James' 2-Month Check Up and More!

So I am totally slacking in the post department! I was doing good on maternity leave to try and update every day and then I went back to work October 15 and the bottom fell out!
Anyway, James' 2 month check up was on October 20th and here is his info (compared to Gracie's):

James' Stats:
Height: 24 3/4 inches
Weight: 13 lbs, 14 oz

Gracie's Stats:
Height: 23 inches
Weight: 12 lbs, 5 oz

So by month two he has already outgrown his big sister!

Speaking of his big sister, her fourth (OMG) birthday is coming up on November 4th! It's going to be at the local YMCA, and I've already met with the catering company who works with the Y for these parties and Gracie is getting a Cinderella cake that will look somewhat like one of these cakes.

I was telling Bryan last night I can't believe how big she is now! I had her in my lap last night and I remember when, like James now, her whole body fit on one of my arms. Like the length from my elbow to my fingertips was how long she was. Now she can physically wrap both arms and legs around me! And she's so big! When I look at her, I'm just amazed to know she was as small as her brother once. I think she has grown several inches in the past year, too.

James is still continuing to babble, coo, and smile at us. He is enjoying daycare and his teachers all rave about how good a baby he is. That makes me happy to hear! He is also enjoying his night time bath, and he splashed so much the other night Bryan had to mop it up with a towel. But he loves his bath time! He's just like his big sister in that area!

Other than Gracie's birthday, we do have Halloween coming up. I almost posted pictures of their costumes the other day and decided against it - you'll have to wait and see! Gracie and I put James in his costume the other night and laughed hysterically for a good bit before taking it back off! Can you guess what he's going to be? If you already know, don't give it away....

Come to think of it, I may have posted about it a few weeks ago! Hhmmm..we'll see!

Today....

Today, I sent both of my sweet babies to daycare. Both of them, for the first time. And no...I don't want to talk about it.

James - Two Months

James at one month.....

and James at two months!


The first few physical appearances I notice: his face is not as round anymore. He is getting longer (I can tell by comparing the area of the bouncy seat he covers in each photo). His hair acts like it is starting to thin out, and I really am beginning to think that his hair is going to be curly (any time he gets it washed or he gets sweaty, it curls up in the back).

Other milestones:
1.I got my first official smile at 1AM on Sept 24th!
2.He slept through the night for the first time on Sept 27th (although he hasn't done it since then! Did anybody else have this problem with one of their babies? Gracie slept through the night at 3 weeks old!)
3. He is more vocal - babbling, cooing, whining (crying but it's just noise, no real crying) and hates it when you stop talking to him.
4. He is staying awake for longer periods of time and developing some kind of schedule I can follow
5. He is starting to like his swing more! YAY!
6. He has started to notice that he has a tongue, and that if he moves his arms and legs - THEY WORK!
7. He still prefers to be swaddled when he's going to sleep, but I think that's only occasionally now
8. He seems to have outgrown his colic/it's not as bad at night anymore. Whoo hoo!

He will get the last bottle of breast milk that I have on Monday, and then he starts daycare on Tuesday. I go back to work officially on Thursday. Pray for me, I'm already dreading it!

Cheese G.R.I.T.S and Jesus!

Stop laughing.

And don't ask questions.

What do Cheese G.R.I.T.S and Jesus have in common? GO HERE and find out!

Grand Ole Pumpkin Patch

So this year, Bryan and I decided to skip the Alabama National Fair and take Gracie and James to the Pumpkin Patch in Clanton, which is about a 45 minute drive from where we live. This was the first time I had ever been, and it was an absolutely perfect day for it - not too cool, not too hot, and there was a little bit of a breeze.
We also had my aunt Gail and her daughter Kaytlin go with us (you'll see Kaytlin in some of the pictures).


Some of the festive fall decorations outside the Big Red Barn (where we bought a pumpkin carving kit, a pumpkin cup, and a small cross for the fridge).


James on one of the photo-op locations at the pumpkin patch!


I swear, this kid sleeps through everything!


James and me on the Twactor Train.


Gracie and one of her funny faces on the Twactor Train.


Gracie and Kaytlin


Gracie on Sugar, one of the ponies at the pumpkin patch.


Gracie and Kaytlin on the hayride. The kids have the option of going on a hayride to pick out a pumpkin, and Bryan got off to help Gracie pick out hers while James and I stayed on the wagon. I will post pictures once we carve the pumpkin.


Gracie on the same photo-op James was on earlier!


The girls enjoying some ice cream before we packed up to head home.

This might become a family tradition for us! Gracie had a lot of fun and so did the rest of us, and it was nice and not crowded at all (once the two school groups left, we were the only people there!)

CHEESE!

We got a smile on camera!

And then some other random pictures....

Family Fun Day in Pictures!

Our awesome youth performing "Awesome God" (they form a cross at the end, which is really cool!)

Lacey, Brittany, and Kayla at the end of drama performance for "He Is"

Kayla during the drama "He Is" (Leigh, I told you this was a good picture!)

James wearing his "Id rather be eating cookies, cake, and candy!" bib

Gracie enjoying a cupcake!