Baby Makes Three!

Fun with friends

2011-11-22T11:20:00.001-08:00

Jamie and his friends.

New Jersey

2011-11-22T11:17:00.001-08:00

Pictures from my dad's party and the weekend in general.

He's learning so much!

2011-11-16T05:28:00.000-08:00

Scott and I just got back from a cruise, but more on that later. I can't get over how smart Jamie is! Our kid is a GENIUS, I tell you.

We've been working on animal sounds and body parts lately, and I'm just amazed at how much he knows. His favorite animal sounds are the elephant and the lion, which he repeats often during the day. You never know when an elephant sound is coming! He also likes to do the monkey, pig and cow, from time to time. The elephant is my favorite, because he blows raspberries and puts his hand on top of his head -- very cute.

Last night, we were working on body parts. He knows his ears, mouth, nose, hands, and feet. I found a few Fisher Price apps on my phone, which are great for him. He loves the music and gets really interested. I also found toddler flash cards (either playskool or fisher price) at the dollar store, which he enjoys.

Jamie loves my new iphone just as much (or maybe more!) than I do. I really like the fact that I can download [free] apps just for him. The xylophone app is pretty cute and he knows exactly what to do -- it's essentially a classic toy xylophone that plays whenever little fingers touch it. As soon as I see him making his way over, I close out of my email or facebook, and immediately head over to the kid apps.

We discovered yesterday that Jamie can eat apple slices. He's an apple slice fanatic now.

Okay, and here's the last update -- we have a SLIDER! Jamie used to be afraid of slides at the park. He'd climb up the jungle gym, run around, and then once he saw the slide, he'd look for me and hold up his arms, wanting to be removed immediately. Well. Monday afternoon, we went to the park...and what do you know? That kid just went up there and slid down the slide, like he had been doing it for years. He follows the big kids around, trying to break into their games. Poor kid. He kept following the 6/7 year olds, who were acting like the jungle gym was a castle (I think) and when they saw Jamie, they'd all say "Oh, guys, let the baby go through, don't throw leaves on him!" Or maybe Jamie thought they were talking about some other kid. Either way, he makes the effort and usually tries to join in the conversation, using his excited babble language.

Last thing. We're going through a dress up stage right now. He has several little hats (police helmet, a few fireman hats) and a fireman's jacket that he enjoys putting on. I added an old button up shirt that Scott discarded, but he hasn't touched it -- in fact, last night, he put on his fireman's jacket and made Scott wear the old shirt and they ran around the living room together. We've gone through a few fireman hats, and I definitely don't recommend the flimsy hats that you get at events -- the dollar store ones are best. They're a hard plastic that will last several months, at least.

Well, that's it for now!

Happy Halloween!

2011-11-03T05:52:00.000-07:00

Jamie tried trick or treating for the first time. It went fine, until it started raining, at which point we quit for the night and hung out with friends instead. Still a fun time!

He loved holding his pumpking bucket (threw a fit when I tried to hold it), loved getting treats, and happily growled as a lion.

We're currently working on animal sounds: he knows lion, elephant and dog. Apparently, ducks say "yeah" but I suppose that sounds about right.

Touch a Truck!

2011-10-02T05:14:00.000-07:00

Jamie had a blast. So did we.

His favorite.

Driving the big rig. Actually, I think this was the recycling truck.

Inside the Army helicopter.

We're on a helicopter!

The Army guys were really nice -- great with the kids.

Wandering around.

Ben and Jamie, little enough to fit inside.

Car transporter! We recognized this from Jamie's truck book.

The friendly firefighter telling Jamie about his firetruck. Jamie insisted on wearing his construction hat.

"Lines are the worst, Ma."

It was impossible to see all of the trucks, unfortunately. There was just SO MUCH to see. The line to see the Army helicopter was pretty long. Jamie really liked the police car. He threw a fit when we had to let the other kids take a turn.

Needless to say, his monkey backpack "leash" really came in handy. We didn't lose him!

It was a really fun day. Can't wait 'til next year.

DIY

2011-07-22T05:02:00.000-07:00

We're no strangers to saving money, but sometimes it can be challenging. Life is expensive! We've done pretty well with budgeting so far, especially on one income.

We coupon like crazy and I buy a lot of our things secondhand or on sale. We try to save restaurants when it's a special occasion and we have coupons. Really, we just do what we can to make a difference. I even started dyeing my hair at home. Most women won't admit to that, but I don't care -- it's easy to do it yourself, and the color is so rich and beautiful. Why not? Besides, my hair is starting to turn slightly gray.

Anyway.

And then there's life. We've had so many repairs come up lately. Every month, we were having to get the Buick fixed. New tires, window regulators went out, etc. It had to be done, but I wished we wouldn't have car issues for at least a month. And I got my wish. Instead, our bathtub faucet was leaking. A plumber came out, looked at it, and estimated an expensive fix. Scott and I couldn't believe it. When we were going to get a break? Scott did some research and found out that he could fix it himself for cheap. And he did. Thanks to the friendly folks at Moen and youtube videos. Bubba the plumber won't be coming back. Actually, his real name is James. Whyyyy does someone choose to go by Bubba instead of James? James is a great name!

Now we just need to find more diaper coupons and life will be golden.

A love for reading.

2011-07-20T11:29:00.000-07:00

I love that Jamie loves his books. He's perfectly happy to sit and flip through a book. Upside down, rightside up, any old way will do. Oh sure, he runs around non stop during the day and needs to be a busy bee, but when he gets a book, he will sit quietly and "read" it. Last night, I picked 2 board books to read and we ended up sharing them. Jamie would flip through "Goodnight Moon" and then take my copy of "Barnyard Dance," handing me "Goodnight Moon". We'd switch every 2 minutes. Sometimes he'll let me read to him, but more often than not, it has to be at his pace, and he wants to take his time, studying the pages before flipping to the next one. I think he really likes "Goodnight Moon" because there's so much to look at. It's a really cute book.

I've been wanting to find "Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel" for awhile now, but I couldn't bring myself to pay full retail price on Amazon. At least, not until closer to Christmas. Could you imagine my surprise this morning, when I found a hardcover copy at a thrift store? I was ecstatic. Only 50 cents for a classic book!

There are still some others I need to find, but I'm pretty happy for now.

About last night.

2011-07-15T05:42:00.000-07:00

After Jamie finished his dinner last night (a cereal bowl of pot roast!), I gave him a handful of animal crackers for dessert. Once he ate those, he pointed to the open bag and said "cracker!" I couldn't believe it. So, naturally, I gave him a few more crackers. Wow. It's amazing what words he'll choose.

Just for fun, I put Jamie on his potty seat last night. We have this Thomas the Train potty seat cover that goes right on the toilet. He's been excited to play with the seat, so I thought we could try it out. Oh, he had a grand time. He sat on the seat, swinging his legs, smiling and laughing in the mirror, playing with the toilet paper roll...not actually peeing, of course. I think he just thinks it's a seat. Nothing more, nothing less.

In a few hours, we'll be meeting up with mom so that my parents can have Jamie for the weekend. I think he'll have a lot of fun. Scott and I are just planning to hang out at home and relax. It'll be our first break in nearly 18 months!

Ahoy, Matey!

2011-07-13T13:46:00.001-07:00

Here's Jamie at the Children's Museum, ready to sail the high seas.

Time out is hard.

2011-07-13T13:44:00.000-07:00

No really, it is. It isn't just time out for Jamie, it's time out for me, too. Ugh, it's hard to listen to him cry. He's at the age where he has to learn that certain kinds of behavior aren't acceptable. He's starting to climb on everything, including the coffee table and the little square tables in front of the living room windows. It's scary! Before I know what he's doing, I look up and he's standing on a table! Or he's standing on the couch. Banging the floor lamp against the wall. Or jamming his fingers in the cd player. Sometimes he'll stop when he sees me rushing over, but other times he'll laugh and keep on doing what he's doing. I'm trying a few different versions of time out. Sometimes he has to sit on the floor, and the tv goes off, or if he's really not listening, he goes into the pack n play. If all else fails, he goes into his crib for a few minutes. I really don't know what other people do, but so far, this is working for us. I know he'll act up, and not listen to me, but it's still hard to listen to him cry when he realizes he's being punished. Oh, boy. Those are the only things he really gets in trouble for. Oh, and pushing. Sometimes he does great and doesn't push his friends. Other times...especially if he's around a lot of kids and gets overwhelmed, he starts pushing. That's tough, too.

Let's see, what else....

Jamie said "apple" the other night. He was referring to a plastic tomato, but it's close enough. We went to the children's museum this morning and he had a lot of fun. This time, he pretty much led the way and I followed him around. He really knew what he was doing! He'd check one area out, like apple picking, and then hurry over to the pirate ship, and then started exploring the vegetable patch. It was pretty cute. He's SO FAST, too. Sometimes I have to jog after him. He got a sticker during storytime and at home, I gave the sticker to Scott. Jamie reached over and grabbed it off Scott's shirt and promptly stuck it back on his shirt. We couldn't stop laughing. What a kid!

Whew!

2011-07-01T12:52:00.000-07:00

We're on the home stretch and the weekend is clearly in sight. Jamie's finally down for a nap (took a few tries!), only 3 hours later than the first time I put him down.

I'm officially done with housework for the week (well, a few loads of laundry left to fold) and that feels good. We're going "camping" tomorrow at a friend's house. I say "camping" because we'll be doing outdoorsy things and grilling food, but I will be sleeping indoors (with Jamie). Sleeping bags in tents are for the birds.

Have a good weekend, everyone!

5 days into the new cleaning schedule.

2011-07-01T09:08:00.000-07:00

I'm already over it. Well, I guess I should keep up with the cleaning -- the mess is here, I'm here, I might as well take care of it, but it's just a lot of hard work.

Monday was the living room, Tuesday - dining room, Wednesday - kitchen, Thursday - master bedroom, and today, Friday - all 3 bathrooms. I figured that the nursery and guest room would get cleaned in my spare time. Here's the hard part. There are days when Jamie doesn't nap so well. Yesterday was interesting because he was up until 3:30. I didn't get as much done. Today, I put him down at 11:30, since he was so crabby, and I'm trying to catch up on chores that I didn't get to earlier in the week. It's noon and I can hear him talking upstairs. I think he's trying to make owl sounds. It's actually pretty cute.

Of course, my house has never been entirely clean at the same time, so it's not like my old [or lack of] schedule was working. I just waited until it was obvious that something needed to be cleaned.

I think what I really need is a vacation. It's been over 2 year since we've had any kind of real break. Ahhh. Did I mention that I'm also pretty tired?

No! Don't do that!

2011-06-30T04:41:00.000-07:00

I spend so much time keeping an eye on Jamie and telling him to take something out of his mouth, or not to touch the tv (he can lean over the superyard), etc. The other day, I was coming out of the kitchen and saw him next to the dvd cabinet, with several dvds on the floor. He knows that's a big no-no. As soon as he saw me, he smiled and quickly put the dvds back and shut the cabinet. Then he ran to a toy, as if that's what he'd been doing all along.

I didn't know whether to be very proud of my good decision maker, or to burst out laughing. Really, he's this smart already?

Getting organized.

2011-06-29T09:58:00.000-07:00

I've always been the kind of girl who likes to "wing it". I've heard of other housewives/homemakers/moms/domestic engineers having "schedules" to keep everything at bay. That seemed so silly to me. Just do everything when it needs to get done! Right?

Actually, the idea of making a schedule is growing on me. I guess I already do a bit of scheduling, since we meal plan in advance. I also plan for the Richmond Mommies playdates. In addition to all of this, I have come to realize that I need a housekeeping schedule. No more running around, trying to clean all the things.

My obsession with "CLEAN ALL THE THINGS!" comes from this hilarious blog post: This is why I'll never be an adult. Go ahead and read this blog. I swear, you won't get anything done for about 2 hours.

Anyway. Back to the schedule. It's really tough to get much cleaning done when Jamie's awake. Unless I'm in the kitchen (where I can see him and more importantly, he can see me), and even then, it's a losing battle. He shrieks, he's into something, he's thirsty, he has a dirty diaper, etc. Also, I've decided that most mornings will be set aside for errands or playdates.

Lately, he's been napping for a few hours each afternoon, and here's what I've decided: each day, I will focus on 1 room. And 1 room only. Unless it's the bathroom, in which case I will clean all 3, because I'll have the supplies out anyway. I will clean as thoroughly as I can and then I take a break until Jamie wakes up. No more feeling like I have to get the entire house spotless in 1 day! I'm on day 3 of this brilliant plan, and so far, so good. I feel great because at least 1 room is sparkling and then I get to sit down with a glass of iced tea and something good to watch on Tivo. Then Jamie wakes up, we play, or go do something, and then it's 5pm and time to start dinner.

I also decided that I should do at least 1 load of laundry a day. I usually put it off and end up with 5 loads on Friday. It's a little crazy. The kitchen is littered with piles of dirty clothes. With 3 people in a house, 1 load a day might seem excessive (it did to me, originally), but there's always something dirty -- towels, sheets, Jamie's little stained clothes, bibs and dish towels, etc.

I really do love taking care of the household. We're usually busy on the weekends, or we like to spend time together as a family, so there isn't time to clean and run errands then. I also don't want to put everything off until Scott gets home. So basically, it's important to me to do the best job I can at home. I'm always curious as to how other moms manage their homes, so if anyone has ever been curious about us, well, here it is.

I finally finished a gallon of ice cream. Guess who got a toy?

2011-06-28T06:00:00.001-07:00

We call it "chicken mish-mash"

2011-06-28T05:55:00.000-07:00

I accidentally created a delicious dinner last night. And I don't want to forget how to make it, so I'm sharing it on the blog.

It all started when I took out the crockpot and added 2 lbs of chicken (the skinless boneless variety) with a can of cream of asparagus soup. I figured we would just add a side and a vegetable and call it good. Then, I realized that we had some potatoes to use up, so I sliced 4 potatoes and added those. I found a can of french green beans in the pantry, and added that, along with a can of cream of chicken soup, to make up for the extra ingredients. For good measure, I decided to throw in half a stick of margarine. Along with a dash of salt and pepper, of course. Looking back, sliced carrots might have been a good idea. Oh, well. I started the crockpot around 9am and set it to low. (Never, ever set your crockpot to high. This is always a bad idea.)

Around 3pm, I stirred my concoction and thought that it looked a little too soupy. Maybe I shouldn't have added the second can of soup! Then it came to me. Canned biscuits! Of course! The perfect ending to this meal! Jamie and I were on our way out to meet a friend at Hobby Lobby (very cool store, but that's a story for another time), and before we came home, we made sure to pick up some canned biscuits -- in this case, Pillsbury Grand's. It was pretty easy. I just popped the can open (I made sure to get this done before Scott came home, because he *hates* that sound) and made a biscuit layer on top. 30 minutes layer, we were ready to eat, and it was perfect. Not too soupy, not too dry -- just right. I think cheese would also work well in this dish. I'll have to try that next time.

This is how good the dinner was: Jamie ate it! He even tried using his toddler fork, but then he realized that his fingers were more efficient.

A quilt for Jamie.

2011-06-27T09:46:00.000-07:00

I finally finished Jamie's quilt! I'm pretty happy with it, considering I didn't follow too many directions, aside from simple tips on how to piece the fabric together and how to bind a quilt. I also read a lot of sewing blogs to get ideas on techniques and to see pictures.

I wanted my first quilt to be pretty basic. I just got my sewing machine at Christmas! I went to Joann's and picked out 3 coordinating fabrics. Truth be told, I fell in love with a fun dinosaur print, but sadly, couldn't find anything to match it with. Instead of blocks, I went with a stripe pattern. I also didn't want to do a twin quilt (yet), so I went with a smaller scale. The ABC fabric is the main part of the quilt, so that's what I chose to use for the backing. The stripes are really fun, and they "pop", so that's what I chose for the binding. Instead of batting, I went with a plain piece of fleece. Again, nothing too crazy going on here.

All in all, it wasn't too bad. The hardest part was coming up with the measurements. I'll admit, I sat at the table for about an hour and almost decided that I wouldn't do it at all. My math brain just wouldn't cooperate. I took a lot of breaks and then had my "a-ha!" moment. Once the fabric was washed and ironed, the strips were measured and cut (and then I ironed again!), it was FINALLY time to sew. After each successful seam, I had to iron, so I had quite the workstation set up in the dining room. Once the quilt top was finished, I cut my fleece and backing (after washing and ironing, of course). The hardest part here was smoothing the fabric out as best as I could, and carefully pinning the 3 layers together. Then, I had to sew it all together!

There are some really fancy machines out there that can quilt some really beautiful patterns, but I don't have any kind of access to that. Also, quilt shops charge quite a bit to professionally finish a quilt. No, I wanted to do it myself. Instead of a swirly quilt pattern (which my machine could probably do), I decided to "stitch in the ditch". It's exactly what it sounds like. I just made my seams where there was already a seam from piecing together the quilt top. I just had to take my time and it only took a day to get this done. Once that was finished, I admired the quilt, proudly showed it to Scott, and then folded it up and set it aside.

And I procrastinated. I started (and finished) other projects. Friends were having babies and those babies needed taggie blankets! I read up on how to bind a quilt. I was intimidated, so I kept putting it off. I didn't want to destroy Jamie's quilt.

Until last week. One day, after lunch, when Jamie went down for his nap, I got serious. I brought up the webpage that explains binding, and I took out my sewing machine and turned on the iron. I measured out the fabric to go around the quilt, cut, ironed, pinned, and was constantly pricking myself, but I was determined to get it done! I only took breaks to drink water and change episodes of Friends that I keep on Tivo.

I will say that I'm disappointed with how the corners turned out during the binding process (only because they don't look like the quilts you see at the store), but I'm very happy with how it turned out as a whole. It's cute, it's functional and will be great for Jamie to nap with once the weather turns cold. It was also a great quilt to start with and to learn what I was doing. I could have taken a quilting class, but it was expensive (in my opinion) and I didn't have 4 weekends in a row to devote to it.

I am seriously in love with my sewing machine. On to my next project!

Cesarean Brave

2011-06-27T06:36:00.000-07:00

http://avital.blogspot.com/2011/01/cesarean-courage.html#axzz1QDlFxh2W

I came across this link today. Too often, I think, moms who have had c-sections are made to feel bad or like they didn't *really* give birth. There's no right or wrong way to have a baby, and sometimes surgery is necessary. Or, in my case, I was 3 days overdue with a large baby and still hadn't gone into labor. I spent most of my pregnancy thinking of how I was going to have Jamie, imagining the labor, waking up in the middle of the night with contractions, just like in the movies. And on my due date, going to the hospital and having 2 ultrasounds with a specialist trying to figure out how they missed Jamie getting so big before delivery. My OB was concerned, didn't want to induce me, and strongly recommended scheduling a c-section, after telling me that she's usually advocating *against* c-sections, but really believed that it was the best way to deliver my baby. Honestly, I was heartbroken and surprised, thinking that my perfect delivery would never happen. But you know what? It was perfect. Scott was with me, the nurses and doctors were very nice, and I still got to see Jamie right after he was born. He was healthy, didn't break anything on the way out (which would have been a huge risk), and all in all, things went great. I had a longer hospital stay, but there was a blizzard going on anyway, so it's just as well. And I'd do it again. There should be none of this negative talk around c-sections. Jamie and I are proof that good things can come from them. I was a c-section baby, too!

Happy Father's Day!

2011-06-19T07:56:00.000-07:00

Funny stuff.

2011-06-11T05:18:00.000-07:00

Jamie loves to play with shoes. Actually, I did too when I was little. He is my son, after all. This happened on Thursday, it was nice and it allowed me to prep dinner.

And this was in the dressing room at Old Navy. I couldn't resist a photo op. I ended up getting that skirt hanging from the back of the stroller along with a coral tank top. I gave maxi dresses another try and I just can't make it work. My legs are too short and it looks like I'm wearing a potato sack. Skirts, on the other hand, will always work. As long as they aren't too long. And then it looks like I'm wearing a potato sack! Anyway. Jamie loved the mirror.

Yesterday, the cutest thing happened. I brought a clean diaper into the living room, and as soon as Jamie saw it, he immediately stopped what he was doing and laid down. I couldn't get over it. It always surprises me when I realize just how much he's aware of what's going on. Once the diaper (just pee) was changed, he leaned over to grab it (to help? throw it away?), but I don't know that I'm ready for him to do that just yet. But I'll gladly take him making the diaper changes easier. Some of his friends are starting to potty train, but I don't know that we're there yet, either. 16 months seems so young, doesn't it? I thought the standard age was 2. Oh, well.

Better late than never.

2011-06-09T07:00:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that I haven't updated since February! Life with Jamie is busy, so busy in fact, that it's hard to find time to sit down and come up with a blog post.

As I'm typing this, Jamie is in the [gated] living room, happily patting the glass on the fireplace and babbling to himself. He's been walking since March, and every week, becomes more steady on his feet. Of course, he's an explorer and hates to stay still in one spot. When we go to playdates, he's the kid who makes a run for it and wants to get into everything imaginable. I bought one of those monkey backpack leashes, but I keep forgetting to use it. I'm also half scared that other moms will judge me (I know I shouldn't care), but I have a kid who runs -- so, I think the toddler leash is genius.

I'm not kidding when I say that we've been BUSY. In April, I decided to start volunteering and became an area group moderator for RichmondMommies.com. Basically, another mommy and I plan weekly playdates for our area of Richmond. It's fun, and it gets us out the house, but keeps us on the go. For most of April and May, I took on a part time job at a local gym in the childcare room -- in the end, it didn't work out because Jamie was sick all the time. I realized that I was already working hard taking of Jamie, and for now, will continue to work inside the home. Besides, RichmondMommies is plenty of side work.

What else, what else...

Jamie is a fun kid. I'm not joking. He really is fun. His personality has really been shining through lately. He's sweet, and wants everyone to have a good time. He likes to start clapping and cheering wherever we are. Seriously. Wherever we are. Even if I'm in a bathroom stall and he's in his stroller. He will start clapping and encourage me to "go". At the grocery store, he'll wave to the cashier and clap for them. It's his thing. He has started a pushing/shoving phase, as I'm told that most boys do. The thing is, he's never violent about it (and I always remind him that he needs to play nice), and usually ends up giving his friends a hug or offers them one of his toys. He loves the park, and has managed to climb up on the jungle gym (and then looks at me, confused as to what to do next), loves the baby swings, loves digging through mulch and this is what cracks me up -- when a pack of big kids run by, he stops what he's doing and stares at them (usually moving his feet), wishing he could keep up with them. Sometimes I think he thinks he's bigger and older than he is. He wants to do so much, but he's stuck in a toddler body.

He's sooo independent. Or he likes to think he is. He loves playing outside, has already successfully opened the gate to get out of the yard (oops) and waved bye-bye to me on his way out. He doesn't like to have his hand held when he's walking (wants to do it himself). Hates getting cleaned up after a meal. He's okay with getting spoon-fed. No problem there. Isn't a fan of ice cream, though. I can't figure that one out.

Absolutely loves the pool. Last year, he wasn't a fan, but this year...he enjoys getting the water, splashing, playing...it's really cute. I've also figured out his favorite show. Curious George. Oh, he'll get into pretty much any PBS show -- Sesame Street, Sid the Science Kid, but Curious George is his favorite. I'm thinking that I'll have to start looking for CG stuff for his big boy room. The plan now is to get him into a real bed by Christmas. We'll see how it goes!

And now, a few recent pictures. Enjoy!

Jamie performs after dinner.

2011-02-18T08:06:00.001-08:00

Jamie and his busy life as a 1 year old

2011-02-16T05:39:00.000-08:00

Jamie is so busy! He's not quite walking yet, but he likes to cruise along furniture and is still champion crawler of the house.

He has a few baby friends that he sees regularly in playgroup and random playdates. He LOVES to be social. He'll go up to another baby and pat them, offer them toys, or take their toys, talk up a storm, share his food, etc. If we see another baby while out we're out, he'll turn around in his stroller or shopping cart to get a good look.

He loves buttons. And tv cords. And messing with the knobs on the stereo. Food that isn't his. Elmo and most of the muppets on Sesame Street. Anything with a reflection so that he can check himself out. His fruity flavored toddler toothpaste. He insists on brushing his own teeth. Hates milk. Absolutely hates it. Prefers apple juice and water. Loves cuddles. Hates being ignored. MUST be included in everything. Loves stroller walks and taking everything in. Enjoys riding in the car. Loves standing at the window -- any window. He wants to check out who's walking by and will call out to them. "Oh, hello! Have a productive day! Enjoy it!" Loves the swings at the park. Swinging makes him laugh like nothing else. Does not enjoy wearing shoes. Will pull at the velcro and kick them off if he's able. Enjoys pulling magnets off the fridge. Also sits in the kitchen and pulls boxes off of the shelf -- cereal, pasta, that kind of thing. Still loves bananas. Absolute favorite food. Also eats nutrigrain bars, muffins, chicken nuggets (sometimes), french fries, yogurt, baby oatmeal, applesauce, cheese, bread, peanut butter, goldfish crackers, cheerios, saltines, and actually, still goes for a jar of pureed food on a regular basis. This boy can put away some food. He also enjoys birthday cupcakes and will polish them off in no time. Still enjoys chewing on things. And grinding his teeth. We can't seem to get him to stop. Likes books and will pat the pages if he's into the story. Claps his hands with great enthusiasm and does "so big" with a smile. Doesn't prefer to have his nose wiped. Poor thing. He's such a boy about it. "Ma! Don't wipe my nose! People might see!" Very preppy. As if he had a choice! Will wear sweater vests and a tie (the clip on variety) for important occasions. If he's visiting friends, a fun tshirt and a collared shirt will do. Likes polo shirts, cargo pants, anything with a dinosaur on the front. His pjs are too cute. My favorite are the snug fitting 2 piece sets. Anything that shows off his cute feet.

Yup, Jamie's a busy guy with his own ideas. Watch out!

Favorite baby products.

2011-02-10T12:07:00.000-08:00

Isn't it crazy how much "stuff" a baby needs? I thought I'd make a list of stuff that I love, and hopefully pass on some good advice to other moms out there.

1. Carseat & Stroller. The nurses won't let you leave the hospital without one, and believe me, I did a lot of research on this one. I eventually decided to go with a travel system, because I thought I'd like to have a matching stroller. I'm very glad I did this. Even though Jamie is on to his next car seat (the convertible kind), we get A LOT of use out of his stroller. I went with the Graco snugride infant seat, with the "lightrider" stroller. The car seat snaps into place, which is nice. The stroller features 3 cupholders (one on the tray for the baby) and 2 up top, near the handles. There's also a convenient basket underneath, which is helpful on quick trips to the store. Graco has a lot of different patterns in the snugride -- but I chose "pippin". It's basically a green elephant design. I wanted a stroller that didn't take up a lot of trunk space, and this one is very light and easy to maneuver. Absolutely love it.

2. Pack and Play. Mine is a basic Graco one, with a monkey design. I just wanted something for the living room in the beginning, and something that would travel well. It's not an absolute necessity, but it's definitely a nicety.

3. Highchair. I'm very happy with our highchair. Again, it's a Graco. I like that Jamie has his own seat, it adjusts to a few different heights, there's a little storage shelf under the seat, the pattern is cute....I could go on. If you have the space, I recommend getting a highchair.

4. Baby bathtub. In the beginning, we put this plastic whale-shaped bathtub on the changing table. Fisher Price makes it. I couldn't imagine bathing Jamie in the sink, or putting him in the bathtub so soon. The baby tub was just so handy! Later on, we started using it in the bath tub, and within the last few months, he uses the real tub. Again, you don't *have* to have it, but it made our lives easier.

5. Gerber cloth diapers. No, I didn't cloth diaper my baby -- I bought a package of plain cloth diapers to use as burp rags. These ended up being my favorite burp rags. No joke. They're very soft, they can be bleached, they're absorbent...what more could you ask for? LOVE THESE. In fact, I still use them to wipe Jamie's snotty nose.

6. Munchkin dishwasher basket. I didn't use bottles very much at all, but this thing is great for washing baby spoons, little plastic toys, teethers, and now, sippy cup parts.

7. Speaking of spoons, I would recommend getting a decent sized pack of plastic baby spoons. Not the gerber kind with the metal handle. No. Just get the colorful plastic spoons -- I think it comes in a package that says "take and toss". Of course, you'll just throw these in your dishwasher basket and reuse them. They are GREAT. I much prefer them over the metal handled ones. I store them in a plastic cup in the cabinet. Jamie has his own shelf of bowls, spoons, sippy cups, etc.

8. Ikea makes these great little plastic bowls for kids. Because they're small, they're ideal for a baby serving size of yogurt, applesauce -- whatever you're about the feed the baby.

9. Speaking of Ikea, we found our bathtub mat there. It's in the shape of an alligator and suctions to the bottom of the tub. Now the tub is slip-proof.

10. Baby nightgowns. For the first few months, I preferred to put Jamie in cotton nightgowns with elastic at the bottom. They made 2am diaper changes a little easier. In fact, I've never really liked pajamas with snaps. Too much work. Once he was too big for nightgowns, I liked the pajamas with a zipper. Around 9 months, I started putting him in 2 piece pjs, but I still do zipper pajamas, too.

11. Nursery furniture. I can't believe I forgot about furniture. Obviously, babies need a place to sleep -- and a crib is usually the way to go. For the first 2 months, Jamie slept in a cradle in our bedroom. If we hadn't been given a cradle, I would have used the pack n play. For his nursery, he has a crib and changing table (which were generously donated by his aunt, uncle and cousin!). Some people don't like changing tables -- I think they're great. Get a contoured changing pad and a few covers for it. I also like plastic diaper organizers/caddies with a space for the wipes. Again, you'll find things here and there that will make your life easier.

12. Desitin. I prefer this over the other diaper rash ointments.

To be continued...

Birthday Videos!

2011-02-10T06:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday, Jamie!

2011-02-10T05:56:00.000-08:00

I'm a little late, seeing as his birthday was the 28th, but here's a picture post to enjoy!

It's January already!

2011-01-23T16:28:00.000-08:00

Christmas came and went, and here we are, in 2011. Crazy.

These are all from Christmas morning, with his toys.

Scott made pancakes.

Later that week, we celebrated with Scott's side of the family.

Still to come -- pictures from Christmas with my side.

Someone's first Christmas is coming up!

2010-12-20T17:03:00.000-08:00

Pictures!

2010-11-19T05:03:00.000-08:00

Updates

2010-11-19T04:48:00.000-08:00

Jamie has a new game. He sits in front of his book basket (just a big wicker basket full of board books) and pulls them out, one at a time. This kid has skills! To make the game last longer, sometimes I do a refill when he isn't looking. Wow! More books!

This week, we took the baby bathtub (shaped like a whale) out of the tub. Jamie is now taking a big kid bath each night. He LOVES it. I dumped a bunch of beach toys in with him (bought years ago as decoration) and he has fun.

Meals are becoming more interesting. He hates being spoon fed, so I give him chunks of food on his tray. Sometimes he eats very little -- a slice of cheese, 2 cheerios, etc. Last night he was a monster. We shared a string cheese (with him climbing all over me, demanding the cheese faster than I could peel it off), and then he had a cheese single, a slice of turkey lunchmeat, some bread, a few bits of my potato, and a few cheerios, if I remember correctly. He really enjoys those cheerios. Scott emailed me from work yesterday, letting me know that he found a cheerio in his pocket.

We hit an Old Navy sale yesterday and I picked up the cutest thing for him to wear for Thanksgiving. I'm serious, you will all die of cuteness overload. And no, it's not a turkey costume. We're doing Thanksgiving this weekend with Scott's side and next week with mine. So anyway, stay tuned!

A little Jamie to get you through the weekend.

2010-11-12T14:08:00.001-08:00

Do they make mugs that say "World's Greatest Baba"?

2010-11-12T05:01:00.000-08:00

Every week, Jamie has been babbling more and more. Awhile ago, he started Dadadada. No Mama, just Dada.

Well, this week I thought I finally heard something that sounded like Mama. I smiled, coached him a little bit and he responded happily with Baba. Baba? I kept trying and coached more, and still I got Baba.

2 days ago it was Baba, yesterday it was Baba (I was out of the room and Jamie asked Scott for Baba), and this morning I got a few smiley Baba's.

So, there it is. I'm Baba. I'll take it.

Real food! (as opposed to the fake variety, of course)

2010-11-05T05:24:00.000-07:00

Here and there, I've been giving Jamie small amounts of table food. Yesterday, at his 9 month checkup, the pediatrician said that there's really nothing that he can't have -- other than popcorn and nuts. Well, and I'm sure he shouldn't have soda, candy, etc. But you get the idea.

Last night, I made crockpot chicken and stuffing with a side of steamed collard greens. I decided not to go for the usual jar of sweet potatoes, and instead, gave him a small portion of what was on my plate. I truly felt like a mother bird, tearing up a collard for him to eat. He had a good dinner, though. This morning, I decided to scramble up an egg for him, and he's happily feeding himself. It's funny...I tried to spoon feed him and he refused, but if I put the food on his tray, he'll eat whatever I give him. I guess he wants to be independent. He's also getting better with using his sippy cup. He's a smart kid.

The checkup went very well yesterday. Jamie is the picture of health. Weighing in at 21 lbs and 2 oz, and measuring 30 inches in length. He got a few shots, but the worst part was when the doctor wanted to take a look at his teeth. Jamie just lost it and started crying. He didn't cry when he was getting blood drawn, but threw a fit when someone wanted to check out his teeth. He has 2 coming in on the top, by the way.

Let's see, what else...

Jamie is VERY social. About twice a week, we're either at the library or at a playdate with other little ones. The other day, at storytime, Jamie went up to a little girl twice his age. She was sitting on a tiny stool and Jamie just crawled up and kneeled in front of her. He reached out his little hand and patted her knee and gave her a big drooly smile. The little girl wasn't thrilled that someone was invading her space and unfortunately, Jamie didn't win her over. And during the actual story, Jamie doesn't like to sit still like some of the babies. Some kids are walking around (which is what I predict Jamie will do) and he would rather explore other people's shoes than sit quietly and listen to a story. Oh, well.

Apples

2010-11-02T18:15:00.000-07:00

Jamie's a dalmatian!

2010-10-23T18:04:00.000-07:00

Cruising!

2010-10-18T10:38:00.000-07:00

Video of us

2010-10-06T18:58:00.000-07:00

Fun at the park!

2010-10-03T17:15:00.000-07:00

Recent Pictures

2010-09-23T16:55:00.000-07:00

Sick!

2010-09-19T10:26:00.000-07:00

Jamie has his first cold. Poor guy. I went to get him after his nap and his nose was snotty. He's been coughing and sneezing, too.

All of this on our first wedding anniversary. I guess we're staying in tonight.

Missing people.

2010-09-15T18:20:00.000-07:00

Not sure why I'm writing this, but there are lots of people I miss. Family, friends, those who have passed....

I'm glad that there are things like phones, email and cars. I just think the toughest thing in life is the fact that on a daily basis, you have to miss people.

To anyone reading -- please know that you are all very much loved and missed, even if I don't call or visit as often as I'd like to.

Yay!

2010-08-26T05:19:00.001-07:00

Jamie smiled and waved to me this morning!

So many new things!

2010-08-24T10:49:00.000-07:00

In just a few days, Jamie will be 7 months old. Wow.

It's not even 2 pm, and so far:

Jamie has taken 2 naps. (he's in the middle of his "after lunch nap")
His bottom 2 teeth are really coming in. They're very cute.
We're done with size 2 diapers. I used the last one when he first woke up, and we're officially into size 3's.
Jamie despises squash and prefers carrots. For now.
He doesn't waste time crawling across the living room floor. It's not a textbook crawl, but it's very close and the boy can MOVE.

Other things:
We lowered the crib mattress.
He had his first visit to the pool on Saturday. He liked getting his feet wet, but nothing else. I don't blame the kid -- that pool was pretty chilly.
He can stand up if someone helps him. As in, he can hold himself up, but would topple over without our help.
He can sit up UNASSISTED for a few minutes. Sometimes he topples over, but that's okay.

Whew, one day I had a little baby and the next day...I had a big kid. How did this happen?

Jackie's wedding weekend

2010-08-17T10:18:00.000-07:00

Fresh peaches!

2010-08-13T07:44:00.000-07:00

Last night, Jamie was starting to cut a tooth (our first tooth!) and didn't want the same old jar of pureed peas. So, I sliced up a peach and let him eat it through a mesh feeder. These things are great! He just gnawed away and still had an acceptable dinner.

Recent uploads.

2010-07-25T18:59:00.000-07:00

Before Jamie was born, Scott's mom gave me a few things that Scott wore when he was a baby.

The sweater was one of Scott's, but I'll mention here that my friend Sarah made the booties. You can't tell in the picture, but there's a silver elephant button on each shoe. Very cute!

The white sweater is from Jonathan's (my brother) baby days.

And lastly, we have Jamie in Scott's old bunting. He looks like a pea in a pod, doesn't he? I promise, we only kept him in it for 2 minutes (it IS July), but he was just so adorable. If it had fit him as a newborn, he would have been set during the blizzard!

North Carolina!

2010-07-25T18:44:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned, we took a trip to North Carolina this past weekend. Jamie met my mom's side of the family for the first time!

Generation pictures seem to be pretty popular. Here we are -- Jamie, my grandad, my mom and me.

Jamie and his great grandad

Scott made it into the picture.

My cousin Cheryl's children, Cheridan and Dylan. They're great kids.

Unfortunately, my camera didn't end up with a lot of pictures. I'll have to see if I can get pictures from others who were there to share with you!

Hello, hello, hello!

2010-07-25T17:56:00.000-07:00

I can't believe we have a baby who is nearly 6 months old. How did he grow so fast and get so old? At the same time...has it really been 6 months? I feel like Jamie has been here for a year!

Jamie has been a busy little guy.

He LOVES his baby food. We've given him squash, sweet potato, bananas, peas, green beans, avocado and carrots. We've kept up with making some of his food at home, but I'm also a fan of the Gerber and Beechnut variety. I've discovered that it's better to undress him and THEN feed him, and to keep plenty of paper towels handy.

In other news, we battled our first illness on his 5th month birthday. The fever came first, followed by a worried phone call to the pediatrician. The next morning, he was diagnosed with Herpangina -- a common childhood virus. It feels like the flu and lasts about a week. How do I know this? It's contagious. Jamie toughed it out, though. I took this picture during one of his many naps that week.

Jamie has been working on his sitting skills. He's doing so well that we just tried him in the shopping cart today at Babies 'R Us...where we picked out his new car seat! That's right, Jamie is such a big kid that he outgrew his baby seat! A little bit of research later, we picked out a seat by Safety 1st. It's already in the car! I'm so proud of Jamie and his new seat, but it makes me a little sad that he won't be using the seat that he came home from the hospital in. (sniffle)

I'll update later with more pictures -- we just got home from a trip to North Carolina, where Jamie got to meet my mom's side of the family. Stay tuned!

Some pictures to tide you over!

2010-07-05T08:04:00.000-07:00

The first set of pictures was taken yesterday and the last 2 were taken a week ago, when my mom and brother came to visit.

More to come!

Squash!

2010-06-15T18:38:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we decided to let Jamie test out his highchair for the first time. So far, so good.

Then we thought about what food to start him off with, finally deciding on summer squash because that's what we had in the fridge. After Jamie went to bed, the work began....

Success! Now we wait......

Until today, at lunch.

He seems to like it.

Most of it ends up in his mouth!

He didn't finish the entire dish, but we tried again at dinnertime and the results were even better -- he finished 2/3 of an entire tupperware container! Hopefully, we can try banana or avocado by this weekend.

Went to Maryland not too long ago....

2010-06-15T18:05:00.000-07:00

For a 3 year old's birthday!

Here I am with Jenn, a good friend from high school. She had her son, Frank, a week before Jamie was born.

Her older son, Brandon, opening his birthday presents.

How adorable is this little guy?

Jamie appears to understand the concept of a goody bag. As you can see, he's not sharing!

Later on, at my Mom and Dad's.......

Pictures!

2010-06-15T17:55:00.000-07:00

Jamie in his exersaucer.

Below, fun with hands and feet.

4 months old!

2010-05-30T06:04:00.000-07:00

On Friday, Jamie turned 4 months old. Already a 1/3 of the way through his first year! I can't believe it. He found his feet this week, and loves to grab at them. He'll also grab at my face, my glasses, my hair.....and my food. If I try to eat over him (like I usually do), he'll grab at my plate and watch in amazement as I eat. I think he's ready to start solids, but I'll have to see what the pediatrician says at his check up in a few days.

More pictures

2010-05-28T10:44:00.000-07:00

Jamie and Skylar at the park. "Why can't I have a sippy cup?"

"I LOVE this song!"

Melody visits!

The ups and downs of Naptime

2010-05-25T12:14:00.000-07:00

Babies sleep a lot, don't they? Or at least, that's what I thought before Jamie was born.

My child does not like to sleep, or at least, not on a consistent basis. Well, there have been plenty of days where he hasn't napped a bit (when I admit this, I feel like I'm doing something wrong, eventhough I can't really control how he sleeps!), but other days he does fine. I love naptime because it gives me a chance to slow down and have some time to myself.

This week, however, Jamie chooses to nap when we have plans. We've missed storytime at the library for 2 weeks now. Last Monday, we just couldn't get going. We stayed in our pjs for awhile and took it easy at home. Yesterday, I was so proud of myself for getting us out the door on time. I thought, we'll even be *early*. I've got it together! I can do this! Well, I found a parking spot and as soon as I was ready to put Jamie's carseat in the stroller, I realized he was fast asleep. Deep sleep, even. He ended up sleeping for about an hour, which meant that I had to give up on storytime (how could I go with a sleeping baby?), which is also social hour for me. It ended up being fine, though, as I was able to sit and read magazines for awhile and pick out some books to take home. Today, I had plans to go to a "happy hour" playdate at another mom's house. These are held once a month and it's fun to see the same ladies on a regular basis. Well, naptime just started (hence my free time to write an update), so I'll have to pass until next time. On the other hand, I can try to read some of my library book, drink iced tea and put my feet up. At least there's a bright side, right? And I did get out this morning, to do a little shopping with my friend Kate and her little girl. So I did get some socializing in.

In other news, Jamie moved up to size 2 diapers over the weekend. This is a big deal. HUGE. At the hospital, he was too big for newborn diapers, so he was in size 1 immediately. I figured it would only be a few weeks until he was in the 2's. Nope, he took his time and I ended up having to slowly buy more packs, wondering when the switch would happen. Sooo....that makes nearly 4 months in size 1's. Guess who will be 4 months old on Friday? Time is flying!

Jamie or Jonathan?

2010-05-24T16:00:00.000-07:00

One set of pictures was taken in 1979 of my brother (and Jamie's uncle!) Jonathan and one set was taken this afternoon. Can you guess who is who?

Latest family picture

2010-05-20T12:50:00.001-07:00

Milestone update

2010-05-20T12:49:00.001-07:00

This past week, Jamie has learned how to roll over. It's pretty exciting! He'll do it whenever he has the chance and actually tolerates being on his stomach now. Tummy time won't be so torturous anymore.

More Jamie!

2010-05-20T12:32:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not, that's the same Winnie the Pooh blanket I had as a baby. I'm glad I remembered to dig it out of the box it had been stored in!

Last weekend, we went to visit Scott's parents in Springfield.

I told everyone to act natural, and this is what I got -- fake tv watching.

Well, Jamie was really watching tv. Or just flashing lights. He's mesmerized.

And then Addison arrived.

The next day....

Grandpa and Betty arrived, to celebrate Grandpa's 92nd birthday.

Four generations of Kramers.

Napping on my lap, as he's so worn out from partying.

About to blow out his candles. And yes, it really does say 29.

Mommmm, why can't I have some cake? That's so lame!

Grandpa giving Jamie some words of wisdom.

Leaning in for just one picture with Jamie and Addison.

Addison was able to fit into the bumbo seat. Guess Jamie will be able to use it for a long time!

And back at home, my mom came for a short visit....

That's all for now!

My baby can sleep!

2010-05-17T06:21:00.000-07:00

This deserves it's own post.

Jamie slept for 12 hours last night. Uninterrupted. We put him down around 8:30 last night, and I actually woke up on my own this morning -- and then I just relaxed until I heard him making sounds.

How can I get this to happen every night?

Maryland!

2010-05-10T09:04:00.000-07:00

I'm finally caught up! Here's a rundown from this past weekend, where we visited my parents in Maryland.

Here he is on Friday afternoon, fast asleep in the car.

And then on Saturday, guess who came to visit???

Little Nora! She turned 10 months old on Sunday.

Nora belongs to Linds and Justin. We were so excited to get the babies together. Nora was so interested in Jamie!

I haven't seen this little girl since she was Jamie's age.

"Jamie, I'm telling you, crawling is the way to go!"

I could not get over Nora's jellies.

Then, later on...

Still small enough to fit in the bathroom sink!

Jamie meets Anna.

2010-05-10T07:13:00.000-07:00

Jamie's really making the baby rounds! A few weeks ago, he met Anna, the daughter of some college friends of Scott's. Anna is about 10 months old.

Anna, and her mom, Emily.

The other side of the table. Jamie looks on in wonder.

And they meet. Friends? Only time will tell!

3 months old!

2010-05-10T07:07:00.000-07:00

Okay, I'm a little late. Jamie turned 3 months old on April 28th. It was a happy day.

Chatting with Uncle Brian. And a 3 month milestone -- sitting in his bumbo chair! (it looks like a potty chair, but it's actually a molded seat to help babies sit up on their own.)

At home and in Springfield!

2010-05-10T07:00:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since I've updated -- I'm sorry, but I don't always have a lot of free time! Jamie's napping at the moment, so I'm getting a few pictures up!

The first few pictures were taken at home, and the next ones are in Springfield -- where Scott grew up.

Scott's mom (Gramma) and Jamie.

Gramma, Jamie, Great-Grandma

This time, with Uncle Gerald.

And here's Grampa.

Thennn....

Jamie met Zoe, and Zoe's mom, Courtney. Zoe is about 2 months younger than Jamie.

Isn't she adorable?

Missy met Jamie, and a little later, we met Missy's daughter, Kayla. Cuteness in boatloads, I tell you.

For some reason, I can't enter text further down, but obviously we stopped at Cracker Barrel and our trip was officially over.

He's 11 weeks old!

2010-04-19T14:55:00.000-07:00

This was taken the weekend before last, when my mom came to visit. I just love this picture.

And this is from last week, when I thought Jamie was sleepy. I put him down for a nap and he thought it was time to play.

We spent this past weekend in New Jersey. Our first big trip out of Virginia! Aunt Dot (my great great aunt) is turning 90, so there was a party.

Aunt Dot with Jamie.

My dad, Jamie, me, my mom and Scott. Ugh, why did we take a picture in front of the a/c?

Aunt Carol and Jamie.

Aunt Dot and her cake.

Jamie asleep on Beth's lap.

My grammy and Jamie.

My mom and Jamie.

5 generations!

The next morning, before breakfast...

Settling down at breakfast.

With my cousin, Allison.

In the car & going home!

Shopping.

2010-04-15T12:41:00.000-07:00

Last night, I left Scott and Jamie alone for an hour so that I could go shopping and buy some new [non-maternity] pants. I ended up finding a few things for myself, but actually bought more stuff for Jamie. I couldn't resist -- there were a lot of cute things! I don't agree with people who think it's only fun to shop for little girls, because I love buying boy clothes. Dinosaurs, trucks, bears, monkeys....tiny track pants, little hoodies, overalls with frogs in the pockets......I loooove it!

Here comes Peter Cottontail...

2010-04-05T13:36:00.000-07:00

What outfit would be complete without coordinating socks?

Jamie is obviously letting out a big sigh. Poor thing...he was a good sport. If I could have, I would've taken a picture of him IN the basket.

This shot clearly shows his bib, so all of you can have a chance to read it.

Lookin' cute in his cute onesie.

Mommmmm -- STOP taking pictures!

He enjoyed the Easter Bunny, though. We took him on Saturday.

Happy Easter!

2010-04-05T13:19:00.000-07:00

Modeling his ears that Great Grammy sent.

Jamie and Mommy in front of the tulips at Maymont. (gorgeous park in downtown Richmond)

This tree made me think of My Side of the Mountain.

Jamie and Daddy.

Eagerly awaiting the dyeing of the eggs...

Jamie was mad that there weren't more blue eggs. Silly mommy for choosing purple and pink...

How gorgeous are these? These will taste delicious as deviled eggs!

On Sunday, we took Jamie to Virginia Beach! Our friends Scott and Krystal came along, too.

More soon........

Update coming!

2010-04-05T12:51:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I wish I had more time to update and post pictures, but when Jamie runs the show, there isn't always time. We took some great pictures this past weekend, and I'm hoping to get them up soon!

The snugli!

2010-04-02T07:43:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we tried out the Snugli for the first time. It used to belong to Aunt Lindsay and Uncle Todd when Addison was a baby, and now Jamie gets to use it!

I swear, he liked it!

2 months old!

2010-03-29T06:57:00.000-07:00

Our little whale turned 2 months old yesterday! To celebrate, Scott and I took him on a walk downtown, to see the James River. The day before, on Saturday, Jamie enjoyed lots of attention from his aunts and uncles, and his favorite cousin, Addison.

And a few other pictures...

A few days ago, I actually woke up BEFORE Jamie, and this is what I found when I went into the nursery:

Still sleeping. It was amazing. Okay, and one last picture, because I think someone is about to wake up from his morning nap!

I really hope those little eyes stay blue!

Update @ 8 weeks

2010-03-26T07:17:00.000-07:00

Jamie is growing so fast!

Lately, he's been much more alert. He likes to look at things -- whether it's the mobile in the crib, the lights on the tv, the ceiling fan, his toys...or even Scott and I. If he hasn't seen one of us in awhile, or at least 20 minutes, his face breaks out into a huge grin. He's so excited to get reacquainted! Jamie loves to smile, but not so much for the camera, unfortunately.

Sleeping has been going well. For the most part, he'll sleep through the night (10pm-5am or 6am). There are still some nights that he wants to be up at 3am, though.

Head/neck control is excellent. If I'm holding him upright, I don't have to support his head because he can do it himself!

He's also started to make sounds, which is exciting. "Cooing" is what I think they call it. My favorite thing is when he sighs. Well, that and sneezing. I cannot get enough of the baby sneezes.

7 weeks in pictures

2010-03-22T13:16:00.000-07:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2010-03-17T17:17:00.000-07:00

Jamie's first St. Patrick's Day! He decided to wear 2 different shirts today to celebrate.

And here's something fun to watch, because we all love the muppets. Right? Well, I do, at least.

6 weeks old in pictures.

2010-03-15T11:56:00.000-07:00

Sunday!

2010-03-08T06:29:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was a fun day. Since it was sooo nice outside, we had a picnic lunch at the park.

Jamie enjoyed it so much that he took a long nap.

Overall, the weekend was pretty good. Scott's friend, Lexie, came for lunch on Saturday. On Sunday, my cousin, Allison, and her friend, Jackie, stopped by for a quick visit.

Later on, between eating dinner and watching about 20 minutes of the Oscars, we played a fun, familiar game of "keep the baby happy". We even tried the dryer.

It worked for about 10 minutes. Thank goodness he ended up sleeping pretty well through the night. 5 hours of uninterrupted sleep!

Our first month!

2010-03-02T11:35:00.000-08:00

Jamie turned 1 month old on Sunday. He celebrated by watching the Olympics on tv.

How long does newbornhood last, anyway? Is he an infant now? I'll have to ask Google.

Well, yesterday we went to the pediatrician for his checkup. Baby boy grew! He's now measuring 23 and half inches for his length (a whole inch!), putting him in the 97th percentile. His weight is 10.1 lbs, which drops him down to the 50th percentile. So, this kid is basically a beanpole. He also got his first shot -- the heptatis b vaccine, which was hard to watch. He did fine, though.

Let's see, what else...well, he's building up his neck strength. He can lift his head up during tummy time. Basically, he likes to do a lot of looking around. He takes in his surroundings and checks out *everything*. I mean, he'll spend quite awhile just staring at the wall. At least someone appreciates our painting skills, right? His eyelashes have come in, and goodness, I am jealous. Jamie has super long eyelashes. Another cool thing is that he can grasp my index finger with his hand. He's stopped crying during bathtime. This was a huge (and welcome) surprise -- I never thought he would actually be okay in his bathtub! His sleeping/eating patterns are still about the same. I'm hoping within another month, he'll be sleeping longer at night. We're going through a fussy period at the moment, which the pediatrician says will get a little bit worse before it gets better. Yikes.

Men and babies.

2010-02-28T10:48:00.000-08:00

My parents and brother, Jonathan, came to visit yesterday, and it was the first time that my dad and brother had a chance to meet Jamie. The snow really ruined a lot of plans, didn't it?

And here's a great one of Scott and Jamie...

Well, I think it's time for a nap. Jamie agrees.

Taking a walk.

2010-02-23T06:41:00.000-08:00

Sunday afternoon.

I love my moby wrap.

2010-02-18T10:04:00.000-08:00

Today we successfully made good use of the moby wrap. Thanks to youtube, I figured out how to wrap the fabric around myself and then put a cranky Jamie in. He seems to really like it.

What's great is that I can hold Jamie without putting extra strain on my back and shoulders. Scott thinks I look pregnant with the moby wrap on. Oh, well. It almost is like being pregnant (the weight is centered in the front), but much more comfortable.

Out of the house!

2010-02-17T10:21:00.000-08:00

There he is, just snoozing away. Yesterday marked an important milestone for both Jamie AND Mama. We left the house together, without Daddy, and most importantly -- we survived.

I had to go to a doctor's appointment and I had no choice but to take Jamie with me. Sure, he fussed when I was dressing him to go out, but once he was in his car seat, he was good to go. I'm not sure that we're ready for grocery shopping, but doctor's offices are a good place to start.

Happy [belated] Valentine's Day!

2010-02-15T09:47:00.000-08:00

An important milestone!

2010-02-13T07:47:00.000-08:00

James no longer has his umbilical stump.

And no, we did not save it. Tomorrow, I'm going to attempt his first tub bath.

Two weeks old!

2010-02-11T10:58:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it's been two weeks since Jamie was born. It's been crazy and hectic, but wonderful, of course. We're all adjusting really well to each other.

The first week was probably the hardest. Jamie had his nights and days mixed up and we were confused on how often he was supposed to eat. I had no idea that newborns were supposed to eat 8-12 times a day, but at first, we were going nearly every 2 hours and feeding entirely too long. Once the pediatrician gave us some helpful advice, things have been much smoother. For the last week, he's been sleeping longer at night, and we're only up about twice a night to feed. I'm getting better at watching his cues to figure out when he's hungry and when he needs to be comforted. The funny thing is that he never cries when he has a dirty diaper. It's always a surprise.

Jamie is starting to become more alert everyday. It's fun to watch his facial expressions. He seems to like looking at lights. Another cool thing is that he has a great grip. Sometimes he holds onto his pacifier.

Jamie doesn't really like getting baths. This picture is misleading, because it was only a matter of seconds before he started crying. We're still at the sponge bath stage until his umbilical stump falls off.

When we're upstairs, Jamie likes to spend time in his swing. We use a sound machine (the womb sound works best) to soothe him. I like to think that Jamie is pretending to punch the bad guys in this picture. It's pretty cute. Sometimes he'll just start punching at the air.

In baby bump tradition, here's my two week post partum bump. In looking back at my earlier bump pictures, this is on par with about where I was at 15 weeks pregnant. I still say I feel much more comfortable and energetic than I did while I was actually pregnant. Recovery is going smoothly and I can't wait to be 100% back to my old self.

James Aidan Kramer

2010-02-03T16:11:00.000-08:00

He's here!

Introducing...James Aidan Kramer! He arrived at 11:33 am via scheduled c-section on Thursday, January 28th. He weighed 9 lbs 15 oz at birth, measuring 22 1/2 inches long.

Scott and I couldn't be happier, prouder parents. It's kind of crazy how unexpected a birth can be. I had always planned to let things happen naturally, which was just fine with my doctor. When I went for my 40 week checkup, however, Jamie was measuring larger than we expected on the ultrasound. After getting a second opinion with a specialist and a few extra ultrasounds, my doctor strongly suggested having a c-section. I was shocked, but agreed to follow her advice. Jamie still ended up weighing more than the measurements predicted. Who knows how long it would have been until I went into labor naturally and what kind of experience that would have been.

There's nothing to describe that moment when Jamie was born. I will never forget it. I remember feeling nervous, constantly asking what was happening, wondering at what moment I would hear crying. When it finally happened, I couldn't believe it. Before I knew it, a nurse was holding him up for me to see, and then Scott started snapping pictures. Scott held him first, and I was able to stroke his face with my hand, since the rest of me was unable to move. The anesthesiologist took my camera and got some great shots of the three of us.

Once I was stitched up, I was wheeled into a triage room and I got to hold Jamie for the first time. We got to spend a little bit of time bonding together, but then he had to be taken away to the nursery for all of the standard newborn care things. That was really tough. I had waited so long for him and we were separated right away! While he was gone, though, we had time to call our parents and then other close family members. Once I had some feeling back in my body, I was moved upstairs to my post partum recovery room. It was a lot like a cabin on a cruise ship -- very small on space, but nice. I was there until Sunday afternoon, and while I was more than ready to leave on the last day, we really needed the extra time there. I always had a nurse assigned to my room and a nurse for Jamie. Who knew that babies were so confusing! I think I had to call someone in just about every time I needed to feed Jamie.

Anyway, we've had a few days at home together and survived our first trip out of the house this morning -- to the pediatrician's office. Jamie currently weighs 9 lbs 5 oz. He's in the 98th percentile for his height (wow!) and the 81st for his weight.

Tomorrow, he'll be a week old. Where has the time gone?

Jealous?

2010-01-27T08:23:00.000-08:00

If the tape measure is correct, then my waist is 47 inches today.

40 weeks!

2010-01-25T09:13:00.000-08:00

Here we are, end of the line. I couldn't wait for Scott to take a picture, so I did one of those bathroom mirror shots.

Today is Jamie's estimated due date. Nothing new to report, still feeling about the same. I have a checkup in a few hours to see how much progress I've made. I get an ultrasound, too.

Hopefully I'll have some news to share soon. Otherwise...it's going to be a LOOOONG wait.

By the way....

2010-01-21T09:27:00.000-08:00

I cannot WAIT to sleep on my back again.

So long, Conan O'Brien!

2010-01-21T09:21:00.000-08:00

The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien officially ends tomorrow night. Do you realize what this means? I've been pregnant longer than his run on the show.

Kind of crazy and depressing at the same time.

In June 2008, Scott and I saw Conan live when he was hosting in New York. I'm glad we did. Anyway, I'm not going to go into much detail about this, but I can't believe that he'll no longer be hosting on NBC. He's funnier than most late night hosts (David Letterman? Seriously?) and you can just tell that he's bitter about how the network has treated him. I don't blame him one bit. Hopefully he'll get a new show at some point.

Daily tidbits.

2010-01-20T03:20:00.000-08:00

Day 261: Your weight gain is starting to slow down now but the baby's will continue.

If that's true, then Jamie gained 4 pounds since last week. The crazy thing is, I've felt hungrier than usual for the past few days. I don't eat a ton in one sitting, but I'm needing extras throughout the day. Breakfast doesn't hold me for long until I need a sandwich and then a bowl of soup a few hours after that. Today I've already had a bagel and a banana, but I've been up awake since 2:30am. At least it all goes towards a good cause...

39 weeks and still pregnant

2010-01-19T14:19:00.000-08:00

6 days to go. Things are still going well, but I'll admit that I am uncomfortable and ready to be done. I could deliver this week....or it could be next week. If I don't have Jamie by Monday, I do get an ultrasound, which is something to look forward to.

Of course....I'd rather have Jamie! So, here's hoping for some real contractions!

Dance, baby, dance!

2010-01-17T07:50:00.000-08:00

Maybe I'm crazy...but I think Jamie likes the Bee Gees. He's just dancing away! Or maybe he's trying to get away from the music. Hmmm.

38.4

2010-01-15T12:27:00.000-08:00

While I keep saying that I'm ready to deliver already....it's still comforting to sit here and feel random hiccups and kicks. Jamie even likes to stick his butt out, which isn't exactly comfortable, but still crazy to see.

Makes me wonder what he'll be like on the outside. We shall soon find out!

38 weeks & Happy Birthday to me!

2010-01-11T18:39:00.000-08:00

Today, I'm officially 27!

I think I can safely assume that I will not be sharing my birthday with Jamie. I suppose the kid deserves his own special day, right? At my checkup, we found out that I'm 1 centimeter dilated and 50% effaced. 10 centimeters dilated & 100% effaced means it's time to push. So...still a ways to go, but I'm finally making progress.

We didn't do anything too crazy to celebrate, but Scott made homemade potato soup and gave me a gift certificate to get a manicure and pedicure. I can't wait to use it!

37 weeks and full term.

2010-01-06T16:13:00.000-08:00

We're officially full term this week, which means that Jamie's lungs should be fully developed. I don't think he's planning on coming out anytime soon, though.

Scott did some work on the nursery --

He set up the crib mobile and painted wooden letters. Pretty nice, huh?

2009 in Pictures.

2010-01-03T08:21:00.000-08:00

I'm so ready for 2010 (and to finally meet Jamie!), but I'm still amazed at how much has happened in 2009. What a year!

January

I had my 26th birthday and Scott surprised me to a really nice brunch at the Jefferson Hotel. I couldn't believe it -- I remember waking up and expecting to have waffles and coffee as usual, but Scott told me to hurry up and get ready to go out. "Scott, why do I need to dress up? Where are we going??"

February

Family reunion in North Carolina.

March

Snowstorm! We had our first Richmond snow day together.

April

Homeowners at last! We found a place to call home and couldn't be happier.

May

Celebrating our 3 year anniversary with a cruise to the Bahamas. Not long after our trip, we got the biggest surprise of all -- we were expecting a baby!

June

Our first look at Jamie. Only 7 weeks along, but a healthy little bean!

July

Wedding plans are underway and I have my bridal shower in New Jersey.

With my cousins, including my bridesmaid, Beth.

August

The bump begins.

Scott's office threw us a congratulations party.

And we went to the Outerbanks for vacation.

September

Wedding Day!

With my college girlfriends, Elaine and Melody.

We find out that we're having a boy!

October

Watching the Wizards play.

We start the nursery.

November

Baby shower in New Jersey!

My own butterball, Thanksgiving morning.

December

Aren't we lucky! Another snowstorm in the south.

Our Christmas greeting. (Picture was taken in November, to explain the smaller bump)

Scott, modeling one of Jamie's presents. I wonder who it will fit better....

Jamie's cradle.

Last belly picture of the year at 36 weeks. Each passing week is a milestone and making us more anxious for Jamie to get here.

Scott and I had a wonderful year, with many of life's surprises and blessings. We're happy, healthy and excited for what's to come.

Hello, 2010!

2009 Collage

2009-12-31T09:30:00.000-08:00

Look at what I made for Facebook....

What a year it's been!

Belly @ 36 weeks.

2009-12-30T18:38:00.000-08:00

Here we are, after a nice spaghetti dinner, with Jamie trying to bust his way out. Seriously, I think he's running out of room.

This week has been going fine so far. I had my checkup on Monday -- nothing to report, just the same old stuff that goes on at every appointment. If you look closely at my necklace, you'll see my wedding band. I didn't think that my fingers would swell up, but unfortunately, they did. I decided the smart thing to do would be to wear my ring around my neck. I'd hate to run the risk of having someone cut it off my finger!

I keep saying that I'm ready to deliver (I told Scott that it'd be fun to have the first baby born in 2010), but I still have a few things left to do! We just got a coupon in the mail from Target to complete our registry (still have a few items that we need to pick up), I have a haircut scheduled for Saturday, Scott and I have dental appointments next week, and we definitely need to have the Christmas decorations packed up before Jamie comes home. Otherwise....it'll still be Christmas in May. Besides, I can finally make use of the space downstairs and set up the pack 'n play. Exciting, isn't it?

An unopened Christmas present.

2009-12-30T10:50:00.000-08:00

December 26th.

9 month mark!

2009-12-28T08:33:00.001-08:00

Today I'm officially 9 months/36 weeks pregnant. Whew.

Only about 4 weeks or so left!