Nap time

This melts my heart! So sweet!

Half a year old

Cally is now 6 months old! I can't believe how fast time flies! She has been learning new things and growing like crazy! Here are some of her milestones:

• She now weighs 22lbs 1.4oz and is 29 inches long. She is still in the top 97% percentile for both her height and weight!
• She wears 12-18month clothes and some of them barely fit her. She is still a chunky monkey and her little thunder thighs are to die for!
• Her favorite thing of all is of course her walker. She cruises all around the house in it and is continuously discovering something new (which means mommy has to be on her toes at all times!).
• She is talking more and more now and mumbles the sound "ma-ma" which I absolutely love to hear. Although I know she doesn't quite know what she's saying, it's still melts my heart!
• She has officially learned to roll over! Although most babies master this well before 6 months, her massiveness prevented her from doing this earlier. She is now strong enough to pull her weight! Haha
• She is now eating solid foods! Although its just a few spoonfuls here and there, she has learned the concept of chewing and swallowing and no longer spits the food out.
• Her two middle bottom teeth have come in and she looks adorable!
• When placed in a sitting position, she can sit for a short period of time without assistance.

(Pictures to come...)

Congratulations Mike and Erin!

Our wonderful friends Mike and Erin finally tied the knot and we flew all the way to Chicago to help celebrate their special day. The wedding ceremony was held on a boat overlooking Navy Pier and the reception was held while cruising along Lake Michigan. The view was amazing and the the bride and groom were stunning. We had a blast! Congratulations Erin and Mike! So glad we were able to be there to witness such a beautiful moment. Wishing you all the love and happiness in this world!

Our flight did not leave until the following evening so we spent our day in Chicago walking around, eating their famous deep dish pizzas and hanging out at the famous Millennium Park. We had a great time and can't wait to go back!

Cally's First Bites

We decided with the collaboration of Cally's pediatrician that Cally can start eating solid foods when she turns 6 months old.This was a huge step for her and us as well. Since Zane will be gone for most of her "firsts," I wanted him to be one to feed Cally her first bites. Although technically she is not exactly 6 months we decided to try just a few days earlier since we will be in Italy on her official 6 month birthday. I was so excited to watch her reaction to her first bites! Although bit confused, spitting out most of what daddy would put in her mouth, she eventually got the hang of it and had a few bites of the delicious rice cereal and breastmilk concoction. Here are some pictures of the momentous occasion.

(Pictures to come...)

Dog Beach

San Diego has a wonderful place for all dog lovers. Since the rule is that no dogs are allowed on the beaches, San Diego has designated a specific place for all dogs to come and enjoy the water and soak up the sun, Dog Beach. Here all dogs are free to swim and play without the necessity of being on a leash. We like to take the dogs here as much as we can and love watching them run around and play in the water. On this occasion, Trinity finally learned to swim and she along with Stafford and Layla swam while Zane, Cally and I coasted through the current and back. It was so much fun!

Swinging the day away

Cally's has always loved her swing. From day one, she loved to rock and swing. Now at 5 1/2 months she is still enjoying every minute of it. Here's some pictures of her having fun and swinging the day away.

Clean as a Whistle

Cally trying out the shower for the first time with daddy. She loved it...

A Girl's Weekend

My wonderful friend Hollie drove down from Las Vegas to escape the hot weather and get some girl time with Cally and I. It was so nice to relax and veg out while catching up and reminiscing about our "wild days." Cally got to spend some time with Aunt Hollie and she loved every minute of it. Thanks for coming Halls! We miss you already!

A Visit From Aunt Erica

My sis and her family decided to come visit me this past weekend before her and the kiddos start school again. Nickolas is 10 years old and will be starting 5th grade, Kaitlyn is 5 and is starting 1st grade and my sis will be continuing working towards her nursing degree (so proud of her!). Although their stay was pretty short we had a great time hanging out and catching up. I took them to Del Mar Beach in Camp Pendleton and we soaked up the sun as the kids and Klay played in the water. Here are some pics of our fun day! Thanks for coming out guys!!!

My sis and I

Uncle Klay and Cally

The cousins together

Kaitlyn and I

The Koger Family

Cousins having fun

Aunt Erica and Cally

5 Months Old

Cally is now 5 months old and I can't believe how fast she's growing!!! Every day she learns something new and its so fun to watch. Zane recently bought her a walker and with it she has found a little taste of freedom. The first couple of times she was in it she would just push backwards but she soon learned the concept of putting one foot in front of the other and what it meant. Our whole downstairs is tile so she definitely uses it to her advantage and is now moving all over the house. It's so funny to watch her little legs move and I know she loves being mobile. She continues to grow, weighing 20lbs 2.5 oz as of now and I'm definitely starting to notice how heavy shes getting as I'm reminded every time I pick her up. She continues to be a super easy baby, allowing me to run errands, go out, etc., without ever making a peep. She's such an awesome baby and I feel so blessed to have her in my life!!

Fun at the park

Uncle Mikey and Uncle Danny come to visit

My two youngest brothers Mikey and Danny came down to visit us for a week. They like to come visit us every summer if they are able to and spend some time with Zane and I doing fun stuff. When we lived in FL they came and stayed with us and they did everything from wake boarding, to camping, to museums, etc. This time around I knew it would be a bit different since Cally is around but they were great with her and we were still able to do everything that we wanted to do. We spent the week swimming, going to La Jolla cove to snorkel, checking out the Phrogs at Camp Pendleton, out to many dinners, dirt bike riding, the beach, shopping and going to the San Diego Zoo. Both guys were great Uncles to Cally always entertaining her and making her smile. Danny even changed a diaper!! We had a blast together! Thanks for coming down guys!!