Here Comes Santa Claus

Merry Christmas! We hope the holidays find you happy and healthy. Love Katy, Peter and James.

Last Itsy-Bitsy Play Group

One of the best pieces of advice I received was to join a Mom's group, which I did in early October. For the last two and a half months, James and I have met with 15 other moms and babies weekly to share parenting stories, solicit advice, and seek comfort in knowing we weren't going through this motherhood thing alone. I made some great friends and James enjoyed hanging out with a bunch of other babies his age. Last Tuesday marked the end of the group (many of the moms are going back to work full time starting in January), and James and I will miss our weekly outings (not to mention the many lunches and walks around the Lafayette Reservoir). James slept through the group picture, but it's still a cute one.

Oh Christmas Tree

Although much in the Agnost household is behind the times (thank-you notes, birth announcements, Christmas cards), we actually had our tree up and decorated by December 1st this year. Of course, we waited until late afternoon to go tree shopping (not James' best time) just as the sun was setting (not the best light for picking a tree, as we found out a few years ago when we got our tree home and it was dry and half dead). So we were on a mission to find the perfect tree in ten minutes. We found one we loved, bought it, and had it in the truck before James could work himself up to a major meltdown (the convicted felon who carried the tree for us just added to the memory, as Pete remembered him from the time he transported him to and from San Quentin).

Decorating the tree was extra fun this year, as we reminisced about our childhood with each ornament from the past. We are looking forward to creating new memories with James, and hope that his memories of Christmas will be as fond as ours are. So far James seems to be enjoying the season and we've discovered a whole new level of Christmas spirit that has nothing to do with shopping or presents.

Thanksgiving

James' first Thanksgiving was an eventful long weekend. We had TWO celebrations, the first at Pete's parents' house, and the second in Santa Maria at Katy's cousin's. This meant James also had his first long car trip, and he was fabulous. The former despiser of the car seat and anything related to the automobile was a total trooper -- he slept the whole way (with a few stops to eat and stretch), crying only in traffic (and during the holiday season it's rare to find anybody who doesn't want to cry in traffic). James met many of Katy's cousins for the first time, and those who met James when he was first born were amazed at how much he's grown (our tiny little baby is just about in 9-month clothes and not even 4 months old yet!). We were able to escape to a play on Saturday while the grandparents watched the little ones, and although we left at intermission, Pete was intrigued by The Sound of Music (which he's never seen) so we had to watch the movie later in the week (James loves the music). This was also the weekend that James started sleeping "through the night" (meaning 5 hours at a stretch), much to our pleasure. It was a great weekend, and a fun holiday, and we were so happy to be able to share James with so many of our friends and family.

James is a cousin!!!

Noah Moreno Kilpatrick was born early in the early morning of December 7th, to the excitement of his new cousin James and first-time aunt and uncle Katy and Peter. He weighs 7 lbs 3 oz and is 20 inches long, and James can't wait until the two can run and play together. Rhia and Jeff are amazing (it was a long birth), and all are home and doing well. You can access their blog from the link on the left, so feel free to check out their beautiful bundle of joy. We'll be visiting them in the new year, and can't wait to meet our nephew and cousin!

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!