We Love This Age!!!

So it seems that with every new milestone James reaches, we enthusiastically exclaim how "this is our favorite." We said that when he first smiled, when he first rolled over, when he first spit out a mouthfull of rice cereal. Now that he's walking and talking, we're saying this every day (and sometimes more). Today James discovered Michael Phelps in Pete's Outdoor magazine. I think this is James' new favorite word, as he attempts to mimic me and say Michael Phelps before dissolving into uncontrollable laughter (maybe it's the goggles).

Lately he's been showing the Munoz genes, wanting to sweep up after he makes a mess of the cat food, straightening his books after he dumps them on the floor, and putting his plastics away in his cupboard. Who knew cleaning could be such fun? He clearly doesn't get this from his mom (who has a pile of laundry that is threatening to take over her closet, and then the world).

We're very much looking forward to the holidays. James makes sure that the tree is lit every morning and afternoon when we come home (he'll actually throw a fit if I don't plug in the lights first thing). We're loving all of the Christmas cards that are rolling in, and are hoping to get ours out before the weekend (but knowing my track record, it will probably be Valentine's Day before they see the happy lights of the post office). My camera batteries are dead, and who knows where the recharger is, but as soon as we have some more crazy James pics, we'll post. For now, you can see him modeling his favorite pair of too-big red boots. Hooray for 15 months.

James the Activist -- No on Prop 8

We took James (and his Grandma) to his first protest rally on Saturday, making him officially a part of the civil rights movement.

Peter and I were very saddened by the passage of Proposition 8, which took away the legal rights of many of our friends, colleagues, neighbors and students to marry the person of their choice. We feel this is a major setback to the civil rights movement, and we hope that with the passage of time, more will come to see and understand how equality is a fundamental right promised by our constitution, and that separate will always be inherently unequal.

When Pete and I were married on June 12, 2004, we promised to love and honor each other in front of our friends and family. Our ceremony was presided over by a police chaplain, and it was a spiritual event filled with love, something no law can ever touch. After the ceremony, however, we signed a marriage license for the state of California, witnessed by our best friends, so that our partnership would be legally recognized. Now we file a joint tax return, fill out joint customs forms when we travel abroad, and have joint insurance policies for our house, cars and health. We are each other’s next of kin in a medical emergency, and should some terrible tragedy strike, we have the right of inheritance, crime victim’s recovery benefits, and judicial protections and evidentiary immunity should one of us be asked to testify against the other. If we decided to leave our great state of CA, these rights would not change just because we crossed state lines. These are the legal rights we, as spouses, enjoy under California state law.

The passage of Proposition 8 took these legal rights away from a specific group of people, those who wish to marry a person of their same sex. Thus, California law now discriminates against this group by providing rights for some people but not for others. We understand that for many, including ourselves, marriage is a spiritual covenant, something to be celebrated before family, friends, and one’s higher power of choice. And sometimes this spiritual covenant discriminates – although Pete grew up Catholic, we were not married in the Catholic Church because I was not raised Catholic. We could not have been married in the Mormon Temple, or in a Mosque, because these also are not a part of our faith. However, our laws do not concern themselves with spiritual unions, but rather constitute legal partnerships.

Unfortunately, the arguments for Proposition 8 conflate these two unions, spiritual and legal, with no thoughts for the equality clause of the 14th Amendment: No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws. We have faith in our legal system, which consists not of “activist judges” but of scholars of the Constitution whose job is to protect our civil rights, even when the majority disagrees. Equality in our country has always come at a cost to the majority’s will, and history proves time and time again to be on the side of equal rights, no matter who may have wished otherwise. It is our sincere hope that Proposition 8 be repealed, so that James may grow up in a world that is a little more equal, and a little more free.

Dancing Machine

Our boy has rhythm, and boy does he like to dance. We hope the latent Agnost gene for musical talent has manifested in our little maestro. He's already figured out that the ipod controls the tunes, so several times a day he toddles over to the speakers, points and starts shaking his head -- it is time to dance. Right now his tastes run a bit top 40 (Rhianna's Disturbia is his favorite) and toddler tunes (he marches like dinosaurs with the Laurie Berkner Band). I wish these photos could do his dancing skills justice.

Happy Halloween -- Buzz, Buzz, Buzz

For his second Halloween, James wanted to dance around like a bumble bee, buzzing along with his favorite song (Bumblebee, by the Laurie Berkner Band, or "buzz buzz", as he calls it). He loved his costume, and was happy to put it on and explore our front yard. We didn't go much further, however, as both James and Pete were struck with the stomach flu, so most of Halloween was spent indoors on the couch. We hope next year James will get to show off his costume.


Buzz Buzz.



I'm a busy bee.



This is a more accurate picture of the day -- on the floor, eating a Pedialite pop. Poor baby.

James and the Giant Pumpkin

This October, James had his first visit to a pumpkin patch, and he loved it! A giant field filled with orange balls -- he was in heaven.


We took this one home.



After the pumpkins, we hit a giant maze of hay, and James couldn't get enough. He's going to be our little explorer.

First Birthday Party

On Sunday, August 31st we celebrated James' birthday with a lovely BBQ in the park. We were joined by close family and a few friends, and James entertained us all with his cake eating antics -- what a ham!





James' best friend Noelle had her party right next door, so we were able to celebrate her birthday as well (she was born the day before James).

Happy 1st Birthday!!!

What an incredible year it has been. Pete and I never knew we could feel such love. James has been an amazing gift this past year, and we've so enjoyed watching him grow. At the end of the year, he weighed in at 22 lbs 14 oz and was 31 and a half inches. This means in one year he gained just about 15 lbs and grew almost a foot (11 1/2 inches). No wonder mommy can fit back into her old clothes!!





In terms of milestones, James started walking just shy of a year (and now he go-go-goes even more than before -- this kid loves motion), He says a few words (I swear he says Momo for our cat Mozart, but Pete is still skeptical, but he truly does say bye-bye as well as mama -- no dada yet but we're working on it).

We'll try for more regular posts, at least monthly, so you can watch James grow into his second year. What will this year bring? Stay tuned.

James, a Movie Star?

We're still digitally challenged, but we're trying out a video post to our blog. If it works, we'll try to upload some more interesting clips (his first time crawling, perhaps). Stay tuned!

The Baby Blog Returns!!

Hooray! At long last James has returned to the blog scene. He's been so busy crawling and cruising (but not yet walking) that he's neglected his blog. We hope to be more regular now that mommy isn't teaching until the fall.

Developmental Milestones

These past months have seen James go from sitting to crawling to standing (and walking won't be too far behind). Here's a photo history of his development:

James' first swing

James and his friend Noelle sitting with help from the boppy.


Sitting without help!


Crawling at the beach. He would have gone for miles if we had let him.

The first time James pulled up on the couch. Now he's cruising everywhere.

Daddy's Triathlon

In late April, Peter competed in the Moraga Treeline Triathlon, and the family was there to cheer him on. After a good swim, an amazing bike, and a fantastic run, Pete came in first in his age group and third overall. James thinks his daddy is pretty cool.

Swimming like a fish!
Go Daddy!!!
Pete's strong finish.
Hooray for Daddy! James and Pete (and the first-place medal).

Grammy and Papou

James is so happy that he gets to see his Grammy and Papou on a regular basis. Here are some highlights.

James and Grammy in the backyard.


Papou and Jamers playing with toys. James is quite good at knocking down Papou's towers.


Story time.

James and Noah (Reprise)

We've been so lucky this year that Uncle Jeff, Auntie Rhia and baby Noah have been able to visit California twice -- once in March and once again in May. These pictures are just the beginning of the James-Noah contingent (Grandparents, watch out!).


Go Dodgers!! James and Noah modeling LA Dodgers gear to make Grandpa Kilpatrick happy.


James and Noah hanging out.


Two seconds until takedown!


That toy is so fascinating!

Tour of California

This past spring we hit the road and followed some of the world's best cyclists as they rode in the Tour of California. Pete, of course, is hoping this will rub off on James and create a professional cyclist out of him. We were lucky to have our friend Julie join us at the prologue in Palo Alto (and initiated her into the world of cycling). Grandma and Grandpa Kilpatrick also tagged along to the time trial in Solvang, though truth be told they were there more for James than for the men in spandex.


The family cheering on Levi in Solvang.


Julie holding James as they watch the riders fly by in Palo Alto.


Grandma and Grandpa Kilpatrick and a very tricked-out stroller in Solvang. We were prepared for anything.

Beach Baby, Beach Baby, Give Me Your Hand

In mid-January, James had his first trip to the beach and he loved it -- the sand, the surf, the fresh air, he couldn't get enough. We took a lovely hike up the hill near Muir Beach, and ended the day at our favorite pub. What a glorious way to spend the weekend.
Pete and James conquer the hill!

Guinness is good for you!!

Automatic for the People

More Pics from our Georgia Trip.

Dads and babies watching football. This is Georgia, after all, where it's great to be a Georgia Bulldog.


Our happy family.

James and Noah

In January, James took his first trip on a plane to visit his new cousin Noah. Of course we flew out during the worst storm of the season, but James was a trooper and after a 6-hour delay in the airport (and another 2 hours in the plane) we were off. Our fussy baby never uttered a peep, and he seemed to revel in the attention (if only Mommy and Daddy would hold him all the time at home!). We loved meeting Noah, who is cute as a button and all around adorable, and had a fantastic visit with Jeff and Rhia. We were amazed at their energy as they showed off the town of Athens, GA (it was enough for us to make it to the local coffee shop for a cup of what Pete calls his "dark master" when James was a month old). It was a wonderful trip, and we are happy for the memories, as both babies are already much bigger than their pictures. They grow so fast!

Solid Food!!

Life since Christmas has been a bit of a blur. James stopped sleeping well around mid-December, and we've felt like we were moving underwater for the last few months (happily, James has learned how to put himself to sleep, so we're all in much better moods chez Agnost now). Along with not sleeping, James cut two teeth in a week! He's now got these adorable two front teeth (I guess his Christmas wish came a few weeks late). But one of his biggest milestones has been the introduction of solid food.
As you can see from the pictures, rice cereal, and now baby oatmeal, have been huge hits. He loves to eat, and lunges for the spoon each time. We're gearing up to introduce veggies in the next few weeks, so stay tuned for technicolor baby!