From This Past Friday

I'm late getting these up. This was the day before going to the gardens.

U.S. Botanic Garden/Capitol

It was a rainy day so we decided that we should go somewhere with better weather -- the United States Botanic Garden on the mall. In there, the weather is always warm and a little balmy. The weather is almost always wrong here, so I'll have to remember to use this as a little oasis. Georgie loved it here, though she got a little frustrated that we wouldn't let her pick any of the flowers.

After the garden, we walked across the street to the Capitol and looked around a little. You can't really go up the stairs anymore but we did manage to see some nice flowers, a fountain, and a circumcision protest.

Sorry for all the photos. I got a little shutter-happy. These pics might have to last a few days though, as we are now all officially sick. As you can see in the flower pictures, our camera is as terrible in macro mode as it is in regular mode.

Shootin' Hoops

From this morning.

And a picture.

Hugs, Spinning, and Sushi

So Georgie tried sushi for the first time today. Nothing too crazy -- just some inari. She really seemed to like the toasted sesame seeds in rice though. She also has some raspberries and ricotta cheese here but wasn't too interested in them.

Georgie also has two new hobbies. One is spinning around, which really makes her laugh when she gets going.

The other is hugging which she does a little bit to mom and dad, but mosltly to panda bear and her canister of spinach poofs.

A pretty low-key weekend at the S-H house. We managed to grill both Saturday and Sunday, thanks to moderately warm weather. Yesterday we went to the National Gallery of Art, where I took the above photo of Georgie in the tunnel between the two wings. She liked the Pompeii exhibit but was kind of bored by the Dutch masters.

Another birthday party

We attended another birthday party this evening -- this time for our little buddy and neighbor Milena.

Georgie loves Milena and they play together very well.

Rachelle and Lubo and Lubo's mother cooked an incredible, mostly Bulgarian-influenced, feast for us. Thanks guys and happy #2 Milena!

Driving

We got this car for Georgie for her birthday and now, nearly a week later, it's finally warm and dry enough to actually use it.

"Duck"!?

Georgie, 1 year and 2 days, said her first word: "duck." We're pretty sure.

About a week or 10 days before that, she was sitting with me on the couch, and I was holding a duck, and she was wrinkling up her face and saying "du."

Then, the night of her ducks and daffodils birthday party, me, Papa, Uncle Adam, and Georgie were hanging out, and we showed her a duck and asked her to say it again. She was saying "du" and "du" and "du" and sometimes "duck" (Aaron and I wanted a very very clear "duck," but Adam was certain and kept looking at us like, "she's saying it!"). Anyway, she said it with intent and in the right context, and we're pretty sure we heard that "ck" and the end.

The next day at lunch she said it for me and Nana (Nana was pretty sure she said it; I was a little less so but I think she did).

Then the day after that (yesterday) she said it on the phone for Grandma.

She usually crinkles up her nose and has a huge pause and then an explosive "d" when she says it. And she gets it -- I hold up a duck and say, "What's this?" and she says "DU[ck]"

So there you have it. Just like her cousin Samantha before her .... Georgie's first word is "duck."

Party pics

Here's Georgie waiting for the party to start.

Meanwhile Adam did most of the cooking (Thanks, Adam!).

Then people started to show up.

And play.

Then it was time for Georgie's special birthday food -- a spicy lamb pie from my new cookbook.

Then it was time to light the cake and sing happy birthday.

Georgie wasn't sure what to make of the singing.

Then we blew the candles out.

And Georgie had her first birthday cake.

Sorry these took so long to post. It's been a hectic few days. Also thanks to Adam and my parents for coming out and for everyone who got Georgie such nice presents. Oh, and the photos on this page are a mix of ones taken by Adam, my dad, and me with multiple cameras.