10 Months old

Hi everyone!

I apologize if you have been checking this blog and there have been no updates! Tonight is going to be a long one with lots of pictures. The last two weeks have been a little busy. James and I went to Orange Beach with the Maxwells from Tuesday until Friday of this week, so I've been out of town. I have to admit, that I got in a rut with getting in touch with a lot of people a week before this one and was busy with housework.
This past weekend, my dear friend, Michelle Macdonald, spent the night both Friday and Saturday night. We watched movies in our jammies like 8 year olds and ate brownies. Michelle works for Campus Crusade for Christ and is moving to New York (Big Girl!) on September 9th! I'm so proud of her and the work she does. B and Doc were able to stop by on Sunday as well which was fun. B is coming tomorrow as well so she can keep James while I work on 5SE on Monday. She has been so very helpful! Thank you, mama!
People often ask me if I'm still working. I am working as a nurse on an adolescent unit at the Children's hospital here in Birmingham. The job is very rewarding and full of challenges that I enjoy. I finished my masters this past December (09) for Nurse Practitioner. I was torn on the decision not to take the certification test (and truth be told, still am) because I love medicine and spent time and money on this masters. However, right now in life, I don't feel right about taking a job as an NP and don't see myself doing it anytime soon. Congrats, though, to my good friends who did finish (or are close to finishing) on reaching that goal and seeking it forward. I know, especially if you were in my study group, you are the most talented and brilliant people who really love the job! Anyone who is your patient will be blessed by it, I know!
Orange Beach was a blast! We left on Tuesday and got to play in the pool and, most of all, I enjoyed hanging out with the whole Maxwell clan! What a blessing to have them in our lives. If we ever move to Jackson, we will try to make them neighbors or close to it.
James is doing well. He had a low-grade fever tonight (100.6R) with a runny nose. He is also teething. He has two bottom teeth (as you can see from the photos) and the Canine teeth are starting to protrude. He is waving "Hi" and "bye-bye". He loves to dance. He loves his dada! When we got home from our trip yesterday, he smiled so big and laughed and laughed once he was in his dad's arms. Such a nugget! He is taking two one to two-hour naps a day and sleeping 12-13 hours at night. This is the nice stage where a lot of mamas start thinking.. "hey, i could do two, right?" I think that's why you see SO many kids about 18-24 months apart. SO many. Anyway, I'll shut it off here so I can post some pictures. Let me know you are here if you are! Leave me a message :)

I really try not to do too much TV but it was on this day.

We got to play with Lily Grubbs! She is so precious and we are

excited that they are our neighbors!!

My sippy cup!

Cute Cute!

Heart-melting goodness.

Who's the man with the master plan?

The J, the A, the M, the E, the S

It's James. It's James

(a song daddy Jim sings a lot)

How do you brush your teeth? I brush mine

like this...

James, 10 months; Micah, 14 months

Scrub-a-dub dub!

What is this? I want to push it around!

Much love,

the Galbraith Gang

This is for you, Aunt Lindsey!

Today, Grandaddy Galbraith came into town and we have been having a good time so far. I thought I would share some photos and videos taken for all of you but, especially Aunt Lindsey! We can't wait to get to Dallas to see her and Memi and have a first birthday.

This is so fun!

Wahoo!

Thank you, Lindsey, for introducing us to this wonderful dish!

My birthday gifts..uhh Devine! Can't wait to cook more, too!

Tomorrow, the boys are going to play golf while I go sell JR League cookbooks at Belks. We have a babysitter for the first time. Exciting, right? It's crazy hot here in Alabama. Our poor air conditioners are killing themselves just to not see Jim sweat. That's a big feat. Last night, our electricity went out (go figure, Homewood) and was off from 7p until 3a. Mama and baby were H-O-T. Luckily, I had some battery operated fans I was able to put on James and he really didn't seem to be too bothered. I, on the other hand, did not get much sleep and had to go pretty tired all day therefore, goodnight!! Maybe I'll post again tomorrow.

Our new tricks: James is waving "hello" and "goodbye" to pretty much everybody including his reflection. Rather, I should say, ESPECIALLY his reflection. He is soooo close to walking it's scary. He has abandoned trying to say "mama" and "dada" for now but I'm still working on it. He won't sign yet. He is my super rockstar and I am so totally in love.. so is Jim :)

Goodnight!

Melissa and the Galbraith gang

Aidan's First Birthday

We went to see the birthday boy yesterday for a bit.. So precious.

Thank you, Charlene, for being such an awesome friend throughout the journey of motherhood so far!! More to come :)

and a few more

this one was taken yesterday (Aug. 3).

One of his favorite toys -his diaper changing pad

We found the tupperware!

Pappa and Son

Super sweet photo of James and B

More photos

Sorry I didn't finish posting the past two weeks of photos. Here are some more.

photos from past two weeks

Great Photos

So, July is a big month for this family because it is mama bear's birthday and when we celebrated our 2nd marriage anniversary (technically June 28th). For my birthday, Jim gave me a wonderful camera and an A-MaZ-ing neclace which I might just have to photograph a little later and put it on here. He is really good at gift giving. While I'm waiting for software to download on my computer, I wanted to blog/journal about what all James is doing now.

James is 8 months a 3 weeks old. He is crawling everywhere fast and proficiently, pulling up on everything and practicing balance for walking, babbling "mama", "dada", "bubu", and blowing his lips together like he's trying to make the sound of an engine. He loves to eat and get into everything he isn't suppose to. I have kind of turned our downstairs room into the playroom area where James plays. He is surrounded by toys but the first things he gravitates to is the xbox controller (no, James), the phone (uh uh, James), the cabinets (no, no!, James), and mama's computer (absolutely not, James!). We have had fun taking him to the pool in the afternoons and going all over birmingham with him. Once he reached a certain age (i'd say whenever he started wearing me out with his crawling and pulling all during activity time- maybe 7 months), it was nice for mama bear to swoop him up and get him out. Another one of his favorite things to do is go to the park and swing in the bucket seats. He laughs unlike any other laugh I've ever heard. Also, he is practicing saying "bye bye" to everyone waving his hand and rolling his fingers. He and mama will sit on the front porch occasionally and tell all the cars going by "bye bye".

We are ready for the beach trip! James knows we are

leaving on Monday. He can feel it.

I think I can tell what the little man may

look like when he gets bigger in the picture.

Meeeow! Feed me! Pet me!

Abby Girl.

Get me outta here!!!

My teefies are coming in!!

Congratulations to Kristen and Galen on their engagement!! I can't wait to see everyone very soon and talk wedding!! Anyone with team "B" on their hands will have a fabulous wedding no doubt!!

I started the book "the Alchemist".. anyone read it? It's really good so far. It's about a shepherd who is out to find truth in the world and that's as far as I have gotten. I'm always up for great book suggestions as well. Anyone?

Much love from the Galbraith household!

Melissa, Jim and James

"What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:
"For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

What an amazing truth!