A Pumpkin for Our Little Pumpkin

      This past weekend we took Caroline on her first pumpkin picking adventure! This is a tradition that Jim and I have had since before we were married. To be honest, I always felt a little silly when the two of us would be sitting on the hayride with a bunch of parents and their children. Don't get me wrong, I have always enjoyed the hayride, the corn maze, and picking out our perfect pumpkin (or three!) but always looked forward to bringing our own child one day.
     While gallavanting among the countless pumpkins, we encountered a nice couple and their adorable daughter who was 19 months old. It turns out that their daughter was born the day after Caroline the previous year. It really got me thinking about how next year's pumpkin picking trip will be and how Caroline will be walking and talking. Our pumpkin picking tradition will become all that more special as the years continue! I also came to the conclusion that we left (and came!) with the best little pumpkin!

Trails, Apples, and Ferries - Oh My!

       Recently Jim and I took Caroline out for a nice little family adventure to enjoy some Fall activities. This included a nice brisk, albeit bumpy, walk on the trail at Machimoodus State Park, apple picking at Belltown Orchard in Glastonbury (Caroline loves the taste of apples!), and a nice ride on the ferry which carried us over the river to Rocky Hill. That was not only Caroline's first time on the ferry (of course she slept right through it) but it was Jim's first time riding that ferry as well. Crisp autum air-check. Fresh apples-check. Enjoyable ride on the ferry-check.... Wonderful family Fall adventure-check!

Caroline and Her Many Faces!

       With each passing day our sweet little Caroline grows and changes. It has been so fun to watch her personality develop as well - and boy does she have personality! As you can see from the pictures above, her facial expressions truly say it all. She will smile when you stick out your tongue or say peek-a-boo. She will look intently and study things she sees for the first time. Caroline also has a special face for when she is umm, shall we say, taking care of business? She also has a particular expression for when she tries to sing whenever there is music playing, which absolutely melts my heart. I cannot wait to see what other personality traits shine through as time passes.

The MAINE Event - a First

Okay so I know this posting is about 3 weeks overdue but I still felt the need to write about our yearly vacation to Maine since it was Caroline's first time there! In my previous entry I wrote about all of Caroline's firsts that we have observed so this ties in nicely. Our vacation to the serene Caribou Pond in Lincoln, Maine has always been something Jim and I have looked forward to but this year was extra special! There were many firsts for Caroline this first week in August; her first 7 hour car ride, her first "swim" in the frigid lake (actually it was quite a pleasant temperature this year), her first boat ride (with a cute little life vest just for her!), and her first time in Maine in general! I guess there were quite a few firsts! Although this year's summer vacation was very different (having an infant really changes things), it was even better than any previous Maine vacation!

I hope you enjoy these pictures of Caroline's firsts!

A Quick 6 Months

                             

     It is just so hard to believe that Caroline is now 6 months old. Where does the time go? I could not tell you... time disappears with every smile, every coo, every cry, every tickle. I do know that I have found tremendous joy in watching Caroline grow and change and seeing her explore the world around her. Being there for her "firsts" has been so important to me. The first time she smiled, her first giggle, giving her first raspberry (I may be the one responsible for this), the first time she rolled over, her first experience sticking out her tongue (again, i may be the one to blame - but it is so worth it)! They may not have been her first EVER but they were at least my firsts for witnessing them!

    Six months have disappeared with the blink of an eye. Firsts have become seconds, thirds, etc. and I find myself wanting to slow the clock or perhaps even press pause. Even if only to cherish a few extra minutes because I know the next 6 months will fly by just as quickly as the first. Live in the moment - it is my new mantra. It is exactly what I intend to do!

Here are a few updated stats on our Sweet Caroline:

Age: 6 months

Height: 26 1/4 inches

Weight: 18 lbs 14 oz

...one happy, healthy little girl!

Caroline and Her Numbers

Ok so Caroline is a little too young to learn numbers, but here are some numbers for you:

Current height: 25 inches (85th percentile)
Current weight: 16.1 pounds (95th percentile)

It is so hard to believe that Caroline is already 4 1/2 months old; That's 18 weeks or 126 days or 3,024 hours or 181,440 minutes or 10,886,400 seconds...  

And I treasure every moment...

A Little "A" and a Little "J"

A new tradition has begun; Tuesday night dates! My mom has so graciously offered to dedicate her Tuesday nights to watching Caroline at our house while Jim and I eagerly sneak out for a few hours of fun and adult conversation. No matter what our plans are for the night, if the weather cooperates, guaranteed we are using the motorcycle as our mode of transportation.

Last night's date consisted of a little "A" and a little bit of "J." For those of you who don't know, Jim is a huge fan of the popular 80's television show, The A-Team. Well, an A-Team movie recently hit theaters and it was a given that we would watch it (although Jim was a bit disappointed they did not have the original cast). An ideal date night opportunity indeed! We were pleasantly surprised by how much we enjoyed the movie; a perfect combination of action, adventure, suspense, and humor! The actors had hard shoes to fill, but they sure did wear them well!

The second part of our date consisted of food. Really good food at that. Right near the movie theater is a great place to eat called J. Timothy's. Although their food alone would be a reason to visit, it is the historical ambiance that truly makes it a dining experience! 

 A little bit of history...

J.Timothy's Taverne was established in 1985. Situated on the same property as the old Cooke's Tavern at 143 New Britain Ave in Plainville, Ct, it has grown to be one of central Connecticut's finest casual theme restaurants. The building dates back to the year 1789, and was always a favorite stop for travelers along the Old College Highway. For more then two hundred years, the taverne has opened its doors to all and has hosted and shared many very special events. Today, J.Timothy's Taverne continues the tradition that Cooke's Tavern started many years ago as being one of Connecticut's favorite gathering places. J.Timothys fare consists of everything from appetizers and sandwiches, to steaks, seafood, chicken and many other favorites. It boasts many different private dining rooms to accommodate groups of all sizes. (http://www.jtimothys.com/about.html)

The character Hannibal from the A-Team has a catchy, well known phrase that says it best..."I love it when a plan comes together!"