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.

James on the move

James isn't happy unless he's moving. For now, he's perfectly content navigating either parent around the house at his own pace. This gleeful little guy finds the most joy in the curtains in the living room, the bathroom and the dog's bowls. No rest for the weary!

James on the move 1

SWIMMING DAY

Ok, so there are no actual pictures of James' first day at swimming lessons, but that was because swimming Saturday is boys only. Therefore, no photographer allowed. However, I snapped a shot of the "before"...and then the little devilish boy in his saucer is the "after".

From what I heard, both J's did great and really enjoyed the class. Big J even dunked little j TWICE and both times he came up smiling. Sounds like we'll be getting a pool pass this summer! James was in great spirits when he got back home and mom was able to snap a few shots of a water break during play time. Yes, we know he is holding the cup upside-down in 2 of the shots, but rest assured, he does know how to make it work.
Next Saturday mom is allowed to come and observe swim class so hopefully we'll be sharing pictures of the actual event!

Happy Friday

Today began with a surprisingly happy boy despite a slight cold (his first one so far) and major teething pains. Here's a recap of James' day. As most of us know, cutting teeth is tough work and side effects include excessive drooling (see left). However, now that James can stand around his excersaucer on his own (with some spotting by mom), he has many more activities to take his mind off his painful teeth. Of course, this means that in the evening when it's bedtime, the pain is much more noticeable and sleep in our house is more elusive than the jackalope. After the lunchtime nap, James and mommy went to the mall to meet up with Maggie and her mom to do some shopping. James has been going shoeless since his most recent growth spurt and this needed to be fixed! His new favorite past time is holding on to mom and dad's fingers and tromping around the house, the yard, the mall, etc etc. New shoes were a MUST. James (and mommy, well, maybe mommy more) LOVED the new shoes we picked out. He was the hit of the Clarks shoe store and mommy found herself trying on pair after pair of her OWN shoes while the sales people played with, and were entertained by, James in his new shoes. They offered to come over and babysit; an offer that was VERY tempting.
We're all hoping for the sleep fairy to sprinkle some much needed sleepy dust over the Hartigan house tonight as tomorrow is the daddy/baby swimming lesson debut. Happy Friday!

Easter Sunday

James eagerly awaits his guests on Easter Sunday. 20 family members from the Hartigans, Imschweilers, Trainors, Plonas and Petersons got together to celebrate this year. Everyone pitched in to make this year's Easter a very special one. James even got his very first Easter basket from Great Aunt Jane.

Here's a picture of the happy family (Brodie was too busy running around to pose for this shot).

Great Aunt Jane enjoyed having some quality time with James on Sunday.

Cousins!

When James and his cousin William got together the other day they were wearing their matching Valentine's day shirts. This was a great bonding moment for the boys - William even snuck a cousin kiss in...judging by the picture, we were not sure James was expecting that!

This photo opportunity couldn't be passed up.

Guard Dog

We didn't need to put Brodie in a command to keep him at James' side during his nap outside. After a walk around the neighborhood, Brodie opted to stay at James' side until he woke up. This was a particularly sweet gesture being that this is the same dog who chooses to stay downstairs in order to get himself a good night's sleep (Thanks for the support, Brode). We're looking forward to the warm weather when the boys can play outside together!