the first three months

I was telling Aaron earlier today that I have almost forgotten how little James was just 3 months ago. Day to day, it is harder to notice all the growth and change... thankfully we have all sorts of pictures of him!

just a few hours old

our little pumpkin, 2 days old -- it only took him 3 weeks to outgrow the outfit

3 weeks old and first day in cloth diapers

4 weeks old

5 weeks old and the first hint of a smile

6 weeks old

7 weeks old -- finally a smile captured on film!

8 weeks old

9 weeks old

10 weeks old

11 weeks old

12 weeks old

13 weeks

birthday!

I had a nice birthday yesterday. Aaron and James took me out for ice cream and James got me a card. And we had plenty of time to all snuggle together on the couch... after a long week of work, that's probably the best way to spend a Friday night! But it's not over yet -- Aaron is making a dinner for me tonight and then we may head down to Rice Park to look at the Winter Carnival ice sculptures.

Hopefully this weekend I will get a chance to venture out to the mall and do some shopping with the gift cards and birthday money I received. At the moment, however, a nap is the first thing on my agenda!

13 weeks/3 months

James was 13 weeks old this past Thursday, and 3 months old yesterday -- definitely not a newborn any more! We're working on trying to get him to sit up on his own and also to reach out and grab his toys. He's not quite there yet, but there is improvement every day. One day, he occupied himself by sitting and grabbing his toes for a good 15 minutes. Who knew toes could be so entertaining!

I'm upside down!

Caught in mid-wiggle

This picture really shows how his hair is getting longer and lighter

Sitting up... with only a little help from dad

After such an exhausting photo shoot, there was only one thing left to do... settle in for a nap. As his outfit says, our little boy is not so little any more :)

tiny little feet

Big guy!

12 weeks!

James turned 12 weeks old this past Thursday but I didn't get a chance to get any pictures of him then, thanks to a long work day and a sniffly baby. But he's much happier today and glad to show off his latest little outfit -- Aaron's only contribution to James' wardrobe :)

James just can't stop wiggling!

James is engaged in one of his favorite activities -- chewing on his fingers:

James really enjoys his daily story time. He looks at the books and even reaches out for them. He is getting really good at holding his head up without much help from mom or dad, and several people have commented on how big and strong he is. He'll be sitting up on his own and rolling over before too long!

little polar bear

This morning was the Winter Carnival half marathon. Aaron and I have participated for the last two years, but this year we just wanted to go as spectators. The race passes within a mile of our house, so we bundled up James and got ready to head out. Unfortunately, he was a pretty unhappy little polar bear:
In the few minutes it took to drive down to the race course, he cheered up. He really likes being in his carrier and looking around.
We stayed and cheered for about 20 minutes before James started to get wiggly and we started getting cold.
By the time we got home, our unhappy polar bear had turned into a sleepy bear:

feeling better

Poor little James has been a bit congested these past few days. He woke up in the middle of the night on Thursday sniffling and coughing. We were up with him for an hour and finally decided to put him back to sleep in his car seat so at least he could be somewhat upright. Yesterday morning wasn't much better -- lots of coughing and congestion, although he seemed to do okay at day care.

After consulting with some more experienced moms, we went out and got a humidifier for next to his crib. We also elevated the head of his mattress, tried to clear out his nose with saline drops and Q-tips, and put baby vapor rub on his chest. I'm not sure which of those things did the trick, or if it was a combination of everything, but he slept through the night just fine and is extra wiggly and smiley this morning. He's still a little sniffly but seems to be in a better mood. And not as much coughing. I don't think this was a full-blown cold but regardless, being sick is no fun -- not for James, and not for mom and dad!

back to work

Today was my first day back at work -- and James' first day at day care. I dropped him off this morning and Aaron picked him up after school. James struggled with his bottles and didn't sleep as much as he does at home, but with all the new sights and sounds, I'm not too surprised. I'm sure it will get easier with time and as we all adjust to our new routine.

My day went pretty well. There was a group lunch to break up the day and plenty of emails and project details to catch up on. I also had my performance appraisal (normally done just before Christmas) and learned that I got a promotion and a nice raise! And as another surprise, I was filling in my electronic time card and noticed an extra week of vacation. That will definitely be put to good use!

I left a little early today since I was anxious to see James. He and Aaron greeted me at the door with hugs and flowers. It's hard to say if James was happy to see me, or just happy. He is a pretty smiley little boy!

bath time

Baths are far less traumatic for James than when we first brought him home. And Aaron has taken over bath time duties as a way to have special time with James during busy work weeks.

All clean!

After bath time comes snack time and story time. And then bed time. It's a nice little routine that seems to be working well so far!

road trip

This weekend, we took James on his longest road trip yet -- all the way up to Fargo. He continues to amaze us with what a good traveler he is by sleeping the entire 4.5 hour car ride. And after such a long nap, he still slept through the night without any trouble. Yes, we realize how lucky we are to have such a good sleeper!

We arrived Friday night and had all sorts of visiting to do on Saturday. First, we were invited to lunch with Aaron's great-aunt Kathleen:
She fed us a delicious lunch of Swedish meatballs, potatoes, veggies, and tiramisu. We had a nice visit but James a bit fussier than normal -- a combination of both tired and hungry. We decided to go back to our motel for naps before heading out for dinner with Aaron's great-aunt Lorrie and her daughter Marvine. We were glad to be able to capture 4 generations of Olsons in one picture:


Of course, everyone was pretty happy to hold James and he was in a much better mood during dinner. He was content to sit in his car seat while smiling, kicking, and looking at lights.

Today, we had brunch with Kathleen before heading back home via Perham to visit Aaron's grandmother and great-aunt. Both were delighted to see James.

James with his great-grandma Olson:

And his great-great-aunt Clara:

We stayed for a few hours before we needed to be on our way. It was a nice weekend getaway and we were glad to finally be able to introduce James to some of his less mobile older relatives. While there wasn't too much to do with James in Fargo in the winter, we're looking foward to a return trip when he will be able to play at one of the many parks or go sledding on the dike.

11 weeks

James is 11 weeks today! He continues to sleep well, make cute baby noises, and smile at mom and dad. This is his last week at home before starting day care next week. Yesterday, I brought him into work to visit coworkers. Everyone enjoyed seeing him and everything is on track for my return on Tuesday.

Here are some 11 week pictures of James:

sweet baby

My legs are so wiggly!

Hey! Where did this guy come from?

Chubby little cheeks!

Checking out the cat

Enough, mom!

Taking a break from chewing on fingers

Getting better at holding up his head!

One of James' favorite spots for a nap.