Mystic Seaport

For our final summer adventure, we packed up the babes and took her down to Mystic to visit the fishes. We had been telling her about it all week, hyping it up, not knowing what kind of reaction she would have. Would she be scared? Would she be overtired and fussy? Would she be overstimulated? Or would she be so insanely in awe of every gorgeous sea creature that she might see? Fortunately for us, she was the latter.

So. In. Awe.

And so were we. Of her.

We took her to see the Belugas first, to see how she would handle the outside tanks before bringing her inside into the dark to see the remainder of our new fish friends. When we walked up to the glass and she glanced across the pool to the huge beluga whale before us, her hands tightened into little fists and for just one split second I was so sure that she was going to have a freak out. But no...instead, her little body started shaking with excitement, and for the first time since she started cooing, she was utterly speechless. She was SO excited and so in awe. It. was. amazing.

After she got acclimated to the outside tanks, we took her inside. And she was all over the place, pointing and saying "THAT! that! THAT!!!" and bouncing from tank to tank to show us what she saw with her wide little eyes.

I think she loved the penguins the most...they would come to her from behind the glass and "kiss" the little hands that were smooshed up against their world...but in reality, they were trying to bite her. :)

Avonlea may have loved the penguins...but mama loved the jellies...they were so amazing to photograph!

I waited all day for this turtle to come out so I could snap this pic. :)

A zombie tuna in the shark tank! ah!

This little fish was so homely. The Steve Buschemi of fish.

Although summer is coming to a close, I know that there are many adventures on the horizon for this Autumn. School starts tomorrow for the husband, and "school" starts on wednesday for the babes. We have lots of home improvements planned, and lots of lovin' to sneak into this season. I can't wait to see what Autumn brings us with her breath of colder winds and flamed trees. No matter what, we will make the most of it.

And everything is gonna be alright.

Page Park and a whole lotta lovin....

We took the babycakes to Page Park yesterday in Bristol, the day after a tornado hit in my neighborhood. I figured we could all use a little sunshine after the storm. And since we still had no power, a little park-filled action would be good for our souls.

Page park has a water pad, where kids activate a series of water fountains that provides tons of entertainment as they watch and wait to see which fountain will spring up next...

it's a great time. Avonlea loved running around with the big kids. :)

riverfest

A few weeks ago, Sister friend, Husband, Babes and I all packed up the stroller and diaper bag, and headed down to Riverfest in Hartford. It was the first time we had been, but it was loaded with tons of great things to do with the kids, amazing street food, delicious fruit and ice cream, and of course, fireworks. A great time had by all....but I think Auntie got the sweet deal. :)



We will definitely be making this a regular summertime ritual...too much to do, (for free!) to not have a blast!

a day in the park

We took the babe to the park up the street today to get us all out of the house, out of the stress, and into the sunshine.

These are a few favorites of mine from the day.

Dear sunshine,

I missed you. Please stay for a while longer before the rains re-emerge.

Thank you kindly.

Love,

Amber, Justin & Avonlea

5 month newsletter

Dear Avonlea,

Today you are five months old. You aren't that much bigger than you were a month ago, and weigh about 12 lbs. Although you don't seem that much bigger, your little feet don't need the dictionary to reach the floor while you are in your excersaucer, and so we know that you have grown. You are STILL in your 0-3 month clothing, with no sign of outgrowing them any time soon. Although, I have a feeling that one day we will wake up, and just like that, you will be in the next size.

Your apple cheeks have rounded out quite a bit, and your arms don't feel quite as thin as before. I love to see your little roundy fingers wrapped around my thumbs. I love the weight of you in my arms and cannot describe it any better than that.

One day this month, while playing with Amy and the girls, (I've found that most things seem to happen when we are with them), you rolled over from your belly onto your back. One moment, you were propped up on your elbows, and the next moment, you were flopped over on your back with a "what-the-hell-just-happened?" look on your face. I flipped you back, thinking that you had simply just fallen over, but a few minutes later, you did it again. And so, you have officially begun rolling over. :) It's about time!Adorably, you have also begun to turn your cheek to us for kisses, and quite honestly, it is one of our favorite things to do. We simply cannot hold you without covering you in them, and you giggle when Daddy's beard tickles your face. After we kiss you, you turn your face to us and slime us with your smoochy drool, and it is divine.

This past week, we have noticed that when we eat, you are very interested in our meals, diving forward to reach for our foods and even wanting to eat from me while we eat. I anticipate needing to start solids with you soon, and while that makes me a little bit sad, Daddy can't wait! But we will hold out for as long as we can. Although no teeth have officially cut through, we can see them beneath your pink gums and know that the “teething” process will begin very, very soon.

In addition to being interested in our snacks, you are also increasingly interested in the kitties, leaping forward to touch their fur, usually ending up with fistfuls of their soft hair. They tolerate you for now, as you aren't very mobile yet, but I can see the skepticism in their green eyes and they know that their time is limited....that sooner than we all know, you will be chasing them around, squealing in delight.

The end of this month has proven to be a struggle, as Daddy has gone back to work at a new school, and I am trying hard to find a schedule that works well for us as a family, and so some sacrifices will have to be made all around. But we know that it is for the best, and I can't wait to be with you on a more consistent basis. In the meantime, in our absence you are lovingly being cared for by your daddy's cousin Drina and your grammy mother. And so far, you have had wonderful play dates with them, napping when you need to, playing when you want to, and getting covered in their lovely kisses. When you come home from your play dates, you are pooped. I love how you seem to melt into my body, giving me your own little hugs as if to say "oh, i missed you mommy!". I find myself waiting for that moment all day, and when I unleash you from your car seat, my heart bursts to feel the weight of you in my arms. There may be nothing better.

As the summer comes to an end, I find myself getting excited for cool autumn walks with you in our neighborhood, and showing you the colors of the changing leaves. I can't wait for the surge of physical and emotional developmental milestones to come your way, and look forward to what you have to teach us, and not just what we have to teach you. I already can't believe that you are 5 months old....and while I have relished every day with you, I feel like we just left the hospital with you a few weeks ago. I love that we are still in awe of you, and after we have put you to bed, we stay up and frequently say "Can you BELIEVE her? Can you believe we MADE her? Can you believe how much we LOVE her?", and yet I know that I might feel that way forever. Life is good. Life. is. good.

Until next time, sweet girl...we love you.