James is One

James had his first birthday on December 3rd.  We are so glad he is a member of our family!  He gives us all a reason to laugh each day, and his place as baby gives William a reason to always insist on being a big boy.

 

James gets along well with everyone.  He sparkles with a special smile whenever he sees his siblings.

 

 

 

I recently flew with James to Utah for the weekend to see my brother off on a Mission to Alaska and Canada.  Even though it was late at night when we were reunited with Joel and the kids at the airport, the moment I began strapping James into his car seat and he laid eyes on his buddy William, he let out a loud giggle.  It was the first time in days I heard him laugh.  I think he missed his brothers and sister.

 

James is loved on by the kids all day long.  Sometimes he tires of it and would prefer to just be loved on by me.  Several times a day when he gets too wound up and starts to get upset, I take him to a quiet space and just snuggle with him.  He still melts into me the way he did when he was a newborn, and he still sucks his thumb contentedly.  After a few minutes of this, he is recharged and ready to face the chaos.  (So am I.)

 

And there is chaos quite often.  James has developed a taste for roughhousing with Joel and the kids.  His small size does not deter him.  But he will always stop to laugh at a rendition of This Little Piggy, or to "converse" with me when I mimic his sounds.



 

 

 

James embraces a major attachment to his moose pillow pet.  We bought this for him last year for Christmas merely as a formality; the other kids were getting one from Santa Claus and we thought they might notice if he was left out.  They didn't.  It took James a few months to notice the moose at all, but once he did, it was love. 

 

He sleeps with the moose every day.  James lays on it and twiddles the antlers with the spare fingers on his thumb-sucking hand.  When he wakes up, I hear him babbling and laughing to the moose.  He loves to pick it up and throw it, then collapse into it, and then throw it again.

 

 

 If it were up to James, he'd take this moose with him everywhere.  And he would bring it everywhere.  Two weeks ago, he taught himself how to scale the ladder up to Ashley's bunk.  He was so proud of himself I thought his little grin would pop right off his face.  Now when I catch him partway up, he hurries to complete his ascent while bursting out with loud, gleeful laughter.  I think it is time I retire the ladder during the day, although he is surprisingly steady on the climb down. 

 

James has begun to try to put his own shoes on, talk on the phone, and reorganize all my cupboards.  He took a few steps a week before his birthday but has since decided walking is overrated and hasn't been willing to try again.  However, he pushes anything he can across the living room and keeps up well with the kids by racing along on all fours.

James has developed an endearing way of kissing: he licks!  The little monkey sticks his tongue out and licks me on the face.  I will be sad when he stops doing this but my face will be free of slobber.

James loves all food, except for green beans and certain kinds of crackers.  He loves to sort through the dinner on his tray, eating what he prefers and throwing the rest on the floor.  When he is finished drinking his cups end up on the floor, too.  If you give him round crackers or saltines, he stacks them up neatly and eats them like a sandwich.

I am trying to teach him baby signs like I did with my other kids, but he whines each time I do because it means his food service is being delayed.

He laughs more easily for the kids than he does for any adult.  Ashley, Everett, and William love this and milk it whenever they possibly can.



We had a few rough weeks while James was working on growing some molars, but we have our happy guy back now.  He's still got some fire in him, though!  He is guaranteed to throw a very loud fit if:

• He has to wait more than 1.5 seconds for his milk to be warmed up
• He wants to be held and no one is picking him up (you can be crouching right next to him with your arms outstretched, but he will still collapse dramatically on the floor, yell and cry, and wait for you to finish the gesture)
• He wants to be held by Mommy and is not getting her
• He gets put to bed without his Moose
• You try to give him a bath

And, he is still my second-biggest Mama's baby.  No one could possibly top Everett in that regard, but sometimes James comes pretty darn close.  Fortunately I have learned to enjoy it.  There is a special feeling associated with a snuggle meant for only Mommy.

I was dreading James's first birthday for a long time, and I had to finally force myself to resign to it.  Where did my cuddly little newborn go?  I am not ready for my sweet little infant to change into a toddler!  James is a lot of fun and I'm grateful we have him, but sometimes I sure wish time would slow down so I could enjoy this forever.