Our favorite spot

I have taken about a million pictures at this park. I consider it our backyard, since we don't have one. We visit this park at least once a day. It's so close to our apartment Leila can walk all the way there!

Such a big girl, who suddenly has an opinion about wearing a hat.


We've been teaching her our own version of baby sign language and she's getting the hang of it. She signs "milk" for milk or water, "more", "all done", and this is her showing me "up".


Leila likes to collect treasures from where ever we go. Sometimes they are for me. Other times they end up clenched in her fist until we get to our door. Today I got a seashell, a juice box, two rocks, and a piece of plastic that some how ended up coming home with me.


This picture is so typical of her these days.

It seems like Betsy is the only person that can get her to look at the camera. (Check out how we spent Thanksgiving at Betsylife!)



She picked out her own outfit today. (Too cute!) We have so many sundresses in her size right now. I'm glad we're having unseasonably warm weather this week!

Jen + Jeff

Twenty years ago we met in the halls of our high school. Thank goodness I do not have a way to scan and post our freshman year homecoming dance picture. (Let's just say we looked adorable and cool.)

Two years ago we got married.


We drive each other crazy, but we love each other more.


And I wouldn't have it any other way.


Here's to two years...and counting!

Fall- San Diego style

Lately instead of pushing Leila in the stroller, we've been taking her on walks (yes, sorta like a dog) around town. I usually stay within a two block radius of our apartment, but Jeff and Leila walked about a mile yesterday. No wonder she took a three hour morning nap!

Friday was a real San Diego fall day. Leila left the house in a hat to keep her bald head warm, but I was wearing flip flops. I love this kind of fall! You can pull off sandals and a tank or boots and a scarf. Perfect if you ask me!

This was Leila's first experience playing in the fallen leaves.

She knows how to step on the leaves to crunch them, but I had to show her how to throw them up in the the air.

Check out the awesome leaf pile we found. (Better than nothing!)


Leading the way. She's just a tad independent!


Yes, Leila, Momma is still here.


Who am I kidding, this girl doesn't walk. She runs!


People warned me, "Just wait until she walks." Like it was a bad thing or something. Actually it's been the best for us all. She can explore and be independent while I get to just sit back and enjoy life through her eyes.

Looks like we all win!

Lions, tigers, and bears, oh my!

Not really. More like elephants, Sky Ride, and goats...enough! Our first visit to the zoo was short and sweet.

My sister and her husband joke about how they have wanted to go to the zoo every time they visit us, yet we never leave the confines of our little beach town.

Well, we did it.


Checking out the zoo from above. Holding onto Mommy for dear life, until she realized how cool everything looked from up there.


Leila did not love the petting zoo. The goats were not as interesting as this tunnel.



Leila was the perfect excuse to finally be a good tour guide.

Happy Halloween!

This is Leila's first year to wear a costume. She didn't wear one last year. (She was still pretty curled up at only one month old.)




So this year, to make up for that "lost" year, she wore two costumes.

And I decided to go EXTREMELY overboard with pictures. I just couldn't resist capturing this "first" Halloween!

Say hello to...Valerina!

This is Aunt Valerie's turtleneck from when she was Leila's age. All three of us girls received one as a gift from our Aunt Carrie. (Val is the only one that can locate hers.) This ballerina costume was the perfect way to show love to her Aunt Val!

Leila LOVES walks. Not in her stroller though, she wants to walk like us!


Almost home...


Hi neighbor Tony! Like my costume?


And now we have a little Leila ladybug!


She is apparently over her pumpkin hating.


Heading out for some treats!


My first bite of candy. Thanks for the sugar-high Betsy!


Hope everyone had a Happy Halloween.

Leila, Leila, pumpkin hater

It was a beautiful (HOT) fall day at a nearby dairy farm. We had a fun adventure planned for Leila's first trip to the pumpkin patch.


At first she was all smiles.

She ran around touching all the pumpkins, posed for a few photos with Aunt Val...



...and then it happened. Leila discovered a pumpkin stem. Seems harmless, right?

Something pissed her off.

Hello, mini-meltdown.

And she's off!


Mini-meltdown turned into meltdown,


which turned in to TIME TO GO!


I don't want to leave you with a crabby pants shot. The day was not a total waste.


In the middle of all of her meltdowns Leila managed to bring smiles to our faces. Watching her enjoy the new sights, sounds, and smells was worth it!

Aunt Kimmy is baaaaack

Auntie Kim and Uncle Tim are visiting from back home this weekend.

My sister came last year at this time. We celebrated Leila's one MONTH birthday!



Here's Aunt Kimmy and Leila at lunch on Friday. (She still can't decide on what to be called...we'll let Leila decide.)



We've had a busy few days so far. More to come!

Pajama Jam

It's been cloudy and cool here at the beach this week. We maybe saw the sun for an hour yesterday. I kind of like this mini change of seasons we have in San Diego. Just when I've had enough the sun will be shining for an entire month!

We stayed home today and hung in our p.j.'s all day long. Our pajama jam was my favorite by far! Check out DA-gee (as Leila calls him) in the background.




We're jammin', jammin,...and I hope you like jammin' too.


After awhile I could tell Leila had enough up-close Mommy and Daddy playtime.


Jeff said she practically dove into her crib when he took her down for an early nap. That girl loves her alone time. Or could it be the eight pacifiers in her crib? Perhaps it was the awesome jam session?

Sunday funday...family style.

Thankful Thanksgiving

This year has brought us so much to be thankful for!

Our healthy baby girl...


Friends and family that love her as much as we do...





And of course...smiles!