Jamey's first real snow

Although Jamey and I saw snow back in November when we emerged from CVS Drugstore, yesterday, we experienced our first actual "snow storm." True, it only lasted a few hours. True, the sun came out right afterwards and melted most of it away. True, there was absolutely no snow as close as 7 miles away. But for us, and for James, it was snow nonetheless. Glenn went into the backyard and brought Jamey a little snowball as he played in his exersaucer. It was not a hit, let's just say. Later we went out for a short trip around the neighborhood. Jamey bundled up in the snowsuit that Monica loaned us. Through the entire walk, it seemed that Jamey wasn't really sure what he should be doing or how to react to that white stuff that was all over. In the end, I think he would rather sit in the living room and watch it from inside.

To update, Jamey had his 6 month appointment one week ago today. He did just what he thought he would. He grew up and not out. His height has gone up to 28 inches long, holding at the 90%, but his weight is now in the 75% at 19 lb. .5 oz. And through it all, his head refuses to stop growing. It is still in the 95%. He got a thumbs up on all his developmental steps and even impressed Dr. Eng Tao with the steadiness with which he sits up.

This past week, we also discovered Jamey's first fear. As he sat in his bouncer and Glenn began to run the vacuum, his face wrinkled into the sad face and he let out a scream. Indeed, no matter what room I took him into, he could still hear it and would continue to cry. I laid him on the couch and walked away for five seconds to grab something and when I came back, he looked petrified. That night, he refused to sit alone in his high chair to eat dinner. Instead, he was happy to sit in my lap and eat. We are guessing it was just from being scared, because he has never done that again. No worries, though, he didn't wake up in the middle of the night screaming about vacuums.

Happy Half Birthday!!

Has it really been 6 months already? Well, yes, as of today, it has. People always say that it goes fast, and I wasn't sure I believed, but now I do. It is crazy to believe one person can go from a blob to this tiny person so quickly. I am sure I have said that 1,000 times, but it never seems like enough to me.

I cannot yet report on his weight and height, as his doctor's appointment isn't until Tuesday, but it seems like his tricks come faster and faster.

Now that Jamey can sit up, it is nice to be able to surround him with small grabbable toys, and sit a bit away and watch him. He loves anything that rattles, and indeed, checks every one of his toys to see which ones make noise. He will reach out, grasp something in his little palm, and then start to "work the wrist." When I say work the wrist, I mean that he shakes his toys without using his elbow. Try, if you will, to shake something in your hand, using only your wrist. This is what Jamey does. Today, he had one thing in each hand, shook them individually, and then scraped them against each other to see what sound that would make.

Bath time has also improved greatly for Jamey now that he can sit up. Thanks to Aunt Sue, who sent him a little chair that attaches to the bath tub, for him to sit in. Rather than laying down on a towel, he can sit and splash. On Thursday, he used it a bit as a recliner and just lounged back in his little chair, but today, he could have stayed in there all night. The irony of which toys interest babies is not lost on Jamey. With all the floatie toys he has received to play with in the tub, he finds the most interest in playing with.... the cup that I use to wash his hair. Figures!




(I just had to share this last picture because it really illustrates the point of how babies can eat away your money."

Yes, that is my credit card. I gave it to Jamey today to play with as his newest toy. Don't worry, I had to cut it up anyway, thanks to something called mass compromise. Did you know that if a merchant's credit card information is stolen, they let Visa know and Visa freezes your account and you have to get a whole new credit card? Well, I know that now!)

Check out my skillz

Due to a whirlwind Christmas season, I have been unable to post many of the videos I have taken of Jamey, so now I am playing catchup.  I will post a few here and will then put the link for my youtube site, so you can look at the others at your leisure.  Enjoy!

First off:  Here is a video of Jamey doing what we refer to as "giving five."  He seems to understand that he should be doing something with my hand, but hasn't quite got the grasp of exactly what to do with it.  

Next up: Jamey sure did like hanging out with his cousins, as I mentioned.  He tried to chime in as much as possible by babbling.  He is really getting the hang of this.  He was especially angry one day for his Aunt Lindsay, as she watched her all time favorite football team-- The Dallas Cowboys-- lose terribly.  (PS: No commentary necessary from my Philly friends out there!  :)  ) 

For some reason, this video won't load on my blog, so I have put it on Youtube as well!  It is really cute, so check it out!!!!!

Lastly, Jamey has recently developed the ability to sit on his own.  He is still a little wobbly from side to side, but he is really getting the hang of it.  Check it out!

On Youtube, you can check out the following other videos:

-Ben making funny faces and motions for Jamey while we chilled at the beach

-If you let Jamey ride your knee like a horsey and then suddenly stop, he will keep on bouncing as if to say, "Let's go!"

-Jamey watches Glenn plattl from in his swing and flails around

www.youtube.com/user/DaFrauW

(. h          f                               bhy   rrrrrrr. ns fg        RR)-- this is a message from Jamey for all his readers.  Let me translate.  It says, "Thanks for reading and come see me any time, all of you!")

All he wanted for Christmas...

In August, when my 7 year old nephew Ben first met Jamey, he made the proclamation that Jamey couldn't talk yet because he didn't have any teeth. At the time, we grown-ups, laughed heartily at the comment. Then, on December 26th, while redeeming a gift card at Old Navy, Glenn informed me that he could feel the first of Jamey's teeth popping through. Lo and behold, a few days later, another tooth popped through. Thus, Jamey is now nursing two teeth.

Before the teeth appeared, Jamey was gooing every now and again. And yet, as posted in my previous entry, when we spent time in Emerald Isle, Jamey opened his mouth a little more to talk and show off his teeth. He babbles now quite a bit and lets you know how he is feeling.

On top of that, he is on the verge of sitting up. He can, in fact, balance on his own, but as soon as he reaches for a toy or his foot, he topples over. All in time.....

The Eastern Kids' Christmas

Every year, around the 27th of December, we venture down to my parents' place on Emerald Isle, North Carolina and have a little fun in the sun. My brother Jim and his family also come to the Island and we have a Christmas with our parents. Because the two of us are the pair of siblings on the East Coast, my dad affectionately refers to us as the "Eastern Kids". So, on Saturday morning, we packed up the car and started the 6 hour drive down, and sure enough, 6 hours, on the dot, we drove off the bridge and onto the island.

The last time Jim, Lindsay, and his three sons Max, Jack, and Ben, saw Jamey, he was but a little boy of about 5 weeks. The boys could do nothing but stare at him. Imagine their delight to find that their little cousin could now interact with them and beyond that, brought some really amusing toys. Needless to say, they love it, and especially Ben takes joy in making funny faces to make Jamey laugh, or just make him stare at him enthralled.

With the temperature rising to a surprising 70 degrees, we all headed out for a Hardee's lunch on the deck at the clubhouse, and a touch football game for the Big Boys on the beach. Now that Jamey is more aware of his surroundings, I let him wriggle his toes in the sand, which he seemed to enjoy very much. Mesmerized by the sound of the waves, he was asleep in my arms after about half an hour.

After weeks of spending the day with Christopher and now, a few days of watching his cousins run around and talk, I think that Jamey has really begun to find his voice. Now, if only we knew what he was saying. But I suppose that will come soon enough!

Jamey's First Christmas

Well, it happened. Jamey celebrated his first Christmas. Or at least the first part of his first Christmas. With Jamey here, we have begun to set out a kind of Christmas schedule to follow for years to come, so that we get to spend some time with everyone and still get Mommy-Daddy-Baby time as well. On Christmas Eve, we got to hang out at the West Virginia house, eat a great meal, and open some gifts. On Christmas day, Jamey sat in my lap as I opened presents for both of us. Every now and again, he would reach up and grab at the paper in an effort to help, but for the most part, I distracted him with whichever gadget that made light and sound I had nearby. He loved them all! He isn't picky!

For his big present, Jamey got a Get Up and Go Jungle Play thing from Fischer Price. It has a hippo, monkey and elephant on it, and whenever you move something, it sings. Unfortunately it only has two songs, which I am pretty sure I already know. Ah well. All in all, I think that Jamey really enjoyed his first holiday.

Today, though, he has been a bit more cranky. For one thing, Glenn reached into his mouth today and he felt something we have been waiting for-- the sharp corner of a tooth popping through. And so, I held my breath in anticipation of the crankiness that would ensue. Sure enough, Jamey has been more cranky today. However, the tooth isn't the only bothersome thing. Jamey has also developed some sort of cough. It sounds a little like a wet cough and seems to be a bit of chest congestion. My question to all you mommies out there is-- Is this a coincidence or is this tied to getting a tooth? I know that a lot a lot of other things happen when a baby gets a tooth-- fever, crankiness, other things.... But what about congestion? Baby Center tells me that the jury is still out on this one, but often, the best advice comes from the experience of other moms.

Traditions... and a 5 month Update

With my return to work and the arrival of the holiday season, my time has been pulled very thin lately. So thin, that I have been unable to update the blog, as you may have noticed. Here, I have gone almost an entire month with no word, and for that, I say, sorry. But as the title says, Jamey is now 5 months old. At this point, he doesn't have monthly doctor's visits, so we had to use our own methods to measure his weight. (Mommy weighs herself and then weighs herself while holding Jamey.) Using this very scientific method, we have determined that Jamey is now 18 pounds 3 ounces. In addition, he is getting ever closer to sitting up on his own, and likes to babble. He is also very much in love with his hands and feet.

But bigger for Jamey than staring at his hands and feet, is the beginning of a new holiday season. As was mentioned in Abby's blog about her daughter, Jamey really has no idea why we are doing what we are doing. Why the tree with the many colored lights? Why the bushy green stuff all over? Why are all the boxes covered in paper?

Really, it doesn't matter to him. All things listed prove very fun for the senses, whether that means staring, pulling, or trying to taste. We have been training him, too, to open presents. It isn't hard. All we have to do is wave a stray bit of wrapping paper in front of him and out pops the hand to grab on. As his arm flails around, he tears the paper here and there.

Along the lines of presents, I have brought to him a tradition that was one of my favorites each year. It is called the 25 Days of Christmas. Growing up, every day, my mom would hide a little gift somewhere in the house, and each of us in the house would read that days clue to tell us where to find the goodies. Sometimes toothpaste, sometimes a toy. Little things. The fun wasn't in the present. The fun was in the finding. As we have 11 grandchildren in the family, my mom has taken to doing weekly gifts. But wanting Jamey to experience the full tradition, I took it on myself. Well, for this year, Glenn helps him a lot.

Now that we have Jamey, I have found that tradition means so much more. One of my favorite things about our tree at home was the homemade ornaments, such as the "colored" in wooden ones from my brothers. At a $5 store (which is conceptually an "upscale" Dollar Store), I found a Crayola ornament kit, which contained ceramic ornaments to be colored with Crayola markers. We decided that Jamey will color in one ornament each year over the next 12 years as a tradition. This year, of course, I had to show him how it is done, but he helped me choose which colors to use... or I think that is what he was doing while he held those markers for me. :)