Ohio!

From Rhode Island, Rosa, Jeff, and I went to Ohio to visit Grandma Lois, Grandpa Misha, and Tanti Kira. The first full day we were there, we went outside to the backyard and right away, Rosa found the swing that Grandma and Grandpa had set up for her. Unfortunately I don't have any pictures of her in it, but this is the red wooden swing that we used to swing in on the front porch at my grandma and grandpa's house in Willard. I used to LOVE swinging in this swing as a kid. My mom told me that my grandpa had actually built this swing for her and my Uncle Bob.

Through the course of the whole trip (NYC-Rhode Island-Ohio), Rosa really turned a corner with her eating. Before we left, Rosa was really starting to resist baby food (and who could blame her?), but was still struggling with being able to eat table food. Once we got started on the trip she refused baby food entirely. But being in a new setting (first watching 20-mo old Angelo eat, then being in family settings where all the focus was not on just her at meal times) helped her take the plunge into table food! Here's a few meal time pix from the Ohio part of the trip:

Tanti Kira says "Open wide!"

Gotta get wiped down after a good meal

The closest playground was at Smith School, where I went for elementary school, so one day we took a walk there. We arrived just before noon, and didn't even think about the fact that all the kids would be out for recess! The playground monitor looked dubious but said that we could stay and play if I stayed right with Rosa. (She said the kids might knock her down.) But on the contrary, there was a group of about 5 first grade girls who took very good care of Rosa the whole time we were there. They all wanted to pick her up, and Rosa, who loves big kids, was in heaven!


One afternoon, we also got a visit from some of Rosa's friends from church. "Great-Grandma" Betty (third from right) gave Rosa the little Halloween pumpkin that you'll see in the Halloween pictures. Thanks Betty!

Rosa loved to crawl into the cat bed, and I discovered that it makes for a very fun flying saucer!

Given how much Rosa loves seeing animals and making their noises, when Grandma and Grandpa gave her a book called "The Noisy Zoo" that makes animal noises, she got really excited about it! Here's Grandpa and Rosa doing their best monkey impressions:

After a really wonderful trip, it was time to go home. We tried to tire Rosa out in the airport before we got on the plane. She moves so fast the camera couldn't catch her!

Although she didn't nap as early as I was hoping she would, she did eventually fall asleep, which allowed me to do the same.