One Year Old: Stats and recent happenings

Jameston turned 1 last week! What a fun age this is...

Our baby boy gives the best hugs and kisses (open-mouth I might add), even to Mr. Bear! He also pats my back when I hold him. These are recent developments, which Mommy has been waiting for...so sweet! Last Monday on his birthday, we had the day off together as a family...and we had such a fun day (I'll be sure to blog about it soon)! We had his 1-year well check-up that morning, and he started off all-smiles...

Stats:

Weight: 23 lbs. 10 oz. (60th %)

(He actually lost weight due to all the movin' he is doing!)

Head: 75%

(Mommy didn't get the exact measurement but remembers the percentile)

Length: 31 3/4 inches (95%!)

But by the end of the appointment after his immunizations, he wanted some snuggle time...I could do this all day!

JW is still a great eater! His favorites right now are yogurt, grilled cheese, pasta, goldfish crackers, cottage cheese, grapes, beans and tomatoes. In fact, there are not many foods he won't eat! Now if only he liked whole milk as much as he likes finger foods...

Over the past few months, he has been "talking" more and more...and he even said his first word last month: "Dada!" Brett is especially proud of that one, and so is Mommy ;-) His will say "MaMa" only when he's upset, so we plan to work on that one!

Jameston has most recently been practicing the "t" sound, and his receptive language is growing! He will look for "book," "ball," "doggies," "bottle," "juice," etc. when prompted. He also makes the shrillest sound (we call it his "pterodactyl impression"), and he will sing like an Indian (video to come) after we do. Can't wait to see what he has up his sleeve next!

At this age JW loves:

• Pushing his trucks/tractors (and playing with TONS of other toys like his piano and xylophone)

(Still loves those rings!)

• Helping Mommy turn on/off the lights
• Singing "This Little Piggy" with Mommy and being thrown in the air by Daddy
• Opening and closing doors, cabinets, blinds, etc....
• And watching his Sesame Beginnings "Make Music Together" video...oh my, he shakes and bobs his head when he hears the music...it is the cutest thing! The songs are common tunes sung by Daddy (and uncles)!

One thing is for certain, he's so very inquisitive and plays hard (note the forehead bruises in some pictures) at this age. He's "all boy," as they say!

Developmentally,

• He has 8 teeth and LOVES to show them off with all his smiling!

• Waves bye-bye (and night-night :-), gives high-5's, claps with hands (and even more so when he can bang two objects together in his hands), claps for the "more" sign when eating, and is pulling up on things that are within reach... But he shows NO desire to walk. In fact when we try to "practice," he either just wants to jump or plop right down on his little booty and crawl. He is one quick little crawler (and has bruised knees to prove it) and is crawling/climbing over things. JW even has a bear-crawl like he's wanting to stand upright. He will also "walk" on his knees when pushing sometihg, if only he could just get those feet under him!
• He is sleeping like a champ (despite a rough patch we experienced after all the traveling over the last month). He will usually go to bed between 7:30 and 8:30, depending on the number of/length of naps that day and usually sleeps until about 6! Some mornings he will go back to sleep after I nurse him, but we are hoping once he is fully weaned he will sleep in a little longer :-)

Unfortunately the last month also brought about pink eye and more allergies :-( We are giving him Claritin every day with hopes that these first months of cold weather are better than last year!

Here are some fun pictures from the last month:

Obsessed with paper!

(and yes, he's wearing Christmas PJ's because they are some of the only ones that fit :-) He's wearing size 4 diapers, 18 months pants and 12-18 months shirts, and size 4 shoes.

Bath-time!

He LOVES his Aunt Maggie! And he has the best laugh in the world!More to come on Jameston's 1st birthday festivities!!

Happy 1st Birthday, Jameston Wade!

Wow, this day is here [even if I'm having a hard time grasping and admitting it, and holding back tears as I type]...it is Jameston's 1st birthday! It is so hard to believe our sweet boy is ONE and that it has been a full year since he was born. A part of me feels like we just brought him home from the hospital last week, and another part feels like he's been with us forever.

On September 19th, 2009, I went to sleep not knowing that 12 hours later we would be in the hospital welcoming our healthy and beautiful baby boy into the world and beginning our new journey as a family of three. We remember so much about that day, from our jaunt to the hospital at 4 in the morning, to the various doctors and nurses who assisted with his birth, to the many family and friends who stopped by to meet him, to our first two nights with a newborn in the hospital...but what stands out the most is seeing Jameston for the first time and hearing him take his first breath on his own. Nothing, I believe, can compare to the feelings you have when you first meet your child, and we will never forget that day and the excitement and love that it brought our family!

Since I hope to one day print this blog, I find it only fitting that I write a little note to the birthday boy.

Dear Jameston,

Happy 1st birthday, Buckeroo! You stole our hearts from the moment you were placed in our arms, and you have brought SO MUCH joy into our lives. As we look back on your first year, we are humbled by the fact that God lent us you to guide, love, and point back to Him. We CANNOT wait to watch you grow and are excited to see what the Lord has in store for you. Today, we pray that you know God and know that he will always love you. You are the light of our lives, and we love you, JW!

Love, Mommy and Daddy

Brett and I have realized, just in this first year, how being parents gives you strength you never you knew had, and humbles (and humors) you in ways you never would have expected. Each day you feel like your heart could burst with love for your child! So on Jameston's 1st birthday, we realize just how blessed we are. Thank you, Lord, for entrusting us with Jameston.

1-Year-Old Pictures!

Several Wednesdays ago Jameston and I headed to downtown Garland to get his 1-year pictures taken. And out of the 40 proofs, I've narrowed them down to my favorite 15 :-) Sorry, readers, if you've already seen these on Facebook. Blogger was not cooperating and took forever to upload these larger files!

So, we have not had professional pictures taken of JW since he was 6-months-old. Now that he's more aware/active, we had a very interesting time to say the least...

Let's just say, he was baffled by the whole process (and it was early)!

Love the print of this chair, brought by the photographer. However, we didn't get many pics on it because he lunged off after not even a minute of sitting on it :-( Oh well, at least we got one pose!

Singing to wake up!

Payge Stevens was the photographer. I found her through my LivingSocial Deals email updates...she was awesome with Jameston, and he was not bashful. Thank goodness!

Singing/talking some moreHere is his best "George Bush" impersonation:Some black and whites:As Brett pointed out, this picture shows JW's neck rolls...too cute! Rollin' up his sleeves...ready to tackle toddler-hood:Eye on the prize...Going for it!Got it! Also, one of my favorites:Wait a second, "I don't wanna turn 1!"

In between outfits, Payge thought it would be cute to get some shots of Jameston in his diaper only...not expecting that, but I'm happy with a lot of the pictures she took!

Hey, what's up?

Love this one! One of my favorites:And the best one of the bunch... Thanks, friends, for letting me indulge and post pictures of our boy :-)

Showering Baby Girl Berry

Last weekend I was honored to help host a shower for my dear friend, Lindi, at her house in Grand Prairie. We went to graduate school together, and us Audiology girls have established a tradition of holding baby showers at the honoree's home. That way the shower attendees can see the nursery, and the expectant mother (and hubby) don't have to drive and transport gifts. It's worked out great so far!

Here is the glowing mommy-to-be:

The dessert table = Sugar Overload :-)

Cupcakes, sugar cookies, a lemon cake, and a non-edible diaper cake!

And all the other goodies, to offset the sugar intake!Hostesses: Shayla, Wendy, Lindi, Me, and DianaWe missed Brenda, who could not make it to Dallas due to a canceled flight :-(

And the ever-so cute favors put together by Diana Speech/Hearing friends and Tech alumni forever!

And Lee flew in from California for the shower!

The loot! Ca-ute clothes and lots of goodies!

The very talented Diana also made these onesies, bows, and taggie blankets...precious!

And one of my favorite outfits they received:

And the very cute (and relaxing) nursery...TURTLES!Lindi and Steven grilled out later that day so that out-of-town guests could hang around and visit some more. So Brett and Jameston met up with us, and my very sweet friends showered JW with some early birthday presents!

He really enjoys his new Cars book, Tonka trucks, and dinosaur blanket. He was super excited to open (well, rip up) the wrapping paper! He seemed to understand what was going on and got some practice in for his 1st birthday!

Lindi and Steven,

We had so much fun showering you in preparation for your baby girl's arrival. Can't wait until she arrives in November (and to find out her name)!

Weaning...

Like many things that have happened this past year, this is uncharted territory for us. Thanks to some great gal pals, family members, and friends who have preceded us in the parenting department, we have received some awesome advice on many things baby-related. Regarding the subject of weaning, though, I still feel like I'm in the dark as to what we should try.

I have mixed emotions right now. I thought I would be more excited and so ready to finally be at this juncture! Don't get me wrong, I am looking forward to not having to pump twice a day at work (and countless other times for traveling purposes, etc.), freeze/unthaw supply, and so on {AND, selfishly, I also look forward to wearing clothes from my wardrobe without having to make sure it's nursing-accessible} After the past year I now know why I had heard that breastfeeding is hard work! Although I may have complained a little bit to Brett at times about those chores, I have enjoyed it so much! However, a little [okay, no a BIG] part of me is very sad that this chapter is coming to a close.

I understand that I can keep nursing, but since Jameston can start whole milk and because my body can no longer keep up with his growing, I know it is time. Like others have told me I would, I am definitely going to miss the bonding that breastfeeding provides, the quiet times in the wee hours of the morning, and, very truthfully, the idea that he will no longer "need" me for nourishment. I understand there are many other ways that we can bond, and I know, he will continue to need me, but you get what I am saying, right?

Needless to say weaning will be an adjustment for both Jameston and me. I think he will be a trooper, because he no longer needs to nurse before bedtime, and as I mentioned in another post, he wants to be like the older kids at daycare and drink from a sippy cup instead of his bottles (I guess he's already experiencing peer pressure and thinks that the bottle is no longer "cool!"). There were times that I thought he would wean himself, especially after we went to Guatemala and he had bottles for 9 straight days! But that has not been the case, so here we are. We see his pediatrician for his one-year (wow!) appointment next week, and she is great. I know that she breastfed and will have tips for me, along with her recommendations for his new "diet." I've done my homework and read up on tips about weaning, but if any of you blog readers out there have any words of wisdom, recommendations, etc. I would certainly appreciate them!

On a lighter (and very silly) note, I think I am going to need to wean myself from this:

I mean, it is THE BEST! I normally buy off-brands of baby soap and shampoo (shout outs to Target and Safeway), but when it comes to lotions, I can't break myself from buying J&J's bedtime lotion. I love the lavender scent and the calming effects it claims to have. Because, hey, after a busy day I need a little calming remedy, too:-)

Blog song

You may have noticed that I added a song to the blog, which I've been wanting to do for some time now. When I thought about what song I would use, it was difficult for me to narrow it down to just one. Maybe an upbeat little ditty or possibly a classic, feel-good song that makes everyone want to dance when they hear it? I could not decide.

But after hearing this song, I just had to figure out how to post it on our blog. And several weeks later, after who-knows-how-many failed attempts at googling/editing, I finally succeeded! YIPPEE!!

So, here it is...Matt Maher's "Hold Us Together." The song really speaks to me. It's one of those that stops you right in your tracks, and helps you reevaluate what's important. Here's just a snippet of the awesome lyrics:

Love will hold us together, make us a shelter to weather the storm.

I'll be my brother's keeper, so the whole world will know that we're not alone.

Oh, and the best line...

Even in the dark you can still see the light.

I hope you enjoy (and turn it up)!

Wreck 'Em, Tech!

For Labor Day weekend, we loaded up and headed out to Lubbock for Jameston's (and Coach Tuberville's) first Texas Tech football game. We met up with Brett's siblings and had a blast! Here we are tailgating:

Jameston says, "GOOOO Tech!"

The Winters' fam

Had to include this outtake of the self-time blooper pic I set up before the above group shot :-) We bought JW his very own, toddler-sized Tech hat several hours before the 2 o'clock game, and lo and behold, Mommy forgot it at the hotel :-( Therefore,we improvised and he wore his shorts as a hat (which also made for a much cooler, literally and figuratively, wardrobe :-)

Since our seats were on the east side of the stadium (i.e., directly in the sun), we took him underneath the stadium for shade. Even with the noise and heat, he managed to take a nap! Here he is sleeping on Daddy while in his backpack:

He was extra spirited and all decked out with his Tech pacifier AND paci clip!

Mommy and Daddy are headed back to Lubbock this weekend for the Tech vs. UT game, and Jameston is going to be cheering them on while he stays at Grammy and Gramp's house for one night.

What a difference almost a year makes! Our very little Red Raider fan at 6-weeks-old:

Red Raiders, you have a new little fan! Let's hope you keep the wins coming :-)