Hiking Zzzz's

We went for a walk in our neighborhood and Finn fell fast asleep in the backpack. He didn't even budge when Sean took off the pack...

Blooming Hydrangea

Our hydrangea tree is in full bloom and it is gorgeous! The blooms are supposed to dry really well, so I am going to start picking some for decoration around the house.

A Taste of Summer

A Proper Walking Toy

Although Finn has been enjoying the shop vac, as well as our dining chairs as support in his efforts of upright mobility, we decided it was high time to get a proper walking toy. We are happy to introduce the chomp and clack alligator push toy!

Finn checks out his new wheels:

A true assessment on anything cannot be reached until it is tasted:
And off he goes:

Swing Time

Three Steps

Finnbar is venturing into the world of walking. Today he took 3 unassisted steps. He has taken a few steps here and there, but it always seemed like he was just throwing himself off of whatever he had pulled up on. Today, he was just standing without holding onto anything and he took 3 steps toward me before falling down. It was very impressive indeed. He is very wobbly, but I guess that is the very definition of a toddler...wow, we have a toddler! All he wants to do is move, so I will definitely try to work on this and get video soon.

9 Month Check Up

Finn had his 9 month well visit yesterday. He was pronounced in excellent health and still ahead of the ballgame in his developmental milestones. There were no shots for this visit which was really nice. Finn is 29 3/4 inches tall and weighs 19 lbs 4 oz. This puts him in the 85th percentile for height and he has dropped to the 23rd percentile for weight. The doc said that since he was still gaining weight this shouldn't be an issue and he is probably just changing growth curves, but she also wants to watch it and make sure I am pushing the nursing. I don't know how much more I can really push the nursing as Finn likes his milk and seems to eat a lot to me. I think it is really just his genetics coming through. She said several times she wasn't worried, but she just wants to monitor it. I wasn't worried until she said she wasn't worried multiple times. She seemed to harp on it a bit.

At any rate, Finn appears perfect and he is doing really well with his mobility. He has started to venture away from whatever object he has pulled up on. He will take one or two steps and fall down. I really think walking is just around the corner. And as the following videos exhibit, we clearly need to get him a pushing walking toy. We have had the shop vac out for the bathroom (remodel in progress and a post to come soon) and Finn grabbed ahold this morning and took it for a tour. He thought it was hil.air.ious! As you can see Lily is a little more concerned by this new development.

Life's a Beach!

Given Finn's newly discovered affinity for water, we decided to check out the mighty Atlantic today. It was Finn's first trip to the beach and he had a grand time. He enjoyed playing in the sand and once again he LOVED the water. He even loved the waves. They were quite mild, but he wanted to walk toward them and he laughed whenever they "crashed" onto him. I loved enjoying it all with him.

Finn's First Swim

It is HOT in New England. We found some reprieve by going swimming today. We met Aunt Kate and cousin Annalise in Maine today and went to Kate's grandparents' camp on the lake. It was so nice. This is Finn's first swim beyond the bathtub or a paddling pool. He was a little nervous at first and hung on to me tight, but little by little he started splashing and having fun. By the end I was "swimming" him through the water and he loved it. He loved bouncing up and down and watching me move through the water with my arm. He was laughing and grinning so wide. All in all, we had a blast and I cannot wait to get back in the water with him.

Millions of Peaches, Peaches for Me

We went peach picking today. It was wonderful. It is crazy to think that I was quite pregnant when we went last year. Finn very much enjoyed the experience. He LOVES peaches!

Three Blissful Years of Marriage

Sean and I are celebrating our 3rd wedding anniversary today. I am so unbelievable lucky to have married such an incredible individual. I thought I would just throw in some random vintage pictures of us for this post.