James at Eighteen Months*

My sweet, sweet baby James is no longer a baby. He hasn’t been for some time, but it’s a hard pill for this mama to swallow! Sometimes, I feel like he was just born and yet here he is, a toddler well on his way to boyhood.

James is at that age where everything he does is kind of awesome. He has a Temper and is as mischievous and impish as he is sweet and kind, but Pat and I both agree that he is really just the best. He is funny and smart and adorable (and he knows it) and he keeps us on our toes at ALL times. James is most definitely our flight risk kid, and I fear the day he can open doors. He is Mr. Independent and is just a physical kid with seemingly no fear (we often hear that he’s a bruiser). He literally climbs the walls, and it’s not uncommon to find him places he most definitely shouldn’t be:

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James loves to eat, and loves to run to his high chair screaming “eeeaaattt” until he gets his food. Some days he’s picky and only eats what he wants, but then other days, he’ll eat anything and everything that’s put in front of him. If he likes what he’s eating, he nods his head up and down and wiggles his eyebrows and it’s one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen. He makes us laugh out loud all the time.

For the most part, James is a good sleeper. He still sucks his fingers (the first two fingers on his left hand, and the middle two on his right hand) and rubs his ear when he’s tired. James is a kid that needs his sleep, despite the fact that he sometimes fights it.  Other times, he practically begs to take a nap or go to bed and throws himself in his crib. We were driving the other day and he said “Mama. I tired.” When he’s well rested, nothing phases him. When he’s in need of a nap or didn’t get enough sleep, he’s a bear and the slightest injustice will set him off. His nickname is Jimbo Drama on those days 🙂

James loves, loves, loves to sing and hearing him sing his favorite songs (or demand that they be sung to him) is just adorable. His current favorites are “row row” (row, row, row your boat) “baa baa” (baa baa black sheep) “bus” (the wheels on the bus) “ABC” (the ABC’s) and “heeeeaaaad” (head, shoulders, knees and toes). We are constantly singing songs and sometimes he’ll let us sing what we want, but other times he creates his own little medley and it’s hard to keep up with his requests! When he hears a song he likes, he dances and moves his head side and side and smiles and laughs. It’s adorable and he’ll do it whenever the mood strikes him!

James loves to snuggle, and I am soaking it up as much as I can. He’ll be mid run around the house, but stop and ask for a hug and a kiss and then continue on his merry way. If I’m rubbing his head or his back, or have a hand on his belly and happen to move it, he’ll reach over and it put it right back where it was. It’s so sweet and I selfishly let him fall asleep in my arms because I just cannot get enough of him. The sensation of feeling him drift off and knowing that he’s so content and secure is one of my all time favorite things. He might be running full steam ahead toward being a big boy, but he’ll always be my little baby.

I feel like it’s hard to truly capture James with words (that seems to be a theme of mine) because there are so many sides to him, if that makes sense. Some of my favorite things he does, in no particular order:

  • If he walks backwards, he always says “beep, beep, beep”
  • When he first wakes up, he says in a singsong voice “Mama, where are you?”
  • He loves to count, and can count to 12 when he feels like it.
  • He and Bailey are best buds. He chases her around the house and is way too rough with her sometimes, but she is so patient and good to him. Probably because he feeds her more than anyone else in the house.
  • If Bailey upsets him though, he legit yells at her (I can’t imagine where he learned that) and makes me laugh because he’s so angry, but so little and she pays zero attention to his outrage.
  • He loves hats, but only wears them backwards.
  • He will get as close as possible to my face or Pat’s and just say “hi mom”  or “hi dad” over and over again and then plant wet kisses on us. It’s hysterical and I love it.
  • He tells us “I love lou” all the time and it never fails to make me melt. He is so affectionate and it’s the best.
  • He whispers sometimes, and it’s adorable.
  • I never thought this could be possible, but he may in fact talk more that Pete does.
  • If he misplaces something (or someone) he holds his hands up and says “where it go?” in his high-pitched little voice. It cracks me up every time!
  • His smile is the best. He often scowls (it’s usually fake) but then he smiles and it just lights up his whole face and it’s one of my all-time favorite things to look at.

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*He’s just about nineteen months now. And to think I actually started this post when he was sixteen months .. oops!

Mother’s Day 2015

Mothe’r Day is one of the single most bittersweet days of the year for me. I cry because the beautiful daughter that made me a mother isn’t here for me to hug, kiss and thank for giving me this most precious, amazing gift of motherhood. And I cry because my sons that are here fill me with a joy and happiness I never knew could be possible. If I’ve learned anything since becoming a mom, it’s that opposing emotions coexist so very strongly …
Mother’s Day is a day of celebration for sure, because every mom deserves to be recognized for their hard, selfless work. But it’s also a day of reflection for me … I can’t help but think of all the moms out there who are without their babies. Who parent from afar because their children have gone before them, the cruelest twist of fate.
I am one of the lucky moms, because although Brienna isn’t here, Peter and James are. They light up my life every single day. Motherhood is easily the most challenging job I’ve ever had. And yet at the end of the day, when the tantrums are over, the stinky feet are washed and I snuggle the boys to sleep, it’s all worth it. All the stress melts away as I sing to them and watch them drift off to sleep. It is truly a gift to be a mom. Despite it’s challenges, it’s the best, most rewarding job and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Because I got to be Brienna’s mom, I’m a better mom to Pete and James. She made me who I am today and I couldn’t be more proud to be her mother.
We had a picnic lunch at the cemetery today. We planted new flowers and mulched the beds around Brienna’s bench. Pete and James helped every step of the way and their sweaty, red faces made me want to freeze time just for an instant. All three of my babies together. Maybe not in the way I first envisioned, but together all the same. Just what this mom wanted for Mother’s Day.

Blue Jeep!

Pete’s been asking for a blue Jeep since around the time he could talk. He wanted James to be a blue Jeep (or any blue truck for that matter) but has adjusted quite well to the fact that James is most certainly not a vehicle. While James was napping on the morning of Pete’s birthday, Pat asked him to come help do some yard work, but instead he found this:

Pete can be so serious and timid sometimes, and I love watching him let loose with his blue Jeep. He takes off as quickly as possible with this huge smile on his face and it makes me so happy to watch him enjoy something so much. Every day, he says “wow, I really cannot believe you guys got me my very own blue Jeep!” The novelty does not appear to worn off yet!

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Pete is very responsible and follows the rules: he can only go fast on the grass (Pat removed the governor approximately 4 minutes after Pete took it for his first spin) and if James is a passenger, he has to go slowly. Experiencing the pure joy and happiness through Pete and James’s eyes is awesome. It’s one of those unanticipated perks of parenthood and I just love it … I think their smiles mean they do too!

Double Trouble

Touch A Truck

Pete is on vacation this week from preschool, so today we went to a “Touch-a-Truck” event to benefit one of the local schools that caters to kids with disabilities. I told Pete about it last night, so he was very excited. As soon as we parked, he unbuckled as fast as he could and was ready to leap out of the car. As we walked towards the event, he was jumping up and down proclaiming “this is going to be the best day EVER!!” It was pretty adorable!

We went to one of these in RI before, but Pete was hesitant to go on any of the trucks right away. Today, his friends Sadie and Liam were with us, so he had all the confidence in the world and bounced from truck to truck. He started on the fire truck, spent most of his time in the Police Prisoner Transport van (hopefully not at all indicative of the future!) and ended the day on a gigantic backhoe.

He informed me as the morning went on that he wouldn’t be smiling for any pictures “because it takes a long time for a smile to pop up” but I did finally capture one!

Pete - Touch A Truck 4/2015

Jimbo couldn’t do too much at the event, but he loved his fire hat and asked to put on Pete’s fire jacket when we got home. Cutest little fire chief I’ve ever seen!

Fire Chief James 4/2015

ONE!!!

James is ONE. How that is possible is beyond me. I feel like he was just born and yet I cannot imagine life without him either. This year absolutely flew by!

James is pretty much the best. He walks/runs everywhere, and loves his newfound independence! He is such a happy kid, loves his big brother and we adore him 🙂

Somehow, this cuddly, adorable, walking, talking, loud, mischievous but oh-so-lovable boy is ONE! Happy 1st Birthday to my sweet, sweet baby James. #lovethiskid

We celebrated James’s birthday with our families, and I think he quite liked being the center of attention. He had cake Friday night at my parents house for the first time, and loved it. He was slightly skeptical at first, but once he figured out what it was, he dove right in. His birthday party on Saturday was a The Very Hungry Caterpillar theme, because it just seemed so appropriate given his love of food!

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James had his one-year doctor’s appointment today and weighed in at 21 lbs. 8 oz. and is 30″ tall, which puts  him right at the 50th percentile – I’m thinking that maybe his height at 9 months was off! We just love our little Jumbo Jimbo and can’t wait to see what’s in store for his second year!

Blizzard of 2015

I have sooo many half written posts that I need to finish up, but figured there’s no time like the present to at least post something! The blizzard of 2015, aka Juno, dumped about two feet of snow on us … it’s a winter wonderland out there and the boys and Bailey loved playing in the snow.  I forgot how excited Bailey gets about snow, and it was fun watching her enjoy herself – and make us all laugh in the process!

Snow Bailey
Leaping through the snow – she makes the same face when she goes swimming

Pat spent most of yesterday digging us out. The boys loved watching him with the snowblower and the end result (of round one) was rather pretty – which is easy for me to say, since I didn’t spend all those hours making it look that way:

Driveway

Pete, James and I had yesterday and today off, which was such a nice treat. We knew about the storm ahead of time, so we were appropriately stocked with firewood and beer milk, bread and all the ingredients to make cookies, and made the best of being snowbound. Pete loves the snow, and loves being outside, no matter the conditions or the temperature. The minute we stepped outside, he launched himself (face first) into the snow. I don’t think he expected it to be so deep, because when he stood up, he said “umm, Mama? Who turned out the lights?” You did Pete. You did:

Who turned out the lights?!
Who turned out the lights?!

Pete desperately wanted to play with his toys in the shed, and gave it his all trying to dig them out. He made decent progress before tuckering himself out, and then brushed off my car “because Dada didn’t really do a good enough job” (really, he did) and climbed snow mountains:
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There was so much snow that if we dropped James, there’s a good chance we would have lost him! Luckily, that didn’t happen 🙂 The little guy loved the snow at first, and tried to eat it by the fistful, but quickly tired of not being able to do a whole lot. He sure did look adorable though:

Jimbo
Jimbo

All in all, I’d say our first blizzard as MA residents was a success!

James – Eleven Month Update

Somehow, James is eleven months old. How that is even possible is beyond me … he is growing up way too fast and I’m not even close to ready for him to officially move from baby to toddler. James is a pretty happy little guy. He is sweet and funny but also Mr. Mischief. Pat and I often look at each other with raised eyebrows because James is Trouble. He is into everything, and no matter how sternly you tell him NO, he looks at you and smiles or laughs and then proceeds to do whatever it is he’s not supposed to be doing. I think he knows his smile is the cutest ever and he uses it to it’s full advantage! James has 5 teeth (three on top, two on the bottom), scoots like a mad man, crawls when he wants to, pulls up on everything and free stands quite a bit. He’s taken 2-3 steps at a time with no assistance, so I imagine he’ll be walking soon! He loves Pete and wants to do everything Pete does at all times. He also loves Bailey, and has recently discovered that she’ll eat right out of his hand. It makes him laugh like crazy and it makes Bailey pretty happy too! James also loves the bath. A surefire way to get him happy or calm is to bring him in the bathroom. He tries to jump in the tub and would stay in for hours if we’d let him. He is scary fearless and I think he’s going to give us a run for our money this summer! 11 months!! #seemsimpossible

James – Nine Month Update

Nine months old! I have no idea how it is possible … this year is just flying by. James continues to be a happy little guy. He loves food (and still screams if he isn’t fed fast enough) and will eat just about anything you put in front of him. At his 9 month appointment today, he weighed 19 lbs., 7 oz. and was 27.5 inches long – apparently that’s only the 15th percentile for height – but there is a lot of personality crammed into those inches! James has two teeth, crawls and scoots and LOVES Pete and Bailey. He has figured out how to climb the stairs already – he is Mister Mischief and I see a lot of gray hair in my future. We love our sweet little man so much!

Nine Months! #daylate #again #sohappy #love

 

James – Eight Month Update

James is eight months old! I say this every month, but time is moving way too quickly.  I cannot believe my littlest guy is 8 months old! James is sooo happy.  It is hard to believe that he is the same kid that cried and cried those first few months. He smiles and laughs so easily, and just loves to be around people. He also likes being the center of attention! James has two teeth and loves to eat anything and everything. We’ve still yet to identify a food he doesn’t like.  He gets very angry if he’s not fed quickly enough, and it’s pretty funny to watch. James is very adept at moving. He crawls backwards and army crawls forward. When he’s up on all fours, he tries to walk but obviously isn’t there quite yet.  James changes direction and position so quickly, it’s crazy. He does everything fast and furiously and I’m pretty sure he is going to be my daredevil/give mom a heart attack child. But he’s also sweet and cuddly and I am trying to soak it up as much I can.  And as evidenced by the picture below, James is just adorable and we love him so, so much.

8 months old! #daylate #pleaseslowdowntime #love

James – Seven Month Update

Somehow, seven months has passed since we met this adorable little guy. James is the best. He’s happy, shy, funny, loud and just too cute. He’s up on all fours and rocks back and forth, so he is going to be crawling in no time, which should be very interesting! He sits independently and tries so hard to pull himself up, but just isn’t there yet.  James has one tooth on the bottom, and is getting a second.  He loves to eat (he is definitely a Conroy!) and has yet to find anything he doesn’t like.  He is into everything and is very easily distracted, particularly when he’s nursing and having his diaper changed.  He’s quite the wiggle worm.  He laughs out loud all the time, loves to look at himself in the mirror and still thinks Pete and Bailey are the best. Pete certainly is, but the jury’s out on Bailey 😉 James has done very well adjusting to school, and his teachers love him.  They asked me if he was “experimenting with volume” at home.  I laughed and said that he certainly was – he yells all.the.time and loves it if anyone yells back. He’s such a mimic and plays little games with us copying our movements.  He still loves to cuddle, and my favorite thing is to rock him and nurse him before bed.  He’s been doing very well sleeping through the night, but dislikes napping, which is a-okay with me. We love our little Jimbo so much!

7 months old today! #jimbo #love