Alison & Jeff & James (mainly James!!)

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2009-02-08T12:49:00.001-04:00

Hi All,

Sorry I have not been blogging much since Christmas. Going back to work in January and finishing my dissertation sort of cut into my blogging time. I am going to post some things on Facebook today though--it seems to have an easier time uploading photos and video so I will try that.

James Sledding on Christmas Eve

2008-12-24T13:36:00.003-04:00

Here is a little video of Jamie sledding this morning. He loves it. Next time, I will have to shut up so you can hear him giggling all the way down the hill. Big smiles until the end when his mitten came partly off and filled with snow. Oops. He still had fun and insisted on going again, and again, and again until we decided it was just too cold to continue (that and Mommy fell over in the snow and had to come in before she froze!).

James on Christmas Eve

2008-12-24T13:14:00.006-04:00

Here are some various photos of James from the last couple of weeks. The ones of him sledding are from this morning. He loved to sled and was very happy--even when Mommy pulled too hard and he got dumped in the snow face first. What a trooper!

James enjoys complex building projects. He no longer simply knocks them over--he helps build and then takes portions off to put on other sections. It is fun to watch.

James building with the Holiday Christmas Tree channel in the background.

A snooze on the couch after a hard day of building block towers.

Hi Mom, I love to play with my dump truck, blocks, and barn while wearing my Oilers Jersey.

James with Grandma Linda. Mom made Jamie a new pair of cozy jammies. He insisted on putting them on immediately.

Jeff and James walking up the steps to the hill.

A successful sled ride!

Ready to go, Mom!

I am not the happiest boy with a faux-hawk today!

Jeff shoveling snow last week at 6am. We have a big pile (and no where to put it--it could get ugly if it all melts at once!).

James after sledding. His cheeks are a little rosy and, if you look closely, there are likely some drops of water from melted snow after his face-plant. But, it is was a good time.

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-20T15:17:00.002-04:00

Merry Christmas from Jamie and Santa!

As you can see, we took James to see Santa. He had a lot of fun playing in Santa's Village while we waited for our turn. Then it was time to line up and that wasn't as much fun. He looks a little stunned here. Jeff and I plopped him on Santa's lap and then stood by the camera to make faces at him and he looked at us like we were crazy ("Why have you left me over here with this strange person?"). The photographer tried to take a second shot to see if we could get a smile, but his face started to screw up into a good wail (Oh My God! I am over here alone with a stranger and Mommy and Daddy are standing waaaay over there!! Waaahhhh!). So we decided stunned was the best we were going to get and grabbed him off Santa's lap before he could cry.

He still looks pretty cute!

James is a Big Boy!

2008-11-26T11:46:00.002-04:00

I took James for his 18 month appointment yesterday. It was a bit of a gong show. In the eternal bureaucratic ridiculousness that exists, they decided that because James got his 1 year vaccines 12 days before his 1 year birthday that this cannot possibly confer immunity and that he: a) could not get his 18 month vaccines; and b) had to have his 12 month repeated. It seemed a waste but there was no arguing with them. We now have to go back mid-December for his 18 month vaccines. It doesn't hurt him to be doubly immunized but it does seem a slight waste of resources! Oh well. Since he was just a brave boy, we went to the bookstore and got him a cool book on Tractors with flaps to find things--he loves it.

He was also weighed and measured and is continuing his trend of being perfectly proportional. He is 50th -- 75th percentile for both height and weight. He is 32.5 inches tall and weighs 26 1/2 pounds--so he is pretty solid. All is well now and here are some photos of James looking at his new tractor book this morning.

I love my new book and I can work some of the flaps all by myself!

I like my book but I am also trying to see the T.V.--so MOVE, Mom!

Ahh, a book and a T.V. show--what more could a boy ask for? Nothing.

Christmas Came Early for Jamie!!

2008-11-23T19:14:00.003-04:00

Santa came to our house early this year. Jamie loves to sit in his car seat when we have it in the living room so we thought we would get him a child-size poang chair at Ikea. We went today and he tried it out but when he gets out of it, it tips and falls on his head--so that was a big no! But, he gravitated toward this cute little rocking chair so we picked it up instead. He really seems to like it. Merry Christmas Jamie!!

I am reading my Polar Bear book, Mommy and Daddy!

Jamie is an intent little reader.

Rock-a-bye, rock-a-bye, Jamie!

Hi Mommy and Daddy! Cool chair!

Mom!! You and the camera are in my way! I'm trying to see the T.V.!

P.S. There are some videos of Jamie on Facebook. I couldn't get them to load here so I put them up there.

Life With James

2008-11-23T18:46:00.009-04:00

Here are some various photos of James from the last little while.

Jamie and his big cousin Oliver. James seems very impressed with Oliver, especially when he is doing skateboard tricks.

Bit hug for Oliver!

Playing outside!

Puss-in-Boots! James likes to wear shoes and here he is in his baby sitter's big boots--he thinks they are pretty special.

James is sick! This is from the other day when he got sick all over himself and me while we were at a friend's house. We had to borrow some clothes to get home (he never pukes so I didn't have any extras--lesson learned). He doesn't look like a girl in Katie's pink pants and puppy shirt--he just looks like a sad, sick little boy! But, all better now.

Ravioli PIG!!

What a messy boy!

Playing and Swimming

2008-11-01T23:51:00.004-04:00

Today, Jamie, Grandma, and I went to the Farmers' Market and then returned his hat and mitten set (hat was too small) and bought a new set that fit and the mittens are on idiot strings so he won't lose them when he pulls them off. They are pretty cute and, as with most boy clothing, are a combination of blue and orange. After a nap, we went to the park and then after supper we went swimming. James has not been swimming in a long time but he remembered quickly and had a lot of fun.

On the weird swing with Mommy.

Look, Mommy, I am a big boy!

Going down the slide. We don't have many good photos of this as the slide was so fast that they all blurred.

Running through the leaves.

Playing in the maze with Grandma.

On the weird balance beam--Jamie wouldn't walk on it but he would sit on it and then it moves like a teeter-totter so that was pretty fun.

In the big swing. This was lots of fun--again, not many good photos, even on the sport setting.

Swing fun!

The disc swing was a little odd--he wasn't too sure of it.

Mom, this is different!

This is more fun!

Grandma and Jamie, swimming in the pool.

Playing with a pool noodle and a big kid. Jamie was a real hit with the other kids.

The pool is fun.

Jamie and Mommy--swimming buddies again.

Tomorrow we are going to see Auntie Susie and Uncle James and their doggies. Perhaps more pictures then.

Jamie the Elephant!

2008-10-31T22:39:00.003-04:00

Here is a little video of Jamie in his Hallowe'en costume at his Grandma's house. It is pretty cute. There are also three more postings of pictures below. Enjoy!

Happy Hallowe'en!

2008-10-31T22:32:00.003-04:00

Happy Hallowe'en, Everyone! Jamie and I spent Hallowe'en in Saskatoon with my Mom but that didn't mean we couldn't go trick-or-treating. Jamie dressed up (and was pleased with his costume most of the time) and we went to visit a couple of friends.

Who's that Elephant!

I am not a happy elephant, Mommy!

Now I am a happier elephant.

Trick-or-treating with friends. When Sunflower was Jamie's age, her Mom and Dad would bring her to our house to show off her costume. One memorable Hallowe'en, she (aka Elizabeth) and her sister, Mary Catherine, were a tea pot and a tea bag. It was very cute. Jamie as an elephant is also very cute.

Jamie the elephant with Cousin Kellen the Pirate!

Hi Mom, I am an elephant--did you see!

Jamie the Elephant and his Grandma!

Mommy! I am tired of being an elephant today!

A Bit of a Shoe Fetish!

2008-10-31T22:25:00.004-04:00

James has developed a bit of a shoe fetish. He, as most toddlers his age do, loves to put on Mommy's and Daddy's shoes and clump around the house in them. It makes for some pretty cute photos. He also got a big boy hair cut and got rid of the Ben Franklin fuzzy mullet he was sporting. It is much more big-boy looking now.

A new haircut and Jamie is on the hunt for shoes.

Ohhh, pretty red shoes!

So proud!

Look at my big shoes, Mommy!

Big shoes for Jamie!

Miscellaneous Fun

2008-10-31T22:20:00.004-04:00

Here are some miscellaneous photos of Jamie having a good time at home.

I love my truck!

Up close and personal with Jamie!

Reading with Grandpa Bob (and Rider Pride)!

Eating blueberries is fun...and messy!

Super-baby! Bathing suits aren't like they used to be--this one has floatation bits in it and it makes James look like he needs a cape

Thanksgiving and Hockey!

2008-10-13T16:33:00.007-04:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

We went to Thanksgiving dinner last night at Ronalee's and Bruce's. It was a combination Thanksgiving and October Birthday celebration. We have four family birthdays in October: Matthew turns 8, Emily turns 2, and Jocelyn and Lauren turn undisclosed ages. So, we had a big turkey dinner with all the fixings, pumpkin cheesecake, and birthday cupcakes. It was a great dinner and good to be with everyone (all 23 of us!!). Before dinner, there was the usual street hockey and James and Daniel got involved. Here are some photos.

The Birthday Crew: Emily with Daddy holding her, Lauren, Matthew, and Jocelyn with tasty birthday cupcakes.

James (who is red-checked with teething) and cousin Daniel. Not much difference between them (size and ability) anymore. James has caught up (and exceeded Daniel in shoe size!).

Birthday present time! James thinks he needs to be involved too.

The crowd.

Nan and Jill.

Thank you for fixing my stick, auntie Jocelyn. Watch out, Daniel!

I'm gonna get the ball!

Defense!

Andrew and James guarding the net.

Matthew: birthday boy and goalie in training.

James trying to get the ball away from Uncle Craig.

Hi Mom: Did you see my hockey stick? (James refused to play with the child-sized sticks and insisted on playing with a full size hockey stick--and did not too badly with it, either!).

James is getting ready to shoot.

Not bad, James.

James and Daddy, playing hockey. I am pretty sure we could have a series of photos like this showing James at every age and stage. Keep Tuned.

James is an Artist!

2008-10-12T15:24:00.002-04:00

Not much has been happening with us. Jeff is working very hard and James and I have settled into a routine for the most part. But, we did some additional decorating in his room and he seems quite pleased with it so we will put it up here. I will post more tomorrow after Thanksgiving (promise!).

James loves to colour so my mother (Grandma Linda) got frames for his art work so we can hang it on the wall. The colours work perfectly with the name sign that his other Grandma Lin (Jeff's mom) made for him. Serendipity. He likes to look at his artwork. We have not changed the art yet but when he colours some new pictures, we will put the new ones in. We can watch the budding artist as he develops! Grandpa Bob should be happy though because it looks like James will be a lefty. He is much more comfortable colouring with his left hand and the scribbles are better and more controlled with the left than with the right. Also, if we hand him a crayon to his right hand, he transfers it to his left. So, I guess left it is. Here are some pictures.

James admiring his newly hung art work. He does really like to look at it and will point to it until I pick him up so he can see it up close.

An example of the Master at work!

James in his new recliner. He likes to sit in it and rock and it is also fun for climbing on (and for cuddling with Mommy in the middle of the night when he decides that sleeping is for losers!).

How many toys can I pick up at once? LOTS!

Did you see my new M&M t-shirt from Grandpa? It is so nice. And the comb is because a guy always has to look good!

It Was All Going So Well....

2008-09-19T16:06:00.004-04:00

Ahhh, it was all going so well. And really still is except for a minor mishap. Here are some photos of James enjoying life and then you will see the oops.

I LOVE Piggy-back rides with my Daddy!

I love to read magazines (and rip them apart, too)!

I love to run around the house like a crazy monkey!

Oops! Auntie Ronalee came over today for a play date with cousin Emily (8 months older than James). James has become quite adept at going in and out the front door--which includes two concrete steps. Today there was an oops. No one quite saw it, but we think he stumbled on the landing, did a somersault off the top step and landed. His nose is scraped pretty badly and he has a bump and a scrap on top of his head as well. We were surprised he didn't need stitches with the way he fell. A little cuddle from Mom and he was ready to go to the park on his date. What a little trooper!

A close-up view--since he is smiling (and this is a few hours later and after his nap) he must be okay.

James and Daniel and Family

2008-09-14T14:24:00.006-04:00

Jeff's birthday was yesterday so we went to his Mom and Dad's for dinner. Everyone was there (Jeff's siblings and families) and so James got to play with his cousin Daniel. It is interesting to see the two of them together. Daniel is four months older and taller and slimmer. James is 15 months now and 24.8lbs and 31.5 inches (so about the 50th to 75th percentile for both). But, as we have discussed, James' feet are huge and are about 2 sizes bigger than his cousin's. Crazy. But, the two of them seemed to get along just fine which is nice to see. Again, there are more pictures on Facebook.

Wrestling with Uncle Brett--after the smack down.

Wrestling with Uncle Brett--the smack down.

Sitting with Auntie Lauren.

Cousin Daniel and his Daddy, Craig.

Daniel, my feet are ticklish--stop that!!

You're silly--that's not true at all!

Aaahhhh!!

Two cuties together!

I have spiked hair for Daddy's birthday.

Grandpa, did you see my bowl! It belongs on my head.

Sometimes, you just have to run around like a crazy monkey with a bowl on your head.

Climbing Stairs & My New Trike!

2008-09-13T14:18:00.004-04:00

Well, since we were out shopping for shoes yesterday, Linda and I decided to go to ToysRUs. James got a gift card for his 1st birthday from his Auntie Lauren and we thought we would see what they had. And they had a neat trike. It is nice because it has a handle so I can hold on and push it. The handle folds underneath and so James could use it as a rocking chair but we tried that and he hated it because it didn't move enough. But he quite likes it as a trike. He can't peddle but he tries to push it with his feet and he likes to climb on and off and push it around using the handle. It is very cute. So, he got new shoes and a new toy--a good day for Jamie. There are also some photos (out of place since I can't move them) of him climbing stairs. Yikes!

Eeeww. Mom, my hands are dirty again!! But isn't my new trike cool!

This is how I climb stairs now. I have to be careful or I will scuff my nose again.

Holding the rails and going up sideways. It is nerve-wracking to watch but he is pretty proficient at it.

The side view--yikes!

I am so proud of myself--look what I can do Mom!

This is my trike. I like to sit on it like a big boy!

Look, I can push it around!

This is how I sit on my trike.

And this is how I get off my trike. Aren't I a clever boy!

Again, there are more of these photos on Facebook if you are interested.

New Shoes for James

2008-09-13T14:08:00.004-04:00

We discovered in the last week that James needed new shoes. We had been checking them--pinching on the toe and sides--and they seemed to be fitting but in the last week, he was pulling them off constantly and his socks too. And then we noticed that there were red marks on the tops of his feet after he pulled them off, so we decided it was definitely time. His feet were a size and a half bigger--I swear they grew overnight. He is also looking chunkier again so I think another height spurt is coming. Anyway, we went shoe shopping and he has huge, wide feet. So, our options are slightly limited but we found the perfect pair. StrideRites made a cute pair of two-tone blue shoes--like a runner/hiker. And they fit--size 7 and 1/2 wide! And, they were called "the Jeffrey" shoe. So, they were perfect. And he was SO proud of himself in them. He strutted around the store like he invented blue shoes. And, the best part is, he doesn't seem to notice them and doesn't pick at them at all. Here are some photos.

Don't I look like a big boy in my new shoes and my lobster sweater?

Blue suede shoes!

Look how BIG they are!!

I can kick a ball really well!

Eeewww! Dirty hands, Mommy! James has milk-carton blocks outside that he loves to stack and knock down but it rained last night and they were dirty. Apparently, this offended his sensibilities because he kept stopping, looking at his hands, and rubbing them together to get the dirt off.

James at Home and on the Go

2008-09-13T13:53:00.004-04:00

Here are some photos of James from the last few weeks. They are in no particular order. I discovered that it is actually quite a bit easier to upload photos and comments to a Facebook album so I may start doing that. I haven't decided yet. So, there are a bunch more on Facebook if you are on it and, if not, I guess it is time to join so you can see more of Jamie.

Anyway, here is James. We have been settling into life in our new home and he is doing really well. Jeff is, of course, gone all day at work so we have gotten into a little routine. We play or go for a walk in the morning. Then James naps for a bit--on a good day, 2-3 hours, and I do some work (right now it is Cicero). Then he wakes up and we play some more until Daddy comes home for supper. It is very regular.

Here is James on a rainy day in his nice comfy outfit from Aunt Jackie and Uncle Gord.

I've found my toes! Fun!

Did you see my barn? Let me show you!

Playing outside in the rain in my cool fireman coat with my wagon and ball.

Playing in a bowl with Grandma Lin.

It's a rainy day and my clothes were soaked so I got to wear my comfy sweat suit from my Nanner!

Photo is out of place, obviously, but you can see that only losers wear socks and Jamie is no loser!Hi Mom! I am so warm and cozy--I love my dinosaur suit.

You're so funny, Mommy!

Jamie and his Grandma Linda--my hat is silly, I put it on myself!

Back Home!

2008-08-23T22:52:00.002-04:00

Here is the last (or first, depending on your perspective) of many blogs tonight. I have put up several blogs in a row to make up for my lack of blogging over the last month. Moving with a 1 year old is not easy. Jamie really wasn't helpful and the move was not hassle free. We are still dealing with some things but we are mostly settled in to our new place and are getting into a routine. Here are some photos from around the house over the last few days.

Here is Jamie's room. We got these cute peel and stick wall decals. They are safari themed and they claim to be removable without taking paint with them. We will see in a couple of years if that is true. He giggled the whole time I was putting them up and now, when we go into his room, he runs over to the ones on the lower part--right of photo--and he pats them and smiles and laughs. He rubs the sun and pats the bird and the giraffe. He seems to think they are pretty neat. I may get some more or some different ones to fill in some other spaces in his room. They are pretty cute.

Here is Jamie sitting in one of our chairs. He can climb up into them and then he slouches down and and is chilling. He is very cool. Unfortunately, on Thursday, as we were leaving the house to go for a walk, he didn't wait for Mommy to help him down the concrete steps and he fell face first onto the concrete patio. He scuffed his nose and upper lip pretty badly. These photos were taken on Friday and his nose looked just awful. It already looks better today and it should heal completely. Poor little scuffed boy! This is what happens when you think you should be able to go down the stairs like a big boy!

A close up of the nose.

He likes to put the animals from his barn into the silo and watch them drop and then pick them out the bottom. It was pretty cute. He also likes to put the barn on my lap and press his face to the opening and look at me through it--this is hilarious, apparently. A BIG thank you Uncle Craig and Aunt Jocelyn for this birthday gift!! It is a new favourite.

I am a big boy in my chair!

We were having a friend for dinner and I just received a beautiful bunch of flowers for my birthday from my aunt and uncle. They were too pretty not to put up.

So, there are several more blogs below this that detail the last few weeks. I never stopped taking pictures, I just didn't have time to put them up. I will try to do better.

Fun in Saskatoon

2008-08-23T22:41:00.007-04:00

Jeff, Jamie, and I drove to Saskatoon with my other sister, Heather, for our sister Susan's wedding. It was a long drive and we were pretty tired when we got in but we needed to stretch our legs so we went for a long walk. Here is most of the family.

Mom (Linda), Heather, Laurel (our aunt), Susan, Jamie, and Jeff. I am taking the picture--of course.

We went to the Museum of Antiquities at the University of Saskatchewan and Jamie liked the little boy playing with a goose.

Here is Jamie reading a book in his grandma's rocking chair. This was my mother's rocking chair and was, I think, her Christmas present when she was just a baby. There are pictures of her in it and pictures of me in it and now there are pictures of Jamie in it. He LOVED this chair. But, he is a daredevil and, more than once, he rocked so hard, he tipped it over on himself.

Reading his Night Cars book from Great-Auntie Jackie and Great-Uncle Gord.

Climbing in the chair--what a monkey!

Across from Mom's is a big park called Kinsmen Park. It has a little fair that is there year round but only operates in the summer. Again, it has been there since my mother was a kid and we all went to it when we were little. Since I was born in August, I had my first ride when I was only a few weeks old. James seemed to enjoy it more at his age. Here he is riding the merry-go-round with Great-Auntie Laurel.

Resting with Mommy and Auntie Laurel.

Yeah! This is his third and final ride and he finally gets it. He giggled and laughed and seemed to have lots of fun. We'll be back next summer for round 2!

The Big Day: Big Sister's Wedding!

2008-08-23T22:31:00.003-04:00

We had a pretty busy summer. In addition to moving from Halifax to Calgary, we then drove to Saskatoon for my sister's wedding. Susan and James (coincidentally, Jamie's new uncle is also named James) got married on a very hot day in August. The wedding was really lovely and both Susan and James looked extremely happy.

The wedding and reception were in the same hall--in two parts--so this is everyone standing around before the wedding with the table in the foreground. The wedding was a summer-themed wedding so the flowers were bright yellow sunflowers and daisies. They were very pretty and summery.

Susie in her beautiful dress.

Walking down the aisle.

The happy couple as the officiant signed the certificate--as she pointed out, this was their last chance to back out. Neither seemed to want to do that!

James in his cute wedding outfit. It would look better without the hat but he refuses to take it off sometimes.

Our side of the family with the new bride and groom.

The three of us in our finery. We went with a pink theme.

Jamie and his big cousin, Oliver. James was very impressed with the big boys and their skateboard tricks.

James got tuckered out. It was a big day for him. We forgot his stroller so we made a nest of extra table clothes on the floor and he slept in a corner for about three hours. He can't sleep through the night at home but he can sleep at a wedding reception with loud music playing--go figure!

First Haircut

2008-08-23T22:26:00.003-04:00

In preparation for my sister, Susan's, wedding in Saskatoon, we took James for his first haircut. Jeff and I were both getting our hair cut so Janie cut Jamie's hair too. He had this cute little curl on the back but it was quite long and silly so it had to go. No more baby hair, he's a big boy now!

Goodbye curl!

We are to get him used to a comb from this point on--he kept wanting to look behind him to see what she was doing. He's so suspicious.

Distractions!

Here is James taking his Buzzy Bee for a walk in our new complex. It is in pretty sad condition as he has loved it to death.

I am soooo strong--look at the big box I can carry. I am a helpful mover.

At The Zoo

2008-08-23T22:21:00.005-04:00

This is the first of several posts. In the midst of packing, moving, and travelling, there wasn't a lot of time for blogging so I am making up for it now. I will try to be more regular in the coming months.

While waiting for our stuff to arrive from Halifax, we took James to the zoo. He seemed to have a good time looking at the animals--some more than others--but the best time was the playground at the zoo. He loves a good slide!

Canada Day!

2008-07-13T20:38:00.005-04:00

On Canada Day, we were still in Calgary and we went over to Jeff's brother's for a BBQ. James got to spend some quality time with his cousin, Daniel. It was funny to watch the two of them together--they play side-by-side and didn't always get along but they were cute to watch. Here are some photos in no particular order.

Arriving for the party--the doggy scared me and I am not too sure I want to go any further, Daddy!

I found Daniel's lawnmower--my new favourite! (Every time Daniel went near it, James muscled him out of the way and took it back).

I love this lawnmower.

Playing with the phone in Daniel's playhouse--fun!

"Go Away, James!" Daniel got tired of James at one point and tried to lock him in the house. That'll teach James to steal Daniel's lawnmower.

Auntie Joc is blowing bubbles--funny!

These are my new sandals that Auntie Joc and Uncle Craig gave me for my birthday. They light up when I walk and are my new favs.

Playing in the playhouse.

Relaxing with my cousin.

"So, Daniel, you call this a 'camp chair'?" "Why yes, James, that is what I call it."

New Sandals!

Yeah! Daniel's going down the slide--so much fun.

The lawnmower again. A good time was had by all.

James Visiting Calgary

2008-07-13T20:22:00.003-04:00

Sorry for the delay in blogging. We were in Calgary for two weeks looking for a place to live and visiting with the families. We have been back the last week and a half and packing so we have been pretty busy. We will be sending out change of address emails as soon as we have a phone number to go with the new address. The place we found should be good. It is a 3 bedroom townhouse near Jeff's new job and it should be a nice location. Anyway, here are some photos of James's visit in Calgary.

For his 1 year birthday, James got a wagon from his grandparents. He quickly figured out that he could climb into it and rock back and forth to make it move across the floor. By the time he gets back, he will make it a scooter.

Yeah, scooter.

"Hi Dad! This is a rake--do you know what a rake does?"

"You see, Grandpa, this is a rake--I was telling Dad about it too."

"I'm helping garden--I am such a little helper."

Grandma came to visit before she left--I love my grandma.

Did you see my scooter, Grandma?

It is my belated birthday party. I get cupcakes!

Happy Birthday Partiers!

I love this funnel--it is the best present--I found it in the kitchen drawer.

I love gifts and paper!

What Does a Sheep Say? Baa Baa!

2008-06-14T11:41:00.002-04:00

Here is James "talking." He knows 2 animal sounds: a sheep says Baa and a Puppy says "ffffff." It is pretty cute. He isn't always consistent in his answers but he is getting better. And sometimes he will go and get the puppy dog and say "fffff."

Birthday Present Fun-Time!

2008-06-14T11:36:00.002-04:00

Here are some photos of James playing with his presents.

These are the eggs we got him. It is six little chickens in eggs. They each squeak and have a different face. The bottom of each egg shell is a different shape so it only fits in one space and the top of each egg shell has a face that matches the chicken inside. He loves to open it (or have us open it for him) and then fling the eggs around and carry the carton. They seem like a nothing kind of toy but he absolutely LOVES them!

This is another favourite. They are cut-outs that stick to the side of the tub. James has a lot of fun looking at them and pulling them off and putting them in his tub and watching Mommy put them back on the tub and then pulling them off again.

I have a house!

I have a bus!

Nice and clean with Daddy. This sleeper barely fits anymore.

Grandpa and Jamie at the Park

2008-06-12T08:35:00.002-04:00

Tuesday was James' last day with his Grandma Lin and Grandpa Bob. It was cool and cloudy. Jeff and Bob took James to the park and had a lot of fun there. Linda and I stayed home and relaxed. It was a great week and we were so glad they could come out for Jamie's 1st Birthday. The only downside was that their flight was 2 hours late and we didn't look so they had a long wait at the airport--and that isn't very exciting! But, they are home now and getting ready to be invaded, first by Daniel (Grandson #1) for a few days, and then by the three of us when we come out to find a place to live. Here are the park pictures (I made Jeff take the camera). James looks like he had a great time. Bob too!

Going down the BIG slide with Grandpa. I've never done this slide before. This is exciting!

Yeah, going down the slide like a big boy!

I am such a big boy and so proud of myself.

This car is fun.

Driving my car.
Driving with Grandpa. We like to go FAST!

I LOVE THE SWING!!!

Climbing the rope wall. I am so ready to be climbing on my own--not!

We haven't done much since Grandma and Grandpa left. James has been very into reading books the last little while. While they were here, if we asked "What does a puppy say?", he would say "fffff" and then once when I asked him what a bird said, he also said "ffffff." But, he stopped doing that. Now he only says "ffffff" for doggy or puppy, and has added an "R" sound in front sometimes so it is "rffff". He says "Baa, Baa, Baa" for sheep, he makes a "mmmo" sound for cow, and if it is another animal (like a bear or a rabbit), he just looks at us like we are idiots because he clearly doesn't know those ones. We are working on 'GRRRRR" for Bear. I don't know what sound a rabbit makes. Other than that, we are just packing slowly and getting ready to come out for 2 weeks. There may not be many postings for a while. Talk to you soon!

James' First Birthday!

2008-06-09T20:08:00.003-04:00

Today was James' 1st Birthday! We went down to the harbour and spent the morning with Grandma Lin and Grandpa. We walked on the harbour and looked at the clipper ships that are here for part of an around the world race. This evening, we had his Big Birthday Party. We had pizza and cake. James loved the pizza--cheese pizza for him--but was not as keen on the cake. He played with it for a while and then stuffed a big piece in his mouth and promptly gagged and spat it out--what a Big Boy! I am glad I got a cake that the adults would enjoy (lemon and raspberry pound cake with raspberry filling--YUM!). After cake, James was a mess so it was into the tub and jammies and then time to open presents. All in all, a good first birthday for a little 1 year old boy.

James on his original Birth Day! It is hard to believe that a year has passed and he has trebled in size and is walking and babbling.

Wearing my big boy outfit with the matching hat. This outfit just fits now and is super cute so we thought it was perfect for a hot birthday party (and by "hot" I mean it was 33 degrees with the humidity today!).

James walking on the harbour. Daddy always stayed close as there are openings that a little guy could fall through. Since it was so sunny, James got 2 applications of SPF 45 while we were out. Jeff and I got burned the day we went to Point Pleasant Park so we didn't want that for Jamie.

Hi Grandpa! I'm looking at you, looking at me!

On the Boardwalk! We were having fun!

I am a big boy in my stroller in front of the clipper ships.

Walking with Grandma Lin!

Playing at the boat park with Grandpa.

Big boy with Grandpa!

The Boys on the Water.

My pretty birthday cake.

Birthday Boy With Cake.

Yummmm! Pizza!

I don't get this candle-thing Mommy.

Hmmm, so you call this cake?

Cake you say? Well, it is squishy.

Mmmm! I love making a mess.

I am a messy pig boy!

Ohhhh. Presents!

Yeah! Tub toys from Phyl and Peter! Thanks a bunch. These will be fun.

James also got some books and DVDs from Grandma and Grandpa and a wagon that will wait for us in Calgary. Mommy and Daddy gave him chicks in eggs and some books. He loves the peek-a-boo book with the flaps that hide things. And, my camera died so I will get a picture of him with the eggs later--they make more sense than trying to explain them. It was a good birthday for the little guy.

Peggy's Cove with Grandpa and Grandma!

2008-06-08T07:31:00.004-04:00

On Friday, Grandma and Grandpa took us on a road trip of the South Shore. We started the day by driving to Peggy's Cove. James fell asleep half-way there. We stopped there and took some photos. We went there last year with my mom and sister when James was about 2 weeks old so I have put up some photos from that trip so you can see how big James is now. Wow! After Peggy's Cove, we stopped at the Swiss Air Memorial just down the road. Then we drove along the coast and stopped at Chester for lunch--fish and chips, of course--before carrying on to Mahone Bay. We took the highway back and James again fell asleep (after a bit of a melt down). It was a great day and the weather was lovely.

James has been showing off all his tricks. He says "Baa Baa" fairly consistently at the picture of the sheep in the book. If you ask him what a puppy or doggy says or if he looks at a picture of a dog, he says "Woof" (although it sounds like wffffffff and is very quiet). He takes books to Grandma and Grandpa to have them read to him and, yesterday, Jeff said "take the book to Grandpa" and he took the book to Bob. We were pretty impressed by that. He is enjoying walking outside more and more and is quite tired when we get home. He is having a great time with his grandparents and I think will be very happy to see them when we go to Calgary in 2 weeks.

James and Daddy at Peggy's Cove: June 2008

James and Daddy at Peggy's Cove: July 2007

James and Mommy at Peggy's Cove: June 2008

James and Mommy at Peggy's Cove: July 2007

The Family at Peggy's Cove: 1 Year On!

James in his stroller 1 year ago!

The Boys at Peggy's Cove.

Grandma, Grandpa, Daddy and James at Peggy's Cove.

James looking pretty sleepy in his car seat! He would fall asleep about 5 minutes before we stopped so he had several interrupted naps.

Swiss Air Flight 111 Memorial near Peggy's Cove.

Having lunch at Chester. Aw Daddy! I just woke up and need a cuddle!

On the water at Chester with Daddy. James liked walking on the dock but had to be careful as it was uneven.

Mommy, Daddy, and Jamie at Chester.

Sitting on the dock at Chester with Grandpa. Grandma and Daddy are waiting for lunch to come.

Running with Grandpa!

Grandma and Grandpa in Halifax

2008-06-08T07:21:00.005-04:00

Jamie's grandparents, Bob and Linda, arrived on Wednesday and we have been having tonnes of fun with them since they got here. Yesterday we stayed in Halifax and they watched James in his swim class. Then we went to Point Pleasant Park and walked around half the park. It was sunny and hot (about 30) and James had his cute hat on. Jeff and I got a bit sunburned on our arms but James was okay and that was the main part. James practiced walking but needed some help over the uneven grass.

After Point Pleasant Park, we drove around the other side of the Halifax Harbour and went to the York Redoubt which was the "other" harbour defense. Everyone knows about Citadel Hill but the York Redoubt is just on the other side of the NorthWest Arm and it is open to the public so we enjoyed walking around there too. The day ended with tasty fish and chips at Phil's.

Walking is hard. I'm taking a break!

Grandpa and Daddy had to help a little.

Grandma Linda at Point Pleasant Park.

Dad! I'm done with this walking--PICK ME UP!

Yeah! Daddy picked me up. Now I am happy!

We had ice cream and now Grandpa is giving me a shoulder ride. This is a pretty good day!

The York Redoubt. Hi Mommy!

I love my Grandpa!

Grandma Linda looking out over the water at the York Redoubt.

PS: James's Command Chair!

2008-06-03T19:51:00.002-04:00

James is also too big for his car seat now so we went to get him a new one. We were appalled at the size of the convertible seats--they are just HUGE! They are heavy and bulky and look like a pain, especially for people like us who move from vehicle to vehicle. So we looked into various brands and went with one recommended by several family members--the Britax Marathon. It will hold him until he is 65 lbs and it means we can keep him rear-facing until 30lbs which is safer. It also has the easiest system for putting it into cars that don't have the LATCH system so we can easily move it from car to car. But, it meant a 50 minute bus ride to the baby store in Bedford that sells them. We discovered James is a great bus rider in Halifax but is really only good for about 10 to 15 minutes on the bus and then gets squirrel-y. The last 15 minutes home this afternoon were ugly! Oh well. He seems very intrigued and impressed with his new command chair.

Ahhhhh, so comfy! I love my chair--and the cool crocodile print!

Don't touch my chair, Dad!

New Shoes and Shirt!

2008-06-03T19:34:00.003-04:00

James is almost the Birthday Boy! It is his 1 year birthday in 4 days and his Grandma and Grandpa will be here to help celebrate. We had his one year appointment with the doctor. We had him weighed and measured. He weighs 21 lbs and 10 oz and he is 29 1/2 inches long. He is in the 50th percentile for height and the 40th for weight so he is long and lean. James also got his 1 year shots and the last of his vaccine trial shots so he is all done with needles until 18 months. He took it all very well and recovered from the pokes almost immediately.

He is a walking fiend--he walks everywhere at home. He has also started walking outside in the park a bit. He was wearing his Robeez the first time and didn't like the gravel paths so we got him "real" shoes. This was a bit of a nightmare as shoe stores no longer sell children's shoes and there are no children's shoe stores here. Crazy! So, we ended up a FootLocker which has a big selection of shoes. He got Adidas runners--they have a removable liner with a sizing chart on them so you can take them out and make sure it is the right fit. James apparently has very large feet. The shoe guy said most 1 year olds have a size 3-4. James is a size 6 and they are wide. I don't know if the shoe salesman was right about average shoe size of infants, but James' feet do seem big and always have.

Okay, that is enough. Enjoy the photos and I will post more after the Big 1 Birthday Blow-Out!

I have a moose on my shirt and you DON'T! Grandma and Great Aunt Jackie picked this out when Grandma was in Victoria visiting. The moose's mouth is a flap and James likes to play with it.

Hi. See my moose?

Okay, these are my new shoes but it was a really long day of shopping and I am really tired and hungry!

I'm better! I have had some food. See my new shoes? I am really fast in them!

Random Photos

2008-06-03T19:20:00.004-04:00

Here are some random photos of James from the last couple of weeks.

James with our friend, Amanda, who gave him this Oilers themed sweater (which her mother made). It is super cute so we had to get a couple of pictures of them together with him wearing it.

I don't want to sit anymore! I am getting down!

I am a monkey and monkeys walk with bananas!

I want to touch the camera!

Monkey with a banana, part 2.

My two favourite toys from this week: a plastic cup and a plastic bowl. It is almost bath time so my shirt is gone but I am not ready to stop playing yet.

I LOVE PIZZA!! But I am a messy piglet!

Looking long and lean in my pajamas from Auntie Heather. I am tall enough now that they mostly fit!

Sometimes you have to have a boat in your mouth. It is a Maritime thing--you wouldn't understand.

James Playing with Daddy!

2008-06-03T19:09:00.002-04:00

James is playing a version of Peek-a-Boo with his Daddy in this video. Jeff pretends not to know where James is when James is standing right behind him and banging on his back. Then Jeff turns around and says "Boo" or something and James laughs and laughs and laughs. It is pretty funny.

James in the Park

2008-05-24T14:02:00.005-04:00

Here are some photos of James playing last week at the park when the weather was nice. It was a lovely sunny day so we stopped to play. It has been rainy and cool since so we haven't been back, but maybe we will go again this week. We went to his Splashers and Bubblers class this morning but had to leave half way because the water was too cold; James' teeth were chattering and his lips were purple so the instructor said we should leave. They promised to turn the heat up on the pool for next week. Other than that, we haven't been up to much of anything--just the usual--but these photos are cute so I thought I would share them.

Playing with my Dad!

I'm a good standing boy!

I can almost climb the wall! What I am really good at is making my parents climb the walls at home!

I love the park!

I am a dare-devil and like to look down at the ground when I swing back.

Hi Mom: This is fun!

Sliding with Mommy!

Yeah! Fun!

What is the spongy stuff?

Yeah! Office supplies!

This is my new favourite toy--Daddy's old plastic floppy disk holders. Since he was going to throw them out, they are mine now!

Hi Mom! Is that something I would like to touch? I am too fast for you!

Yeah! Another disk holder. And this is what I do all day! James' new favourite toys are a plastic bowl and cup that he carries around with him while he walks. He puts the cup in the bowl and picks the bowl up. This morning, he was sitting on the floor and was very carefully putting the cup over his foot and examining the result. He then carried them around the living room for a while. I don't know why we buy actual toys!

Go Oilers!

2008-05-19T10:44:00.002-04:00

Here is James modelling some of his Oilers' wear. For Christmas, Uncle Brett gave him an Oilers jersey. It is a little big but he thought he should wear it for the Gold Medal Game. And he certainly looks the part sitting on the remote in a jersey holding the remote control. The others are of James in his new winter sweater. It is also too big which means it will be perfect for the fall and winter. It is blue with a white strip and an orange pom-pom so it is also great for hockey. Our friend (Amanda) had her mother make it and we think it is super cute.

Walking Better Every Day!

2008-05-15T12:49:00.003-04:00

Here is James walking yesterday. He is doing better and better all the time. He can now walk all the way across the living room. He still falls down--either when he loses his balance or when he decides crawling would be faster--but he is definitely on his way. He is not up to running yet, but he is getting more and more adventurous about taking his hands off things and walking without holding on to anything. This is very short but shows his increasing balance (he only falls at the end when he tries to dodge Jeff's waiting arms--Poor Jeff!).

James is Walking A Little

2008-05-13T18:14:00.003-04:00

About a week ago, James started taking his first few tentative steps unassisted. He is getting better and better and is willing to take more and more steps without holding on to anything. He will now let go of a chair and walk a few feet to his Daddy or to get what he wants. He still thinks crawling is faster and he is nowhere near ready to keep up with his running cousin Daniel, but he is definitely on the road to walking like a big boy. We think he will master it by the time his Gramma Lin and Granpa Bob come to visit for his first birthday. The steps are still a little jerky but he is working on it. And is very proud of himself.

Drivin' Daddy Round the Bend!

2008-05-13T18:09:00.003-04:00

Here are some photos of James in his new shirt which says "Drivin' Daddy Round the Bend." Gramma Lin and Grandpa Bob picked it up in Vietnam and we thought it would be too big but it is just right--and very cute and sometimes even slightly true! James is a Monkey!

Hi Mom!
Look at my big teeth!

I'm such a good stander!

Single Buoy

2008-05-11T16:00:00.002-04:00

It is grey and rainy in Halifax and that pretty much matches how we are all feeling. James has had a runny nose and a slight cough for about a week and Jeff and I both caught it a couple of days ago. We have been feeling pretty grey all around. Today we decided that we should get out and take a walk and get some fresh air. And then we found something to add some colour! We have been looking for a painting to remind us of our two great years in the Maritimes and we found it. It is entitled "Single Buoy" by Steven Rhude. He is a Nova Scotian artist who takes traditional Maritime iconography (such as the buoy) and juxtaposes it with non-traditional items or contexts. It is not what we thought we would be attracted to when we started looking weeks ago but we just love it. We saw it last week and have been thinking about it and when we went back today, we still loved it. So now it is ours. Here is a photo of it so you can see it too.

General Photos

2008-05-03T11:19:00.005-04:00

We haven't posted much in the last couple of weeks. Jeff was gone for his interview and this week we have been busy interviewing moving companies. But, we have continued to take photos of James. Here, in no particular order, are some photos from the last two weeks.

I am a big boy going to a BBQ in my Lobster sweater. I love the TV Guide!

Hi Mom, I am relaxing!

Here I am in my Adidas outfit that Grandpa Bob haggled for on the streets of some city in Indo-China. We thought it would be too big but it fits fairly well.

I love my Ball Popper.

Where do the balls come from? I know, Mommy!

Yeah, ball popper!

I can crawl soooo fast! See how big I look!

I like to stand by the window and play. Aren't I tall?

Hi Mom!

I have front teeth! These are the first photos of James' teeth. They were taken a couple of weeks ago. He now has 4 teeth on top and 2 on the bottom. Nursing is starting to get painful and weaning may be imminent.

Hi Camera Lady!

I like to peak over the edge of my playpen too.

Breakfast! Yeah! Or I am watching TV. Hard to tell.

I am a BIG BOY now!

James is a Fish!

2008-05-03T11:12:00.002-04:00

Here are some photos from James' swim class today. He is in Bubblers and Splashers. It was his fourth class today and he seemed to recognise where he was--he looked at the pool and started to wiggle and smile. In the pool, he was much more adventuresome. He kicked his legs more and tried to swim after the ball. We played games and he liked to go under London Bridge. He also likes the Speckled Frog game. All the children sit on the pool wall and we sing "Four little speckled frogs, sitting on a speckled log, eating the most delicious bugs: YUM YUM. One jumped into the the Pool (and then one of the babies gets pulled into the pool and everyone claps), where it was nice and cool, then there were 3 speckled frogs!" We keep singing it until there are No Speckled Frogs! James was Frog #1 today and kept trying to push off the wall of the pool to jump in before it was time. Then he liked being pulled into the pool so much he kept trying to get back to the wall so he could do it again. He also, for the first time, deliberately and repeatedly put his face in the water. The instructor will put her face in and blow bubbles and he kept bobbing his head down into the water and then grinning (except once when he swallowed and then he sputtered and coughed!). He seems to like it. The instructor said she thinks he will be very comfortable in the water.

No More Jamies Jumping on the Bed!

2008-05-03T11:01:00.004-04:00

Here is James doing one of the things he loves best: Jumping in His Crib! It is all fun and games until someone bangs a tooth on the rail and then he needs a cuddle from his Dad! It is pretty cute and shows his sparkling personality.

James Says Ma-ma!

2008-05-03T10:50:00.003-04:00

Here is another video of James jumping in his crib. In this one, he says Ma-ma as he reaches for me (or the camera) and he waves Bye-Bye to the camera (sort-of).

James in the Pool

2008-04-14T08:28:00.001-04:00

Jeff and I played with the photo (see the blacked out image below) and it looks better. We will still try to get some better shots next week but this will do for now. James is swimming (sort of). As Jeff said: "At least he doesn't have a death grip on his Mom in this one."

James on the Swing!

2008-04-14T08:09:00.003-04:00

Here is a very short video of James in the swing at the park. If you turn the sound up, you will hear him giggling away. He seems to think this is a lot of fun so we will have to take him again.

James is 10 Months Old!

2008-04-14T07:56:00.002-04:00

Here are some photos from James' last week. The first is not a good photo. We will try to do better next Saturday. It is from Jamie's first Bubblers and Splashers Swim Class. He seemed to like it well enough. He was pretty clingy during the class but by the end there were some giggles. I am hoping next week will be better. There are 12 classes in total so we will see how it goes. In this photo, I am not sure you can tell, I am holding him and he is "swimming."

James is now 10 months old. He looks like a real big-boy! We put him in his first Spring Outfit. This is a very cute brown and yellow plaid shorts overall set from Lauren and Ian. It will fit through the summer and he looks very cute in it so we are glad that it fits. It is hard to tell now what will fit when!

James has started standing on his own much more. He still has to pull himself up to a standing position on the furniture but he needs to less and less. Once he is standing, he has started taking his hands off the furniture and just standing there. This works until he wants to go somewhere and then when he tries to move, he usually falls over. But, standing alone is the big milestone that he has passed now. Once he figures it out a bit more, we figure he will take off walking. He is also trying to stand without help. He gets one foot under him and pushes up with his hands on the floor but can't quite get the second foot under him to get up. Once he figures that out, there will be no stopping him. He also now has his 2 front top teeth! They have completely broken through the gums and are visible (but only up close--no photos, maybe next week).

James' first swim class. We'll try to get a better picture next week.

James standing like a big boy.

Sitting with my ball! I love my ball.

See, Mom. It's a ball! (Doesn't he look BIG here!?!)

I told you, I like my ball. And I can stand and play with it too.

Happy boy!

Tipped! I'm okay!

Penguins! I like my penguin counting book!

Hi, Mom! Let's Read!

Penguins 1 2 3!

So, that is a day in James' life. We are enjoying some better weather and hope we will be able to spend more time playing in the park.

Fun At The Park!

2008-04-14T07:46:00.003-04:00

These photos are from April 4th. It was the first nice day in April so we took James to the little park down the road. He climbed on the wall and went down the slide. Both of those were not very interesting to him but he really liked the swing.

Yeah, whatever Dad!

Hi Mom! Dad and I were going on the swing. It was fun!

Rock-climbing? Maybe...

Hi! I'm a good stander.

Hi Dad! I'm holding on to the wall.

Yeah! Swings!

He-he-he! Swinging is fun!

James Playing Peekaboo

2008-04-01T20:36:00.003-04:00

This morning, James was standing by the couch looking up a Jeff and he kept pulling the sofa pillow over his head and then popping his head around at his Dad and grinning. Peek-a-boo! It was the cutest thing! He has played peek-a-boo before but this is, I think, the first time he has done it this way. I managed to get a bit of it on video before my camera died. It is pretty sweet. And, as you can see, James is still a morning boy!

Drumming on my Drum

2008-04-01T20:23:00.003-04:00

Here is James drumming on his new learning drum. It does the alphabet in English and French so when you hit it, a new letter appears. He doesn't get that part yet but he certainly loves to whack the drum and see the lights. He also likes to turn it upside down and see the bottom (I think because that is where the sounds come from and he is trying to find the music). He just loves it (so thank you to Auntie Lauren for the Christmas gift card--we finally figured out what to get with it!).

James' New Drum

2008-04-01T20:12:00.003-04:00

James has been growing like a weed lately. Suddenly, he seems quite a bit taller and thinner so we think he has had a growth spurt. We have all be sick since mid-March and are just now feeling back to normal. James was a snotty little trooper through the whole thing. James is still cruising around the furniture. He sometimes seems to want to let go of the furniture but he isn't quite ready. He just isn't steady enough to be on his own. He loves reading books and shows us the book he wants. Tonight, he was holding "Moo, Baa, La, La, La" in his lap and he said "Moo!" Then, when Jeff was reading it to him, he said "Baa." We were pretty impressed. They were distinctly different sounds from Ma-Ma and Da-Da which he has been saying for a while. We will see if he does it again at the right time before we get too excited. James also has a new learning drum. The one he got from his cousin, Oliver, died and he loved it so much that we got him a new one as his belated Christmas present from his Aunt Lauren. Here are some photos of him drumming. They go with the videos above.

Cool, Mom, my drum arrived.

Drum, drum, drum.

I love my drum!

I also love the remote! (This is James looking like a big boy in his green hoodie and matching green frog shoes for Great-Aunt Lona).

What? Can't I play with the remote this time?

James' Big Adventure!

2008-03-20T18:48:00.007-04:00

For James' 9 month birthday, he got to go on a plane! I was presenting at a conference in Edmonton so James and I flew out to Calgary and left Jeff behind at home (a week's uninterrupted sleep!). We were only in Calgary for a few days and I spent most of my time at school. But, we got to see some family. I forgot my camera the night we went to see Jeff's family so there are not any photos--sorry. But, I got some other good shots of James. We stayed with my sister and my mother drove in to help out. Then Mom, James, and I piled in the car and drove to Edmonton where we stayed with Nan (James' great-grandmother). Here are some of the photos, none from the plane. He was a good little traveller. He was great on the plane and in the car but it was hard on him. He didn't adjust to the time change well and didn't sleep well the whole trip. He also developed a cold (which I then got and have now passed to Jeff). But, all that aside, he travelled really well on the plane and in the car. He does seem glad to be back home with all his stuff though!

James is smiling up at my cousin Kelly. You can tell he is smiling because his fat little cheeks are pointing up!

James smiling with great-uncle Gord. A great uncle to be sure!

James crawling over great-uncle Gord while Grandma watches. James seemed fascinated by Gord as well as by his uncles Craig and Brett. We think it is because he is usually around women and other guys are neat--he's a man's man!

Again, crawling over Gord--he's a good climbing thing!

Playing with Kelly!

In Edmonton with Nan! Since it was his second day of travelling and his second new place in 3 days, he was a little shy and it took him a bit to warm up (sort of right before we were leaving, which is too bad). But, this was a good day so we have some nice photos of James and his Nana.

Laughing with Nan!

Sitting with Nan. Perhaps listening to "Teddy Bears' Picnic" on YouTube--which he LOVES!!

More sitting nicely with Nan!

I LOVE MY NANA!

James and I are now back at Heather's in Calgary getting ready to leave on our midnight flight. I am pretty tired and James is wearing a flannel blanket as a diaper. Long story short, we were running low on diapers and improvised while Heather went to the store. Since he wears cloth at home, James didn't seem to mind.

I'm a big boy on my Mommy! Mommy looks like she could sleep for a week!

I'm back with my Dad! I love my Dad!

I'm standing with my Dad! I have a cold and my nose is running but I am still pretty cute!

I like to be with my Daddy! Aren't I big and tall!

James loves his little horse. It is his cuddle object for sleeping and here he is cuddling it while having a bottle. Very sweet and cute. James is now back to his routine except for the cold we are all fighting. We had a good trip but it was a lot of travel in very little time and very exhausting for both me and James. We are both glad to be back in our own place.

Jamie at 9 Months!

2008-03-05T21:14:00.005-04:00

We can hardly believe it but Jamie will be 9 months old on Sunday. He is a little monkey boy--he is into everything and crawling and cruising around. On Monday we went for his 9 month wellness check-up. While we were waiting to go in, he was standing and playing holding onto a chair and he let go and stood with no support for a few moments for the very first time. The doctor says he probably isn't far off from walking. We will see--we aren't really ready for him to walk since we can barely keep up with him crawling!! Here are some photos from this week and from the day of his appointment so you can see what a big boy he is! He is still in the 45-50th Percentile. He weighs 19 pounds and 10 oz (I was sure he would be over 20lbs but he is not) and he is 28 inches long. That means that he has gained 9 inches over his birth length of 19 inches and he has more than tripled his weight (from its lowest point).

Daddy is chasing me down the hall--ha-ha-ha!!

I love Mommy's books!

Hi Mommy!!

I can walk all around the inside of my crib--which is cool because I have neat things on my crib and now I can get to them!

Winne the Pooh! Yeah! I love my mobiles! And I am soooo tall!

Winne the Pooh or Ocean Wonder? How about both at the same time!

I want to touch both! They're mine!

"Hey Mommy! Watcha doin'?" -- "I'm watching you try to crawl out your crib you little monkey!" (I don't know if you can tell, but James is standing on one tippy-toe and has the other foot lifted to try to crawl up the bars of his crib here).

HI MOMMY!! I Love my Mommy!

For perspective, these two photos are of James from the week he was born. He was just little! Now he's huge!

Jamie is a Piglet!!

2008-02-29T11:24:00.002-04:00

Here is James' most recent attempt to feed himself. He quite likes to use the spoon and likes to grab it away from us. We give him his own little spoon and he likes to try to feed himself with it. As you can see from these shots, the spoon is long gone and he has made a mess of himself.

Mmmhhh! That's good!

How can I get more in my mouth and less on my face?

Eeeuuwww! Sticky! Shortly after this, James' bowl (suction cup, yeah right!) landed on the floor and the wall behind him in this photo (and the carpet) was covered in beef and alphabet pasta in red sauce! We paused our dinner to clean that up--no stains, thankfully. But it might be a while before we let him try this again!

Jamie's New Teeth! And Various Activities

2008-02-21T20:42:00.004-04:00

Sorry we haven't been blogging much lately. We have been busy at work and my mother was here for a few weeks helping out with James. He has grown by leaps and bounds since the last posting. He started crawling at the end of January and now there is no stopping him. He crawls at a fast pace down the hallway to the office and giggles the whole way when you ask "James? Where do you think you're going?" And he giggles and goes faster until you scoop him up. It is very cute. He also has been walking around the furniture and can make a circuit through most of the living room if we have the furniture spaced correctly.

He has also been teething and has developed this annoying shriek. We are hoping it goes away when the teething is over. It has been better since the first tooth (bottom right centre) popped through and then, a few days later, the second bottom centre tooth came out. He is very sensitive about them and pulls his mouth shut if you try to touch them. And today we noticed that he has been chewing on the wooden arm of the chair and it makes this loud scraping noise (and there are a lot of small, teeth shaped scrapes on the side of the arm so we think he must have been doing it for a while). So, he must get some relief from that but we are trying to discourage it.

Basically, even with the teething, he is still a happy little guy and he laughs a lot. He likes to read his books (and eat them--again, we try to stop that) and be tickled and play with his toys. Here are some photos of his daily activities.

I have two little shiny teeth! I am so proud!

Hi Grandma! I'm a big boy!

I love pulling my books off the shelf.

So many books, I can't stand up!

Sleepy Boy! One of the few shots where James is still! He has fallen asleep and drooled (a lot!).

I got new Big Boy Jammies for Christmas! My Mommy didn't think they would fit yet, but I am a BIG BOY!!

My Grandma Linda came to visit! I love my Grandma Linda--she plays all sorts of games with me.

I am a "Pilot 4 Hire" -- Thank you, Auntie Heather, for my cool new outfit!

I am so cute!

I can stand and I have skull jammies--they make me look tough!

I love to play "wheelbarrow" with Daddy! I am so strong!

I can make it! I can make it!!

Almost there...I know no fear!

And, that is James' life--a busy boy!

Playing With My Bumble Bee!

2008-02-21T20:32:00.004-04:00

Here is James playing with his Bumble Bee from New Zealand that Grandma Lin and Grandpa Bob got him. He has played with it in the past but has now figured out that he can pull it toward him by using the string--and that the string makes a good chew toy too. It is pretty cute.

Jamie is a Walker!

2008-02-21T15:48:00.003-04:00

Here is video of James walking while holding onto furniture. He is really too quick for me and, of course, he walks to the camera so I am trying to pull back as he comes forward. Oh well. He is pretty confident in his transfers and can do a circuit of almost the entire living room if we have the furniture in the right places.

2008-01-30T21:23:00.000-04:00

Here are some pictures of James looking like a big boy. He is increasingly active and has pulled himself up on all the furniture and walked from place to place. The only problem is he has more confidence than ability. So he falls. But he seems to heal quickly. Today for the first time James managed to sit down from a standing position. What a big boy!

I love my daddy and can say da-da regularly.

I had better not drool on dad's sweater.

Even though I look like I might want to escape, I love my "people."

James Can Stand!!

2008-01-23T19:20:00.000-04:00

James can now get himself into a standing position easily. He started pulling himself up in his crib a couple of weeks ago but can now crawl to something and just grab it and stand up with no problems. In this video, he crawled over to the footstool and got up onto his knees (that video was way too long so I haven't put that one up). Then he sat on his knees for a while and just put one foot under himself and stood. No real effort involved at all--boom, he's up! What a little monkey. I have posted some photos below of him crawling as well. He is really getting around now and is quite mobile. He is a happy little guy and has been enjoying his "Grandma Linda Day-Care" for the last few days.

James is a Crawling Fiend!

2008-01-23T19:08:00.000-04:00

James is crawling and crawling and crawling. He has been crawling so much since Friday (when he really did it for the first time) that his knees are red and, tonight, he started pushing up into a bear walk on his hands and feet so his knees would be off the floor--poor little boy! He can crawl from the far side of the living room, into the hall, and down the hall to the office. He loves to crawl to something--especially a toy. He has a new truck from Mom and his Auntie Heather that he loves and he has a bee that makes noise when he pushes it so he loves to go to that as well. Lots of fun things to explore. Here are some photos.

Look at me go!

Hi, Mom! I can push up off the floor!

Look, ma! No knees! I'm a bear, GRRRR!

Ooohhhh! My truck looks like fun!

"I'm playing with a baby bumblebee. Won't my mommy be so proud of me!!"

James' Moccasins

2008-01-23T19:01:00.001-04:00

My mother came to visit this week and she brought James a beautiful pair of moccasins made by her friend, Martha Benjamin, from Old Crow (which is in the Yukon about 500 miles north of Whitehorse). Mom taught there for a year in the 60s and went back for a visit last year and re-connected with some old friends. It was so sweet of Martha to make James moccasins and he seems to love the beaver fur (Mom says boys get beaver fur, girls get rabbit fur--who knew!). We had trouble getting them on him because he kept grabbing them and rubbing the beaver fur on his face--very cute!

Ooohhhh! Soft!

They're mine--go away Mommy!

Yeah!
Hi, there! I can crawl!!

James Can Sit Up and Crawl!!

2008-01-18T11:05:00.001-04:00

Here are some photos of James from today and earlier in the week. The first is him in the tub--he loves to have a bath and here is holding his blue ducky under the water. Below there is a video of James in the tub. The rest are from this morning.

James loves to stand--he developed the ability to stand over Christmas and is very happy if he can stand holding onto something. He also has started to pull himself from sitting to standing if he can get a good grip on something. And if he has your hands, he pulls himself to his knees and then stands. A few nights ago, he was standing by the footstool and took one hand off and put it on my leg and then "cruised" to the chair and up the length of the chair--so he is now cruising around his playpen and the furniture.

James has been working very hard on becoming a crawler. Yesterday and this morning he started taking a few tentative crawls toward things. He can now get himself up on his hands and knees and can go forward a little toward something. We expect him to "take off" any day now. The new skill he developed today is that he can get himself into a sitting position. We have been putting him in a sitting position but this morning he went from being on his belly to a crawl position and then moved his leg under him and got into a sitting position all by himself. And then he did it again. And again. And again after his nap. So, we think this is now a developed ability. In the last week, his motor skills have just really taken off so we are pretty impressed with him (and completely unbiased!).

I love my tub Mom!

I am a crawler now Mom.

What's down here?

Hi Mom! Whatcha doing?

Heh, heh, heh! I'm going places, you just watch me Dad!

James Loves the Tub!

2008-01-18T10:56:00.000-04:00

Here is a video of James in the tub--he quite likes his toys. He has two favourite toys. One is a blue rubber ducky that my Aunt Jackie and Uncle Gord sent him. The other is a man in a submarine that winds up and moves through the water which Grandma Lin and Grandpa Bob gave him for Christmas. He loves to chase the submarine and try to catch it with his hands and feet. He likes to be sprayed with water from the ducky. He likes to hold the duck under water with his feet and then watch it pop up. And he likes to "drown" both of them by holding them under water for as long as possible. He giggles and laughs all through his baths. His new trick is to try to hold onto the side of the baby tub and pull himself onto his knees. We also blow bubbles and he likes to watch them float through the air but he doesn't seem to quite know what to make of them yet.

James' First Christmas!

2008-01-05T16:11:00.001-04:00

Here are a bunch of photos from James' first Christmas. We went to Calgary for Christmas and stayed with Jeff's parents. My mother came and stayed with my sister, Heather, and my other sister, Susan, and my aunt Laurel (from Ontario) also came for part of our visit. It was really good to get to see everyone--especially since Susan, Laurel, and Lauren and Brett (Jeff's sister and brother) hadn't yet met James. I have tried to organise them into various days or themes but there were a lot to choose from and this is a sampling only. It was a great visit and we were really glad to be back.

We start back to school on Tuesday so this last week has been getting ready for that. Last night, James showed us a new trick. We had lowered his crib mattress in anticipation since he now stands leaning against things and has been trying to pull himself up. Last night, I put him in his crib in a sitting position while I put laundry away and he leaned over, grabbed the bars, and hauled himself into a standing position! What a little monkey!! Good thing we had already lowered the mattress!!

Anyway, sorry this is so long--there were a lot of photos to choose from!

I have just arrived at Grandma Lin's and Grandpa Bob's. Grandma Lin has pulled out all sorts of cool retro toys. The ball used to be Daddy's!

"Christmas" at Heather's!

These photos are from "Christmas" at my sister's place. Since Susan and Laurel had to leave before Christmas, we did an early, family Christmas on the 16th. Jamie got to meet my cousin, Kelly, and her son, Oliver. Oliver and Jamie seemed to get along very well.

I just met my Auntie Laurel and I think she is fun already!

Opening presents from Gord and Jackie!

Laurel in her fabulous new necklace!

Jamie's getting into the fun of opening presents!

New Shoes!! I love shoes! Anything that goes near my feet!

Chillaxin' with my cool cousin Oliver.

Oliver and Kelly

Oliver, Auntie Linda (Mom), Kelly, Heather, and Auntie Laurel

More Fun At Auntie Heather's Place

Fun with Auntie Susie! She makes me giggle.

More fun with Auntie Susie.

I can stand really well if I have something to lean against or hold onto. I love to stand!!

Various Photos Showing Life in Calgary

I'm eating a Mum-Mum (rice cracker)! I love them--their the best!

My first taste of vegetables--green beans, yumm! More, please!

Fun with the Frickes--Clare, Madelaine, and Paul enjoying Jamie.

Fun playtime with Nan!

Posing with cousin Daniel--he's not so big anymore!

Why don't we both play with the toys? That way, no one gets hurt!

Grandpa Bob with his two boys! Oddly enough, it is difficult to get a 6 month old and a 10 month old to look at the camera at the same time.

Grandpa's happy, Jamie's sleepy, and Daniel's bored!

Brunch with Oliver, Kelly, Mike, Mom, Heather, and us. James loves Oliver and wanted to see what he was doing with his cool Star Wars toys.

Christmas Eve!

These two photos are from the morning of Christmas Eve when Jeff and I opened our presents to each other. It is early--about 6:30am since Jamie is an early riser.

What does Mommy have in her new purse? Don't I look cute in Mommy's new hat!

I want to play presents too!!

Christmas Morning!

Susie had already left and Laurel was leaving Christmas Day so we stopped over at Heather's Christmas morning before going to Craig and Jocelyn's for presents. Here is Laurel and Jamie playing with his bear that plays peek-a-boo. He loves peek-a-boo with anyone willing to play--but he isn't so sure about the bear here.

I love my Auntie Laurel!

Christmas Morning playing in Daniel's Exersaucer and wearing Tanego's (the dog's) antlers.

I know it's yours, Daniel, but can I play in it for a while? Please?!?!

A general crowd shot on Christmas morning. James likes to scoot around on the hardwood--he can go places quickly!

Daniel's Jolly Jumper is fun but I am not entirely sure what to do in it.

Another general crowd shot. Daniel is going for the fridge magnets.

I got the best blocks and this cool submarine that really goes. I love it. Mommy makes it go and I try to catch it with my hands in the tub and I laugh and laugh!

Home Again!

Here I am back home and I love it! I am wearing my big boy shirt from Auntie Sandra--it is so cute.

James & Santa

2007-12-24T11:12:00.000-04:00

Here is a picture of James with Santa for his first Christmas. He was very good and did not cry at all. We got a half smile out of him and thought we were lucky to get that so we didn't push for a full smile. We think he looks pretty cute.

We have been busy visiting with family here in Calgary--Jeff's family and my family are here including my Aunt Laurel from Ontario. We have many pictures so I will be a busy blogger after Christmas! Keep an eye out for more in a few days.

Merry Christmas!!

James is 6 Months Old!

2007-12-07T14:20:00.000-04:00

James is 6 Months old on Sunday. Today we went for his 6 month appointment and his flu shot (he already had his other vaccines so he only had to get one shot). He weighed in at 17lbs 3oz -- so he has more than doubled his birth weight and everything is right on track for weight. He is also 26 1/2 -- 27 inches long. He is about in the 50th percentile for both height and weight and is a perfectly happy and healthy little guy. Now that he is 6 months, we have free run of all the food groups. We started him on barley cereal and he seems to really like the stronger flavour. Last night he just wanted more and more and before we knew it, he had eaten 5 tbsp mixed with formula. Today he had 4 tbsp at breakfast and the same at lunch--so he is a little porker when it comes to food. By the time we all have our Christmas dinner, he too could be having his own turkey, sweet potatoes and squash meal! We can introduce a new food every 3 days so by Christmas he should be well introduced to just about everything!

He is also doing all the motor skills he should be doing for his age. The doctor thinks he may crawl early since he is already pushing himself up and trying to move. This morning he used his arms to pull himself across the carpet to get to a toy he wanted (since it was the electric cord for my laptop it doesn't really count as a toy but he doesn't know the difference--we will have to move that now so he can't mouth it). He also sits unassisted--we have to put him into a sitting position but then he can maintain it for quite a long time without tipping over. So, below are some photos of our long little 6 month Jamie.

A Hungry Little Guy on the couch in his new jeans from Great Auntie Sandra.

"Hi, Mom! I love sitting in front of the Christmas tree!"

"I got my feet--feet are neat, you use them to walk down the street!"

"What's over there? I don't know but I better hold onto my feet!"

"Merry Christmas Everyone! See you Soon!!"

We leave for Calgary bright and early on Monday for Christmas so I may not get much up over the next few weeks until we get back. Merry Christmas Everyone!

Christmas at Jamie's House

2007-12-01T16:26:00.000-04:00

The Christmas season has arrived in Halifax. It started snowing this morning and it was very windy. We went for a long walk and out to lunch and we picked up Jamie's Christmas presents from us (and Santa!). We decided to get them here and not haul them across the country when we go back home. There is a video below of James playing with them and he seems to like them. Here are some still shots too. The first few are from today with his new toys. The rest are from the last week or so.

James and Mommy playing with his Christmas present ball-rattle thing.

James and Daddy in front of the tree.

James looking at his ball over his head--and sitting like a big boy.

Oohh, this ball is fun!

Happy, happy Jamie playing with his stackable bugs and smiling for Mommy.

More stackable bug fun!

What does this funny ball do?

Oh! Daddy took my ball!! Give me back my ball Daddy!

James in front of the tree last week when we first put it up.

What's this thing on the tree? Shiny!

It's fun to grab things on the tree! Good thing I can't crawl over to it yet!

Hi Daddy! I love my Daddy!

I am a good sitter! Look at me sit like a big boy!

I love to sit on the couch and watch the TV.

Fun at the Park!

We took these next few last Saturday at the park. It was Jamie's first time in the swing. He seemed a little unsure of himself but we think by Spring, he will have a grand time.

I'm not sure about this swing thing and it sure is cold out!

Yah! Fun!

Mommy pushing me on the swing!

Yeah, fun! I am having so much fun, can't you tell!

Jamie's First Christmas!

2007-12-01T15:44:00.000-04:00

Here is Jamie enjoying his first Christmas presents in front of our little tree. Jeff and I decided we would get him his presents here so we wouldn't have to take them back and forth across the country (although we may end up taking them to Calgary anyway since he seems to like them a lot). We got him a funny little ball with a rattle in it that he can grab and he seems to like it. We also got him a set of stackable, magnetic bugs that, as you can see, he seems to be able to grab and manipulate.

Auntie Heather & Various Photos

2007-11-17T09:20:00.000-04:00

Here are some photos from the last two weeks. My sister, Heather, came to visit last weekend for a few days and she and James had fun bonding and playing. He is getting quite big though we aren't sure how big yet. We will find out when we take him to his 6 month appointment in December but he sure seems solid! He is sitting up quite well and is tipping over less (if we position him just right). He stands really well too and will stand holding onto furniture. He can't get himself into a sitting or standing position but if you put him there, he can hold himself up for a few moments. Also, he has started lifting himself onto his hands and knees and rocking. He mainly does this when annoyed but we think it bodes well for him crawling in the next couple of months. As always, his favourite thing to do is eat. He loves his Pablum and gobbles down 3 tablespoons 3x per day. We will be able to start him on new solids early in December when he is officially 6 months. So, all is well with Jamie. Jeff and I are doing well too and are looking forward to seeing everyone at Christmas. Enjoy the photos.

Jamie sitting with Auntie Heather and wearing his cute sweater from Great-Aunt Bonnie and Great-Uncle Ian. So cozy!

" I'm a big tall boy in my sweater vest with Auntie Heather!"

"I'm so happy and cute!"

"I love my Auntie Heather and my new cozy sleeper!"

"I'm getting sleepy but I like to be cuddled."

"Hi Mom! I love this jumper thingy!"

"Grandma Linda made me a cool toque and scarf in Oilers' colours! Go Oilers!"

"I love my Daddy! Daddy has to go to work!"

"All Oilers, all the time!"

"I love this blue ball thing--it tastes great!"

"This turtle makes all kinds of noises and is so fun to chew on!"

"Look how big I am in my bucket. I am so huge!"

"I can sit so well. My mommy is very impressed."

"Mmmmhhhhh, Pablum."

"Faster, Daddy! More Pablum!"

Hallowe'en!

2007-10-31T16:59:00.000-04:00

At the last minute--and I mean last minute--we have found James a costume for Hallowe'en. We think it is very appropriate and think he is so cute in it! His first Hallowe'en appears to be a costume success.

"I am a college graduate but am transfixed by the tv!"

"My dad's so proud!"

"Hi Dad!!"
"I'm so happy to have graduated!"

"Look at my diploma, Mom!"

"A college gradute but I still love my jumper!"

Isn't he adorable!

James and Mommy.

Fun With James

2007-10-29T19:32:00.001-04:00

Grandma Linda was here for two weeks and had lots of fun time with James. She left on Saturday so we have been getting used to life without her. James was actually quite out of sorts yesterday so we think he may miss her a bit but he seems to have perked up today--very fickle, our boy. While Grandma was here, they did all sorts of fun things together. We got a bouncer from friends here and James quickly figured out how to stand in it and play with all the toys--most of which went in his mouth. He now really likes to be in his "jumper" as we call it so we added some photos of him in it on various days. There are also some photos of James and Grandma Linda. Mom really had a great time being with him and seeing how much he could change in just two short weeks.

Speaking of change, when Mom arrived, it was the day after his 4 month appointment and James had weighed in at 15lbs 6oz and was 25 inches. Jeff went away for two days and James seemed noticeably heavier by the time he got back. We had to go for our flu shots today so while we were at the doctor we thought we would weigh him because maybe he had gained half a pound or so. Boy were we off. James is now 17lbs 3oz!! He has gained almost 2 pounds in just over two weeks! We also measured him and he is about 26 1/4 -- 26 1/2 inches long! Yikes--no wonder he felt heavier! No wonder he really seems to have figured out solids and be loving that Pablum! Anyway, that is our big news--James is a PORKER! But he is very cute and smiley too and a lot of fun. And he almost always wakes up happy which is nice.

James in his jumper--he is not quite sure of it yet.

Now he seems quite pleased with himself. I guess he figured it out in not time at all.

"Look, Mom, I can stand!! Mom, mom! Are you looking!!" (We noticed today that his legs are longer and he is planted much more firmly on both legs and standing up properly when in it so we guess he really is taller.)

"I see you!!"

"I'm just so darned cute!" Here is James wearing his Baby Legs from Cheryl, Morgan, and Mila. They work really well as warmers to keep his legs warm under his jeans when it is too warm for a bunting bag and too cool for just jeans (like today). Here he has lost the jeans but he doesn't seem to mind.

SUPER-BABY!!

"I'm off to save the world! Thanks, Grandma, for turning my bib into a cape! Now I am ready!" He looks a little silly, actually, but it made for some cute photos.

"Grandma's last day! Look, Mom, I can hold my own bottle!" James is a good little eater and will now hold the bottle and bring it back to his mouth when he hasn't had enough or lean toward it with his mouth gaping. Here he is holding one of his dolls that Mom made for him. They were actually supposed to be my dolls but they only just got finished so they go to James! Jeff says "He's going to turn them into a gun, you know--he's a boy!" That will be a cute picture too, I guess. Right now, he likes to hold the boy doll and chew on it. He also has become attached to a little stuffed seal that Nan (Jeff's Grandmother) gave him and to a horse that my friend Tess sent and to his Whoozit (a funny little toy from Aunt Jocelyn and Uncle Craig). He has attached to several things which is good if we lose one!

Asleep on Grandma. "I love my Grandma Linda! I can't wait to see her at Christmas. Only 6 more weeks!"

Jamie Playing with Daddy

2007-10-29T19:02:00.000-04:00

Here is Jamie playing with Jeff. He has learned that if he puts his hand by our mouths we will "eat" his hand and make all sorts of eating noises and this causes no end of amusement.

2007-10-21T18:57:00.000-04:00

This is a video of James getting his second bowl of cereal (all of 1/2 tbsp of Pablum mixed with 1 tbsp of formula). We decided to give him his first bowl because he seems hungry all the time and is only going about 2-3 hours between meals and is not sleeping well at night. We will see if it works. He was suspicious of the first few spoonfuls and then took to it like a duck to water. He opens his mouth like a little bird and leans his head towards the in-coming spoon. It is very cute and he seems to be having no trouble with it at all. Next week, steak! We think he is bigger than he was a week ago so when Jeff and I go to the doctor on Friday to get our flu vaccines we think we will ask to weigh him so we can see how big he has grown in just two weeks. He sure seems heavier. Other than that, not much is new. My mom is here for a visit and is loving being with James (as you can see from the pictures in the next/last post).

James and Grandma Havin' Fun!!

2007-10-21T18:44:00.000-04:00

My mother, Linda, arrived a week ago for a two week visit. She has been having great fun playing with James, babysitting, and watching him grow. She swears he has grown even in the last few days. We think she is right. Jeff went to Winnipeg for 2 days for a conference and James feels much more solid since he got back. Also, we thought he was long and we measured him and we think he is now 26 inches! He is huge and doing all sorts of fun things now.

Here is James playing with grandma and his scuba diving turtle. He seems a little suspicious of it.

Now me, Grandma, now me!

I am so tall! Grandma made me cool red overalls--fully lined with plaid and a matching shirt. I am so warm in them. And Grandma thought they would be too long because she made them to roll up and they are just about the right length. Because I am huge!

I got a new sweater while Daddy was gone and I look like a big boy to welcome him home!
I am so big--I stand by the footstool and can support a lot of my own weight!

I love to stand! Mommy and Daddy have borrowed an exer-saucer from a friend and I think I will really like it.

I am so hungry that Mommy and Daddy thought they would try a little Pablum and I LOVE IT!! I was a little unsure of the first few spoons but by spoon #3, I was making a little bird mouth and leaning my head toward to the spoon. Because I am HUGE and I need real food!

I LOVE MY CEREAL!!

James Gets Tickled!

2007-10-12T17:57:00.000-04:00

Here is a cute video of James being tickled by Daddy. Laughter abounds. I am trying not to laugh so I don't shake the camera but James and Jeff are laughing away. Very cute!

4 Months Old!

2007-10-12T13:38:00.000-04:00

We went for James's 4 month check-up today. He is now 25 inches long and 15lbs 6oz. He is in the 50th percentile for height and weight. The biggest change is his head; he went from the 15th percentile at 2 months to the 40th percentile at 4 months so his head grew a lot! His eyes are a dark blue/grey colour and don't appear to be changing anymore so we think they may be settled though we will wait and see.

It is amazing to us how much he has changed in 4 months. When he was born, he was 6lbs 15oz and 19 inches long and then he dropped to 6lbs 4oz. His cousin, Daniel, was 2.5lbs heavier at birth and 3 inches longer. But at 4 months, was at about the same place that James is now so James has really caught up. What a good boy! Anyway, here are some photos of James over the last week looking cute--as usual!!

I have a bunny sleeper and I love the mornings!

I have bunny feet--so cute!

What are you doing silly Mommy--you are so funny!

I am going to the doctor--I am sooooo tall!

What a big boy!

Videos of James on Facebook

2007-10-08T15:29:00.000-04:00

I can't seem to get videos to upload here so I have put a couple up on my Facebook page. Hopefully most people can see them there--sorry for the inconvenience.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2007-10-08T08:34:00.000-04:00

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

We had a great turkey dinner last night with friends here in town and James had to get dressed for the occasion (see below). I thought I would put some photos up from the last week. I tried to put up a video but it wouldn't load so I will try that later.

It is still nice here in the day but is definitely cooler in the evening so we have started to dress James in his fall clothes. No more shorts! He is also too big for most of them. On Thursday, he had his 4 month shots (2 shots in each thigh!). He really hated having them done but was easily consoled and forgot about it as soon as they were done. He was a little fussy the rest of the day but has been fine ever since. Other than that, not much is new. My mother is coming for a visit at the end of the week and Jeff is going to a conference while she is here for a few days. On Friday, we go for James's official 4 month appointment and find out how long he is and how much he weighs. Since he is into 6 month sizes for some things and his shoes are getting small, we figure he is pretty big! But, we will see. We'll let you know when we know.

I am a big boy in my cool outfit!

Hi Daddy! Do you see how cool I am--my shoes match my sweater (Thank you Auntie Ronalee!).

I'm Huge! I barely fit my Johnny Cash onsie anymore and am a little upset about it! Mommy says this is the last time since it is more of a t-shirt now and it makes me look like I just finished working out at the gym.

But I love it so much!

It really makes me think.

I am huge! This is a 6-9 month sleeper and it is a little long but not by much!

I can mostly sit on my own but sometimes I fall down.

It is better if I have as back support.

Daddy is taking me for a walk so I need to wear my hat.

I am about to go to the hospital to get my shots--as you can see, I am terribly distressed about it. (Isn't he sweet looking when he is asleep!)

This is my "I feel like a baby" outfit. It makes me giggle.

I like my green outfit and my sweater is nice and cozy.

Hello Daddy! What are you doing?

I am a chimp baby. I am sleepy and want to cuddle my Daddy. (This sleeper is a 6-9 month sleeper and it fits exactly--his feet are huge and won't fit in the feet of this sleeper much longer).

I am a big boy. I can hold my bottle by myself sometimes. I am sleepy and cuddly with Mommy here. Time for bed.

Another Week of Photos

2007-10-01T18:49:00.000-04:00

Well, James is growing rapidly. He is wearing 3-6 month size and some 6-9 month size. It is incredible how much he has grown and we are interested to see what he will be next week at the doctor. We go on Thursday for his 4 month vaccinations but I don't think they will weigh him so we will have to wait until the 12th to find out.

We have been up to the same old, same old. There isn't really much new but I thought I would share some cute photos of James.

Here is James in his last day of shorts. It is a cute little shorts outfit but it is too cool now for shorts so this day last week was the last day for them. It is still about 16 here during the day but it feels cool with the breeze--definitely fall!

James sits on the bed and supervises while we do laundry and the like. We make him a "throne" of pillows and he seems to enjoy sitting propped up. He is also getting better at sitting without a prop (for very short periods of time only before he tips over).

This is James in a very nice sweater from Amanda--a friend of ours here. He was not happy when we put it on him so we will have to get some better photos of him in it since it really is a great sweater!

James and Daddy playing before bedtime. We love this sleep sack--it makes bedtime so easy since there are no blankets to worry about him entangling in or getting uncovered and cold.

Cooler weather has arrived so sometimes we wear more clothes. As you can see, James likes to go for rides in the stroller.

Here is James in his big-boy sleeper. It is a 3-6 month size and we thought it wouldn't fit and it fits perfectly.
A smiley Jamie--very sweet!

More photos of Jamie being a cutie.

Here Jamie is wondering what his new bear from Great Aunt Bonnie and Great Uncle Ian is up to--he has to watch it carefully since it might be after his picnic basket!

James has HUGE feet! Even in 6-9 month sleepers, the feet are a little on the snug size. Crazy big feet and his toes are almost like fingers as he tries to hold onto things with them. What a little monkey! He really loves to kick at the animals on his chair's toy bar now.

We took this photos tonight. This sleeper is 6-9 months and we thought it would be huge but it fits! It is a little long in the legs but the feet are perfect. We put rattle socks on his feet too since he is old enough to move his feet and realise that he is making that funny noise. He has also figured out grabbing and shaking his rattle that we gave him yesterday. As I write this, he is sitting in his bouncy chair, kicking at the animals on his toy bar with rattle sock feet. While he kicks, he is trying to grab his toes and he is using one hand to hold on to one of the animals on the bar as he kicks at them with his feet and shakes a rattle in the other hand. What a busy boy!

James at the Park!

2007-09-23T17:53:00.000-04:00

Here are some photos of James's life from the past week or so. We haven't been "doing" much--just the regular every day things. We work at home in between teaching and then go for walks when James is awake. On Saturday (yesterday) we went for a walk and stopped at the park to play. He will get more out of that in a few months, we think. The rest are just from around home over the last week.

Riding on the swing with Mommy. The ground is nice and bouncy.

I am a mini rock climber!

I love the slide!

I like to drive the car with Daddy!

Mommy and Daddy like coffee but I am ready to go home.

I am getting better at sitting up--I barely need a prop now and sometimes can sit a little without one (but not for long).

Ooops! Lost it here!

Mommy made me a Pirate Hat from aluminum foil--it also protects against alien mind-reading ray guns!

Do you know the Muffin Man, the Muffin Man, the Muffin Man? His name is James!

The Difference 4 Months Makes!

2007-09-15T07:04:00.000-04:00

James's cousin, Daniel, came to visit again last night. We dressed them up in a couple of matching outfits they have for photo ops. It is amazing the difference 4 months makes when they are both under a year (Daniel is 7 1/2 months to James's 3 1/4 months). Daniel is able to sit mostly on his own and looks around without tipping over. James has to be propped and still tips, of course. Daniel can log roll around the living room. He smiles at the camera deliberately instead of by chance. And he squeals and laughs out loud. It is very neat to see what he is doing and to see what James will be doing in a few short months. Here are some photos of the boys together and some of James by himself.

You Moose Be Dreaming! We aren't twins!!

James is a little stunned by his big cousin!

Gimme that Baby!

The Boys!

The Family

I Have a New Hat!

I am so Street!

Monkey shoes make the outfit!

I have a motorcycle on my jeans!

Mommy figured out the timer on her camera--family shots!

James Playing

2007-09-10T19:24:00.000-04:00

James's cousin Daniel came to visit this week. It is the first time the two boys have been together. Daniel was born on January 31st so he is 4 months and 9 days older--it is amazing what a difference 4 months makes when they are both under a year. Daniel is like a giant next to James--or, as Uncle Craig puts it, James is like Frodo the Hobbit.

Daniel recognized the camera and smiled away. James just looked confused.

Daniel liked playing with some of James's cool toys--and James was a gentleman and shared willingly, of course!

Smack-down time! Daniel is huge! James is little--but huge compared to what he was at birth!

Playing with the little baby cousin!

What's going on Dad?

Something is amusing to James but I don't know what--funny carpet, I guess.

Daniel patting his little cousin.

Look, I really am huge and I can stand and everything!

Tummy Time

2007-09-08T08:47:00.000-04:00

Here is James having some tummy time. His neck is very strong and he can lift his head quite well.

New Hat!

2007-09-08T08:38:00.001-04:00

Jeff's birthday is coming up and James thought that Daddy needed a new hat (he is so thoughtful). Here he is modelling it for us. Now we think he needs a cap as well.

Labour Day Fun

2007-09-04T21:19:00.001-04:00

This weekend we went to the cottage with friends. It was a lovely day and we had a great time relaxing by the river--though we decided it was too cool for a swim in the lake and we would just sit and enjoy the day. Jamie seemed to enjoy being the center of attention. Here are some photos from the weekend. Tomorrow we are back to teaching so the photos will likely slow down.

Here is Jamie riding the big lion at the cottage. It was pretty cute!

Our little cowboy! Jamie enjoys his new outfits from "auntie" Tess in honour of his western roots.

We anchored the bookshelves to the wall and reorganized so Jamie has his own shelves now--for someone so small, he needed 3 shelves which seems like a lot!

Time for lunch! I love teddy bears!

Play time right before lunch. James now interacts with his toys which is very funny to watch as he tries desperately to kick the bird in the center of the toy bar.

James got a new puppy from friends in Saskatoon today. It is about as big as he is and he seemed to really enjoy rolling around on the floor with it. We put him on top of it and he grabbed hold and giggled as he rolled off and took it with him--below is a series showing the action (big, wide mouth open in a huge grin--so cute!).

So, this was our Labour Day weekend. It was a nice relaxing weekend before the start of classes tomorrow.

Just Up From a Nap

2007-09-01T08:25:00.000-04:00

Here is James just up from a nap. Not very animated, but pretty sweet!

2007-09-01T08:18:00.000-04:00

Here is Jamie in the morning--he is very happy and likes to laugh and kick his feet in his high chair. 8:30am--what a morning baby!

12 Weeks Old!

2007-09-01T08:09:00.000-04:00

James is 12 weeks old today! What a big boy. He seems to have changed so much since birth. We measured and weighed him this morning (so this is very approximate) and we think he is 23 1/4 inches tall and 12lbs 9oz. We won't know for sure until his 4 month appointment but we think this is probably pretty close--so he is growing and growing!

He is very happy and smiley now. He giggles and chortles--especially at his Daddy's funny faces! Here are some photos from this morning. He has figured out that if he slides down in his bouncy chair, he can kick the dangling toys directly--none of this passive movement through the chair, he wants the direct kicking of the toys! Such a boy!! But it was very cute so I took some photos. I will also put up a couple of short videos of James being James.

" I'm gonna get that bird!"

"Take that, Tweetie!"

James in the Morning

2007-08-29T08:48:00.000-04:00

Here is a short video of James. If this works, I will try to put up more every once in a while so you can see his emerging personality.