11 months: Seattle and walking, walking, walking!

The second half of our winter vacations brought us out to Seattle, where we enjoyed introducing Fiona to Charlotte's home turf. Our first stop was with Auntie Gail and Uncle Fred, where we were treated (as always) with fine wine, fine food, and wonderful hospitality. We celebrated New Year's Eve with four generations of Boettiger/Cooneys, and had a great time even though we didn't quite make it until midnight. (I later found out that my 97 year old grandmother had beaten us all, and had managed to stay up to ring in the New Year!)

Charlotte's family also hosted a wonderful reception for us later that week, which gave us a chance to catch up with many friends and family in the area. In addition to meeting many new people, Fiona also had the chance to see some of Seattle's many attractions, including Pike Place Market and the Space Needle. She was a great traveler as always, and we're hoping that her love for new foods such as seafood bisque (as evidenced by her wide open mouth in the photo below) suggests that she won't become a picky eater!

Highlights from the rest of the week included staying with Sara and John, where Fiona got to play with Katy and Jack (and their dog Boone!), then staying with Michele and Andy, where Fiona enjoyed playing with Linus and Ramona. Her walking skills were improving steadily the whole time, and although she was only taking a few tentative steps when we left North Carolina, by the time we were ready to head home she could walk around the airport with us. There are far to many photos to post on this blog, so be sure to check out the whole album at this link.

Finally, here is Fiona posing for her 11 month photo. We probably took 60 photos before we got a decent shot, since Fiona decided that getting out of the chair as fast as possible was a great game to play with Dad, but as always we're happy to have such an energetic and sun-shiny baby!