What a treat it has been to watch James grow. He really is so much fun. I'm scared to have more children because I don't know if they'll be as easygoing as James! Haha. His temperament has remained the same since day one -- calm, easy to please, content, and generally happy.
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A few weeks ago, James seemed to hit a ton of developmental milestones all at once! He suddenly became more proficient at signing, he babbles much more, he seems to understand what we're saying most of the time, he's learning how to really play, not just bang/shake/move things around, he imitates us more, makes animal noises while reading books, and is starting to use objects as tools (i.e. using a fork correctly, using a pen to draw, using a toy hammer to push a ball through a hole). I'm sure there's more, but that's what I can think of at the moment.
Vanessa sent James a giant stuffed bear for his birthday. James is NUTS about it. It's the first thing he snuggles every single morning. Every hour. Every 20 minutes. Basically always.
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Nobody can resist the bear. Even Addie is crazy about it!
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James is really loving his books, lately. I try to get interactive ones, and he loves them. Hell turn the pages and lift flaps, play with pieces of the books, and feel different textures. We have this thick foam book with animals you can remove, and he LOVES that book. He has started to make animal noises while reading! We'll point to the pig and he'll snort, or we'll point to the cow and moo and he'll moo too. So stinking cute! We recorded a video of what reading time (which happens like 5 times a day haha) looks like. We'll read a book then he goes and gets another and sits down in our laps again.
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After months of teasing us with budding teeth, James FINALLY broke his first two teeth through! Man, that was a long time coming. It's funny because he has been toothless for so long, that he's learned to eat that way. So now that he has teeth, he doesn't even know what to do with them! He'll stick food off to the side of his mouth and rip off pieces with his gums instead of using his teeth haha. Eh, he'll figure it out eventually.
Speaking of food, if you were wondering if his monstrous appetite has subsided, I'd just like to clear the air and say IT HASN'T. He still eats nearly as much as me. And I. Am. Not. Joking. We have the same amount of food for every meal. Granted, a portion of his ends up smushed all over the floor, the wall, his face, etc. He still hasn't turned any new foods down, although he definitely has a preference for fruit. We put raspberries on his fingers once, and now he does it himself every time he eats raspberries hahaha it's just about the cutest thing I've ever witnessed!
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Two weeks ago, I noticed he wasn't really wanting to suck on his pacifier because it was hurting (right before his teeth came through). So I was like "eh, might as well". Instead of making his go through teething and then go through getting rid of the pacifier, I just lumped them together. Two birds with one stone, right? It was WAY easier than I expected. He has always loved pacifiers, like to the point where I was dreading having to take them away. I'm glad I took the opportunity when I saw it, because he transitioned much better than I expected. There was maybe 2-3 nap times when he cried/fussed for a good long while, but that's it. WAHOO!
McKay made a tunnel system out of our moving boxes, James loved it!
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James has gone through so many transitions in the last few weeks, and he has been such a trooper. Moving, traveling around, moving from the pack n' play to the crib, no more pacifier, teeth, not being able to go outside anymore, etc. But the biggest of all is nursing. We started to wean him just before we started our trip. I planned on still nursing him once in the morning and night for another few months, but once he realized we were cutting down on feedings he was like "It's about time!" haha. He was definitely ready. I nursed him for the last time a few days after we got to our house in Arizona. He took to whole milk just fine. And just like that, a huge chapter has finished! To say I am excited is an understatement. We worked HARD to make it to a year, and we achieved that. I've been able to see just how valuable and bonding that time together was, and I really appreciate it. I'm grateful to have had an overall positive experience breastfeeding my first child, because it has helped me understand how important it is (to me) to put all that effort into nursing the rest of our children.
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Matching farmer's tans hahaha[/caption]James' communication skills have gotten so great lately. He learned the signs for "food" and "drink" and he does them ALL THE TIME. The kid sure knows what he wants haha.
I think he loves this new place since it is twice the size of where we were in Utah. He has so much room to run around and explore! Two of his current favorites are playing hide and seek and chasing us/being chased. Being inside all day is hard. Out of all of us he gets cabin fever the worst (you can blame all our adventures and hiking for that haha). I think being in a new place has helped since he doesn't get bored as easily.
We celebrated James' birthday back in Utah with family, so stay tuned for some fun photos!
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