Jim and Katie Paisley: Busy, busy, busy

James will be six weeks old this Tuesday. He is growing so fast! He is 24 inches long and in the 99.7 percentile for length! He might be one tall guy. He is cooing and smiling and becoming more mobile. Everyone comments on how long and strong he is. Jim and I went out for our first time since the baby last night. Our friend Chad had a birthday party and we had a lot of fun. It was so great to get out of the house not have to worry about when the next feeding, play, or nap time might be. Our wonderful neighbors Cheryl and Jim Peavyhouse watched him while we were out.
Today Leigh, Miss Judy, and Lilly came to visit James. Lilly did such a good job with the baby. She'll be a wonderful big sister. I can't believe Leigh and I have been friends since we were James and Lilly's age!
I'm really enjoying staying at home with the baby. I love taking care of him and setting my own schedule. Well, it's my schedule with some assistance from James. I go on walks with him, do some yoga when he's sleeping, take care of all the Paisley household admin stuff (paying bills, mail, etc.), and no commuting! I start the job search next week, but I'm leaning to taking a part time position if I can. Getting laid off was quite a blow, but it is such a blessing that I can stay at home for at least one more month than FMLA would have allowed.
Grant Park is a great place to be with kids. Jim and I have made new friends that went through a very similar experience with their baby. Josh and Cindy had a baby on Dec. 26, 2011 and the baby was transported to Northside NICU for cooling therapy just as James was. We had dinner together and I met Cindy for lunch. It's not only good to talk about our experiences at the NICU but to talk to new parents about baby stuff as well. Did you know how much new moms will talk about breast feeding? It is a major topic of conversation. How often, how easy, does it hurt, do you demand feed or parent-directed feed.
Grant Park also has a play group for babies James' age, but I don't think he's ready to mix and mingle just yet. Maybe in a month or two when he can sit up and/or is interested in toys.