Non-James post

Just a shout-out to the rest of our life, here's a picture of our cat Shadow attempting to share Max's burger with him.

(Shadow is looking for a new home, but not because of this! If you're in the market for a 5 year old blue russian cat, give us a call!)

First Doo-Dah Day

In Birmingham every spring, there is a day-long celebration to benefit local animal orginazations like the humane society. It's called Doo Dah Day. (It was going to be called Doo Doo Day, but some boring guy thought it wouldn't be the BEST idea.)

James, Max & I went to our first Doo Dah Day this past weekend. We saw dogs of all shapes & sizes. My favorite was the samoan husky (I think that's the breed.) Max likes weimaraners. James was neutral on the topic, but he seemed to lean towards the saint bernard and the greyhounds. Although, the scotty dog and any puppies also got his attention.


James wore his red puppy dog shirt.









And then he spit up on it before we ever left the house.










So then James wore his blue puppy dog jumper.



...............................And then he peed on it before I could even take a picture.



So then James wore his jungle jumper.



















And then James wore nothing, because he peed on his jumper as we were changing his diaper in the park. I think Shannon's dog Bailey even licked him while we were changing him. (Just Kidding!)

Nekkid Baby

Just a few pictures of James while we hung out on the porch this afternoon. Quickly thereafter, he got hot & we went inside. =)

Reflections of a new mother

(warning to those folks who think that having a newborn is gloriously always happy. This post contains realistic words and thoughts from a new mother. If you can't handle reading that or feel the need to judge, please discontinue reading & skip straight to the cute pictures!)

Well, folks, "Baby Boot Camp" is over, or so they tell me. We've all survived the first 6 weeks, and we're all still 1) intact, 2) talking to each other, 3) well fed and clean. It's supposed to get "easier" now. I'm wondering who "they" are, and what they define as "easier."

The last 6 weeks have been the hardest of my life.

I've had challening jobs, bosses, assignments, situations. I've been pushed by the environment I've been in. I've had devastating family situations in the last 2 years. I've lived through Hurricane Katrina & her aftermath. I've moved 5 times in the last 3 years.

The last 6 weeks have been the hardest of my life.

I survive on sleep in 2 hour (more, if I'm lucky) segments.

I have someone sucking on me every three hours for 30-45 minutes at a time, only to follow that with possibly spitting up on me, peeing on me, and once, pooping on me.

I consider showering and dressing (in non-pajamas) daily a HUGE accomplishment.

I'm extraordinarily proud if I 1) brush my teeth, 2) eat 3 real meals that don't include a pop-tart, 3) do something non-baby-care related (like laundry or getting dinner ready or cleaning the kitchen), 4) get outside for more than 10 minutes, 5) respond to an email with more than 3 sentences, 6) read something non-baby related.

I love my son. That goes without saying, I hope. Nevertheless, caring for him can be very draining, especially when he sleeps for only 30 minutes at a time during the day. Spending 45 minutes to get him BACK to sleep put me over the edge, and I actually called Max to have him come home, because I was worried about my ability to handle James as best he needed. I sometimes think I'm a bad mother because I get upset. Several kind folks have assured me otherwise, but I don't really believe them.

I love my son. But sometimes, I'm not thrilled with being a new mom. I've been promised (under threat of having a 6 week old shipped to Ohio) that it'll get easier & I'll actually enjoy this. I'm still waiting for that to be true for more than 2 hours (or 2 days) at a time.

James is 1 month old!

Well, folks - we've all survived 28 days. James has contemplated trading us in on several occasions - mostly involving delayed dinners or diaper changes. We've contemplated trading him in for a model that poops less. =)

I'm on borrowed time with a friend who's keeping James while I do this, so I'll keep the chatter to a minimum & get right to the pictures. Hope all is well with everyone! Thanks for the thoughts, phone calls & emails - even if we don't return the communication, it IS appreciated! Maybe NEXT month we'll get around to returning phone calls!

Here are some of the best pics from this week - scroll down to see last week's.





James - all tuckered out from a long day of... pooping & eating, actually.

Amazing - he sleeps 16 hours a day, and still gets to make that face. I'm exhausted, and still manage a smile for the camera.













One of the rare occassions where James "allowed" us to put him down while he was sleeping. I think he woke up by the time I put the camera away.


















Self explanatory of how some days are.



















James & Max - hanging out, watching the Daily Show.














And this describes the nights- we haven't used an alarm clock in ... oh... 28 days!



















James & I in our usual mid-afternoon positiong. Fox decided that he'd had enough of being neglected, so he climbed right up & joined us for a nap.













James hanging out in his swing... he LOVES his monkey friends!

James 20 days

Daddy's buddy.

















Here he is - in all his glory! At our 2 week check-up, (which was actually 18 days), James weighed 8 lbs, 10 oz - an increase from 7 lbs 2oz when he was 8 days old! He grew an inch in length, and an inch in head circumference. He's eating great - every 3 hours most days, although he likes to throw us for a loop sometimes and go 2 1/2 hours or even 2. (those are the days that seem to last forever and i never leave the couch.)

His Aunt Michelle (my sister) was here last week, and his Grammy and Aunt Holly will be here tomorrow. Max goes back to work on Monday - time to see how good I'll be by myself for 8 hours at a time. The days aren't too bad - it's the late evening hours that wear thin after a long day with no naps.

James is getting stronger every day - pushing his head up and turning it from side to side. he loves to look at the ceiling in our living room it's white with black beams on it - just big enough for him to focus on!