The other baby...

The past few days have been crazy, so I haven't had much time to blog. I'm so glad that I'm 2/3 of the way through the work week. TGTT (Thank God Tomorrow is Thursday!) I can relax a little and watch Grey's Anatomy..hmmm..can't wait:)

Jim finished the testing for Pitcher Perfect yesterday so things will be a little less hectic for us and I'm really looking forward to spending more quality time with my guys.

James Ryan recently discovered 'the other baby' that lives in the mirror. He's mesmerized, it's really cute.

Resolutions...

Considering tomorrow is February 1st, 'stop procrastinating' should be at the top of my list.

My goals for the next few months are:

SIMPLIFY
I think that we have way too much stuff. I want to go above and beyond the normal seasonal clothes donations this year. I want both Jim and I to chose one thing/week to get rid of. We have plenty of things that we don't love or use very often so hopefully we can clear the clutter a surround ourselves with things that are meaningful to us.

REACH OUT
I'm not the best at keeping in touch with people. It's bad and it makes me feel bad and I want to fix it. I'm going to make it a point to reach out to friends and family every week, especially those who I haven't spoken to for too long.


CREATE
For most of my life, I haven't made enough time to pursue my creative interests. School and work always been about math and science, which I still enjoy, but I've been feeling the need to indulge my creative side lately. For now I'll work on creative photography. I hope to have my Nikon fixed within the next week or so and I hoping for some better weather and nice natural light to work with in the coming weeks.
Maybe someday I'll take guitar lessons (I've been thinking about this for years), but i think it's best to focus on one thing for now.

SHAPE UP
Yes, the old cliche...but I do have a few good reasons to focus on this one in 2007. I tried on a great bridesmaids dress last night, it's not too early to get into shape for Tara's wedding, and I did have a baby in 2006:) I think Laura and I are going to join Tara's gym. It will be fun to keep each other motivated and go to classes together.

This boy catches on quick...

I decided to *teach* James Ryan how to drink from a sippy cup this week. Well, I guess he was ready, he showed me that he didn't need to be taught when he started drinking from it on his own immediately. Look at this boy! Is he a genius or what?

His Christening outfit arrived yesterday. I love it, it is seriously cute! Here he is wearing his Christening hat with his PJs.

Ok, I have to run...lots of not so fun things to take care of. I am super stressed today. Have you ever had one of those days where you get nothing accomplished even though you've been working all day? I've had 72 of 'those days' in a row and it's starting to get to me.

I won't go into the annoying details of the things that I've been trying to take care of, but I may feel a little better if I vent...here goes...

Dear Philadelphia Parking Authority, YOU REALLY SUCK! EVER HEARD OF CUSTOMER SERVICE PEOPLE??? I'M NOT PAYING $338 FOR A TICKET THAT I NEVER GOT, ON A CAR THAT I NEVER OWNED. STOP SENDING ME THREATENING LETTERS!

Dear Internal Revenue Serice - Your customer service is horrible too...however, you don't win the prize for worst customer service ever. The Philadelphia Parking Authority has you beat, hands down.

Ok, vent over, I'm not crazy.

I'll end this post with a verse from the Serenity prayer...just in case anyone else is having one of 'those days.'

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change;

courage to change the things I can;

and wisdom to know the difference.

*************************************************************************
PS - God (if you're reading), I know I can't change the fact that James Ryan has *cranky time* from ~ 4-7 everyday, but if you can make it stop I would really, really appreciate it.

Baby it's Cold outside...

It feels like winter here in NJ, it's really cold and we're expecting a little bit of snow.

James Ryan had a fun weekend, he had his first solid foods, rice cereal, apple sauce, bananas, and avocado. He's not sold on any of it yet, he makes funny faces when he tastes the food, but I do think he's enjoying it.

Waiting for Luke....

We're all anxiously awaiting the arrival of baby Luke Joseph. On Saturday, we had a little shower for Ang. It was so nice to see everyone. Here are a few photos.

Sleep grins and baby noises...

Most nights James Ryan needs some help getting to sleep. Many parenting books and articles that I've read suggest that at 4 months, parents should encourage their babies to self soothe and learn to put themselves to sleep.

Some nights it seems like a bit of a hassle to keep going in to soothe him, especially when he cries off and on for an hour or more and I have bills to pay, laundry to fold, dishes to wash, etc. When I take him out of his crib and rock him to sleep I wonder if I'm doing the "right" thing.

Tonight as I was rocking him he had the cutest sleep grins and made the most adorable baby noises as he drifted off...it was by far the best part of my day. So my house is messy but my heart is spilling over.

He Sleeps....

Lots of exciting things going on this week...

Jim has a meeting at the New York Athletic Club tomorrow to discuss his proposal to provide PT at the Club. He's been working very hard and we are so proud of him!

James Ryan and I went gown shopping with Aunt Tara tonight. She looked gorgeous in the dresses that she modeled. We can't wait until the November wedding...I seriously need to start a countdown. Riviera Maya here we come:)

A few things to report from James' doctors appointment today - he did as well as can be expected for getting 4 shots. He didn't cry very much and I didn't cry at all (last time he really screamed and I shed a few tears). He's 16.5 lbs (75th percentile) and 26.75 (90th percentile!) inches, so he's a big boy. I think he'll be bigger than Jim eventually and bigger than me in about 2 months:) We got the go-ahead to start solids so he'll start on rice cereal later this week and fruits soon thereafter.

Back to work for me tomorrow so I may not have time to blog for a few days. Have a great week everyone!

Smiley guy

James Ryan had a fun weekend. We went to NYC to see Steven's new apartment and help him get settled in. His place is really nice and in a great neighborhood! We're going to the doctors tomorrow for four shots. Ouch:( Wish us luck! We're still having bedtime issues - this boy just fights sleep. He's afraid that he's going to miss something I think. Here is a photo of the little man after his bath tonight. We're still shocked that he has blonds hair....

What a difference 4 months makes....

James Ryan is 4 months today! Here is a photo of him before we left the hospital and a few from this morning. I can't believe how big is already. It makes me a little sad, but he learns something new everyday and is a lot fun at 4 months!

We really enjoyed our baby's first Christmas!

We took a trip to Miami to see Andrew graduate! We thoroughly enjoyed spending time with family, and also hanging out at home, decorating our tree and making fires. Here are a few cute photos - Christmas Miami style, my baby bear, and our tree. One of my resolutions for 2007 is to really work at improving my photography. I'm a little overwhelmed right now. I'm trying to gain a better understanding of capturing correct exposures, learn how to use my new DSLR, and learn Photoshop at the same time. Who new photography was so technical?? Look for improvement in my photos this year, and feel free to leave constructive criticism in the comments section of the blog if you know anything about photography. Thanks:)

On the Blogging Bandwagon...

It's 2007...and we're jumping on the blogging band wagon:) Rather than sending out countless snapfish albums, our favorite photos will be posted here. Hopefully we'll update the blog often! Everyday is new and exciting for James Ryan, so check back often to see what we're up too.
Bye for now,
Lisa, Jim, and James Ryan