Laughlin 2011

For the past three years we have taken a summer trip to Laughlin with some wonderful friends. We always go with the K family, which includes one of my best friends A, her boyfriend P and their son. Also along on this trip are both of A's sisters and their families and her parents. We have been very lucky to be adopted by this family and have many great memories with them over the past few years. Each year the trip is a little bit different; the first year we were invited, A and her sister we both pregnant, last year I was pregnant and this year we had three beautiful babies to keep us entertained.

This year, we went in the very beginning of June and decided to take our chances camping at Park Moabi in Needles, Calif. The site has full hook-ups for the trailers so that we could crank the air conditioning to combat the 105 degree temperature. Our campsite was backed up to the river and had it's own private beach. Each morning we set up camp on the shoreline and enjoyed the day playing the in the pool with the kids, wading in the water and riding the jet skis.

This early in the summer, the water in the Colorado River can still be pretty cold. We would fill up the kids pools early in the morning so that the sun would warm up the water for the kiddos. J and I weren't sure what E was going to think of the river water, but she loved it!

Here are some pics from the trip:

First Time in the River

Taking a Bath in the Trailer

E's First Boat Ride

We spend about half of each year looking forward to this vacation. It is the perfect time to unwind and spend some quality time together as a family. This year was really special, as we got to make some great memories with E and look forward to spend more time there together.

9 Months, Just a Little Late ;)

I know this post is long overdue, but things have been a little crazy around our house. J and I are trying to keep up with endless workloads, projects around the house and our lovely little E. Never the less, I wanted to make sure I recorded this milestone.

Baby E at 9 Months:

You are 17 lbs. 10 oz. (28th percentile)

You are 28" tall.

You are crawling at full speed, sometimes J and I can't keep up!

You are standing in your crib, which led to a few challenging bedtimes. We dropped the crib mattress to the lowest setting and all was well with the world again.

You gave you Daddy the best Father's Day present, you said Dada! I think J may have gotten a little teary-eyed.

You are started pulling yourself on the side of the bathtub.

You are pulling yourself up on furniture and flat surfaces. This skill comes in handy when you want to watch the dogs through the sliding glass door.

You are holding your own bottle, but haven't figured out how gravity works yet.

You are walking along objects and have started gauging distance between objects. You can almost see her brain trying to figure out if she can make it from the ottoman to the couch without taking a dive.

You have become an expert at peek-a-boo, you pull things over your head and then pull them down quickly expecting a reaction from whoever is watching. You also started using the ottoman and couch to squat down and pop back up. So cute!

Thank you E for all of the bright spots that you bring to my day. You smile and giggle can melt away all the ugliness of a bad day. It's a pretty amazing feeling.

Double Digits!

Today my dearest daughter is 10 months old. We have hit the double digits! It is a really surreal feeling that E has been in my arms longer than she was in my belly. This milestone has really made me reflect on my pregnancy and what a special time that was for J and I. I know that our next pregnancy will not be the same as the first one. All of the quiet time that you have with a first pregnancy will be virtually non-existent with a little whippersnapper running around. Remember those semi-comatose naps at 5 in the afternoon? Never again, but I am sure it will be worth it, eventually.

Baby E, at 10 months:

You cut three more teeth, you now have four top teeth and two bottom teeth.

You have started standing up in the bathtub.

You had your first real fever of 102.5 degrees, which didn't make for a fun night, but we got through it.

After mastering standing up in the bathtub, you now take full advantage of every inch. She is pulling herself up on the faucet, checking out the knobs, splashing and swimming around like a real fish.

She has started sharing her bottle, toys and food. She will put something to her mouth and then extend it to your mouth.

She went on her first hike in the wire-frame backpack carrier with Daddy, she loved every minute of it. She was so tired, but willed herself to stay awake until the moment she got home.

She has started laughing much more freely. She recently had a complete giggle fit watching me play with our dog Sadie.

She has started using a walker to scoot around the house. She is pretty steady on her feet, but sometimes walks on her knees while pushing it around. Silly girl.

You have figured out how to go up stairs, but you can only make it down one.

E went on her first airplane ride. Our family flew to Chicago to attend my cousin's wedding.

And the biggest accomplishment of this month...E said Mama!! I love hearing her repeat this as she crawls around the house, but it's especially heartwarming when she does it as she is pulling herself up on my leg.

Sadie Waiting for a Treat

Helping with the Dishes

First Strawberries!

Our sweet girl is growing everyday. She is still the happiest, most lovable baby that I know, but I might be biased. I can hardly believe it's time to start planning her first birthday party!