Sleeping!

E has ditched her teddy bears as part of her sleep routine. She no longer needs them to fall asleep.

All she's needed for the past two months has been her dog. No, not a cuddly little stuffed dog, but her dog. Barking, crazy, warm, and cuddly Cali has been helping E get to sleep for the past two months. 

We kicked Cali off the bed when I was pregnant. She had slept on the bed with Chou from the time he rescued her before we were married, and I never minded her extra warmth although I could do without the hair. We didn't want her to be jealous of E on the bed (although at the time we had no plans for cosleeping) nor did we want her accidentally rolling on the baby, so off she went long before E made her grand appearance. She's been happily lounging on her dog bed on the floor for the past 2+ years. One day this fall she suddenly decided she was allowed back on the bed. I'm really not sure why she bothered after two years, but I do know the only reason she got away with it was because she immediately started snuggling with E and they were too cute to punish.

E's only been napping a few days a week, but for every nap and every night at bed time, this is how she goes to sleep. It's really sweet.

Sometimes we're not quite ready for a nap, but still need a snuggle

Sometimes we forget we're supposed to be sleeping

And sometimes, when we're really lucky, Daddy joins us!

At long last

Now that it is a blustery December and we've had our first official snowfall here in Pennsylvania, I decided it was about time I shared the rest of the pictures from our vacation last summer. Procrastination runs in my family, and I consider myself to be a pro. As I sit here dreaming of warm weather and relaxing vacations, I decided it's the perfect time to share pictures from Stone Harbor.

One thing I learned when I started dating Chou is that his (and dare I say most men's) idea of a relaxing beach trip is quite different from mine. In my (pre-motherhood) mind, a perfect day at the beach involves a good book, a warm nap in the sun, and maybe a little time spent jumping waves. Chou's ideal beach trip consists of a whole lot of wave jumping, sport playing, sand sculpting, and maybe a very little nap or short reading session while he rehydrates. Chou has been thrilled to welcome our brother-in-law into the family and greatly appreciates someone who enjoys beach sports as much as he does. This past year they raided our rental house for beach activities and found several that occupied them most of the week. Their most notable find was a skim board. My sister and I marveled at their ability to have just as much fun when they completely wiped out as when they landed beautifully. We enjoyed watching from the sidelines and they enjoyed mastering a new skill.

  

E has loved the beach from her first taste of sand. Luckily for all involved, this year she was no longer interested in trying to consume the entire beach, but instead focused more on playing with her bucket and some water and occasionally dipping her toes in the waves. She'd wake up in the morning, point in the direction of the ocean, and say, "beach!" It was wonderful to see her enjoy the sun and sand as much as we do!