Ocpus

James eating his first "ocpus" (calamari).  He has lately been very attached to pictures of the leggy creatures, and often carries around his puzzle piece with the octopus on it.  He liked it a lot- and why not, it was fried.  He did try to eat a rather large ring whole and Tim had to cut it in pieces once James gave up and spat it out.  And he loved the tentacle bits.

Oh bugs how I love you!

 While attempting to fix the attic ladder we pulled in a ladder from outside- as I was folding it to put it away I noticed the molted skin of a cicada stuck to the ladder.

 James tried to pull it off but when it didn't come off easily Tim stepped into help.  James was very gentle (he had only seen one before and pulverized it to smithereens within seconds).

 After a bit of just looking at it he tried to attach it to his pajama top the way it had been attached to the ladder.

 It didn't stick too well (but notice that one leg did!).

 We decided to put it outside before it became insect dust on the bedroom floor.

 

On a side note, when I was little Texas had tons of these each year-I haven't seen near the same quantity here in Atlanta.  But hopefully James will get to experience watching a cicada molt its skin- I remember seeing that as a child and being fascinated by the process.

I didn't remove the leg though, too cute to take it off.  Tim said he found it later on the floor.

If you ignore your child long enough...

he will finally figure out how to put his train track together by himself!
I am assuaging my guilt by focusing on James' accomplishment.  He basically entertained himself all day today (or watched WAY TOO MUCH "shows" aka. PBS).  I had a tons of desk tasks to get done, emails to send, bills to pay, calls to make, appointments to make, and then I also had to clean the entire house as my house cleaner didn't show up yesterday and we had to have a clean house this evening for someone coming over.
So James would come up to me with a box of multi-grain cheerios he had pulled out of the pantry and ask for some, or he'd push his empty water sippey cup into my hand and ask for more...or he would ask me to come to his room so he could triumphantly point to the train track that he put together by himself for the very first time.  He was so pleased with himself.
Then this evening he got the reward he was seeking for his patience all day.  He got to stay up later than his normal bedtime just being snuggled, tickled and adored by me.  The house is clean, the people came and left and I could finally focus on my baby bean- his soft, squishy skin, his shining brown eyes twinkling with delight, and his small hands turning my face to his to say hi.
This getting to be a momma is such a blessing and joy.

 One year ago we graduated from the small hooded infant towel to the large mouse towel Tim's grandparents gave me at the baby shower.  Now the mouse is down to one eye, but it still fits and he still looks as cute in it as every. 

 This was the first time we used it (oh I am missing those rolls!)

 Of course, he had to give it a taste.

Atlanta Baby Shower (a post not quite 2 years belated)...

Then a little while later Christi and Shelly put together a shower for us just a little over a month before yet-to-be-named James was expected.  The vases on the mantle say "baby Arscott".  They had asked me what kind of theme I was doing for the baby, for the nursery.  As I didn't have anything specific other than hanging pieces of handwork from women in my family we went with and old-fashioned theme.  It was perfect.

 A beautiful table with DELICIOUS food.

 Christi's mom's punch bowl getting yet another baby shower under it's belt.

 A darling clothesline with tiny clothes- that ended up being worn quite often and might now have a stain or two to show for it.

 Again everyone signed the baby book...

 And in the tradition of our group of girlfriends everyone who came got their picture taken with me and put together a page to put in a scrapbook for me.

It was a wonderful shower- made even more sweet by being surrounded by other young moms and friends who would get to see James just days old and have watched him grow into a darling little boy.

Thank you Christi and Shelly! 

Oh, so many, many moons ago...

I was given a baby shower by my mother, sister and Tim's mom in anticipation of our baby boy- not yet even named James.  And at that time blogger made you upload pictures one by one and it took FOREVER.  Busy with preparing for baby I never got around to blogging about it, but it is one of those posts that I think about at least a couple of times a month.  Since then blogger has made the vast improvement of letting you upload a bunch of photos at one time.  So to say a small thank you to my mom, sister and Sharon for their love and creativity in throwing this shower for me and James- here goes....

They went with a fish/fishing/aquatic theme.  (I've been teased that I go overboard with parties...you'll see that I inherited that trait from my mother.)

From the watermelon boat filled with fruit salad...

to the light blue, medium blue and white table cloths as the ocean it is sailing in...(notice the life boat attached to the left of the main boat)

napkins folded into paper boats...

cream cheese "log" shaped into a fish...on a fish plate...

pieces of vanilla and chocolate cake with all manners of sea creatures perched on top...

a tackle box for the baby to go fishing with his daddy (the bright blue at the back)...

little boy fishing quilt made by Sharon for the nursery (which now hangs over the changing table)...

One of the only non-fish aspects- pictures of Tim and I growing up.

Sharon greeted everyone and said a prayer before we dug into lunch.

Krista and my mom came up with several games for us to play- and I did quite well despite my pregnancy brain!

Tim's aunt Sheila (Sharon's sister) gave a small devotional which was very encouraging to a soon-to-be new mom.

I got to see friends I hadn't seen in ages and learned that Val, on the right, was expecting her third child.

Their was a lot of great food...

Erin was due just a few weeks before me with a baby girl, Amelia.  The only time women are proud to be carrying extra weight!

Fish swimming in M&Ms in a sea of shades of blue and white...

The flag atop the mast of the watermelon boat- one of pair of infant socks...

Pimento cheese sandwiches in the shapes of frogs and sea stars (I think at that time they were still officially called starfish).

Roast beef and cheese seahorse sandwiches...

The fleet ready to come to rescue of messy fingers...

Tim's grandmother.

Everyone signed the babybook...now I just have to catch up on it myself.

They also wrote me words of advice and encouragement.

Notice also that my mother filled the tackle box with it's first catch- fish soaps!

A LOT of gifts- the baby I are were very spoiled.

Little did they know that James would truly be obsessed with fish, frogs, ANYTHING to do with water.  I suppose all those fish themed foods somehow made it through the umbilical cord, and that paired with some kind of fishing gene passed down from Tim made for one little boy in love with "dish" (the most recent pronunciation of fish by James).