Egg Allergy

James usually eats waffles for breakfast, but he hasn't been too interested in them the past couple morning. So, I thought this might be a good time to try some eggs. Boy, was I wrong!


Poor guy! He was fine until about an hour after he ate the eggs (which he really liked, by the way). I put him down for a nap, but he kept coughing after I walked out of the room. I went to check on him and found him writhing in his crib and scratching like crazy. His face was swollen and he was red and rashy all over. I called the pediatrician and they said to give him some Benadryl. The Benadryl did the trick! No eggs for James for a long while!

Washington D.C.

This past week, Dave had to travel to Orlando for work, so James and I hopped on a plane and went to visit some family and friends in Washington D.C. We stayed with my cousin Sarah, her husband Marcus, and her cutie patootie son Xavi. Xavi and James were so cute playing together. They kept giving each other hugs and kisses. It was so sweet to see their affection for each other. We also got to visit with a great friend of mine from high school, Jessica, and her son Giovanni. Unfortunately, Jess's husband was out of town the entire week so I did not get to visit with him.
Knowing they lived near each other, I introduced Sarah and Jessica to each other some time last year. They have become fast friends, and it was really fun to spend time with both of them and have our boys play together.

The hug

Giovanni

Xavi

All 3 boys not cooperating for a group picture

Our trip did not include any sightseeing around D.C., just lots of wonderful time visiting and playing with the kids. My Uncle Clifford and Aunt Karen (Sarah's parents) came over for dinner one night. It was wonderful to see them. It was really cute to hear Xavi call Uncle Clifford "pa". And apparently, Xavi wanted to be on formal terms with Aunt Karen as he tried to shake her hand instead of give her a hug (this happened the last time they had gotten together, but I thought it was a cute story and wanted to share it).

One afternoon, we went over to my cousin Katie's house. She just recently had a new baby, Brendan. He is her 3rd child. I finally got to meet her husband, Tim as well. Katie looked great, and her family is absolutely beautiful. My cousin Elena (Katie's sister) was at Katie's with her 3 kids. Again, another beautiful family. It was wonderful to see everyone. I never pulled my camera out while we were there, so I don't have any pictures of all the kids playing. Stinky, I know.

James was a rock star on the plane both ways! He had no trouble with his ears as he did the first time he flew when he was 3 months old. He didn't fuss or cry. I read him books, he played with a couple toys, he looked around at all the people, and he slept a little. I couldn't have asked for a better travel companion!

Although I could have stayed in D.C. for much longer (great company, great weather, great city), we were so happy to come home and see daddy! James ran right up to Dave at the airport and gave him a big hug. It was such a sweet moment.

Thank you Sarah and Marcus for your hospitality! We had such a great time! I already miss Jessica and Sarah so much! And I know James is wondering where his buddies, Xavi and Giovanni, are! Love you all!

Austin

James and I spent a couple days in Austin with my dear friend Stacey and her daughter Ella. Stacey and I met in PT school and have been great friends ever since. I wish that we lived closer and could spend more time together. I am really grateful for this opportunity to stay with her and catch up. Stacey takes care of her niece, Addie, during the day so James was outnumbered by girls. I don't think he minded much! We also were able to have dinner with Uncle Robert (my brother) and his daughter Jolie. It is always wonderful to see them!

Thank you Stacey for having us at your house! We had a wonderful visit and I miss you terribly! Love you!

It is impossible to get 3 small children to pose for a picture!


A couple good pictures at the Wildflower Center in Austin

Easter

We spent James' first Easter at his Nana's in Buda, Texas. James spent a good portion of the weekend walking and exploring Nana's yard.



On Easter morning, James got a basket full of empty plastic Easter eggs. He didn't seem to care that they were empty. He also got new clothes and a stuffed bunny from Nana.


James looked very handsome all dressed up for church. He was ready for a nap after the service so it was difficult to get a good picture. I couldn't resist posting the last picture :)

James is 10 months!

James has changed so much this past month. He is well on his way to becoming a toddler (tear)! At 10 months, James is:

1) WALKING! He can walk from one end of the house to the other without falling down. He walks with his arms straight out so we've been calling him "Jamesenstein".

2) Standing from sitting without pulling up on something.

3) Eating table foods only. A couple weeks ago, James kept adamantly refusing to let me feed him, so he now feeds himself (with his hands, of course). Mealtime is messier than ever, but it's so fun to watch Mr. Independent eat.

4) Saying "mama". We don't think he knows who mama is, but he really loves saying my name :) He was already saying "dada" but still hasn't associated it with daddy. He now says "baba", "dada", and "mama". He also communicates with shrieks and grunts. James likes to tell us big stories- he'll just babble away and flail his arms around like he's telling us something really important.

5) Waving bye-bye. We think he was even trying to say "bye- bye" to daddy as he was leaving for work the other day.

6) Enjoying car rides much more. We switched James to a convertible car seat even though he could stay in the infant carrier for much longer (it goes up to 32 lbs). He seems to like being in the bigger seat. We also got a portable DVD player for long car rides. He really loves "Neighborhood Animals" by Baby Einstein.

7) Sleeping for 11-12 hours without nursing. James goes to bed at 7 pm and wakes up between 6 and 7 am.

Dinosaur shirts

Dave often likes to dress like James. James is rarely amused...