tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29795420651043464832024-02-20T13:06:52.302-06:00Meredith's MusingsMeredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18390598560581963404noreply@blogger.comBlogger158125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2979542065104346483.post-38059484293191829972017-01-23T01:05:00.000-06:002018-02-02T01:20:37.835-06:00Claire - 4 Years<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Claire, you are four years old! I can hardly believe it! You are growing into such a kind, smart, beautiful little lady, and you make your family so very proud.<br />
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Here are your stats:<br />
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Height: 42 inches (90th percentile)<br />
Weight: 44 lbs (94th percentile)<br />
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You are tall! Your legs are long and you have tiny kitten hips! You're consistently one of the tallest kids in your class. Ms. Wanda, your PE teacher, tells me you are such a good runner! You wear mostly size 4T clothes, with some 5T and 3T. You're potty trained and (spoiler alert since I'm writing this late) will go on to be completely night trained during your fourth year...that second part was a breeze.
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Here's what else you're up to:<br />
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-You're a bit ahead of the game when it comes to teeth. You have some loose teeth already, and will go on to lose your two lower bottom teeth this year. The tooth fairy came to visit for the first time and it was all very exciting!
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-You're an excellent eater. You clean your plate at many meals and you're fairly adventurous...for example, you love edamame! It's funny: when you were younger, I worried so much about what/how much you'd eat, and it all just worked out. Your favorite food is Mexican, especially refried beans. It's almost always your first choice for a meal out. You don't care for the beans at Torchy's...it has to be a good ol' Tex Mex restaurant. You're a Texas girl for sure! You also love water and don't really like milk. I'm not sure why, but at some point you pretty much just quit drinking it. You do eat lots of yogurt and cheese though!
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-You go to Mother's Day Out/Preschool two days a week, and you really love it. Your three year class teacher is Ms. Zari and your four year teacher is Ms. Kelly. You love your friends...Ellys is your bestie. The two of you have such a sweet bond and hug multiple times at the end of the school day. I can't bear to think about y'all not being in school together when you go to kindergarten, but we will definitely work to keep your friendship going!
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-You're the most expressive four year old I've ever met! When you talk, your eyes and hands help tell the story. The inflection and excitement in your voice is infectious! You crack us up regularly with the very cute and intelligent things you say. You're very verbal and articulate, which makes me happy and proud. I know you're going to soar in life!<br />
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-You inherited your daddy's artistic abilities. You love to draw, paint, and craft...and you are very good at it! You freehand draw stuff that absolutely blows us away. It's fun watching your natural abilities come out. I see art lessons and honing your talent in our future!
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-We celebrated your birthday with a unicorn party at the Cedar Rock Railroad train near our house. We had pizza and unicorn cupcakes! All of your family came to celebrate, and for the first time we invited all of your classmates too. It was a lot of fun!<br />
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-You are a sweet, bubbly, fun little pixie of a girl. You get excited about everything and your enthusiasm and joy for life are so cute and infectious! You're truly a little angel on earth. You're good-natured, positive, agreeable, and fun to be with. You're also very nostalgic for a child your age. You get upset sometimes about not wanting to get older, not be a baby anymore, etc and have a full on crying fit about it. You're just like me in that way. I don't really want you to not be a baby anymore either, but I also know you are so much fun at this age and will grow up to do great things!
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-You're a good sleeper overall! You no longer nap, but do rest time most afternoons. You sleep with your beloved "sheet" every night - the blanket you've had since you were born. Sometimes bedtime can be quite an ordeal with all sorts of typical kid requests (I'm hungry, I want water "It feels like I haven't had any water in 5100 years!", I need to go potty, I need to ask you a bunch of questions, etc.), but other times it's easy.<br />
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-You love your family! You and James adore each other. He is your constant companion and y'all spend lots of time playing together, with some fighting thrown into the mix. You also adore your cousins Grace and Abigail. You talk about them a bunch and the relationship you have with them is so precious. It's like you have a built-in sisters and best friends for life, and I just love that!
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Favorite toys/characters/things to do: Shopkins, My Little Pony, DC Superhero Girls (Batgirl in particular), Disney Princesses, PJ Masks, baby dolls, Madeleine books, Pidgeon books, watching your favorite vloggers on Youtube Kids (Cookie Swirl C and Daily Bumps), Playdoh, and painting<br />
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Nicknames: Clairebear, Tootie, NerNer<br />
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Claire, we love you very much and are so blessed to have a daughter like you. You made me a mommy, and my greatest joy is watching you and your brother grow and explore the world.<br />
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Love,<br />
Mama
Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18390598560581963404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2979542065104346483.post-45777722734023014222016-11-09T14:53:00.000-06:002018-02-02T01:11:33.817-06:00James - 2 Years<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4zESarNYSf24xK6zlVQfoG_P9iMzWX3LjiAWIe_Evoa4_8y6rWskNuL6B7Kt12dRG3fizqjprt7Y9Pe1CWu5kBAcdHn-UypU-0rQfpwQE4TCaIwrPZaH32IlvxaC5k6TZ_bfZnX81GfXN/s1600/IMG_7702.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4zESarNYSf24xK6zlVQfoG_P9iMzWX3LjiAWIe_Evoa4_8y6rWskNuL6B7Kt12dRG3fizqjprt7Y9Pe1CWu5kBAcdHn-UypU-0rQfpwQE4TCaIwrPZaH32IlvxaC5k6TZ_bfZnX81GfXN/s320/IMG_7702.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">James, you're two years old! It's hard to believe it, and yet at the same time I can't imagine life without you. Here are your stats:</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Height: 37.5 inches (99th percentile)</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Weight: 37 lbs, 14 ozs (99th percentile)</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Head: 20 inches (96th percentile)</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">You are a very big boy...certainly the biggest two year old I've ever seen. I have friends with five year old who are smaller/the same size! You can still fit in some 2T clothes, but you mostly wear 3T and some 4T. You're in size 6 diapers.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Here's what else you're up to:</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">-You're a very active little boy! You love to climb and throw yourself around on the floor like a stuntman. You play with balls a lot and have a good arm already, but you'll also pick up a baby doll and take care of it like your sister does. It's very sweet.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">-You can be very picky about food. You love chicken (really all meats), fruit, tomatoes, and snacks of all kinds. Y</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">ou love milk ("mulk") and lemonade ("lalalade").</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">You're not crazy about veggies, but sometimes you'll eat carrots. Happy Meals are your love language and you adore sweets. You're the reason we've had to childproof our pantry door! You'll usually eat breakfast and lunch, but dinner is a crapshoot and there are times that you eat almost no supper. If I prepare a delicious, homecooked meal...you usually won't touch it or eat very little, but if I microwave a hot dog you devour it! It can be frustrating, but we just try to keep going and offering you things again.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">-You love your family. Claire is your buddy and y'all play more and more. It's wonderful to see! You call her "Babydoll" (currently pronounced "Beedoll"). It's pretty much the sweetest thing I've ever heard! You two can be playing together one minute and fighting like cats and dogs the next!</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">-You have a head full of curly hair! It's crazy to look back at pictures from when you were under 1, because you didn't have much hair at all. Now you have a ton! It's a light brown color with gorgeous golden curls. You've had it cut, but we're not in any rush to chop those curls off or give you a "big boy haircut". You handle haircuts really well so far and almost look like you're about to go to sleep during them!</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">-You have big feelings! You can be a total sweetheart or a big grump. You're very passionate...and it's not just a "2 year old" thing, it's your personality. If you're not happy, you let us know! You've put on some epic fits in parking lots about not wanting to hold hands while we cross the street. Factor in your size and strength, and it makes for some very interesting trips to pick Claire up from Mother's Day Out! I'm not trying to make you sound bad, you're super sweet! You love to laugh and have a smile that lights up the room! You're just moody!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">-You love to read books, play outside (especially swing), play with your little characters, do playdoh, and snuggle up on the couch and watch a show or the iPad. You love to be part of things, and want to do whatever your sister is doing!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">-You take a good, long nap in the afternoons and go down easily for that. Bedtime is a bit trickier: it can take you a long time to go to sleep at night..with lots of screaming and crying. Daddy and I go through a huge rigamarole to get you to calm down for the night! Once you're out, you sleep well. We still rock before every nap and bedtime. You're still sleeping in your crib, and we hope that continues for a long time! When we leave your room and you are content, you give us the sweetest sendoffs, full of "I love you's"...it's the best!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">-We'll start Mother's Day Out next Fall. I know it will be great for you! We could have started you already, but we didn't feel like you were quite ready yet. You still struggle with separation anxiety, but it has gotten better! We may attempt potty training in the spring, but I'm not in any rush. I think you're showing some signs of readiness, but your pediatrician says boys usually are ready later (around age 3). I have a feeling you will take to it more easily after watching Claire go through the whole process.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">-You're talking up a storm! You can say so many things and have really gone through an explosion of verbal development recently. It's just amazing watching you grow and change! You can communicate pretty much anything you want now. You have a really funny and unique way of pronouncing some things...you say the words diaper and orange like you're French. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">- You're obsessed with Halloween! You got really into it this year. What we thought was a phase has become your favorite holiday! You love to talk about ghosts and skeletons, and you've been known to ask us to play "Monster Mash" on repeat the car! Perfect child for a couple who met at a Halloween party! One of your favorite things to say right now is:</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">James: Guess what Beedoll?</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Claire: What Jamesie?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">James: Ghosts and skeletons</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">-You love to watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Caillou, Storybots, Octonauts, Tangled (you LOVE Flynn Rider), Beauty and the Beast, and Blippi (guy who hosts a show on Youtube kids).</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Nicknames: Jamesie, Jambo, buddy, little man</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Favorite toys: any little figure you can hold in your hand, balls, Legos, toy cars, books</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5shzb6U3to2bvcCnfXFCZg3ae5yC_-UIMe7s9JUltd6FLFPOqcsrmeQYwrpVdYsHC8VLUH_9qgj2aXRGyigkXh5KmslGteGh-XhYoci1hJpW11Gb7Vpfujl-sIzmaFaGZQZOFKlyPcNkX/s1600/IMG_7706.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5shzb6U3to2bvcCnfXFCZg3ae5yC_-UIMe7s9JUltd6FLFPOqcsrmeQYwrpVdYsHC8VLUH_9qgj2aXRGyigkXh5KmslGteGh-XhYoci1hJpW11Gb7Vpfujl-sIzmaFaGZQZOFKlyPcNkX/s320/IMG_7706.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Jamesie, we love you so much and are very happy to have you in our family! Watching you and your sister grow and flourish is my life's great privilege! I love you, buddy!</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Mama</span></span>Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18390598560581963404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2979542065104346483.post-68304271086720744372016-05-09T22:03:00.000-05:002016-07-11T22:06:35.786-05:00James - 18 Months<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">James, you are 18 months old! I can't believe you've been here a year and a half. You have such a special place in my heart and it's hard to imagine life before you. You're getting to be such a big(ger) boy!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Here are your stats:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Height: 35.5 inches-99th percentile</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Weight: 33 lbs, 5 ounces-99th percentile</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Head: 19.75 inches-98th percentile</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">You wear mostly 3T clothes, some 2T and a few other smaller things, but not much! You're a very big boy for your age. Sometimes I get a little sad because you don't fit in some of the more baby-like things other kids your age fit into. But then again, you're so darn cute in whatever you wear it doesn't matter. You wear size 6 diapers.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">-You're a very picky eater. I'm not sure if this is regular ol' toddler pickyness, or just how you are. You often turn your head away when we offer you food at dinner, and usually eat very little in the evenings. Breakfast is not much better, lunch you eat somewhat more. A great deal of your food ends up on the floor, much to my frustration and Teddy's joy. There is an inverse correlation to your eating: if I spend lots of time preparing a homecooked meal, you turn your nose up at it. But if I offer you a microwaved hotdog, you devour it. You don't like vegetables. You're starting to eat tomato, which is small progress. On the other hand, you love most fruit, sweets, and snacks...you never turn those down!!! One thing is certain...you're a mess, a very loveable one though!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">-You drink 2% milk and love it! You're still using bottles...you took to them after you stopped nursing. You don't use a pacifier, so I think it's a bit of a comfort thing, as you'll sometimes walk around with the bottle in your mouth even if you're not drinking. At a certain point soon we need to break the habit, but we'll cross that bridge when we get there.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">- You're talking and babbling constantly! You can identify lots of people and things, and you're starting to say new words faster and with less prompting. Teddy and Aurora fascinate you, and you love to chase them around! Most new animals that look anything like a dog are called "Teddy." We're working on identifying body parts and colors are next!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">- You remain a very passionate little person. You're usually either happy and sweet or upset and not afraid to show it. You don't like to be alone or with people you don't know. You still dislike the church nursery. But you love your family very much and give us lots of affection and snuggles. Lately your nickname for Claire is "baby doll." It's the cutest thing ever!!! Claire does not like it though! She doesn't understand why you think she's a baby...haha! You're the perfect little brother...you love your sissy, but you also love to mess with her and her toys! She will have an elaborate toy set-up going, and you will rush in, steal the most important thing, and run away like a football player headed to the endzone! Y'all fight over toys a lot, but you love each other and it makes me and Daddy so happy to see. One of the sweetest moments ever was when we picked you up after a weekend away at a family wedding for which Claire was a flower girl...on our way home Claire said, "We sure missed you buddy!"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">- You have a head full of gorgeous hair that curls at the end. It's getting long in the back, but it's not in your eyes yet. I don't know how I'll ever bring myself to cut it! The color is a light brown with a red tint in the sun. It's very close to Claire's hair color now. Your eyes are brown and very soulful, just like your Daddy. They melt me! You have lots of teeth! You're working on your canines...after that, the only ones left will be your two year molars.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">- You have such a sweet personality. You say your own version of thank you (pronounced "di doo") almost every time someone gives you something. Sometimes you even say it when you don't really need to! Recently you took a Claire away from toy. She got upset and I told you to give it back to her...when she got it back, you proudly told her "di doo." Such an adorable and polite young man! You are very loving and have the best snuggles ever. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">- You're a good sleeper, for the most part. At bedtime you take a partial bottle while we rock you and read stories. Then it's lights out with some songs. We put you in your bed, turn on your music monkey, and you usually go to sleep on your own. Occasionally you cry, but you've come so far in going to sleep on your own. Once you're asleep, you almost always sleep through the night. You take a nice, long afternoon nap!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">- You love Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Paw Patrol, Minions (aka "BaBa"), Puffin Rock, etc. You like watching movies and actually have a pretty long attention span for your age. You love watching the Despicable Me/Minion movies, Tangled, and Frozen. You're really getting into superhero stuff, too. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Current nicknames: Jambo, Jamesie, buddy</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Favorite toys: small figurines that you carry around constantly (Flynn Rider in your favorite), books, Cookie Monster toy, toy cars and trucks</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Jambo, you are such a ray of sunshine with a smile that can make the cloudiest day bright. We're so blessed to have you! It breaks my heart a little bit that you're getting so big, but I'm also thankful to watch you grow. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I love you,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Mama</span><br />
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Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18390598560581963404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2979542065104346483.post-71623937204756825952016-01-23T17:36:00.000-06:002016-07-11T22:04:32.362-05:00Claire - 3 Years<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Claire, you are three years old! Baby girl, you are growing up! It's been a fun year watching you grow into a little girl. You're a walking ray of sunshine, and you bring so much joy to everyone you know!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Your measurements:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Height: 38.5 in-83rd percentile</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Weight: 37 lbs-92nd percentile</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">You wear mostly size 4T clothes these days, though some 3T still fit. You have beautiful blue eyes and blonde hair that naturally curls at the ends. You're a gorgeous little girl!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Here's what you've been up to:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">- You are a real character and you crack us up on a daily basis. You're a jokester...you're funny, and you know when you're being funny. You've recently started using your eyes to communicate a lot of your humor...when you say something silly, you open them up big and it always makes us laugh.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">- You're a pretty good eater overall! There's typical toddler pickyness and you're very sensitive to things being spicy. You love donuts and will ask for them for dinner! You're also pretty good about eating vegetables, but of course your prefer sweets and snacks!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">- We took you to your first dentist appointment last month and it went well! You were a real pro about the whole thing and didn't freak out at all. No cavities! The dentist did say you'll probably lose your baby teeth early because your front teeth have very small roots. It's called root reabsorption and while they say it's related to some kind of trauma to the mouth, (like a fall, but it can often be something minor that parents don't notice) I wonder if it might be genetic. I lost my first tooth at 4 and was always a little early with dental stuff, and it sounds like you will be too. You're still faithfully devoted to your paci. I try to only fight one battle at a time, and between James being born and potty training, we just haven't taken it away. It's hard for me to take away something that comforts you so much, but we're going to work on it. You're also very attached to your pink blanket aka your "sheet."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">- You started Mother's Day Out two days a week this fall and you love it! I was nervous to send my first baby off to "school" but it's been so good for you! You adore your teachers Miss Kelly and Miss Irma, and your classmates. Your best buddy is Ellys. It's been so good for you to have this socialization and time to learn with others.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">- Your favorite shows & characters: Rapunzel, Mickey Mouse ("Nickey Nouse"), Despicable Me/Minions, all the Disney Princesses, PJ Masks, Doc McStuffins, Paw Patrol, Baby Chelsea (A real life toddler whose parents video blog their daily life. You watch it on Youtube kids and love it! The internet is weird!).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">- You're a pretty good sleeper. Naps happen about 50% of the time on non-school days, and you sleep well at night. Getting you to sleep is the hard part, and often involves hours of you coming out of your room for various things...needing to use the bathroom, needing water, etc. You've also started coming into our room in the early morning hours and sleeping with us.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">- We're on the long slow march to being potty trained. It's been a lengthy process that started sometime around November. You've mostly got the hang of it, but you don't really tell us you need to go (unless it's nap or bedtime, in which case all of your potty training suddenly becomes priority # 1 ;) ) and you're also not usually interested when we try to get you to go. I think it's just a matter of e<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">very kid being different and the fact that your parents have no clue what they're doing. Having a wild little brother in the mix makes things more complicated too! You've made lots of progress though and I know we'll get there soon!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">- You're a very sweet child with a lot of spirit. You enjoy having everyone together, and you love to sing, dance, and play with babydolls. You've definitely had some "threenager" moments that literally started the day your turned 3, but you mostly reserve that behavior for mom and dad (okay, mostly mom). You're a first-class big sister to James, who you call Jambo, Jamesie, or buddy. Y'all really play together now and it's so fun to see!</span><br />
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- You're a very talented artist. You definitely got your daddy's art gene. You love to draw and color, and you often blow us away with what you can draw without any help. You're also a great communicator with a strong grasp of language. You compare things using similes all day long..."this is like this...this is like that."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">I decided to interview you the other day. Here are your answers at 3 years old!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">Favorite color: purple and pink...and yellow</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Favorite food: broccoli</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Favorite drink: milky (pronounced mulky)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Favorite book: my name book (a neat customized book Dizzie and Corey gave you for your birthday about all the letters of your name)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Favorite show: Mickey Mouse</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Favorite movie: Punzel</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">How old are you? 3</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">How old is mommy? 2</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">How old is daddy? 4...I don't know</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Favorite thing to do: play with microphone</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Favorite thing to do with James: do babies</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">What do we do all day? play</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Favorite place: school</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Best friend: Ellys</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Favorite song: Twinkle </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">What do you want to be when you grow up: "Like for Halloween?" After some clarification, she said playing with babies</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Favorite Animal: octopus</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">Claire, we love you to pieces! You bring so much sweetness to every day. Daddy and I often ask each other how we got lucky enough to have you and your brother. Being your mommy is the best thing ever!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">I love you,</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Mama</span></div>
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Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18390598560581963404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2979542065104346483.post-19896680425882270212015-11-09T01:50:00.000-06:002016-02-08T14:51:52.328-06:00James - 12 Months<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_PUR1sGnlfU_95dyYvJ4SaJBS6eCyiphfWqbnpl9IqNCI07Iq1E6Dk4Iurv7f3jsrMQL420u8gp1ln-sdBZmxJxCCJDoIermXj73lxuCrq8AWnUo-cF0UNxTd8UQEHpM2RdCeIXtWUF-y/s1600/IMG_6252.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_PUR1sGnlfU_95dyYvJ4SaJBS6eCyiphfWqbnpl9IqNCI07Iq1E6Dk4Iurv7f3jsrMQL420u8gp1ln-sdBZmxJxCCJDoIermXj73lxuCrq8AWnUo-cF0UNxTd8UQEHpM2RdCeIXtWUF-y/s320/IMG_6252.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">James, you are 1 year old! It's hard to believe it's been a year since you came into the world! We absolutely delight in you and we're so proud to have you as our son.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Here are your measurements:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Height: 32.5 inches-99th percentile</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Weight: 29 lbs, 12 oz-99th percentile</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Head: 19 inches-95th percentile</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">You're a giant kid. Most of your clothes are 18-24 months, with some 12-18 months. Anything new will need to be a 2T. You're wearing size 5 diapers...I'm worried you will grow out of size 6 dipers before you're potty trained! At 1 year, you weigh just under what Claire weighed when she turned 2...and Claire wasn't small by any means!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Here's what else you're doing these days:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">-You're walking and running everywhere! You're a stable walker unless you're really tired. You are a tough kid...my parents always say they don't worry about you falling near as much as they did when the girls were first walking since you're so stout and stable.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">- You are a very passionate little person. Whatever you feel, you feel it big! You're extremely sweet but also extremely attached to your people and ready to let us know if you're not happy. You're pretty shy around people outside of your inner circle, but you also really like to flirt and play peek-a-boo! You have a tendency to fuss a lot, but you balance it out with a lot of sweetness and enthusiasm. </span><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">You are not a fan of being left in the church nursery at all!</span><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">- You like to snuggle and also squirm...it changes by the minute! Rocking you to sleep can be like wrestling a bull! You sleep through the night for the most part and usually take one nap per day. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">- Your eyes are brown and your hair is coming in more and more every day. It's a light brown color with hints of red in the sunlight. You're a little clone of your Daddy, and I find myself calling y'all by the wrong names already. You also favor both your grandpas, as well as your brown-eyed Aunt "Dizzie's" baby pictures.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">- You love to eat and hit us up for food on the regular! Your favorite food is beans...a sure sign of a Strutton boy! Mexican food is another fave, along with snacks like graham crackers, goldfish, and cheese. You love fruit but don't seem to be too crazy about vegetables. You're a very messy eater...food is a decorative experience for you! Stuff ends up all over the floor, the blinds by your high chair, and all over you! You're a total mess...Claire finds it hilarious! I would find it more humorous if I didn't have to clean it up...haha! You have eight teeth, and you're on the verge of cutting your molars.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">- You like to talk, babble, and you're making animal sounds. Your favorite words are still Dada and Ted-die (Teddy). You also fake sneeze, clap, and "hulk out" (flex your muscles, shake a bit, and growl!)...you crack us up!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">- We made it to a year of nursing! I have to brag a little...I'm so proud of us!!! It hasn't always been an easy road but we did it, baby boy! Now on to whole milk!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">- Daddy took your birthday off and we had a fun family day together! We got up, opened presents, and then went to eat at Kerbey Lane (this has become a bit of a birthday tradition). Next we went to the zoo and had a great time! Since it was a Monday, the place was empty and you and Claire had a great time running around and seeing everything. We finished off the day by picking up Mexican food and cupcakes. It was a special day spent celebrating you!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">- We had your first birthday bash a few days later! The theme was a football fiesta, and we celebrated with fajitas, family, friends, and a football cake! It was a great success, and it meant so much to us that so many of the wonderful people in our lives joined us! You were spoiled with all manner of fun toys and cute clothes!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Current nicknames: Jambo, Jamesie, Jamesie-boy, J-bird, buddy, sweet boy</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Favorite toys: Books (you LOVE to read!), Chica doll, play kitchen</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Sweet baby James, we love you so very much and can't imagine our family without you! We needed a little boy just like you. The night you were born was absolutely perfect, and I love to think back on it. Your sweet heart and soulful brown eyes make my heart swoon, and I'm incredibly blessed to be your mommy. This first year has been such an adventure, and I can't wait to see what comes next!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I love you,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Mama</span><br />
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Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18390598560581963404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2979542065104346483.post-33143600558355139572015-10-09T00:36:00.000-05:002015-11-03T23:59:16.289-06:00James - 11 Months<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">James, you are 11 months old! Hard to believe you are almost 1, my sweet baby boy. Makes me happy and sad all at once.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">You weigh almost 27 lb and remain very tall and strong. You have big feet that are like little loaves of bread, making them difficult to put in shoes! Your cheeks and thighs are so chubby and cute! Most of your clothes are 18-24 months, though you still wear some 12-18 months. We're about to move you to size 5 diapers. At that point you and Claire will be wearing diapers 1 size apart despite being 22 months apart in age. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Here's what you're up to lately:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">- You're a food lover! You love to eat and get very excited about food. You'll eat almost anything, but your current favorites are beans and graham crackers. You also love bread or any fruit. We're still nursing and that is going better lately. You like to nurse for frequent, short sessions. I'm excited to see how you like whole milk next month! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">- You love animals and get a big kick out of Teddy and Aurora. They make you giggle, which is a pretty hilarious sound, sort of like a joyfully happy machine gun! You've discovered feeding Teddy from your high chair and you're always trying to touch Aurora. Not surprisingly, Teddy loves it and Aurora does not - ha!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">- You're walking a lot, and really seem to be taking off! You love to toddle around and explore your surroundings. You love to be with people, and will always gravitate to where they are! Seeing you walk is really precious. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">- Your sinus issues have been continuing. We're talking major snot...all the time! After dealing with this for awhile and trying a prescription antihistamine, I took you to the doctor and she diagnosed you with a sinus infection. Poor booboo! It's clearing up slowly but...just lots of drainage. Your doctor says we're in a holding pattern to see how snotty you are this winter. If it's a continuing problem, we might see about testing you for allergies or getting your adenoids checked out when you're a little older. We're hoping you feel much better soon!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">- The only positive to being sick is that the antihistamine you were prescribed causes drowsiness. We give it to you before bed and you have started sleeping through the night!!! Your doctor wants to continue the medicine through Halloween when the ragweed gets better...sure, anything you say, Doctor! ;) You're still not a great napper. For the most part, you take one nap a day that lasts for about an hour. Strangely enough, if I leave you with Daddy or Pinky while I go run errands, you'll take these really long naps! What's up with that, man?!?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">- You're talking and babbling a lot. You say DaDa and Teddy (sounds like Ted-dye) regularly, and you'll repeat other things we say to you. You finally said Mama!!! You don't say it a lot, but when you do it's like music to my ears! You have lots to say and even though we don't always understand it, we love to hear you express yourself! You have a sweet little voice and I can't wait to hear the kind of things you say when you're Claire's age. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">- Speaking of Claire, you two crack me up! Y'all fight over toys quite a bit. Since she's older, a lot of times she's the culprit in these situations, but you're definitely staking a claim on things too. Your personality is coming out more and more, and you definitely know how to express yourself when you're upset! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">- We took you up to East Texas for the first time recently for the Strutton family reunion. It was a great trip, and very fun to show you off to my family! Everyone was totally charmed by you, especially when they saw your overalls and "Strut" hat, two old-school Strutton staples!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Current nicknames: Jambo, Jamesie, Jamesie Boy, Jaybird, Strut, Little Man, Buster, Buster Boy, BayBay Swatt</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Favorite toys: car keys, books, mega blocks, talking Elmo doll. You're obsessed with shoes! You study them, try to chew on them, and love to carry one around in each hand.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Jamesie-boy, you are joy personified and we can't imagine our family without you! It's hard to believe that a year ago, we still hadn't laid eyes on your beautiful face. The day you were born is one of the happiest, most precious days of my life. We are so excited to celebrate you next month! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Love,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Mama</span><br />
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Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18390598560581963404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2979542065104346483.post-14349236528655714322015-09-09T00:08:00.000-05:002015-10-27T00:28:40.412-05:00James - 10 Months<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">James, you are 10 months old! Time sure is going fast...we're in the double digits now. Before we know it you'll be 1!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A couple weeks after you hit 10 months, I took you to the doctor because you were sick and you were almost 27 lbs. That's so big that the doctor had to double-check the dosage on your antibiotic because it was so large. You're really tall and freakishly strong. This isn't just a mama's exaggerations...you're huge! You wear some 12-18 month clothes, and lots of 18-24 month. You're in size 4 diapers.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here's what else you're doing these days:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- You're walking more and more! It's still mostly just a few steps between two people or things, but you've taken a few longer jaunts lately. Very exciting! Before long, you'll be off!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- You're working on your 8th tooth. You now have four on the bottom to match the four on the top! It seems like we may get a little break from teething here...yay! Your little pearls are really cute and we love your toothy grin.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- Your nose has been really snotty lately, poor thing. It seems you're prone to nasal allergies. We're hoping you feel better soon!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- You're still nursing. This is nothing short of miraculous, because it has not been an easy road. A lot of the time it's still painful and we even had bleeding at one point recently, something that hasn't happened since you were newborn. You nurse like an adult drinks a coke...you nurse a little, sit up and get distracted, nurse some more, sit back up, and so on and so forth. We're also dealing with biting now that you have all these teeth! Getting to a year will be an act of sheer will and determination. There's been an uptick in your nursing frquency recently...maybe a growth spurt or not feeling well.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- Food is your favorite! You seem to really like most everything, and a snack can almost always save the day when you're upset! You have a very hearty appetite. Guess you'd have to in order to keep up that physique, huh?!! You really like blueberries, beans, and cheerios.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- Your sleep is okay, once we actually get you to sleep. Usually you only get up once a night, but getting you to fall asleep is an absolute battle. It usually takes between 30 minutes-1 hour of absolute wrestling to get you to sleep, during which you're chunking your paci across the room, knocking over your lamp and sound machine, and climbing all over me. It's insane! You almost always go down for a morning nap with no trouble around 11 am, but the afternoon nap and bedtime are generally much harder. Your naps rarely last longer than an hour. After repeating this process three times in a day, I usually fall directly into my bed in an exhausted heap.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- You're talking a little more. Your main word is still Dada, but you've also said "Hey Sis" and something close to Teddy and dog. Mama is still elusive. It's almost like you're joking with me...I'll say "Mama" and you look right at me and say "Dada." Haha!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- I'm going to be honest: you are an absolute sweetheart, but you're also a bit of a maniac right now.You're super active and strong, so things like changing you diapers/clothes and putting you to sleep are like wrestling an alligator. You are a very determined little dude! You climb all over me and your Daddy. Baby bulldozer is your default mode these days. You're also still pretty clingy. If I'm not right by your side, there's a good chance you're fussing. Snacks and other people are usually a good distraction though!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Current nicknames: Jambo, Strut, Jamesie, Jameser, Jaybird, and Claire affectionately refers to you as "Buster boy" and "Ketchup boy"...not sure where that one came from!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Favorite toys: You love books, especially our tiny Mickey Mouse and Sesame Street books. It's so sweet to see you studying them intently. You really like the toy kitchen, too. You're also obsessed with our cell phones!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">James, you're so precious to us! You bring such joy to our days and your smile is an absolute game changer! Thank you for being ours, sweet boy!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Love,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mama</span></div>
Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18390598560581963404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2979542065104346483.post-17016678403936109112015-08-09T16:46:00.000-05:002015-11-04T00:13:47.634-06:00James - 9 Months<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">James, you are 9 months old! I can't believe you've been on the outside as long as you were inside!<br /><br />Here are your stats:<br /><br />Height: 30.5 inches-98th percentile<br /><br />Weight: 25 lbs, 9 oz-99th percentile<br /><br />Head: 18.5 inches-92nd percentile<br /><br /> You're a really big, extremely strong kid. All the clothes we buy now are either 12-18 or 18-24 months. You wear size 4 diapers.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Let's see what else you're up to:<br /><br /> - You took your first step a couple weeks ago! From there, you've worked up to taking 2-3 steps into someone's arms. Daddy walked at 9 months, so this is another way you're his mini-me! Soon you'll be off and running!<br /><br /> - You're babbling a lot these days! It's the sweetest sound ever. "Dada" is still your only word, but we're pretty close on "dog", and we're trying to get you to say "mama." You've been busy reaching some major physical milestones, so I'm sure you'll be talking more soon.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">- You gave me your first true hug today! It was so sweet. Claire and Grace want you to be their little Olaf and just like him, I guess you do like warm hugs.<br /><br />- You're still doing major teething. It's a constant transition, but you have 6 total (3 on top, 3 on bottom) and are cutting your 7th as we speak. It has made you pretty miserable, poor boy. I think you've also been going through a growth spurt this week. Lots of shrieking and screaming and you lose your mind if we walk away from you, even for a second. You've also been nursing more frequently.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">- You're eating all kinds of new foods! You are obsessed with cheerios...they are a wonderful distraction when I need a few minutes to do something at home or at the store, etc. We're starting to give you more table food. Lately you've had chopped broccoli, chicken, bread, meatloaf, green beans, and pieces of banana. I may have also let you have some pieces of a glazed Round Rock donut. You seem to love it all! You're still eating oatmeal with either peach or mango puree most mornings. Also, you love to drink water!<br /><br />- Your sleep is unpredictable. On a good night you wake up once to eat. Between teething and being sick with a virus a couple weeks ago, you've had some really rough nights. Lately Daddy and I have spent many nights with you sleeping in the double bed in your room. We haven't even attempted sleep training. I have a feeling you won't sleep through the night regularly until you're weaned.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">- You don't really like laying down unless you're sleepy. You constantly want to sit up while you're getting clothes put on, nursing, or being rocked to sleep. You're freakishly strong for a baby so you can be hard to handle. Getting you dressed is one of the most physically difficult things I do as a mom. It's crazy! Unless you're really hungry or tired when you nurse, you want to eat a little bit, then sit up, eat a little bit, then sit up. Ouch!<br /><br /> - You're doing this really cute thing where you give us a really big, exaggerated nod and grunt when we nod at you. Such a tough guy! It's so fun to see you express youself.<br /><br /> Current nicknames: Jamesie, Jamesie-boy, Jambo, J-bird, buddy<br /><br /> Favorite toys: books, play kitchen and food, anything Claire is playing with (seriously, you're really honing your little brother skills!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Jambo, we love you to pieces! You are a true sweetheart and we love watching you grow...don't rush it though, you're my baby! <br /><br /> Love,<br />Mama</span>Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18390598560581963404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2979542065104346483.post-4201871040680407902015-07-09T01:37:00.000-05:002015-07-30T01:40:09.089-05:00James - 8 Months<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitugv40wyJz6UEk3azNvV8NZUA84OkeMetivaiIBVwlEKmnqtO-HwR0JKPfZ3MXJ1NkAurewi7jPVSfU9v5Y-aBxqQtbUDNFYNJ-kBStH35lhYhyf1L2mIUpt2M9zrMGkNPPYNczR4EkmD/s1600/IMG_5806.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitugv40wyJz6UEk3azNvV8NZUA84OkeMetivaiIBVwlEKmnqtO-HwR0JKPfZ3MXJ1NkAurewi7jPVSfU9v5Y-aBxqQtbUDNFYNJ-kBStH35lhYhyf1L2mIUpt2M9zrMGkNPPYNczR4EkmD/s320/IMG_5806.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">James, you are 8 months old! Chugging right along!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I think you weigh about 24 lbs. You are tall and quite the chunky monkey. You're wearing 18 month clothes and size 4 diapers. Unless they're stretchy, even 18 month size shorts are a little snug around your thunder thighs! I love your chunk...it's precious!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here's what else you're up to:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- You said your first word...Dada! I think the first year with a new baby can sometimes be tough for the dad because babies are so naturally attached to their mamas at first with nursing and all that. It can make it a little tough at times for the dad to comfort the baby, despite their best efforts. Given all that, it makes me really happy that both my babies said Dada first...it's quite a testament to the awesome dad they have! I wonder what you will say next!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- You're officially crawling and have honed your skills quickly. You're fast and into everything! You like to stand at the furniture and you can transfer back and forth between the couch and the ottoman while holding on. I feel like you will take your first steps before long. You've got quite a strong base with those legs!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- We're still doing purees and you love them all! Your favorite food so far seems to be avocado. You've also had sweet potatoes, bananas, green beans, peaches, green peas. In the mornings you have oatmeal with pureed peaches or yogurt. Occasionally you'll also have some banana. In the evening you eat one of your other purees. You're drinking water from a sippy cup, and we're on the neverending quest for the perfect cup for you. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- You're finally cutting those two top front teeth...they've been coming for weeks so we're all very excited and relieved to see them making an appearance! No one's happier than you, I imagine...poor thing, you've been in a lot of pain over the last few weeks. You're a lot happier now - those front teeth are the absolute worst. Recently I took you to the doctor because you were sick with a cold and she said you were actually getting four top teeth...ugh. At least we're knocking a lot of them out all at once. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- Between the aforementioned teething and drainage from your cold, sleep has been all over the place. You've been getting up more frequently at night recently. On a good day, you'll take a morning and afternoon nap...they rarely last more than an hour and lots of times they don't last 15 minutes. We'll get there! You usually go down for the night around 7:30-8 pm and lately you've been waking up for the day between 7-8 am. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- You are such a sweet, handsome boy. You can clap now, and it's about the cutest thing I've ever seen. Your smile lights up your whole face and it's infectious. People just make over you when we're out and about. I'm surely biased, but you're a good looking boy! You look so much like your daddy. You have brown eyes and your hair, which is coming in more and more every day, is brown with a golden tint. Your mouth is a lot like Claire's but your lips are less pouty. Your hands are huge, almost the same size as Claire's (future football player!!). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- Speaking of Claire, you two are getting closer everyday! Y'all are best friends and worst enemies...haha. You're playing together more and more, and it just warms my heart to see that. Now that you can get into more stuff, y'all are fighting over toys more and more. I thought we had a little more time before that started...haha! You are fascinated by your sister and her biggest fan....she loves you right back and thinks you're hilarious. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Current nicknames: Jamesie, Jambo, Jay-bird, Little Lord Fusspants</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Favorite toys: mega blocks, books, the Apple tv remote (you're obsessed), and anything Claire is playing with</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Jamesie, you are our sweet man. I remember being a little freaked out when I found out you were a boy. I was happy, of course, but a little intimidated since I didn't have a brother and my first child was a girl. But oh my heart...I can't imagine life without YOU. You are the little boy I didn't realize I needed...but God knew, and I'm so glad He gave us you.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We love you,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mama</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">P.S. These pictures aren't the best. Our resident photographer (Cam) was out of town when these were taken and it turns out this camera stuff is much harder than it looks! While juggling my two wild children and trying to get a good picture, I lunged to catch James from diving headfirst off the chair and the camera strapped around my neck smacked him in the face! Mother of the year here, people. </span>Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18390598560581963404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2979542065104346483.post-7779430615383284602015-06-09T01:54:00.000-05:002015-06-26T01:54:54.921-05:00James - 7 Months<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">James, you are seven months old! You are a growing, bouncing, thriving baby boy!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I imagine you weigh about 23-24 lbs. You're growing out of clothes so fast...all the new clothes we're buying are 18 months! Size 3 diapers are getting snug.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here's what else is up with you this month:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- You're so close to crawling! You kinda scoot around army-crawl style, and you get up on all fours and rock back and forth, so I know you will take off any day now. In the meantime you can boogie all over the place via rolling! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- You are trying out all sorts of new foods. Highlights include sweet potatoes, green beans, and peaches. You've also started puffs, which you love! It's so nice to be able to give you something to snack on. You're also still liking oatmeal and bananas. We've discovered that the first time you try something, you don't like it and make a face. But after that initial feeding you seem to warm up to most things. I look forward to when you can eat regular food...you watch our plates like a baby hawk! Right now you eat food at breakfast and dinner. You have a witching hour most evenings and usually fuss through dinner, probably because you're not napping a lot. You are still nursing and it's going well, unless you're cutting teeth in which case you bite! Ouch!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- You have two teeth on the bottom and it won't be long before the top two come through. Those tops are the absolute worst, in my opinion! I don't think they're imminent, but they're certainly causing you some grief. I know they'll look super cute though when they do make their appearance!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- Sleep: Oh Lawd, I have spent more time this month stressing over your sleep than I can count! Our challenge has been naps...a few weeks ago you straight up quit napping unless you were with me. You wouldn't nap in your crib at all. Don't get me wrong...I love for you to nap on me/with me, but with another little one to care for and laundry and chores that are about to eat me alive most days, this wasn't gonna work. Claire went through this same stuff too when she was this age, but she could nap in her swing. You are too big for that and the rock n play though, so we've been really working on those crib naps. You are improving and most days lately you nap at least some in your crib. Your naps are usually very short...an hour at most, and sometimes less than 10 minutes. It's a process and we'll get there! People talk about the exhaustion of having a newborn, and I get that, but to me this stage is the most exhausting between teething, separation anxiety, and fighting sleep. The exhaustion has been unreal lately and finding the time to even take a shower is nearly impossible. The good news is that since you don't nap much during the day, you sleep better at night. Some nights you wake up right after we put you down and have to have your paci put back in, but after that you usually only wake up once to eat, usually between 3-5 am. You go to sleep most nights between 7:30-8 and get up for the day around 7 or so.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- You weren't really into the pacifier a few months back, but now you are taking one more. We got you the bigger MAM ones (just like sissy-we are a MAM family!) and you like them better. It's nice to have a quick way to soothe you. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- You drink water out of a sippy cup now and really like it. We usually help you drink but you're getting better at handling the cup on your own. You love to chew on the spout! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- You love your big sister so much! You are fascinated by everything she does and get the biggest smile on your face when you see her. It's really sweet! With you becoming more active and playing, y'all are interacting more and it's just so neat to see. Claire has always been sweet to you, but she's more interested in you lately and y'all have become big buddies. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Current nicknames: Jamesie, Jamesie-boy, Munch, J-bird, buddy, buddy boy, "little handsome baby"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Favorite toys: stuffed stop sign rattle, mega blocks, toy hammer</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Jamesie, you're such a sweetheart! You are a special child and you love to be with your people. We can't imagine life without you. Love you so much!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Love,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mama</span>Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18390598560581963404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2979542065104346483.post-3866970808446984172015-05-09T23:32:00.000-05:002015-05-29T23:38:56.472-05:00James - 6 Months<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAv4-AM-h1qbOg8hY7H4Cl6lU1Ny6nsKo9pDy9RXs0s6BSCmnpCNDW-Uq6B8wmmkGNQK21mz2gS7YcCZEKyaC1n3sqpsYO55a8iAD93YJgICGNqhXko90A8HxYwGSAV8QFcn8RAed-AIGa/s1600/IMG_5382.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAv4-AM-h1qbOg8hY7H4Cl6lU1Ny6nsKo9pDy9RXs0s6BSCmnpCNDW-Uq6B8wmmkGNQK21mz2gS7YcCZEKyaC1n3sqpsYO55a8iAD93YJgICGNqhXko90A8HxYwGSAV8QFcn8RAed-AIGa/s320/IMG_5382.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">James, you are six months old! How has it already been half a year since I first saw your sweet face? It's amazing how quickly a little person captures your heart and makes life hard to remember before them. We are so glad you're ours, sweet man.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
Here are all your particulars:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Height: 29 inches - 99.99th percentile</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Weight: 22 lbs, 7 ounces - 98th percentile</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Head: 17.75 inches - 92nd percentile</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
You can still fit in 9 month clothes, but 12 months fits you better. It's really fun starting a new season with you and dressing you up in summer duds. You currently wear size 3 diapers. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
Here's what else you've been doing:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
-You are large and in charge! Your doctor says you're the size of an average 11 month old! We were already planning to move you to a convertible carseat soon, but I ended up ordering it right after your 6 month appointment because your doctor said you'd outgrown the infant seat. You seem a lot happier now that you can sit up and see more in the car.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
- You can sit up unassisted now! You look so cute sitting up all big and strong, and you really seem to enjoy your new viewpoint of the world! You also roll around a lot these days.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
- Your two bottom teeth finally came through! They'd been a long time coming...teething has not been fun. You already had an infectious smile, but those two little pearls make it even more contagious! We can see the top two teeth through the front of your gums and your doctor says they'll be coming through in a month or so. </span><br />
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- We've been feeding you rice cereal for a month. Now you've tried bananas...initially you didn't like them, but you seem to be warming up to them a bit. Lately we've been giving you oatmeal in place of the rice cereal, and just like Claire, you seem to prefer it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
- It's been an interesting (read: challenging) month for our family. Claire came down with the flu in mid-April and then it spread through the family like wildfire. First me and Pinky, then Daddy, then Papaw. Thankfully, with the help of Tamiflu you didn't get it...which shocks me considering everyone else in the house did.We were so cautious all winter during cold and flu season with you being a newborn...we all got flu shots before you were born, etc...but spring has been a sick season for us. Daddy and I had a rough time taking care of you and your sister while she was sick and you were cutting those gorgeous new teeth, all while we had the flu! You did come down with a different virus a few weeks later, right around your six month birthday...you had fever, runny nose, watery eyes, and a cough. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
- You're going through a clingy phase and have been pretty fussy lately. People look at me like I'm nuts when I say that because you're such a happy, social little guy...but that's just it...you are social, you don't like to be alone. Lately, when we're not with other people, if me or your dad aren't holding you or right near you, you are most likely upset. It makes for some tricky situations, especially during the weekdays when I'm by myself with you and Claire. She went through the same thing at this age and I know it's just a phase. Your doctor also says this is just a personality thing. You are such a sweet boy and we don't want you to be upset. :(</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
- Between sickness, teething, and all the other craziness, it's no wonder you aren't sleeping well. You wake up quite a bit at night and you're not napping well. I'm trying out different things to see if we can improve the nap situation...your little stinker of a sister has a habit of sabotaging your morning nap. You don't really care to nap outside of my arms....some days you're only napping on your own for an hour all day!!!!!!!!!!! This is far too little...hoping we can get things figured out and into more of a routine soon. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- We had you dedicated at church on Mother's Day, the day after you turned six months old. It was a sweet day with family. You are such a blessing to us.</span><br />
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Current nicknames: Jamesie, Jamesie-Boy, Crinkle Cut (because of the shape your eyes make when you smile), J-Bird, Drum</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6xQfuBU4JuSRZJZ0yWoRlWB2QOrgJvu8io9y0BMFMBOEas1ULueKbhP_OYyJFEGCdjvYpK88VgzUPaGlaU2V_2oZ_iXiduzrK-0T5nLBqO0Omt535GG29dzA9qx1uk2AV1f9sEssPudvo/s1600/IMG_5393.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6xQfuBU4JuSRZJZ0yWoRlWB2QOrgJvu8io9y0BMFMBOEas1ULueKbhP_OYyJFEGCdjvYpK88VgzUPaGlaU2V_2oZ_iXiduzrK-0T5nLBqO0Omt535GG29dzA9qx1uk2AV1f9sEssPudvo/s320/IMG_5393.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
Favorite toys: Stuffed construction set, especially the little stop sign, all your teethers, toy car and football, xylophone and other musical toys, blocks you can bang together</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
James, you are just the best little man for our family! Your smile lights up the whole room...heck, I think it could bring about world peace! We are so thankful for you. Love you to the moon and back, sweet boy.</span><br />
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Love,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mama</span><br />
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Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18390598560581963404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2979542065104346483.post-78018369620740001662015-04-09T15:53:00.000-05:002015-05-16T17:20:34.727-05:00James - 5 Months<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">James, you are five months old! Time is really flying now and you're growing up before our very eyes!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">You weigh about 21.5 lbs. You're a really big boy! Some of your 3-6 month clothes still fit, but you're moving into 9 month size now. You wear size 3 diapers.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Here's what else is going on with you these days: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">- You're really into jumping up and down. You like the exersaucer and "dropping it like it's hot" when we stand you up in our laps! It's so cute!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">- You can roll both ways now and you're pretty close to sitting up. You're definitely in a period of rapid development.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">- You're still teething but there's no teeth yet. Unfortunately you're in a lot of pain and pretty fussy. You chew on everything you can get your hands on. We're all praying you can get some relief soon!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">- You're a charmer and you love being with people and interacting! You have such a sweet disposition and you love to smile. It's the best! The flipside of being so social is that you don't being alone. This makes for some tricky days for me at home with you and your sister. You love being held and don't like being put down. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">- You are a little clone of your daddy...just like I hoped for. When you smile, you have the exact same crinkle half-moon eyes! What a blessing you are to us! For this month's pictures you're wearing one of Daddy's outfits from when he was a baby. You're absolutely precious! I need to get a baby picture of him wearing it so I can do a side-by-side comparison!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">- We spent your first Easter in Sugar Land with family! It was a great weekend. It was so fun to dress you up in your sweet little outfit and go through your goodies from the Easter bunny! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">- You startle very easily. You got that from me, poor baby. Prepare for a lifetime of jumping out of your skin when someone comes up behind you, little buddy. Sorry 'bout that! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">- We've started you on rice cereal and you seem to like it pretty well. We're just so glad we can finally feed you something! We'll move on to oatmeal, fruit, and veggies next month. Anything to keep those chunky thighs going...they are epic!!! You get those from your mama, too! ;)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Current nicknames: Jamesie, Gigi and Poppy call you Jaybird, Pinky calls you Drum (as in drumstick), Gracie calls you "little handsome baby!"</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsRmkoiby2PR9Ooeij0dT8KmK2e-FldUGlnkOgEuFxkquP_5ZBZQUFa1mxFNZJEk_e3cmsTFUUVQHN0asWECWfIsB7s0rkHOmFTFHejA1RPhZx-Whjg8Aj6xA5xYnu9TSdLTMNlAKfRZcd/s1600/IMG_5362.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsRmkoiby2PR9Ooeij0dT8KmK2e-FldUGlnkOgEuFxkquP_5ZBZQUFa1mxFNZJEk_e3cmsTFUUVQHN0asWECWfIsB7s0rkHOmFTFHejA1RPhZx-Whjg8Aj6xA5xYnu9TSdLTMNlAKfRZcd/s320/IMG_5362.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Favorite toys: You're a fan of the exersaucer! You also love this old giraffe teether my parents have...it's vintage! It came from my grandparents house and all of us grandkids used it...we think it's the original Sophie! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">James, you are the perfect little dude and we couldn't love you more! Here's to another fun month!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Love, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Mama</span><br />
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Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18390598560581963404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2979542065104346483.post-12166034729415881342015-03-09T16:40:00.000-05:002015-03-16T16:49:31.588-05:00James - 4 Months<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">James, you are four months old! Another month has passed and I can't believe it. You're growing so big, so fast! You're becoming less of a newborn and growing more alert and aware of things around you. It's exciting because there's so many fun things on the horizon, but since there's a good chance you're our last little baby, another part of me is selfishly sad to see you growing up so quickly. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Your stats:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Height: 27 inches - 99th percentile</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Weight: 19 lbs, 8 ozs - 98th percentile</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Head: 17 inches - 91st percentile</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You are huge, no offense. ;) When you're just wearing a diaper, you look like a baby sumo wrestler! You're growing out of your 3-6 month clothes and I'm hoping with the weather warming up we can get you into all your Spring/Summer clothes before you grow out of those too! You wear size 3 diapers.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here's what else you're up to:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- You rolled over for the first time on March 2nd from tummy to back! You've only done it a couple times since. You seem to really want to sit up, and you love when we stand you up. You're super strong...you're basically a baby super hero. Despite being younger, I think you're going to make a very nice bodyguard for your sister when the teenage years roll around!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- You're definitely noticing food now and seem very interested. You always sit on the table in your bumbo seat with us while we eat dinner, and you've gone from watching us to watching our food! Poor baby is hungry! We're looking forward to cereal and other foods soon. You're still nursing often...every 2 hours or so. Sometimes less often if we're out and about and sometimes more often if you don't have a big feeding after waking up or something.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- Teething is definitely going on! You're drooling up a storm and constantly have your fingers/hands in your mouth, or a blanket or our fingers if we let you. Your doctor checked and says there's no teeth coming in the next 2 weeks, but I wonder if something might happen soon after that. Your top front gums seem like they might be the first to sprout a tooth, but we'll see! You're wearing an amber teething necklace and I think it's helping some with the drooling.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- The time around 4 months has been a game changer for both my babies. It's almost like that's when you realize you're not in the womb anymore, and you're not crazy about it. You're just more fussy than you've been previously and you don't want to be put down. I'm sure teething is contributing too. Of course I wish I could hold you all the time, but it's hard with your sister being barely 2 years old. I sure wish I had an extra hand or three!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- You're also not sleeping as well. Up until recently, you've been in a pattern of going to sleep around 9 pm in your crib, maybe needing a paci once or twice in the late evening, then eating around 2 am, and then coming to our room sometimes between 5-7 am to eat and then finish sleeping in the rock n play. You've had a couple really bad nights where you're up a lot more recently, leading me to think you've hit the 4 month sleep regression. Hopefully it will be short lived...your sister never really slept through the night again after that until she turned 1, but I think/hope you might be a better sleeper than she was.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- You are such a sweet little guy! You're absolute favorite thing is to interact with people. You smile a lot and like to talk and make noises. You're a people person, for sure, and everyone just loves you right back!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Current nicknames: Jamesie, Jay-bird, little man, sweet boy, buddy/baby buddy</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Favorite toys: Your teething giraffe, your jungle gym, your stuffed elephant (your love to chew on his nose), and anything else you can chew on!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Jamesie-boy, you are the sweetest little boy in the world! We just love you to pieces. 2015 has been a pretty tough year for my family so far, with several family members dealing with very serious health issues. You have been such a bright spot for everyone, reminding us how much hope and joy there is in a new generation. I couldn't love you more!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Love,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mama</span>Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18390598560581963404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2979542065104346483.post-80490354156946560582015-02-09T16:14:00.000-06:002015-02-11T16:24:28.742-06:00James - 3 Months<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl6Vew5eH-XBAxAnl2sxIAZ74oF9dHWUm1UEjZMplfg3YD6hyphenhyphenOOL7bf3-WGUTo3qkniMioxMzEsCoVBy3OwsMxjCbcEBvqz2DWQlHvqOlsa2lZmsME-0uhUtBeM1ygWg8uOEK5lZo5qxO-/s1600/IMG_5235.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl6Vew5eH-XBAxAnl2sxIAZ74oF9dHWUm1UEjZMplfg3YD6hyphenhyphenOOL7bf3-WGUTo3qkniMioxMzEsCoVBy3OwsMxjCbcEBvqz2DWQlHvqOlsa2lZmsME-0uhUtBeM1ygWg8uOEK5lZo5qxO-/s1600/IMG_5235.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">James, you are three months old! We made it through the "fourth trimester." You are just the sweetest, happiest boy and I can't imagine life without you!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I don't know your weight, but you're definitely growing bigger everday! You wear mostly 3-6 month clothes and size 2 diapers. You have some seriously squeezable thigh rolls!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here's what else you're doing these days:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- You love to interact with people. You almost always smile when someone talks to you, and you love when we sing to you. You're very charming. You just have this big beautiful grin that's totally contagious! I've never seen anything like it, it's absolutely precious.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- You love to eat and have started actually smiling when you realize you're about to dine at the boob buffet! You eat frequently during the day, which I think helps you sleep better at night.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- You're sleeping in your crib at night now. We moved your last weekend and you're doing well with the transition. Before moving, you were basically sleeping through the night, but now you're getting up more to eat or need your pacifier put back in. We've definitely had great success in getting your schedule back on track in the last month...you're awake more during the day and going down for the night around 9 pm instead of 2 am!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- We've started putting you in the bumbo seat and you seem to like it. You sit on the table in it every night while we eat dinner, and it's really fun having you with us. The seat is pink since it was Claire's first, but you're very confident in your manliness and don't seem to mind. ;)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- We've been working on tummy time. You're really strong and can push off with your legs. Sometimes I think you might just crawl if the boppy pillow wasn't in your way! You're also still enjoying your jungle gym. Recently I've been putting you in the swing more and you love to watch the birds dance around above you on the mobile. You stare at them in absolute wonder until you pass out!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- You chew on your hands and fists a ton! Sometimes it's hunger, but sometimes you're just chewing. I'm hoping this isn't a sign that you're about to start teething. Mama ain't ready for that! You've been spitting up a lot lately. It doesn't seem to really bother you and you're eating and growing well, so I'm not too concerned about it. Like your daddy and sister, you've been dealing with a little bit of congestion over the last couple weeks. I'm pretty sure it's just those dang Austin allergies. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- Your current nicknames are Jamesie, Baby Jay (sometimes we can get Claire to call you this; otherwise it's just Baby), sweet boy, little man, and sweet man.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Jamesie, we love you so much! You bring so much sweetness to our family. There is nothing better than holding you in my arms while you sleep, and I treasure it so much.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We love you to the moon and back!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mama</span><br />
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Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18390598560581963404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2979542065104346483.post-46813655443488027362015-01-23T17:04:00.000-06:002015-02-06T23:05:14.147-06:00Claire - 2 Years<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Claire Campbell, you are 2 years old! You are growing so quickly. You're such a hilarious, sweet, intelligent, independent, and beautiful kid. Just when I think I can't possibly love you more than I already do, you do something new and adorable and my love grows a little bit more. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Your stats:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Height: 36 inches - 94th percentile</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Weight: 30 lbs - 91st percentile (I think you may actually weigh a bit more, but you were getting over a tummy bug.)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Head: 20 inches - 99th percentile...Your reign as Big Head Todd continues!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You're still wearing some 24 month clothes, but mostly 2T and even some 3T. You wear size 5 diapers.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here's what else you're up to these days:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- You are talking up a storm! Everyday you say some new word or phrase. It's really amazing to watch you take on new language.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- You know all your colors and quite a few of your letters. Your doctor says the colors are a 4 year skill?!? You're obsessed with colors and love to color...maybe a budding artist like your Daddy? I really don't like when people brag obnoxiously about their kids, but these posts are really for you to look at someday and know what you were doing. You blow us away on a daily basis! You make all sorts of multi-step cognitive connections. It's just really incredible to see what you can do at just 2, and to imagine what you'll be doing in the future. The other day you drew the letter N (not sure if it was intentional) and pointed at it and told me it was an N. I attribute it all to the ABC book we read daily and all those letter apps on the iPad. People can say what they want about kids using technology, but you have certainly benefitted from it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- You're very busy and love to play! Right now you are really into playing with your babydolls and your new toy kitchen. You also love your toy cars and reading. You're really into watching toy demonstration videos on Youtube...who knew there were so many of those things? Above all, Mickey Mouse (aka "Ninny Now") is your absolute favorite thing in the world!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- You're a bit of a wild child! You are always on the move and constantly getting into stuff. When we're out at places with other kids, you're always the one leaving the spot everyone's at to go explore in another area.You definitely keep us on our toes! A couple weeks ago we went with Pinky, Aunt Dizzie, and Gracie to the movies to see Paddington Bear. At first, you sat in your seat and watched the movie. Before long though, your wild child (and lack of a real nap) kicked in and before long, you were crawling up and down the aisle pretending to be a cat and then I chased after you as you crawled down the steps headfirst. As your Pinky used to say about me, you are "spirited", and I often find myself conflicted over how much to reign you in and not wanting to squelch your spirit.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- You are obsessed with brushing your teeth. Not a day goes by that you don't go pull your toothbrush and paste out of the bathroom drawer and carry them around to play. You have multiple toothbrushes...several dummies that you can drag around with you and gather all manner of germs, and then the real one that's kept just out of your reach on the bathroom counter.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- Most days you take around a 2 hour afternoon nap. We put you to bed for the night between 8-9 pm and it usually takes you a long time to fall asleep, so your wake time really varies. Right now, it's usually 8ish, sometimes 9. Right before James was born, you jumped out of your crib and we had to convert your crib into a toddler bed way before we planned (nice timing, kid!). That really turned your sleeping habits on their head...you started exploring your room and playing for hours, sometimes falling asleep on the floor. You took a long time to go to sleep before the bed switch, but this definitely increased it. Thankfully, you now stay in your bed for the most part.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- You've handled becoming a big sister beautifully! I really worried about it, because you would get pretty upset everytime I held another baby when I was pregnant. But you've always been really sweet and welcoming to Baby James. I can't wait to see y'all play together soon! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- Your current nicknames are NerNer (see below), Clairebear, Tootie, and Toot.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- We had a great time celebrating your birthday! Gigi and Poppy came and spent a few days with us, which was super fun! On your birthday, we went to a yummy breakfast at Kerbey Lane and to the Austin Aquarium (we went there on your first birthday too!. That evening we had a small family party, Mickey Mouse-themed, of course. It was a wonderful day celebrating you!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You say so many hilarious things and I have to document them:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- "Daddy, a hot!" means you want a fire in the fireplace.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- "Purple-pink" is what you call your beloved purple nighttime paci and many other things that are either pink or purple.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- "Yaya" means Santa...we still sing "Santa Claus is coming to Town" and Deer aka "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" every day. I kinda hope this lasts all year long!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- "NerNer" - this is how you refer to yourself. I think it's your way of saying Clairebear, which you're called frequently. You started saying this a lot around the holidays and it took us about a month to figure out what you were saying. I can't tell you how much it makes us giggle! NerNer baby = Claire's babydoll, NerNer paci = Claire's paci. So so cute!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- "Yook" is look. All your Ys are Ls right now, hence you say "Heyyo" for hello. You're really into asking people to look at something. "Poppy, yook", etc.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- "Happy?" or more recently "What happy?" is your way of asking what happened.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Claire, you are an absolute joy to us, and we love watching you grow into the amazing little person you are. Not a day goes by that Daddy and I don't talk about how wonderful you are and how much we love you. You will always be my baby, no matter how old you are.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I love you to the moon and back!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mama</span>Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18390598560581963404noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2979542065104346483.post-46431955549677357272015-01-09T22:29:00.000-06:002015-01-16T22:56:40.618-06:00James - 2 Months<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">James, you are two months old! You're getting so big, sweet boy! I can't believe it's been two months since you joined our family.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Height: 24 1/4 in - 96th percentile</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Weight: 15 lbs, 4 oz - 97th percentile</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Head Circumference: 16 in - 93rd percentile</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As your measurements suggest, you are a big boy! You're very proportional. People say you don't look huge, but when they pick you up they are struck by how solid you are. You are a baby beefcake! You've grown out a lot of your 0-3 month clothes and are starting to wear mostly 3-6 month stuff. You're transitioning from size 1 to 2 diapers. Your two month checkup went great and the doctor confirmed my suspicious that you are perfect! :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here's what else you're up to these days:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- You're still smiling a lot and making lots of cute noises. Sometimes you just call out to whoever is listening, like "Hey, I'm here!" When you're really worked up and trying to tell us something, you wind your arm up and move it all around...kind of like Popeye! You've done this since very early and it's so cute! You definitely know who your people are, and smile easily with them. We're all just in love with you! You really love to interact and you're such a sweet and happy guy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- You like to play on your gym playmat! You kick you arms and legs and stare up at the lights and colors and just coo. You like your bouncy seat and sometimes fall asleep in there. You haven't spent a ton of time in the swing, but you seem to like it pretty well. Right now you're sleeping beside our bed in the rock 'n play just like your sister did...that rock 'n play has gotten a lot of mileage over the last two years!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- You're nursing well and often. Sometimes you eat every hour or two. You don't eat for a super long time at these feedings...you're a snacker just like Claire was. You often fall asleep when you eat and take a lot of "boob naps" (haha). One of my favorite things is when I hold you upright and you fall asleep on my shoulder...you take the most epic naps in positions that seem pretty uncomfortable! I love those moments together.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- Right now you're sleeping a lot during the day, especially in the mornings. Consequently, you're awake a lot in the evenings and often go to sleep very late (sometimes 1 or 2 am). Once you do go down for the night you usually sleep until 6 or 7 (occasionally it's 4 or 5 am), when you eat and fall back asleep. We're going to start working on keeping you awake more during the day so you can go to sleep at a more reasonable hour, although I admit to having a pretty hard time waking a sleeping baby.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- Your gas issues are a bit better, but when you do have gas, it smells awful! Your doctor attributes it to "gut imaturity". When I told her I was worried you're reacting to something I'm eating, she said it's usually dairy. She's not concerned about it. I'm cutting dairy out of my diet for a bit to see if it makes a difference. If that does help, it's not a dairy allergy or even an intolerance...lots of babies react to dairy when they're young because their tummies aren't mature enough to process it until about six months old.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- The last month has been busy and we've experienced a lot of fun firsts with you. We had your first Christmas, first Santa visit, and first trip to Sugar Land to meet Daddy's whole family. You've also gotten to meet all four of your great grandparents! It's been a special month.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">-You handled your first shots well. Now we're just praying we can get you through the next couple months of flu season without getting sick. We're enjoying our cozy winter, but also looking forward to springtime when we can be outside more and take you to church!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- You are a growly baby! I'm not kidding...it sounds like you are growling a lot of the time, kind of like you need to clear you throat. Your doctor checked to see if you had any nasal drip issue going on, but nope...you are just a loud baby!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- I can't tell if you're going to be a paci baby yet. Sometimes you take it and it soothes you, but other times you don't seem to want it all. When you do take a paci you spit it out a lot, but I remember Claire doing that too at this age.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWQGW7FJvAoPOPjmoMEcpKAAfeudd9NV5iiMxhSayK9ism_d9N8czinBtSnVEHlXYgr_fMBN60AuOtuAW-c9uIWvxFrtgeAfoMajvoUiyujwQPCei04uOdW_ZcCXbVcflMp8UdIA1f9zkI/s1600/IMG_5127.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWQGW7FJvAoPOPjmoMEcpKAAfeudd9NV5iiMxhSayK9ism_d9N8czinBtSnVEHlXYgr_fMBN60AuOtuAW-c9uIWvxFrtgeAfoMajvoUiyujwQPCei04uOdW_ZcCXbVcflMp8UdIA1f9zkI/s1600/IMG_5127.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- We really think your eyes will be brown! Your doctor think they probably will be too. You're such a handsome boy...I know I'm biased but there's no denying how adorable you are. You look a lot like your Daddy!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Jamesie, we love you so much! You bring so much joy and sweetness to our family. There is nothing like this sweet newborn stage and I treasure it so much, but also look forward to all the fun we're going to have in the future. You're my sweet boy, always! Love you to the moon and back.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Love,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mama</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here's Daddy with both his babies at their two month check-ups. Claire on the top, James on the bottom.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18390598560581963404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2979542065104346483.post-32908416139888907202014-12-16T04:32:00.000-06:002014-12-16T08:51:12.806-06:00James' Birth Story<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I feel so behind in writing this! I better get to writing - some of this is already getting a little fuzzy and I don't want to forget a single moment of this beautiful day. Also, let me just say how wonderful it is to have text messages from that day to go back and look at to help remind me of when certain things happened! Beware, this is long!</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Saturday, November 8th was a busy day. We got up, got ready for the day, and then Cam ran out to get donuts. Cam's Aunt Tricia and Uncle Mike were in town and came by our house to visit for a bit on their way out of town. After they left, my mom came and picked me and my sister up so we could go visit my grandma in the hospital. On the way we stopped at our favorite Mexican food restaurant to eat lunch and pick up some food to take to my grandma. I can't remember the last time the three of us had a meal together without kids...it was so much fun!!!!! Between this and the Torchy's the night before, I was hoping all the spicy food would get something going!</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We had a good visit with my grandma. She was doing better after a scary few days. When she'd gone into the hospital that Tuesday, she was pretty close to death. It was a very odd feeling to have my one remaining grandparent in such dire health circumstances right when I was about to have my baby. It felt very "circle of life" and more than anything, I hated the thought of my mom having to go through those conflicting emotions. While my grandma wasn't completely out of the woods yet when I saw her that day (one never really is at 91 years old), her condition had improved. It gave me peace to know that I had gotten to see her...I'd worried all week that I wouldn't get to before the baby came and then something would happen to her and I'd always regret it. My grandma was at was the hospital where I had been born. As we left, I joked that maybe coming back to the place of my birth would send me into labor! Little did I know...</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">By the time I got home I was wiped out...way too tired to figure out dinner, so we went to eat at Longhorn Steakhouse. Yes, I completed the trifecta of eating out for every single meal that day. I'd been doing a fairly decent job of cooking and preparing dinner at home at the end of my pregnancy, but the wheels fell off those last few days!</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Cam had been putting Claire to bed most nights, but I did it that night. It was pretty tough for me to get up and down off the floor by her bed, and in hindsight my first inkling that something was happening was when I got up from the floor and felt a dull ache in my lower back. I also should have known something was up when I went directly from her room to get into bed. As anyone who knows me well can attest, I'm a huge night owl and basically get a second wind when my kids go to sleep, but not that night! I was miserably full from dinner and having pain in my lower back. I went straight to bed around 10 pm and slept until about 1, when Cam came to bed after falling asleep on the couch. I told him I thought something might be happening, but wasn't sure. We went back to sleep and I slept off and on for the rest of the night. I have a tendency to doubt myself and what I'm feeling in situations like this, but I had a feeling that I was going to be having a baby later that day!</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We were up early the next morning, but stayed in bed for awhile trying to figure out what was happening. By then, the pain in my back was coming and going and included pain and cramping in my stomach too. It was contraction-like but not intensely painful. I was trying to time my contractions on an app on my phone, but it was hard to define when they were starting and stopping. Again, I wasn't sure that this was "it" and I didn't want to set a bunch of things in motion if I wasn't sure! Around 8 am we let our family know things might be happening. With Cam's parents being in Houston, I was nervous to call them because I didn't want them to travel all that way for a false alarm. Cam called them and just told them to be aware that I might be in early labor so they could be prepared to leave quickly if this was the real deal. Things continued to get more intense and around 9:30 Cam called his parents and told them to come. I think my contractions were about 3 minutes apart by now.</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now it was time to get ready to go to the hospital! Cam fed Claire breakfast while I showered and got ready. My mom came over around 10:00 to help us and take Claire back to her house. Our bags were packed and laid out on the dining room table, but there were still some last minute things to gather. This whole process seemed to take forever...partly because my nerves were making me very inefficient and partly because I kept having to stop during my increasingly intense contractions.</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We got to the hospital around 11:00 or 11:30. I think the triage rooms must have been full because they took me directly to a labor and delivery room. They started the process of getting us checked in and determined that I was 4 cm dilated! I was relieved to know that I was, in fact, in labor but not so far along that Cam's parents might not make it in time. My contractions were coming every couple minutes by this point. My most memorable symptom at that point was feeling like I had to pee every few minutes. I recognized the nurse who checked us in. Her name was Laurie, and she had been one of my sister's nurses when she had Gracie and had helped take care of me when I spent the night in labor and delivery after breaking my ankle. We spent a long time with her answering questions to get all checked in and getting my IV started. She was the charge nurse that day, so after we finished up our initial stuff, she handed us off to another nurse who wouldn't be as busy that day. Her name was Robin and she was lovely...kind, funny, and knowledgeable. She had a strong accent that I think was Canadian and she looked a lot like Trixie, a character from the show Call the Midwife. At some point I also met Dr. Rodriguez, the on call doctor that weekend. I was bummed Dr. Orth wouldn't be there to deliver my baby...we've been through a lot together and there is just no better encourager when it comes to this stuff! That being said, I really really liked Dr. Rodriguez! She was young, capable, and calm. It felt really nice to know I was in good hands.</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My memory of the order of some of this is a little fuzzy, but I think around this time my family came in and visited for a bit. They were a big, lively bunch and it was fun to see them! It was my mom, dad, sister Elizabeth, brother-in-law Corey, niece Grace, and my sweet Clairebear. Shortly after, my mother and father-in-law, Jennifer and Jamie, arrived from Houston and came to see us for a bit. It was great to have them there! Everyone was very excited and we felt so much support and love!</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Next it was epidural time! The anesthesiologist, Dr. Patel, was young and friendly. Random, but I remember him asking me if I was a football fan because we had the Dallas Cowboys game in London on the TV. Maybe that's unusual for a woman in labor?!? HA! Anyway, getting the epidural was more uncomfortable this time around than I remember it being with Claire. Shortly after, Robin installed a catheter and broke my water. Now, it's hard to compare directly with Claire's birth since I was induced with her, but I had suspected my water would break on its own this time around since it broke before we even started pitocin with Claire. I thought I might be part of that small percentage of women whose water breaks on their own. This turned out not to be the case...in fact, when Robin broke my water, the bag was so thick and tough to break that there was a loud, audible pop on the monitor when it finally did rupture! She'd never had that happen before and was excited to tell the other nurses! By the time this was all wrapped up, it was 2:00 pm and I was 6 cm dilated.</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When Dr. Patel left, I was feeling some numbness and heaviness in my legs, but it wasn't full-on. I'd told them that my epidural with Claire hadn't been fully effective, so after he left Robin kept checking in with me to assess how it was working. It never did become fully effective, or even somewhat effective. I vividly remember laying in bed during this time and I was miserable. Feeling painful contractions, still feeling like I had to pee every five minutes despite the catheter, and being able to feel that I was laying in wet sheets soaked with amniotic fluid. It was awful and I was so bummed. I knew it wasn't working like it should, but I wasn't sure how to handle it. Maybe this was just what epidurals were like (in hindsight: NO WAY!)...maybe they just don't work for me...not wanting to be too much trouble to the staff...and so on. I was having major flashbacks to my epidural with Claire and was miserable at the thought of having to labor the rest of the way like this. Robin called Dr. Patel. When he came in and heard the latest update, he said he could either add more medicine to the epidural or he could start completely over. I wasn't sure what to do. On one hand, we'd added more medicine to my epidural with Claire and while it afforded me some temporary relief, it never fully did the trick and I felt every single stitch after she was born. On the other hand, the idea of doing the whole epidural process over again did not sound appealing. Dr. Patel asked me if I was to stand up right then if I felt like I could walk. I told him, "Well, yeah I think I could..." and he immediately said he thought we needed to start over. I was nervous, but also happy to have a second chance at some pain relief.</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After removing the first epidural and starting the new one, I could tell pretty quickly that this one was different. Dr. Patel said he did something a little different this time. I'm not sure what he did (probably should have asked!)...but whatever it was, it worked and it was glorious! A working epidural is amazing! I couldn't get over it! After two flaky ones, having one that worked was just incredible! From here on out, things were really chill and blissful. I'm so so so so glad we redid it...it made for a much different experience. Yay Dr. Patel, yay science!!! (Can you name the show that's from?!?)</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">At this point, I was very relaxed and we finally had some time to rest. We turned off all the lights and dozed off and on for awhile. It was great to rest a bit, since I hadn't gotten a ton of sleep the night before. My mom, Elizabeth, and Jennifer came in and visited for a few minutes. We spent a lot of that time marveling at the wonders of the epidural. I can't really overstate how happy I was! Now it was just a matter of time and we'd get to meet our sweet baby boy!</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Around 4:00 I was almost fully dilated. The baby needed to come down a bit, so around this time Robin rotated the bed to where I was more upright with my legs crossed and facing down so that gravity could help things along. I started to feel a little bit of pain at this point and Robin gave me the refresh button for my epidural, and it helped a lot. Right before it was time to push, Robin left for the day. She was so awesome that she stayed about 2 hours past when her shift ended at 3:00 to be there for us. Unfortunately she couldn't stay any longer, so she handed us off to another amazing nurse named Lauren. Lauren had been one of my nurses for a couple short stints during my labor with Claire. She was wonderful - so positive, experienced, and encouraging. I was so blessed with amazing nurses that day!</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I was fully dilated shortly after 5:00 and by 5:30 it was time to push. Dr. Rodriguez came in and at first, it was just her and Lauren in the room with me and Cam. Initially Dr. Rodriguez just sat on the side of the bed while I pushed. Cam and Lauren held my legs and were so encouraging! I cannot overstate how peaceful and calm this experience was. Inbetween contractions/pushing we chatted about our kids, the differences between having boys and girls, Dr. Rodriguez's gorgeous Kendra Scott earrings (which I've shamelessly copied and added to my Christmas wish list...hint hint!), etc. Cam said I would look at him during these breaks and just smile. Everything was extremely relaxed and we were so excited to meet our Sweet Baby James! Once we were getting close, they removed the bottom of the bed, Dr. Rodriguez suited up, and a couple of extra people came in. One of them was Laurie, the nurse from when I'd arrived that morning! She was there to take care of James once he was born. It was go time!</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">At 6:00 pm on the dot, James Strutton Todd was born. It was love at first sight for me and Cam. I cried sweet, happy tears! It felt so good to hold him on my chest, tell him how much I loved him, and study his precious face. It was clear from the beginning that he was a sweet boy. He had a little fluid in his throat/lungs so they suctioned him a couple times before he really cried. C</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">am and I couldn't get over how much he looked and sounded like Claire! It was so wonderful to finally get to see this perfect little addition to our family.</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Little is a relative term, of course. After a bit, they took James off my chest to check him out. I remember peering across the room at the scale as they weighed him. I saw the 9 and the 1...and said "9.1...wow", thinking what a big baby he was. That's when several voices said, "No, 9.14!"....um, what?! Our heavyweight champion weighed in at 9 lbs, 14 oz and was 20.5 in long. We suspected he'd be big, but not that big! He checked out perfectly healthy. We are so thankful.</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm happy to report that the placenta and it's much-discussed extra lobe came out easily and without issue! My placenta with Claire was very stubborn about coming out, but not so this time. I tore in a couple of places, so Dr. Rodriguez stitched me up while James was getting checked out. I felt a little pain during a small part of this, but overall it was fairly easy. Cam got to hold his boy...we were both just completely smitten...and still are, of course! Once we were all taken care of, I got to hold my sweet baby again and nurse him. He nursed really well for a good 45 minutes! Cam got to go share the happy news with our family, which is one of his most favorite things to do! After we finished nursing, our family came in and met James. It was such an awesome, sweet thing to experience!!! Everyone was overjoyed and immediately taken with him.</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It was so good to see Claire! She was very sweet to her baby brother, and even gave him a kiss on the head! It was fun giving her the big sister gift...a Carebear, a mini Magnadoodle, and two Pioneer Woman storybooks with big sibling themes. I was worried she'd be jealous, but she hasn't been at all. She was a little distant with me for a few days after we got home, but she forgave me for having another baby pretty quickly. :) She's been a dream with the baby...she ohhs and ahhs over him and calls him "Doll" and "Baby".</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As I've mentioned earlier, James' birth was a wonderful, peaceful experience...exactly what you'd expect on a cozy Sunday evening. We came home from the hospital that Tuesday. James wore the same Feltman Brothers outfit that Cam wore home from the hospital almost 30 years ago. We listened to the song "Sweet Baby James" on the car ride home. Cam was able to take off from work for three weeks, which was great for all of us. I will never forget that special time with my sweet little family.</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">James is a precious baby and has stolen all of our hearts. He has such a calm demeanor, sweet smile, and happy spirit. We are so blessed that he's ours and look forward to all the fun things to come!</span>Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18390598560581963404noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2979542065104346483.post-969302625517175382014-12-09T17:14:00.000-06:002015-02-11T16:22:33.074-06:00James - 1 Month<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">James, you are 1 month old! I can't believe it's been a month since I first laid eyes on you, and yet it also seems like you've been around much longer!</span><br />
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You weigh about 13.5 lbs. I'm not sure of your height, but we'll find out when we see the doctor in a month. You are in size 1 diapers and 0-3 month clothes...newborn clothes were barely ever an option for you, but they're too small now. You are our baby beefcake!!</span><br />
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You're a very smiley baby! You smile a lot! A lot of people say babies this young don't socially smile, but you do...you smile on command a lot of the time. I've never seen a baby this young smile so much. You have a gorgeous grin and it makes us so happy to see it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Just like your sister, you like to eat often (see: beefcake) and are nursing well. We've had some hiccups along the way, especially at first, but a visit to a lactation consultant helped a lot. You took your first bottle of pumped milk on Thanksgiving and did great!</span><br />
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Like most newborns, you sleep a lot these days! You're even giving us some longer stretches at night (5ish hours), which is soooo sweet of you! You usually take a long nap in the morning and in the afternoon, with lots of catnaps inbetween.</span><br />
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You are a very calm baby with a sweet disposition. You are a happy little thing for the most part. The only consistent exception is a fussy period every evening from roughly 9pm-midnight. We are almost positive this is related to gas. You grunt, squirm, and sometimes cry out in pain...poor baby! We've talked to your doctor about it and she thinks it's something that will approve with age and "gut maturity". Occasionally you'll have an episode in the early morning hours too. Your little toots are not so little...you can practically clear a room! Maybe it's a boy thing...oy!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Baths are very calming for you and you seem to enjoy them a lot! You just stare at whoever's bathing you with the sweetest eyes. </span><br />
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You look a lot like your Daddy! We think your eyes are going to be brown like his. You seem to have my mouth though. You look so much like Claire! Both of you have the same distinct eye shape...wide almond shaped, just like Daddy. It's really fun thinking about what you will look like as you grow!</span><br />
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Speaking of big sister, Claire is quite taken with you! She has very been sweet and accepting of you since the day you were born. Many mornings when she comes out of her room, she wants to know where you are if you're not in the living room. She also sees to it that you're never without your paci! It's so neat seeing you together and I can't wait to watch you play together soon. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">James, we love you more than words can express! You fit so well into our little family and we are so proud you are ours! Having a baby during the holiday season is a special thing and we will forever treasure this sweet time with you.</span><br />
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Love,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mama</span>Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18390598560581963404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2979542065104346483.post-5255254927215365232014-11-15T17:00:00.000-06:002014-11-15T17:00:12.928-06:00He's here!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">James Strutton Todd arrived Sunday, November 9th, at 6:00 pm on the dot! He is a beautiful and healthy baby, weighing in at 9 lbs, 14 ozs and measuring 20.5 inches. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He looks and sounds very much like his big sister Claire, who has taken to calling him "doll". In the pictures below, James is the top picture and Claire is the bottom one. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Early labor started late Saturday night and we went to the hospital late morning on Sunday. His birth was a really beautiful and peaceful experience, kind of what you'd expect from a baby arriving on a lazy November Sunday. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We are totally in love with this precious little blessing. We are really enjoying adjusting to life as a family of four! There have been a few challenging moments, but overall we're just treasuring this special time with all four of us at home, tucked away from the bitter cold outside. I'm so in love with my little family.</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">More to come!!!</span></div>
Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18390598560581963404noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2979542065104346483.post-36844199006487618732014-11-05T00:03:00.001-06:002014-11-05T00:03:16.281-06:0039 Weeks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Total Weight Gain:</b> Another week, another pound. Up 31 total.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Size of Baby: </b>Baby James is the size of a mini-watermelon.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Sleep: </b>I don't want to jinx anything but the time change seems to have totally reset my internal clock for the better. I'm going to bed earlier and waking up earlier on my own, instead of dragging myself out of bed in the mornings.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Movement: </b>Yep!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Cravings: </b>I am just hungry! For everything!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Gender:</b> It's still a boy...James.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Mood:</b> I've been a little down and discouraged the last few days. We thought things might be starting to happen over the weekend and when they didn't, I felt let down. Then I was convinced there'd be signs of change yesterday at my appointment, but nope! I think the waiting game is just getting to me. Also, I found out yesterday morning that my grandmother is in the hospital and not doing well. She's 91 and very, very weak. She's dealing with very low blood pressure (80/40!) and low potassium, and weighs 75 lbs. Hopefully the fluids and medications they're giving her can help her perk up. Obviously the timing of all of this makes it a bittersweet time for my family. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Symptoms: </b>I had my weekly check-up yesterday and I'm still 1 cm dilated, just like 2 weeks ago. I'm pretty surprised, because I don't think this kid could possibly be sitting any lower than he is right now. I'm slightly more effaced, about 70%. My doctor tried to strip my membranes today, but my cervix was too posterior. She encouraged me by saying that this stuff means nothing and can change in an instant! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Still having the same end-of-pregnancy symptoms: very uncomfortable, swelling, lots of aches and pains. There are times when I feel relatively good and then I'll just feel terrible, especially as the day goes on. I'll have random sets of contractions (not sure if they're the real thing or more Braxton Hicks). Last week I tried to time them, but it was difficult, and with time, water, and activity, they went away. Saturday I felt awful all day...my stomach was upset and then in the afternoon I got a really bad headache. I rarely get headaches when I'm pregnant and my doctor always warns me about if they don't go away with Tylenol because that can be a sign of pre-eclampsia, so I took notice. When it didn't completely go away with Tylenol, I borrowed my sister's blood pressure machine and started checking. Later I spoke to the on-call doctor, just to be safe. When I told her my blood pressure, she wasn't at all concerned. By then, the headache had moved into my sinuses, so I was pretty sure it was my allergies rearing their ugly head...ugh! To finish out the day, late evening I started having really bad cramps. As they went on I was convinced this could very well be early labor. Cam and I decided to try to go to sleep and see if things continued. I slept all night and woke up to no pain. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I had another headache on Monday that didn't go away with Tylenol and one of my blood pressure readings climbed into the range of concern, but then immediately went back down. When I took a second larger dose of Tylenol that evening, the headache went away. I think I just needed 3 pills instead of 2! I talked to my doctor about it at my appointment the next morning. I'm not really showing any signs of pre-eclampsia and if I did have it, that one high reading I got wouldn't go right back down like it did...it would stay up. So I'll keep an eye on my blood pressure, but don't have any real reason for concern. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The new and very uncomfortable symptom I'm having is that the lovely stretch marks on my stomach have become very inflamed! Up until recently, these stretch marks had been just an unsightly annoyance, but now they literally looks like bright red raised welts! It is driving me crazy and making me feel like I'm going to itch my skin off! Lotion and hydrocortisone cream help, but I think I won't get true relief until this baby boy decides to make his exit!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We should just change that entire section to "complaints and things you'd like to bitch about"...haha! Sorry, I guess it's just the nature of the beast at this stage in pregnancy. I'm trying to remind myself that things were much, much worse at this point in my last pregnancy! It usually helps me regain some much-needed perspective. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Milestones: </b>Reaching 39 weeks! 39 weeks is the new 37 weeks...the milestone doctors really want you to reach. Despite all my moaning about being uncomfortable and wishing labor would happen, I do recognize that I'm incredibly lucky to get to carry my baby to term. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Best Moment this Week:</b> Cam got some great news at work...he's being promoted and hired on by Dell for a permanent position! He's been a contract employee at Dell up until now. This is huge for Cam and such a blessing for our growing family. I seriously couldn't be prouder of my husband...he is amazing!!! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>What I'm Looking Forward to: </b>I want to meet my baby boy...he is the sweet and perfect prize at the finish line, and I just can't wait to hold him! </span>Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18390598560581963404noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2979542065104346483.post-67619953521817595222014-10-29T01:39:00.001-05:002014-10-29T01:43:45.339-05:0038 Weeks<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbAEBb2mHGztyHlvGboF9qAliAwaQMtAExZw7xQRk-yIo1bZC7uz1GYHfsCiG2i466isYh7-9-kUXfrfFSSA9tNC8TrlgXYAec_V_29kF43AJkAb4B1qYf1tOYv7HSXWWDWNTyZO-rWMAb/s1600/pumpkin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbAEBb2mHGztyHlvGboF9qAliAwaQMtAExZw7xQRk-yIo1bZC7uz1GYHfsCiG2i466isYh7-9-kUXfrfFSSA9tNC8TrlgXYAec_V_29kF43AJkAb4B1qYf1tOYv7HSXWWDWNTyZO-rWMAb/s1600/pumpkin.jpg" height="202" width="320" /></a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Total Weight Gain:</b> I gained two more pounds, so thirty total. My doctor attributed it to swelling...it's probably more the Halloween candy and the fact that I've been eating like there's no tomorrow!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Size of Baby: </b>James is the size of a pumpkin! How appropriate for Halloween!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Sleep:</b> It's okay. Lots of tossing and turning due to hip pain.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Movement:</b> He's definitely slowing down as we get closer to the finish line. A couple of times recently I've worried about lack of movement, but it's been okay. His heartrate was in the 150s yesterday at the doctor's office so he's doing well. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Cravings:</b> I'm craving juice of all kinds!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Gender: </b>Boy...sweet baby James!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Mood:</b> Pretty good, definitely antsy. I have that nervous feeling like I need to have everything perfect at home because it could happen at any moment. I'm excited and ready to meet my baby!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Symptoms:</b> I'm uncomfortable and swollen, particularly in my hands. In the mornings when I'm waking up, my hands are very numb and to borrow a Pink Floyd song lyric, "feel just like two balloons". Once that passes, it hurts to stretch out my fingers. The baby is sitting very low and I have quite a bit of nerve compression and pain. Also, it's so random but I have this really awful pain in my upper left rib...I had the exact same thing with Claire. So weird...I guess your body is your body, no matter the pregnancy. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I had my weekly appointment yesterday and all is well. The baby's head is very low so my doctor said she could possibly see me back there as early as tonight, but there's just no way to know. Effacement is the same, about 50%. Because of the way things are tilted at the moment, it was too difficult and uncomfortable to get a reading on dilation. I'm really curious how dilated I'll be at my next appointment, if I make it that far. Since we've made it to 38 weeks, I think I'd like to go ahead and make it 39 so he'll be fully full term. Of course, there are also moments I'd like to be done being pregnant immediately! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Differences from Last Pregnancy: </b>So many things are different! It's so incredible being able to walk this time around. When I get to feeling whiny about being in that uncomfortable, miserable phase at the end of pregnancy, I try to keep in mind that last time was so much harder and that I'm so blessed. It's really weird not having any frame of reference for what this is like, despite it being my second pregnancy. When I think about being in the hospital, I always picture myself confined to the bed, because that's how it was last time. I have to keep reminding myself that while I'll certainly be in pain after giving birth, I'll be able to get up and walk around...it's just crazy wonderful to think about! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Milestones:</b> We are finished with the nursery!!! It's been a labor of love for me and Cam, and we're so happy with how it turned out. I'll try to post pictures soon. Cam painted a beautiful mural for our son, and it's so special that our kids have these works of art that were custom designed for each of them by their daddy. I seriously don't think I can ever paint over them...or move. Everything's washed and set up, me and the baby are packed, and thanks to some wonderful help from my mama, there are a several meals in the freezer for when we come home from the hospital. It feels really good. Now that most of the work is wrapped up, I'm ready to snuggle my sweet baby boy!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Best Moment this Week: </b>We had a wonderful weekend with Cam's parents in
town. It was a lot of fun and Claire loved getting to be with her
beloved Gigi and Poppy! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>What I'm Looking Forward to: </b>I'm looking forward to meeting my son! In the (likely) nearer future, I'm looking forward to trick or treating with my adorable little Minnie Mouse Claire!</span><br />
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Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18390598560581963404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2979542065104346483.post-86617088523985072562014-10-22T00:00:00.000-05:002014-10-22T17:46:08.786-05:0037 Weeks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNe3IvToSvzvGRvbMg3y9hdD7ZzCC-A5syYJkLzkjWySG5r-_6stYihJE7eCpIobY7AJF6zbTTWv69zkrt8rgRlzBjBX3qFM4Ir8tIDs61t0IhZTMOdTznwoo13vlYQOZiNUvZ-FqbW8zS/s1600/Swiss-Chard-Bundle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNe3IvToSvzvGRvbMg3y9hdD7ZzCC-A5syYJkLzkjWySG5r-_6stYihJE7eCpIobY7AJF6zbTTWv69zkrt8rgRlzBjBX3qFM4Ir8tIDs61t0IhZTMOdTznwoo13vlYQOZiNUvZ-FqbW8zS/s1600/Swiss-Chard-Bundle.jpg" height="320" width="216"></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Total Weight Gain:</b> I'm up 28 lbs.</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Size of Baby: </b>Baby James is the size of a bundle of swiss chard. </span><div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><br>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Sleep:</b> Pretty good. </span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Movement: </b>This is going to sound very non-maternal, but at this stage in the game the movement is weird and uncomfortable. He is just so big and so out of room! Finding these hard spots sticking out of my stomach that are feet or whatever is a little bizarre and almost painful. I guess we're both just feeling some growing pains. ;)</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Cravings:</b> I'm craving Mexican food!</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Gender:</b> It's a boy...James!</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Mood:</b> Pretty good, getting really excited! I can't wait to see his sweet face!</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Symptoms: </b>I'm feeling okay, just more of the same aches, pains, and discomfort, along with uncomfortable Braxton Hicks. I had my appointment yesterday and it went well. I'm 1 cm dilated, my cervix is very soft, and 50-60% effaced. My doctor says I'm definitely contracting and while there's no way to know the timeline, she thinks I'll just slowly go into labor. She, along with Cam and I, don't think I'll make it to my due date. His head is way down low. In fact, when she measured my fundal height last week it measured 37 weeks, but this week it was 35 weeks because he's dropped so low. It kind of makes me wonder if something could happen soon. I'd like him to stay put until I'm 38 weeks so that his lungs can keep developing, we can finish our last few to-dos, and because my doctor will be out of town until Monday. </span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Best Moment this Week:</b> We had a great time taking Claire to the pumpkin patch on Saturday. It's fun doing things like this with her while she's still the only child, and also neat to think about what it will be like next year with two! She is so so cute and getting to the stage where she cracks us up daily. Love that girl. </span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>What I'm Looking Forward to:</b> Cam's parents are coming into town this weekend and we can't wait! Also looking forward to our sweet baby boy's arrival...it won't be long now and I can't wait to see how it all unfolds. Will Baby James be a Halloween baby? Or a daylight savings time change baby? Or an election day baby? We shall see!!! :)</span></div>Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18390598560581963404noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2979542065104346483.post-88401505428735442292014-10-17T00:01:00.000-05:002014-10-17T00:04:27.311-05:0036 Weeks<div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Total Weight Gain:</b> I've gained 25 lbs.</span></div>
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Size of Baby: </b>James is the size of a head of romaine lettuce.</span><br />
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Sleep:</b> It's okay. I'm having some trouble falling asleep at night. Thankfully, one benefit of Claire moving out of the crib is that she's sleeping later in the morning (b/c it takes her so long to go to sleep at night) so I've been able to sleep in. It's pretty nice timing with the third trimester exhaustion!</span><br />
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Movement:</b> Some days he's more subdued because he's running out of room, but then others he moves around a lot. His movements feel very dramatic, I guess because he's so big at this point.</span><br />
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Cravings: </b>I'm craving sub sandwiches. I've been super hungry these past couple weeks!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Gender:</b> Our little boy, James Strutton Todd. I can't wait to see his sweet face and hold him.</span><br />
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Mood: </b>Pretty good. I'm ready to not be pregnant anymore, but I'm also trying to enjoy these last few weeks. Pregnancy isn't always easy, but it is a special experience. I'm definitely enjoying being mobile after what happened last time...perspective is an amazing thing.</span><br />
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Symptoms:</b> We had a growth ultrasound and 36 week appointment yesterday. Baby James looked great and very healthy on the ultrasound! His estimated weight is 6 lbs, 10 oz, which puts him in the 70th percentile. I had my first exam today: I'm about 40% effaced and not dilated yet. My cervix is soft, which Dr. Orth says means I'm contracting (not sure if that means Braxton Hicks or real contractions). His head is down where she could feel it. She thinks I'll probably go to 39 weeks. It'll be interesting to see when he does decide to make his appearance! After being induced with Claire, it's a new and exciting experience to get to go into labor on my own!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm feeling alright, just having the typical end-of-pregnancy symptoms. I have lots of tightening/Braxton Hicks. One spot I really notice it is in my left hip bone...feels very odd. Still dealing with pretty bad allergies on the daily...I'm convinced congestion is worse when pregnant. Breathe Right strips and Claritin have become almost daily companions. My hands feel/look so swollen and have been going numb a lot at night. I can definitely breathe better and have less heartburn now that the baby's dropped. Walking can be pretty painful and it's definitely getting tougher to get up from the couch! I think some of my walking discomfort is sciatic nerve pain, among other things. It is soooo nice to be able to walk though! It's so crazy to think about where I was at this point with Claire...I had just broken my ankle and was preparing to have surgery. Just so so so thankful to be able to have a more normal experience this time around.</span><br />
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Milestones:</b> While 37 weeks is technically considered full term, 36 weeks feels like an important point. We're about a month out and it seems like if he came soon, he'd be in good health. Still want him to cook for a couple more weeks though!</span><br />
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Best Moment this Week:</b> My pregnancy brain got the best of me last week and I didn't mention it, but two friends and my sister gave me a suprise sprinkle at a playdate recently. It was so sweet and fun! Baby James got some very cute things and I felt very special! Love my girls!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>What I'm Looking Forward to: </b>We're planning to take Claire to the pumpkin patch this weekend. I'm also looking forward to getting more baby clothes washed and organized ...we've been working hard these last few weeks in the nursery and we've almost got everything ready. I'm also looking forward to my next appointment on Tuesday!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And here's a bump selfie (bumpie?!?) from last weekend!</span></div>
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Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18390598560581963404noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2979542065104346483.post-421912449736012192014-10-08T01:21:00.003-05:002014-10-08T01:21:37.593-05:0035 Weeks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipdovBLdV9HigFarlrqsgs5nMnqOvNEKJ6_butLu1XRudTqnjryLzivjm-MHRoO8wXYTAuYXrAMZ01VvvQDzZfbqKmqPql9WvJwCJGqVkT0kU0K-rQb0zLRT7xvVNWm1mglEY5JH3qh8_A/s1600/week-34-honeydew-477.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipdovBLdV9HigFarlrqsgs5nMnqOvNEKJ6_butLu1XRudTqnjryLzivjm-MHRoO8wXYTAuYXrAMZ01VvvQDzZfbqKmqPql9WvJwCJGqVkT0kU0K-rQb0zLRT7xvVNWm1mglEY5JH3qh8_A/s1600/week-34-honeydew-477.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Size of Baby:</b> James is the size of a honeydew melon.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Sleep: </b>It's been better the last few days since I've stopped choking. I'm really going to try to be more mindful of going to bed earlier. Anyone who knows me knows that I'm a total nightowl...night is "my time" to do what I want and I really relish it. Because of that, I'm pretty good at surviving on not a lot of sleep, but I'm realizing that this is not the case when I'm 8 months pregnant! Not getting a decent amount of sleep really wrecks me...plus these might be the last few nights of uninterrupted sleep I have for a long time!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Movement:</b> Yes! Sometimes it is really painful...not sure if that indicates that he's out of room or Braxton Hicks, but I'm definitely have those too.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Cravings/Aversions:</b> I'm craving pizza. I've just been really hungry for everything though! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Gender:</b> Sweet baby boy James! Everyone tells me that boys are super sweet, especially to their mamas, and I'm just so excited to experience that for myself. Really looking forward to newborn snuggles...nothing like it! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Mood: </b>Good, but a little moody, which I think is just inevitable at this stage of the game. Sometimes I have to give myself a little reminder to get over myself - haha! Claire has also decided to make things extra interesting by diving headfirst into the "terrible twos". In addition to the frequent fits and cutting of the dreaded two year molars we've been dealing with for weeks, on Monday she escaped from her crib, so now we're making a very unexpected transition to a toddler bed. This isn't something I wanted to do right before adding a second baby to the mix, but oh well. The first night went great (likely because she was exhausted from her escapee antics!) but nap and bedtime yesterday were much more challenging. Last night she finally gave up playing in her room and fell asleep on the floor at 11 pm and then we moved her to her bed. While I'm glad she's sleeping at all, I'm nervous and hoping we can get her settled into a routine before James is born. I need at least one kid to be sleeping! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Symptoms:</b> I can say with almost complete certainty that the baby has dropped! Hallelujah! Claire also dropped around the same time, although I had no clue until my doctor told me! It's really odd: late last week I had two days where I just felt awful...I felt really strange, uncomfortable movements, I couldn't sleep, and I just felt "off". Coupled with the fact that I started having to pee all the time, I figured baby had dropped. I could also kinda see that baby was sitting lower...as the days have passed, I can see it more and more. Then I got a little nervous when I googled "Can you feel baby drop?" (yeah, I know...bad idea) and several people said that second babies don't usually drop until right when you're about to go into labor. Combine that with how weird I'd been feeling and I got a little worried I was about to go into labor way early. I called my wonderful nurse and she told me what I already suspected was true...this is really individual and there are no hard and fast rules about such things. So now I'm just really enjoying the relief...no choking at night and I can breathe much easier! Plus Sir James is doing what he needs to do to get ready to join us in a few weeks!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Differences from Last Pregnancy: </b>I don't fill out this section very often, but I wanted to this week because this is the last week where there will be anything comparable between my two pregnancies. This is the week in my pregnancy with Claire that I broke my ankle. After next Monday this pregnancy will be an entirely different experience, one I'm really looking forward to! But as for the here and now, I feel like this pregnancy has been fairly similar to my last overall, with a few differences. I definitely have more pain in my hips and pelvis this time around and much earlier. I think this is totally related to this being my second pregnancy. My swelling and blood pressure have been so much better this time around...definitely a result of not teaching anymore and not having to deal with a monster boss on a daily basis. Can you tell I don't miss my old job one bit? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Milestones:</b> On Sunday, it'll be one month 'til my due date! Crazy! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Best Moment this Week: </b>Baby dropping! And my Dad got some good news today. For the last several weeks, he's been having trouble with his vision in one eye. He's been to several doctors and never been able to get a clear diagnosis, until yesterday. He saw the best cataract doctor in Austin (who also happens to be Michael Dell's brother!) and he confirmed his cataract needs to come out soon, and that doing so will give my Dad a ton of relief! The doctor could also tell that some gel that naturally occurs in the eye had gotten displaced and was contributing to the issue. Thankfully that will resolve itself in time! Woohoo! We're so relieved! Waking up one day with significant blurred vision out of the blue is pretty scary, so it's really reassuring to hear that this is fixable! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>What I'm Looking Forward to: </b>My ultrasound and appointment next Wednesday! Can't wait to see baby boy one more time and find out what he's up to! I'm also looking forward to Saturday being over...Cam is going to the A&M football game Saturday night. Not only does it mean him being on the road by himself very late coming home, but there's almost no cell service at the stadium! While the odds of something happening with the baby at that exact time are low, it still makes me nervous. Plus my parents may be out of town too. Stay put, baby James! </span>Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18390598560581963404noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2979542065104346483.post-18269204134337925502014-10-01T01:50:00.001-05:002014-10-01T01:50:43.627-05:0034 Weeks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZlkOU7F3R72zD0WGgPU6XfkL7W-A0S4JN7eoeC802VSVE2TQYwAHjcRTiSc1rPlcnbPO6O2MjW3Efk5l_-gb15LpkypllA94p3SxsFq5VKLOEJJL3B9LLxrEMhNRtMNUQN9li2y7XiZOE/s1600/cantaloupe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZlkOU7F3R72zD0WGgPU6XfkL7W-A0S4JN7eoeC802VSVE2TQYwAHjcRTiSc1rPlcnbPO6O2MjW3Efk5l_-gb15LpkypllA94p3SxsFq5VKLOEJJL3B9LLxrEMhNRtMNUQN9li2y7XiZOE/s1600/cantaloupe.jpg" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Total Weight Gain: </b>I've gained 24 lbs.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Size of Baby: </b>Baby James is the size of a cantaloupe.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Sleep: </b>Terrible. Between really bad allergies (breathe-right strips are a nightly requirement), leg cramps that send me leaping out of bed at all hours, and reflux choking episodes nearly every night, sleep has become a miserable experience. When I do sleep, I wake up in the morning covered in sweat. I think at this point I would rather be getting up every two hours all night to feed a newborn baby.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Movement:</b> Oh yeah. My little wiggle worm has moved his way back into head-down position...yay!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Cravings/Aversions: </b>I'm craving ice cream, but have been resisting the craving fairly well. Yesterday I noticed I was just really hungry for everything in sight!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Gender: </b>It's a boy...Baby James!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Mood: </b>I'm totally tapped out in every sense of the word. My mind feels like one never-ending to-do list right now.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Symptoms:</b> It ain't pretty! Lots of reflux and choking. Sweating and burning up 24/7. Having a lot of pain in my pelvis and hips, as well as sharp nerve pains. While walking is a pretty painful experience, I am so thankful I can do it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I had a doctor's appointment yesterday and it went great! James' heartbeat sounded strong and clear on the doppler and my doctor could tell he'd moved into a head-down position. When we go back in two weeks, I'll have another growth ultrasound and she'll check to see if I'm dilated...eeek! Hard to believe we're already almost at this point! From there, we'll start weekly appointments. As long as baby doesn't look super big on the ultrasound, I'll get to go into labor on my own! After being induced with Claire, I'm really looking forward to getting to experience going into labor spontaneously.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Milestones: </b>34 weeks is the point at which my doctor won't do anything to stop things if I go into labor. Crazy! James...don't take that as an invitation to come anytime soon...you need to stay put awhile longer!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Best Moment this Week: </b>Getting to have a kid-free night on Friday. I'll be honest...earlier in the day before Claire left, I almost cried thinking about how weird and empty my house would seem without her, but of course it was very nice to have some time to ourselves. My parents were really sweet to keep Claire for us, and I'm happy to report that she did great. I think we were all a little shocked by how well she did...she didn't even cry when my mom put her down for the night! Thank goodness - it gives me so much peace of mind about leaving her to go to the hospital to give birth.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>What I'm Looking Forward to: </b>I'm looking forward to meeting my sweet son! I'm kind of over the preparing phase and I'm ready to move onto the next part, although I want James to stay in awhile longer. I'm also really looking forward to him dropping so I can hopefully get a little relief from the reflux.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And here's a bump picture from Sunday. I hardly have any pictures of myself during this pregnancy so I'm going to try to take some over the next few weeks so James can have some photographic proof that I actually carried him - ha!</span><br />
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Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18390598560581963404noreply@blogger.com2