Grrrr... Happy Halloween!

For this year's Halloween, James was a growly lion. Grrrrr! He's so fierce!

Of course, he refused to growl while actually in costume.

Perhaps next year, we can find some Halloween candy that tastes better than this pumpkin :)

Happy Birthday, James!

James was 52 weeks old yesterday and he is one year old today! Hard to believe how quickly this year has gone by. James has gone from a baby burrito:

to an active, growly, happy little boy:

Today was his 12 month check-up. Getting shots isn't such a great way to start off a birthday but James cheered up quickly thanks to a walk and plenty of time spent playing with his grandparents. He is now 29 inches long and weighs 19 lbs, 10 oz. I was sure he'd be over 20 lbs, given his appetite lately.

We had a small family birthday today with cake and presents. I picked up a (free!) cake from Lunds:

James enjoyed opening presents... perhaps the wrapping more than the presents themselves:
He now has some new books and toys to enjoy:

Finally, it was time for cake! I'm glad we undressed him before turning him loose on the cake.

Mmmm, frosting!

Not patient enough to wait for a piece to be cut for him

He seemed to enjoy the frosting until it coated his face and hands. Next stop: bathtub!

Perhaps by the time he reaches his second birthday, he will get the hang off eating cake!

51 weeks

James was 51 weeks old this past Thursday. He has learned several new tricks this week: he will spin or bounce on command in his exersaucer. He has also decided that he does NOT like having his diaper changed and he will twist and squirm and it will often take a team effort to get a diaper changed.

We were able to enjoy a few days of family time thanks to the MN teachers' union and their fall break. On Thursday night, we stayed at Aaron's family's cabin in Moose Lake. We were treated to a beautiful sunset:

James was more interested in the swing... wheee!

The next morning, we headed first for Duluth and then over to Wisconsin. Our first stop to stretch our legs was at Amnicon Falls State Park. James enjoyed the various views of the falls from the comfort of his stroller.

Here Aaron explains to James something interesting and important about the waterfall.

It was a nice little hike and a good way to break up our drive.

Our destination was a bed and breakfast about 20 miles south of Ashland, Penokee Mountain Inn. We had reserved a separate cabin, both for the kitchen facilities and also in case of a noisy baby. It was just perfect for the 3 of us, and would have comfortably held even more people.

Our hosts brought down dessert for us every night and we went up to the main house for breakfast every morning. They also gave us tips on hikes in the area. Our first stop was at Morgan Falls, just a few miles away.

James sure knows how to ride in comfort!

Beautiful little stream. We were past the peak fall color season but there were plenty of colorful leaves left on the ground.

After a short walk, we arrived at the falls.

James was pretty interested in all the sights and sounds.

Our next stop was at Copper Falls State Park. Here, our hike was a couple of miles with lots of scenic overlooks.

James has just mastered the fine art of sticking out his tongue at the camera:

We got back home with enough time for James to play and be silly before bedtime:

We would love to go back some time, or even make this a (semi) regular trip. It's a bit far for just a weekend, but for an extra few days, it was just perfect.

50 weeks

James was 50 weeks old this past Thursday. In the past week or so, our almost-one-year-old boy has acquired the appetite of a teenager. I'm amazed at how much he is eating -- an entire banana, half a squash, a scoop of sweet potatoes... and he still wants more. The other day, Aaron was eating a dish of custard and James was jumping up and down next to him expectantly. Apparently, we have also acquired a begging dog.

Every Saturday, we try to do some sort of family activity. Today, a fall hike seemed appropriate so we headed south out of the cities and down to St. Peter. The drive is always a pretty one, even a few weeks past peak fall color. We had lunch at the Co-op and then hiked around 7 Mile Creek park. The trail was wide enough and level enough to push James in his stroller. We all enjoyed time in the woods on a beautiful, sunny day.

As long as we were in the neighborhood, we also stopped in around the Gustavus campus. Every Gustie at some point has a picture taken with Gustavus Adolphus and James needed one, too.
We'll finish of our day of fall fun with some homemade apple pie. At least by this point, James is in bed and won't be able to beg for some :)

still summer

With the warm weather we've been having, I had to unpack James' summer clothes. It was a little funny to be running around in shorts with all sorts of leaves on the ground... reminded me a bit of my years in southern California.

James certainly enjoyed his time outside!

49 weeks

James was 49 weeks old this past Thursday. Still no walking or talking to report, although it seems like he is closer and closer each day. He will put syllables together that sound like mama or dada, but we're not convinced that he is doing it intentionally, yet. Soon, I'm sure!

James came down with another cold yesterday and last night was pretty rough for him and us. We put him to bed as his normal bed time of 7 pm, but he woke up coughing or sneezing every half hour for the next 3 hours (which quickly turned into crying). Using all of our cold-symptom-alleviating tricks, we gave him saline drops, turned on his room humidifier, and tried to get him to sleep more upright. Poor little boy was uncomfortable, exhausted, and sad. I think he was finally sleeping by 11 and managed to sleep through the night. I have the feeling that a stuffy nose will be quite common this winter.




The weather has been unseasonably warm this past week, with a record high of 87 yesterday. We have spent a lot of time outside, and today we had a nice family outing to a local apple orchard. James was surprising unimpressed by the goats at the orchard, but did enjoy his time outside and a few slices of apple.

11 months/48 weeks

James was 11 months old this past Wednesday and 48 weeks old this past Thursday. He has really progressed this month in eating solid foods and he is almost eating regular meals now, of food that more or less resembles what we might eat. Food might be a little more mashed up or a little less seasoned for him, but it is no longer really smooth and pureed. He's also chewing more with his 8-going-on-9 teeth.
His mobility has also increased, but not to the point where he is walking on his own yet. His balance is getting better and better and he can get around our living room with ease. His favorite mode of transportation is still on his belly and he is quite fast! He enjoys being chased and will move even faster if he knows that someone is trying to catch him.

This past week, I spent a few days out of town so James got to spent some quality time with Dad. They enjoyed a few days of bachelor lifestyle:

Not a bad way to spend a few days... but I think they were still happy to have a mom back home again :)