Wintergreen 2007

Decked out in her new hiking pants, Rory took her parents on a weekend trip to Wintergreen, which is a mountain-top resort in the Blue Ridge, about 30 minutes from Charlottesville (where I went to college). We had a wonderful time, and Sarah has already said that she wants the trip to be an annual Memorial Day tradition. We hiked, we swam, we played on the lake beach, we admired the views, and Sarah got a facial at the resort spa!
Our adventure began on Friday, with a road trip that took us to two of Virginia's best wineries (only the best for Rory's first visit to a winery).
At Linden Winery, we tasted a delicious Claret. At Rappahanock Cellars, we fell in love with a Cabernet Franc and had a picnic amidst the vines.
On Saturday, we donned a new "kid carrier" for a hike in the woods (which criss-crossed a golf course several times, so it wasn't as rustic as it looks).
After the hike, we retired to the resort lodge for a hearty lunch and a little daughter-daddy goofing around.
Later in the afternoon, while Mommy enjoyed her facial at the spa, Rory took her Daddy swimming in the indoor pool. Pictured here, Rory is a little more excited than her first swimming experience. (Note: Rory vocalizations have greatly increased in frequency and decibel-level across the last two weeks; in this picture, she is growling at the top of her lungs; we think this particular roar means "get me in the pool NOW lazy man with camera!")
In the pool, Rory showed her Daddy all of the swimming strokes that she has been practicing at her Saturday-morning swim lessons, including this complex water-ballet airlift. Rory loved the water. She kicked her feet, used her hands to splash the water, and gave everyone else in the pool a great big smile.
Rory's good form has her Mommy talking Olympics 2026 ...

... a prospect that Rory applauds approvingly.
Back at the cabin (okay, "condo" ... who am I kidding, it was a very modern mountain abode), Mommy made a make-shift eating area for Rory...
...who used her whole body for this particular feast -- freed from the bonds of her highchair (and clothing, apparently).
On Sunday, we said goodbye to the mountain and visited Holly and Mark Stancil (college friends of mine), and their two kids, Annabeth and Cooper (pictured here next to Rory). To get a sense of Rory's "peanut size", consider that at 6 months, Cooper is already as heavy as Rory is at 9 months. Too cute.

Picnic Time

Hi. It's Rory here. My dad's not looking, so I thought I would take over the blogging for tonight's posting. We've been spending a lot of time at picnics lately. They're fun. I look pretty cute, huh? You might not have noticed, but my daddy really likes throwing me into the air when we are outside. It always makes me smile. Today, we went to a picnic at a big park next to the hospital where I was born. There were 20 other babies there who were also born at that same hospital last summer.
That's my dad and mom. (They have name tags on so that they don't forget their real names.)
Everybody says that me and Kate look alike! Let's see, we're both adorable. We both have big, blue eyes and button noses.
Yesterday, we went to a different picnic, this one hosted by Ryan and his parents. My dad lined us up so that we could bang on the chair together ...
... We had fun making drum sounds. Maybe Ryan and Juliana will join my band!... Bald Babies on Bongos!
After all that time playing outside, my mommy scrubbed me down real good and dressed me in my "girliest" pajamas. But I showed her how tough I was when I did three whole push-ups!

Rory at 9 months

At 9 months, Rory has blossomed into a little spit fire, with a roar befitting her name and a smile that melts our hearts. She is clapping. She is almost crawling. She is eating pureed vegetables and meats, with a growing repetoire of bite-sized solids (pears, mangos, cheerioes). She weighs 16 pounds (10th percentile) and is 27.5 inches tall (75th percentile), so she is still showcasing her mommy's profile, as this picture depicts.

Sweet Home Alabama

"Sweet home Alabama!" Rory laughed, as her Daddy tossed her into the air during their walk through the Auburn campus. Rory made the trip to enjoy the wedding of Tim's cousin, Janet.
"Sweet home Kentucky!" Rory declared, as she tossed her Derby Day winnings in the air. Rory took first place (and $100) in the family Derby Day contest.
"Sweet family suite!" Rory roared (her new favorite sound; appropriate for a girl named Rory), as she surveyed the hotel suite in which her extended family hung out.
"Sweet mommy tickles!" Rory giggled, as her mommy tickled her underneath her chin, a particularly giggle-inducing part of Rory's body.
"Sweet Great Grandma!" Rory purred, as she spent time with her Great Grandma, whose name, Rosemary, was part of the inspiration of Rory's name.
"Sweet junior bridesmaids!" Rory enviously mentioned, as she watched several of the other great grandchildren help set the stage for Janet's wedding.
"Sweet looking bridesmaids!" Rory cooed, awestruck at how pretty Janet's bridesmaids looked as they walked down the center aisle.
"Sweet super love!" Rory whispered to her Mommy, as they gazed upon Janet and Brad from the back of the Auburn Chapel.
"Sweet Jesus It's Late!" Rory cried, as she realized that the change to Central Time meant that she was up past her bedtime.
"Sweet silly family!" Rory crooned, as she posed for a family picture after Janet's wedding. Uncle Allen looks so funny!
"Sweet looking ladies!" Rory commented, as she gazed upon her cousin Janet (the sweet bride girl), her Aunt Chelle, her Aunt Jen, and her cousin Jeannie.
"Sweet cookie tray!" Elizabeth chirped to Tim and Chelle, as she went back for her tenth cookie of the night. Fortunately, Chelle enforced a one-cookie-every-10-minutes rule.
"Sweet bed time!" Rory mumbled, as she fell asleep at the reception. Rory stayed asleep under the table for just enough time for her parents to enjoy dinner (and a few drinks).
"Sweet Babe Magnet!" Uncle Michael discovered, as he used Rory as a prop to strike-up conversations with random women at the airport.
"Give the sweetness a rest already!" thought Rory as her parents thrust their love upon her little cheeks.