Blanket pictures

Time is going by so fast. This first month has been indescribable. The overwhelming love I felt for James the day he was born continues to grow, which I didn't think was possible! He is my world and I thank God every day for our son. He is already getting to be a big boy! I started taking "blanket" pictures of James each week for the first 4 weeks and will continue with them monthly now until he is a year old. It is a fun way to see how much he is growing. I forget whose blog I saw this on but thought it was a cute idea!

We also had a professional photographer, Terry Smith http://www.clarinesmith.com/ , come to the house today and take pictures of James. She was so good with him and takes incredible pictures! The pictures should be on her website in two weeks and we will get a cd. I will post a few of my favorites as soon as we have them. We are also going to have her take pictures of James at 6 months and 1 year. My friend Courtney did the same with her son Jacob and I thought it was a great idea!

Four weeks old

James Peyton

He is starting to laugh!
Our little angel James is four weeks old! Here is what babycenter.com says about how he is growing:

Your baby may gurgle, coo, grunt, and hum to express his feelings. A few babies also begin squealing and laughing. Be sure to coo and gurgle back, and talk to your baby face to face. He'll enjoy holding your gaze now. If you have things to do, your baby will still enjoy hearing your voice from across the room. And don't feel silly about using baby talk — babies are particularly attuned to this high-pitched, drawn-out way of communicating, which can actually teach your baby about the structure and function of language.

Three weeks old!

James is three weeks old! He is eating about every three hours and sleeping at night four hours at a time before he wakes up hungry then goes back to sleep for another four after he eats. So yes, we are sleeping just not for long periods of time. We have gone a few places; Super Target (see post below), out to eat twice with Daddy and to Northpark, and lunch with Ashley, Blaire, and Harper. That's about it so far! James also falls asleep easily in his car seat when riding around in the car. He really is a wonderful baby. Here is what babycenter.com says about how he is growing this week:

Belly baby
Be sure you're continuing to put your baby down on his stomach for "tummy time" when he's awake. Babies should sleep on their back, but they also need to spend time on their belly every day to strengthen their neck muscles, which help them push up, roll over, sit up, and crawl. By the end of this week, your baby may lift his head briefly and possibly move it from side to side when he's lying on his stomach. Try putting your face in front of your baby's to encourage him to hold up his head to look at you. You can also roll up a towel or receiving blanket and put it under her chest to help get him started with his push-ups. Soon, his nervous system and muscle control will mature and her jerky movements will become more fluid.

Self-soothing
Babies love and need to suck, so don't discourage it. In fact, you may have discovered that a pacifier works wonders in helping your baby calm down.The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends using pacifiers at nap time and bedtime, based on evidence that using a pacifier may reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). When the binky or your finger isn't around, your baby may even be able to find her thumb or fingers to soothe himself.

James is very strong and has been lifting his head up since his first week home. He doesn't quite have control over it yet though. He does have a pacifier, the only one he likes is the soothie one from the hospital, but usually only has it when he is falling asleep. He loves his rainforest activity mat and we are going to spend a little more time on his tummy this week!

Super Target

James's 2nd trip to Super Target!

James loves shopping at Target as much as his Daddy does!

James' second trip to Super Target was great! It was not as eventful as his first. Sunday Sean played golf in a Park Place golf tournament so I took James over to Grandma-ma and Papa's house for the first time. We (me, James, Great-Grandmom, and Grandma-ma) decided to make a quick trip to Super Target. We were in the store for no more than five minutes when James had a BIG dirty diaper. It was all over his onesie, socks, car seat, blanket, and stroller. If I had been by myslef I would have cried. Instead Grandma-ma and I just laughed and spent twenty minutes in the restroom cleaning him and everything else up. At least I was prepared and had an extra of everything in the diaper bag! So that is why I was excited that we had a successful trip to Super Target today when it was just the two of us. James slept most of the time and was a little angel!

Two weeks old

I can't believe James is already two weeks old! We went to our pediatrician today for his two week checkup. James weighs 8 lbs 10 oz and is 22.25 inches long. He is up 4 oz from his birth weight and has grown an inch already! He is in the 75th percentile for weight and the 97th percentile for height. Dr. Smith, our pediatrician, said he is a beautiful baby and doing great! We go back on June 30th for his two month checkup. Here is what babycenter.com says about how James is growing:

Your womb was a warm and cozy environment, and it takes time for your baby to adjust to the various sights, sounds, and sensations of life outside your body. You may not be able to detect much of a personality just yet as your baby spends his time moving in and out of several different states of sleepiness, quiet alertness, and active alertness.The only way your baby knows to communicate is by crying, but you can communicate with him through your voice and your touch. (He can now recognize your voice and pick it out among others.)Your baby probably loves to be held, caressed, kissed, stroked, massaged, and carried. He may even make an "ah" sound when he hears your voice or sees your face, and he'll be eager to find you in a crowd.

Mother's Day

I had a wonderful first Mother's Day! Grandma-ma, Papa, and Great-Grandmom came over Saturday night for dinner. Sunday James gave me the best Mother's Day present ever, he let me sleep until 9:30 a.m. We spent the day at home then took James out for the first time. We went to an early dinner at Uncle Julio's and James slept the entire time! He is such a good baby. We were only gone a little over an hour but I was ready to bring him back home!

One week old today

James Peyton-one week old!

James is one week old today! We are doing great and adjusting to our new life at home. James eats every 2-3 hours so that keeps us busy! He is also sleeping about 3-4 hours at a time at night so he is letting mommy and daddy get a little sleep! Here is what babycenter.com says about how he is growing this week:

Your baby's eyesight is still pretty fuzzy. Babies are born nearsighted and can see things best when they're about 8 to 15 inches away, so he can see your face clearly only when you're holding him close. Don't worry if your baby doesn't look you right in the eye from the start: Newborns tend to look at your eyebrows, your hairline, or your moving mouth. As he gets to know you in the first month, he'll become more interested in having eye-to-eye exchanges. Studies show that newborns prefer human faces to all other patterns or colors. (Objects that are bright, moving, high-contrast, or black-and-white are next in line.)

Stork Sign

A star is born!

James Peyton

Thank you to my friend Jen Olson who owns www.braggingrights.info We LOVE the stork sign!!!

First Bath

Not too sure about this

Awwww, poor baby, he is not happy

Much better, all clean!

First Day Home

James spent his first day at home on Saturday and Grandma-ma, Papa, and Great-Grandmom came over to visit! He spent most of the day sleeping but loved having visitors.

Going home

Daddy & James JPG

We are so excited to be going home today! Above are two pictures from our stay at the hospital. It has been a long three days and we cannot wait to take James home with us. I will be updating the blog with lots of pictures soon. Here are a few things I have learned about James so far:

1. When he wants his pacifier or wants to eat he opens his mouth and shakes his head fast from side to side.

2. So far he only cries when he is hungry or has a dirty diaper.

3. He is fascinated by his hands and loves to have them on his face and he also loves to hold my finger in his little hand.

4. He has the cutest sneeze I have ever heard!

5. I think he might grow up to be a great soccer player because he loves to kick his feet and move his legs. No wonder I constantly felt him kicking my ribs!