Werth Family OnlineJacob has been having lots of fun moving, grooving, climbing, and <any other motion verb>-ing. Elise and I enjoyed a relaxing – well, that’s maybe not the best word – Sunday at home with the little man. We broke out the camera and took some good photos of his activities:
Over our Christmas break, the family spent some time with the Werth’s – Fred, Cathy, and Teresa – up at Lutsen. We traveled up to Lutsen, making a stop at Fitgers in Duluth where we tried a variety of the delicious beers they brew. After getting to Lutsen on Monday evening, we spent Tuesday and Wednesday on the slopes. While Monday was rather cold with a unrelenting wind and rather icy slopes, Tuesday was incredibly better with 2 inches of fresh powder and more moderate temperatures. In the evenings, Elise and I broke some new cross-country ski trails while Jacob hung out with the rest of the crew. I managed to take these three videos showing Fred, Teresa, and Elise as they made their way down the hill.
Teresa
Fred
Elise
(videos may take a while to download due to their size)
Arriving in Minnesota over the holidays, we were able to spend a good number of days with Larry, Mary, and Laura. Jacob loved to chase around the two cats and play with the dishwasher. Jacob received a really cool musical bug, a folding wooden table made by Larry, and a big red wagon! Radio Flyer has definitely made some improvements over the years by adding backrests, seat belts, and four cup/juice-box holders! Jacob highly enjoyed it when we took it out for a test spin. Enjoy!
Today was a great day around the Werth household for having a good time. Jacob was his energetic self – as usual – and I remembered to grab the video camera to record the fun.
The past few weeks have been quite the blur for the Werth household. The end of December brought the end of Jon’s temporary position, a week spent in Minnesota for Christmas (including a trip to Lutsen), and starting a new position as Elise gears up for the end of the second term. From December 23rd to the 31st, we spent time with many friends and family members in Minnesota. This was Jacob’s first Christmas and also the first time a number of people were able to see him.
We have a lot of great photos (and a couple of videos) from this time which we’ll be posting over the next few days. To start you off, here’s a couple photos of Jacob’s first haircut:
I felt like the title needed a little more emphasis due to the extensive wait for this posting. Since I last posted, Jacob has become quite the stand-er man. He is continuing to work on his balance and his cruising while holding on to something (table, couch, chair, etc). He is now quite adept at standing and crouching down to pick something up, before standing up again. He enjoys picking things up and putting them onto the coffee table, only to knock them off again – especially books.
In other news, I had been pursuing a full-time position at the University of Iowa ITS (Information Technology Services) while working as a temporary miscellaneous professional; basically a full-time employee without the benefits. Last Friday, I was offered a position within ITS-Instructional Services. After contemplating over the weekend, I have now accepted the offer and am very excited about the position.
To celebrate, here are some photos of Jacob. Enjoy!
The past three weeks have been active ones for the Werth household. November 18th-20th we traveled to Minnesota to celebrate Elise’s cousin’s marriage. We were able to spend good time with family and everyone enjoyed seeing Jacob. On Saturday, during a good snow, we visited the Minnesota Zoo with Larry, Mary, and Laura. This was quite exciting and Jacob was particularly interested in the penguins and ducks!
The following weekend we again arrived in Minnesota for the Thanksgiving holiday. Jacob was not feeling his best, but we were able to spend more quality time with family – this time with the Werths. We had a good time watching the MN Wild (who lost, unfortunately) and going out to eat afterward on Black Friday.
This week brought about the month of December, but was fairly uneventful. Today, we toured a couple of possible houses in the area, as we have begun to search for another project house. Jacob has been growing steadily and is continuing to get better at standing up. I shot this video today of him Practicing his Steps – yikes!
I have a number of great photos from the MN Zoo trip, which I hope to post soon, so check back for more fun!
Last week, Jacob went in for his 9-month checkup and follow up for his ear infection. Everything went very well and Jacob’s score on the nine-month assessment (testing various skills and abilities) was excellent – scoring 60 out of 60. Jacob now weighs 21 lb 8.6 oz and is 28.7 inches tall! He also received the first of two stages for the flu shot.
In addition to visiting the doctor’s office, the family also went bowling this past week. This was pretty exciting for Jacob as there were many new sites and sounds to experience! He enjoyed clapping his hands and cheering energetically.
Since moving in to the apartment, we’ve become friends with another couple at our residence. They like to visit often, eating lots of food and singing beautiful songs. We enjoy their company and have captured some good photos 😉
The past two weeks have been pretty exciting at the Werth household. Washington H.S. had its homecoming, with the end of the term the following week. Finals went well and Elise wrapped up grading to prepare for the start of the new term today. Meanwhile, Elise followed Jacob’s lead and came down with a virus; which she is starting to get over. Jacob, on the other hand, had an ear infection but quickly rebounded after day 2 of his 10-day antibiotic schedule.
This past Thursday and Friday, I took off from work to give a presentation at the Midwest Chapter Music Library Assoc Conference. The talk went well, with good feedback and interest, and I got to taste some of Indianapolis’ delicious craft beer!
In other news, the UI holds some promising job prospects that should develop in the coming weeks. Also, Jacob ushered in two new firsts: two teeth are starting to come in and he stood up all by himself from a seated position (holding on to his jumper). There will be plenty of pictures and videos coming soon, but for now enjoy these from Halloween!
