Climb every mountain...

Ok, not really, but James climbed a couple of stairs. That is good and bad...

ETA: Of course, he goes down stairs head first. That is bad.

I'm that new mom

James and I had been waiting at MY doctor's office (long story) for over an hour (story for another time) when my previously slightly fussy/clingy baby got a lot more fussy. Well, it was almost time for a bottle, lets try that. Nope. Need a diaper? Nope. Are you bored? Nope. One by one, I am checking off the normal things and then I realize his cry sounds different. I am starting to think something is really wrong with my baby. I start heading out the door to either James's pediatrician or the ER when I am finally called. I go with the nurse thinking if nothing else, at least my doctor is there.

By this time, he has quieted down and started to take notice of his surroundings. And wants to put them in his mouth. I call anyways and get a 1:30 appointment. After my problem has been resolved, James and I get some lunch when he has another one of these episodes. Oh my. You worry that you won't be able to tell that something is wrong, but you can. The cry sounds different, he looks different, his eyes are different, and when you kiss his little head, you can tell that it is hotter than normal.

We get to the pediatrician's office, and we see the NP. I have never had her before, but all I want is a little reassurance. She asked me if during these episodes if James pointed or indicated what was wrong. Um, no, I am concerned because he seems to be crying for no reason. Then she mentions that between the ages of 7-11 months, a lot of babies have stranger anxiety. Seriously, you think I would bring my child in for stranger anxiety? She does a brief examination, mentions teething and viral infections and tells me to give him Tylenol if he starts crying again. This is the first time I feel like THAT new mom. But I don't care. You really have to trust your instincts and see that there is something wrong with your baby. At least now I know he is not bleeding internally.

Anyways, I really wanted to post some pictures because we got a new camera. I am still getting used to this one and having some flash issues. Yesterday, I had James in a cute little overalls outfit, but when the fridge was open, he grabbed some capers and spilled them all over himself, so he is in a onesie in these pictures. I do love a baby in a onesie. It makes James look like a baby rather than the little boy he is becoming. Look at this cute little onesie butt:


In mid-clap: (we can't teach him "more" but he picked up clapping all on his own)


And playing with his toy:

Top 5

Awhile ago, Mark and I were eating at one of our favorite restaurants in Charleston, Hominy Grill, and we started talking about the other good restaurants we have eaten at. These are restuarants that aren't necessarily fancy smancy, just places you have gone and always had a good time. It took awhile, but I finally came up with my top 5 picks. So here they are, in no particular order, my top 5 restaurants (and by the way, there are actually 6 on my list)

Hominy Grill, Charleston, SC. We decided to try this one after seeing it on $40 a day. So glad we did. The food is creative and yummy and they specialize in local ingredients. It is out of the way from the main tourist areas, so it has a nice character to it. Skip all those other restaurants in Charleston (Magnolia, SNOB, etc) and go to the Hominy Grill. Downside: they have really cut back on their dinner hours, the don't take reservations, and the wine list leaves a lot to be desired.

Sullivan's, Anderson, SC. I don't want to knock the restaurants in Clemson. Calhoun Corners and Pixie and Bill's are very good. But there is just something missing from those restaurants, and Sullivan's has it. Maybe it is the professional wait staff, or maybe the wine cellar, but Sullivan's always impresses me. I have only been their twice though...maybe I should go back. Downside: it is way down there, all the way to downtown Anderson.

The Waterfront, Maui, HI. Those of you who are going on your honeymoon to Maui are probably going to kill me. I had Mama's Fish House on my list, but kept thinking about this one. It was a last minute switch. Mama's is good, very good, but everyone knows it. The Waterfront is still a small and intimate restaurant with great food. The wait staff was so nice and they had the best caesar salad I have ever had...even better than my own. Downside: it is hard to find and the location isn't all that great.

Mr. B's Bistro, New Orleans, LA. This might be unamerican of me to say, but Mark and I were never that impressed with New Orleans. It was nice and all, but very touristy. The restaurants are good, but everyone always goes to the same places. Plus, they do this weird team-style service. This restaurant wasn't one that everyone talks about. It is owned by the famous Brennan family, who also owns, go figure, Brennan's, and most people go there. This was a nice restaurant, but still felt comfortable. The BBQ shrimp is out of this world. Downside: Like most restaurants in New Orleans, it is inconsistent.

Jorg's Cafe Vienna, Plano, TX. Every time someone was in town to visit, we took them here. Why? It was casual and affordable, but the food was great. They have lots of wursts to choose from, but I was always a fan of the schnitzels. Yum, yum! Downside: they don't take reservations for parties less than 6 and I wouldn't go there if you are on a diet.

Amici's, Carrollton, TX. Mark and I would always go to Amici's for special occasions. I always seemed to have an injury on our anniversary, but I would still clomp up the stairs in my walking cast and nice dress to go here. The menu is impressive enough, but then there are loads of interesting specials. It is BYOB, which it actually fun. You look around at this nice restaurant and can see all the coolers that people brought. Downside: none come to mind!

What restaurants are in your top 5 (or 6, or 3)?

I think I'm going to live

If you remember last month, I had a little health crisis. I was feeling really tired and had these dizzy spells and thought I was anemic. Turns out, I had an unusual heartbeat and was referred to the cardiologist. Well, the cardiologist listened to me and said I definitely had something unusual going on and had me do a couple of tests. Found out yesterday that I am just normally abnormal, but didn't we already know that? ;)

Unfortunately, the same isn't true for our household. Let us take a moment to remember the SONY digital camera that I dropped on Monday, and the GE dishwasher that we tried and tried, but just couldn't save last night. Please keep our GE washer in your thoughts as it spins and buzzes through its final days. Amen.

Harry Potter

I just pre-ordered the last Harry Potter book from Amazon for release date delivery. If anyone in the area would like to borrow this book when I am done, let me know! I read pretty fast, so I would say I will be done with in within a week.

Travelin' Baby

First of all, I feel the need to tell you that like all people without children, I said things like, "when I have kids, they will never..." and everyone with kids will tell you that they all have done things they said they would never do. Some examples, "I will never let my baby sleep in the bed with me", "I will never give my baby formula", "I will never let my kid watch television". For me, my "I will never" was, "I will never take my baby on a plane without buying them their own seat". Never say never.

We took James to Ohio to meet up with family and spend some time on Lake Erie. We had so much fun and many adventures. The first adventure, was the plane ride. I was very nervous about this. The flight there had the standard friday night 2 hour delay, but as it turns out, the airport is a super fun place for a 10 month old.

Here is James during check in with all the stuff:


James and Mark at the nice garden at the airport:


James playing in the terminal:


When we finally got on the plane, it was pretty much empty. This was a good thing because it turns out that airplanes are jungle gyms for a 10 month old. James wanted to climb over, jump on, touch, and put in his mouth pretty much everything he saw.



The best part of the trip, was that James got to see his cousins. Here is James and the baby. He wanted to put her in his mouth, too.



James and Mr. C:



The boys having a paper fight:



In case you are wondering, yes, Mr. C is wearing James's shirt.

The boys playing with the stroller:



And finally, the boys on the lake:





When I got home, I realized, I didn't really take any pictures without James in them. Sorry, but he was just so darn cute!

WOW!

I can't believe this flower is in my backyard!

Happy 4th

Politics anyone? Hopefully this post won't be too bad, but since it is the 4th and I haven't posted all week, I feel the need to say something. I started blogging in my head on this topic since Sunday. Our church was doing their version of the "Patriotic Show" where a couple was singing a medley of patriotic songs. It probably should have been very moving, but really it just made me sad. You think of when those songs were written and what they were writing about and you just have to wonder, where did we go wrong? I just feel like this country is just at each others throats and over what, how much we should pay in taxes? That is just crazy. It is like everyone picked the teams they were going to be on and that means you should HATE the other team. No, "liberals" is not a 4 letter world and they not are stupid. No, President Bush is not evil with his conservative drones that are only looking out for themselves. I might be on the track team and you might play volleyball, but we all go to the same school. What is the biggest problem with this platform of hate is that I feel people are changing their own beliefs and experiences to better align with their team, and that should NEVER happen.

Perhaps I am naive, but I just see people who are trying to do the best they know how, but somewhere along the way, we forgot to look at the big picture. There are pluses and minuses with every solution to a problem and that is what compromise is all about. The thing is that everyone has a place in this and everyone can help stop it. Try being a little more open minded. Try not talking about your political beliefs like you are a teenage girl talking about the new girlfriend of the boy you like. Try treating people with respect.

Big hugs to everyone out there! Have a good 4th!