Hiking Adventures

We went on a "walk" that turned into a hike in the Prince William Forest Park. It was a beautiful day and Alison loved her vantage point atop Mt. Daddy.

Sunday Dress Photo Shoot

If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands!

This last trick she learned from Grandma Suzie!

Weathering the Storm

We went to Williamsburg on one of the rainiest days this fall. This is how we kept little peanut warm and somewhat dry. She didn't care, she had a great time.

Family Ties

Sporting the Hjorth Family TeeTaking advice from the dentists in the family. Although - she's only figured out once that floss comes out of that. I'll give her a few more years (and some teeth) to teach her what to really do with it!

Bedtime?

No, we were just having a photo shoot. If it had been naptime, she might not have looked so happy!

Swinging and Squealing

I knew she had outgrown the baby swing when she would reach out and grab the pole to stop it. However, we discovered she loves this kind of swing. She squeals and giggles and could stay there all day I think!

9 months!

So she is wearing some 6-9 month clothes finally. I took her to her 9 month check up today and she weighed in at 17 lbs 7 oz and 26 1/4". Her head is 17 inches around. She's in the 25 percentile for all of this, so that makes me feel better. This doctor was great and assured me that she was growing just fine and very healthy. Alison did a good job. I think she was worried she was going to get some shots - but not this time! She doesn't have to have anymore until around her birthday - lucky her!

Slow and Steady

This picture was taken just a few days ago - she's now nine months old! She has this same fleece on in some pictures from the day she turned 4 months old. It was a little big then - but it still fits! These are her friends Sam and Alex - they are 4 months younger! She's growing - just slow and steady. I'm reassured that we named her properly. Alison means "small and truthful". With the teething and other discomforts of that it also means cranky and clingy.

Dirty Laundry

I guess she was trying to tell me it was time for a bath!

Standing Tall

From the time we left on our trip (1 July) to the time we got here (21 July) she went from the Army crawl, to hands and knees crawling to pulling herself up on the furniture. A few weeks into August and she was experimenting with standing all on her own! She's even started maneuvering around the furniture while standing - uh oh!

Pool Party!

Somebody loves the water!

Baby Jazzercise

Alison loves her little exersaucer! She enjoys chewing on everything and eating Kix out of the food tray. She also manages to figure out a sippy cup. Her second tooth just popped out yesterday and she learned how to clap this week. It's very cute!

Gidget Makes a Friend!

This is Philippa's new scooter - in Alison's signature color! Her name, the scooter's, is Gidget. Very fitting. This was taken on Alison's 8 month mark - also the day her first tooth cut through - finally!! (note that Alison is not wearing pink - in an attempt to prove to Philippa that she doesn't ALWAYS wear pink!)

More Road Trip Tales

She had not seen a horse before and she thought it was pretty amusing. She was laughing out loud at their snorting and funny noses.

This is the face of a child who is SOOOOO happy to be out of her car seat!This is how she spent most of her time in the car - most of it. We found she also loves playing with wet washcloths, eating finger cereal snacks, and complaining. She had never cried in the car until this trip. I guess if I were strapped into a seat like that for hours on end, I'd be mad too. She was a trooper!

Olympic National Park, Washington

This was at the Hurricane Ridge Visitor's Center. A group of British folks were so enamored with her that they took this picture of us on our camera as well as some with theirs. Someone on the trail called her Heidi - hiking up in the mountains like this with that hat. It was funny.
This park is one of our favorite places on the planet. There were deer happily grazing, wildflowers, billowing clouds, and spectacular vistas. It is so naturally pristine. It makes you wonder what the earth looked like before we took over. The park is enormous and we only touched a few places on it. There are also beaches, Crescent Lake and waterfalls. Here's their link: Olympic National Park

These are some of the pictures we thought we lost when our camera went missing. It's amazing how on the road and with a baby you have so many things to keep track of, even the most together person (not claiming to be one) starts to forget! I like to call it mommy brain. I kept calling the Visitor's Center and lucky for us someone finally found it and turned it in the day we were leaving. We were so relieved. We were more worried about losing the pictures with Nick's grandparents than anything.

Crater Lake, Oregon

These two get a kick out of each other - another daddy-daughter mutual appreciation society. This was July 4 at Crater Lake in Oregon. Notice the snow in the back ground! And here is a picture of the lake.
(Nick, Mike and Alison)
This lake is amazing! The water is carribean clear and blue, but FREEZING. It sole source of water is precipitation and snow melt. It was formed when a volcano caved in and formed this large crater. It's deepest point was measured at 1,932 feet and the diameter is more than five miles. The cliffs surrounding the lake rise up to 2000 feet above the lake's surface. The area's winter brings some of the heaviest snowfall in the country, averaging 533 inches per year (this explains the lingering snow). Here is a link to the Park Services information about Crater Lake: http://www.nps.gov/crla/

Juxtapositions

This kid is photogenic! And I think she is discovering her cutting edge artsy fartsy side, too! Notice how she poses herself just so. Is she crawling out of the picture and into the arms of her dada? Or is she simply showing us the complexity of drool? It's as enigmatic as the Mona Lisa smile. We'll never know. I especially like the artistic juxtaposition of plump baby fat next to the hard concrete surface.

Mount Shasta Shades

This was taken on our scenic drive through the mountains of Northern California. Alison is getting her groove on with these oh-so-chic shades.

Silly Sipping

Anything is more exciting than the boring old bottle.

Beach Buffet

These were taken at the end of June - our last trip to the beach before leaving San Diego for the lush green of Virginia. Let the sand feast begin!

6 month check up

I took her to get some portraits done for Father's Day . She also had her 6 month check up that week. She's now 14 lbs 10 oz and 25 inches long - on the small side but she's cruising all over the place.

Costumes?

Okay, so we have a kid in a pink bear suit holding a bear in a pink bunny suit - what' s going on here?

Swim Fan

She's getting ready for her modeling career!

She's definitely a bigger fan of the warm water in the hot tub - but she's doing well in the cooler pool too. This was her first time in the pool, she knows how to kick now too.

Yoga Baby II

Down Dog

More evidence that she is a yoga baby!

Yoga Baby

I guess all that yoga during pregnancy paid off!

Up Dog


Massaging the lower back

Happy Baby

Final Relaxation

Hand In the Cookie Jar

She didn't do anything wrong - but someone looks like the cat that ate the canary! (p.s. She isn't wearing pink!)