James' First Dinner Party

We're grown-ups again! Last Saturday our friend Julie hosted a fabulous dinner party (she's starting to rival Martha), so Pete and I dressed up and escaped the house for a night out. James did great in the car, though he was a bit overwhelmed by a house full of people. James' friend Maddy was there as well (showing off her ability to smile and laugh through any new situation). We loved the chance to talk about adult things for a change, but were also happy to show off our beautiful boy.

The Johnson Family

Last weekend Katy's cousins Troy, Sheila, Hillary and Jake stopped by to meet Baby James. They were shocked by how big he's grown, for he's not such an infant any more. It was great to see them, and fun for us to see the future --Jake, at one and a half, gave us a great preview of what is in our near future, and what we'll need to baby proof, and Hillary had us looking forward to the talking stage (her favorite question seems to be "but why?"). James is excited to see them again at Thanksgiving!

Our Growing Boy

James seems to be growing by leaps and bounds (at this rate he'll be taller than his dad by the time he's three). He is gaining control of his neck and head (check out his tummy time stretch) and he's slowly starting to soothe himself. Today I was able to set him down and he fell asleep on his own (and not on me!). The nap didn't last long, but it's a start. The sounds he is making go beyond "agoo" and he's discovered his vocal cords. At times he sounds like an infantile member of the Lollipop Guild, and we can't get enough. Every day seems to bring something new, and with every smile and laugh we fall a bit more in love.Unfortunately, James doesn't like to perform for the camera, so we don't have any photographic or video evidence of said smiles and laughter, but I promise to post as soon as he decides to pose for posterity.

James and Maddy

Jen and Maddy travelled down to Martinez for Halloween, and James and Maddy bonded over their orange outfits. Dressing up is fun!

Our Little Tiger (or is it Tigger?)

Our Itsy Bitsy playgroup held a costume day, and all the little ones dressed up. So cute!!

Alone time with Grandma and Grandpa Kilpatrick

This weekend Pete and I took our first outing sans James to our friends John and Justyna's wedding in San Francisco. Grandma and Grandpa Kilpatrick happily offered to babysit (but little did they know what they were taking on). We found out that they possess an inordinant amount of patience, as James is still refusing a bottle and I was going to be gone for over 6 hours. Grandma K discoverd that James can be tricked into a bottle when he was sleeping, so he did get a bit of food. He was extremely happy to be read to, however, and they kept him content with lots of new books.
Pete and I had a blast at the wedding, which was absolutely gorgeous, but were more than happy to return home to our little nugget. Carsen and Krista stopped by the next day to meet James (and perhaps to catch baby fever for number 3?), and we were happy to show him off. James already missess his Grandma and Grandpa, but we'll see them at Thanksgiving (and with our packed schedule for November, the weeks will fly by until then).

James' Outdoor Adventures

James had quite the weekend! The family was up at the crack of dawn (5am -- just as James has begun sleeping longer!) to see Pete off on his century bike ride in Davis (100+ miles). This was James' first introduction to the biking community, and Daddy Pete hopes it made an impression. While Pete rode his insane idea of a fun weekend outing, Katy and James headed up to Sacramento to visit baby Madeline (and Jen and Israel). Both families spent some time on the Davis quad (giving the babies their first taste of college life at their parents' alma mater), and then headed to Dos Coyotes for an early dinner. The next day was a beautiful clear, crisp fall day, so we took advantage of James' good humor and went for a hike, his first long outing in the Baby Bjorn. The mountain scenery makes feeding and diaper changing much more exciting! James ended the weekend tuckered out and ready to sleep for five hours in a row. Let's hope this pattern continues!