A Little Under the Weather

We are super thankful for being healthy so far this winter...and after a really good stretch, we've all come down with a little cold. Thankfully, staying home when the temperatures are below 10 degrees isn't too hard to do.

Today was a pretty lazy Saturday...and although Hamilton fought his nap during naptime (he read the entire time, instead), he decided to doze off while chilling with his daddy.

Dinner at the Whitneys

We've moved Hamilton to the big boy table to eat right in between Freeman and me (he previously sat in his booster seat on top of a stainless steel bar chair since his eating and the feet on the seat really messed with our wooden chairs). He loves it and gets really excited to climb into his chair at dinner time.

Of course, as with many toddlers, his eating habits can be...inconsistent (but, Hamilton, you loved [insert food name here] the last 10 times we had it!). Plus, dinner tends to be his lightest meal, but tonight he surprised us both by really taking a liking to his daddy's hot wing sauce.

He had already taken a couple of bites before I got the camera going--and I obviously didn't stop to adjust the lighting (sorry).

Oh, and see that bowl of oranges. That's what he wanted for dessert.

Last Night's Performance

Usually right after dinner, it's "Shower Time" in the Whitney household. Last night, however, Hamilton wanted to provide a little post supper entertainment. Hope you enjoy...

...and the encore...

Driving My Tractor

We recently received an email from our friend Veronica from Turvey Abbey (you may recall we visited her in May for her Final Profession). Sr. Goedele, who had so kindly set up a play area for Hamilton during our visit, came across a video that she thought our little animal-lover would enjoy.

She was right on! Thank you, Sr. Goedele!

Here's little dude clucking like a chicken (actually, that was a first and you can tell he was pleased with himself). Then he finds the "moo" and exclaims "oh no" when all of the animals fall out of the tractor trailer. He can't really pretend to be sad like the farmer, though, because he knows all of the animals make it safely back to the farm.

If you'd like to watch the video without the Hamilton commentary (or our dishwasher in the background), check it out here:

Our Little Zebra

Hamilton was invited to his first birthday party on Saturday--a costume party for his friend Mira. Hamilton absolutely loves it when he gets to see Mira. They can chase each other and down our hallway for a VERY long time.

Our little dude got all decked out for the party as a...

...zebra with a mohawk.

Hamilton quickly found his friend from the savannah.

Here are a couple of Hamilton's other friends: Megan and Ella. They were decorating and enjoying cookies. Maybe it was because this activity left all of the toys free...Hamilton decided to forgo this activity.


Later that afternoon, we met up with John and Carolyn and went to (where else?) the Farm at the Zoo. Although a zebra doesn't quite fit in, Hamilton was excited to be back at his favorite place.



Did you know zebras hatch from eggs? I didn't, either.



Finally, we stopped by church to check out the Fall Festival. Our ever practical son went to a game station where the prize was candy, but decided to skip the "game" step.


We got home with a tired little boy who stopped next door for one piece of candy, then dinner, bath and bed. Whew!

Yup, He's a City Boy

Hamilton is completely fascinated by two things...farm animals and dogs. In fact, the first really discernible word he ever said was "dawgy" (which he now says no less than a dozen times a day, thanks to the canines of our building, in his books, and on his clothing).

He gets particularly excited when he sees a cow--which he calls "moo." His favorite spot to do this is the Farm at the Lincoln Park Zoo. We had a chance to go there with Ooompah today--and I finally remembered to bring the camera.

He spots them when they are near...

...and when they are far...

...and when they are animated (I missed getting him pointing, but you'll see the tiny cow at the top of the page--yup he spotted it and wanted to tell us all about it).




He also likes chicks, though he is convinced they are ducks.

All in all, he is definitely an animal person. It's a little ironic given where we live. Though as Freeman pointed out, it's one of the places where the squirrels and bunnies won't run away from him (but that's a different story for another time).

More Sleeping with Books

This is a shot of Hamilton after we went to the aquarium and library today. He found a book on farm animals and wouldn't let it go for the entire hour we were there (even through the storytelling class)--and was very concerned when I handed it to the woman at the Circulation Desk to check it out.

Hamilton Right Now

After a morning at the library, lunch with Freeman, and running around outside the Art Institute...

Fun in the Sun

The three of us spent the day taking in the Chicago Air and Water Show from the roof terrace at Moody Church. Our Sunday School class hosted the event, so we saw lots of our friends from there, plus a former coworker of Freeman's and her fiance also stopped by (Kelly and Jason). Taking pictures of the planes never really works out so well as they're moving very, very fast, but the show was spectacular. Hamilton seemed to enjoy it all, at least until the collective roar of six US Air Force Thunderbirds sent him running to the door to head inside from the terrace. This picture of the Thunderbirds is from the Tribune (they flew over the beach, across Clark Street, directly over and heads at the church, and off into the late afternoon sun).Most of our time was spent visiting with our friends from class and watching Hamilton run around the terrace. He was very interested in examining the food and beverages everyone else had brought . . . quite the little scavenger!
His bare feet got kind of dirty after awhile!
Kelly and Jason (Freeman's former coworker at DePaul and fellow HSC graduate).
And Jenny and Freeman (fresh from having water dumped on him by Hamilton).
And Hamilton seeking sonic relief from the roar of the jets.

Waits Family Visit

Team Whitney got some bonus Waits family time both before and after the all-family get-together in Aurora. The festivities began, as one might expect, with stuffed pizza enjoyed by all. In this instance, we took some tomato and cheese stuffed pie from Giordano's over to Millennium Park and got our grub on.
Allison took on most of the Hamilton watching duties for the night and did a great job (we tipped her in pizza).
We all returned to Chicago from our time in Aurora and spent the next day working our way to the Chicago History Museum. Along the way, the girls got their introduction to the squishy world of sushi.Allison made a valiant effort and seemed to enjoy some tuna.
Emily was equally valiant, although noticeably less enthusiastic about the overall experience.
We had no doubt about Hamilton's excitement, however, when he was offered some whipped cream by his Aunt Cristina at the Cheesecake Factory.
When we got to the museum, we enjoyed seeing the latest in cutting edge racing bicycle technology.
Allison finally realized what it would be like to actually be an Oscar Meyer wiener (a reference about twenty years before her time, I fear).
Hamilton found some hex screws holding together a display and thought it would be best to disassemble it.
We ended the day playing Dance Dance Revolution back at the house and then saw the Waitses off to the airport the next day. A good time was had by all, but a lot of energy was spent!

Family Weekend

Team Whitney had a good time this weekend with lots of family around for a family reunion/get-together of sorts. The Waits family (Tim, Cristina, Emily, and Allison) came up from Texas and John and Carolyn came up from Chatham to converge on William and Kia's house in Aurora. Team Whitney headed out from Chicago, and this is what it looked like when we got together.
Of course, we also spent much time hanging out, watching children run around, and enjoying being together.
William showed us how he motivates the praise band at Sovereign Grace Church in Aurora. This is for sure: he's seen at least a hundred faces . . . and he's rocked them all.
As always, Hamilton found his own brand of fun (off by himself climbing stairs).As always, we thank William and Kia for their hospitality in welcoming us into their home.

Hamilton's Dedication

This past Sunday was a big day for Team Whitney: it was the Sunday when we dedicated Hamilton to the Lord at church. Many of you know what this entails, and the event at Moody Church is very similar to what's done at many other protestant and evangelical churches. Each family with a child to dedicate introduces themselves and the child to the assembled church congregation and then responds to several questions about their intention to raise the child in accordance with scripture and in a way that is pleasing to the Lord. After affirming that intention, the pastor the prays for the family. Here we are prior to the morning service which included the dedication.
Unfortunately, Hamilton was not feeling well, so he looks less than thrilled about his presence at the dedication. Also, our church is very big on the wearing of name tags so we learn the names of those we see on Sunday--you may notice the one I got from the church in the picture.

Despite being called baby dedication, the event is really about what the parents vow to undertake in the raising of the child. Jenny and I cannot determine what Hamilton will embrace in the future or who he will be at our ages, but we can ensure that he is raised with the knowledge of God's truth and seeing that following Jesus made a difference in the lives of his parents. We don't practice baptizing infants at our church as we believe that every person faces a decision about how he or she will bridge the limitless moral gulf that exists between sinful people and a holy God. Hamilton has not faced that moment (he can barely decide if he wants to eat his bananas or drop them on the floor), so we cannot say right now that he is a Christian, and thus ready to be baptized. Jenny and I both faced that gulf and decided we could do nothing in ourselves to build a bridge from our sinfulness to God's holiness. Instead, we stopped trying and took up Jesus' offer that he is uniquely able to serve as the bridge between us and God . . . and that faith is what makes us Christians.

William, Kia, and their children came in for the dedication, and they did their best to grab some pictures in the (somewhat underlit) sanctuary. It was great to have them with our family for a Sunday. Here we are as Pastor Lutzer got the dedication started.
Here we are being prayed for.
We later picked up the children (such as little Paloma) from nurseries and classrooms . . .
and headed to Boston Market for a full-on Sunday after-church feast. A good time was had by all!

Watermelon

So, I know that those of you who are friends with Freeman on facebook have already seen these, but they are too funny to keep from the rest of the world!

Sharif came by with a watermelon and he documented the feeding frenzy that ensued.

Yes, I think I like this.

Can't get it into my mouth far enough!

Whew, don't know if I'll be able to finish...

...but I'll persevere.

Oh look, another one!

This is not a staged shot.

And our favorite---what can't be turned into a telephone?