17 Months Old

James - you are 17 months old!

Every month as I write these posts, I am constantly asking myself where the time has gone and how it is possible that you are SO big!  Every month you are becoming more and more like a little boy and less like a baby.

You weigh in now right around 28 pounds - although you seem a LOT heavier than that when I carry you around!  I do not know how tall you are, but you look like you have grown!  I should have some more accurate stats in August at your 18 month check-up.  You are still wearing size 5 diapers for both day and night.  Your clothes range in size from 18 months up to 2T.  The 18 months sizes are going to be put away very soon.  For shoes - you still fit pretty comfortably in your 5.5 size ones, but I think we will have to move you up to size 6 in the next month.

You have had quite a few issues this past month.  You got rug burn on your nose from the baby gym at daycare, you got bit TWICE by other kids at school (which I assume is payback for the bites you have inflicted on other kids) and you have been diagnosed as having "nursemaid elbow" - basically your elbow gets out of alignment and you are unable to use your arm for a little!  Mommy and Daddy need to be more careful now with your right arm and no more swinging you around!  You are also coming down with a cold...

You have learned some new tricks this past month.  You can go under the water at swim lessons for 4 seconds now!  You also know to raise your hands up when mommy says "TOUCHDOWN!  (I am getting you ready for football season).  Your vocabulary is always increasing.  I cannot even remember all the words you can say - but I will try and get them together for another post.  You also know a lot of animal sounds, from dog to cat to cow to elephant.  

You LOVE Elmo!  When Elmo is on TV you will actually stop and watch the TV and you get all excited and smile so big.  Last night we put in an Elmo movie and I do not think I have ever seen you sit still for SO long!  I may need to purchase some more of these Elmo movies!...

You still give the best hugs and are so loving.  You loved to be tickled and you love to tickle us too.  You think blowing farts/raspberries is the funniest thing and you will laugh and laugh when we do it to you.  

You still love your Cheerios and you are also becoming a big fan of juice!  You have your ups and down with eating.  Some nights you eat everything in sight and others nights you just want to play with your food.  You tried marshmallows for the first time and LOVED them.  You have also discovered chips.

You bring so much joy to our life and are always making us smile and laugh.  Although - you still have a temper issue - we love you anyways!

 

P.S.  Notice how LONG your hair is in these pictures?  I tried slicking your hair down to one side, but it did not last long.  Your hair always ends up in your face and so, this weekend we are planning to take you for your first haircut!

Rug Burn

Guess who took a tumble in the baby gym at daycare last week and got rug burn on his nose from the carpet?

 P.S.  Do you like my tie-dye shirt?  I made it at school last week.  I think I did a great job!

In-n-Out

This past weekend we headed up to Dallas to spend some time with our good friends Amanda & Kevin.  We also planned to visit the In-n-Out that just opened up in Dallas a few weeks ago!  Brian and I have been waiting for years for them to open locations in Texas and I honestly did not think it would ever happen.

the line for the drive-thru

the line inside

James waiting in line with Daddy

James had been to In-n-Out a few times before on our visits to California, but he was not old enough back then to enjoy the goodness. This time, we got him a grilled cheese and of course - he had some fries too!

all our food

our wonderful hosts for the weekend!

Who Needs Toys?

James has TONS of toys.  He has toys in the living room, toys in his bedroom, toys in the gameroom and toys in our bedroom.

He has a lot of trucks, blocks, balls, cars, stuffed animals, cups and anything and everything else.

But what does he chose to play with??

 The BIG empty box we have in our dining room! 

Growing Up

One of the signs that James is growing up has to do with when we drop him off and pick him up from daycare.  

When he was an infant - we carried him to and from his classroom in his car seat.  As he got a little heavier, we started leaving the car seat in the car and would just carry him in our arms.

Now - he likes to walk himself.  

I took this shot with my iPhone (so not the best quality) one day after I dropped Brian and James off at daycare.  Just looking at this makes my heart melt.

When did my little boy get so BIG?

Splash Pad

There is a splash pad at James' daycare that the kiddos get to use every Tuesday and Friday during the summer.  

In the last school newsletter, there was a picture of some of the kids playing on the splash pad.  This was the picture of my little guy:

How's that water taste James??

Swim Lessons

James has always loved the water.  Even last summer when he was just a wee-little guy, he LOVED going to the pool and splashing around.

As James is getting older, we decided it was a good time to get him some swim lessons.  We found a local swim school that has classes during the summer once a week for about 12 weeks total.  

About five minutes into our first "test" class - we knew we were going to sign James up for the full schedule as he was having a blast!  He was smiles the whole lesson and he even cried when it was time to get out of the pool!

We just finished James' 4th class and this time I was able to capture some photos and videos while Brian handled the little guy.  

Swim diapers on and ready for class to start!

class is about to begin...

Floating in the motor-boat.  Helps them practice kicking while moving through the water.

Daddy trying to get James to blow bubbles.  He blows them outside the water, but has not put two and two together to blow them in the water!

teaching James to hang on to the wall

pouring water over James' face to get him used to the water

practicing his kicking again!

Mommy - why do you keep taking pictures of me??

Sitting on the wall before his jump into the pool.  James is up to THREE seconds of being under the water after a jump and next week, we will try four!

I will try and post some of the video later if I have a chance!

4th Of July Weekend

I hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July weekend!  I had a rare four-day weekend and I spent most of my time with this little guy:

We played a bunch, read some books, ate a bunch of Cheerios, took some naps, ran a few errands and hung out with some friends.  It was a great weekend!

One of the highlights of our weekends, was meeting James' future girlfriend Hadley!  Our good friends Brittany and Matt were in town for the weekend, so we met up for dinner on Saturday night and finally got to meet their adorable little girl.  I could of have just eaten her up she is SO precious!

After dinner, we tried to get some photos of the kiddos together, but trying to get a 6 month and a 17 month old to cooperate did not work too well...

Trying to get the kids all set

The best shot we got.  (Isn't it sad that the best shot did not involve either child actually looking at the camera?)

Hadley had decided she was DONE taking pictures:

This one cracks me up... James is looking at her like "why are you crying??"

All in all, it was a great weekend and I am so thankful for the short work week as I am already ready for the next weekend!

Messy Boy

 Someone really liked the homemade pesto pasta that Daddy made for him!

Ear-E-Ohs

Ear-E-Ohs = Cheerios

Cheerios = James' favorite thing of the moment

Just last weekend, James decided that he would only eat his Cheerios out of a bowl.  If you tried to put a few on his high chair tray or give him a few in his hand - he would refuse.  I gave him a bowl of Cheerios and with a look of determination, he carried that bowl all the way into the living room without spilling a single Cheerio.

He likes to sit in his chair, with his bowl of Cheerios and watch our favorite cartoons on PBS (Sesame Street, Curious George & Cat in the Hat).  

When he finishes a bowl, he gets up and walks into the kitchen and knocks the bowl on the table or counter below wherever the bright yellow box is.

Sometimes he even shares his Cheerios with Brandy.  Sometimes he accidentally knocks his whole bowl of Cheerios on the ground.  And sometimes he will even offer Mommy a Cheerio or two!