9 months and counting…

I can’t believe in 3 short months this little guy will be 1!

If you look closely you can see those cute bottom teeth that popped up last month. His first teeth and he is loving it!

He is also pulling himself up on everything, gets to where he needs to go, loves going grocery shopping with mom and Grammo, and said his first word today.

Dada.

I’d be jealous except it was the sweetest thing I’ve ever seen. John and I heard him wake up so we went together to say good morning. We sang our good morning song to him, he smiled real big, looked at John and clear as day said “Dada”. That kid makes my heart melt.

Family Camping

We are back from a fun filled camping trip to Bishop. We had a great time being unplugged and spending time with family, fishing, and enjoying the great outdoors. That is, if you call this the great outdoors….

That’s right, our kid is chillin in  a hotel room playing with a shoe box. (He’s very easily entertained, and somewhere there is a picture of his daddy doing the same thing.:-))

We had every intention of camping.

We set up camp.

We put up this cute little wash station I found on pinterest, which did work really well.

And we even hung out a bit.

But shortly after these photos were taken, this one was.

Yup, that’s mommy and James hanging out in the car while everyone else quickly picked up necessaries from camp. Why you ask? Oh, because of the huge bear that was looking for food a couple yards from our tent. Papa happen to come upon him while fishing in the creek behind our campsite. Well, we’ve only been parents for a couple months, but we thought removing our kid from a bear’s snack zone might be a good idea. So off to camp Holiday Inn where Grandma and Papa were staying. 🙂 John and Papa braved it out like the men that they are at the cold, bear infested camp site while James, Grandma and I camped out in style.

Playing with shoe boxes.

We did manage to enjoy fishing and even get a family photo or 2.

So we ran into some snags, but who doesn’t? We had a great time on our car rides there and back, which James did great on. We were super glad about that! Camping with a kiddo is a bit more tricky but the more we do it, the more we are getting the hang of it. Thank goodness for grandparents that are so willing to help out!

I absolutely love creating these memories! Hope everyone had a great weekend.

Flying with a baby

Our family recently took a trip up to Portland, OR to see my best friend get married. It was a wonderful wedding that I have been really looking forward to! However, to get there involved flying with an 8 month old. Now, neither John nor myself love flying, so this was a trip that was planned and prepared for in the biggest way. I can’t tell you how many times I googled or searched pinterest on tips for flying with babies. In the long run it was all unnecessary because he did great, of course. Here are some things that we did to make traveling with a baby run smoothly:

1. We packed ahead. All bags were packed and ready to go a day ahead. This may seem like an obvious one, but not with me. I thrive on last minute packing. Or maybe I thrive on procrastinating? Well, either way… 🙂 When packing I made sure there were pacifiers, snacks, change of clothes, toys, and books in checked and carry on luggage just in case.

2. We took Grammo.

We have no shame in grabbing a grandparent (or 3) when going anywhere with this little man. He loves them! We also feel that a 3:1 adult to child ratio is optimal.

3. Divide and conquer. John is a great logistical planner. He made sure we had a place to stay, car to drive, rides to and from the airport, food to eat, and money to use. (Not to mention muscle for those heavy bags. 🙂 ) I love the thrill of getting through the airport in the quickest and easiest fashion. I collected all tickets, ID’s, and luggage and was the front man for the team when checking in. Grammo provided entertainment and snacks as all seasoned moms seem to have mastered. It worked seamlessly.

4. We came prepared to ease the stress level of our fellow flyers. We’ve heard a lot about how stressful a crying baby can be for moms and dads and the worries about bothering other passengers. Together we came up with a cute little kit to hand out to those seated around us.

There’s a poem, m&m’s, and ear plugs. Seriously, who could get irritated when they have been given m&m’s? This little kit was a big hit!

In case you can not read it, the poem reads:

It’s my first time flyin’

And I’m really tryin’

Cause dad says there’s nothing to fear.

Now I do have some toys

I’m gonna try and be a big boy

But I haven’t even reached one year.

My parents brought you treats

While you’re stuck in your seats,

And a couple ear plugs and a smile.

Please know that I’m sorry

               I’m not tryin’ to be naughty

               If I happen to cry for awhile

               Your friend,

                                   Jimmy

5. We stayed calm and went with the flow. I had heard that all you have to do is nurse the baby (or bottle feed, whatever means to get the kiddo to suck to help with pressure in the ears) during take off and landing. James (for the first time ever!) wasn’t interested in eating. He was, however, super interested in everything around him. He also wanted to make sure he was held by all of us, giving him the best opportunity to experience the most of this new adventure.

And there you have it. I’m pretty sure we could have done it with 2 adults, a book, and a pacifier but that is all in hindsight. Had we not brought everything, I am sure there would have been wailing, diaper disasters, and an entire upset airplane. 😉

Looking forward to our next trip!

Keeping it real

In my mind I am the perfect wife, mom, and blogger. I keep up with everything on a daily basis, I am an amazing nurse, and you should see how clean my house is.

No, really.

My dream world is a lovely place to live.

I have learned so much since getting married, and even more since becoming a mom. I believe God is incredibly gracious to allow us to grow over time, and not correct things all at once. So, as evidenced by how infrequently I post, you can tell that I am learning that I can not do it all. But right along side it I am learning to just go with the flow…it’s way more happy that way. Sadly I am lowering my expectations for myself, but they were way too high anyway!

Fun for the blog though, it does appear that our kiddo is growing incredibly fast! Here he is from the last few monthly photo sessions.

6 months

7 months

8 months

And a second one. I just couldn’t choose a favorite.

James is starting to really get moving so we are baby proofing the house with a vengeance! We appreciate any advice on areas that little guys get into that you may have experience with. 🙂

In other news, John is loving life outside of school and thesis work! It’s a whole new world being able to plan things on the weekends.

I have also started a new job, which I love! My time at Loma Linda has come to an end after 8 years of working in high risk maternity. I am now working part time at Redlands Community Hospital in labor and delivery. I have been enjoying getting to know my new, fun coworkers, and the pace is so much nicer. God is good!

Time flys by….

We have been keeping up with monthly photos of James, but have had no time to post. Someone had commandeered the computer. I guess it was for a good reason… John finished his thesis!!!

We’re pretty excited and incredibly proud of him! I could gush and go on for days about how much time and effort he put into this thesis, what a wonderful product resulted, how impressed his professors were, but I will stop there. Well, almost. My handsome guy is graduating next week with honors with his Master’s degree. Woo hoo!

But that means we have 2 pictures to share of our little man’s growth.

Month 4

Somebody wasn’t holding still or posing for momma, so we take what we can get 🙂

Month 5

As most parents we could share uncountable things about this kid that we can’t get enough of! He is so sweet, fun, smiley, smart, and dang cute! He loves to smile, talk, and give Momma kisses. He thinks Daddy is the funniest, enjoys visiting with people, and takes everything in. He continues to be, and will always be, a blessing.

 

 

3 Months

Here he is in all his big boy glory!

This month proved to be much harder than the previous photo sessions. He is much more mobile!

I had to “bribe”, reposition, and distract multiple times. Here is the proof…

This little guys is growing like a weed! At the time of this photo he was 14 lbs and 24.5 in long. Still sleeping short spurts and eating constantly, but with the help of grandparents, mommy and daddy are getting some sleep. 🙂 James is rolling over now, grabbing at toys, and smiling almost all of the time.

I’m a little behind on posting this, but bonus…he’ll be 4 months in just a week and a half so there are more photos coming soon!

2 Month update

Our cute little boy just put himself to sleep in his big boy crib, so I’m jumping at the opportunity to enjoy a cup of decaf and post his 2 month stats. Here’s our sweet little guy.

We just love this face! James is growing well and had a perfect check up at his 2 month visit. He’s weighing in at 11lbs 8oz, and I’m loving those little chubby cheeks that are starting to form.

We had fun this month trying new things…

Smiling and laughing,

mommy and me yoga,

(phone photo, so a little blurry)

playing with toys,

wiggling out of a swaddle and holding his own pacifier, it’s a 2 for 1. 🙂

Learning more about patience and love everyday. This little guys amazes us at the things he can do and we feel blessed each day we have him. Still the hardest thing we have ever done, but so worth it!

1 Month old!

Time really does fly by! Not so much during middle of the night feedings…but for the most part it does fly. I can’t believe we have been parents already for one whole month! So here he is after our little photo shoot this morning.

I couldn’t wait to put this outfit on him, which is why he is swimming in it. Sorry buddy, you have a crazy momma, but I am sure you will grow to love it.

This little man truly has been a joy. We love and adore him. Life is more crazy, more sleepy, and more unfamiliar, but also much sweeter. This month John and I have learned so much of God’s grace, His abundance, and His strength. There have been times I wonder how anyone has ever survived parenthood (more times then I should admit 🙂 ), but I am learning to lean on God for all things, and to truly be teammates with John to raise our son. I am humbled at the blessing of our growing family, and the kindness of our friends and family that have come along side us to help and support. I thought having John as my husband was above and beyond the greatest gift ever, but God just keeps giving.

Our newest teammate!

Before:

After:

James Jedidiah Eddy!! Born on the morning of November 30th, weighing in at 7 lbs 6.5 oz and 19 in long. This little guy is amazing!

More photos to come after nap time for mommy. =)

Our kids’s new digs

The nursery as it stands today….

Here’s the crib with the ever popular flags that I think are super cute! My mom helped me make them, as well as the crib skirt. That woman is talented!

The changing table is one of my favorites because it was the dresser owned by John’s Grandma (who’s birthday happens to be our due date). His Grandpa refinished it and let us have it. The baby and I will not get to meet her on this side of heaven, so I love having a memory of her represented in this space.

Not to mention Grandpa did a GREAT job refinishing it! It used to be painted and now it’s back to the natural wood.

The curtains were my inspiration for the room. Found them at Bed, Bath, and Beyond and loved them!

Another thing my mom made was this diaper hanger. I like how simple it is.

The closet is still under construction, but so far John has built some shelving and a place to hang some clothes. I figure the rest can come later. Maybe wallpaper, paint, or some cute curtains….can’t make up my mind. Right now I’m just super impressed with my handsome man and his many talents. Plus his sweet heart for wanting to be such a big part of designing our kiddo’s room.

One thing we will be sure to add is a piece of my dad to this room. Some of his paintings, which unfortunately happen to be monsters, are going up in the closet. This kid will have Roth in it so lets hope monsters in the closet won’t damage it too bad. 🙂

I got this book shelf from Ikea for less than $100, and the blue buckets on clearance…so of course I bought 8! You can never have enough storage. 🙂

And now on to my FAVORITE part of the room….the rocking and reading spot!

This is my favorite for so many reasons, but mostly because I can’t wait for John and I to have a little baby to hold in this chair, and to cuddle with and read to. A few things are still going to change in this spot, like the chair. John bought me the best chair I have ever sat in in my life! It glides, swivels, and reclines! We are just waiting for it’s arrival later this month. Until then we have a filler. Another change is the cute “E’s” throughout the space. I am going to paint those when I figure out a color I like. The “E” collection is something that my mom and dad-in-law have in their home and started us on. We have their very first “E” hanging in the living room and I think it is a fun thing to pass on to the kiddo.

We will be adding silhouettes of John’s favorite animals to the frames with the patterns in them. This was our fun collaboration in the room. I get to be represented by design and color scheme, John gets to be represented by his love of animals and the outdoors, and nature. We even bought the fishing sign the last time we were in Bishop for our anniversary. Those are the road signs that let you know where the fishing spots are at. This kid is half of both of us so it just made sense.

*side note* That is not a picture of Bob Marley (although we’d be ok with that too). It’s a portrait called Laughing Jesus. My Grandma has it in her home and I found this one at a yard sale recently and had to have it! I think it is such a wonderful way to view Him.

And the last little thing I need to do is fill this frame with pictures of people that we know. 🙂 We wanted our kiddo to have constant reminders of the people that will love it and pray for it no matter what.

Here are a few other little details.

I got this guy at world market. No sale or good deal here, but way too cute to pass up!

I’ve had this bird hook in my house for a few years, but it seems to really flow with the animal theme, so here it hangs. Currently holding my clearance Fossil bag, super great find! I couldn’t find a diaper bag that I liked, so I went to the Fossil outlet store (thanks to a little nudging by the hubby, he knows me so well) and found this puppy on the clearance rack. The picture just doesn’t do it justice. (though I do get a little too excited about Fossil bags)

And some of John’s favorite stuffed animal finds. A squirrel, that makes real squirrel noises, and a possum. And there you have it. I’ll leave it at that. 🙂