First tooth

Last Friday was a tearful day, unusual for such a cheery girl. By Saturday though, a sharp, shiny new tooth was poking through her bottom gum.

Six-month Stats

Height: 27 inches; 87th percentile
Weight: 16 lbs 12 oz; 63rd percentile

Garden of Eden

On our last day, we visited Eden Gardens State Park, which features the antebellum Wesley House.

Are you guys ready yet?

Former home of timber family, the Wesleys

Cozy porch

Lovely grounds

Three generations

Poolside

Sure the beach was fun, but it was nothing compared to the 12,000 square foot swimming pool. Caterpillar Girl is a natural-born swimmer (not surprising--after all, she was born in the water!) Without the waves, it was easier for Caterpillar Girl to play, so we spent most of the vacation at the pool. Caterpillar Girl kicked and splashed and floated in her froggy float. The float had a saddle so she could sit up and kick her legs. By the end of the week, she was sticking her face in the water. I shudder to think of how much chlorine water she probably drank. We even did a full dunk on the last day, which made her sputter and then smile.

Summer Vacation

The beach is the only post I got online while on vacation but there was so much more. I will break it into a few posts. We stayed in a 3-bedroom condo with Ahma and Aunt DD. The balcony caught the cool ocean breezes--perfect for relaxing with a beer.

Caterpillar Girl learned to play Canasta. Quite a formidable player!

Rain didn't daunt us. A float in the jacuzzi tub is just as fun as the swimming pool. It was so shallow Caterpillar Girl could practice walking with her frog float.

First Time at the Beach

We are spending this entire week with Ahma and Aunt DD at Seacrest Beach in the panhandle. Our first trip to the beach was successful. Caterpillar Girl enjoyed the water, which was much rougher than it seems in the photo. Getting splashed as the waves crashed into us made her sputter in surprise but she didn't cry.





Perhaps more fun though was sunbathing and playing in the sand.





And who can resist the lure of beach flowers?

Daddy Giggles

I don't think I related the very first giggle; I don't remember exactly when it came but it's been some weeks. Now, however, I feel compelled to memorialize her special giggles--the giggles that come when Daddy returns home from work. It's not that she never giggles with me, just that her daddy giggles are plentiful and infectious. During the day, we play or she plays, and I think she feels safe, comfortable, cherished. When Daddy comes though, it's a fabulous surprise, and his funny voices, crazy songs, and tickling fingers are so much louder, more animated, and less familiar than my own that Caterpillar Girl erupts in fits of giggles. And that sets us all to giggling. When daddy comes through the door, before I get up to start dinner, we share magical, timeless moments.