuggety or Nougat), Godzilla, Cutie McCuterson, Cuddle Bug, Snuggle Bunny, Kookaburra (because he's cooky), Mister, Sir, Bud/Buddy, Friend, Sweet Boy, Baby, Love (My love, little love, sweet love, lovey), Cutie patootie/pie, My Sweetie/Sweetie-pie, Sweet Pea, The Baby, Little/Sweet/Baby Boy (or any combo with any of the other nicknames listed-particularly Sir Baby and Mister Boy), Baby-man (Michael calls him this).

Talking: Still talking up a storm. Dada/dad's and mama/mum's happen a lot but he'll also say "hi" "buhbuh" (aka bye bye, while waving), "a-dun" (all done), "mo" (more), "yes"/"yeah", "Bat" (Batman-usually accompanied by pointing at whatever Batman thing he's seeing) and lots of other things. It's so cool and fun to see him communicating.

Favorites: Me and Michael. His grandparents and Aunt Shannan. Dancing/singing. Daddy's guitar. His piano/keyboard toy. Cuddles. Kisses. Spinning. Being tickled. Playing. Hair. Feet. Animal sounds. Books. Listening to/watching mommy sing Itsy Bitsy Spider, Little Bunny Foo Foo, Old McDonald, and Wheels on the Bus. Pushing the laundry basket around. Pulling himself up to stand on everything. Attention, in general. Baths. Food (strawberries, chicken, cheese, yogurt, carbs).

Dislikes: Getting hurt (we're officially in the stage of many many little bonks and tumbles thanks to his increased mobility. Luckily nothing has been bad yet but it's still heartbreaking to see him cry because he's hurt himself.) Green vegetables (not always and not all of them but they're tricky). Taking anything he wants away from him/telling him he can't have something/taking him away from somewhere he shouldn't be. People he's not used to who are not the super tiny like us and try to hold him. Not being able to sleep. Teething. Shots. Not being paid attention to for. Not being with mommy/daddy.

Concerns: James has been having some separation anxiety so he's extra clingy and I think it's affecting his sleep a smidge. Nothing terrible though so overall things are pretty great.

A Day in the Life: James wakes up around 7am (sometimes I'm lucky and he sleeps in until 7:15 or 7:20! Lately, though, he's been waking up closer to 6:30, grr) and then I nurse him. We then have some breakfast and then play/spend a little bit of time with daddy before he leaves for work. I then change his diaper and put him down for his nap around 9:30am. I get him up at 11am (or 11:30 at the latest if he's still asleep) and nurse him. We then have lunch and play-I usually also get something done at some point during this time (cleaning, cooking, laundry, errands, whatever I need). He goes back to sleep 3 hours after he woke up (so 2-2:30) and then gets up anywhere from 3:30-4 usually. I nurse him and then we have a quick snack while I cook dinner. After Michael gets home we all eat together and then have a little bit of playtime before our nightly routine. I nurse him at 7:30 and he's usually asleep and in his crib between 7:45 and 8.