Avila Beach

Some pics from our visit to Avila Beach a couple weekends ago.

Visit to the Barn

Leanne and I visited the Avila Valley Barn today with our Parent Participation class. We took a hayride down to the pumpkin patch and we got to pick out two pumpkins to take home. Leanne also had a blast checking out the different farm animals and feeding them veggies. It was alot of fun, in spite of the 90 degree weather!

I'll take my corn on the cob

We've been getting corn on the cob from a local farm for the past few weeks. Normally I cut the kernels off for Leanne, but she recently decided she wanted nothing to do with that and only the corn on the cob would do. She actually did a better job of cleaning off the cob than some people I know.....you know who you are! :)

First artwork

Leanne has started to enjoy coloring with crayons. We got her a giant coloring book the other day and she had fun scribbling. It's too tempting for her to resist trying to eat the crayons after a while, but we're working on it.

Rare shot

Leanne took a moment to relax and we actually got it on film! :)

What's old is new again

Leanne rediscovered the Bumbo seat that she hasn't used for close to a year. We're going to get her a chair of her own, so she's not fighting her little brother for this one.

Just like Daddy

Leanne was really interested in wearing Mark's shirt the other day. I like it because it reminds me how small she still really is, even though she seems so big to me now.

The last few

Still more pics

More pics

August Pics

It's a new month....

...and I plan to do a better job of posting updates and pictures. I don't really know what happened to the month of August. It was over before we knew it. I'm really looking forward to fall and some cooler weather though. It doesn't get too hot here in SLO, but I'm a little more sensitive these days since I am six months pregnant. I am definitely ready for a change in seasons.

As for Leanne, she is always on the go. She never really sits down much these days. She's working on learning to climb up and down steps and onto furniture. Consequently, Mark and I are always on high alert for avoiding potentially disastrous falls. It's tiring!

Leanne is also working on her vocabulary too. She makes animal sounds...."meow-meow" for cat, "woof-woof" for dog, "hoo-hoo" for owl, "buzz-buzz" for bugs, and "roar" for lion, bear, and a couple others. She also says "vroom-vroom" for cars, trucks, and motorcycles. She now points to Mark and I (and pictures of us) and says "Dada" and "Mama." Those are my personal favorites! Within the last couple days, she has started saying "ba-ba" for ball, "bye-bye," and "uh-oh." It is so amazing how quickly she is changing!

I'll post some pics we have taken over the last month or so...

I made it!

Just wanted to share a couple pics of the dress I made for Leanne. It's definitely not perfect, but I think she looks pretty cute in it.

Visit to the Bay Area

We took a trip to the Bay Area this past weekend. It was Mark's birthday on the 1st and I had a baby shower to attend on the 2nd. We stayed in Burlingame and had a room with a great view of the bay. Mark and Leanne had alot of fun watching the planes take off and land at SFO. We didn't make it into the city, but we're planning to make another trip when the kids are a little older.

Technical difficulties

I'm still working on posting a video of Leanne walking. I'm having a little trouble, but I'm hoping to get some assistance soon. She's all over the place now, so I'll get a more recent video up as well. Soon, I promise....

We finally know

We are having a little boy! We found out last week and we are so excited. He is already a big boy too. He measured about a week ahead of my 12/22/08 due date. The doctor said he looks great, which is always a relief. His first name will be Thomas, after Mark's late father, but we're still working on a middle name. I'm 20 weeks along now, so we are about halfway there! We can't wait to meet the little guy!

It's official...

Leanne is walking! She's been walking around the house practically non-stop since Saturday. She still falls alot, but she is very quickly getting the hang of it. Now I've got to remember put her shoes on when we go out! I will try and post a video of the action soon.

Future geologist?

Leanne LOVES rocks. She primarily loves picking them up, throwing them down, and attempting to put them in her mouth before we notice. We're going to make a beach trip soon to collect some more.

A Fun Fourth

This year we went to the Mitchell Park Fourth of July Celebration near downtown SLO. We sat on the grass, listened to the bands, and enjoyed the great weather. Leanne danced to the music and had fun people watching. No fireworks for us this year though. We didn't think Leanne was quite ready for that just yet!

Gardening

Fun day at the beach!

We took Leanne to Cayucos one day during the heat wave. She had been to the beach a couple times before, but this was the first time she got to play with her beach toys and go in the water. She had a blast! Mark had just as much fun digging a huge hole in the sand and building sand castles. We'll be at the beach alot this summer for sure!

Staying cool

A couple weeks ago, we experienced a nasty heat wave on the Central Coast. Temperatures were well over 100 degrees for almost a week and, with no air conditioning, we were pretty miserable. We tried our best to keep Leanne cool and I think she enjoyed herself despite the conditions.

A long time coming...

I've been wanting to start a blog for a while but, as with most things, life usually gets in the way. I know I am terrible about sending out pictures and updates, so I'm hoping this will be something I can keep (regularly) updated with our family's latest news. Enjoy!