Our first day in Massachusetts

Wow - who knew that Massachusetts would be such a fun place for me and my family?  The weather is perfect for us to be outside and enjoy it - much cooler than Georgia this time of year!  We are staying in the small college town of Northampton in the western side of the state, and you can tell that the folks up here really enjoy this time of year because everyone is outside walking, biking, and just enjoying it in general.

My parents and I decided to follow the locals and go for a long walk up to Look Park.  It was a great way to see the area, and we traveled along a bike path for most of the way so we got to avoid lots of car traffic.  Here's how we went -

I got a little tired of riding in my stroller on the way up there, so I got my first ever piggy-back ride!  I enjoyed "steering" my daddy by pulling his hair on either side of his head.

Here are some more photos of what we did throughout the day - including my first "train" ride, my first boat ride, and my first visit to a zoo!

Phew!  It was all pretty exhausting, but I can't wait to do it again tomorrow  :)

My first airplane ride

My mommy got the hair-brained idea that she wanted to have me and my daddy accompany her on a work trip to Massachusetts -- did she even realize how much stuff I require for a week?!  Of course, that also meant that I got to take my first airplane ride - yipee!  Here's a few photos of me before, during, and after the flight (just so you know I survived!):

Check back in soon - I'll be updating with some of the fun activities I'll be doing up here in Massachusetts!

6 Month's Half Birthday!

Yesterday I turned 6 months old! My parents threw a surprise 6 month / half birthday party for me. I got a balloon, which was awesome! I also got to open some presents - clothes and a teddy bear. I really needed a teddy bear of my own, because I found my mom's old one, but I don't think I can keep it. The one I got is very soft and much more my size. Don't worry, you didn't miss anything, my parents took a video of the whole party. Since we last spoke, I've been up to a lot of stuff. I added some new foods to my appetite: peas, carrots, and cereal. Peas are, well, ok, but kind of weird. Carrots were delicious. The cereal is a little bland after all these fruits and vegetables, but I'll take it! I also took my first trip to the beach! It was a long ride - more than 6 hours in the car, along with my dogs (yes, they're mine now). I went with my Mimi and G-Daddy who also brought their dog. As you can imagine, it was a madhouse with all these dogs and people. Everybody was apparently eating lots of seafood, whatever that is. It was pretty nice, though, long stroller rides on the beach, morning and night. I'm working on standing. I've got a way to go on balance, but I'm getting there. It works best if I have something to reach for and somebody to make sure I don't fall. Check this out! And just for fun, here's a shot of me relaxing with Mommy! One last shot, from my half birthday party, in the Georgia Tech outfit I got from my cousins when I was born: Alright, that's all for now. I've got to take a nap. See you all again soon! love,
Charlie

5 Months Young!

I'm 5 months old today, and it's been a crazy 5 months! I learned to roll over, I've eaten avocados, sweet potatoes and bananas, I sleep without being swaddled, I stick out my tongue, and I'm working on sitting up!

Many of you may be wondering what it is I do all day, so here it is. I spend a lot of time hanging out with my daddy during the day - reading, playing, walking the doggies, taking baths, and of course, eating. My mommy gets home in the evening for more playtime! Here's a rough schedule:

6am: Wake up, eat, play
8am: Nap time
10am: Eat, play
11am: Walk with the doggies
12:30pm: Nap time
2pm: Eat, play
4pm: Nap time
6pm: Eat, play
8pm: Bath
8:30pm: Nap time
9:30pm: Nighttime snack
10pm: Sleep

Sound like a lot to do? Well, it is. So much in fact that I often wonder if my parents will be able to keep up this pace. They aren't 5 months old after all. I hope they're getting naps, too! This is me falling asleep at the gym:


Ok, so about that eating. Avocados: awesome. They were my first food, so maybe I'm being a little partial, but they're filling, nutritious, and very tasty! At least I thought so until I had sweet potatoes. They're a little sweeter, and also supposed to be great for me. A little drier than those avocados, so it took a lot of milk to make them soft enough. Here is an action shot:


Last weekend I started on bananas. Those are very soft and very tasty. I can eat 1/3 of a banana in just 9 minutes, and it's only going to get better!

So you may have noticed that I go on walks almost every day. I love it outside, especially with this spring weather. There is a park nearby with a pond, and we walk over there and around the pond. There are always some geese (saw their goslings yesterday) and when it's sunny I usually see a few turtles. Check them out!


That's all for now. Sorry I haven't written in a while, but as you can see, I've been busy. For now, I'm off to enjoy my 5 month birthday!
Your pal,
Charlie

Happy V-Day! My parents bought me a house!

I went to my first house closing today, and my parents brought me so everyone knew not to mess with them.  "Don't make me put my baby down!"  I made it through about half of the signatures, but eventually got fed up with loan paperwork and my dad took me outside to scream.  After I calmed down a bit, he brought me back in and the sellers asked if they could hold me.  Weird, huh?  I smelled like hand lotion and cigarettes when they gave me back.  I got a bath as soon as we got home.

We got home just in time for the movers to do a pre-move survey of the house, after which they parked their semi tractor trailer on a gravel road by our house... snug as a bug in a rug.

By the time my parents stopped laughing they realized it was almost sunset -

Tomorrow is sure to bring more excitement when the boxes get packed!