Chapter 243
With each passing day, James was growing up quickly, showing it not just in his size but also in how he was gradually developing his own personality.
At the moment, James was going through his first “rebellious phase,” as the grandparents called it. Now at six months old, he was more aware of his surroundings and often tried to put everything he touched into his mouth to relieve the terrible itching in his gums.
That morning, he woke up as usual, simply opening his eyes without crying and starting to babble while grabbing one of the toys around him.
“Ah… bl…” he babbled to himself while gnawing on a stuffed bear. But then he felt someone watching him, so he began looking around until he found those blue eyes he loved so much, which made him light up
with excitement.
“Good morning, little one,” Deborah said, noticing the slightly cheeky behavior of her son.
Upon hearing his mother’s voice, James immediately dropped his toy and reached out to be picked up.
Deborah laughed at his actions and quickly scooped him up, kissing him on the cheek.
“Good morning.”
“Ah…” James tried to touch his mother’s face, laughing as she kissed his tiny hands.
“Good morning to both of you,” Jayden said as he entered the room, making James even more excited. When he reached them, he ruffled James‘ hair, which made the little one smile, revealing a big surprise.
“Woah, James, you have your first teeth!” Deborah exclaimed, excitedly noticing the white spots in her son’s gums.
“Haha, you’ll soon have bunny teeth,” Jayden joked, pulling out his phone to take a picture. “Mom, Dad, come see! James is a little bunny now.”
“Don’t call him that,” Deborah scolded playfully.
“Believe me, he will be,” Jayden said, amused.
“What’s going on?” Eric and Samantha asked as they entered the room.
“Make James smile, and you’ll see,” Jayden suggested.
The grandparents agreed and started talking to James to make him laugh. As he did, they spotted the tiny pearls that had appeared in his gums.
James didn’t understand what was happening, but he could tell everyone was very happy and excited about making him laugh, and they kept taking pictures of him, which he enjoyed. The best part was that the horrible itching in his mouth was finally gone.
“Now that he has teeth, he can start eating purees,” Samantha said excitedly.
“Why purees?” Jayden asked.
“Because we need to start with soft, easy–to–digest foods to gradually accustom his stomach to solids. For now, he’s only had milk and water. According to this baby guide, we can also start giving him some
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Chapter 243
natural juice,” Deborah explained, showing Jayden the book recommended by the nutritionist.
“Oh…” Jayden said as he read what she showed him.
Eric and Samantha smiled as they watched. They already knew this from experience, but they enjoyed seeing their children learn how to take care of James.
“So, when will he start talking and walking?” Jayden asked excitedly.
“When he’s about a year old, he’ll start trying to sit up on his own, crawl, and stand,” Deborah explained.
“And around the same time, you can start encouraging him to talk,” Eric added.
“What was Jayden’s first word?” Deborah asked.
“Mama,” Samantha replied happily.
“He said ‘papa‘ after that, but yes… she beat me to it,” Eric said, pouting.
“I’m… sorry,” Jayden said nervously, noticing his father’s sadness.
“Don’t apologize, son. You spent more time with Samantha since I was at work, so she got the first word.”
“That’s why I’m going to spend more time with my boy, right, James?” Jayden said, holding him up so they were face to face. “You’re going to say ‘papa‘ first.”
James giggled, enjoying being lifted by his father.
“Is that a bet?” Deborah asked, amused.
“Sounds like a plan,” Jayden said with a grin. “But… what are we betting?”
“How about the loser plans a surprise vacation for everyone?” Samantha suggested.
“I like that plan. How about during the next summer vacation?” Deborah proposed, noticing that everyone liked the idea.
“In that case, we’ve got plans for the future,” Eric said, amused.
“And if we plan it right, it could be at the beach so James can see the ocean for the first time,” Samantha said excitedly.
“This sounds more like a family plan now,” Jayden said, laughing.
“Speaking of family plans,” Eric began, “we need to take care of something.” He signaled the butler, who went to fetch some photo albums.
“What’s that?” Deborah asked.
James cooed curiously at the new object.
“Yes, little one, soon you’ll enjoy this event,” Eric said.
“Yes! It’s time!” Jayden exclaimed.
“You see, Deborah, in the Cooper family, we love parties and celebrations. So, every special time of year, we decorate the house,” Eric explained.
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Chapter 243
“Does that mean…”
“It’s time to design this year’s haunted house for the kids,” Jayden said happily. “When I was little, I loved those haunted houses because I got to play with all the neighbors and my school friends.”
“Ah… I remember hearing about that haunted house and sometimes seeing photos, but I never got to go,” Deborah said as she looked at the photo album.
“Well, now you’ll not only attend, Deborah, but as Mrs. Cooper, it’s your duty to create a house worthy of horror and fun,” Eric declared.
James excitedly touched the album.
“And I know James will continue the tradition of being a cute little pumpkin,” Samantha said as she searched for a specific photograph.
“Tradition?” Deborah repeated.
“Yes, look,” Samantha said, showing a photo of a young blonde boy dressed as a pumpkin.
“Aww… what an adorable little pumpkin,” Deborah said as she hugged her husband. “You’ve convinced me to continue the tradition, right, James?”
James burbled in response.
The grandparents smiled and began sharing their ideas for this year’s decorations and games for the kids who would visit, while Deborah eagerly added her own ideas.
