Saturday, January 31, 2009

He Climbs

Today Jameson climbed up on the sofa, and oh man, our lives are about to change, this I know. The problem is, he can get up, but how he tries to get down is a nosedive. I haven't let him actually take that nosedive, but I know he will one day soon when I turn my head for two seconds. He worked at it and worked at it, and finally made it! Yes, my nearly 11-month-old is climbing all over the furniture now. We are in for it!





Good night Moon, anyone?


Here is Jameson climbing onto the sofa. He just looks so dang proud of himself when he actually makes it up, I love it. Now, if only he could figure out how to get down!

Friday, January 30, 2009

A couple random pics

Even though his hair is no longer in a mohawk, he still has crazy hair when he wakes up.























Kevin and Jameson cuddling. I thought it was cute that they are wearing the same green color.

Thursday, January 29, 2009

A good night story to me

My little guy takes his bedtime reading VERY seriously. I think that the snuggling before bed is one of his favorite times of the day, and I know that it is one of my favorites. Lately, he wants to turn the pages and hold the book as you can see from the pics. His favorite book is "Good Night Moon" but "Peter Rabbit" is a close second.

Picking out the book is a very serious decision, one that requires much deliberation.

Definitely picking "Good Night Moon"

Now that its time to "read" the nookie is removed


He even shows the pictures to me teacher style. So talented.

Look at that concentration!

"THE END"


Wednesday, January 21, 2009

My favorite cheeseball

It's been too long since I last blogged. Unfortunately our life hasn't been that interesting. The temperatures here in Vienna were pretty chilly, and it snowed a few times, but not a lot. Jameson has at least one new tooth attempting to pop through on the top left, and I think a couple more on the bottom. Hopefully, the top one will cut the surface, because this one has disturbed his sleep for a few days now, and when his sleep is disturbed, so is mine. It hurts my heart when he wakes up crying in pain. It is a very distinct cry, and I always know. I pick him up and he just snuggles right up and wraps his arms around my neck and buries his head on my chest. He is at such a fun age, I am loving it. He throws everything and of course, its a fun game. He tries to make Kevin and I laugh, and when he succeeds (which is often) he does whatever it was again and again. We love playing with him, and we are lucky because we have a lot of time to devote to playtime. He just glows when both of us are on the floor with him. He brings toys back and forth to us. His daddy and him have special games, so Daddy always gets the same toys. I love hearing Jameson belly laugh when Kevin plays his games with him. I definitely need to get it on video. He loves dancing to music. He flirts with girls of every age from the very young to the very old, but he is easily embarrassed. The other night we had some students over for the Inauguration and he was almost standing on his own, so I let go. He fell to his knees and looked at the girls and just burst into tears with a big pouty lip and crocodile tears. He wasn't hurt at all, except his pride. He loves watching older kids run around and play, and I think he is longing for the day that he will be doing the same thing. I could keep him little for much longer, but I know time will fly!


If you look closely you can see the eternally slow growing teeth!

That would be the joker smile Uncle Tim talks about, he does look a bit devilish in this pic.

One of his favorite activities is getting into these drawers and emptying the contents, and when he gets caught this is his look that he gives me. Its followed by a "What? Who me?" look and then as soon as I turn away he goes right back to it.

Our new group of Ducklings

Saturday, January 10, 2009

Germany Pics

Christmas Dinner with my cousins


Kevin and my cousin Monika at Christmas dinner

Jameson's new favorite snuggly toy, Gehard, the Racoon.

My cousin Lena and Jameson

Kevin, Me and Jameson on a walking tour of Worms

My cousin Oliver and me


At the castle of Alzey


The courtyard of the castle

The awesome houses in Alzey. Its an incredibly old town and some of these houses had dates on them from the 1500s


The tower on the hill that saved the town from American bombs


We climbed the tower, and don't let the sun fool you, it was flipping cold!


Jameson, Oliver and Me


We went out for dinner with my cousins Oliver and Olaf and friends Sebastian and Oliver. Pflamekuechen, very yummy.


Mainz Cathedral

City Center in Mainz



Christel, Oliver, Jameson and me

As Kevin says you can almost tell they are related

Monika and Christian

Finally...a new post

Sorry there has been such a delay. After arriving home from Germany we were exhausted, and then the night before the students arrived Jameson and I got a really bad stomach flu. The boy was projectile vomiting all over me. It was a lovely evening. An hour after Jameson started puking so did I. Luckily Kevin was well enough to go pick up the students, but he got the stomach bug that afternoon. We since managed to pass it on to three of the 8 students here. Nothing says "welcome to Vienna" like a nasty stomach flu. The week after the students arrive is always a hectic one, so tonight is the first time for me to sit (alone as Kevin is out and Jameson is sleeping) in quiet to post a blog. I still have some pictures from Germany, so I will post those.


Jameson is as cute as ever, although those teeth that came in over a month ago are still barely up above the surface, maybe 1/3 of the way in. I call them the eternally slow growing teeth. It makes me laugh. He has become a very fast crawler so he doesn't have too much interest in attempting to stand alone or walk. He has stood alone for seconds at a time, that is, until he realizes that I am not holding on to him then he sits gracefully onto his cloth-bottomed bum. He is so cute and becoming more fun by the day. He is mischievous, focused and curious with a constant glimmer in his eye. When he gets something in his sight that he wants, or wants to figure out he works on it until he has it. This can be a good thing i.e. learning to put the correct block into the shape box or a bad thing i.e. wanting to pull the books out of the book case, or not let go of something he shouldn't have in his little paws. He loves the attention he gets from Kevin and me, and enjoys being the center of attention from all of our students. He is an awesome snuggler (when he is tired) and he gives really good hugs, but it is usually because he wants something (his dad's blackberry or my cell phone tops the list) or he is using us as a step stool to get somewhere (up to the headboard, closer to the coffee table to grab something). Tonight he gave me a big hug while I was getting him ready for bed, then turned around sat in my lap and picked up "Good Night Moon" the book we read every night before bed. He then turned to the page with the kittens and the mouse and proceeded to babble and then at the end of his babble he went "ee ee" like he was imitating the mouse, which is what I do when we read it. I have to admit my heart melted. Its pretty crazy how much love I feel for my little boy, not unexpected, but he amazes me (and exhausts me) on a daily basis. Mmmm, ok enough cheese.

Our awesome "kinderwagen" on the train

We had so much room, we set up his travel bed (best thing ever!) and he played and slept on the ride.

The other side of the "kinderwagen" and yes we had it all to ourselves!

Friday, January 2, 2009

Christkindlmarkt

In the days preceding Christmas we took many trips to the Christkindlmarkts. One of my very favorite places to be. It is such a festive time, and the punsch is very yummy. My favorite hot drink though is just plain old hot chocolate, which is made with rich rich dark chocolate, milk and whip cream. No powder and water at these places!

Jameson was all bundled up, because even though the sky was perfectly blue, it was COLD!

The Rathaus (townhall) Christkindlmarkt is on Rathaus platz, and I think the Rathaus is my favorite building in Vienna.

Vienna Christkindlmarkt

Since it was only a few days to Christmas it was a very crowded day!

The top of the Burg Theater


The Parliment Building

Dancing Fool

Sorry for how dark the video is and the quality, but it makes me laugh. Everytime he presses the clock that sings he does this funny head bop. He really loves music, listening to it, and "singing." I will get a better quality video up, but today we are sick with the flu! Definitely no fun