My first baseball game

Here I am at the ballpark.

Seattle Baseball

Today was my very first baseball game!  Mommy and daddy's company holds a summer event every year and this year it was at the baseball stadium.  Before the game started we had a catered lunch of hotdogs or chicken sandwiches, baked beans, potato salad and yummy chocolate chip cookies.  We walked around and talked to lots of people.  Everyone kept telling me how cute I was in my little pink Mariners outfit.  I got to meet a little girl named Sydney.  She is the daughter of one of my mommy's friends.  She is about a year and a half old and she wanted to share her cookie with me.  Of course I am still too little to eat cookies, but I found the offer quite touching so I gave her a smile.  

While we were out on the 'sun' deck eating, a rain storm came rolling in and everyone had to run to the concourse to take cover.  It sort of cut the pre-game lunch short, but there were those die-hard 'beverage' drinkers who stood in line, in the rain, to get that one last free 'beverage' before the game started.  

After lunch we headed up to our seats to watch the game.  Because it was raining outside, the roof over the stadium was closed and luckily our seats were dry.  I liked watching all of the flashing lights on the scoreboard and on the jumbo-tron.  Sometimes the crowd would get a little loud whenever someone did something good and this made me jump a little, but it didn't bother me too much.  Mommy would cover my ears if it got too loud.  I even got in a little nap while we were at the ballpark.  

Like usual, I didn't want to sit still very long, so after only an inning and a half we left our seats and walked around the concourse.  We discovered many things about Safeco Field:  There are family rooms near every restroom, there is a playground for kids to run off excess energy, there is a nursing room near guest services and the Mariner Moose poses for photos with kids right before each game and at the third and 6th innings.  We were lucky enough to catch the Moose right before he had to head out to perform during the seventh inning stretch.  I even got a certificate that says I attended my first Mariners game today.  Mommy is going to frame it along with the picture and hang it up in my room.  I had so much fun, I know we will be back!

Carkeek Park

Saturday was a very pretty day.  It was really nice outside so mommy, daddy and I decided to visit Carkeek Park.  It is a really nice park in north Seattle.  It is full of grass, shady trees, sandy beach front and trails.  Once we got to the park and saw what it was like, mommy said that we should have brought a picnic lunch to enjoy so we could stay longer, but we didn't so we decided we would hike a trail and leave when it was time for lunch.  I got all buckled up into my jogging stroller and we took a walk on one of the accessible trails.  We meandered through the wooded trails and followed one that wound long a creek called Piper's Creek.  We got to the end of the trail and... WALL-LA, there was a grocery store!  Mommy and daddy bought sandwiches, apples and bananas to take back to the park with us and eat.  It didn't take us quite as long to get back to the park as it took us to get to the end of the trail so before we knew it, we had found a shady place to sit on the grass and have our picnic lunch.  

There were lots of kids having birthday parties in the park and I liked watching them play their games.  Some were shooting lawn darts into the air, some were playing frisbee.  There was even a group of kids playing with a colorful parachute and having potato sack races.  We decided to pack up and check out the beach as soon as they strung up a pinata near where we were sitting.  We didn't know how wild they were going to get with the bat and we didn't want to stick around to find out.   

The only way to get to the beach was by taking a bridge with some stairs so I got to ride in my front carrier.  I like to face out so I can see where we are going.  We walked along the beach for a while until I almost fell asleep.  The beach was pretty busy with families playing in the sand and there were even some kids playing out in the cold water.  One of these days when I am older, I hope to come back to this park so I can do all the fun things that I saw the other kids doing today. 

Baby Hickeys (by Mommy)

Warning to all new parents:  Do not let your baby suck on your cheek no matter how funny you think it feels or you may end up with very visible baby hickeys on your face! (HEE HEE) Last Friday we gave Sophie a bath right before bed time.  It was a really warm evening so before putting her jammies on, Chris laid her down on the floor to play with her.  She giggles when we give her raspberries on her tummy and on her neck.  This time Chris was blowing on her neck and she turned her face towards his and grabbed hold.  He started laughing and let her keep sucking.  She finally let go and he gave her some more raspberries.  She grabbed on again.  It was pretty comical to see the two of them playing like that.  Neither one of us thought anything about it until a couple of minutes later when I looked at Chris and then busted out laughing.  I told him to look in the mirror and this is what he saw:  two little baby hickeys prominently displayed on his cheek.  Luckily this happened on a Friday so by the time he went back to work on Monday they had pretty much disappeared.  Lesson learned:  Don't let baby suck on your face when it is time for baby to eat.

Who is that Baby in the Mirror?

Daddy and I like to play a game called "Who is that Baby in the Mirror?"  It makes us both laugh.  We stand in front of the mirror in our bathroom and Daddy asks, "Who is the baby in the mirror?"  I look at him and then I look at the baby, then daddy laughs and I laugh and the baby in the mirror laughs.  Daddy must be magic to be able to hold me and the other baby at the same time.  

Exercise Baby

This is me all bundled up in my jogging stroller, the one that mommy and I take out every day to get some exercise.  Mommy joined a class with other moms and babies so she can get back into shape.  We meet at different places around the area and an instructor leads us in a variety of exercises.  We do everything from walking and jogging to pilates and yoga.  I usually fall asleep while we are on the move, but near the end of the hour when the moms are cooling down, the babies can get out of the strollers to roll around and 'play' with each other.  I really only stare and smile right now.  I'm just getting used to being around other babies.  Some babies can sit up.  Some can even walk.  I don't quite know what to think when other babies come up to me and touch my foot or my hand.  They must be as curious about me as I am about them.  

I really like getting outside like this.  The other day it rained on us, but I was very snug underneath my rain cover.  Mommy got wet, but I was nice and dry!   

If I get bored I play with my one of my favorite toys.  Mommy hooks him to my stroller so I don't drop him on the ground.  His name is Hoopy Loopy Dog.  You can see him in this picture sitting in my lap.  I take him with me every time we go out in the stroller.  He likes the exercise too.