MISSION #1

We're bummed that we live so far away from our family and friends. We really want James to know and recognize (by voice AND face) his grandparents, his aunts and uncles, his cousins, his great-grandparents, his 2nd cousins, and our friends - basically, everyone who loves him. And pictures just aren't enough, so we've thought of a way to make that happen, to make you all a part of his everyday life...

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to film yourself for James. Specifically, we'd like to gather some short videos of you 1) reading him a book - either showing you and the book, or just the book pages, whichever you prefer, 2) telling him a story, 3) doing a puppet show, 4) singing him a song - and don't forget the hand gestures, they're a big hit, 5) playing an instrument, 6) dancing, 7) making silly animal noises, 8) teaching him something - like colors or shapes, 9) showing him something - like your house, your town, your pets, whatever, 10) showing him how to do something - like crawl, sit up, twirl, etc., or really, just anything that you think would entertain an infant.

Sound fun? We hope you think so. Pull out your creative side and show us what you can do!

Please send the video(s) to us on DVD so that we can burn them to our computer (unless the file size is small enough to email us, then feel free to send them that way). Also feel free to send as many clips as you want, we'll use them all! We'll combine all the short videos and make a "movie" for James to watch. If we get enough clips, we might make separate movies for story time, music, and random stuff. There is no deadline for your submissions - we'll make the movies as the video clips come in, so just send whatever you want, whenever you can. This may even turn into an ongoing project while James is in these early years, too young to really connect with you over the phone...

Thanks in advance, and happy filming!

P.S. - We'll also be making versions of these movies for James' cousin Eli, so if you're a fan of Eli (which we bet many of our blog readers are), please send videos for him too! We'll be recording some videos for our nephew so he can get to know Team Lindsay, and we'd be happy to include videos from the Clark family and friends of David & Taryn too. It's hard to live far away from your family and friends, and we want the boys to feel as connected as possible. In fact, we'll probably make versions of the movies for James' 2nd cousins too, Barry and Tyson. (Although, Barry is NOT an infant - Little Man is already 5-years-old! Tyson is brand new though!)

And since we can't have a blog post without pictures, here are James and Eli at 4 months:

(Yes, we stole this photo from the Bacon's Blog, again, but we doubt they mind. Eli's so cute his picture should be posted twice anyway!)

UNUSUALLY COOL

It's been an unusually cool week, stormy every afternoon and evening since Sunday. We love this kind of weather! Except when the thunder-bumpers wake us up at night... Have we ever mentioned that it never rains here? It doesn't. It pours. And it's almost always accompanied by thunder, lightening, and strong wind. But we don't mind unless trees start falling over. At first we worried that the noise would wake James and ruin his perfect sleep record this month, but we haven't heard a peep from him all week. He's a sound sleeper like his mama.

Anyway, since it's been so cool (low 80's, but that's generally unheard of here in July), we had the opportunity to dress James in some adorable hand-me-down lined overalls. And the boy looks good in Jagger's green onesie too. Thanks Nicole!

WELCOME TO THE FAMILY TYSON!

Congratulations to my cousin Jamie and her husband Chris, who welcomed their first son, Tyson Mathew, into the world late this evening. Great job Jamie! We're so proud of you, and we can't wait to meet the little cutie at Christmas! Tyson was 7 lbs 8 oz and 20 inches long, and he looks a lot like his Daddy. He is the 4th great-grandchild (all boys) on my side of the family, and the 3rd one born this year (we've been busy), so the holidays will be extra special this year!

Best of luck over the next couple of months guys, and feel free to call us anytime. We're happy to lend an ear, and/or solicited/unsolicited advice! We love you "Team Roach"!

(visit The Jackson Family Album for more photos and details)

BUBBLES!

James had his first experience with bubbles tonight! I had been hearing from my online mommy friends (no, I'm not weird, lots of moms connect through sites like BabyCenter) that this age is a great time to introduce bubbles. We were hoping to entertain James with something new, and we ended up entertaining Mouton too! Jude was afraid of them. So was Maxine. Scardey cats... Anyway, James didn't try to catch the bubbles (though Mouton did), but he did watch them, smile, and make excited noises. Mouton is actually more entertaining to watch (sorry James, no offense):

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!

Ah, how I wish I was there so I could lean over your recliner and give you a noogie!

Love ya!

WEEKEND AT HOME

We looked forward to it all week, and it definitely lived up to our expectations. Not only were we very productive this weekend (Jay painted the outside of the house and I cleaned the inside), but we got to sleep in both days (James can usually be counted on to give us an extra hour or so of sleep after his 6:30/7am nursing if we all snuggle in our bed), we fit in 2 movies (Babel and The Last Sin Eater - we're a bit behind on our very long movie list), we got to Skype with James' Grambot AND his Auntie Taryn, Uncle Davey, cousin Eli, and Kendall, and we just had so much fun hanging out with James. Here's a quick recap in pictures...

The plastic rhino on his shirt made for a great chew toy (even better than Sophie, apparently):

He's really loving the animal noises on his exersaucer (now that we finally replaced the old rechargeable batteries with a fresh set), especially the lion - RAWR:

He napped in Mommy's arms (and he rarely sleeps like this anymore, so it was a treat):

He learned to peek over the edge of the big bath tub (don't worry, Jay was holding him on the other side), and taste it...

And finally, he's decided that sticking his tongue out at us is his new favorite thing to do. Since we find it hilarious, we're constantly encouraging him. His tongue is very pointy, dontcha think?

I'm always a little sad on Sunday nights... it's a bummer to start thinking about the upcoming week and having to be away from James during the day (I get to work with Jay, so I usually see him a few times throughout the day). Oh well, it just makes the weekends with my boys that much more special. Hope everyone has a good week!

HAPPY FRIDAY

It's Friday, and we're all very happy about it and feeling a little silly. Now that James is sleeping through the night (10 hours a night, every night, for over 3 weeks now), we barely get 3-4 hours awake time with him on the weekdays, so we really relish our weekends! Here is James, dressed to impress his Mom this lovely Friday morning:

And here he is goofing off at the breakfast table (not eating, just keeping us company):

Then, here he is tonight testing out his trusty steed, Jude (though if you look closely, you can see that he's really just standing on the ground, rather than sitting on her back):

He's been asleep for 2.5 hours already and we miss him...

AN OFFER WE COULDN'T REFUSE

While watching some trebuchet action at work on Friday with a variety of students (GEMS campers) finishing up their week in the labs, and some of our coworkers who helped teach and lead throughout the week, we somehow ended up on the subject of Harry Potter. We mentioned that we wished to see the new movie and were disappointed that said movie did not play at a time slot locally where we could take advantage of our daycare, since there is no way James could sit still (AKA nap) through a 2.5 hour movie.

Upon hearing this, our friend Sandy made a very generous offer to watch James while we escaped to the theater. We said "Really?", and decided within minutes that it was a great idea! So, today James had his first afternoon with a babysitter other than family. We packed a bottle, then an extra, just in case, even though we planned to be gone less than 4 hours. We included his favorite toys and a book, a cuddly blanket, and our hopes that the little guy would be good for Sandy. We weren't too worried though - all the ladies at daycare rave about what a good baby he is, and James had already met Sandy a few times, immediately snuggling into her arms and eventually flashing her some gummy smiles (once he focused his attention, the little observer). We lasted to the last hour of the movie before we started getting anxious to see our boy (what can we say, we're used to seeing him all weekend and we missed him). After the movie (which was good and had some excellent special effects, but lacked some key scenes, so was a little disappointing overall), we returned to the start of a dinner party. James was busy helping in the kitchen (supervising, of course) and Sandy gave him a good report. He had a nursing session and a nap, which allowed him to last until about 8pm before we had to head home, plenty of time for dinner AND desert (mmmm... peaches). It was a really fun way to end the weekend. Thanks again Sandy - we sure appreciated the opportunity for a date, a good meal with friends, and your hospitality!

GROWING UP TOO FAST

There are those milestones that excite you (especially the physical ones, like holding the head up and rolling over) and make you feel so proud that your baby is developing well. Then there are those milestones that make you feel special, like when your baby learns to smile and laugh socially. And then, as we learned tonight, there are those milestones that although equally as exciting and special as the others, nevertheless make you feel a little sad. Sure, they are important, but they make you pause and think "our baby is growing up too fast". For us, that first milestone was bottle holding. James surprised us by grabbing and holding his bedtime bottle all by himself tonight:

After we took a few photos to document, Jay took over the feeding again. He just isn't ready to give that up yet, and I don't blame him. I was a little teary just watching...

(and just a note for those of you who notice such things, the color of the milk is a little dark due to the vitamin drops)

ONE YEAR AGO TODAY...

...our lives began to change for the better forever as we looked toward our future as parents with anticipation and excitement:

And we couldn't be happier with the outcome:

"MAMA"

Yeah, I know it's not the real thing, since he's too young to really understand what he's saying yet, but it's the closest we've come so far. And being that today is a special day, I'm inclined towards celebration. Usually James says "MOMOMOMOMOM" or "MAMAMAMAMA" when I try and teach him "MAMA". Tonight we had a mini-breakthrough, promptly followed by him laughing at me for a few minutes (don't worry, I edited for length). This kid just cracks me up:

GRABBIN' AND LOUNGIN'

James learned how to grab and hold his toes last night. It's awfully cute, though I don't think he understands what Mommy and Daddy are so excited about: He's also getting better at lounging around with us on the couch, which is cool:

He's as happy in a cardboard box as the cats (don't worry, we were just goofing around):

And he's become a big fan of his new pod chair (courtesy of E & Philip). It's great for daytime naps. It's a good place to sit and watch Mommy and Daddy do yoga (don't worry Uncle Jamie, James will do more than watch when he's older). And it's the perfect angle to look out the windows at the trees and birds (so no, he's not in the corner for time-out):

And yes, James does spend a lot of time at home with just his diaper on. It's Mississippi. It's hot and humid. Besides, naked bellies are better for kissing.

JAMES IN A BALL CAP

James got a really cute outfit from our church friends, the Ashby's, who also happen to work with us. His head finally fit into the matching ball cap, so we sent him to daycare looking mighty adorable yesterday:

When we got home that night, I wanted just one more picture before I changed him. He was not amused:
He's actually standing against the couch in the photo. I had set him down so nicely, fixed his hat, got a smile out of him, then reached for the camera... at which point he lost his patience. He arched his back, planted his feet on the cushions, and in no uncertain terms let me know that it was not time for a photo op, but rather for his dinner! (We hadn't posted an "Angry James" photo since March, so we figured we were due for one... besides, he's extra cute when he's mad, dontcha think?)

TRADING GOLD FOR IRON

James started his vitamin drops over the weekend and his first BM post iron supplement was green. Jay was surprised and I was concerned, so we checked with the doctor and all is fine. The iron just has that effect. But it's still gross.

And Grambot's Prince James no longer has Golden Poo.

4-MONTH "PORTRAITS"

THE POWER OF LAUGHTER

Apparently, tummy kisses aren't the only thing that James finds funny...

Makes us feel kinda powerful...

SQUEALS AND GIGGLES

Just wanted to share some cuteness with you. James has really become a squealer these days. And a giggler. And nothing gets him going better than kisses and raspberries from his Daddy at bathtime. It's become a nightly ritual around here over the past couple of weeks. Enjoy the show:

SLEEPING STAR

OK, it's official. We're ready to call it a habit and start celebrating. Today marks an entire week (7 days in a ROW) of 10-11 hour sleep stretches for James. This is the coveted "sleeping through the night" milestone that all new parents pray to reach as soon as possible. James' new habit survived the tests of travel AND his return to his regular routine, therefore, he's now a sleeping star. Your applause is welcome.

(and hopefully we didn't just jinx it...)

WHAT IN THE WORLD?

Well, we didn't exactly jinx it, but it was definitely a weird morning... James slept straight through for about 8.5 hours. We were awakened at 4:48am by the sounds of James talking and squealing with delight in his crib. What in the world?... We looked at the monitor and there he was, waving his arms, pounding the mattress with his feet, and seemingly looking directly at the camera (which is positioned on the wall above his crib, adjacent to the "James' Cove" sign that his Auntie Taryn made, so we assume he was talking to the monkey and parrot on the sign). This went on for about 10-15 minutes. We lay there wondering whether he was going to decide it was morning (even though it was still dark outside) and stay awake, or start making hungry noises, or start to fussing, but it never happened. He got out his energy, then stuck his thumb in his mouth and fell back asleep until 6:45am. Whatever works, right?

Here's the little cutie this morning after his breakfast, playing in his crib while I showered:

ELI AND JAMES

Our extremely handsome nephew recently turned 3-months-old and I thought it would be fun to see just how different these cousins are becoming. So, here is a comparison of Eli and James, both photos taken at 3 months (plus a few days):

Doesn't Eli have the most gorgeous eyes? We think they're captivating! He has long, curly lashes, while James' are long and straight. Both boys have lost the long, dark hair they were born with in a similar pattern, but the regrowth is quite different. Eli still has that cute cowlick, while James' hair is growing in straight (they both take after their Daddies). Eli is looking blonde (in photos anyway... Taryn says his hair is brown in person), while James seems to be turning into a strawberry blonde (though sometimes it looks light brown, like my hair). No doubt about it, they're both absolutely adorable! Happy belated 3-month birthday Eli! We love you!

ROAD TRIPPIN'

James survived his first road trip! In fact, all members of Team Lindsay get gold stars for this adventure... Our normally 10.5-11 hour drive from MS to FL ended up taking 12 hours (plus a hotel stop) on the way there, and 13 hours on the way home. We knew it would take longer. That was a given. A 4-month-old needs more breaks to nurse, get his diaper changed, and stretch (it's not easy being confined to a carseat). So really, 1-2 extra hours isn't bad.

This is the face James made as we were starting out and I told him we would be in the car for a looooong time:

But he perked up shortly thereafter. Here he is somewhere in central Mississippi:

He went through 3 states last Wednesday: Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. After 8 hours of travel, the poor kid woke up to find himself still confined, still driving, and suddenly in the dark of night. He was not impressed. That little meltdown was impossible to stop because the poor kid just wanted to stretch out and be held, so Jay and I gave in and found a hotel. We were tired anyway, it was late (almost midnight), and we figured we could all use some quality sleep. However, as soon as we checked in, James decided he was wide awake and wanted to play, even after 2 back-to-back nursing sessions (usually happy meals knock him right out). We let him have his fun for a while, then told him in no uncertain terms that we did not pay for a hotel room just to play all night. Ever tried reasoning with an infant? It doesn't work. So, we scooped him out of his playyard and put him in bed with us, where we all slept soundly for a good 5 hours. Then it was time to get back on the road. Where James promptly went right back to sleep (lucky bum):

Sometime after we passed into the eastern time zone, he woke up and had some fun:

Whenever James was sleeping or otherwise entertained (even in the car, he was happy playing with his toys and watching the trees zoom by, though his favorite was definitely the rain drops - he squealed at them whenever we stopped long enough for them to accumulate on the windows - and it rained, as always, as we were leaving Florida), Jay and I took turns reading aloud. This is a favorite road trip activity of ours, and our chosen book for this trip was great. We highly recommend "afterbirth: stories you won't read in a parenting magazine" for anyone out there with kids, or with plans to have kids. Some stories are funny, some are tear-jerkers (or maybe that's just us sappy new parents). Regardless, we think you'll love it. Here is Jay reading to me while we refuel:

And yes, one of us rode in the back with our son throughout the entire trip. We didn't want to chance ANYTHING until we knew he could travel long distances well. He was great though. A real trooper. Thank goodness too, since we'll probably always be big travelers. Next time, however, my butt is getting a break and I'm riding up front (at least part of the way)!

Here is James, passed out somewhere westbound along I-10 with his favorite lion:

And here he is in Mississippi, obviously disgruntled and wondering "Are we there YET?" He's chewing on his new teething toy, which is shaped like a paci for easy holding. Apparently he didn't get that memo though, because he was shoving it in sideways:

And for your viewing pleasure, here is a compilation of James road trippin':

Thanks for all your travel prayers! Until next time...

GOD BLESS JAMES HENRY

Gearing up for the big day, we took some portraits of James with his special blanket that his Grand Aunt Sara made for him, with and without his fancy christening outfit: James loves when his Daddy gives him raspberries! He's learning to make the noise himself, though he mostly just spits. Here are the boys getting some good ones in after the photo shoot:My turn for a smooch:

We had James baptized at the church where we were married, by the pastor who married us. This was a big deal to us and we're so glad we were able to have the ceremony at "home". Here is James getting ready for his big moment:

The Willis Family took a break from their vacation in St. Augustine and joined us for the festivities. We were so happy to see them, and James just LOVED Julia (she had him laughing and squealing better than we've ever heard)!

Apparently, 4-months-old is the "perfect" age for a baptism, according to Gabe. Regardless, many babies cry during the blessing (cold water on the head is a bit of a shock), no matter what their age. His trick to get them to stop crying is to whip them back upright quickly, really quickly! We heard that in the 25 years Gabe's been at Community Presbyterian, his trick has only failed him once. That's pretty good odds, and yes, it worked for James. Thanks to Jill, Julia, and Jean for taking these photos: I had to collect my boys from outside when the ceremony started, where Jay had retreated to calm James, since he was getting noisy (in need of his normally scheduled nap). I joked later that James must have used up all his quiet time the day before! Here we are at the start of the ceremony: Gabe performing the blessing:

Two very proud parents:

One sleepy little boy (he stayed that way through the end of the service):

For those of you who want more than photos, and were unable to attend James' baptism, here is the entire thing on video (3 minutes 45 seconds long), if you're interested:

After the ceremony, we took a couple family portraits. I'd like to point out my beautiful necklace - Jay surprised me upon our arrival in Florida with a gift to celebrate James' birth, Mother's Day, and the Baptism, which he designed with the same jeweler (Jay Lubeck) he enlisted to design my wedding bands 5.5 years ago. It is a white gold pendant with James' calendar birthstone (aquamarine): After the ceremony, James surprised me in the car with a silly new smile. Rather than just the big gummy grin we're used to, he now also sports this little squinty-eyed bubble smile:

Jean hosted a party at her house after the ceremony, where we enjoyed a delicious refreshing lunch (with some of our favorites: chicken salad on croissants, chilled asparagus, and fruit salad) and cake with buttercream frosting. And no, James didn't get any cake (not directly, anyway)! Here is Julia entertaining the little man after his costume change (the fancy outfit we bought him for the ceremony was non-stretch, and his chubby little legs were looking a bit squished): After everyone left we changed too, and took a "proud parents" photo:

And also a proud grandma photo:

Later that evening the Birdsongs returned (they attended the ceremony and thought it was cute that James cried when Gabe doused him with holy water, especially since years ago when Jackson was baptized, in a group of babies, he was the only one that DIDN'T cry). Betsy finally got some one-on-one time with James, and he really enjoyed her airplane skills and singing voice (mommies are never off-key you know):

After a yummy grilled steak dinner, Jay taught Jackson how to spit watermelon seeds. We all enjoyed some of Mississippi's finest (Smith County watermelons are the best) out on the lawn where it's easy to hose off the mess. Jackson was sweet enough to share with his Daddy while he held James (who looked pretty interested in the whole process):

And that's a wrap. Big day. Big weekend. Good times! Thanks everyone, we love you!