Patience

Jamison is getting to that stage where he takes his time.  He's walking to a particular destination, like to the car in the morning, and stops to look at a plant or pick up a rock.  I always, in my hurried tone, tell him "Bud - come on, we're going to be late."  And he then stops what he's doing and comes to me and gets in the car. 

 

Did he feel defeated?  Did he really want to check that rock out or maybe take it with him?  Am I enabling him to see the world around him?  He's learning something new everyday.  Instead of hurrying him along, I need to take that as a teaching opportunity.  "Look at that pretty plant Buddy, that's a (fill in the blank)." or "WOW - cool rock dude!"  Or just stop and look at the plants and rocks and just enjoy that time with him.

 

I remember when Jamison was first born I always looked forward to what was next.  It got in the way sometimes of enjoying how he was at that moment.  When he started crawling I couldn't wait for him to stand up.  When that happened, I was (not so) patiently waiting for him to walk.  Then when he finally walked months later I was looking forward to something else.  It's a vicious cycle.  He's not done growing up and he won't be until I'm long gone. 

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This year, I will have patience. Living in the present and not being so impatient for what's coming next. 

 

 

20 Months (and 15 days....)

Seriously - 20 months!!! I hate to keep saying it over and over but, man, time sure does fly. This little man of mine is becoming grown right before our eyes.  We have to keep enjoying these precious moments because next thing we know, he'll be going off to college.

 

 

Sleep

Thank you Lord my baby likes to sleep!  I remember the days of sleeping in on the weekends and still feeling tired because I slept so long.  BUT, I got to sleep in!!  Now, we wake Jamison up during the week by 7:15am so that he has enough time to have his morning milk and morning playtime with Daddy before leaving for school.  The weekends though - we get to sleep in until around 8:30am.  He very very very rarely will wake up in the middle of the night.  He'll cry out randomly every now and then to make sure we know he's still there but other than that, there's never a peep out of him.  He moves like crazy in the bed.  It's like he's burrowing in his nest and has to get that one comfy spot.  Once he started napping with a blanket at school, we've put a blanket in his crib at night now too.  It's the sweetest thing to me watching him cover himself up.  He sure loves a good blanket!

 

 

Schedule

A man after my own heart....staying on schedule!  Thank you to our wonderful in-home daycare, Sweet Peas, we have been on pretty much the same schedule with Jamison since he was 8 weeks old.  Of course there have been some modifications due to his age but I'll tell you, this schedule business is the way to go.  We KNOW what to expect everyday and he does to.  He may not be falling asleep tired at nap and bedtime but he knows what's happening next and never fights us on it.  Here's a typical (week)day for him.

 

7:15am - wake up

8:30am - breakfast

11:00am - lunch

12:00pm - nap

3:00pm - wake up and snack

6:30pm dinner

7:30pm - bath (every other day)

8:00pm - bed

8:01pm - Mommy & Daddy time YAY!!!!

 

Sometimes we deviate from the schedule depending on what we have going on.  Never by too much though and thankfully it never throws him off. 

 

 

Eating

As most of you know, my kid loves to eat.  Jamison is driven by food.  He is a vulture.  If he hears even a package crinkle, he will come and hunt you down and beg for food like a starved animal.  I promise we don't starve him though.  He just REALLY loves food.  And he's a great eater during meal times.  We get compliments all the time on how good he is - sitting in his chair, eating his entire plate of food, not throwing any on the floor, etc.  I definitely attribute that to Sweet Peas (with follow-up help from us of course :)).  He eats pretty much everything.  For some reason though, he'll eat fruit fine at daycare but not at home.  Except for Bananas - those are his favorite.

 

 

Talking

Non-stop, all day everyday.  I love hearing him say new words.  His sweet voice just melts my heart.  One of the words we've been working REALLY hard on with him is saying "yes."  He says no like it's going out of style and refuses to say yes.  He'll nod his head though so I guess that's a start??

 

He says: shoe, all done, uh-oh, no (please make that one stop!), uh-huh, Coco, my Momma, Dada, go, two, let's go, chicken, please, thank you, night night, I love you, ball, banana, Elmo, hot dog, Moo, Grandma, Grandpa, more, vroom, oh-no, push, don't go, it go, choo choo, cracker, car, mine, look, poopoo (personal favorite, just learned this last week when he pooped in the tub!), and cup.

 

I know I'm forgetting some.  I've been writing them all down in the notes section of my phone :) 

 

 

Favorites

Mickey Mouse

Bananas

Playing Cards

Blocks

His Blanket (which is actually a blanket my Mom had made for me with some of my old sporting shirts)

Coco

Puzzles

His Momma and Daddy of course :)

 

 

Development

I don't really pay attention to the milestones that they're supposed to hit at each month.  I figure my kid will do what he does and if the Pediatrician is ever concerned then we'll do something about that.  So far, no concerns.  He may not know all of his farm animals (I'm working on that), but he sure knows his nose, ears, eyes, mouth, hair, hands (waves them when you say "Where are your hands"), and his feet.  I was actually able to have a real conversation with him the other night when I put him to bed.

Me: Buddy, do you want me to sing you a song?

Jamison: No

Me: Are you sure?

Jamison: *nods his head yes*

 

 

Temperament/Personality

He is the most fun!  Jamison is always happy and smiling.  He of course has his days and moments when he's an absolute pill to be around but 9 times out of 10, he's in a great mood.

He listens pretty well.  And he'll push the limits because he does in fact understand what he should and shouldn't be doing.  We've really had to scale back on that NO word so we've been using Stop and the annoying Nu-uh when he's doing something wrong.  He's smarter than we think.  It's hard to wrap my head around someone being 20 months (and 15 days old) understanding simple concepts like "go to your chair (highchair)" or "give Momma a kiss."  Or the fact that he knows that if he reclines the couch just a little bit (it's on a motor), that he can climb up using that as leverage.  What??!!  He's my own little Einstein :)

He's definitely not shy around people which is great.  He loves to laugh and dance and "perform."  I see drama classes in his future.  He fits us perfectly.

 

 

What we're looking forward to

Christmas!!  Last year he just wanted to play with the wrapping and tissue paper.  This year, he'll be all about opening the presents.  We've already had one Christmas with my Dad, Stepmom, Little Sister and Granny back at Thanksgiving and he loved opening all of his presents. 

 

More words.  I really can't wait to fully understand all that he is saying.  He babbles a lot.  I know I'll regret that later when he's talking back and being crazy.....

 

Sports.  I know we're a few years away from that.  He already throws the ball and kicks it like a champ so I definitely see Soccer and Teeball/Baseball for him.

 

Memories.  Everyday we make a new one.  Last night we had a movie night upstairs in the media room followed by a dance party.  It.Was.Awesome.  I don't ever want the fun to end.  I want him to remember his childhood as the best with parents who were there for it all.  I want him to grow up knowing how much he is loved and what a joy he is to be around.  He will know it all :)

 

 

 

Pumpkin Patch 2014

How is it November already!  This year has gone by so incredibly fast and my blogging abilities have gone away even faster. 

Every week I have these ideas and life events to blog about but time slips away, work gets busy, and life - well, it just keeps going.  I'm a huge picture taker for that very reason.  I live in the moment but I also love to look back at those moments that make my heart melt and leave a perma-smile on my face all day.  And when these moments are captured with friends, that makes it all the better.

Last year we went to the Pumpkin Patch for the first time and it was so much fun we had to make it a yearly tradition.  We went to one a little closer to home and the kiddos did great!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Little Brighter...

Life has been a little rough the past few weeks for us.  But this guy right here - can make those sad days turn a little brighter. 

He is becoming a little guy right before our eyes and I'm still amazed everyday at what he's learning.

He's repeating words and it actually sounds like what he's meaning it to sound like.  He still babbles like crazy and I can't wait to hear everything else that he says to us on a daily basis. You can see his little mind running sometimes too.  He will look at a toy for a long time like he has a decision to make about it.  And he always ends his "thought" with a sly little smile.

One look at this kid and that smile forms and whatever happened that day is forgotten. Is it natural to love someone so much it hurts? Because that's what it feels like at times. I can't imagine walking this Earth without  him and though I loved our life before him, I've realized that it has really just begun.

It's not all rainbows and unicorns though.  That dreaded whiney stage has begun.  Or let's just say it's been around for about a month or so.  He's getting better and we're getting better at handling it.  He definitely gave us a good run when it first started.  Poking my eyeballs out may or may not have crossed my mind at that time.  But you know, he's learning his voice; he's testing his limits; he knows what makes Momma & Dada sad.  He's a smart boy and knows what he's doing and always finds that way to make it better :)

He is the sweetest though and it's going by too fast.  I look at him and am just in awe on how J and I made this little human.  He's the perfect mixture of us (okay, more J than me).  His personality is so quirky and funny and there is just a light always surrounding him and it's pure happiness.

 

Ramblings over....now it's time for a picture overload :)

 

 

 

 

One Year Down!

Buddy -

It's been one whole year (and 9 days) since I got to hold you for the very first time.  One year since I fell completely and madly in love with someone other than your Daddy.  One year since life became truly meaningful and it only gets better everyday.

4/5/2013 - 7lbs, 6oz and 19 inches long

 - Best day ever :)

May 2013/One Month - 9lbs, 19oz and 21.25 inches long

You:

  - Love tummy time

 - Had your first 5 hour sleep stretch 

 - Went on your first plane ride



June 2013/Two Months - 11lbs, 3oz and 23 inches long

You:

 - Smile and giggle all the time

 - Love to mimick what we do

July 2013/Three Months

You:

 - Went on your first beach trip

 - Discovered your hands and that they fit nicely in your mouth

 - Attended your first wedding

 - Rolled over for the first time

August 2013/Four Months - 14lbs and 24.5 inches long

You:

 - Consistently sleep through the night

 - Hold your bottle by yourself

- Go into full belly laughs when we do something funny

September 2013/Five Months

You:

 - Can crawl

 - "Talk" to us

- Got your first sickness :(

October 2013/Six Months - 15lbs, 5oz and 26.75 inches long

You:

 - Love to eat "real" food (versus just formula)

 - Can sit up unassisted for a few seconds

 - Were a cute little lion for your first Halloween

November 2013/Seven Months - 16lbs, 5oz and 27 inches long

You:

 - Can pull up to a standing position

 - Are the happiest and smiliest baby when woken up in the morning

 - Said your first word - Dada

December 2013/Eight Months

You:

 - Love your Daddy and have the most special bond with him

 - Get excited when seeing one of us walk into a room

January 2014/Nine Months - 17lbs, 2oz and 27 inches long

You:

 - Walk while holding onto our hands or the furniture

 - Finally said Momma

February 2014/Ten Months - 18lbs and 27.5 inches long

You:

 - Got RSV

 - Took 3 steps on your own

 - Clap, click your tongue and say MMMMM after you have a bite to eat

March 2014/Eleven Months - 19lbs and 28.5 inches long

You:

 - Are full on walking

- Exclusively started on a sippy cup

 - Eating at the big boy table at school

April 2014/One Year - 20lbs, 2oz and 29.5 inches long

You:

 - Are amazing :)

We love you as big as the sky and as deep as the ocean!!



11 Month Update

It's been too long since I've done an update AND I'm about 3 weeks behind on this one.  But some exciting things have happened since you turned 11 months old so maybe this being late is a good thing :)  Short and sweet list today and then a big ole post next week for your FIRST BIRTHDAY!!!!

You are:

 - Walking!!  You are everywhere and I love it!

 - Exclusively on a sippy cup and we have packed away the bottles.

 - Eating at the big boy table at school.

 - Being defiant.  This one makes us laugh but we don't do that in front of you.  Though everytime I tell you no and take something away, you seem to always laugh back at me.....or you'll touch the fireplace while looking at us with a big ole smile on your face :)

 - Finally eating what we eat.  You typically will get chicken and veggies most nights and I've finally broken out of my shell and given you exactly what your Daddy & I eat.  This week you had Beef Enchiladas, Chicken Spaghetti & Cheeseburger Sandwiches.  You loved it!

You love:

 - Your new bath foam letters and numbers.  You like to put them on Momma's head and I put them on yours and we laugh and laugh.

- Coco.  Your best friend is finally coming back around to playing with you again.  She went through a phase where everytime she passed you, you would grab her and it scared her.  Now, you're more gentle and friendly.

 - Your Daddy.  Sometimes Momma is chopped liver :(  But that's okay because seeing you and your Daddy together just melts my heart!

 - Mickey Mouse.  We can just starting singing the Hot Dog song or the magic words and you immediately look around for your pal Mickey.

You dislike:

 - Greenbeans.  Grandma thinks I overcook them because the last few times you've had them you just throw them on the floor.

 - Getting your nose suctioned.  You have RSV right now and your nose is out of control.  We've had to suction your nose so much this week that anytime you see that blue bulb, you try and run away.

 - Diaper changes.  You turn into a roly poly at diaper changes and all you do is cry.  It's really funny but to you - not so much!

- Clothes.  You would run around just in a diaper if you could.  And you don't try and rip your clothes off but you do hate changing in and out of them.  See diaper changes above :)

Can't believe in one week you will be one.  And how fast this 11 months and 3 weeks went by.  You are the best little boy ever buddy and we are so lucky to be your parents!!  We love you as big as the sky and as deep as the ocean!

To My Littlest Love.....

You won't remember today, but I will. I am already filled with so much love for you that this one day only makes it stronger. And so will the next day and the next day after that and forever.  

Today is known for showing love for the ones you hold near and dear.  I am so blessed to have shared this day with your Daddy for the past 7 years and now with you for your first.  

It's important for you to know though that we don't go all out (think diamonds and expensive dinners) on Valentine's Day.  Your Daddy will get me the corny, fun gifts and you my son, have now set the bar for some pretty impressive artwork!  

But above all of that, remember that today is just a day out of many. Speak and show your love always, everyday and  never let that go. You are loved by us and by so many people.  You are blessed more than I could have ever imagined.

So on this day, and everyday hereafter, I love you as big as the sky and as deep as the ocean!

10 Month Update

2 more months until you're a year old??!??  Really - I can't even handle that right now. I'm in awe at how much you have grown and learned over the past 10 months. You truly amaze us everyday!  

You're home sick today :( This is your third 'real' sickness and thankfully you're still your happy, smiley self most of the time.  Even with you feeling bad you took THREE steps on your own yesterday!  And then of course when I called Daddy over to see, you wouldn't do it. But a few hours later - you did it again, this time in front of Daddy.  I'm excited for you to start walking though I'm probably going to regret saying that later :)

You love to eat. There are no foods that you don't like and we're hoping it stays that way because Momma is a picky eater. You've been eating purées and table food and you do so well with picking up the food and putting in your mouth. With lots of clean-up!  You still take 4 bottles of formula a day, 7oz each.

You are chunking up!  You now weigh 18.86lbs and you are 27.5" long. Your cheeks always make you look bigger but you are perfect!

You've been saying Dada for a few months now and have finally said Momma in the last couple of weeks.  You babble a lot and we try to just say and repeat a ton of stuff - like what we're doing, toy names, etc. to help you.  You're a great mimic and can click your tongue, smack your lips, clap & say mmmmmm after we do it while feeding you.  We're still trying to teach you to give kisses and saying bye bye while waving. 

You love people!  You will still go to anyone and you're really perfectly content anywhere.  You love being read to, tickled, played with and of course fed.  We've started a new game with you too where we roll a ball to you and you throw it back. Your aim is pretty impressive!  You've also found a new obsession with drums.  You played with your drum for a good half hour the other day!  

You sleep sooooo great!  Bedtime is 8 and we normally get you up around 6:30am on the weekdays and by 7:30am on the weekends.  Naps are hit or miss at home but typically we're able to get a full 3-4 hours total.  Once you turn one, we'll be going to one nap a day.  I'm hoping that's a smooth transition for you.

There's not a day that goes by that your Daddy and I don't tell you that we love you. We want you to hear that everyday!  You're such a joy to be around.  With your weird quirks and funny personality - it's never a dull moment in this house.  We love you as big as the sky and as deep as the ocean!!