Lucy celebrated her first birthday at home, surrounded by friends and family. She didn’t have much interest in cake this time around, but we figure that’ll change in the future.
Twelve Months
October was a busy month for the Flinns! Lucy turned one year old! She is babbling, standing on her own (not quite walking yet) and full of smiles and giggles. We started off the month by celebrating Allison’s birthday. We took a weekend trip to Boone and Grandfather Mountain. We went to see the fall leaves and were not disappointed!
We can’t believe how much our little girl has grown! Lucy is 28.75 inches tall (33rd %) and 21 pounds 12 ounces (78th %).
Eleven Months
At 11 months, Lucy’s defining traits are her curiosity and her related inability to sit still (even for an 11-month picture). She’s always getting into something, be it a bowl of puffed-rice snacks or the bathtub.
She enjoys going on outings, and this month she made her first trips to Cary’s Koka Booth amphitheater and Durham for a Bulls game (she made it through five full innings, but the cheers for home runs were a little loud for her little ears).
Lucy also enjoys the numerous parks in north Raleigh–especially the swings–and even met her friend James for a Wednesday playdate.
While at home, she’s fascinated by the washing machine but she’s not a big fan of shoes… when we can even get them on her feet, they don’t stay on for very long. She’s standing up all the time with assistance, and it won’t be long before she’s walking!
Ten Months
As Lucy’s tenth month rolled around, she took a return trip to Wrightsville Beach, and this time it was a little warmer and she could play in the surf (and sand).
The end of July saw visits from lots of new people, as Lucy was introduced to a number of her parents’ friends.
She enjoys shopping, and has made her first forays to Barnes & Noble and Target (where she’s now big enough to ride in the cart!).
Now that Daddy is back to school Lucy spends her days sharing a nanny with her good friend Sam.
While her favorite storytime at the public library is on hiatus for the month, she still gets her daily allowance of bubbles, which she loves.
Nine Months
Lucy’s list of “firsts” continued to grow as she reached her nine-month birthday: first time on a swing, first time visiting Maryland, first time riding in a golf cart, and first time dressing up as a cow for a free Chick-fil-A sandwich for her daddy.
Lucy met her great grandma Arlene and much of the Perkins clan in June, and celebrated her daddy’s first Father’s Day (which was also on Pop-Pop’s birthday). 
Lucy also attended the Marbles children’s museum for the first time (she loved it) and enjoys her time spent in the pool, trying to beat the North Carolina summer heat. At her nine-month checkup she weighed 18 pounds 14 ounces and measured 26 inches tall. She’s growing and crawling nonstop!
4th
Lucy spent her first Fourth of July at her Grandma and Grandpa’s house on Lake Chautauqua in western New York.
She took in the local Mayville parade with Mimi and Grandma.
The following day she was the grand marshal of the Shorelands parade, riding in her red-white-and-blue decorated wagon (pulled by aunt Christine).
Lucy enjoyed spending time near the water (it was too cold to swim).
She even took her very first boat ride (which she promptly slept through).
She also didn’t quite make it all the way to the fireworks, but she had a wonderful time and can’t wait for next year!
Eight Months
At eight months old, Lucy said bye-bye to her Mimi, who went home to Maryland after helping out in Raleigh for nearly five months. 
Lucy filled her time making jewelry at the mollybeads studio and learning how to organize her overflowing closet. 
She had a number of playdates (pictured is her friend Reid, who is just a week younger than Lucy.)
She also learned how to spell her own name in the tub. 
Lucy has also been testing the waters in the pool, which she loves.
Seven Months
At seven months, Lucy’s biggest feat is sitting up unassisted–she parks it in front of her toy kitchen or nibbles a book while displaying some remarkable balance.
She went strawberry picking, and while she didn’t sample the goods, she has tried many other new foods, including butternut squash and pears (avocado is still her favorite, though).
She also ventured to Ravenscroft for lunch with daddy’s advisory and went to work as mommy’s intern and made a new friend.
Lucy’s Baptism
On April 18th Lucy was baptized at Saint Raphael Catholic Church in Raleigh. She was joined by her godmother, Aunt Christine, as well both sets of grandparents and a handful of family friends. Lucy took her baptism in stride (as she does most things) and was calm and collected throughout.
Six Months
Now that Lucy is six months old, she’s begun eating solid foods (avocado and banana for starters), and she is the proud owner of a nascent tooth! (We weren’t surprised by the tooth’s arrival considering everything she picks up eventually winds up in her mouth.)
In April Lucy attended her first wedding (the ceremony was in Cleveland, SC and the reception was in Asheville, NC) and celebrated her first Easter.
She’s becoming more and more mobile as she scoots around on her back, and every day she’s getting better at rolling over. Lucy now weighs 14 pounds 5 ounces!
