A Day of Firsts

James has had a lot of firsts over the past month while I haven't been blogging. And yesterday he had nine.

1. First full-out tantrum. Started while I was pinning him down to clip his nails and continued for the next 5 minutes. It began with us both sitting on the floor as I finished with his nails. He was sitting in front of me cry/yelling and then his whole body shook/trembled with frustration/anger and he lunged at my knee with his mouth wide open. Thankfully I got out of the way quickly and he didn't manage to bite me. I don't think he was intending to hurt me, but rather just didn't know how to process what he was feeling. He continued to fuss and arch his back and throw back his head for the next few minutes. I tried to calm him and console him but nothing I did worked. So I put him down and went 5 feet away into the bathroom to brush my teeth thinking he didn't really want me messing with him and that I might be actually prolonging the tantrum by trying to intervene- but he then proceeded to crawl after me and cling to my legs still going on.
   I was worried that it was the beginning of some terrible tantrums until I realized this morning that I had clipped his thumb nail too short and that is what set him off. If only he'd hold still!
2. First attempt at coloring with crayons.
3. First successful eating of crayons.
   
4. First time using a straw sippy cup!
   
5. First runny nose/cold
6. First time down a slide with me- he loved it!
7. First time climbing up the jungle gym and crawling through the tunnel.
8. First time discovering a (flushed) toilet without the seat down. Boy did he enjoy splashing in that before I caught him!
9. First time unrolling the toilet paper...the entire roll.
   

Other firsts he's had this past month included: first music class, first time to the park, first time in a baby swing, first time climbing a flight of stairs, first blackberries and raspberries, first peanut butter bread, first grilled cheese, ....and so many more that I can't even recall them all.

1. 
   

First time eating crayons.

James' face lit up when I demonstrated how to hold the crayon and put color to the page. But the first thing he did when I handed him the crayon was put it in his mouth. I kept pulling it out and telling him it was for the paper and not to eat. And he did actually attempt to color- tapping the crayon on the paper. But the lure of the stick in his hand was too much to resist and in it went again over and over. Finally I decided he had ingested enough of the crayon and wasn't trying any longer to "color" so I put them away.
The video is his reaction.

Bottoms up!

I thought there was nothing cuter than a baby in a romper, but a baby in a romper with his bottom sticking up in the air while he snoozes away the afternoon is even better.

First blackberries

James was thrilled with his first blackberries.

However, he got almost as much on himself...

...as in himself.

No matter though!

He got a bath right after.

And I think he has actually learned...

that the messier he eats...

the more likely he'll get to have a splash in the tub.

He has gone from this kind of mess you are seeing here...

To rubbing his hands through his hair,

sticking his fingers in his ears,

and in general getting every nook and cranny filled with whatever he is eating.

The clip is long, but towards the end he drops part of berry on his belly and picks it off to eat it. Very cute.