Ways to encourage new mom friends...

I just found this link on pinterest.com and it couldn't be more right. Know friends with babies? Read this. SO, so, so true. http://thegypsymama.com/2012/02/100-ways-to-encourage-a-new-mom/

*Frannie - expect these things from me! :) Love you sista! You're already an amazing mom only a week and a couple days in!!

Cheese with that wine?

Sooo thanks to good friends Stephanie and Travis -- we got to go to Oscar Night America tonight.... And win a bunch of wine! Also big thanks to Auntie Gigi for watching the wee-man tonight. She was repaid well for her services.... First dibs on all the vino! :)

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Columbia fun

So we decided to make a weekend of our trip to see the Cooks. We hung out with Baby E and even made James' first trip to a zoo. Too bad my camera died so I get no pics to document. Good thing for camera phones! James seemed to enjoy our zoo outing... But in all honest - seems to get the biggest kick out of Sadie - ha! :)

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Cousin Play time

:)

Lucky Boy

Somebody is a lucky boy, and got a great new touch and feel book in the mail today from Grammy and Grandpa! You are so loved, little boy!

(Thanks Grammy and Grandpa!)

Celebrating 10 Months at the Park

Yesterday we celebrated the big milestone at the park. :)

Happy homecoming to Elizabeth. The whole Cook clan just made it home today. Yay!

Whoa.... 10 months?!

So my little baby boy is the big 10 months old. I can NOT believe it. I remember those first few months I kept wishing the time away... "I can't wait for him to hold his head up." ....... "When oh when will he sleep through the night?" ........ "Won't it be exciting when he can sit up or better yet - crawl?!?" ....etc, etc, etc.... Now I kind of want to turn back the clock and go back and hold him all swaddled up and listen to those little baby coo's. I know he isn't big yet, but 10 months is a lot different than 10 weeks.

But one thing is fo' sho' -- 10 months old is a lot more active and fun than 10 weeks! James is a wild man. He is on the go, go, go. He doesn't really stop moving. The only time he is still is when he is sleeping in his bed. He's army crawling every where. He has hopped up on his knees and did an actual crawl only a couple times... and it was backwards, but hey! he did it! He reaches for people. He talks all the time without really saying anything at all (don't we all??). He eats food a lot better than he eats his bottle, and he really likes to feed himself the best (can we say MESS?!). I've read that the more tastes, textures, etc you can feed your baby - the better they might be in accepting new foods down the road (i.e. not be a picky micky). Who knows if it will work, but one can try can't she?! He's had taco meat, green beans, mac and cheese, seaweed salad (seriously), pork tenderloin, deli meat, fruit, etc.... He loves it all!

James got his first weekend alone with Grammy and Grandpa this past month, and had a blast. Jimmy and I did too! We went to the Simpsonville Chamber's annual meeting in Charleston so enjoyed a little work and a lot of fun. Sad to report - no pics were taken though. I guess I forget how to use a camera when a baby isn't around - ha! But Lawd knows we have enough pics of just Jimmy and I... :)

Here is some pics of what we've been up to lately....

Jimbo has been traveling to Atlanta A LOT lately.... Jimmy invited us to tag along... so James took over the hotel suite quickily.... and those teeth that wouldn't come? Well... decided to come while there. Ugh it was a tough trip. 

But we did have some fun :) and it was certainly nice getting to see Jimmy... At least I got to see him (he still had to work late :(.... )

I got a little stir crazy and strolled James to the hotel gym... Haha, pitiful, huh?

Caro and Brandon came to visit from the nizzy 'Noake! We had a great, low-key weekend (thanks you two for putting up with us old foggies!)

As I mentioned... James has gotten into feeding himself :)

We've been having some nice weather so we've been grilling out a bit on the weekends...

AND THE BIGGEST EVENT OF THE MONTH/YEAR.... BABY ELIZABETH WAS BORN!!!! (2*20*12)

Love, love, love this pic :)

Woops... As soon as we came in to meet Elizabeth, poor James was just forgotten about! But he didn't seem to mind... I loaded him up with LOTS of puffs, so he just "puffed" away :)

Nana & Pop's 6th grandbaby... :)

Sweet baby getting her vitals checked...

Daddy Cook just held her hand and she loved it... and held on tight!

Lala came to visit! It was sooooo sweet....

Pop entertained the wee-man :) (who LOVED the cars... and the attention!)

Sweetness :)

Hahahaha... my attempt of getting Baby J and E together... Oh well, there will be plenty more opportunities...

His hair is starting to sit down.... finally! Oh... and he's kind of a big deal. In case you didn't already know that! (Thanks Gigi for the great onesies!)

Our den has turned in to the biggest and best playpen you could imagine! haha...

James has TWO teeth! Zoom in, and take a look see! 

Oh goodness... the mothly photo shoot... Getting harder and harder... Have a laugh:

Here he is trying to grab his books...

So I moved him to the other side... so he turned in to a biscuit. A cheeeeeeese biscuit.

Wild man.

"I'm no wild man, mama." -J

"I'm a WIIIILLLLLDDDDDD man!" - J

"Is the bear ticklish?!" - J

"Whoa. Bear's got some gas." - J

The one thing he'll slow down for.... a little touch and feel book. Here he is reading "Tails" - his absolute favorite. (And that tail is his all time favorite tail to pet :)

But staying still is so short lived... :)

But my little man still loves his thumb :)

Happy 10 months to my sweet not so little any more baby boy, James. We love you more and more each and every day. It's amazing to think what the next 10 months will hold, but I'm not wishing them to fly by. I'd rather they slow down a bit. (Good luck, right?! :)

Happy Birthday Sweet Elizabeth!

Happy birthday to Frannie and David's sweet baby girl, Elizabeth! She was born shortly after 12pm today. She's a tiny little thing weighing in at 6lbs 1oz with a head FULL of hair! The whole little Cook family is doing wonderful and James and I were happy to be there to meet her. Every time we showed her to James he just started grinning and cackling.... You can tell he loves his little baby cousin!

We love you Baby E. Can't wait to make lots of fun memories with you!!!

Waiting...

... to meet my baby cousin, Elizabeth!! :) any time now!

We're having a baby today!

Just got the call from Frannie! She's at the hospital, had the epidural, is 6 cm... Sweet Elizabeth, we are so excited to meet you today!!! :)

Silly boy

So James pretty much naps like this (see pic)... One foot propped up on the bumper pad. It cracks me up.

Happy beautiful Saturday to everyone... Especially to my beautiful niece, Gracie Grace who turns the big four today. Crazy how fast time is flying... When wishing her a happy birthday this morning on the phone I said, "happy birthday sweet girl, you know we love you so much, right?" Her response, "I know... I love you too..." Melt my heart! :)

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Happy Valentines Day

Jimbo sent pretty flowers, and a sweet note since he is in Florida and I'm home. James is so jealous I got something, and he didn't (see pic). Hahaha...

Happy Valentine's Day everyone, especially to the best hubby and daddy in the world! Love you, Jimmers!

Funny to think... This is our 10th Valentine's Day together, and within those 10 years only our 2nd time being away from each other on this day (not that we are huge Vday people). The first time was in 2004 when I was studying abroad in Madrid, Spain. Craziness... We are getting old! :)

Big Sis Sadie

So James has a stuffy/runny nose and his 2nd toother is popping in. Around 9pm tonight James woke up and started crying (which is really rare for J). I went in to get him and started quietly rocking and soothing him and Sadie kept pacing right outside his door with her ears pinned back. She typically charges in the room and plays with J but she could tell he wasn't feeling good. So she just waited right outside the door.

It was so sweet.... you could tell she was worried about our little boy.

She has since been snuggled up with me, which is nice since Jimbo is sunning it up in South Beach for the week for work.

Sweetness :)

James loves Sadie

:)

9 Month Stats

We had our 9 month appt today and James is looking great! Here are his stats:
Height: 28" (25%)
Weight: 18 lbs 6 oz (25%)
Head circumference: 45 cm (40%)

She also told me it would be a great idea to introduce more table foods. James (and Sadie) seem to love it (see pic). :)

Homeboy loves some meat and cheese -- what he didn't gobble up made its way to the floor... For little Miss Sadie.