Last Post Before I Turn One!

                      

                               

Wow, so much to tell you since my last post! 

In mid-July, Mom, Dad and I went up to the cabin in Nisswa to hang out with Auntie, Randy, my cousins Max and Noah and Grandpa Andy. Mom and Auntie took me out on a paddle boat ride and later we went for a cruise on a pontoon.  I had so much fun being on the water and swinging in the hammock.   I also have to brag about my close encounter with a bald eagle. A bald eagle was spotted enjoying a shore-lunch just as Sophie had wandered away into a neighbor's yard.  We all had a scare for a moment when we thought Sophie was the eagle's lunch and were relieved when it turned out the eagle was enjoying a dead fish and Sophie was just misbehaving.  Check out the picture - pretty neat, huh?

Later that week, I visited my Grandma Andy at Lakeview Ranch.  She smiles every time she sees me and she loves it when I sit/squirm on her lap!  Grandma isn't able to talk much but she has managed to say "he's so cute" and "he's so smart"!
 I love my grandma and know that she loves me too.

The next week in July we drove down to Indiana to vacation at Nana and Papa's house in Hobart.  It was a great visit and we celebrated the 60th wedding anniversary for Great Grandma and Great Grandpa Hodge.  I met Great Uncle Cliff and Great Aunt Betsy and their son, Bruce, and daughter, Jennifer.  I also met my "cousin" Payton, the newest baby in the family (she belongs to dad's cousin Mike and his wife Amy).  On our way to Hobart we stopped in Chicago to see Auntie Lisa and Uncle Jim's apartment and to wish Auntie Lisa good luck on her half marathon.  Another highlight during the visit was getting to trek along with Mom and Dad and Uncle Matt during a visit to Three Floyds - a great little brew pub dad and Uncle met like a lot!  Nana and Papa spent lots of time spoiling me with love and attention - I swam in the pool in the front yard and played with the toys Papa gave me - they make lots of fun noises!  Nana and Papa and I talk on Skype on the computer, but I have a hard time not attacking the keyboard during our conversations -I get so excited to see them and hear their voices.

 

In the last part of July, I really mastered my army crawl and began to throw a special hook of the right knee with a heel pull to "scoot" me forward.  Crawling didn't seem to get me where I needed to go as quickly as I wanted to get there; so, on August 8th, I figured out how to get to a standing position from sitting and on September 11th I took two steps.  Now, shortly before my first birthday, I am pretty much able to walk across the room without falling!   The whole house is now a giant treasure chest - I love to play with all the funny things in the kitchen drawers and to rearrange the jars of jelly in the refrigerator.

Other highlights during the last part of the summer included my first trip to the zoo.  It was a hot day to visit the zoo and I wasn't overly impressed with the animals in small cages.   I also recently went with Mom and Dad to an apple orchard.  Mom shared a little of her apple pie with me...mmmm.... also picked out my pumpkin for Halloween in the pumpkin patch!  I can't wait for Dad to help me carve it and toast the pumpkin seeds.   Oh, one other recent highlight -  Mom and Dad finished the Twin Cities Marathon.  I was their training buddy on many runs and a couple of times I agreed to have a babysitter so that they could complete their long run.  Auntie and Randy came to watch me the day of the marathon and we caught Mom and Dad at mile 16 and mile 23.  For Mom's birthday, she asked dad to run the marathon with her and he helped her train stuck with her the whole race.

As I approach my first birthday, I have to say it has been a great year!  I have learned to walk and am learning to talk using baby sign language - my favorite signs are "more" and "milk"  Mom and Dad think I am the best baby in the world and we have  think we are very blessed!  I know I have lots and lots of relatives who love me and a noisy Schnauzer who seems to like me best when I am in the high chair.  This weekend I will get to be with my family to celebrate my first birthday - I can't wait to tell you all about it in my next blog.

Peace and Love, Little Hud