Three Little Birds

When it is 5:00 AM and your baby has been awake and fussy for 2 hours straight, you pretty much do anything you can to calm him down and get him to go to sleep. You go through the checklist ~ feed him, change his diaper, swaddle him, burp him, cuddle with him ~ and when those do nothing, you start thinking outside the box.

Outside the box for us was Bob Marley.

James was having a tough night so Ed thought he would put on some music to see if it would soothe him - specifically Bob Marley. Worked like a charm. Kid calmed down and was out cold.

When it was my turn to deal with the 3 AM fussiness, I tried the same thing. I put "Three Little Birds" on, whispered the lyrics in his ear and within 5 minutes he was snoozing. Looks like we got another reggae fan in the house. Let's hope he forgoes the dread locks. :)

Shaggy Dog No More

Remember back in December when Lucy had her knee surgery? We do and are glad to have it behind us. I'm happy to report that Lucy is 100% back in action and we thought a great way to celebrate would be to treat her to a spa day at Red Dog Spa. She has not had a hair cut since before the surgery leaving her coat longer than it has ever been.

Well, the shag is gone and has been replaced with a scalping!! Her stylist went a little overboard with the clippers...but she still looks gorgeous as always. And the beauty of hair is that it grows back!

It's good to have you back Lucy girl. Even if you are a little more naked now. :)

Rub A Dub Dub

Last night we had the pleasure of giving James his first real bath - Yeah!!! His umbilical cord finally detached after 3 long weeks, so we decided it was time to wash away his grit and grime aka spit-up and Lucy licks.

We set up the rainforest bath tub and all the bathing accessories in the kitchen since the upstairs bathroom is in need of some TLC (new mommy means no time to clean!).

I was a little nervous as to how he would react and was pleasantly surprised to see that he actually liked it. We started at the top, worked our way down and finished with his hair. Truth: we watched a video on BabyCenter.com on how to give your baby a bath. Hey ~ we are novices at this and didn't want to mess up!! :)

After the bath, we dried him off and gave him a baby massage with some lotion - the kid has some seriously dry skin!

Ed then took the opportunity to style his hair - one of Daddy's new favorite things to do!

All in all, it was a great first bath. Hopefully the next one goes as smooth.

Lucy Love

Many of you have been asking how Lucy has been now that James has entered our lives and I'm happy to report that she is doing GREAT! She is an amazing big sister and does really well with the baby.

From day 1 she showed interest in his well-being. Whenever he makes a noise or cries, she is the first to run over to see what is going on and alert us that he needs help.

After a diaper change, she is there to lick his toes and just check on him to make sure we didn't mess anything up. During play time, she is right in there making sure he is happy and smiling.

Don't get me wrong, she is not a fan of the late night feedings. Every girl needs her beauty sleep, and when she hears him crying at 3 am she lifts her head, gives him a dirty look and then goes back to doggy dream land.

We love that she is gentle and loving with him and that she acts as a protector. We can't wait until James is a little older so that they can be the best of friends. In the mean time, Lucy will continue to make sure that James is thriving...and that his toes are always clean. :)

Just a Little Stroll

We decided to take advantage of the 70 degree weather yesterday and took a little stroll up the block with James and Lucy. It was the first time we took him out in his stroller so it was very exciting for all parties involved. We figured a little vitamin D couldn't hurt! :)

Both Grandma's were on hand for the big stroll as was Aunt Suzy and Lucy girl. We didn't go far, but it was really great to get out of the house.

Next up - a trip around the block in the Ergo Baby Carrier with the special Infant Wedge. God love 70 degree weather in March!

A Family Visit

James was a lucky boy this past weekend and was welcomed home by some very special people. In addition to Grandma Mangiaracina who has been spending time here in VA and Grandma and Grandpa Q., James was lucky enough to meet Aunt Suzy, Aunt Adriana, Uncle John, Great Aunt Linda, Great Aunt Ruth, Great Uncle Mike and most importantly, Great Grandma Basile. We felt so blessed that everyone made the trip down to meet the little guy and it brought a tear to my eye to see my Grandma holding my son.

It was so special to snap the above picture of the 4 generations of Basile family members. I was so overwhelmed that I couldn't hold back the flood gates. Seriously, these kinds of emotions should not be presented to someone who just had a baby and cries when she drops a towel on the floor!

We loved spending time with everyone and seeing how they all instantly fell in love with James. And he was such a good boy - spent most of the day sleeping and barely made a peep as he was passed around from one loving set of arms to another. It's amazing how a little baby can tug on your heart strings. :)

The most amazing part of the day was when my Grandma gifted James with my late Uncle James' cross. I don't think there will ever be a more meaningful gift that he will receive nor one that we will cherish more. Thank you everyone for coming to VA to meet our new little guy ~ don't be strangers!!!

Bath Time!

We gave James his first sponge bath this week and I have to say, we did a damn good job. Daddy took charge and made sure that all of his nooks and cranny's were washed. Mommy assisted by keeping the wash clothes warm and wet. Since his umbilical cord is still hanging on, we had to keep him on the counter but we look forward to the day we can have our first official bath.

Mommy took over for the baby massage after the bath which I loved!

I have a feeling that bath time is going to be one of our favorite times with James. :)

The Swelling Part 2

Remember how my feet looked like this...

...and then I got pregnant and they looked like this:

Well, I'm happy to report that the evil swelling has gone down and my feet are back to normal. Hooray!!

I finally get to wear shoes that are not indoor/outdoor slippers and look like a normal person again. But for this face, it was totally worth it. :)

Sweet Baby James: Week 1

I had really good intentions of keeping up with the blog on a daily basis once the baby was here. You know, post some pics...share some cute anecdotes. The nurses at the hospital laughed at me when I told them. I said "You'll see...I can do it."

Well, apparently they were right.

The hours in the day seem to fly by and just when I think I have time to sit at the computer, it is time to nurse or change a diaper or cuddle (my favorite part!). The blog seems to have taken a back seat...but for good reasons. So I've come to the conclusion that a weekly post will have to suffice for now. And even though it hasn't been a full week yet, it's time to share some pictures of the cutest kid I know!

Our last days at the hospital were good. We were thrown a wrench on the second night when we found out James had some jaundice. He spent the night under the lights (which made me cry), but we ended up getting some much needed sleep. He's good to go now...nice and pink. :) Uncle Joe arrived on Saturday morning and was SO excited to see his Godson. We had to pry James out of his hands in order to feed him!

Sunday arrived and it was time to head home. I'm not going to lie, I was nervous. We had been pampered during our stay at the hospital by the amazing staff of Fair Oaks and I was a little freaked out about having to take care of myself and James without them. But it was time and after seeing the OB and Pediatrician and getting the discharge speech, it was time to dress the little guy and head home.

Lucy was eagerly awaiting our arrival and I got the biggest hello when I walked in the door. I missed her so much and I think the feeling was mutual! We then brought James in for the big introduction and I have to say, it went really well. She showed interest - sniffed his feet and hands and even licked his little head. We knew we were good. :)

So, all is good. James is getting comfortable in his new home and we are trying to get used to his schedule and personality. He is a very calm baby who likes to sleep so hopefully that will stick. We love being parents and can't get enough of the little guy. Ed is a pro at diapers and I'm still trying to get the hang of breast feeding (TMI? Sorry!). James loves cuddling with his Grandparents and is most content when in his swing. We love watching how he changes every day and will continue to take thousands of pictures!!