9 months in, 9 months out

After living in bliss for the first nine months of my life, I can now say that living out in this concrete world of air and gravity is growing on me. Things really got great when I became mobile at 6 3/4mos while visiting my grandparents. Gramma made my red ball so enticing that I took off after it, not really knowing what I was doing. This led to sitting up fully on my own and a whole new world of entertainment. At first, I didn't really understand my new power of mobility, so I mainly used it to follow mom around. Then I discovered how I was actually in control of my toys and that I could manipulate them for my own pleasure. I thought that it would be nice of me to ease Mom into this transition, so I stayed out of a lot of stuff, ignoring everything above eye level. Mom loved it! But one day I noticed the other world, the one above two feet high, and ever since I've been trying to join it. I pull up on most everything now a days, especially if it gets me closer to mom, I even go up on my tippy toes when I'm trying to reach interesting objects like the Ipod dock and tissue box. I'm also cruising slowly and switching back and forth between close objects. Mom recently hid my new favorite, the coffee table runner. It has these things called "choking hazards" that dangle off both ends and Mom says they are a no-no. That's also so a new word I've been hearing a lot more of lately, "No". I hear it when I try to go into the kitchen, when I try to roll during diaper changes, when I try to play with all of the cords under Daddy's desk, and when trash cans are irresistible. One of these days I'll figure out what it means... I am sharing my piece of mind all the time now, and Mom and I love having yelling competitions. I use dada a lot when I'm with daddy to make them think I know what that means, but I also use it randomly throughout the day. I use mama when I'm sad, waking up in the night, or hungry... so I obviously know what that means. Mom seems to think that I might even be getting her word, "more," but I say it more like "mmmmo!" I have four teeth that I use to chomp into Mom and Dad, I think that's what they're for. I also have discovered my favorite cereal thus far, oatmeal! I can eat a ton of it! I also eat peas, broccoli, chicken, carrots, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, tofu, blueberries, brown rice and millet cereals. Mom's gonna get me weighed on the first to see how hefty my britches are getting, I'm wearing 18mos clothes the best, 12's are a little tight and 24's are too long. Ya'll know what comes next... walking! I'll keep you updated...

Hide and Seek

I found this great hiding spot just beyond the edge of my blanket the other day... unfortunately,my ninja skills are not quite up to speed and Dad caught me before I could go incognito.

What? You'd hide here too if you could fit....

Woke Up Blue

I went to bed the other night and my playroom was as it has always been, pale and pasty beige. When I woke up this morning, it had changed colors. Mom and Dad mentioned something about "touching up" parts of the blue so they set me up in my own recliner with plenty of things to occupy my time while they were busy. They put a lot of effort into making sure I was safe and that I could reach several toy options by surrounding me with pillows. It turns out that the view out the slider window with the fan blowing the blinds just right is much more interesting than any show they could have put together. I guess I'm cool with the whole blue walls thing, especially because they put more stuff on the walls for me to look at too. They say its not quite finished but I sure am enjoying the upgrades now.

Jameson "Consistency" Blair

That's right folks... I live up to that middle name too...
On Tuesday, I took 3 45min naps, the day's events kept me up and interested enough to not whine about being tired
On Wednesday, I took 2 45min naps and a third 2hr nap, and a 20min bike-ride nap
On Thursday, I took 3 45min naps and a much needed, yet hard fought, 4th
Today we are going to visit my Mamaw in IN. Mom and Dad have their entire day planned around my "consistent" nap schedule. For example, Mom said leaving at 10am would be perfect because I will have just awakened from my first nap and I will be fed and happy.... but it's 10 oclock now and I'm still sleeping...
Consistent I tell you... at least at 6:45am...

Rings and Things

New Tricks at 16weeks

While we were in Cali, I decided to try out some new tricks in order to impress all of my admirers. I began showing serious signs of rolling over from my back to my tummy. I started by arching my back, looking at things beside me and above me, and twisting my torso. Then one day, it just kind of happened, right off the couch and into grandpa Blair’s arms… he was supervising and decided to watch and see if I could do it, well, I showed him! Now that we are home I have fully mastered this skill. I even do it when I don’t want to, like when I’m protesting a nap, nothing makes me more mad than winding up on my tummy. I can only roll over my left shoulder right now so I have become a left side sleeper. It freaked mom out to find me sleeping on my tummy one morning nap. I also rolled once, and very much accidentally and to my surprise, from my tummy to my back. It really scared me so I haven’t purposely tried that one again yet. Another new trick that mommy loves for me to perform is my laugh. I’m very stingy with right now, showing it off only at random times when she least expects it. I don’t even give her the joy of letting her provoke it out of me, only big grins go towards her heroic efforts. For the time being my Mr. Bear toy is uninteresting since it restricts my rolling motion and I would much rather chew on rings or plastic keys. I’m also trying very hard to reach for things, but my neurons just aren’t firing on the same page yet, my arms go every which way when something catches my eye. Anything and everything are game for slobbering on, especially my fingers or mom and dad’s shoulders. I’ve also decided, well, mom decided… that its time for my own sleeping space…. Something about when I wake up next to her there is no going back to sleep without a nursing, even its only 5min. So to my crib I went, begrudgingly of course, and after the tears of learning that I can fall asleep and stay asleep without mom, or rocking, or my paci had passed I am now sleeping more at night and only whining about my daily naps. I still am a happy boy who is very happy to see my mommy when I wake up. I have more shots scheduled for Monday morning, we’ll see how much I’ve chunked up, mom thinks I’m well over 16lbs. I’m gonna talk to the doc about not starting solids, I’m pretty sure I convinced mom that I’m not ready when I gagged on a very small bite of mashed up pear the other day…. Mom says we’re not ready for that mess quite yet anyways… Well, I’m off to another nap, still enjoying 4 of those a day at roughly an hour a piece, maybe mom will take me outside in this beautiful 80degree weather when I wake up~


My cousin Caleb couldn't believe I could do all those things!

Card Shark

While I was hanging out at my grandma and grandpa Blair’s last week I learned a new game called “Hand and Foot”. It was really fun being passed from lap to lap whenever the turn came to my holder. I got to see everyone’s cards and create my own strategy. Eventually, I won of course!

Hangin' Out

So the 'rents finally let me spend some time to myself nowadays... I get Mr. Bear time, tummy time, and recliner time... but they don't go too far cuz when I start to fall over I get a little scared, can you tell?

Filling Out

I don't know how well you can see it, but my double chin is coming along nicely...

My New Toy

High-lights and Low-lights

Highlights (Last Few Weeks)
-I got to look at so many new faces in Cali, favorites include my gramma and grandpa who loved on me and mommy so much.
-My friend Julie Kain brought me two new books to drool on.
-I flew on several airplanes, enjoying some quality roaring engine white noise which led to sleeping on several airplanes.
-I hung out poolside with this giant guy named Jack, who is my "cousin", which means I get to follow him around the rest of my life.
-I met other "cousins" who must be celebs because whenever I hung out with them the Blair paperatze followed us around... I'm still seeing flashes.
-I went to my first Angel game, all I can say is, "lights, lights, and more lights".
-Mom and Dad bought me the coolest toy ever, see video to come....
-Doc says I am 13lbs4oz, 80th%, 24 1/2in, 80th% and advanced in physical and cognitive ability development, and he didn't even ask me to count or read, which I would have easily obliged.
-I met Dr. Belza and he is my new favorite.
-I get new flashy diaper covers, no more pull-on rubber pants that are leaving red rings on my thighs and tummy.
-I've discovered baby Tylenol.
Lowlights
-I had to leave gramma and grandpa's house and all that I was beginning to love.
-Mom took some airborne and vitamin C and I learned that my tummy does not like them.
-I don't like this thing called a "time change", it messes with my whole world of eating and sleeping, especially my beauty sleep.
-My rubber pants are making red rings on my thighs and tummy.
-Mom is working on kicking me out of bed, I'm working on making nights miserable so that I can get back in bed.
-I met Dr. Belza's nurse and she's my new example of devil in disguise.
-I got my shots from devil lady, all five of them with some roto-something drops as a chaser.
-I showed mom that I can hold me breath for 5 l-o-n-g seconds and make my face nearly purple-red while crying... a first for me...

So, at least the highlights list is longer than the lowlights. Life is pretty much great out here in this big ole world.

6 Weeks

Here is the latest of Momma and Me. Some say we have the same chin... I don't see it.



My Uncle Rob came to see me... and to go to some conference on the side... he can't wait to introduce me to my cousins Timerie, Brennen, and Caleb in a few days!




I promise this isn't my scared face it's my intrigued face.



Yeah, I still keep my hands in little fists often but I am sitting up in the pillows better and better. I like to look around and watch what Mommy and Daddy are doing.

This is a good shot of that dimple in my right cheek. We don't know where I got it but it sure is cute!

1 Month Old- No April Fools!

Gosh, this life of mine is just flying by. Today, in celebration of being alive one month, mom took me to the lactation consultant! Not the present I had expected, nor wanted. These strange, new ladies with different smells than my mommy and different voices than my mommy held me and stuck their fingers in my mouth. They told mom to make sure I was mad, I mean hungry, when we showed up... well, I let them have it! Just because I'm only a month old doesn't mean my lungs aren't fully developed!

Anyways, they really helped me and mom work some things out. Everyone kept telling us that nursing is supposed to be pain free but we just hadn't experienced that consistently. Mom told me that after 1 month if things weren't better (and we had the moola), we were going! We received some really great help and most importantly confidence from the pro lady. Just after this first nursing at home things are already 10times better! I was even in such a good mood, I gave daddy my most photogenic expression, what do you think?


Okay... maybe not my best expression, but I can't give all the cute ones out too early in life.
P.S. My mom says, "Look, his little cheeks are getting chubby-er"

My Room

This is the little corner of our apartment that mom and dad are letting me rent out. It holds all my cool stuff, like my diapers, and my clothes, and blankies and the like. My favorite part of the room is my changing table. I could just play and kick and look out the window all day... well, maybe really only for 10min max. Those paintings that were the inspiration for my room decor were painted by my greatgrandma, on daddy's side, and the bumper was custom made by my auntie Kim.
Yeah maybe one day I'll sleep in here...

My Many Faces

It's a hard job but someone has to do it.







Life is Good.




I wasn't done Mom.





This one is for my uncle Jer.

I love hugging my Mama.

I love this thing.

Nana nana boo boo...

I am sooooooo cute.

Daddy and I Travel

I love going places with my Daddy... He is so proud to take me too.

3 Week Letter to Mommy

Everyone tells me that I have been out here now for 3 weeks, but I say it sure feels like a lifetime...
Mom-
These last three weeks have been jam packed with so many new experiences for me that I couldn't wait till I am a month old to tell you about them. That first week, I was a little selfish, and I know that playing "pin the gaping wide open mouth on the target" got a little old, but I really enjoyed it. As much fun as I had, I know that you were very sore and sleepy. The best night was the first, coming home from the hospital and the milk man delivering. I felt like I was in the Holy land cuz it sure was flowing with milk and... well, milk. Gramma Stephie told you the leaky faucets would soon figure things out and I was sure glad because things were getting quite messy. I overheard you telling Dad that the first week was more like a "to-do" list with lots of boxes to check off, as far as our relationship was concerned. I slept so much that I was just happy that all of the boxes concerned me!
The second week went a lot better as far you and I getting to know one another. You learned my wet dypie cry from my hungry cry. Grandma and Grandpa Blair really helped us out that week. The breast milk got better cuz you were getting regular healthy meals and we were getting regular, somewhat routine sleep. I'd say this week was a turning point in our relationship. A couple of random days I was really mad all afternoon and I don't really know why. You and Dad tried so hard to console me, but really all I wanted was that delicious milk. This second week you also introduced me to a new friend, my pacifier. Our relationship was very rocky in the beginning, but I think I have now grasped the benefit of having him around. You say the best part is that I only want to play with him when everything else is taken care of, like; I'm full, I'm dry, I'm entertained, and I'm ready for a nap.... don't get me wrong, I don't need it for every sleepy time, just those ones especially when I want to suck. This week I also discovered that I love to night-time surprise mommy with a fountain... not a pee pee fountain either... I think we've washed the changing table cover as many times as we've washed the diapers.
Week three has been the bestest! Sadly, grandma judy left Tuesday, but that just meant only you and me all day together. The first day, was a disaster... You say, "Was it something I ate?", I say "Whaaaaah" and that was the entire day, eat, diaper change, cry, sleep 10min, cry, eat, cry.... sorry about that. You were crying with me most of the time but you explained it to me as "something that you just had to get out." I'm glad that it's out cuz it was kind of freakin me out. Starting that wednesday night, I thought I would give you a break for the great job you are doing as a mom... and I think God is also intervening on your behalf.... because I slept and now have been sleeping 8ish-1ish, 130ish-6ish and 630ish-930ish... Its been three nights in a row now.... I also have been napping very well. You say "thank you Lord" for a routine and I'm thinking this routine thing is not too shabby. Since the routine thing is going so well, I think I might be ready for that thing you call "church", mommy. You tell me that its Easter Sunday and that I'll most likely hear the greatest hero story ever about a Godman that is greater than any super hero I'll ever idolize.... I can't wait!