Cousin William turns 3

My cousin William turned 3 last week & I got to go to his birthday party on Saturday. What fun we had! William even had a big hotdog truck pull into the driveway and serve everyone tasty dogs (except me of course).

I got to ride in William's little car, and his friend Olivia showed me all sorts of things (see below, she's showing me a basketball and telling me I shouldn't eat it, why not?).

There's no better place to be than on the shoulders of my dad :-)

It's Official: He Walks!

James is walking unassisted!! He had his eureka moment on Thursday and ever since, he's been practicing non stop. This video gives you a good idea of how he's doing, though he's gotten even better since this was taken. He had been cruising around and walking holding on to one parent's hand for a while now, so we were very excited to see this newest accomplishment. James is also very excited about his new skill.

Without jinxing it...he is also sleeping A LOT better since Saturday - only getting up ONCE at 3am.

The walking perhaps? WE HOPE!

Memorial Day Weekend

What a fun weekend we had. Friday night James went to sleep quick and easy and mom and dad enjoyed a nice cold beer outside. Saturday there was no swimming class so dad got a chance to dive into his mulch project while mom and James went with Nanny to get some errands done. Sunday was a big treat. We went up to Woodbury Commons outlets to shop!! Mom got a whole new - and much needed - wardrobe, while James got a chance to spend some time with Grandma and Grandpa who came along for the trip. We even took a family outing to a restaurant where we learned that James got his appetite back! Monday was spent returning 375 bottles for deposit (what a clean garage we have now) and hanging around the homefront. James got a new tent over the weekend and from the pictures here, you can see that he very much enjoys his new digs. Here's to a summer of lots of fun!

Nanny & Boppa's Hottub

James was finally feeling better on Friday. After hanging out w/ his Boppa (aka Grampa Plona), mom took James into the hottub which now doubles as a kiddie pool. Because it was nice and warm, James wasn't sure if this was just a big huge bathtub, or the pool. Either way, he seemed to enjoy the new found activity.

What's it's like to be 10 months old

So being 10 months old is tough work. As you can see from this picture (and from the Mother's Day pictures if you looked closely), James got a little battle wound between his eyes. We chocked it up to a very quick baby learning to pull up on not so stable toys. It didn't seem to bother James too much once he got over the shock of seeing a Little Tykes toolbench toppling over on him. Thanks to dad's big foot, he was able to stop it from being a major disaster.
The "James" teething characteristics = BRIGHT red cheek after 12noon on the side that the tooth is coming in and Dr Jekyl and Mr Hyde behavior that last until the offender is through the gumline. These lunchtime shots indicated that tooth #8 was on it's way...This past Monday we saw the little guy poked through some very sore gums. Dr. said he is seeing 2 more on the top which look like they will be next. Brace yourselves Mom and Dad.
10 months old also brings a new understanding of the camera coming out and James is happy to oblige with a flashy smile whenever Mommy asks. Oh and what color ARE those eyes? For those of you who still say they are brown, James once again shows us that his eyes are ever changing in color. We think they will settle on a deep blue/hazel. We shall see.
The 10 month bear picture was pretty elusive to capture. Being a man on the move, Mom just propped the bear up against James as he cruised around his excersaucer. There is no thought of ever getting back IN the saucer now that he can go AROUND it, but we keep it around for some of the toys.

10 months also gave us our first sickness (hence the lack of blogging). Those of you who are parents will know what it means when we say, "we all had the stomach bug". Poor James had it the worst and is still not 100% almost a week later. However, both mom and dad had it at the same time, so we're all even. All of his friends and their families also were unlucky enough to get this potent bug so Mom has been able to swap stories and receive lots of support. Just when you thought it was over...it would return and rear it's ugly head. What a way to get our first crack at parenting the sick baby. 7 days later, we think we may be seeing the light, just in time for a beautiful Memorial Day weekend. Enjoy!

My First Mother's Day

What a fun day we had on Sunday. Dad and I made mom pancakes for breakfast after I let her sleep in a little bit longer (ok, that wasn't just for Mother's day, dad and I let mom sleep every weekend). Then mom opened the card I got her and cried (success!!). She LOVED the gift we got her: A new super duper zoom lense for our camera. Mom can't wait to take lots of pictures of me with the new lense. We then met Nanny and Boppa in the park for a picnic where we took a family picture (ok, I was making a funny face but it captured the moment). I got to take a ride on the swings and run around with dad. It was a great day. I think I did a good job making mom's first Mother's Day special (with help from dad of course).

9 months of fun

To those of you who check the blog regularly, sorry we have been MIA. What a busy week (& then some) we've had. The Hartigans embarked on a complete front landscape overhaul. Next post will go into much more detail on this project, but it took over our free time for almost 2 weeks. We are VERY pleased with the outcome!
Here's some pictures of James and his bear @ his 9 month mark (these pictures are overdue as he's turning 10 months this weekend). What is very amazing to point out is that when he was born, that bear looked like his twin. No wonder mommy still can't fathom the fact that he's wearing 12-18 month clothes. It would be nice if we could slow the process down a bit so we can savor the moment a little -longer. Before this post breaks into a chorus from Fiddler on the Roof (i.e. Sunrise, Sunset), we'll end it by saying Happy Mother's Day to all the mommies out there!

New skills

James has found out that he no longer needs to hold onto someone's fingers to get around on his feet. As long as there is an object within reach or his trusty lion walker is nearby, he can manuever around. Sometimes it's at a fast pace, other times it's slow and cautious, either way, he's getting more confident and courageous every day. These new skills have made the little guy VERY happy & we practice them whenever we can. It is amazing to watch the progression of his cruising, especially when you can almost see it "clicking" in his mind. In the video below, he's contimplating how he can get from his walker to his toy without falling. What the video doesnt show is the final moment of letting go and accomplishing his goal. (sorry, the camera only takes 30 second clips, maybe next time!) Now, the family room has turned into a series of small obstacle courses & we're starting to think that he may master this walking thing sooner rather than later. Watch out world!

Swinging fun

What is more fun than the first time in a swing??

Warm Weather Baby

The past few weeks have been very warm and sunny & James has really enjoyed being outdoors. He's been eating some of his meals out on the patio and even went on a picnic in the park with his friend Katie. When we bring him inside, we usually get quite a lot of complaining coupled with a face like this:

Mom and dad have been busy working on a big landscaping project so James has been getting his first lessons in gardening. So far, dad and Grandpa H have ripped out some of the old plants along the front of the house and even transferred some giant rhododendrons (we hope they make it!). We can't wait to see what the finished product will look like & plan on sharing pictures when it is all done.

Little Red Wagon

Mommy and Daddy put together James' new red wagon last night. Finally getting a little red wagon for the little j was very exciting. This morning we brought it out for a test drive. It was an instant hit. James thoroughly enjoyed being escorted around the yard in style. Of course with mommy driving the ride was nice and smooth...just wait until daddy comes home. Hold on!

A visit to the FitzPatricks

It's not every Sunday that James gets to lounge around on the couch and have the sports section read aloud to him. Thanks to Andrew, this Sunday morning was quite a treat for the little j. After getting all caught up with the scores, James was able to have a little quality time with Christine. Thanks to the FitzPatricks for a great visit!

Brodie and Max

The life of a dog: Eat, sleep, play, repeat.
Brodie enjoyed his playdate and sleepover at Max FitzPatrick's this weekend. After a bit of a rocky start to the visit - you see, Brodie blurred the line of "acceptable places" when marking his territory - there were no hard feelings between the furry fellows. As you can see, Max and Brodie are quite the speedy demons. We all got a kick out of watching these two guys barrel around the yard. After a day of intense play, both dogs took advantage of the true meaning of Sunday & slept all day.

Spring is finally here

When dad got home from work tonight, Brodie, mommy and James were walking around the yard. James was so gleeful to guide mommy from the front door all the way down the front yard. This was probably the longest walk James has ever taken without stopping and boy was he tired! Good thing Dad got home soon after his trek to the center of the front yard to give him a burst of energy to get back to the house. Brodie on the other hand was full of his endless energy & thoroughly enjoyed a few rounds of fetch before dinner.

Swimming pictures

- Mom was granted permission to observe swimming lessons this past Saturday. Trying not to fog up the camera, or let James see Mom, she was able to snap a few shots. James absolutely loves the pool & his instructor says he is one of the best back floaters she's ever seen! He's is so calm and at ease in the pool. Mom got to witness the "dunking" routine & each time James emerged from under the water, he was all smiles. Of course, he's had a lot of practice in the tub!
After seeing what a water baby we have, we're joining the town pool this summer & look forward to many days and evenings enjoying family swim time.