We noticed last week that James won't crawl with his knees down when he gets to the tile in our house. Today he's been "bear crawling" more than crawling even on the carpet. He also likes to suck his top lip (as you can see in the video).
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Friday, January 29, 2010
Bon Voyage Grandpa
I haven't posted in a little while because my Grandpa, James' Great Grandpa, passed away last Friday. We left early Monday morning for Pensacola, Florida in order to attend the funeral services this week.
Below is the obituary that was in the Pensacola paper.
Edmund Gabriel
EDMUND P. GABRIEL
CAPTAIN
U.S. MERCHANT MARINE
1925 - 2010
Captain Edmund P. (Phil) Gabriel crossed the final bar in Pensacola on January 22, 2010 after a hard battle with cancer. Phil had a long and distinguished career in the U.S. Merchant Marines. He retired in 1987 from the Panama Canal where he held several positions, including Panama Canal Pilot, Assistant Port Captain, and Chairman of the Board of Local Inspectors. In 1971, he was recognized for his outstanding seamanship for preventing a serious collision in the Canal between the S/S Horizon and the M/V Silvermain. Before moving to Panama, Phil served as Master on Reynolds Metals dry-bulk carriers and Esso tankers.
He leaves behind his wife of 63 years, Elizabeth Gabriel (nee: Seaman), six children, 23 grandchildren, and 30 great-grandchildren. His children include Philip (Kathleen) Gabriel of Orofino, ID; Susan Compton of Lewiston, ID; Stephen (Margaret) Gabriel of Falls Church, VA; Jane (William) Huff of Merritt Island, FL; Clifford (Karen Jones) Gabriel of Gambrills, MD; and Thomas Gabriel of Pensacola, FL. He prayed for each of his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren by name each night.
He was a sacristan, Eucharistic minister, and choir member at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart. He loved sailing and tolerated powerboats. He was an avid woodworker, making cradles for his great grandchildren and toy cradles for their dolls.
Visitation will be at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Pensacola on Tuesday, January 26, 2010 from 5 to 7 p.m. with a Rosary prayed at 5 p.m. A Funeral Mass will be held on Wednesday, January 27, 2010 at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart at 11 a.m. Interment will follow at Barrancas National Cemetery at 12:30 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to: Alpha Center: www.alphacenterinc.org or Covenant Hospice: www.covenanthospice.org.
HARPER-MORRIS MEMORIAL CHAPEL is in charge of arrangements.
Below is the obituary that was in the Pensacola paper.
Edmund Gabriel
EDMUND P. GABRIEL
CAPTAIN
U.S. MERCHANT MARINE
1925 - 2010
Captain Edmund P. (Phil) Gabriel crossed the final bar in Pensacola on January 22, 2010 after a hard battle with cancer. Phil had a long and distinguished career in the U.S. Merchant Marines. He retired in 1987 from the Panama Canal where he held several positions, including Panama Canal Pilot, Assistant Port Captain, and Chairman of the Board of Local Inspectors. In 1971, he was recognized for his outstanding seamanship for preventing a serious collision in the Canal between the S/S Horizon and the M/V Silvermain. Before moving to Panama, Phil served as Master on Reynolds Metals dry-bulk carriers and Esso tankers.
He leaves behind his wife of 63 years, Elizabeth Gabriel (nee: Seaman), six children, 23 grandchildren, and 30 great-grandchildren. His children include Philip (Kathleen) Gabriel of Orofino, ID; Susan Compton of Lewiston, ID; Stephen (Margaret) Gabriel of Falls Church, VA; Jane (William) Huff of Merritt Island, FL; Clifford (Karen Jones) Gabriel of Gambrills, MD; and Thomas Gabriel of Pensacola, FL. He prayed for each of his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren by name each night.
He was a sacristan, Eucharistic minister, and choir member at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart. He loved sailing and tolerated powerboats. He was an avid woodworker, making cradles for his great grandchildren and toy cradles for their dolls.
Visitation will be at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Pensacola on Tuesday, January 26, 2010 from 5 to 7 p.m. with a Rosary prayed at 5 p.m. A Funeral Mass will be held on Wednesday, January 27, 2010 at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart at 11 a.m. Interment will follow at Barrancas National Cemetery at 12:30 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to: Alpha Center: www.alphacenterinc.org or Covenant Hospice: www.covenanthospice.org.
HARPER-MORRIS MEMORIAL CHAPEL is in charge of arrangements.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Service of Dedication and Blessing
James was dedicated at our church today. Nana, Aunt Karyn, Uncle David, Tristan and Isabella, along with Mommy and Daddy, were present to share in this celebration where we all had the opportunity to give thanks to God for James and to promise to guide him in the "path of Christian love and instruction". James was very curious about the congregation looking at him as he was presented to them. He seemed to enjoy his moment in the spotlight and didn't fuss one bit, even though it was well past nap time!
Luke 18: 15-17 And they were bringing even their babies to Him so that He would touch them, but when the disciples saw it, they began rebuking them. But Jesus called for them, saying "Permit the children to come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all."
Below is a video of the dedication itself.
Luke 18: 15-17 And they were bringing even their babies to Him so that He would touch them, but when the disciples saw it, they began rebuking them. But Jesus called for them, saying "Permit the children to come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all."
Below is a video of the dedication itself.
Standing James
James has learned a new trick... standing up in his crib! Three times this week, we found him standing in his crib and shrieking joyfully when he was supposed to be napping.
James' mobility has really improved in just the last couple days. He is crawling much faster and easier- even more so than the video we just posted. He is pulling up to everything. And he is transitioning from positions with so much ease. Sitting to crawling to sitting to standing to lying down to crawling. It's been incredible to watch him learn what to do so quickly.
James' mobility has really improved in just the last couple days. He is crawling much faster and easier- even more so than the video we just posted. He is pulling up to everything. And he is transitioning from positions with so much ease. Sitting to crawling to sitting to standing to lying down to crawling. It's been incredible to watch him learn what to do so quickly.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Thursday, January 7, 2010
James is 7 months old!
James has had a big month! He is doing so many new things...
1) He is CRAWLING! He's not quite yet an efficient crawler, but he can get where he wants to go. He's got the technique down but sometimes he forgets and has to stop and try some other strategies. I'm sure we'll being chasing him around the house within the next couple weeks if not days.
2) He is sitting unassisted. He can even catch himself if he starts to fall over. He is now able to take a bath like a big boy! Until recently, one of us took a bath with him.
3) He is pulling himself up to standing, though inconsistently. And, he is CRUISING! He walks around his standing toys, the fireplace, the coffee table, anything. He can only go clock-wise. If you make it so he can only go the other way, he gets stuck. He is always trying new things like picking small toys up off the floor while standing or moving between the coffee table and the couch or between standing toys. It's fun to watch him problem solve through how he is going to do something. He'll keep readjusting himself so that he can get the task done.
4) He's eating all sorts of new things. He is really ready for more textures than pureed food, but he's limited because he doesn't have any teeth yet. He has been eating yogurt, cheese, chunks of banana, Gerber puffs and all sorts of pureed fruits and veggies. We've also introduced him to pureed chicken, turkey and beef. He's eats anything we put in front of him. There's nothing he doesn't like! He is trying to feed himself, but his pincer grasp isn't quite good enough yet.
5) He has started shaking his head 'no' at us. He doesn't know what it means, but he sure likes to do it. It won't be long before he's really telling us 'no'.
6) He babbles constantly, and he says 'dada' all the time. Sometimes it seems like he recognizes that daddy is 'dada' but not consistently enough for it to count as his first word yet. He also says 'ba', 'ga' and 'ha', but 'dada' is his favorite. I swear I've heard a 'mama' here and there, but it might just be wishful thinking!
1) He is CRAWLING! He's not quite yet an efficient crawler, but he can get where he wants to go. He's got the technique down but sometimes he forgets and has to stop and try some other strategies. I'm sure we'll being chasing him around the house within the next couple weeks if not days.
2) He is sitting unassisted. He can even catch himself if he starts to fall over. He is now able to take a bath like a big boy! Until recently, one of us took a bath with him.
3) He is pulling himself up to standing, though inconsistently. And, he is CRUISING! He walks around his standing toys, the fireplace, the coffee table, anything. He can only go clock-wise. If you make it so he can only go the other way, he gets stuck. He is always trying new things like picking small toys up off the floor while standing or moving between the coffee table and the couch or between standing toys. It's fun to watch him problem solve through how he is going to do something. He'll keep readjusting himself so that he can get the task done.
4) He's eating all sorts of new things. He is really ready for more textures than pureed food, but he's limited because he doesn't have any teeth yet. He has been eating yogurt, cheese, chunks of banana, Gerber puffs and all sorts of pureed fruits and veggies. We've also introduced him to pureed chicken, turkey and beef. He's eats anything we put in front of him. There's nothing he doesn't like! He is trying to feed himself, but his pincer grasp isn't quite good enough yet.
5) He has started shaking his head 'no' at us. He doesn't know what it means, but he sure likes to do it. It won't be long before he's really telling us 'no'.
6) He babbles constantly, and he says 'dada' all the time. Sometimes it seems like he recognizes that daddy is 'dada' but not consistently enough for it to count as his first word yet. He also says 'ba', 'ga' and 'ha', but 'dada' is his favorite. I swear I've heard a 'mama' here and there, but it might just be wishful thinking!
Cloth diaper update
We have been doing cloth diapers for 6 months now, and we really like it! During the months that James was only breastfed, his diapers did not require any extra work except to wash them every other day. Now that James is eating solids (and has been for the past 2 months), his poopy diapers need a little spraying off before being washed. We bought a high pressure sprayer that attaches to the toilet. It's really easy to use and there's no mess if you use it right- we've had a couple "incidents", but we've got the hang of it now. We did have to make some adjustments for nighttime. The cloth diapers leak if James is in them longer than 2 hours or so, especially if he is sleeping on his tummy (which he always is) so, James wears disposables at night. We currently use 19 diapers and that seems to be enough between washings. If you're interested in hearing more, post a comment and I'll give you more information. The bottom line is that we really like cloth diapering and we'll continue for James, and do it again for future children.
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