Flying Home

Flying Home - a great tune by Lionel Hampton, and music to our ears, too. I think we were all ready to be back home.

Iris was a terrific traveler for the LONG day of crossing the continent: three flights, all of them delayed, then the drive from Lewiston. She managed several 1 to 1.5 hr naps on some flights, and we let her burn off energy in the airports. She especially liked the phones, and watching the planes take off and land. Compared to the flight from China, this was cake!

Iris' Honorary Uncle Antone (a.k.a. Rufus T. Firefly) met us at the airport, and later that week, joined Iris and Daddy on a hike to let Iris become re-acquainted with her home territory by pack and by foot.

A big thanks to Tshering and Sam for house-sitting, and making sure our cats stayed fed and brushed!

Deb

Iris the Traveler, Pat 4, installment II: The Beach

Here's Iris loving the beach, with Mom and Dad. Photos are from our last afternoon in Florida - two students from the lab, Tshering and Bhavani, enjoyed playing with Iris on the beach, too.

Iris the Traveler, Part 4

At the beginning of May, we flew to Ft. Lauderdale, FL, for two back-to-back conferences, and for some serious relaxation and fun. Iris really had a great time, with many new adventures, and lots of dining out. She was a celebrity wherever we went. Bottom photo shows Iris during the flight, shortly before reclining into a nap across our laps. Other photos are simply Iris being Iris. Note that the mess after the crab dinner was not all because there was a baby at the table.

A second installment will show beach photos!

Deb

Deb

Iris the Traveler, Part 3, installment II

In addition to outdoor excursions, Iris hit the social cicuit, meeting not only Charles' extended family, but also many family friends, and friends of Charles from high school and college. Eventually, Granny talked us into dressing Iris for these occasions, rather than the rather practical and gender-neutral clothing that had otherwise suited her quite well (and she likes the color blue, too). These photos show that Iris can look girly, too. The only problem was that, in dresses, she was unable to see her own shoes, and she very much likes admiring her own shoes!

Deb

Iris the Traveler, Part 3

Part 3 will be blogged in two installments. In this one we show photos of Iris at Granny's home, where she looks very sweet and content with the arrangements. After a few days of becoming adjusted to the new time zone/surroundings, she did very well, with Daddy and Granny running the show while I was at work. Iris had a wonderful time getting into EVERYTHING.

The other two photos are from two of our many short excursions. Iris got to pet many animals at the petting zoo at the Hopkins Spring Fair, and was especially intrigued by the potbellied pig. Iris also went on many hikes using various modes of transport, including the backpack and the stroller. But we let her use her own feet as much as possible, since she was a good walker and seemingly tireless. The last photo shows her excitement at seeing the 'top' of Chesapeake Bay, at Susquehanna St. Park.

Deb

Iris the Traveler, Part 2

At the end of March, we flew to Baltimore, MD, for a 5-week visit with Charles' family and friends, and for some sabbatical/collaborative activities hosted by my former graduate advisor.

This entry focuses on the first part of the trip, where we traveled to Glaucester, VA, for an extended Easter holiday. Granny is renting a house near the water, and Charles' two brothers and their families also stayed in Glaucester for the weekend. Iris got to play with all five cousins and learned some new and interesting vocalizations.

The photos show 1. Our dinner with Charles' cousin Olaf and his family during our LOOONGGG layover in Cincinnati on the way to Baltimore; 2. Iris opening presents (she got LOTS of presents during our stay) with her cousin Jenny, who is very fond of Iris; 3. Iris enjoying the briefly fine weather in Glaucester (it snowed that night); 4. Iris with her Granny, and Granny's other grandchildren, celebrating Granny's red ribbon for a flower arrangement at the Glaucester Daffodil Festival. Iris napped through the easter egg hunt.

Deb

Iris the Traveler, Part 1

We have been a busy family, but I hope to catch us up on the blog, bit by bit.

In mid-March, we went to the San Juan Islands for a scientific conference, and a bit of vacation, and met Charles' friend John and his family, Anne and Zola, in Tacoma. Zola was just over 2 yrs old at the time.

The bottom photo shows Iris' first look at a beach: she signed, "water, mommy" and pretty much wanted to leap into the waves. Other photos show Iris at her first developmental biology meeting, and Iris playing with her new friend, Zola.

Deb