Daily Life

Life here in California has been going smoothly. We are enjoying our days and kind of missing all the snow winter has brought all our family. It is spring weather here. All the trees and bushes are in bloom and my daffodils are beautiful.

Daniel is still riding his bike in to school and staying busy with homework. He is regularly meeting with professors and other NPS students further along within the computer science degree so he can find out more about his future classes. In a few quarters they will begin to focus on a thesis topic and Daniel will need to pick the general focus he plans on delving into. Classes are still challenging and his main response when people ask about school is he is still working on finding the balance with school work and family. He does study a lot, but Violet and I don't feel deprived. I think he has found that balance; maintaining it is the hard part.

Violet and I stay busy enough. We have lots of time at home but a good amount out and about. She is a fabulous baby. I feel like I can take her anywhere and she just grins, sleeps, or soaks it all in with wide eyes. So precious! I am kind of attached to her!

Her 4 month appointment was a little late due to a busy pediatricians office, but everything is looking great. She is just barely under 12 pounds. (I know, I know, she is tiny.) The doctor doesn't seem too concerned. She was born small and may always be small. She is 24 inches in length so she is definitely taking after mommy and the aunties in the height department. And get this, her head is in the 78th percentile for her age. Again, go big brains! We are in no rush to start her on solids. We are just continuing to make sure she gets all the food she wants and needs. That is getting harder because she gets so distracted now-a-days. Such a curious little one, always having to turn to see what the slightest noise was coming from.


Daniel loves to put warm, clean laundry on himself so he figured Violet would love it too.
(She is wearing a sleeper my Momma mailed out that me and my sisters wore when we were little ones.)

Some pictures while Mommy folds laundry...



She seems to agree that warm laundry makes for a warm and happy baby.

Bath time is finally bringing some smiles. For months now it has just been her straight face. She hasn't cried in ages, but just a serious face. She is cracking smiles more often as I sing to her in the tub.

We took a walk on Saturday on the bike path that travels along the ocean. It was gorgeous weather so I took plenty of pictures.

The park at the end of our walk before we turned around. This is in Pacific Grove.

The waves were crashing high that morning. I had to show y'all this one.

Daniel with Vi.

There she is! Enjoying her walk with Mommy and Daddy.

We are looking forward to visitors in the next few weeks. My Momma arrives in late February and then my Dad comes early March. They are staying for a nice visit and then a week after they leave we get to introduce Vi to her Auntie Sarah and Uncle Andrew. I know she is going to love them and all we have to worry about is Sarah trying to sneak Vi home in her carry-on luggage. Sarah is going to eat her up! We can't wait to see them!

I am excited to see everyone, but I also look forward to visitors because that means I get to see some new places. I like to try new things when people come visit. It makes for some good memories.

Y'all know there is always a place to stay here in Central California. Come on out!

Play Mat Time

Sleep time

and play time.

4 Months Old Today

The Lord blessed us with Violet 4 months ago. It is still amazing to think she is our child. We are so blessed to have her in our family. She brings such joy.


A rare grin for the camera:


I can't wait until she hams it up for the camera like she does for her Daddy. He sure knows how to get the grins out of her. It is either Daddy or putting her on the changing table. She gets super chatty and smiley on the changing table. I just play with her on there for a while sometimes.

A typical pose for the camera:


She is still too small for the johnny-jump-up. Daniel was eager to get it out and try. You can barely see her little arms. She is supposed to be able to rest her arms on the sides of the pouch. We have a little growing to do first before we pull that thing back out.

Daddy was getting her attention to the side for this picture. She doesn't like her bouncy chair as much anymore. She prefers to sit in her bumbo or be propped up on the couch like this. Every time I sit her in the bouncy chair she tries to sit up and it looks like she will pull the chair over on top of her. We use the bumbo mostly.

She gets a good amount of time out and about. On Tuesdays we go to my Bible study where she sits in on the study. She is so well-behaved. I don't feel like a distraction. I am thankful the ladies in my study don't mind a few gurgles and coos every once in a while. On Wednesdays we go to a friend's house and enjoy time with her and her sons. She has a 2 year old and a newborn. Violet enjoys looking at her newborn and the moms enjoy the time together as well.

We try to take regular walks when it isn't raining and Violet really loves to stare up at the trees. She can seem disinterested if we are walking under blue sky, but then if she sees trees she opens her mouth and gazes up. We enjoy the time walking together and I talk her ears off. I may look like a crazy lady talking to my baby in her stroller but I tell her about everything we are seeing. I enjoy it. It has kind of developed into a thankful prayer to God for His amazing creation.

Daniel is staying busy with classes but we enjoy our evenings cuddling Vi and eating dinner slowly. (That is our new challenge, to eat slowly and savor every bite.) We even try to put our utensils down between bites. It leaves more time for conversation.

We are going out with a classmate of Daniel's tomorrow and his fiance. I have no worries about Violet's behavior when we go out. She really is such a good baby. We are so thankful for her.

These 4 months have flown by and I know the next 4 will as well. They have been so special!

Daddy's Girl

Mommy is in the kitchen fixing dinner. Guess what I am doing?

Waiting for Daddy.

I sit here sometimes and wait nicely.

This is what I was doing earlier today:


I was not waiting here...just sleeping.



Now I am waiting. Hmmm. Is that the door I hear?












Yes it is!! There is Daddy!

I love him so!

Taking a Walk

Last weekend we drove to the Fort Ord Dunes State Park. It is about a 5 minutes drive from our house so we had to check it out. It is very small with only one short walk to the beach and a lookout point. It does join up with the big bike trail that follows along the ocean so you could make it a longer walk.

Vi was traveling incognito...as a large lump on her Daddy's chest.

We checked several times to make sure she was not over-heating. She was napping peacefully next to Daddy's heart. I think she really enjoyed it. It was a blustery day. You can't tell by the pictures.

From the look-out point.

We walked down to the water and watched the giant waves. It was a beautiful sight, wave after wave rushing in to shore. We were reminded that the Lord tells the ocean where to stop. What a blessing He is in control!

This is the ice plant at its best. It turns all kinds of beautiful colors and even shoots off flowers sometimes.

Nice day to explore.