First Word?

You would think that as a Speech Pathologist I would be able to tell you if Lydia has said her first word yet but honestly I'm not sure. Just this morning we were playing with her big pink ball. Lydia looked right at me and said "ba." Yay Lydia! However, I'm still not 100% sold. She also said "ba" during breakfast and our morning walk. Megan

Check Out Those Tans!

Uncle Joe-Joe and Grandma R spent the weekend with us! Boy, these two take beach-time to a whole new level. Every day was spent walking the beach, swimming in the waves and working on their tans (which put John and I to shame). Friday night we sipped Pinot Grigio and watched a very ominous storm roll by. On Saturday, Joe, John and I rented a fishing charter while Grandma R kindly watched Lydia. I spent most of the cruise green-faced but I like to think that I lived vicariously through Joe and John as they caught some pretty large king mackerels and mahi-mahi. We enjoyed the mahi-mahi for lunch yesterday--pretty darn tasty! Megan

Lydia's Cousin

Check out my cutie-pie six month old nephew, Nathan. I actually think he and Lydia somewhat look alike. Megan

Rauschenbergers On Vacation

We spent the past four days in Chicago visiting John's family. The view from Pops' condo was spectacular! That, along with the heavenly smell of chocolate coming from the nearby chocolate factory, made me fall in love with the Windy City. The highlight of the trip was a bike ride along the Riverwalk, lakeside and Navy Pier in seventy degree weather. John and I also got a night out on our own to see Cirque Du Soleil Michael Jackson. I can't think of a better activity for our date night! On Saturday we headed up to Wisconsin to see John's Grandma Sager and Uncle Mark in Madison. The trip ended with a picnic in Elgin, outside of Chicago, with most of the Rauschenberger clan. Sound busy? Yes, very much so, but an extremely refreshing change of pace from our slow and sometimes lonely life in Navarre. Megan

Congratulations John!

John was selected for promotion yesterday at work! His new title is Lieutenant Commander Select. These are John's work boots, in which he logs a tremendous amount of hard work. His dedication to the Navy is inspiring. Megan

Lesson Learned

As most of you already know, I bought John a used wagon off Craigslist for Father's Day. The wagon did not roll well. John replaced the wheel that wasn't working only to find that another wheel did not roll well either. Lesson learned--Do not buy used wagons off Craigslist! I replaced the wagon with the Land Rover of Radio Flyer wagons, the All Terrain Wagon. Maiden Voyage was a late afternoon stroll on the pier. I redeemed myself and John is over-the-moon with the upgrade. Megan

Splash!

We checked out the local splash-pad today, located at the base of the Navarre Beach bridge (just a 2 minute drive). Lydia loved playing in the water and watching all the kids. She is certainly drawn to other children. Most parents sat on the sidelines of the splash-pad reading or chatting. John and I are not quite ready to watch from the stands. Instead John walked around with Lydia, protecting her from the big kids. Megan

Ocean Evenings

My dad came to Navarre for a quick two-day visit this week. When we have visitors, John and I find it easier to slow down and appreciate the beauty of the Gulf. We spent both evenings on the balcony enjoying the light breeze, calm sea and leaping dolphins. Megan

Lovin' my Lydia-Time

Lydia tears-up the house daily (Nickname "Hurricane Lydia") with the most joyous smile on her face. She enjoys rolling around on soft pillows. If we join her on the ground, she will quickly pounce on us. When we feed Lydia, she will return the favor by trying to feed us. Yogurt, sure I bite. Cold ground chicken and veggies, no thank you. Megan

Bike Hair

As Lydia's hair grows longer, her bike-do gets wilder. Megan

We Wish You a Happy Fourth of July!

Lydia wishes everyone a wonderful holiday! We are having beautiful, hot weather on the Gulf. Lydia and I have been enjoying a lot of balcony time. Now that she can walk around well, she entertains herself on the balcony while I enjoy my coffee. Megan

Lydia's First Walking Shoes

We introduced Lydia to wearing shoes when she walks yesterday and were happy to see that she can walk with soft-soled shoes. Check out this sporty tomboy--I love it! Megan

Night Zoo

You are at this very moment reading the blog of a Gulf Breeze Zoo season pass holder! John and I visited the zoo Friday evening for the first time. The highlights of the trip were watching the giraffes run around (part of their mating ritual) and the aviary (Lydia's favorite). The picture of John and Lydia on the train is very misleading. Moments after this happy photo was taken and the train pulled away from the station, Lydia began screaming. It was the longest 15 minute train ride of my life. In her defense, it was past her bedtime. Megan