A first we could have done without

While Tim was bathing James last night- it happened...you know, the body took over regardless of the time and place.
Next thing I hear is Tim saying "Kate, I need some help in here" and I go in to find a naked James held aloft over the tub...and in the tub several turds, with one smeared quite artistically on the bottom.
So all the toys go into the sink with bleach water, the tub gets wiped clean of major stuff, then scrubbed with cleaner.
Back in goes James with a huge smile- I think he decided he has figured out how to prolong bathtime!
As we were trying to get a wet naked baby back into warm water as quickly as we could I didn't get any pictures...not that many would have thanked me anyway for posting them!

I did it!

Notice the potted mums on the buffet? The beautiful plant from Christi and Jarrett was waiting to greet us when we arrived home from the hospital with James.

And here is it over a year later.  Not only not dead (though there have been many close calls) but it actually is beginning to bloom! (This is a great accomplishment for me, I do ok with houseplants but I have never had a potted mum live longer than 2 weeks before as I think I tend to over water.  But apparently mums thrive in neglect which is definitely what happens when a baby enters the picture.)

New expression

 I haven't been able to capture a really good example of the tongue curl, but this is James' new favorite expression.

 He literally goes through out the day with his tongue just like this (though more curled usually and slightly protruding) unless he is actively chewing, smiling or fussing.

Band-Aid Baby

I suppose James is technically no longer a baby but rather a toddler now that he is one-year old.  But I think for quite a lot longer he will be MY baby.
And my baby is getting bigger every day.  Today we had his one-year checkup and his head is 19 inches around- 95%, 32 inches tall- 96%, and he weighs 26 pounds- 90%.  Looks like he'll be keeping his chubby thighs a bit longer and I am glad as they are so delicious to squeeze!
He is now sporting two band-aids: the first on his left thigh from his immunization; the second on his left arm at the inside elbow from where he had to get stuck to give blood for his lead test.
When our doctor stuck him for the vaccine he was sitting on my lap and didn't even make a peep- just looked up at her wide-eyed- then she put on the band-aid and he immediately took it off with curiosity.  I then replaced it as the injection site was oozing a bit.
Then we had to go to Quest Diagnostics to get the blood drawn for the lead test as our doctor's office doesn't stick the little people.
At the lab there wasn't a line, thankfully as it was getting very near naptime.  We went straight in the I read The Very Hungry Caterpillar to James while they asked me all the insurance info.
Then I was asked if I'd rather do the finger prick- since I had mentioned when we first sat down- rather than a vein draw like an adult.  They said they normally do the vein because when they do a finger it takes a lot longer as they have to "milk" the finger to get enough blood.  I had actually been a bit concerned about how long a finger draw would take and the resulting sore finger- so I said to just go ahead and do the vein.

James did great when she put the rubber band around his right bicep and looked for a vein- she didn't find one. So the band went onto the left arm and again James was just curious.  The tech found a good vein and asked if would be able to hold his arm still or if she needed to ask another tech to come help.  I tried at first but he is so strong I couldn't hold both his body and arm still.   So the other tech came in, I held his body still (begins to fuss), she held his arm (really protesting!) and the first one stuck him with the port needle (full out crumpled face and bawling).  Oh my poor baby!  Thankfully they were correct in saying this method doesn't take long and about 1 second later it was done.  James stopped crying and I got his band-aid on.  On the way out we said goodbye to the tech who did the actual draw and James' face crumpled once more for small reminder protest.  That poor lady- she said she worked at a Children's hospital for two weeks and had to quit, the babies looking at her accusingly just broke her heart.
Now we just wait to see how the test comes back...hopefully our renovations in our old house won't cause any problems.

On everything

We just replaced the bedrooms' carpeting with hardwoods so everything was moved out of them and into the front part of the house.  James was thrilled with all the new climbing options.  Our shoe organizer was the perfect height.

 This birthday boy has decided that everything in the house must be conquered.

He can get up onto the ottoman to the point of having his legs off the floor but hasn't yet gotten his legs up securely enough to not slide off again.

 This morning he decided the underside of the drawer was very interesting and that the best vantage point for examining it was directly under.

If the footrest is pushed up to the rocking chair in his room he can climb up onto it.  Thankfully he hasn't realized he can push it yet.  I keep it far away from the rocker when I'm not using it.  And since we removed the bench in front of hte windows this week this is the first time he has been able to look out the window.

First birthday party

The first video is of all the kids (minus James who slept for the first hour plus of his party) decorating their "hills".  I made the cupcakes in a dome shape.  The little landscapers added chocolate ganache as mud and then marshmallow "rocks", pretzel "sticks", broken graham cracker "wood chips" and crumbled chocolate cake "dirt".  At the end of the clip you can see me putting James' together.
The second video speaks for itself.  He is very pleased and I think a bit confused by all the attention.

 Going back- we made James' party invites using his "muddy" footprints.  His favorite activity is going outside and getting dirty and tasting all the acorns, wood chips, leaves, etc.  As a bonus the picture captures one of his quirks- his second toes are shorter than his third toes.

 For lunch we had cheese quesadillas  and black beans for the kids, berry salad, corn bread, white chicken chili, red beef chili, cheese dip, guacamole and chips.  I also made a gluten-free chocolate cake for the grown-ups who didn't get to decorate hills.

 James has grinned at balloons over the past couple of months so I knew I had to get some to decorate- and all the other kids loved them too.

 As the party favor and something for the kids they made pinecone bird feeders with peanut butter and birdseed.

 Baby Harris was underwhelmed by it all and took James' cue that napping was the way to go.

 Elsa, Jude, Lucas, Finnan and Keagan decorating the "hills.

 James really liked the sticks!

 Elsa helping supervise the opening of the gifts...in short order she graduated to demonstrating for James how it is done properly.

 The first gift of a train set (with specially decorating wrapping paper) James did quite well with- after that his attention wavered as the pile of toys grew around him calling his name.

 Though he still LOVED all the cards, especially pulling them from their envelopes.

He was gifted with trains, cars, a ball game, stuffed animals, clothes, a puzzle, some books, flashlights, a Tonka truck...so many new things to play with and all the kids helped him check them out to make sure they worked.

Before his birthday party Tim and I gave him a play hut with tunnel and 100 colored balls to put in it.  I also knit him another owl sweater and Tim finished his bookcase.

 The picture below was taken right after James woke up from his nap...while the other kids were decorating their hills.  He was a bit dazed at first.

But he quickly became his normal happy, smiling self.

The party was Saturday and today, on his actual birthday, we went to music class where everyone sang to him, and then we picked up Tim to have a birthday lunch together (though we chose the restaurant based on us more than him, having Vietnamese sandwiches) James got to nibble on carrot, bean sprouts, cilantro and Thai basil along with his peanut butter and jelly sandwich and jarred green beans.

This afternoon we played and currently James is down for a nap (after an HOUR of tortured crying, me going in once to calm him down, more tortured crying including gagging sounds...but I had to let him do it as yesterday and today he only took one half hour nap in the morning and he is just too young to start that up).  

Hopefully when he wakes up he will have forgotten how miserable he was going down and will actually be awake more this evening when Tim gets home and can play.

One Year Ago Today EXACTLY!

Happy birthday, my sweet baby boy!

(more details on his birthday party and how he has grown to come later today)