We knew it would come eventually and the snow has arrived. It has been snowing consistently the entire day. When we left for church there was about 6 inches on the ground and when we got out of church there was almost a foot of snow (Jamie will say a foot and a half, but I don't think it was really THAT much). And it just keeps coming...
I tell Jamie that I will never leave the house again and we complain about shoveling the walks, but it is fun to have piles of the fluffy stuff everywhere.
James was asleep in his carseat during the time of this photo (under a pile of blankets) but we took a family walk later and James stuck his tongue out and tasted snow for the first time.
Here are a couple more photos of the wee babe from the other day.
Forgive the blogging hiatus as of late. Jamie has been working hard on a case competition (in which he is a finalist) and studying for term exams...leaving me without a computer most nights. But the 18 hour days are coming to an end soon! Can't wait to see everyone in Washington soon. If you want to see us, let me (Nicole) know about scheduling!
We loved visiting the Jensens for Thanksgiving in Texas. It was mid-70s all week and we took advantage of it by going on multiple walks around the neighborhood and to the local Shell station. We visited downtown, the riverwalk, the Alamo, took family photos, and ate plenty of TURKEY!
James loved meeting more of his extended family (and being held most of the time). It also gave him a chance to wear some of his 3-month clothing that was more summer appropriate, including Jamie's choice: the orange and white striped tanktop.
We hated leaving and coming back to Minneapolis and 19°F!
James met Uncle Blake for the first time this week and had a ball. He was enthralled by the new sounds that Blake could beatbox. And Blake was proud of the fact that he was the only one to escape being spit-up on...
...for the first little while. But James got everyone at one point or another!
James experienced travel by bus, light rail, plane, and shuttle all on the same day while the family headed to Texas for Thanksgiving. We were unsure of how he would be react to everything. We packed some chocolates for those that sat around us on the plane. Jamie made a limerick up in about 2 minutes and we attached that as well. It read:
Alright, alright. I'm sure everyone is getting sick of pictures of James and videos of James and stories about James and more pictures of James and on and on and on. Right?
This is an excellent video about our Church's relief efforts in the Rockaways after Hurricane Sandy.
For our friends out there who aren't familiar with our faith, this clip provides an excellent example of our motivation and commitment to love and serve each other in Christ-like ways. We hold firmly to the belief that "when ye are in the service of your fellow beings, ye are only in the service of your God." (Book of Mormon: Mosiah 2:17) Jesus taught "By this shall all men know ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."(John 13:35).
Whether or not you're the religious type, I think love is something we can all get behind. Even beyond the religious aspects of Christianity, I think the Christian philosophy is the best there is on its own merits of love, patience, kindness, service, and empathy.
Take a gander and see what you think. Feel free to ask either Nicole or I anything you could ever imagine in response.
Wood broomhandle + two surfaces the same height + dangly things + quilt = freakout happiness playtime-ville for James.
Target is willing to recreate this same set up for a modest $50 bucks!!! We like our solution just fine, and so does Little James. He's turning into a swatting machine. He goes from extreme focus and lazer-like concentration, to wild wriggles and giggles. What a hunk!
We have a plane mobile above James' crib. We calm le bebe down, lay him in the crib, and give the planes a light spin. Five minutes later he is asleep (most of the time).
This is what I found yesterday as James woke up from his nap.
Hold on to your britches. It's growth spurt time in the Wood household. James is eating every two hours and sleeping for most of the rest of it. Wish us luck.
James LOVES belly time. I think he was getting bored of seeing the same perspectives of our small apartment from his back. But he can hold his head up pretty well and props it up with an arched back and outstretched arms. He is pretty awesome and we are always proud of him.
Last month, Jamie took some photos of James in a striped shirt on our gray blanket. We tried to replicate the same photos this weekend before he grew out of the shirt. The differences in James are incredible.
The votes have been tallied and it is unanimous: The Blue Door Pub serves the best juicy-lucy (hamburger patty stuffed with a layer of cheese) in town. If you haven't tried it yet, it needs to be your next stop when you get the hankering for a burger. Weekends and evenings can be busy. The restaurant only has about 10 tables, but it is worth the wait.
It was The Dentists vs The MHA-er's on Monday night flag football this week in the semi-finals for the flag football 2012 championship. It was a tight game. Both teams displayed poise under pressure and a strong offense. Both teams were in it to win, but only one claimed the victory. MHA-er's of course!
Immediately following was the championship game vs The Red Team. Things got pretty agressive for a non-contact sport. Jamie ended up on the ground more than once. And our team suffered in the fact that we had just finished our last game. Unfortunately, in overtime the boys went for the win on a 2 point after goal play and couldn't connect. We lost by 1. We left the game with sore backs, cut knees and looking forward to next season.
James had his first check up yesterday and his stats are in!
9 lbs 14 ounces. 22 inches. 25th percentile for head size and height. 10th percentile for weight.
He had three shots and an oral vaccination administered and did really well during the whole process. He had a really sad pout during the shots then a little whimper afterward, but braved it all.
The only concern the doctor had was James' safety. She assessed his head strength and coordination in respect to rolling over were advanced and warned us not to leave him unattended on any high furniture in the near future. We might have a roller in these next couple weeks!
I couldn't get a great picture since James likes to constantly turn his head back and forth, but here is a bit of evidence that James' bed head is just as epic as Jamie's every morning.
Last night James and I attended the Ward Halloween Party. There was chili and games for the kids and indoor trick-or-treating. We were proud to show off our costumes: me a witch and James a pea pod. Thanks to Jaci Udy for letting us borrow the cute costume for the night.
James has quite the personality. He smiles at everyone and everything. He always has his hands balled into fists, but the thumb between his pointer finger and middle finger like he is constantly stealing someone's nose. He loves to sit up and look around. He enjoys walks outside where he sticks his tongue out to taste the air like a snake. He sleeps best in his carseat or with Dad on the couch. He is very content to lay on the ground and look at the ceiling. His hair is growing in the front; unfortunately, it is starting to rub off in the back. He has a very expressive face (the 4th photo down is a very "James face"). He has grown out of his newborn clothing and graduated to 0-3 month onesies. He is referred to by "little man", "bud", and "master James" at home.
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