Catching up on Caroline's 1st Birthday!

Based on the feedback we're getting from everyone, we have gotten way too lax on our blog updates. So, given that we just celebrated Caroline's 1st birthday last Monday (7/19), we figured it was about time we gave everyone an update.

Given that it has been 4-5 months, a lot has happened. Caroline has been walking for a few weeks to the point she is trying to run, which is entertaining. Unfortunately, she took a tumble today at the YMCA splash pool and skinned her nose. She really didn't cry though. She's also talking a lot. She's been saying Mommy and Daddy since she was probably about 8 months or so, and she quickly added "nana" for her favorite fruit bananas. But the last few weeks it's been "Meehee" (Mickey Mouse"), hot dog (again, b/c of Mickey Mouse), Papa (Grandpa Heilman), Pappy (Grandpa Boyer), Gaga (Grandma Heilman), and Mammy (Grandma Boyer), baby, puppy, and whatever else strikes her any given day. She also starting trying to put words together last week when Pappy taught her to put her hands up and say "I don't know". It's hilarious. And she learned "Oh man" from Ms. Val, the director of her school (Caroline's a teacher's pet like her Mommy). She tries new words all the time, and Mommy has given Daddy the warning about his colorful vocabulary.

Caroline also had her first plane ride back in March when we visited Gaga, Papa, Great-grandma Kossmann, and her great uncles and aunts in Dallas. She did pretty good considering she was so young, and she provided a lot of entertainment and hospitality (she loves saying "hi") to everyone around us.

Over the 4th of July, we visited the Southwick Zoo in Mendon, MA. Caroline loved watching all the animals, and particularly enjoyed watching the monkeys ("Memes"). She was mesmerized in the deer park, when her and Daddy feed the deer from her hand. She also fed the goats at the petting zoo, and she liked them...until the tried to eat her dress and lick her hands. We're excited to see how she does with Uncle Josh's goats in a few months when we visit Pennslyvania.

We really hope everyone enjoys the pictures and we will try to be better about doing more frequent updates.