Merry-Go-Round

Caroline and I ventured out in the heat and went to the county fair with my Grandma - one of her favorite things to do each year. It was quite an experience. We saw the "Pork Queen" pin the blue ribbon on the award winning pig,

ate fried bologna sandwiches and had lots of fun seeing the cows, chickens, ducks, horses and rabbits

and even had a turn on the Merry Go Round.

New Picture

We had Caroline's picture taken yesterday for her 18-month portrait so I thought I'd post it. We go for her doctor's appointment next Monday, so I'll have new stats then. She is really getting the hang of talking and is acquiring quite a vocabulary. Some of the newest additions are either social or food related: bye-bye, baby, up (for when she wants to be picked up or go up a step), cracker, cereal, cheese, and all sorts of animal sounds. Other than that, I think the only really new thing is that we've discovered she loves popcorn shrimp.

The dentist appointment

Well, we have some catching up to do... Our family spent the week in Indianapolis at Nana & Papa's house while Josh went to a microsurgical course. We had an enjoyable week other than Josh coming down with appendicitis and having surgery on Thursday night (he's recovering fine, thank goodness!). Otherwise, we enjoyed time with the family - Caroline had lots of fun with her cousins, as always.
One notable event of the week was her first trip to the dentist. She received a good report card and I'm told she acted just like all toddlers do for her first dental appointment, but to sum it up, I would say it was mild torture for all invloved. Here's the polaroid they took of her before her cleaning and exam - you can see she's not quite sure about all this.

Art time

Caroline has taken an interest in art. Thank goodness for washable markers! So far she spends about equal time coloring on the paper and herself.

Take Me Out to the Ballpark

We took Caroline to her first Reds' game last night with Josh's parents. Unfortunately the weather didn't cooperate at first, and with a 90 minute rain delay, Caroline only made it through one full inning. But we had fun... she saw Ken Griffey, Jr. at bat and enjoyed some waffle fries and crowd watching.


We've been traveling so much that we've focused more on where she's been rather than what new things she is doing. She is STILL taking her time with learning to walk independently. She will walk all day long with you holding her hands, but still not sure about taking steps alone. Lately she has been entertaining us with singing the alphabet - or her attempts to do so. She's actually got the rhythm and pitch down really well, and the letter sounds are close, but the best part is when she gets to "L-M-N-O-P", she just rolls her tongue in a quick "la-li-la-li-EE." We're going to try and capture it on video so we can load it soon.

Bluff City, baby!

We're down in Memphis, Tennessee, the home of the blues and the birthplace of rock and roll. Caroline and Leslie got their first taste of this fair river city with a brief city tour yesterday. Stops included a "lite" rib lunch at the Rendezvous (my belly is still thanking me) and a trip to the Peabody to see the ducks march into the lobby fountain. Of course, we took a stroll down Beale Street in the process. To finish up the day, Caroline enjoyed a dip in the kiddie pool with her cousins, Evan and Francesca. A good time was had by all.

The zoo isn't the only place for piggies

Today we made our first trip to the famous Cincinnati Zoo. This place did not disappoint. Caroline really enjoyed our trip, including a nice ice cream treat after lunch. Check out this picture of her encounter with an American Black Bear (he's cowering in the background).
Later today, Les made her first foray into the world of little-girl hairdos. Witness Caroline's first pig-tails: