Happy Birthdays!

Yesterday, James celebrated his 1-month birthday. He celebrated by not crying through his bath for the first time, and by giving lots of smiles while we took his picture (actually catching them quickly enough was another feat!)

His 1-month birthday gift was a new cousin - welcome John Marshall!

Baby James

Here are more pictures to enjoy of our beautiful baby boy!

Oh Baby!

Well, he's finally here! Our little William James made his debut last Friday, December 11 at 8:01 a.m. (yes, that meant labor was all night long!)

Baby James' timing was impeccable - both Jon and I had finished all of our work/school projects Wednesday, we finally found the last piece of furniture for the nursery on Thursday, and he decided to come the day before his Grandma was coming out to take care of us on Saturday.

He arrived weighing in at 7 lbs. 7 oz. and 20 inches long. He also came with a head full of thick dark hair, which we absolutely adore! He really is the most beautiful thing we've ever seen, and every day brings some new thing to love!

We're both cooking!

Jon's cooking a turkey for the first time - and doing a great job at it!

Me - I'm cooking a baby, and he's just about done!

Best Supporting Role

I find myself needing more and more support these days. I'm constantly looking for better physical support - in chairs, pillows, and clothing (outer and under) - for my many growing parts. But more than that I'm demanding a lot more emotional support. And though my physical support systems seem to be continually falling short - they just can't seem to keep up! - I must say that my primary emotional support keeps stepping up to the occasion in innumerable and invaluable ways. So while I'll probably keep complaining about how every chair I sit in is inadequate, or how my current bra just is not cutting it, I'll also keep reminding myself that at least where it really matters I've got the best kind of support.

Thanks to all!

I so appreciate everyone's responses to my plea for help! I've used all of your advice in one way or another as I've been registering for baby stuff, and it's definitely helped me feel more at ease that I'm on the right track (and that I at least won't be missing anything that I can't live without).

I have to admit, I'm not a person that's good at asking for help. But I'm realizing more and more that having a baby is one of those things that you can't do on your own. Whether it's husband, family, or friends, I'm relying increasingly on others to help me figure this out (and this when the baby hasn't even come yet!) And even though it's not easy for me to admit I can't do it myself, I think in the end it will be a good lesson for me to learn.

Help me!!

Okay, I've had enough people start asking me about if I've registered for baby stuff, if I feel ready to have a baby, etc. that I decided to let a little bit of reality sink in. And the reality that I will be having a baby sometime in the next two months was intimidating enough to motivate me into action. So, today, I took the first step and got up the courage today to walk into Babies-R-Us.

Wow! I realized why I've been putting this off for so long. That place is intimidating! So much stuff, how on earth are you supposed to know what you need? And then, even if you know what you need, how are you supposed to know which of the hundreds of kinds of that thing is the one you should buy? Not that this is just about the store, mind you, but just about the whole undertaking of sorting through all the stuff out there to know what you need to get for a baby.

I'm really the kind of person that does not want to get more baby "stuff" than I really need - the thought of filling my house with all sorts of unnecessary baby junk is seriously unappealing. But, at the same time, I realize that some of that "junk" can at some level make your life so much easier when you have a baby, and I do want to make sure I get what I need. So, I've decided that it's time to start soliciting advice (because I know there's plenty to be had out there). I'd love to hear from anyone who has had children and been through this whole experience about the top 5-10 things you would really say you need when you have a baby. You know, the things you swear by, that really make things so much easier.

First, let me tell you what we've gotten so far for baby:

• A crib.

Yep, that's all. (I found it amidst my craigslist shopping for furniture for the new apartment.)

I know that some will say that the only things that you really need for a baby are diapers and a carseat (because, at least in California, you can't take the baby home from the hospital unless they verify you own a carseat - and, by the way, if you have any suggestions about types or styles of these two essentials feel free to pass them on). But, thinking beyond that, tell me about the things that you personally couldn't do without.

So, please, help me! Lend me your hard-earned wisdom, because one other thing you should know about me (if you don't already) is that I get very anxious if I feel like something big is about to happen and I'm not ready. (I know, that probably doesn't bode well for my anxiety level for the next 18+ years!)