Hanging on to Summer

Yesterday, Mairead had some fun trying on her mom's sunglasses. She was too funny- she kept them on while crawling around, and was pretty entertained by this. In these pictures, Jen is holding her up to the mirror so that she can see how cool she looks!


It wasn't all fun and games, though. Mairead did spend some time helping her Nana in the kitchen. Those dishes aren't going to put themselves away!


That was too much work, though, so then she had to hide.



With the start of school looming for us on September 2, we are still hanging on to every last bit of summer. We spent yesterday in Lowell so that Mairead could get in a good swim while it was so hot out. Unfortunately for her dad, the water was not so warm. She couldn't have cared less, though! By the time we dragged her out, she was literally blue and shaking, yet she still struggled to try to wrestle her way back into the water.

Dave was a really good sport about staying in, even though he was cold. She LOVES being in the water, even though she was drinking some of it in the first video. I swear, in the second video, it sounds like she is saying, "Again, Daddy!"

Trip to the Aquarium

Today, we headed to the New England Aquarium for Mairead's first time. We went with our friends, Jaime, Joey, and Connor Estee. Mairead seemed to really like it, especially since one of the words she can actually say is 'fish,' and they were everywhere! She was also excited to see all of the kids there. She kept pointing and yelling, 'kids, kids!' We had a really great time and, a tip for all of you teachers, it is free to MTA members if you have your card.

Daddy had the camera for a little while so Mom got to be in some of the pictures today.


If you have never been to the aquarium, the center of it is this huge column shaped pool full of all kinds of fish. When you reach the top, you can look down into the water. Mairead and Connor were literally trying to climb in to the pool; you can see their little hands gripping the edge!




I love this picture because I think they look so much alike in this shot!

Jaime and Connor had a great time, too!

She was so curious about everything and was fascinated by these brightly colored tropical fish.


I liked the sea turtle, so I had to get in a shot of him. All in all, it was a great little trip. One great thing about being a parent is that you get to do all of the fun kid stuff all over again!

Sunny Days

The weather here lately has been beautiful, and we have definitely been taking advantage of it! Today, Meg and Dave's friend, Derek, came over to help Dave cut down some trees and branches in the back yard. He has been running his own Daddy Day Care this summer, so he brought his three kids, Celia, Evelyn, and James. Mairead loved having the company, and she especially loved it when Celia and Evelyn shared their McDonald's french fries with her.

Yesterday, we were up in Lowell to visit Maghan's Nana who turned 80 this past week. Happy Birthday, Nana! Of course, that meant that Mairead had to get in some swimming. The water was not very warm at all, but she didn't mind a bit!


She really seems to get the hang of it-- she waves her arms around and kicks her legs. She still keeps her mouth open, though, so she'll have to cut that out!


Danny and Katie (and Danny and Chrissy and Jackie and Jimmy) were nice enough to give us some of the toys they had outgrown, so Mairead got to drive her first car.

And here she is, drinking and driving. Don't worry, it's only juice!

Thanks for the sweet ride!

Dance Machine

I have been remiss about taking and posting video lately, so this post includes four of them! Dancing and talking are her latest fascinations, so that's what these videos include. She is not walking yet as her focus seems more on talking. As you all know, she is certainly one to make her opinion heard! Although the pronunciations are not perfect, she has recently added 'kids,' 'pig,' 'juice,' and 'dancing' to her vocabulary.

Lately, Mairead has been showing us her love of music by dancing every time she hears any kind of music. Commercials, tv theme songs, the SportsCenter opening (she hears that one a lot), it doesn't matter, she loves music! I have been trying to get some video, but usually she just wants to grab the camera. This time, though, I did get some of her 'moves.'

I think she is working on the word 'dancing,' so that is what you might hear when she is talking. Also, she sometimes tries to sing along.

Mairead loves to watch other kids, be they in real life or on tv, so she has been saying the word 'kids' this week. In the first video, she says it pretty clearly (well, clearly for a 1 year old), and in the second, she says it again, and then waves to them. She is just so cute! Of course, I am biased...

New Trick

Some days, I think our little girl might be too smart for our own good. One of her favorite things to do is to take all of the books off of the bookcase. Usually, this activity is limited to the first shelf. However, recently, we watched her push a box over toward the bookcase, and we wondered, where is she going with that? Well, it turns out that she pushed it over to the bookcase and then stood on top of it in hopes of reaching a higher shelf. She did it again the next day, this time using a big book that she knocked off another shelf. She's definitely a girl who figures out how to get what she wants!

Birthday Slideshow

Many of you saw this slideshow at Mairead's birthday party, but for those of you who couldn't make it, or for those of you who just want to see it again, here it is! Thanks to Joey for putting it on DVD for me, and thanks to Megan for helping with the formatting for the blog. I hope you all enjoy it!

Birthday Party Pics

On Saturday, August 2, we celebrated Mairead's first birthday at our house. Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate with our plans, and the tent we rented stood alone out in the rain. But, everyone still had a great time and we are so happy everyone could make it. Mairead is so lucky to have so many friends and family who love her. Her aunt, Katie, made a fantastic pink cake, and even a little one just for Mairead. Ryane, Dave, and Rachael made the trip all the way from New York, and so many others came to celebrate with us. Thanks to everyone who shared the day with us, and thank you for all of her adorable gifts. She is a lucky little girl!