Happy Halloween!

This Halloween was Jed and my first Halloween with Jamesy which made it extra fun, though I'm sure it will be even more fun when James knows enough to be excited about it. James dressed up as an adorable little skeleton to go begging neighbors for candy that Jed and I could eat later since he really can't have it yet. It was rainy and kind of yucky outside Halloween night and James's bedtime is 7ish so we just took James around the block, but he still seemed very interested in everything going on. In fact, James's favorite part was probably just standing beside our door as kids came up to trick or treat. He wanted to see what was going on out there and would cry anytime Jed or I tried to shut the door after someone left.

Jed and I were also reminded of the perils of leaving a basket of candy outside. I bought 7 pounds of candy (yes 7) and when Jed and I both walked around to say hello to the neighbors we left the basket outside and came home to a very diminished candy supply. We left the basket out again after James went to bed so people wouldn't be ringing the bell while he was sleeping and the candy was gone in all of 15 minutes. Sorry people who came to our house after 7:15!

James at 11 Months

James at 11 Months - October 30, 2013

One more month and this baby will be one year old, and I can't believe how quickly this year has flown by. James is getting cuter and cuter by the day, and of course he is constantly learning new tricks. James has gotten more confident standing this month and can now push off the floor to stand instead of having to use something to pull himself up. James can also toddle around with a push cart now, though no independent stepping has occurred yet (thank goodness). He has also figured out how to open and close doors (assuming they aren't actually closed to where you need to turn the handle), how to open drawers, how to pick things up while standing, and how to climb the stairs. Suffice it to say a lot of baby proofing has been going on around here.

James is also becoming more verbal. He still hasn't said any words, but he babbles constantly and is starting to mimic what Jed and I say.  Sadly, James still isn't sleeping through the night (patience is a virtue right).

James loves playing with toys, reading books, and playing chase. He also loves being thrown in the air, pulling everything out of the recycling bin, and throwing anything he can find into the toilet. James still makes adorable monster noises when he plays and gives big sloppy wet kisses. We love our cute little monster!

Pumpkin Carving!

 After our fun trip to the pumpkin patch we had a pumpkin that needed some carving. I'm not going to lie, Jed and I aren't particularly artistic people so we decided to do a classic happy face and Jed had the brilliant idea of giving our pumpkin two bottom teeth to match our sweet baby James. Speaking of that cute baby, James was very interested in those squishy pumpkin guts and was pretty sure the pumpkin was some cool new toy for him to play with (we did not discourage that idea).

Pumpkin Patchin'

We've been trying to get out and do at least one fun activity every Saturday and last Saturday it was pumpkin patch time! Unfortunately it was pretty chilly on Saturday but we still had fun looking at goats and ponies, walking through the mini corn maze, and of course checking out all the pumpkins. Because of the cold we decided to forgo the hayride, but James still got the enjoy a little wagon ride of his own.

And now here's what you really want to see - a ton of pictures of my adorable baby :)

James at 10 Months

James at 10 Months - October 2, 2013 (we were a couple days late with the picture this time)

James is starting to get too big for his own good, and mine. He is now pulling to standing and has started crawling on his hands and knees more consistently instead of reverting to his tried and true army crawl. James is also getting more opinionated about what he wants and when he wants it and isn't afraid to let you know if he's not getting what he thinks he needs.

James still loves story books and babbling all day long. In particular James likes to turn the pages for you when you read to him and will usually flip them for you when you ask. James also loves his toys, especially his activity table that plays music and makes noises. And of course he likes playing with anything that isn't a baby toy.

He still isn't a champion sleeper, in fact we've had some sleep setbacks recently, but Jed and I continue to hope that one day he'll just magically figure out how to sleep through the night on his own (it could happen right).

This month also marked the start of finger foods and so far James seems to be enjoying picking up and eating some of his own food. James still eats some purees in large part because he drops so much while he's eating on his own I'm worried he won't get enough to eat, and also because fruits and veggies are so darn slippery he has a hard time picking them up.

One more big milestone happened this month: James sprouted his first two teeth. Yep, this little guy is now just mostly toothless - he's got his two front bottom teeth to do damage with now.

It has also become much harder to take these monthly pictures. I have about 30 versions of the picture below on my camera:

Utah

 At the end of September we were able to travel out to Utah to visit Jed's family. For Jed it was a two for one trip as he also went hunting and shot a deer to boot (James and I chose to pass on the hunting and camping activities). We had a great time vising with family, walking around our old campus at BYU, and watching James try to figure out his cousins. Jed of course also had a great time doing deer hunting things but I can't give a good report: I'm not going to pretend to know anything about this and I asked to not hear any of the gruesome details. I'm sure Jed would be happy to tell you about it if you ask him though :)

Papa with all his grandchildren

Visiting Daddy at the Deer Camp

James at 9 Months

James at 9 Months - August 30th 2013

Oh my goodness, can you believe that James has now been alive for longer than he was gestating - it seems crazy both that he is so big and also that I was pregnant for so long because it seems like James has been here forever. 

This month James has perfected the army crawl and scoots all along our floor, but so far he has declined to take his scampering show onto hands and knees. Even with only an army crawl though James has taken to following Jed and I just about anywhere we go.

This last month James has also learned how to get himself from on his stomach to a sitting position and has just started using people sitting on the ground as props to get himself to a standing position. James has also developed the "pincer grasp" (picking something up with only the thumb and index finger) and has been putting this skill to good use learning how to eat finger foods.

James loves playing with his toys but continues to be even more interested in various household objects. A few current favorites are a tube of Vaseline, my waterbottle, and the piano pedals. James is increasingly interested in more complicated baby toys as well - he likes to play with things that flip or spin, etc and can be amused with such toys for a long time in baby world (i.e. about 15 minutes).

James still loves jumping in his jumper and giving big slobbery kisses! We love our sweet baby!

To Grandmother's House We Go

James and I (well I, James isn't really consulted in these decisions) decided to once again go on vacation without Jed. Jed was of course invited so maybe it would be better to say that I decided to go on vacation and Jed declined to join me. James and I joined my parents and sisters, as well as my sisters little baby Daniel for a trip to Coos Bay, Oregon to visit my Grandma McCarty. While there we went to a zoo and pet a baby bobcat and other animals, went to the lake, visited Bandon and ate fish and chips, flew a kite on the beach, went to Shore Acres Gardens, went on walks, and of course ate tons of cobbler. I had an excellent time and I think it's safe to say that James did as well.

James conked out on his walk with Grandpa

At Shore Acres

Checking out the roses.

James's Great Grandma McCarty with 2 of her 53 great grandchildren

Flying our kite lovingly dubbed the sharknado.

James and Daniel with Grandma and Grandpa at Shore Acres

James at 8 Months

James at 8 Months - July 30th 2013

James is on the move! This last month James started army crawling and is now moving about the house slowly but surely. James and I are both so happy that he can get to the toy he wants now on his own instead of having to play a guessing game where I try different toys until I get it right.

James's other big milestone this month: he started sleeping in his crib in his nursery (don't judge ok). It was probably a long time coming, but when James outgrew his original sleeper right around 4 months Jed and I just weren't ready to move him out of our room so we just transitioned him to a pack and play by our beds, but now he is finally in his very own room!

James of course continues to be an absolute joy - he still doesn't sleep through the night, but he's such a happy, sweet baby all day I can live with it. James still loves to babble and play - he bangs his toys together and likes to read books, he has even started to turn the pages on his own sometimes. James loves to be held while someone dances and sings and laughs and laughs when he is thrown or spun around.


James's favorite foods right now seem to be mangoes, nectarines, zucchini and cauliflower. He is not such a fan of (i.e. hates with a fiery passion) asparagus, apricots, and any kind of meat.

To Georgia We Go

My good friend Lindsey was pregnant - I'm a bit behind so she's already had the baby now :) - and my other wonderful Beth was throwing her a shower and asked if I wanted to help. Since the shower would be on the 29th of June it was the perfect opportunity to go spend a week in Georgia and then have Jed join James and I for a long 4th of July weekend.

The shower was ladybug themed and absolutely adorable as you can see:

 It was also so nice to get to hang out with some of the amazing girls I have been friends with for so long. It's so nice when you have friends that you can get together with and just pick back up right where you left off!

While in Georgia, James also got to experience swimming for the first time.  He was a little small for his float but he still seemed to enjoy being in the water even when his Aunt Danielle accidentally dunked him. Of course after Jed got there it rained constantly so our outdoor plans for the 4th were scrapped and instead we just hung out with the extended Cronquist family at my parents house. It was still fun to see everyone though and it was nice to have a little break.

James at 7 Months

James at 7 Months - June 30th 2013

Our little James just keeps on growing. He's 18 and a half pounds and continues to be a chunky little boy.  He is babbling like crazy now with a special fondness for the word "dada". He has also taken to rolling to get around the room or to reach toys. James has also just decided to start sleeping on his stomach much to Jed's chagrin. Jed spent one night flipping him over before I convinced him that if James could flip over himself the real danger from stomach sleeping had passed.

Half a Year

James at 6 Months - May 30, 2013

I cannot believe that James is already 6 months old; time is going by way too fast. At his 6 month checkup (which was on his actual half-birthday) James continued to be average (weighing 17 lbs 9 oz with a length of 24.75 inches) with a giant head (seriously his head circumference now puts him in the 90th percentile).

James has learned lots of new tricks over the last month. His biggest milestone being that he can now sit-up! Of course he topples over after a couple minutes but for a baby it's a success all the same. James can also now reach down and pick up toys to play with and can transfer toys from hand to hand. Along with this James also now wants to pick up anything and everything, especially whatever someone else is holding or attempting to hold.

James loves playing with his feet and pulling his socks off. He also loves to be thrown in the air and being tickled. His new favorite toy to chomp on is a starfish that is actually a bath toy. He also likes to play with random household objects - anything novel provides lots of excitement. James adores both reading and chewing on books and singing songs.  I can't believe my little baby is already a half a year old!

Yum Rice Cereal

James after his first "meal" of rice cereal.

Today James got his very first taste of grown up food, well as grown up a food as baby rice cereal can be considered. Somewhat surprisingly he seemed to love it and gobbled down a good amount without any incident or too much spitting of food all over his face. This might have been because the mix we gave him was one part rice cereal to three parts breastmilk so it probably just tasted like his favorite food on a spoon, but regardless he did great. Before long a whole new world of food will be opening up to this little bean ... I think he looks pretty excited about it.

6 Years and Counting

Right after we got married 6 whole years ago

Yup, it is true as of yesterday Jed and I have been married for 6 years, which is absolutely crazy. 6 years seems like a really long time but it has absolutely flown by. (By the way, can you believe that this post isn't all about James!)

At dinner - the terrace where we ate was a lot prettier
than this photo by the wall is letting on.

To celebrate Jed and I decided to go out to dinner by ourselves for the first time since having James. Our awesome friend Tiffany agreed to watch him (I'm afraid she might have gotten a little more than she bargained for) so that we could go out to a nice long dinner at a normal person time (we usually go out at 5:30 to make it home in time to get James ready for bed). We went to Vitor's, which I highly recommend, and had a lovely dinner complete with appetizers and dessert. Then we came home to a sleeping baby and watched Lincoln, well Jed watched Lincoln (and highly enjoyed it) while I fell asleep as has become my habit whenever we attempt to watch movies now.

Here's to many more wonderful years!

P.S. I updated our blog with approximately a million posts today so be sure to scroll down for pictures of our adorable baby

James at 5 Months

James at 5 Months - April 30th 2013

Can you believe that James is already 5 months old. I certainly can't. He is growing up far to fast and he's still a tiny baby - I don't know what I'll do when he actually is big. Speaking of getting big, at 5 months James weighs 16 lds, 6 ozs which puts him in the 46th percentile according to the WHO and the 53rd according to the CDC. And he has got quite the chunky little thighs and cheeks to boot.

At 5 months James is ready to be so much bigger than he is. He wants so badly to be able to sit up on his own and to crawl but sadly for him it's probably not going to happen for awhile. He can sit up with assistance though and do tummy time like a champ.

James continues to love songs, reading and attempting to eat his toys. He has become especially fond of the book Brown Bear Brown Bear and of a little stuffed duck my parents gave him for Easter.  He loves to be held up high in the air and to play bouncy games as well. The little stinker still wakes up 2 or 3 times a night, but we are hopeful that he'll start sleeping for longer stretches soon (and honestly it is probably our fault the little guy doesn't know how to put himself to sleep).

Just one more month and he'll be half a year old. I can hardly believe it.

Rub a Dub Dub

Ever since James got to start taking baths in the actual tub he has been a fan but now that he has figured out the joy of splashing around in the tub he is really into his nightly bath, except of course for when he splashes himself in the face. Honestly though anything this little guy does is pretty adorable.

A Georgia Weekend

After the loss of our precious Darwin we decided we needed to get out of town for a little while and so headed down to Georgia to visit my parents. We had a fun weekend in Georgia and it was just the getaway we needed. As an added bonus my Grandma McCarty was there so James got to spend some time with both of his Great Grandmas on my side of the family while he was there.

Darwin

On April 6th our family suffered a loss when our sweet dog Darwin was hit by a car and killed. We obviously were and remain devastated. Darwin was a beloved member of our family and was Jed and my first little baby. He was a loyal and caring friend whose absence is deeply felt. We will forever miss our sweet sweet puppy.

Giggle Goose

James is our little giggle goose - he is always ready with a laugh and sometimes you can really get him going which is hilarious. So enjoy this fun video of James having a giggle fit.

A Jaunt to Nephi

After skiing with my family for the weekend, James and I were lucky enough to zip down to Nephi to visit with Jed's family for a couple of days. Since the day my parents left was Easter we were able to see lots of Jed's extended family as well. It was a super quick trip but it was lots of fun to see the Kendalls and for James to meet his aunts and uncles as well as great grandparents on Jed's side of the family.

James with his Great Grandpa Terry

James with Great Grandpa and Grandma Olson 

Great Grandpa Terry, James, Grandpa Kendall and James's Great Great Grandma (yup James has a Great Great Grandma)

James with his Uncle Jade 

James hanging out with his Aunt Jeanna and cousins 

Uncle Ben and James (James looks grumpy here but they share a birthday so they are destined to get along great)

Hanging out with Grandpa Kendall 

James with his Great Grandma and Great Aunt Kelly