Monster Preview...

Mom and Dad wanted to make sure that my Pink Monster Halloween costume fit, so we gave it a "test run" this weekend.  Plus, it was raining and they were struggling to find ways to keep us all entertained...

"OK, mom...what is it again that I'm supposed to say when I knock on the door on Halloween?"

I seem to have forgotten that I am in a large, pink costume with a padded tummy.  I'm just happy to be downstairs in the family room and playing with my toys.  Stay tuned for the real photos of my Halloween parties and Trick-or-Treating escapades next month!

Take me out to the ball game!

Batter UP!  Today I went to my very first baseball game: the Bridgeport Bluefish versus the Long Island Ducks.  Chandler's mom and dad organized this great outing for all of us...and we all had such a great time.  The weather was gorgeous and everyone had lots of snacks...so we were all very happy.  

Here I am sitting with my dad!  I'm sure that this was the first of many, many ball games together.  Dad has been working so much this week and so it was really, really nice to have so much time together with him this weekend.

Aidan is searching for BB the Bluefish while his mom and dad, G.P. and Shannon, smile for the camera.  Aidan was definitely into the game...something tells me he's going to be a great athlete one day (did I mention he's been walking since he was 9 months old?).

Chandler's just taking it all in, sitting here on his dad's lap.  There was so much to do and see, not the least of which was the game.  I think Chandler really enjoyed dancing to the music that was played in the stadium throughout the day.

"Hey, BB...over here!"  Well, this is as close as I got to having my picture taken with BB the Bluefish but it was exciting nonetheless. I wasn't afraid at all...in fact, he was quite entertaining.  We had a lot of fun and can't wait to attend more Bluefish games next year.  Oh yeah, I should probably tell you that the Bluefish beat the Ducks!!

An afternoon outside with the puppies!

Hello friends!  As you can see from my jacket, the autumn is finally upon us.  My mom and I had a really nice day together...we played a lot, went to have my pictures taken at Laurie Wright's new photography studio, had lunch at Roly Poly and then came home for an afternoon nap (though I only slept for 30 minutes).

I was a little fussy when I woke up from my nap so mom decided it was time to go outside.  We grabbed my jacket and a bag of toys and went out on the patio.  Oh, and I forgot the most important part: we brought Gryffin and Bucky outside with us, too!

I'm so excited here because Gryffin and Bucky are doing their best to entertain us.  They are running, jumping, frolicking, playing with their ball and barking quite a bit, too. Those crazy boys!!! 

Here is Bucky eating an apple, which he foraged in the backyard.  Our neighbors have an apple tree on the edge of our property and the puppies are fortunate enough these days to find some fruit that has fallen into our yard.

 And last but certainly not least, here's Gryffin smiling for the camera.  He was particularly rambunctious today and so my mom was surprised that he sit still long enough for her to take this photo.  I just love the boys and had so much fun playing with them today.

Spaghetti Face

"Mmm...this spaghetti mom made for my dinner sure tastes good.  I'd like to impress her by using my spoon but I'm really hungry...so fingers it is!"

"OK, mom, I'm ready for more!!!"

I may appear to have a somewhat pensive gaze in this photo but the reality is that I have so much pasta in my mouth that I'm having a hard time figuring out how to chew it!

Well, my face may be covered in tomato sauce but I am certainly happy.  Spaghetti is one of my favorite dinners (utensils optional) and my mom was so happy to get some photos of me enjoying my meal.  As the Italians say, "Buon Appetito!"

I want to ride my bicycle!

Check out my new Fropper bike!  It is so cool.

Baby Houdini!

Well, it has been quite a day around here!  Just to recap: there has been crying, biting, teething, more crying, more biting, a little fussing and then there was my escape from my crib.  Mom thought I would be safe there while she examined her flesh wound (mom is desperately trying to break me of this biting habit) in the bathroom - HA!  No sooner did she have her shorts down around her ankles when she heard a big "THUD" and raced out of the bathroom...only to meet up with me in the doorway.  I'm absolutely fine, thank goodness, but everyone was scared to death, certain that I must have a bit of magician in me...

And then the next thing my mom knew, I somehow managed to pull off my diaper through the leg of my shorts!!!  Am I cool or what?  And now for my next trick...I will wave my magic wand and will attempt to turn an ordinary, frazzled, sleep-deprived mom into a well rested, happy individual once more.  Here goes....POOF!

And this one's for you, Aunt Susan!  I love my pink tutu!

Under the Sea!

It is Sunday morning on Labor Day Weekend and I am getting very excited about our visit today to the Mystic Aquarium.  No one has mentioned that this day trip involves a 90 minute car ride, which is why I still have a smile on my face.

Whew!  We've arrived in Mystic safe and sound, though mom and dad are a little frazzled from our journey.  I exercised my right not to sleep, insisting instead that mommy climb over the seat and entertain me in the back.  I've got it all figured out: if I scream loud enough and long enough, I will eventually get some company.  When we finally arrived here, mommy and daddy took me for a nice lunch at the S & P Oyster Company and now we are all ready to check out the Aquarium - let's GO!

And here we are...check out those fish!  There must be hundreds of them swimming around and around and around...is that all they do all day?  Do they ever sleep?  What happens when one of them wants to go in the opposite direction?  These are the deep, philosophical issues that plague the mind of a 1 year-old.  Moving on...

Mommy, Daddy and I have now gone outside to view the Stellar Sea Lions, an endangered species that can grow to over 2,500 pounds!!  You can see that mommy and I are very excited to be outside, though the sea lion does not seem to be fazed whatsoever by our presence.  I think he would prefer to continue with his nap...

Mommy appears to be posing here in front of a wall of coral photos...she is clearly enjoying herself.  I, on the other hand, am ready to move on to the next exhibit...

...and now daddy and I are on our way.  Since daddy is well aware that my penguin Penelope is one of my very best friends, we were all very excited to get up close and personal with her kin at the Penguin exhibit.

Well, he's not diving for fish but he certainly seems to be having a nice time swimming around in the tank.  This particular species of African Penguin can stay submerged for up to 2 minutes and can achieve top speeds of over 10 miles per hour.  There were about 8 penguins in the tank and they seemed to enjoy putting on a show for me.  I was sure to let them know that Penelope says "hello."

Back inside, daddy wanted to show me a big tank of fish, including some rays and even a few SHARKS!  I wasn't afraid at all, as I have visited the sharks at the Maritime Center in Norwalk on many occasions...I think they are totally cool.  

Finally, here is a tank full of Lion Fish.  My mom and dad wanted to be sure that I was able to see them since the lion sound (roar!) is one of my favorites to make these days.  I really liked the Lion Fish and was sad to hear that I could not touch them: their poisonous spines, though not generally deadly to humans, will kill many other species of fish instantly.  Isn't nature great?

Well, that's all on our Aquarium visit, though my mom and dad still had to endure the car ride home, which proved even more challenging than our journey to Mystic.  One of my lower incisors decided to make its appearance today and, as a result, I was not a happy camper heading home.  A quick stop at A&P in Old Lyme for baby Advil seemed to do the the trick, though.  I had a great day!  Love, Charlotte