Here's the Diehl

Cereal does not smell the same at the top end as the bottom end. Now I understand why people put off solid foods for so long. They make babies STINKY. And dirty. I think we got a little in her mouth. But I'm not sure. We're just starting rice cereal. Once a day for the last couple days. For about 5 minutes. Bella has already learned which of Julia's hands get dirty so she licks them. That will only get better for her. For us parents, it's bound to get more stinky before it gets better. And I thought Julia might have been getting constipated (Julia, if you're reading this ten years from now, I'm sorry honey for embarrassing you like this. But grandparents want to know.) Lucky for me, she finally made a giant poop with Juana today. Her clothes came home in a plastic bag. It must have been a doozie....three days of food unleashed on our poor nanny. Maybe Julia will be an early potty trainer just like she is an early teether. Please?

The irony of these photos is that not a single one was taken ON the beach. Probably because we didn't get to the beach all that much, really. Yes, we ran on the beach. Yes, we went for walks. Yes, we had nice weather. And, yes, Julia's first tooth came in while we were at the beach. Which means, yes, she was fussy the entire week there. BUT, it was a great week. Great weather. Great food. Great running (man that stroller is hard to push in the sand!). Great for Bella. Great to get up with the sun each day (not really). It was just great to be at the beach. So, I've just added a bunch of photos that were taken of Julia and of where we were staying. There is nothing special about any of these images. We hope to have some additional beach pictures to post soon, but for now, it's just our little fun shots. And a couple videos of Julia finding her own voice. Enjoy!

Julia and Bella sharing the back seat. Next year they will both get to face forwards. Sunday morning. One of the best sunrises. But, man, getting up with the sun is exhausting. Good thing Daddy is still awake to play with Julia.

Squeaks and squeals. Is she a dolphin or a seagull? We did see both. By the way, does anyone know how to rotate video files? And then Daddy and Julia needed a nap. The beach sure is beautiful though. At 6pm and 6am

Rainy days (just Friday!) are good for staying inside and playing. And for making Daddy sounds. But driving home was the most fun! Nothing like a Starbucks break for breakfast.

So, here we are again. Already. The months are going faster now. I don't know if it's because I'm back at work and so time just flies by. Or if we're really in a groove (except for bottlefeeding STILL) and things are just running so smoothly that time is fleeting by. Either way, it's going fast. At this rate, Julia will be asking about mortgage rates before we know it. She did pick Smart Money magazine out of the mail today to carry. Smart Money over Martha?! Daddy is so proud!

The people I answer to at home are way cuter than the ones I answer to at work. I'll just leave it at that.

We made a short road trip to visit with the Diehl side of the family. Julia loved seeing everyone and impressed the whole family with her babbling and giggles. We sure do hope to see more of the family down here in Virginia real soon.

Julia is getting so good at grabbing things and getting the hang of depth perception. The latest thing she loves to grab is the remote control.

Check me out movin' my legs in my bouncy seat.