Extra, Extra, Read All About It!

James Jordan Cullimore Eats Solid Foods and Likes It!

Slurping Water Brings Untold Joy to Sweet Baby James
(as does making silly sounds into cups)

Carrots Prove to be Missing Link in Boy's Enjoyment of Solid Food
Finger Foods Help Establish Food Credibility

What We've Been Up To: Christmas Edition Part 1

Delicious gingerbread houses...yes, I can say delicious, because I ate mine. Yum!

James explored the living room while the Cullimore family opened presents.

I think this photo says it all. Ahhh...the excitement of Christmas.

James decided to use this chair to practice his gymnastics. He apparently didn't know how to dismount. He just tottered back and forth until we rescued him.

Sometimes I wonder whether we have a baby or a puppy...

I think this is the coolest family picture ever! We are so photogenic!

James received his first driving lessons as we left a Cullimore family dinner at Macaroni Grill or while we were waiting for our friends to come home so we could visit. (I can't remember which it was.) He felt most safe with his hands at 10 and 2 and his mouth at 12. He's a cautious driver.

We were grateful to visit with family and friends over the break. One such occasion was our stay at the Schmutz home. Over one meal, I smiled and laughed so hard my face hurt; tears may have also been present. We sure love them!

My dear friend Allison of the Schmutz Clan and myself. It was fun to have a sleep over like old times...except I was in a room with my husband and baby...but, other than that, like old times...

"Santa's little helper" turned 9 months on Christmas Eve.

Grandma attempted to feed James pureed apples and pears. This was his response to one such attempt. He held his tongue out for 5 or 10 minutes.

Jordan was sick the last third of our trip. He slept a little bit as you can see. He was sick on our anniversary, so we didn't snow shoe this year. We did, however, get P.F. Chang's. Thank you take-out!

This is what I saw for the nearly 20 hour drive back to Texas. I finished crocheting the edge on my first baby blanket (with crochet edges). I made up the stitch that I used as we were driving. I really like it. The only downer is that I did the first rows too tight, so it bunches as you can kind of see in the picture. But, I still think it's cute.

What We've Been Up To

Our Thanksgiving celebration was enjoyed with friends from Texas Tech Law and spouses. James was being quite a ham. He repeatedly tipped himself upside down in Jordan's arms to look at Greg and squawk at him pleasantly yet somewhat threateningly :).

Up to mischief in the electronics section.

James enjoys cruising along the couch. This was his 8 month picture with his bunny. He really likes the spongy letters and numbers I got for him recently. He can regularly be seen crawling with one in hand or sitting while gumming one (yes gumming...he still has no teeth).

We still like to go on cold morning walks. James finds it hard to move in this suit. It got quite cold here before we left for Christmas. Since we've been back, though, it's been in the 70's. Love it!

James loves to pull himself up using the TV stand. He especially likes discovering just what the shiny electronics can do. The VCR now has a burp cloth semi-permanently taped to it to keep him from sticking his hand into it (as he did on multiple occasions). He has also experimented with the radio; he's quite proficient in ejecting tapes from the tape player. He also managed to eject Mario Kart from the Wii and bang it against the TV stand a couple of times before I got to him. Needless to say the TV stand is his favorite part of the house to explore.

This picture was taken the first time he ever stood up in his crib. He now enjoys pulling himself up and walking around it while holding onto the sides.

Two months or so ago, James started perusing his old bouncer (now turned toy chest) for entertainment. I think it's just so very cute. It makes him look like a big boy.

Again...just cute.

This was the first time I ever saw him climb up on anything. He was doing a Superman on the wipes box threatening to tip over onto the tile from which the boxes are supposed to block him (he had a thing with sucking on the tile for a while). James will now climb onto anything that is low enough to allow him to. He climbed his first sets of stairs at Grandma and Grandpa Cullimore's over Christmas. He caught on quickly; however, he occasionally tried to sit down after climbing a couple stairs...treacherous, of course, when climbing stairs. Thankfully, we have no accidents to report.

Alright...this gets us to December. I will get to work on another post for December to present.

A Report From the “Keeping Tiffany Honest” Watchdog Organization

On May 2, 2008, Tiffany wrote these words on her blog after I (Jordan) graduated from BYU. I have not modified the words, and they can be found in context on Tiffany’s blog. I present this as exhibit A.

“I'm glad Jordan is no longer actually attending BYU, hopefully the subject of BYU will not come up much in the future, because when Dad was trying to get Stadium of Fire tickets, and it was looking like he would not get them, I made a personal promise that if, oh if, Dad could get tickets, Please, that I would not ever, ever make fun of BYU again. (I know this is shocking, and it's not even that I wanted to see Miley Cyrus at all, it's that one of my life goals is to be the Stadium of Fire Super Fan when I'm 95, and though the committee that chooses such things--okay, it doesn't exist yet--might overlook the ONE time I've missed--yes, ONE time since the beginning of Stadium of Fire existence--and that because Darren would not let me go with a one-month old baby--oh, I would've gone--the committee would not overlook a lame excuse like ‘It was hard to get tickets. EVERYONE wanted to see Miley Cyrus.’
‘Miley who?’ they will say.
So you see, I had to make that promise, and Dad DID get tickets. So let's all agree to not talk about BYU anymore. It is a matter of eternal importance.”

I now present to you exhibit B: a quote taken from the comments section of the November 1, 2008 post on our blog.

“Hey Jordan--did you know that here in Utah we are all afraid to wear our red shirts? No one wants to get hit with a Max Hall pass.”

Exhibit C is the November 25, 2008 post on Tiffany’s blog. I will not reproduce it here because it shocks the human soul and is repugnant to the eyes and ears. If you desire to subject yourself to such things, you may do so to your own detriment and at your own risk. All you need to know for our present purposes is that it “makes fun of BYU.”

With the evidence now before you, I invite you to ask yourself, “Has Tiffany broken that personal promise she made but months ago in a moment of gratitude for the Stadium of Fire?”

And last of all, to Tiffany I say: I’m watching…

Looks Can Be Deceiving

The above picture may lead you to believe that the joy of solid food is back. Oh how far from the truth that assumption would be. This picture was taken after one of our alternative method feeding sessions. James was given a bowl (one that Jordan and I use--a grownup bowl) with some pureed sweet potatoes in it. He was, of course, first stripped down to his diaper. Then we let him go to it while he sat on my lap. As you can see, he painted a pretty picture on his face, but that's about as close to his stomach as the sweet potatoes got.

This is a rather difficult time. All I can say to anyone approaching the introduction of solid foods is to take it slowly. It doesn't matter how much they eat. Getting a half a baby spoonful each day for months and enjoying eating is much better than what can result when you try to urge them to eat just a little more (i.e. refusing to try anything and vomiting whenever food makes it into the mouth). Follow your child's cues. When he/she turns his/her head, let that be the end of the feeding. If anything, give the baby less than they may want to keep the desire alive.

This of course is just my experience (however an excerpt I read in a pediatric book today confirmed my sad mistakes). I simply feel the need to warn that I may possibly prevent anyone else from making the mistakes I did. I also feel that there is no need to rush thickening the cereal...I think that was what pushed James over the edge. Humans have their whole life to eat...no need to rush things. Make it a happy, fun, pleasant experience. Don't worry that they need to eat more. Trying to persuade to eat more seems only to lead to eating less. If only I'd known how important and fragile those first two weeks were.

The good news is that James is happy and healthy in spite of his distrust of anything but mother's milk. I am just thankful he doesn't have any teeth yet, because I have a feeling I might be nursing him a little longer than I'd planned. Hopefully there will be a great turn around when he can pick up the food on his own and get it to his mouth. His doctor provided me with that hope. So, hope I will that it turns into a reality.

Happy eating!

Our Frightful October

What? My baby is how old? I can't believe James is already 7 months old and that he is crawling! This is the skill he is currently perfecting. The boxes in the background are to keep him from crawling to and eating the doormat and the shoes that have been left by the front door.

James had his first big boy bath sans baby tub.

Super wedgie all night long? Poor James...
(This caption is Jordan's contribution to this post).

This is just cute.

Grrr...

Lions and tigers and bears...oh my!

On the prowl...

Meet Igor.

Yikes Jordan...what's that on your eye? James sure got you good.

Biscuits? Maybe I'll try that recipe again sometime. I may have mixed the dough 13 times too many.

Photo Tag

How perfect--a Halloween picture. This picture was taken in October of 2005 when we were engaged. I dressed as a clown for the Halloween party at North Star Elementary during my practicum in 1st grade. Jordan, of course, is...scared.

I tag Tiffany, Beth and Dan, Scott and Jessica, and the Langstraats. You must post the fourth picture in the fourth picture folder on your computer.

Thanks Amanda!