8 Months Old

I know I say this every month but "I can't believe my baby is 8 months old"! He is getting so big! Some things about James:

*He is sleeping in his big boy crib in his very own room. He is doing much better with it than I am. He actually sleeps better now.
*He has one of his bottom teeth and another one is starting to break through.
*He LOVES the water! In the bath, the pool & the little water park. He is a little splasher too. He doesn't even care if he gets splashed in the face.
*He can scoot backwards and rolls over to things he wants.
*He loves climbing everything. He will try to climb up anything. He wants to walk so bad. He will pull himself up from your hands and take a bunch of steps to where he wants to go.
*He loves rice cereal with banannas mixed in. He also really likes sweet potatoes, green beans, watermelon & strawberries. He HATES baby meat & peas. He will gag them up.
*He is into everything that he can get to. We are going to be in trouble when he finally starts walking.
*He takes 2 naps that are about 2 hours long and has a rest time where he just likes to be alone in his crib for about 20 minutes.
*He sleeps about 10 hours at night, nurses and then goes back to sleep for another 2 hours.
*He still loves Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and also likes Special Agent Oso, Phineas & Ferb & Handy Manny.
*James LOVES playing with his dad and cuddling with mom.
*He always tries to get Puma and will dive from your arms if he sees Puma on the floor.
*He LOVES having a family hug and Mike and I singing "We are a Happy Family". I know we are cheesy but he thinks it is so fun!

There is so much to write but I am going to leave it at that! We just love our little boy so much! He brings so much love and joy into our home! The weirdest thing is that I can't remember what life was like before James joined our lives. We LOVE him sooooo much!!!

Happy Father's Day Mike

Mike and James on Father's Day. James is such a lucky kid to have Mike as his daddy! Mike is so good with James and so helpful. James LOVES Mike so much! He gets so excited whenever Mike walks through the door everyday. I feel so blessed to have such wonderful boys in my life!!!

James & the Giddings Girls

I am so happy that Ashley & I are both back in Utah! It is so much fun to watch our kids interact and play. Brooklynn is so good with James. She plays peek-a-boo with him and he loves it! James is either making Miss Maylee laugh or cry. James will try to talk to her and laugh and she will start craking up. However, he is such a little yeller and it scares Maylee. So she will start to cry and he will stop yelling and look at her with this concerned look. Then she will stop crying and he will yell again and of course it all starts over again. It is a little funny. Maybe one day James will learn how to talk to the ladies with out making them cry ;). I am so glad that Ash and I live somewhat close to one another and that our families are growing together!

Beenie Girls Graduation

I still can't believe my baby sis has graduated high school! I can't believe she is old enough to be heading off to college & living on her own! It is so crazy! I am so proud of her! She is such a talented and virtuous young women! Not to mention she is absolutly beautiful!!! She has way more of a clue about dressing cute, accessorizing, doing hair & make-up than I ever did or do! Congrats Beenie Girl! I love you!!!

Our drive to & from California

Walking vs Crawling...

James is still not showing any interest in crawling no matter how hard I try but is showing every effort in standing and walking. He can pull himself up on things & people and loves it so along with trying to teach him how to crawl I am also teaching him how to balance ;)

Don't forget about our baby girl Puma

Puma is still such a daddy's girl. Anytime Mike is sitting or laying down on the couch or bed she comes and snuggles up next to him. It is so cute. She is such a sweetheart and is so good and patient with James (the tail & ear puller).

The other night she followed Mike two doors down to our friends house, waited for him while he went in and visited for a while and then walked back home with him. What a funny girl!

We still love her as much as we did before James was born!!!

Utah's Special Olympics

Patrick and his hip hop group danced for Utah's Special Olympics Opening Ceremony. So of course we went to watch. James had such a blast! There was non-stop music, mascots, dancing and fun!

Yes, they have increased the difficulty
of their stunt.

Shopping Carts

I can' believe my baby is big enough to sit in a shopping cart!

Plane Rides

James and I have become frequent fliers in his short little lifetime. Here are a few things I have learned:
*Have as many binkeys as your own very accessible on the plane. They may spit or throw their binkey out before take off and you may not be able to find it during the flight.

*You can ask for apple juice and water as you are boarding the plane to put in a bottle.
Fly JetBlue and pay the extra $10 for extra legroom! It is TOTALLY worth it!!!

*Most people don't actually mind a crying baby on the plane (or at least they will go out of their way to lie to you & tell you they don't mind & that your baby is so cute).

*Organize your diaper bag so you can get to binkeys bottles, toys & blankies very easily & quickly.

*Give baby a binkey or bottle during take-off & landing. It helps equalize their ears.

How I carried my bags through the airport
while carrying James.

Our Plane

After James played with all his toys he decided that
this cup was way more fun!

Just hanging out & looking cute!

Chris' Retirement Ceremony

4 Generations of Lamoureux Boys/Men

This summer my father in law (Chris) retired from serving as a Colonel in the US Army. His retirement ceremony was a really neat experience. There was a slide show of Chris throughout his life that was really cool. It was fun to see childhood pictures of him. I couldn't believe how much Mike and Gilbert (especially Gil) look like Chris! It was such a beautiful ceremony and I am glad we were able to be there for it.

Also during the ceremony the color guard did a presentation of the flag and the following poem was read and I thought it very touching and wanted to share.

I stand for freedom.
I am confident.
I am arrogant.
I am proud.

When I am flown with my fellow banners,
my head is a little higher,
my colors a little truer.

I bow to no one!
I am recognized all over the world.
I am honored - I am saluted.
I am loved - I am revered.
I am respected -- and I am feared.

I have fought in every battle of every war for more then 200 years. I was flown at Valley Forge, Gettysburg, Shiloh and Appomattox. I was there at San Juan Hill, the trenches of France, in the Argonne Forest, Anzio, Rome and the beaches of Normandy, Guam, Okinawa, Korea and KheSan, Saigon Vietnam.
Know me,
I was there.

I led my troops, I was dirty, battle worn and tired,
but my soldiers cheered me, And I was proud.
I have been burned, torn and trampled on the streets of countries I have helped set free. It does not hurt, for I am invincible.

I have been soiled upon, burned, torn and trampled on the streets of my country. And when it's by those whom I've served in battle -- it hurts.
But I shall overcome -- for I am strong.

I have slipped the bonds of Earth and stood watch over the uncharted frontiers of space from my vantage point on the moon.
I have borne silent witness to all
of America's finest hours.

But my finest hours are yet to come.
When I am torn into strips and used as bandages for my wounded comrades on the battlefield,
When I am flown at half-mast to honor my soldiers,
Or when I lie in the trembling arms of a grieving parent at the grave of their fallen son or daughter,
I am proud.

MY NAME IS OLD GLORY

Dear God - Long may I wave.

Long Time No Blogging

It has been so long since I have blogged and I am starting to have some withdraws! So here is some major catch up to what we have been doing the last 2 months:

Girls Night & Baby James

Before I moved from California my mom, Beenie, James and I went out to dinner and to a movie. This was the first movie I had been to since James is bigger and doesn't sleep all the time. What an experience! Now I only go to matinee movies early in the day so James can play and make noise and I can enjoy the movie! We went to see The Last Song. I had read the book so I thought if I needed to take James out every now and then it would be okay because when I came back in I would know what was going on. Well, he was good the entire movie until the last 20 minutes. He was actually watching it most of the time. But he was done being in the theater those last 20 minutes and decided that it was his turn to talk. He didn't cry or fuss he was just loud and wanted all the attention! So James and I spent the last 20 minutes of the movie outside visiting with this nice elderly man. It was still a lot of fun though!


Lakers Game

I know that everyone here (in Utah) called it the Jazz game but I don't care! It was one of the most exciting games I have ever been to! Thanks Ben for taking us!!! I screamed pretty much the entire game & I had to be louder than all the Jazz fans that were there...which was pretty much impossible but I had to try anyway! It was such a crazy game. The Lakers were down pretty much the entire first half and then they got it together the second half and won by only one point! I was so exhausted after that game! While I was cheering my loudest my sweet husband Mike took James and walked around the stadium. I knew it would be loud in there but I had no clue that it would be as loud as it was! We had brought some ear things for James so the noise wouldn't hurt him but he didn't like to wear them. James didn't seem bothered by the noise but when our ears started ringing we knew that James had to be ringing too so Mike took him out so I could watch the game!!!


Lance's Graduation from Cal State Northridge (CSUN)

My little baby brother is all grown up! He has graduated fron Cal State Northridge with a Bachelors in Psychology! He is the first one to graduate from college in our family and the first for generations on the Gonzales side of my family. I am so proud of him! He has done so well in school and track and is such a hard worker! Congrats Lancer Dancer Prancer ;)