We were in St. David when James had his first "real" experience with rain. I was surprised that it didn't bother him at all since the shower makes him cry.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Thursday, August 26, 2010
I had my first experience with facebook this past week. I've had mixed feelings about facebook for some time now. Part of me really wanted to sign up so I could see how high school and college friends that I haven't seen for a long time were doing. The other part of me was completely resisting. It would be a time waster and I'd want to spend too much time on it. I've gone back and forth for a few years and just never signed up thinking that it would be better for me.
Well, this past week, I went to visit a friend who decided I needed to be on there. I didn't really want to do it and so she took matters into her own hands. She signed me up with the info that she had and needed. I was flooded with emails the first 36 hours with mainly extended family who wanted to be "friends". It was kind of annoying but at the same time fun to see updates.
This morning I spent about 45 minutes looking up people from my history on facebook to see how they were doing and am pleased to say, I don't really like it. In fact, I don't have much of a desire to ever go back on. I don't want to say that those 45 precious minutes were wasted. I think it was good for me, and even a little refreshing, that facebook just isn't for me. There are people that enter and exit my life and it is just impossible to keep up with them all. And that is okay. That is just how life is. I have learned that I love blogging even more because it has more information about events instead of just a quick "what I did this minute".
I'm glad I got to have this opportunity. Thanks to my friend for signing me up, but no thanks at the same time. Now if I can just keep up my blog...
Well, this past week, I went to visit a friend who decided I needed to be on there. I didn't really want to do it and so she took matters into her own hands. She signed me up with the info that she had and needed. I was flooded with emails the first 36 hours with mainly extended family who wanted to be "friends". It was kind of annoying but at the same time fun to see updates.
This morning I spent about 45 minutes looking up people from my history on facebook to see how they were doing and am pleased to say, I don't really like it. In fact, I don't have much of a desire to ever go back on. I don't want to say that those 45 precious minutes were wasted. I think it was good for me, and even a little refreshing, that facebook just isn't for me. There are people that enter and exit my life and it is just impossible to keep up with them all. And that is okay. That is just how life is. I have learned that I love blogging even more because it has more information about events instead of just a quick "what I did this minute".
I'm glad I got to have this opportunity. Thanks to my friend for signing me up, but no thanks at the same time. Now if I can just keep up my blog...
Monday, June 21, 2010
One Year
Has one year really gone by since James was born? All morning I kept thinking, "This is when I went into the hospital", "This is the time that they finally decided to do a c-section", "I was finally given my spinal and out of pain by this time", and at 9:17am, James and I celebrated his official birth time by clapping.
We had a fun day. Phil woke up James so we could have a pre-celebration before Phil had to go to work. We ate pancakes for breakfast, went for a walk, had mac-n-cheese for lunch, went swimming in the afternoon, played with toys, and had some not so yummy cake for a birthday celebration (Betty Crocker failed me).
Some of the latest on James. He is finally walking! He started about 11 1/2 months and has really started to take off the last few days. He is so fun to watch. He still only has two teeth on the bottom. According to my own measurements (since I don't even have his one year appointment made yet) he is 21.5 lbs and around 29-30in. long.
James loves to push things around (high chair, other chairs, a wagon, his push toy, toy cars, etc.). He has also been more into toy cars lately. He especially likes to put them up on a chair so they are at his eye level and move them around. He will even sometimes make a "mmmm" sound while playing with them. Mima and Papa have a school bus toy that James has been trying to maneuver on to a chair. It is so much heavier than the other toys so he gets so frustrated when trying to get it up on a chair. Phil and I let him figure it out and just laugh at him!
He continues to love water. Bath time, swimming, toilets (unfortunately); if it has water, he likes it. When we get ready to put him in the bathtub he gets so excited standing there and walks in place waiting to get in. It is pretty cute.
He has been pointing more. I'm not sure what initiates his pointing but he likes to do it. He will point at others (mainly Mima) and also likes to point outside when he sees something out there.
He loves to be outside. When I finish changing his diaper and go outside to through it away, he gets so mad at me because I don't take him with me.
He loves the dishwasher and fridge. It becomes a race when he realizes you have opened them to see if you can close it before he makes it over. And then it is a big deal when you shut it. He will squat down, put his hands on the ground, hang his head down and start to cry. That is how he throws a little "tantrum".
And for a lot of pics to commemorate the day...
Breakfast:
Lunch:
Swim time:
Playing with his cars on his level:
Birthday Cake time:
Doing his pointing: 
Our attempt at a family photo:
Dad wrestling with his partner:
We had a fun day. Phil woke up James so we could have a pre-celebration before Phil had to go to work. We ate pancakes for breakfast, went for a walk, had mac-n-cheese for lunch, went swimming in the afternoon, played with toys, and had some not so yummy cake for a birthday celebration (Betty Crocker failed me).
Some of the latest on James. He is finally walking! He started about 11 1/2 months and has really started to take off the last few days. He is so fun to watch. He still only has two teeth on the bottom. According to my own measurements (since I don't even have his one year appointment made yet) he is 21.5 lbs and around 29-30in. long.
James loves to push things around (high chair, other chairs, a wagon, his push toy, toy cars, etc.). He has also been more into toy cars lately. He especially likes to put them up on a chair so they are at his eye level and move them around. He will even sometimes make a "mmmm" sound while playing with them. Mima and Papa have a school bus toy that James has been trying to maneuver on to a chair. It is so much heavier than the other toys so he gets so frustrated when trying to get it up on a chair. Phil and I let him figure it out and just laugh at him!
He continues to love water. Bath time, swimming, toilets (unfortunately); if it has water, he likes it. When we get ready to put him in the bathtub he gets so excited standing there and walks in place waiting to get in. It is pretty cute.
He has been pointing more. I'm not sure what initiates his pointing but he likes to do it. He will point at others (mainly Mima) and also likes to point outside when he sees something out there.
He loves to be outside. When I finish changing his diaper and go outside to through it away, he gets so mad at me because I don't take him with me.
He loves the dishwasher and fridge. It becomes a race when he realizes you have opened them to see if you can close it before he makes it over. And then it is a big deal when you shut it. He will squat down, put his hands on the ground, hang his head down and start to cry. That is how he throws a little "tantrum".
And for a lot of pics to commemorate the day...
Breakfast:
Lunch:
Swim time:
Playing with his cars on his level:
Birthday Cake time:
Doing his pointing: 
Our attempt at a family photo:
Dad wrestling with his partner:
Thursday, June 17, 2010
St. David
The past few weeks we have been in St. David. Phil is following his uncles who are Family care physicians and is loving it. We are living with Phil's parents and it has been really enjoyable (except that we haven't been able to visit a whole lot with them since they are so busy!). Phil is hoping this experience will convert me to small town life! The weather has been great. Although it can reach 100 degrees, it cools off at night which is how a desert should be! Things I love about it here:
-It is beautiful. It is perfect timing as the vegetation is green (Phil's parents live on a hill so you can overlook the green St. David valley).
-It is beautiful. It is perfect timing as the vegetation is green (Phil's parents live on a hill so you can overlook the green St. David valley).
-Once again, the weather has been nice.
-It is quiet. It has been a really nice change not having to hear cars drive by all day (even though there is the occasional loud Semi that goes by).
-James' sleeping quarters. He sleeps in the pantry which is pitch black. This means he has been sleeping until at least 7 instead of his normal rising with the sun a little after 5. He has even slept a little past 8 the past 3 days. Bliss!
Things I miss:
-Having access to our car all the time. Phil usually rides his bike to school. Since he has to drive to work, this means I don't have a car at home to use whenever I please (does that sound totally spoiled?) Which brings up my next few points...
-Walking distance to a park. We could walk to the school which is 3 miles away which I wouldn't mind doing. But there aren't sidewalks and it is on a road where cars are going 50 mph so I don't feel completely safe with James in his stroller.
-Walking distance to the library. I actually have not been to the library in Benson yet and have good intentions to go, but it would sure be nice to be able to walk there.
-Radio stations, especially NPR. I really enjoy listening to talk radio while I'm cooking or doing other tasks and I don't thoroughly enjoy listening to "The Cave" all day.
The first week down here we were blessed to have three of Phil's sister's kids (Amy) with us while they were at girl's camp. We had some fun. I have only taken pictures of when they were here and not any since. The pictures are from when we went down to the "river". Unfortunately there wasn't any water but we found some fun critters while we were there. The other pictures are when we went for a hike in the "bone forest". Ah, the imagination of kids! We played some games, jumped on the trampoline, and had a water obstacle course in addition to our other adventures.
Pictures at the river:
Pictures of our bone forest hike:
James has been having fun as well. He loves to be outside and has a special interest in the cats (does he get it from his dad?!). One is totally afraid of us and the other likes to be around until James attacks it. I try to show him how to be soft and the cat appreciates it but it is kind of fun to see what James does and how the cat responds. Poor cat. He has sort of started to avoid James. We've also been enjoying a little kid pool that one of our friends gave us. It is something nice and different to do in the day along with little walks.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Break in
The beginning of April we had someone break into our home. It was and has been quite the experience for me. Gratefully, I wasn't home when it occurred (of course it might not have occurred if I were home) and Phil was the one who discovered it. All the items they took can be "replaced" except for the all the pictures of James beginning at 1 week and older that were saved to our laptop but not our external hard drive. That is what I get for not keeping my external hard drive updated. Luckily, we had not deleted all of the pictures off of our camera so we didn't lose the whole first 9 months of James life completely (Thank goodness!).
The worst part about this whole experience has been our peace of mind. The first 24-48 hours after the break in, I was a complete wreck. I was scared out of my mind and have never been so scared in my entire life. I was terrified to stay home but at the same time was terrified to leave because I would have to come back. All the wierd sounds of my home that I had finally sort of grown accustomed to made my heart start to thump (What was that?). I had to have all the blinds open and all bedroom doors open throughout all the house to make sure I could see everything just in case there was someone lurking in our home. At one point I felt like I needed to be up against a wall so I could see all around me and that nothing was sneaking up behind me. I know...ridiculous! But I didn't know how to stop the feelings. I was pretty concerned with myself and wondered if this was the beginning of a mental problem (anxiety, paranoia, etc). I have slowly gotten over it with a lot of prayer and help from phil, but not completely. I still get paranoid every once in awhile and at night, I sometimes have a hard time getting to sleep. I never thought such a minor crime could have such an effect!
Our renter's insurance (thank goodness we had that) was quite generous. However, even though some of the items are replaceable, they aren't "replaceable". For example, my violin was taken. My violin wasn't all that expensive and I can get another one some day . But I had that thing since middle school and have played on it for years. There is some sentimentality with its loss.
Gift cards-all of the gift cards we own were taken (except for 2 that were in my wallet). From what we can recall, this amounted to at least around $400. Although we didn't have enough coverage on our insurance to cover for its cost, gift cards are hard to replace. I don't feel as guilty spending on giftcards because I'm going to have to spend the money eventually since it isn't cash and must be used. They were also used as our date night "money" that wasn't incorporated into a budget. Big bummer.
And our laptop-this has turned into a bigger struggle than I had orignally anticipated. Not counting the loss of the pictures, I didn't think that it was a huge deal. Don't get me wrong...I was devastated it was taken. But the screen was completely broken and we had to have it connected to a monitor to use it. It was actually kind of funny that they took it because of this (and the fact that they didn't take the charger). However, the loss of the laptop has meant that I no longer have access to the internet during the day. I thought I'd be okay (which, really, I am) but it has been really hard. When phil comes home, I'm able to use his school computer to check email, blogs, pay bills, look up recipes, and do everything that I use the internet for. The problem? Phil is home and the last thing I want to be doing with the precious time I have with him is being on the computer.
All in all, we are so grateful. We are safe and it could have been so much worse. We've learned a lot from it. And a last tip to you...if you haven't backed up your files from your computer in the last month, do it NOW. Oh the good intentions I had...
The worst part about this whole experience has been our peace of mind. The first 24-48 hours after the break in, I was a complete wreck. I was scared out of my mind and have never been so scared in my entire life. I was terrified to stay home but at the same time was terrified to leave because I would have to come back. All the wierd sounds of my home that I had finally sort of grown accustomed to made my heart start to thump (What was that?). I had to have all the blinds open and all bedroom doors open throughout all the house to make sure I could see everything just in case there was someone lurking in our home. At one point I felt like I needed to be up against a wall so I could see all around me and that nothing was sneaking up behind me. I know...ridiculous! But I didn't know how to stop the feelings. I was pretty concerned with myself and wondered if this was the beginning of a mental problem (anxiety, paranoia, etc). I have slowly gotten over it with a lot of prayer and help from phil, but not completely. I still get paranoid every once in awhile and at night, I sometimes have a hard time getting to sleep. I never thought such a minor crime could have such an effect!
Our renter's insurance (thank goodness we had that) was quite generous. However, even though some of the items are replaceable, they aren't "replaceable". For example, my violin was taken. My violin wasn't all that expensive and I can get another one some day . But I had that thing since middle school and have played on it for years. There is some sentimentality with its loss.
Gift cards-all of the gift cards we own were taken (except for 2 that were in my wallet). From what we can recall, this amounted to at least around $400. Although we didn't have enough coverage on our insurance to cover for its cost, gift cards are hard to replace. I don't feel as guilty spending on giftcards because I'm going to have to spend the money eventually since it isn't cash and must be used. They were also used as our date night "money" that wasn't incorporated into a budget. Big bummer.
And our laptop-this has turned into a bigger struggle than I had orignally anticipated. Not counting the loss of the pictures, I didn't think that it was a huge deal. Don't get me wrong...I was devastated it was taken. But the screen was completely broken and we had to have it connected to a monitor to use it. It was actually kind of funny that they took it because of this (and the fact that they didn't take the charger). However, the loss of the laptop has meant that I no longer have access to the internet during the day. I thought I'd be okay (which, really, I am) but it has been really hard. When phil comes home, I'm able to use his school computer to check email, blogs, pay bills, look up recipes, and do everything that I use the internet for. The problem? Phil is home and the last thing I want to be doing with the precious time I have with him is being on the computer.
All in all, we are so grateful. We are safe and it could have been so much worse. We've learned a lot from it. And a last tip to you...if you haven't backed up your files from your computer in the last month, do it NOW. Oh the good intentions I had...
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Monday, April 19, 2010
Quick update on James
Our little guy is growing up! We can't believe he'll be 10 months old this week. The time sure flies by!
At his 9 month appointment he had dropped on the growth chart from 50% to about 30% for both height and weight. Ironically, I had been so concerned because he had been eating so much and I was afraid I was feeding him too much! He seems to be hungry every 3 hours for either solids or milk and can down approximately 2 jars of baby food with no problem.
James started to crawl about mid-March and crawls with his right knee and left foot. He has been getting into EVERYTHING!...and we are still trying to figure out how to best baby proof our house. What do you do about things that you just don't want to move?! He also started cutting his first bottom tooth about the end of March (about time!) and has cut his second bottom since as well. He has started to become steadier on his feet and even stood up from squatting position today...just to grab on to me as soon as he made it up. We have some friends that have little push toys and James loves them and will walk all around while pushing them. I really need to invest in one! Maybe an early birthday gift...
He is babbling all the time and we love to hear him talk to himself. We're not really sure if he is "saying" anything yet but enjoy it none the less. It is also fun to see him constantly exploring and trying to figure out new things...and old things for that matter. He has been figuring out books lately and how they work. He'll even turn some pages for me when we read instead of just wanting to slobber them all the time.
Separation anxiety has definitely set in and he really likes his mom which is unfortunate sometimes. However, he has been doing rather well considering. He usually "needs" to be in the same room as mom or someone and gets offended if you start to walk away. He also will snuggle a little more than he used to which I absolutely love!
He is such a happy boy and brings us lots of joy! (I'll have to post pictures at a later time due to the loss of them...which is another post to come).
At his 9 month appointment he had dropped on the growth chart from 50% to about 30% for both height and weight. Ironically, I had been so concerned because he had been eating so much and I was afraid I was feeding him too much! He seems to be hungry every 3 hours for either solids or milk and can down approximately 2 jars of baby food with no problem.
James started to crawl about mid-March and crawls with his right knee and left foot. He has been getting into EVERYTHING!...and we are still trying to figure out how to best baby proof our house. What do you do about things that you just don't want to move?! He also started cutting his first bottom tooth about the end of March (about time!) and has cut his second bottom since as well. He has started to become steadier on his feet and even stood up from squatting position today...just to grab on to me as soon as he made it up. We have some friends that have little push toys and James loves them and will walk all around while pushing them. I really need to invest in one! Maybe an early birthday gift...
He is babbling all the time and we love to hear him talk to himself. We're not really sure if he is "saying" anything yet but enjoy it none the less. It is also fun to see him constantly exploring and trying to figure out new things...and old things for that matter. He has been figuring out books lately and how they work. He'll even turn some pages for me when we read instead of just wanting to slobber them all the time.
Separation anxiety has definitely set in and he really likes his mom which is unfortunate sometimes. However, he has been doing rather well considering. He usually "needs" to be in the same room as mom or someone and gets offended if you start to walk away. He also will snuggle a little more than he used to which I absolutely love!
He is such a happy boy and brings us lots of joy! (I'll have to post pictures at a later time due to the loss of them...which is another post to come).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)