You've Got Mail!

So, the Google commercial inspired me to create an email account for Jameson. This way he will have a collection of things to read when he gets older. I am already doing a baby book, a blog, photobooks for each month, and taking a million pictures and videos; however, I do not think there is such thing as "too much" when it comes to documenting your child's life and showing them just how very much they are loved. So, for those who want to send Jameson an email for any reason, send me a message and I will be happy to email it to you! I want him to read all about his childhood, stories about his family, what's going on in the world around him, etc. You've got mail my dear!

He is so important...already checking his emails on his laptop!

One Little Babble = One Happy Daddy

It's only fair that I write a post about the second best sound ever...Dada. Yep, he finally made Darin the happiest Dada on the planet. I do have to say though that I find it slightly funny that he said Gaga before Dada...guess that was all the Lady Gaga music I listened to when he was baking in my tummy. Sorry Darin!  It was an adorable scene though - last Tuesday Darin was calling my name from the bathroom during bath time. So, I quickly ran in there to see him smiling ear to ear, anxiously wanting me to witness his little mini-me babble that elusive word. Of course, Jameson wouldn't say it with me staring at him and was much more interested in playing with the water coming out of the spout. But, I managed to get the gist of Dada at one point! It was honestly too cute to see how happy that made Darin. I know the feeling...my heart about melted into a pile of goo when he said Mama the first time. It really is the simple things in life.

Not Down with the Sickness

Well, we made it six months before really getting sick...guess I should be thankful for that. It was bound to happen with as many kids as Jameson is around and as many places as we go. He started to get sneezy and coughy (yes, I made up that word) on Sunday and it just got worse as the evening progressed. His coughs started to sound more painful and it about broke my heart every single time, especially when he would follow it up with the most pitiful little groan and/or a cry of pain. He slept surprisingly well Sunday night, but when we woke up at 6:00AM to eat, we knew we were taking him to the doctor as soon as they opened. He was wheezing and just sounded so awful; yet, he was still his happy little self! Darin and I were standing outside the pediatrician's office at 8:00 AM sharp and luckily were the first ones to be seen. The doctor didn't even really need to look at Jameson before he knew what was wrong. Croup. Ugh - that is one word I hoped to never hear in the same sentence as Jameson. I guess there is quite a bit of that going around town and of course my little monkey managed to get it.

The doc prescribed some prednisone to help with the swelling and redness in his throat and suggested ibuprofen. It was funny because he warned us that sometimes babies get "mean" while taking prednisone. For those of you who know Jameson, you probably find that as comical as I did - I actually even laughed out loud. Jameson, a mean baby? Psh, no way. Well...after last night, I take back my laugh. I would not necessarily say he was mean, but he definitely was not the sweet baby we all know. He would thrash around when we held him, pull at our faces, grab our noses as if he was trying to pull them off, and the best - pull at our eyes. But, then two seconds later he would hug and snuggle us so tightly and let out these sad little groans that just made me want to breathe in every germ for myself and save him from the misery. It was definitely a rough night sleeping-wise...the worst since he was born. But, the fact that it took 6+ months to have a really bad night with an infant makes me feel pretty darn blessed.

It is like I said in my "Before You..." post. Me being sick is nothing in comparison to seeing my child in agony, knowing that he is too young to understand that he will eventually feel better. There is not much worse than feeling so helpless when your child looks up at you with his glazed over, puffy red eyes and lets out a sad little cough followed by a cry. But, I am going to do the only thing I can...smother that child with all the TLC he can handle! And, I will continue to let him thrash about, poke at my eyeballs, and pull out my hair until he feels better...because that is what moms do!


Still so happy even when sick.

 Oh, and of course he was all smiles and full of cute little babbles on the way over to my parents this morning, as well as when I went to visit at lunch - stinker :).

Best. Sound. Ever.

Jameson's babbles finally produced a real word last week and I bet you will never guess what it was?! Oh yeah, it was Mama!!! Now, I know he has no clue what he is saying, but I don't care. It is still the best sound ever to come out of his mouth. Well, OK maybe not the best sound because I seriously adore his dinosaur like squeals and mouth popping noises, but it was incredibly heart warming to hear him form that word with those little lips. The greatest thing is he says it when he is looking me directly in the eyes, so at least I can pretend he knows what he is saying! Darin is not so thrilled that I "won", but I am sure he is a little bit happy for me...:-). Except now Darin can use it to his benefit...like when Jameson has a dirty diaper..."Laura, he is saying he wants you." I don't care though - I will change a million dirty diapers if it means I get to hear him say Mama.

6 Month Stats and Chin Update!

At our appointment yesterday at the Children's Hospital, they weighed and measured Jameson, but I wanted to wait for the reveal until after his appointment today, so I could also report percentiles. We will get to that in a minute. I first want to update on how the appointment went yesterday. We found out that Jameson has superficial hemangioma on his chin (collection of blood vessels under the skin). Luckily, it is not a serious case and is mostly under the skin and not raised like a lot of hemangiomas. We may have to seek some treatment that would require a night in the hospital and then ongoing management, but it is nothing serious and that is all that matters! For now, we have some topical medicine and we go back in 6 weeks to check the progress and decide at that time if we want to pursue the next course of action. The doctors were amazing and I am thankful for their knowledge and guidance.

OK, now for the stats. Drum roll.....
He weighed in at 20lbs 8oz (90th percentile) and is 27 or 28 inches long, depending on who was measuring (70th percentile). His little noggin is 17 inches (30% percentile). Love my chubby bunny!!

The ever dreaded shots were also today. Fortunately, this week has been so busy that I have not had too much time to fret about them! Anyhow, as usual, Jameson was a champ. The best part is he sucks down the liquid rotavirus like no one's business. The nurse always gets a kick out of it because most babies spit it everywhere! When she pricked him, he let out a pretty hefty squeal to let us know he was not a fan, but then was perfectly fine afterwards. He passed out on the car ride home and is still peacefully sleeping. On that note, I am going to go steal some sleepy bean cuddles before he wakes up!

Waiting for Dr. Boe!

Still smiling! Had to show off the cool band-aids again!

Could hardly keep his eyes open while we were packing up after the appt.!

Sleepy bean passed out!

6 Months: Happy Half Birthday Bean!!

Ahh, I cannot believe my baby is 6 months old. Where is the time going? But, Jameson is such a fun age right now - I adore every little thing about that munchkin. Here are some highlights from the past month! His 6 month doctor appointment is on Friday, so we will update with measurements after that!

• I can officially sit on my own now! I have been trying for so long and finally was able to balance myself.  I am still partial to standing though.
• I LOVE my jumperoo. I jump like a mad man in it and squeal with delight!  
• I got my first hair "trim". Mom is not counting it as a haircut because she just cut my bangs a little bit.
• I am an acrobat. I always lift my feet to my hands when I am laying down and discovered that they fit in my mouth! It makes changing my diaper and dressing me kind of difficult, but it's fun!
• I finally officially rolled over from front to back! Mommy thought I was just going to skip that, but I had to show her I really could do it. I just pushed up on my arms in my crib one night and rolled right over. I was pretty darn proud of myself afterwards and Mommy couldn't stop smiling at how happy I was with myself.  
• I got to go to my first Cubs game with Mom, Dad, Grandma Debbie and Ray! It was so much fun! I love Wrigley and plan on going back next year...hope the Cubbies are better then.
• I had to go to the dermatologist to have them look at my chin. The doctors called it Angel Kisses. That made my Mommy cry because she says that my cousin Lauren wanted me to feel extra loved and protected, so she gave me lots of kisses. They think everything is OK, but I have to go to the Children's Hospital in Chicago next week to make sure.
• I had my first swimming pool experience - Mommy's side of the family all took me to State Farm Park. Mommy really didn't want to get into a swimsuit, but she would do anything to make me happy, so she did! We had a blast, so I went back with Mom, Grandma Debbie, Kristy and my buddy Jonah the very next week!
• Mommy, Daddy, Hoyt and I have been going on a lot of evening walks because I love looking at the scenery. It helps wind me down after a busy day of playing!  
• I got to meet my new cousin, Bennett. We are going to have so much fun growing up together, along with my other cousins!
• I had a play date with Jonah Hunt, Reagan Rudicil and Cora Jackson at my house! It was fun to have all of us babies in one place since all of our Mommies grew up together! 
• Grandma Debbie and Ray took me to the Children's Discovery Museum with Braden and I loved it!
• I got my first mild cold. It did not really bother me at all - I was still my happy little self. I think it bothered my Mom and Dad a lot more because they felt so helpless. I just had a cough and a few sneezes here and there - no fever and I was never really fussy. Mommy had to sleep with me a few nights, just so I was propped up, but I know she secretly loves doing that! 
• When people are eating or drinking, I watch them like a hawk! I always grab Mommy's water bottle and stick my mouth on the straw - she doesn't let me get anything, but it's fun to practice!
• I got to try avocado for the first time. I wasn't so sure about it, but I hear it's good for babies, so I hope they let me try it again soon!  
• Now that I can sit up by myself, Daddy took out the insert in my bath tub, so I can sit and splash. It's super cute.
• I really like to study things...I think I may have gotten some of my Daddy's qualities that make him a great engineer!
• I have learned how to turn things upside down; like my tub full of blocks. Daddy puts them away nicely and I just pick the tub right back up and dump it out...he better get used to that!
• I have learned that I can shift objects from one hand to the other.
• I can take my plug out of my mouth and almost put it back in all by myself.
• I can kind of army crawl on my own. I make these adorable grunting noises when I am attempting this feat.
• My darn teeth still haven't cut, but are definitely trying. This make me really sad sometimes and it breaks my mommy and daddy's hearts to hear me in pain. I have a few teething toys that help, but we are hoping they cut sooner rather than later! 
• I still love to give hugs and slobbery baby kisses all over everyone's faces, shoulders, arms, etc. They love it. I can tell by their smiles and giggles. My Mom especially loves it when I grab her hair and pull her face to mine with it. She keeps saying I am going to make her bald with all the hair I pull out, but I think she is just being silly.
• I just recently started making this insanely cute popping/smacking noise with my mouth - my Mommy and Daddy say I look like an adorable little fish.
• I continue to be a delightfully happy baby almost all of the time. Mommy and Daddy sure got lucky with me :).

“Every good and perfect gift is from above.” – James 1:17

First trip to Wrigley!!

I loved splashing in the pool!

Dumping out my blocks!

I am SO happy!

Oooh feet!

Me and the ever shrinking bear!

I am such a goof ball!

All of the Mommies and babies together!

This feels so good on my gums!

Grandma Debbie and all her boys!

I LOVE Sophie!!

Celebrating Ray's birthday!

I love snuggling with my Hoyt!

I am not so sure about this avocado stuff...

Out With The Old, In With The New

A couple of weekends ago, we had the pleasure of going through Jameson's bazillion outfits and "retiring" (coined by Darin) ones that do not fit anymore. Now, most people would find this task daunting and tedious. I, on the other hand, had to have a box of Kleenex next to me, along with multiple breaks where I left the room to compose myself (didn't want Darin to think I was too crazy). The task ultimately ended with me taking Jameson out of his exesaucer and leaving the room with him in tow, while Darin folded and packed up 4 boxes chock full of stuff.

Some people would say that these outfits are just some cloth and thread sewed together with dorky animals and/or nerdy sayings on them. But to me, they symbolize so much more. I feel like I'm boxing up memories from the first 6 months of your sweet little life. It's like when you hear a song or smell a certain smell...it instantly triggers a certain memory. So, when I look at that blue striped PJ outfit that says I Love Hugs or the one that says Mommy's Rockstar with neon guitars, I get ambushed with memories of our time together before I went back to work. Our morning chats in bed...OK, more like my high pitched responses to your nonsensical babbles and squeals. You falling asleep in my arms for hours, making the sweetest little squeaking noises. The many times where I didn't want to put you down to eat lunch or even go to the bathroom because I knew those precious moments of snuggling would not last forever. The days when your grandma, grandpa or Aunt would come over to check on us because everything was so new and scary. The days when I thought taking you on an errand all by myself was such a big accomplishment. So many memories just from one little outfit.

So, no one can judge or make fun of me for getting a bit emotional when we have to "retire" your clothes. Because to me, I am not just putting a piece of clothing in a box. I am boxing up irreplaceable memories that I will forever cherish.

Clay Baby Comes to Life!

Just wanted to show the comparisons - I think it's pretty cool! He even has his little hands up by his face in some of the pictures!

Before you...

In your short little life, Jameson Reed, you have taught me oh so much and I can never put into words how much I thank you and love you. But, I am going to try :-).

Before you:

• I thought I knew how much my parents loved me. Now that I have you, I realize I had no clue the love a parent can have for their child.
• I thought I knew what life, love and happiness were all about. You have shown me all three in a whole new light.
• I thought I knew how much I loved and needed your Dad. I did not know the half of it.
• I thought myself being sad, sick and/or uncomfortable was bad, but you being one of those breaks my heart.
• I thought I had so much to worry about, but now everything seems trivial in comparison to worrying about something happening to you.
• I never knew the best conversation could be one without words.
• I never knew that one little smile could instantly take away any amount of sadness I was feeling.
• I never understood how my body would just adjust to the erratic sleeping patterns, but it did.
• I never understood when people said your instincts will kick in nor did I believe them.
• I never knew how terrifying it would be to know that I am responsible for another life.
• I never knew that being someone else's sole form of nourishment could be so incredibly rewarding and empowering.
• I never considered picking someone else's boogers :).
• I never knew how many things could be done one-handed.
• I was unable to truly appreciate the embarrassed faces of the Moms with screaming children in the grocery store or the full cart of groceries that had to be left behind (oh Mom, I am so sorry for doing that to you!). You haven't done that yet, but karma will get me I am sure!
• I would get slightly annoyed when people would say, "just wait until you have kids". I so get that now! 
• I never knew how incredibly amazing it would feel to have you fall asleep in my arms or look up at me with such innocent eyes.
• I never could fully appreciate that there is no greater bond than that between a mother and her child.

I have learned that:

• I can cry instantly when I think about how fast you are growing up.
• I can experience frustration and pure joy at the same time.
• I am going to miss your little baby noises, baby hugs and baby kisses immensely.
• I will make silly faces, talk in annoying voices and make myself look like a complete idiot just to make you smile and laugh.
• You will never be too old to be my baby.
• I will never be too old to need my Mom and Dad.
• Your Aunt Lindsay is the strongest woman on the planet.
• A baby's laugh can lighten up an entire house.
• There is no such thing as giving a baby too many kisses.
• It is not nice to buy toys for other people's children that play music non-stop (even though I am very grateful for all of the gifts we receive!)...this is mostly an apology to all my friends and family for buying some pretty obnoxious toys!   
• You can be dead set on parenting a certain way, but you just do what you can in the moment and the world won't end if you do things differently than planned.
• We did not need to spend so much time worrying about creating the perfect nursery because the only detail in that whole room that matters is you.
• I am a sucker when it comes to a pouty lip. 
• Sleeping in a recliner all night really isn't that bad...especially when you have a baby to cuddle.
• A messy house doesn't make you a bad mom...I think it makes me a better one because I would rather spend all of my time with you.
• I will literally do whatever it takes to protect you and make you feel loved every day of your life.
• You really can love something so much it hurts.
• Being a Mom, especially being your Mom, is hands down the most incredible and rewarding job in the world and I cannot imagine life without you.

I am sure I could continue for days and I may just add more as you get older. But, this is a good start - I love you little bean.

Pesky Gremlin

I realized that I neglected to write a post about the little gremlin that likes to visit every now and again! As you have noticed in my previous posts, I think Jameson is an awesome baby. Overall, he is extremely happy and content and honestly just a complete joy to be around - he seriously smiles 90% of the day. However, we did go through a stretch at about 3 months where whenever 7:00 PM rolled around, the gremlin would come out to play! Luckily, this only lasted about 4 days, but now this little creature likes to come out at random times! You see, Jameson's one issue is that he is already so interested in the world that he does not always like to go to sleep when he is clearly tired. That child fights with all of his might to stay awake!  This is when the gremlin takes over and he is kind of hard to keep at bay.  Most of the time, whoever is watching Jameson can "catch" him before he gets overtired, but not always. But honestly, in a weird way, it is so endearing. And, deep down, I kind of like being able to rock him, walk with him, sing to him, and talk to him to help soothe him...it's things like this that I know I will miss when he gets older! Plus, I have learned a lot of new songs (or at least make up words to them...) and know almost every book we own by heart. So little gremlin, you have met your match...I am learning how to fight you now, so you might as well just stay away and let my sweet little boy fall asleep in peace :).

And, I actually have an update since this post is kind of past tense. As of late, Jameson has really learned how to fend off the gremlin in most situations. Darin and I have mastered the walking around with him before he gets grumpy in the evening process and this past weekend, putting him down for a nap in his crib during the day was a breeze. And with bedtime, we are slowly but surely getting our sleepy little boy back who falls asleep with no issues. Whew! And now I am going to go knock on wood...

5 Months!!

Another month in the books! Time to celebrate the adventures and milestones of the past month:

• I weigh 18 lbs. 9 oz. (with a full belly!) and am about 26.5 inches tall!
• I am officially in size 3 diapers and wear anything from 3-9 month clothes.
• I am about too long for my swing and bouncer, which Mommy is a bit upset about because it means I am growing up.
• I am quite possibly the most content, happiest baby during the day and early evening! No one ever believes Mommy and Daddy when they say I get fussy at night! But overall, I really am just so happy. I smile ALL of the time.
• I am starting to respond to my name...my mom thinks it is the greatest thing ever.
• I squeal and make these hilarious noises when I am talking. It sounds like a baby velociraptor according to my Mom. 
• I started blowing raspberries with my mouth - it's really cute!  
• I think some teeth are trying to break through. I have been drooling like a faucet and want to chew on everything...watch your fingers...or chin, nose, cheek, etc.! I love my Sophie though, so thank you Erin for getting me her to chew on!
• I tried oatmeal and am a big fan. I still have a bit of a tongue thrusting reflex, so a lot of it ends up on my bib or on my hands...sometimes I even spit a little out at whoever is feeding me!
• I decided that sleeping on my tummy is awesome, even though my Mommy gets super nervous about it.
• I sleep in my crib now much to my Mommy's dismay. 
• I can almost sit by myself, but still need a bit more balance. I prefer to stand though.
• I really, really want to crawl, but I cannot quite get my belly off the ground. I kick my little legs like crazy though and if I can push off something, I can scoot!
• I love watching Hoyt move around...and I like to pet him (or grab his fur, whatever!).
• I can move the seat around in my jumperoo almost 360 degrees and I have discovered how to play with and move things on it....Ray can't get over how smart I am!
• I love to snuggle and give hugs, especially when I am sleepy or right after I wake up.
• I got to play with squirt guns with Grandma Debbie, Ray and Braden and I thought it was the greatest thing...I cannot wait until I get to go to the pool.
• Everyone is always kissing me...I now open my mouth when they come at me because I am trying to give them big kisses back!
• Mommy and Daddy got to hear a real belly laugh from me for the first time. My silly cousin Braden was making faces and doing tricks and I thought it was just so funny.
• I am so blessed to have so many people who love me so much. Mommy always tells me she loves me so much she could explode...I really hope she doesn't!  

OK, now it's time to go learn more stuff so I have more to report next month! 

"When your child looks into your eyes, you know what it means to be alive." ~ Anonymous



Sitting in my big boy chair, reading my book.

My cousin Braden can make me giggle!



So can my cousin Beckett! I want to be one of the big boys.

I love to watch Baby Einstein with Daddy!

Mmm, oatmeal!

Ooooh, shiney!

Nom nom nom, I love chewing on  Sophie!

I love my Jumperoo!



I am such a happy little boy!!



Growing like a weed!



Love my bear!

Had to get capture all that glorious chub at 5 months!



 

Ahh, Freedom!

He's free!! Darin got his cast removed on Friday. For those of you who know Darin, you know he is not one to sit idly. So, having this restriction was as much painful as it was incredibly frustrating for him! We were both really looking forward to getting that bad boy off because although he had pretty much mastered the one handed diaper change and handling of baby J, he was still pretty limited in what he could do overall.  I really give kudos to the single mommies because it's exhausting and I still had help! Doesn't help that this all happened right when the whole sleep regression phase started. But, I am glad to have him "back" and I know he's looking forward to regaining some of the parenting duties that he was unable to fulfill...he was always jealous when he could hear us having so much fun during bath time!! His range of motion is still not 100%, so my duties will not change all that much right away. But, with a little physical therapy, he should be good in no time! I think this whole experience taught him that he's not a teenager and should probably not try to play softball like one...:-). I'm sure he'll think twice before diving for a ball next time!

Oh and I have to share because it's too sweet not to. When we were talking on Thursday night, Darin said one of the things he was most looking forward to was being able to give me a real hug. So, after his doctor appointment, he came to my work just to give me a big bear hug! And, he brought me (and Lindsay!) an Oreo blizzard to boot! Now, that's love...

Such a sweetheart!

I do not really have anything of substance to write, other than I love my little boy to the point that I might just burst one day.

I will also mention that I became pretty sick towards the end of last week. Pretty much felt like I had been hit by a bus...multiple times. It was definitely strange having a cold when it was 99 degrees outside! And, I really did not get sick when I was pregnant, so it had been well over a year since I had experienced that joy. Obviously, being sick is never enjoyable, but it is that much worse when you have an infant who depends on you. And, I don't mean worse because I have to take care of him, but just because I felt like I could not give him my all, which he always deserves. But, the little turkey reciprocated with his erratic sleeping patterns :). Jameson decided that Thursday night he should probably wake up every hour/two hours just to check on me and give me some hugs. It was super sweet of him. Luckily, I was able to take off work the next day and napped off and on all day while Kim watched him. Darin was also lucky enough to succumb to the icky germs and spent most of Friday in bed as well. We were quite the pair. Fortunately, Jameson managed to fend off the sickness, something for which I am so thankful. I am definitely starting to feel more like myself again...it is kind of hard not to feel better when you look at your child and get flashed one of those precious toothless smiles!!

I am so sorry Mom, that I woke up so often the other night. But, I just wanted to check on you and make sure that you were OK and give you some middle of the night hugs and cuddles.
 Love you, Jameson



Bet this smile makes you feel better, Mom!



Weekend of Firsts!

We decided to introduce some "firsts" to Jr. this weekend because he is showing us all kinds of signs he is ready! Saturday night, we decided to put him in his high chair for the first time while we ate dinner. He absolutely loved it! He talked to us the whole time and was very interested in what we were eating.

I am so happy to be sitting at the big kid's table!

This made me wonder then if he was maybe ready to start trying some solids. Dr. Boe gave us the go ahead at his 4 month check-up, but I thought I would wait until he was 6 months since he clearly is getting enough to eat! However, he appears to be meeting the "criteria" to qualify for starting solids, so we decided to give it a go with cereal on Sunday night. Holy cow was it adorable. He seemed to really like it - did not even remotely balk at it. I am pretty sure we got more on his bib than in his mouth, but I was very impressed with him! At this point, we will probably just stick with cereal and then introduce the veggies and fruit at 6 months.
 

Mmm, this is so yummy! Must.Savor.It.

Finger lickin' good yummy!

We also decided to try out his crib Saturday night. I am not so sure I am emotionally ready for him to leave my side at night, but I know it is probably in everyone's best interest to try it out. Well, he did fabulous! It was a bit tough getting him down for the night because he was overly tired and just did not want to give in, but once he fell asleep, he slept great in the crib. I will tell you though that I was a bit freaked out when I woke up and saw him in a completely different place than where I laid him down! He apparently is a wiggle worm in his sleep too. He did this both times during the night!



This is how I laid down my sleepy bean.

And, when I woke up and looked at the video monitor, this is how he ended up!

He did even better with the crib on Sunday night. He was in such a good mood after we finished bath time and he finished eating, so Darin, Jameson, Hoyt and I crawled into our bed and Darin read him some Dr. Suess books while I held him. He loved it and slowly started drifting off to sleep as he was sitting on my lap. I picked him up, gave him a big ole' hug and kiss and put him down in his crib. He was out within seconds and slept for almost 4 hours. Still not like he used to, but you know, I am actually starting to enjoy our middle of the night "meetings". It is just so peaceful in his nursery and it is such an amazing way to bond with him. I am just going to cherish it instead of wondering why he isn't sleeping like he used to!