Swings!

Carolyn enjoyed the park in Boise. This was her first time in a swing besides the baby swing at home. She greatly preferred this one.

Boise Zoo

Carolyn and I spent the first week of April visiting the VanOrden family in Boise, Idaho. It was beautiful and so much fun. We were able to see a bunch of animals up close, and Carolyn enjoyed this trip more than the one we took in August.

Our own mighty Aphrodite

Brynne, Carolyn, Liam

Peek a boo 2

Carolyn wanted to demonstrate her superior peek-a-boo skills for everybody. She enjoys playing this game with anyone who looks at her. If she doesn't have a blanket or coat to cover her face, that doesn't stop her. Her little hands go flying up to her forehead (without covering any part of her face) and then they come flying down. She always has a big grin on her face for this.

Wiggle Worm

This has become a favorite part of Carolyn's sleep time routine. She even made it up all by herself!

Round and Round and Round We Go

Jantzen Beach in Portland has a carousel from 1921 in operating condition. It was restored in 1995 and looks so pretty. Yesterday, Rachel and I took the kids to have a ride. Carolyn has to be accompanied by an adult. But first, we stuck her on this little row of baby horses that were so adorable. Of course, my pictures don't show that. They really were though. Carolyn enjoyed the ride well enough, but was nothing like her cousin (11 months old) who clapped and squealed the whole time. Overall, it was a lot of fun and it sure did get me out of the house and saved my sanity. Carolyn decided yesterday to only nap for an hour total all day!

Park Day

We took advantage of the wacky weather Portland had Friday (70 degrees!) and went to the park. It was Carolyn's first time. She loved it. The slide was her favorite.

Getting ready to play!

Ready to slide with my friend Scott.

We had a great time, but because it was so hot, we had to leave after only 45 minutes. We will definitely be doing the park thing this summer!

My First Date

Krystal and Scott came to visit us for the past week. We've had many adventures. Scott even took Carolyn to lunch for some Cheerios.

March Madness!

You know March is a mad, mad month when you can convince your mom to fill out an NCAA bracket. Not only that, but after the first day of games, she is tied for first.

New Best Bud

I wondered how long it would take Carolyn to really notice herself in the mirror. She's always enjoyed looking in the mirror, but now she tried to hold hands with herself. I even caught her attempting to give herself a kiss. Of course, not with my camera handy!

I'm a Jumper (and a Yeller)!

I thought Carolyn would outgrow this when she could move around, but she stills love to jump.

Peek A Boo!

This is my favorite game. Come play with me.

Best Buds

Carolyn has a best bud in Arys. The two get to play a lot because the mothers do dinner together often when the fathers are busy accounting. It's fun to watch Carolyn start to interact with the babies around her. I was the proudest mama the day Carolyn stole her dolly back for the first time! To be honest, most days, they just play by each other instead of with each other, but every once in awhile we will find them conspiring to be naughty.

Making Do...

Flying to another state with a baby but without all her stuff is a challenge! One thing I did not think through was the eating situation. Carolyn sucks on her fingers after most bites and then wipes her hands on whatever she can find. That's hard to contain without a high chair. But lucky for us, Aunt Laura and Uncle Joseph have a little stool. We use this for Carolyn's table and since she doesn't stand straight up yet, she plants her little hands on the stool and brings her face to the food bowl. We've managed not to stain any of Aunt Laura's pretty blankets or other nice things (but of course, Carolyn's clothes are still destroyed...funny how that works).

New Tricks!

Jeremy hasn't even seen this yet! Carolyn has improved her standing skills so much that she can bend over to pick up her fallen binky or doll, twist around to look at someone, or just plunk down on her bum. I decided to see how stable she really is! I put her on her feet and let go. Amazingly enough she actually stood for a second before falling into my arms. After that she did it for about 3 seconds. But after that, she decided it was a game and immediately fell into my arms laughing every time I let go. I tried to replicate her feat for my brother and sister later on, but not with much success. Carolyn enjoys being caught more than standing on her own!

I'll Eat Anything!

We've been in Utah for the past week without any of Carolyn's toys. She has found new ways to amuse herself. She clings to Mom's legs while she tries to cook or get ready.



But without any toys she likes to chew on EVERYTHING. We have Mom's zipper...



her shoe...

and grossest of all, my suitcase zipper.