Our Little Baby Peanut

James is 2 months old today and he has been home with us for just over 6 weeks, and nearly every day I still find myself staring in awe at his beautiful little face.  As he gazes up at me with his deep blue eyes, I am filled with so much gratitude and even more love.  The struggle and fear during his first few weeks causes me to count every breath, every ounce, every cuddle as a blessing.  The simplest thing like being able to pick him up when he cries is the most precious gift.  I often find myself thinking, "I am just so glad you are mine."

James is still a sleepy baby.   He is giving us the newborn experience in a way Jake never did.  Jake was, what you might call, "over done."  He came into this world wide eyed and ready to go.  James, on the other hand, has been content to sleep the days away, swaddled in soft blankets or cuddled in warm arms, drifting in and out of dreams while angle smiles tug at the edges of his perfect little mouth.  But the peace of his sleep is misleading, because each time he wakes he is bigger, stronger, and more alert.

James has acquired quite a few nick names during his short time with us.  My favorite things to call him are Little Bit or Peanut.  Although he was nearly 6 lbs at birth (5lbs13oz), he got down to a scrawny 4lbs 11oz during his stay in the NICU.  It didn't matter how many times the nurses referred to him as a "big baby," to me, he looked like a tiny doll lying in his incubator.  And the first time I held him, his little body disappeared into the folds of the yellow cover up I was required to wear.  But despite initial worries about an oral aversion and weak sucking reflex, due to his rough start, James is a veracious eater.  I am happy to report that on his two month birthday he weighs almost 10 pounds.  Although, I must admit that even though he has doubled in size, I adore that he still has that precious new born look.  And the truth is that no matter how many chins and rolls he acquires over the next year, I think the name will stick.  He just looks like a little peanut.

Squeaky, is another term of endearment for our little guy.  I believe it was the first one given by Arthur when James was still in at the hospital.  At first it was because James' little cries were so soft and tiny that they did sound more like squeaks.  However, weeks later, the name continues to be a perfect fit.  This little boy is never quite.  He gulps, growls and grunts when he eats, squeaks, sighs, and whippers while he sleeps, and after nearly every sneeze or cough, he gives a little yelp of protest.  He also has an extensive array of cries.  The most common our his angry cries, which can start without any warning (I think I am suppose to psychically know when he is going to wake up starving and in desperate need of his next meal.  Although, in my defense there are many times when he is hysterical before his has even opened his eyes).  These cries transitions between bleating like a baby billy goat and long breathy wheezes that sound more like something that should come from an old smoker than a tiny baby.  As pitiful as his quivering little lip is, sometimes we can't help but laugh at his drama.

At first, I thought that James was going to be our mellow baby, but now I think that his true colors were just being temporarily hidden by his need to rest and recover.  The more I get to know him, the more I realize that Arthur and I will never produce anything but high maintenance, intense, and slightly dramatic children (but the truth is, we wouldn't know what to do with them if they were any other way).   James has quickly gotten past his passive days in a plastic box, and he is following just perfectly in his older brother's princely foot prints.  I think James' need to be swaddled and placed on a goose feathered pillow in order to stay asleep, highlights this point perfectly.

Oh my Sweet Baby James!  How grateful we are that you became a part of this family.  Please always know of our unconditional love for you.  In your short time with us, you have already brought us so much love and joy. However, I know that we will likely learn and grow more from being your parents than you will from being our son, so it is lucky that you have such an amazing older brother (although he is a little too jealous to show it right now). I am excited to watch you two grow up together (just not too quickly) and hope and pray that you will become best friends and will be able to rely on one another all throughout your lives.  Again, we love you more than words can say and I hope you don't mind that we fully intend on spoiling you rotten...we just can't help it.