every captive thought

James and I finally got Brad back! He got in really really early in the morning so James didn't see him until he woke up. Brad was still asleep when James woke up so I brought him in to see him. He squealed with delight when he saw his Daddy and crawled across the bed to him and hugged him for the longest time. What a way to wake up! Brad got James a little buffalo as a sussie. He loved it. Mostly he loved having his Daddy back. Then he trapped himself and Puppy under the highchair. ~~~~~ James is going through a strange little phase where he loves to have his shoes on. Even over his pj's. Whatever makes him happy. I don't ask questions. ~~~~~ As always, we went to Mom and Dad's for lunch today. Jamesie took a turn for the worse. He had started feeling really crummy yesterday but was just pitiful by this afternoon. All he wanted to do was snuggle with his Papa. So we will take another trip to the doctor tomorrow to see what is going on with this little guy. ...

Jamesie had a well check today. My Mom came with us which was lovely and helpful. James was none too happy about being all naked and cold and having his nose and throat swabbed. But having his Nana there made it ALL better. He loves him some Nana.

By now you know by now of my type-a tendencies. It is also called being anal. OCD. Or "finely wired" as my Angel Mother likes to call me. So you can imagine what it took for me to let James try to feed himself yogurt for the first time today. I figured I need to start teaching him some of these skills before the new baby comes. It started out pretty well. Sort of hard to get the spoon into the yogurt... And then into his mouth without it falling off the spoon. That's tricky. But he was awfully proud of himself when he did it! Getting better at hitting the mark. Just wait until your Dad sees these mad yogurt eating chops! I'm very proud of you! NO! Don't do that! Oh no! Where's my Xanax?!?!? Crap! I can't take Xanax, I'm pregnant! OH NO! There are going to be two of these little monsters!!!! Serenity now. Serenity NOW! Why doesn't this child have on a bib?!?! Don't look at me that way! You look just like your father here! This...

For my James, it is the little things in life that mean the most. A new tub to store his toys in, for instance. I asked him to pick up all of his toys and put them in the tub. He did this... Almost got it.... I'm nearly there... I made it! And this went on for about 30 minutes. In and out. In and out.

Dental hygiene is not real high on James' list these day. He HATES to have his teeth brushed. It is not a one-man job. I can't do it by myself and have to wait until Brad can help me. So since he is out of town I had to get Nana and Papa to help. My Mom was a dental hygienist back before her bratty kids came along, so I figured she would be perfect for the job!

You are my sonshine, my only sonshine. You make me happy when skies are gray. You'll never know Dear, how much I love you. Please don't take my sonshine away.

Welcome To The World Of Daring Young Boys is a book someone should write and then hand out to you in the hospital after you have a son...along with a lifetime supply of Xanax and Prozac. James not only has boundless energy but also a healthy dose of bravery. Which means I have a healthy dose of shot nerves. Today I moved the stuff off the end table because he wouldn't stop getting into it. I put it on the mantle. He saw a golden opportunity at hand...and took it. Not two seconds after moving it he and Puppy had climbed up on the table and were flinging themselves into the chair. Sure I knew it wasn't the best idea but I also thought it was sort of cute and clever. The kid can make a playground out of anything. Oops...barely caught him in this picture. This was after he flung himself down. I thought I would snap one more picture before making him get down. I should have exerted that parental caution a few moments sooner. 0.5 seconds after I took this picture, he reache...

No...not me. James has a shoe fetish. Well, I do too, but that is not what this post is about. James loves his sneakers. He wants to wear them all the time. I don't know if they help him walk, or make him feel like a big boy, or he just likes the way they look. He also has a thing for my shoes. Anytime he finds himself in our closet, he goes straight for my wedding shoes. It's not hard to see why...they are dazzling. But anyways...I had taken his pants off today because they had gotten wet. I just left him in his onesie and shirt. When his Dad got home he took him his socks and shoes and stuck his fat little feet up in the air and demanded to have his sneakers put on. Then he got back to his business of playing. I thought he looked awfully funny. ~~~~~~ Brad is leaving tomorrow to go out of town for the week. James and I are really bummed about it. I am not looking forward to a week without him. But I am sure he won't mind not having to listen to me whine about ...

James is not a huge fan of getting his hair cut. At all. The first time was absolutely traumatic...for James and for me. The second time was not much better. So I've been putting off his third haircut for some time now. I called Mom this morning and recruited her to go with me...because I am just not ready to go by myself. Here are James, Puppy and I bracing for the worst... James putting on a brave face... And TA-DA! We did it! This is the best he has done! He got through it like a real champ! What a big boy.

The other day Brad brought all of the pillows into the living room and threw them on the floor. Although I wondered what he was doing, James knew exactly what was going on and dove headfirst onto them. He climbed He dove He jumped We threw him He wallowed A good time was had.

James got to spend a little time with his boy cousins today! He loves when they come to visit. So much action and noise and activity and...ummm....boyness. It is a big change from all the Mommy time he gets. A much welcomed change. We both love it! James wasn't too down with posing for a picture. He had too much playing to do and I was holding him up.

One thing is certain...Jamesie LOVES his Daddy. "Be kind to thy father, for when thou wert young, Who loved thee so fondly as he? He caught the first accents that fell from thy tongue, And joined in thy innocent glee." Margaret Courtney