Lisa n Tom (n James n Joseph)

Lisa writes: You're looking at this picture and thinking, "Paradise!" right? I'm looking at this picture and thinking, "I changed a poopy diaper on that rock in the foreground."

Lisa writes: James is willing to stay in his crib or bassinet for most of the night, but he has a regular 4 a.m. feeding and after that one, he just won't go down anywhere alone, so this is what I wake up to most mornings.

James says, "I'm a lion. Raowr!"

Lisa writes: Once when I was cleaning teeth at my dad's dental office and noticed that a father and his young son both had the same anomaly -- an extra cusp on an upper right molar -- and I made a comment like, "Hey, like father, like son." The mother heard me and, later, came back to tell me that the son was adopted. I said, "Wow! It's a sign!" and she smiled and said, "One of many." So, here are our signs so far: -- James was both with a sacral dimple, a little divot at the end of his spine. The doctor was like, "We'll have to keep an eye on that ... can indicate incomplete spinal formation ... blah blah blah."  Guess what? Me too! And the doctors said the exact same thing and we're both running around just fine on our dimples. -- James and I both have the photic sneeze reflex (sneeze when we go into bright sunlight) and we both almost always sneeze twice. -- James has long, skinny feet and long toes. Like, can't-fit...

Lisa writes: James is five weeks old today. He weighs 2 lbs more and is 2 inches longer than when he was born. He had a one-month check-up last Thursday and is 8 lbs 6 oz and 21 inches long. He still has all his hair. Christi and the kids came to visit for the weekend and Christi styled his hair into a mohawk yesterday and you could see the spikes above his fontanel pulse with his heartbeat. I have clipped his nails twice. He's more alert and awake now. He will follow lights and people around the room with his eyes. He ate 26.5 ounces of formula in 24 hours yesterday -- a new record. Along with the heavy drinking comes heavy peeing. He can pee all the way through newborn diapers. At his checkup, he made a lasting impression by peeing all over the table, wall, floor, and me when he was getting his temperature checked. He still hasn't outgrown any of the newborn-sized clothes, but his feet are too long for newborn-sized socks (and always have been). He hums to himself when he i...

Lisa writes: Otter exhibit at the National Zoo. Tom loooooves otters. James, not such much just yet.  

Lisa writes: Here is your online, virtual baby! The pediatrician recommended not taking James to church until he was two months old to avoid catching colds, etc., but a lot of people have been asking about him, so I made this virtual baby to take with me to church. He was a hit in Primary.

Lisa writes: We're in Denver for a work conference (scheduled pre-baby) and visiting the grandfolks in Colorado Springs. My sister Debbie and her family were also able to come over from Utah to meet the new relative. He has been well-received.

 Lisa writes: We flew from DC to Denver because I several months ago I was invited to present at a conference and Tom was already planning to come with me. James is a free "lap baby" until he's two, so there didn't seem to be any reason to cancel. Plus, we'd already been planning to go out a couple of days before the conference started in order to visit my parents. So off we flew, baby in tow. Did you know you can carry water through security as long as you say it's for the baby? James was a terrific flier. His main hobbies are sleeping and snuggling, so sitting on somebody's lap for a 3 1/2 hour flight is his idea of a great time!

Lisa writes: My parents live down the road from the Broadmoor, a snazzy, big, pink 1920s resort for people with the time, money, and inclination to play golf. Most of my siblings worked summer jobs there. Because it's so close and so ... pink ... it's the place that they always take out-of-town guests for a walk. They're on a first name basis with all the swans on the grounds. All that to say that, for James, this was basically just a trip to Grandma's house.