What We've Been Up To: Christmas Edition Part 2

This is the mom suctioning the nose on the face of the boy who had the cold which preceded the RSV that visited the boy during Christmas break (thankfully it ended before Christmas day after a couple of days of breathing treatments).
If you ever need to suction a baby's nose, this is a very helpful position. My friend Missy showed it to me. It keeps their head from moving back and forth and their hands from trying to tear the suction bulb from their nose. James is amazed at how immobilized he is.

James is always after remote controls and cell phones. So, if we come visit, beware.

This is a game we play. Dad or Mom puts a homemade helmet on James' head. James crawls around a bit and then pushes and pulls until the helmet is in pieces. James wins.

I found James sitting like this after a nap one day. He's a pretty cute little jailbird.

Are you here to free me?

I'm no longer sure I want to go. My crib has been so good to me...

Hey Jordan, what's that bulge in your cheek?

You didn't!!

Oh yes he did! He ate a piece of our Christmas Express! Our friends, the Nelson family, invited us over to make candy Christmas trains. It was fun and tastey! I think we may make candy trains a Christmas tradition at our house.

Here's the first mountainous view on our trip to Utah. I think it was in New Mexico.

I was really excited about any geographic feature above ground level when we left Lubbock, so here's a nice little rock formation.

I think this was our first view of Utah mountains.

It's amazing how breathtaking tall rocks can be when you haven't seen them in a long time.

Here is James with his great-grandpa James (Jim) Kelly. James was in awe of his great-grandfather's presence.

Two of a kind.

Still in awe.

James REALLY enjoyed chewing on carrots over Christmas break. It was a favorite activity.

I was trying to get a good "What's Up Doc?" picture (as in Bugs Bunny). I think this one's pretty good.

James spent some quality time in this play deal at my mom's house. It's my cousin McKenzie's. My Aunt Carol loaned a number of toys to my mom for James to use while we were in town. Thanks Carol, McKenzie, and Mom!

I think this is the best one. "What's Up Doc?"

This was supposed to be a serious picture...we just can't seem to do serious.

This picture doesn't do the ice spectacle justice. The icy frost on the window at my mom's house was really cool.

A beautiful view of mountainous Utah!

More Utah beauty.

I can't get enough of it! I love the mountains!

James has always loved strings: drawstrings on pants, my hair, pull-toy strings, drawstrings on sweatshirts, any string within his eyesight. Here he is enjoying the pull string on McKenzie's Alphabet Pal. The string was the best part of this toy...simple pleasures.

I can't remember how this even happened. But at 9 months, this was the worst battle wound he'd had besides the cut he received when he pulled the DVD player onto his toe. He's a tough little boy.

The first half of our Christmas break was spent at my mom's home in Sandy, Utah. Sadly, James was sick most of the time and sleeping a lot. But we did have some fun times. We went to the Living Planet Aquarium with my mom before going to Lindon to stay at Jordan's parents' home for the second half of our trip. James enjoyed looking at the fish, but I think he would have been just as happy doing this the whole time. He just LOVES playing with hair.

I think James is a little concerned about the large aquatic animals swimming toward our heads.

James and his uncle David spending quality time together.

Jordan's sister Tiffany and her husband Darren.

James is usually only cuddly when he's sick, but when he was reunited with his aunt Cindy, that all changed. He LOVED cuddling with his aunt Cindy and his grandpa Cullimore. James also, of course, enjoyed cuddling with his aunt Tiffany. (Now at 12 months old, he will cuddle with us even when he's not sick...yay for cuddling!!)

My brother Scott is credited with first teaching James to stick out his tongue. Here he is reminding James of old times they spent together.

James opened his first Christmas present on the lap of his uncle Darren. It was a book from his great-grandma Skeem.