Birthday Visit from Grandma

Last year, my mom came to help after Susannah was born. Like most parents of newborns, we needed a lot of help (say, how many PhDs does it take to care for a baby?). Well, one year later, not surprisingly, we still could use some help! Compared to one year ago, Susannah is sleeping much better. However, she's also much more proficient at running around getting into things she shouldn't. So of course we were so excited that my mom came for a brief action-packed visit to celebrate the one-year milestone with us, both at our own little party (during which she tried to grab a lit candle) and at a BBQ she helped us put together for a small group of our friends. Pictures below...



Hangin' with Grandma


Just when you're starting to get the hang of gravity, they go and spring those damned helium balloons on you....


Cupcakes: a landmark discovery!

Trip to Vermont

Ahhhh....summertime in Vermont. We recently spent a relaxing week here visiting Alex's parents. Well...relaxing is a relative term. The week was actually quite busy going places and seeing people, and Susannah kept busy by dismantling the Watters' house and harassing Molly (their elderly border collie). Some of the highlights of our trip:



Bellying up to the bar at the Long Trail Brewery



Getting down and dirty at Lake Bomoseen



Hiking in White Rocks National Rec Area



Quiet time with Grandma

The only part of the trip that was not so great was the flight, which I'm sure anyone with a toddler can certainly understand. Susannah is either sleeping or running around like the energizer bunny - there is no in-between. Sitting still for 6 hours is just not within the realm of possibility. We took the redeye out which worked very well since she slept the whole way. On the way back, she slept for about 3 hours, leaving a few more hours where she had to be entertained, but it felt like a lot longer than that.


Making friends during our layover at the Newark airport

Happy Birthday Susannah!!!

It's hard to believe our little girl is one year old already! Exactly one year ago today, we were in our room at California Pacific Med Ctr, holding our (then wrinkly and cone-headed) little newborn, experiencing the profound shock of becoming parents for the first time. What a year it has been. We somehow stumbled through those early sleep-deprived months, dealing with Susannah's frequent crying and fussing, yet falling head over heels in love with her all the same. At 12 months, Susannah is a very happy, curious and extremely energetic child. Her sweet laughter and silly antics make every day fun. Officially, Susannah is a toddler now since she is both at the one year mark and she does toddle. It is a little bit bittersweet as she leaves baby-hood behind, but we look forward to all of the milestones ahead and finding out what kind of kid she will be!





Some pictures of Susannah's birthday celebration at her daycare center. They went all out - blue cake and tiara included!