Good Times

Seattle's parks have these great, old-school wading pools -- those huge, concrete ones that they fill with a gigantic spigot each day. Before Samantha was born, I used to walk by these all the time, in Cal Anderson Park or Volunteer Park, hardly paying them a thought. Now, I realize how wonderful they are! We spent a recent afternoon with friends Rick and Lisa (and kids Talia, Carmen and Joey) at Volunteer Park, including a stint in the giant wading pool. Here are a few pictures...

Nine Months!

Samantha is now 9 months old! This summer seems to be flying by, and Sammy continues to be a very happy baby. A few other developments: She still has just two teeth (bottom middle), but we are pretty sure a couple more are coming soon. This month Sam learned to clap, and she now does it whenever I say "Yay!" Frequent tummy time, (never her favorite activity), seems to be moving her closer and closer to the day she'll start crawling, as she now pivots and barely inches her way toward toys that are just out of reach. In the meantime, she loves to stand, and squeals happily when we put her in front of a table or chair to stand against. Finally, Sam is slowly expanding her culinary repertoire, seemingly starting to enjoy foods beyond the puree peas and carrots. Following are a few recent pix of Sam at about 9 months, all courtesy of Gramps Breckenridge...

A better way to travel

Sam has never really loved riding in the car. Fortunately for all of us, the ferry is sometimes an option to get us where we need to go...

I just really like this picture.

Sunriver

We've had a lot of fun weekend trips this summer, including a long weekend in Sunriver, Oregon with Karen's family. Sam had a great time hanging out with cousins Jake (3) and Becca (1), who were a constant source of entertainment for her! It was also Sam's first time in a real pool, and she had a great time, as you can see from her face! Here are a few pictures from Sunriver with the Savages and Flosis. Oh, and the sort of blurry image? That's Jake, mid-dance move, rocking out to an outdoor entertainer in the village. Man, he's got some fancy footwork!

The Great Outdoors?

We took Sam on a camping trip this summer in the Leavenworth area, along with Aunt Abby. Unfortunately, our visions of easily introducing Samantha to the great outdoors were perhaps a bit naive, as we encountered swarms of mosquitos, nearly 100 degree temps during the day yet freezing temps at night, and a very difficult night sleep for all four of us! Indeed, the highlights of the weekend were the non-camping portions of the trip, including a day trip to Lake Wenatchee, a dinner in Leavenworth, a visit to an organic farm in Wenatchee, and great lunch stops along the drive there and back. We'll definitely try camping again...but maybe not til next summer! Here are some pics (um, yes, that's Karen and Sam squeezed into the little sun tent, trying to keep away from the mosquitos!).

New Pix

Our talented friend Gina took these great pictures of Samantha a couple weeks ago, as we were enjoying a Friday night barbecue with friends.