Baptism and Baby Spoiling

Last weekend, we hosted the families for Hadley’s christening. It was great to have my parents in town for a few days. They arrived a bit early and we got to spend a couple of days with them. It was the first time they had been this way since right after Hadley was born.

The Baptism Crew

We had a great time in the run-up to baptism day. My dad helped me out with a few things around the house and my mom got to spend some quality time with her granddaughter. While grandma nearly held the baby in her arms the entire time, it turns out Hadley took quite a liking to grandpa. She hung on him chimp-like and even was seen taking a nap on his chest, not something she does with just anyone. The old man seemed to quite like her too.

Baptism Dress Old Man and Hadley

By Saturday, my brother, David, and his girlfriend, Micaela, arrived. Our pick-up was slightly delayed, after my dad and I took a detour to a puddle jumper airport just north of Providence, thanks to my mother’s iPhone GPS routing us to the wrong destination. Having never been to the Providence airport before, I was none the wiser until we approached the deserted airfield. Needless to say we got righted pretty quickly. Chalk one up for the old school paper maps. I am rock solid with those.

Gran Jan and Hadley

Ali, Hadley, and I finally got to meet Micaela which was a treat. She was home in Argentina when we were in Chicago for the holidays, so we missed her. She too adored Little Miss Hadley and immediately upon my mother’s departure invoked the newly coined term “Micaela Time.” Needless to say Hadley got plenty of cuddling and spoiling.

Grandparents at Baptism

The christening itself was quite nice. Uncle David and Aunt Keri were flawless as godparents. The baptism was rolled into a normal service and everything went off without a hitch. The minor exception was a knocked fan during Hadley’s presentation to the congregation. That made a bit of a racket briefly but was quickly subdued.

With the Minister

Apart from the service, we had a small gathering at the homestead, in spite of the oppressive heat and humidity, and occasional rain. It seems like we always have the best weather for our summer soirees. Our MA reception was probably the hottest day of that year, and this baptism day was one of the more uncomfortable one this yet this season.

Boston Skyline

We did get to spend a couple of extra days with my brother and Micaela before they returned home to Chicago. We all had a great time cruising around downtown Boston one day and up the North Shore the next. It was all great fun.

Faneuil Hall

Make Way for Ducklings

In Rockport

Summer is Nearly Upon Us

June arrived with Hadley’s nine month birthday, a milestone of sorts, proving to be the harbinger of even more to come. It was as if Hadley heard Ali give our pediatrician the rundown of what our little girl was and was not doing. Nearly everything the doctor asked to which Ali replied, “Almost, but not yet.” Hadley began doing after the appointment. It is rather amusing, actually. All of a sudden, she began feeding herself small finger foods and pulling herself up into a standing position for example.

Nine-month Birthday   Second Stand EVER!

Since then there has been no rest for the wicked, as Hadley requires absolute attention to ward off the occasional head bonking from dangerous and fearless climbs. Now she is really getting into everything and always in danger of pulling a serious header. At least she isn’t at full speed crawling, so we can catch her pretty quickly. We can only imagine what it will be like when she starts walking.

First Pull Up in the Crib   Batgirl

June also brought a monstrous heat, one in which we still find ourselves. As luck would have it, Aunt Keri had already prepared her niece with her first pool, as seen below. Being a bath lover, Hadley certainly enjoys herself splashing in the shade.

Cool in the Pool

Click here for some more pics.

First Fall for Our Little Pumpkin

Of course our little pumpkin is none other than –


H


A


D


L


E


Y

With fall now officially upon us in New England, Ali took Hadley on her first hunt for a pumpkin in preparation for Halloween, Ali’s favorite holiday. As you can see below, things went pretty well. Mom and baby were successful with the help of Aunt Keri. Hadley definitely has a wardrobe for the season.

The leaves finally started to look ablaze this past week or so. Prior to that, it was more here and there and mostly green.

Of course this fall has brought us another deep playoff run by the Red Sox, which just got a whole lot more exciting with a definitive victory in game 6 of the championship series. Hadley was definitely ready to go today, donning her Red Sox shirt in preparation for an ALCS beating at Fenway. Still, without another win, it is just another in a line of Boston baseball heartbreaks. We’re all holding onto the chance for return to World Series. Tomorrow will tell.