Sweet Summer

With my first summer off (I guess you could call it off since I am not getting paid for my work!), I am realizing how beautiful the California weather is. We have lots of new friends in the neighborhood and this week, we went swimming. Caroline kicks her feet and splashes, but mostly she just chews on her rubber duckies like we are in one big bathtub. This is a picture of her friends -- she is the youngest in the group but she tries to hold her own. Still working on the feeding, though Caroline much prefers the taste of her plastic spoon to her mother's homemade baby food. I don't think she can hate her mother's cooking already, do you??!! Enjoy the video at the bottom to see what I am talking about.

The best way to get around...

At 6 months, Caroline decided that she no longer wanted to just play on her tummy or sit there -- she needed to be moving! The latest video (at the bottom) is of her "scooting" where she is able to work her way up to all fours and then she just lunges forward... I guess that is one way of getting there! Get ready to baby proof the house! This is a picture of her relaxing after the "scooting"!

Sweet potato, carrots, applesauce...

Let's hope that Caroline likes her vegetables more than her mommy did! We started Caroline on solid foods and from the pictures, you can see that she did not take to them right away. It is a challenge as her mouth is like a moving target and she thinks she can feed herself already. Plus, I think she is wondering why she has to eat this mashed up, mushy banana when Mommy is just eating it from the peel. Before you know it, she is going to be asking me for ice cream!

The Baby in White...

Caroline was baptized on Sunday, August 5 -- she looked like an angel in her little (long!) christening gown. My mom had her wedding dress made into the christening gown and it was beautiful. Luckily, Caroline thought so also and did not spit up on it (though she did enjoy chewing on the sleeves!). My parents and sister, Katie as well as Trent's parents made it out for the special event. She was so good even as the water was poured over her head. It was a beautiful day and a beautiful ceremony. Enjoy the pictures!

Beautiful day at the beach

Today was a beautiful day -- sunny and 78 degrees -- a great beach day! So Caroline and I headed to the beach with Erin Greiner and her kids, Will and Gavin. Caroline loved watching the waves and Will and Gavin digging in the sand. One of the videos below is of her at the beach (a little close up but I was trying to video and hold her at the same time -- you can hear her well though!). She has become very talkative and the other video is of her this morning chatting away. The other picture is of Caroline with Trent's friend from work who drove up from LA to come and visit this week.

She is getting bigger everyday and yesterday at our Mommy's class she eyed a toy of another boy that was the same as we have at home (it was a telephone rattle -- go figure!) and she made a beeline to get it. She scooted herself a good three or four feet to take the toy from him. It was the first sign that we may have a handful on our hands in the future! Enjoy the videos.

Sweet Sounds?

Over the last week, Caroline has been exploring with new sounds... some whining, some screeching and some soft sounds. We LOVE hearing her talk but some of the sounds are less pleasant than others. The video at the bottom gives a good sample. One thing is certain, she is really trying to communicate something with us! These are also some pictures of Caroline with Mommy and Daddy. A big thanks to Aunt Laurie and Uncle Crispin for babysitting Friday night so Mommy and Daddy could go out to celebrate our anniversary.

Daddy's Got a New Truck!!

Now I can't say I ever thought I would be in a family that owns a truck, but things have changed! Trent's new work "car" is a Toyota Tacoma and he loves it so all is good. He is even teaching Caroline to drive at the tender age of 5 months!