Like Daddy like Daughter

Here is Cecelia (we have started pronouncing her name the Italian way, Che-cheelia) in her Carhaart overalls, just like Daddy's. Granny Rose got them for her for Christmas and she is just filling them out now. We have had non-snowsuit weather the past couple of days, and it is soooooo nice not to have to bundle her up to go out. And summer clothes are so cute. Of course these overalls are about as cute as you can get, although they won't do much to change the general public impression that she is a boy. (It is the lack of hair, I think. You just assume short hair= girl, regardless of whether she is dressed head to toe in pink, brown or blue.) No crawling yet, but she is getting mighty close!! She is starting to rock back and forth on her knees. Scooting backwards is her most efficient way to get around still, although also the most frustrating. She whines as she slides around the living room, past the stairs, into the kitchen, under the radiator.

Rubber Duckie, you're so tasty

The one and only thing on Cece Rose's mind when she gets into the bathtub is getting her gums into that duckie. Where is it, where have they hid it, I know his squeaky self is somewhere nearby. And once she has him in her grasp, there is no time for unwinding after a long day of rolling to and fro and scooting in reverse under the couch or armchair, oh no, it is all about showing Mr. Duckie who is boss. If I can't eat the dishwashing soap, I will eat YOU, Mr. Duckie, teeth or no teeth.

Alice is aloof

Here is evidence of Cecelia's burgeoning interest in Alice the doggie, and Alice's apparent indifference to this interest. Cecelia wants to hold hands (hand and paw), Alice moves the paw away. Cecelia pats Alice's head gently (ok, smacks Alice's head with varying amounts of force) and Alice walks into the safety of the kitchen. But then there are moments of comraderie, when Cecelia is doing her thing, (intently observing and salivating on the remote control, for instance) and Alice, unsolicited, will come up and lick her rice cereal-caked face or will wave her bushy tail back and forth across Cecelia's delighted face. I have not caught those moments on camera yet, but I will!

Brunch and Easter

Here is a pic of Cecelia with Uncle Mike at Grandma Jane's house for brunch a couple of weeks ago. This is her cute new smiley face with one dimple. Her hair is starting grow in on the sides so her mohawk is less pronounced. On the right is Cecelia in her pretty Easter outfit with Grandpa David at his house. Cecelia rolled all the way around their big living room. She is mobile!!!! Read: Move into a house with no stairs! Easter Sunday featured cold, cold weather (no Easter egg hunt) and ham, spring rolls (Granny Rose's twist on Easter dinner), all the trimmings, and.....a passion fruit meringue dessert that I was sorry not to be able to share with Cecelia. Not really. Cecelia and her friend Avery (four months older and a patient toy-sharer) were the only cheerfully dressed churchgoers on Sunday morning. The wintery air doesn't inspire pastel skirts and dresses.

Linda and Freddie visit in Colorado

Our flight to Denver was not very crowded, so Cece got her very own seat and seatbelt. We met 7 month old Clare on the flight, and ran into her again on the flight home.

Here is our friend Freddie at his desk at the car dealership. We visited him at work in a snowstorm (we brought back the winter to Glenwood Springs) before we all headed into the mountains above Rifle (where there is the Winchester Motel and Remington Square) for a quiet weekend retreat at the Coulter Lake Guest Ranch. We were the only guests at the ranch, which has its own private lake (stocked with huge rainbow trout) surrounded by aspen trees. We had our own cabin and no noise but the woodpeckers and jumping fish. The long dirt road up to the ranch was impassable except by fourwheelers or 4 wheel drive vehicles with chains, due to deep snow combined with mud. It was Cecelia's first big adventure, and she did very well. we had cookies by the ever-burning fireplace, took walks around the lake, fished with Linda, although we were still sleeping when she caught her 2 trout in a row, and played horseshoes. Jim showed an aptitude for the game while I didn't even make the general target area. We also had a snooty lunch in Aspen, a drive thru Golden and a day in sunny Boulder where shopping was the word. verdict= travel agrees with us!!