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!

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.