Over the Brooklyn Bridge

Our last Saturday as a family of five (lol.. but really it feels like that) was amazing.

Brooke, Ashley, Brett, Cheri and I walked over the Brooklyn Bridge and enjoyed a gorgeous day together.

Juliana's pizza did not disappoint. And even I would consider myself a lover of Grimaldi's. 

Afterwards, we headed over to Jane's Carousel. I think us, adults, had even more fun than Cheri.

Finished off the day with cones from the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory.

Cheri winced after nearly every bite, but kept coming back for more chocolate ice cream!

She must have her Mama's sweet tooth as well as Mama's love for the aunties!

Summer with the Aunties!

This summer has been too good. 

I think we've (Brooke, Ash and me) have been enjoying the splash pads and playgrounds more than Cheri.

This mom thing is just too much fun. Pretty much all fun and games these days.

Oh, we just can't get enough of her :)

Nothing Here but Love...

Saturday was dreamy. 

We were lucky enough to spend the entire day together as our little family of three.

"Nothing Here but Love" - perfectly describes our simple adventure uptown to Central Park.

Cheri ate her first Levain cookie. Of course, she loved it.
And I loved feeding her a little sweet treat.

Sure adore our little pie! I could eat her all day long...
Oh wait, I do :)

Five Months

• Cheri smiles on cue when Mama claps, kisses at baby or sings the "Hello" song.
• Her two bottom teeth have popped through her gums. They have made her a little sad sometimes, but nothing a warm bath can't make all better.
• She loves to roll both ways all over the room.
• Baby girl loves her daddy, especially when he sings her the horsey song on his lap.
• She definitely knows her Mama and sometimes gets sad when she leaves the room.
• She liked her first ride in a swing in Central Park. She thought it was pretty fun.
• Cheri loves jumping in her jumperoo all day long - especially to Beyonce.
• She wants to suck her thumb - though Mama is trying to teach her a binkie is much better. She's starting to agree.
• Her personality is really coming out. She wants to be apart of the conversation and lets her happy voice be heard. 
• Bath time is her favorite part of any day. She will sit in there, splash the water, chew on her letter toys or just relax in her seat as long as Mama will let her each day.
• Her favorite toys are her Sophie, the peek a boy book with the crinkly pages, links and the Manhattan toy winkel.
• She still sleeps through the night. When she wakes up in the morning, she'll talk to herself for a while before crying out. 

Then, she toppled over onto her bunny, but didn't seem to mind :) She's pretty easy to please as you can see!

Pretty in pink! As sweet as can be! 

Our little Cheri turned five months!

She's so very delightful - you can see! 

Only when she's teething does she get the grumps :)

Though she really won't cry for very long 

if Mama will let her swim and in the tub!

She loves to smile - especially for the "hello" song!

Sweet Cheri Ann, we're so grateful you're part of the Crandall family club!

Those eyes melt me every day! Happy five months my sweet babe!!!

Swinging into a New Stage

This little face melts my heart. Day in and day out. I can't get enough of her and we play together all day - every day. I'm slowly coming to accept she's not my 'baby baby' anymore. Not sure how time can fly so quick. I'm so grateful I can be with her all the time. This afternoon's adventure took us to Central Park. We joined some friends at a children's playground near the Central Park Zoo. Once Cheri woke up from her 'morning' nap around one p.m., I put her in the swing to see if she'd like it. We got more than smiles from our little Cheri Ann. All sorts of faces as she swung back and forth with skyscrapers behind her. I keep saying 'little' - subconsciously hoping she'll stay little longer - though I'm quickly realizing she just keeps getting more and more fun so growing is okay too. I love seeing her discover and experience new things. I hardly even realized we were the last ones to leave the swings. It was a special first day on the playground. Looking forward to playing with little Cheri at parks all over the city this summer!

On our walk home from the subway, the tulips in Zuccotti Park caught my eye. They are so beautiful and the perfect backdrop for little lady's smile.  

Empty Easter Eggs!

I may have forgotten to give Cheri this little basket full of eggs on Easter. Luckily, she was just as excited to play with it a day later. The eggs went flying as she shook the basket. Then, she realized they opened. Nothing was inside, but she didn't care one bit. 

I love shooting in continuous mode. This discovery stage is just so much fun to capture. If you're shooting with a DSLR, I would highly suggest making sure you have this feature enabled so you can keep clicking as they smile, laugh or discover new things. I can't get enough of Cheri's wide open smile! 

Mean Mama Right Here!?

Why do I find her sweet little cry and frowning face so cute!?! I can't resist snapping a few more pictures even when she gets sad when I have my camera out. Don't worry! I took her out of the basket quick and gave her lots of extra cuddles! :) I feel like I've already somewhat forgotten her tiny newborn cry and that makes me sad. I figure I better keep taking excessive amounts of pictures and videos (if not just for my Cheri-obsessed sisters) because I don't want to forget any of it and she changes so fast. 

Yesterday was her first Easter! Holidays are so much more fun now - even if I forgot to hide the eggs. In fact, I didn't even fill them. Didn't realize that until last night. Good thing she couldn't go on a 'hunt' for the eggs anyways. Brett and I didn't mind eating the Cadburry mini eggs right out of the bag :). I better get this "Easter bunny" or "Santa" thing figured out by Christmas! She won't know what's going on then either since she'll only be one, but I better find some good boxes to put everything in because I bet that will be her favorite part.

Love my guy pushing a stroller! It always brings a smile to my face - seeing him with our baby girl! Brett headed to church with us yesterday. It was nice to have his help getting in and out of the cab. Normally, he goes early for meetings since he serves as bishop of our ward here in Manhattan. Sunday is always a special day, but extra special this week.

Our first family of three Easter Sunday pictures! As you can see, baby girl wasn't so into this picture taking thing until Daddy was holding her. She sure loves him. I love that they have such a sweet bond.

Baby girl, I'm excited to teach you about why we celebrate Easter someday. For now, I hope you know that I love you, your Daddy loves you and your Heavenly Father in Heaven loves you. You sure know how to make us smile everyday.

After church, little Cheri played with (as in chewed on:) her bunnies. She has quite the collection - thanks to so many who love her. Her eyes melt my heart. Even in black and white photos, they have a special sparkle. Happy Easter from this little bunny!!