11 months!

It's hard to believe Maggie is 11 months old! She is growing and learning more every day. Maggie melts our hearts with "Mama" and "Dada" and knows objects such as the kitty, the ball, the fan, and her milk. She is always on the move, crawling, standing and creeping. She loves to explore in the kitchen and is definitely keeping Mommy on her toes!

First Swim

Maggie went for her first swim at our neighbor's pool. She liked splashing in the water, but wasn't too sure of the float. It was the hottest day of the summer and we were certainly grateful to our generous neighbors!

New York City

Our dear friends Deanna and Maureen came to visit this weekend. We had a wonderful time relaxing and catching up on Friday. The girls hit the road early Saturday morning for the Big Apple. It took just under 3 hours to drive from Tunkhannock to the train station in New Jersey. Peg was not ready to brave the Manhattan traffic, so we parked in Jersey and took the train to mid-town.

Our hotel was in a great central location and we hit the ground running. We started at Battery Park to see the Statue of Liberty. From there, we headed north to visit Wall St., Ground Zero, Union Square park, Greenwich Village, Washington Square park, SoHo, Little Italy and China town. We took a break at the hotel to rest our feet before heading out to Times Square. Deanna was amazed at all the lights and we were glad we saved that for nighttime. Sunday morning we visited Central Park, went shopping, and had the most amazing brunch at the restaurant David Burke and Donatella. From there, it was time to head home as Peg wanted to see her baby before bedtime. The drive home was an adventure with missed turns, rain and construction, but we made it safe and sound by 5:30.

It was wonderful to have visitors and spend time with friends. We are so happy they made the 10 hour drive to see us!

Bright lights, big city

Sunday morning in the park

10 months!

Maggie's infancy is flying by and pretty soon she will be a toddler. She is definitely starting to seem more like a little person and less like a baby. She really enjoys the independence that crawling brings. Maggie is constantly on the move and loves to stand! I'm sure she'll be off and running before we know it. Lately she has fallen in love with her books. She loves to turn the pages and see all the pretty pictures. Grandma requested some recent pictures, so here are a few of Maggie doing her three favorite things: standing, reading, and eating pasta.

Flynn Family vacation

From Ohio, Jim and I drove to Michigan where my family had gathered for vacation. We were happy to be reunited with Maggie who had spent her first night without us. The week in Saugatuck was spent playing games, reading, enjoying the beach, cooking and playing with the babies. Beatrix loved to say Maggie's name, but was a little shy around her. Of course, maybe she just knew better than to get too close because Maggie always tried to touch, hug, grab and pinch her cousin. Other highlights were the July 4th fireworks, Xanthe's birthday, sunset walks and reminiscing by the campfire. Hopefully it won't be another 17 years till the next family vacation.

Katie and John's Wedding

We celebrated the marriage of our friends Katie and John on June 30th. The wedding was a beautiful celebration. It was wonderful to be back in Cincinnati and to visit with our friends. Jim and Peg enjoyed walking down the aisle at Bellarmine and the slow dances at the reception.

9 months!

Maggie celebrated her 9 month birthday last week by achieving many milestones. Mom walked in to find her standing up in her crib. Now Maggie can't get enough of standing, even practicing in the middle of the night. She also figured out how to get her knees coordinated and is officially crawling! Having her hair cut was another first. Mom was very nervous and Dad helped her hold still. Maggie's new bangs are only a little bit crooked!

Hanging out in her new swing.