Salome's Belly Button

We went to Billings this week so that Salome's Auntie Hilly could see Grandma Alice and the rest of the family for the first time since her return from Guatemala.  Salome's favorite thing of the entire trip were the bunnies who lived in Aunt Patti and Uncle Mac's yard.  She relentlessly searched for the "munny", only allowing herself to be distracted by a duck or squirrel that popped out to say hello.  She loves nature, that baby does.  

We got a great photo-op at this week's playgroup too - harder to line the babies up now that they can take flight with more ease, but it makes for a more dynamic photo perhaps.  Salome sat surprisingly still and proper for all photos.  You might recognize Larkin from photos of him and Salome at about 4 or 5 months when they first started playing together.  

In the potty photo, Salome had been holding a gigantic dead beetle we found outside and she accidentally gave him a water burial.  Besides bunnies, she can't get enough bugs in her life. Alas, even huge dead ones.  (Her papa was kind enough to inform us of the scientific name for the bug- maybe "coleoptera" will be her next word.)

Yesterday we had a nice time at Salome's Uncle Gabe's graduation party, where she got to play with some of her favorite honorary uncles, Gabe, Kyle and Shane.  Uncle Kyle was happy to let Salome beat him at croquet.

Naked or not, Salome likes to make sure her belly button is still attached at all times.  Three different angles on that give a good illustration of her "buppy" fascination.  She seems happy to find that it's still there.'

Salome and Her Auntie

Late again,  I know...

Salome got her Auntie Hilly back a couple weeks ago and it's been so nice to have her around.  Salome really likes when Auntie goes under the kitchen table and pretends to be Salome's favorite dog, Arlo.  She has even abandoned the name "Heddy!" and called her "Awwo," a couple times.  Salome has been shouting Auntie Hilly's name every time she leaves the room and has even taken to shouting for her Papa by his first name, "Aysh! Aysh!" and then if that doesn't work:" Baba!"  Sometimes if her Papa calls for me I hear an echo shouting, "Wony!"  She is of the belief that everything sounds better if you shout it. 

We went to her Grandma and Grandpa's for Father's Day and she was in heaven in the pretty yard playing with her cousins and swinging and trying to give Arlo umahs.

We were given a monarch butterfly cocoon to hatch and it came out and lived on our window for a day or two before we set it free, which Salome loved.  She has a thing for bugs ("buh!").

She has been very maternal with her babies lately and even tried to nurse one herself.  Wearing them is also fun - she likes to reach back and pat the baby once in a while.

Salome Walks For Blocks

We skipped a week (oopsie - sorry Ammachi!) because we've been busy since Salome's Aunty Hilly returned from Guatemala, so these are from the last week in May.  We went out to dinner downtown for her Grandma's birthday and afterwards Salome insisted on walking from The Higgins Alley restaurant at one end of Higgins all the way down to the Higgins bridge.  It was probably 6 or 7 blocks of solid walking and she was just psyched about it.  

It was a beautiful couple of days so we got to spend a lot of time outside walking and riding bikes and playing.  We're looking forward to much more of that with Aunty Hilly once this weather starts to heat up again. 

Salome is 16 months now and walking and talking up a storm.  She has a very strong opinion about things too.   Whooee, especially lately - she's teething some nice molars so she's a little sensitive and is easily set off by very small things.  But as a whole, she is funny and silly and affectionate and much like these photos show her to be.  Hope we get to spend time with you all at some point this summer and Salome can expand her circle of friends even further...