Navarre Beach

Our time in Navarre Beach is sadly wrapping up. It has been an awesome three weeks and totally rekindled my love of this special place. Lydia and I made it to the beach and pool almost every day. Pictures of a tan toddler coming soon! She has become so confident swimming in the pool with her water wings that I can hang out on the side with just my feet in (the water has become a tad chilly for grown folks). Lydia never tired of playing in the sand, chasing the seagulls or running down the sloped beach until she could kick water. My favorite moment of the entire trip was watching John swim in the Gulf with Lydia, both of them laughing as the waves rocked them around. The Navarre dolphins are alive and well, as we saw them more frequently than ever. I am already looking forward to our return next year. Megan

Imperfect Parent

I read a great article this morning about the joy of parenting and how it has nothing to do with being a perfect parent.  Looking back at Lydia's first six months of life, this is certainly my greatest regret and something I do not want to repeat with the new baby.  I constantly compared myself to others and held myself to too high of a standard. I often need to be reminded that no mother is perfect.  Facebook and Pinterest don't help to covey this, nor do blogs like this one.   You only see the highlights, especially since it is a gratitude blog. So here are some of my imperfect realities:  I have made no headway what-so-ever with potty training, mainly because I don't feel up to the challenge.  Lydia still sleeps with a pacifier.  I was planning on kicking the habit during our time in Florida.  Now I am chickening out, thinking it might be quite useful on our flight home.  Five fruits and veggies a day, forget about it!  And only two hours of TV a day, are they joking!?!?!  I vow to work on accepting these imperfections rather than beating myself up over them.  Megan

Trunk or Treat

John didn't want to miss out on the Halloween fun so we celebrated early by going to the YMCA's trunk or treat (the same as trick or treat but done from decorated cars). Lydia was not a fan of her fairy costume at first and I considered skipping the festivity all together. However, we are pleased we enticed her to keep the costume on. Once we got to the event, she changed her tune. This child loves being around other kids and the candy made it an even sweeter deal. Megan

Chatting with Lydia

Here is a two minute video that shows Lydia being chatty.  She likes to talk about all her favorite things.  I realize now that I misunderstood her several times in it (telephone and bus).  No wonder she gets frustrated at us!  And for the record, I do not give her coffee.  Megan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uX0kl_R5xcU

Back on the Emerald Coast

It feels truly indulgent to be vacationing with Lydia on the Gulf Coast. Because John has had the car all week in Mobile, any pressure to do activities other than the beach and pool is gone. Five mornings of glorious outdoor time, followed by naps for both Lydia and I. I can't complain one bit. The ocean is every bit as beautiful as I remember. So happy we bought this condo. Megan

Cross Country Take Two

I had promised myself to avoid a cross country trip with a toddler following our move to California, which was a long, exhausting journey.  But the promise of beach sunsets and pool time was just too enticing. We decided to give the family car trip another go, this time with much more planning and organization.  It paid off!  Lydia was a happy camper with lots of new toys and Curious George videos.  She even napped the first few days.  We made it a point to drive no more than eight hours a day, giving us plenty of pool time at our predetermined hotels. Plus, we all ate better on this trip.  I'm not going to lie and say that things weren't unraveling by the time we hit the Gulf Coast but we did redeem ourselves as car travelers.  I can see more trips in our future.  Megan

Lydia's First Official Haircut

John and I found ourselves in agreement that Lydia's hair had become a tangled mess, always in her eyes and often with food stuck in it. Problem solved (we hope) with this cute first cut. Megan

A Happy Birthday for John

Friday Birthdays are the best, aren't they!?!?! We celebrated John's 34th by visiting the galley/restaurant on his sector for dinner (his idea!). The Sector is right on the water and offers gorgeous views of the downtown skyline. Plus, the place is quite empty on the weekends (one of the only peacful places in San Diego on a Friday evening). John and Lydia were watching the cruise ships leave the bay in this photo. The galley was serving chicken fried steak. Not too bad for $4.50 a plate...and Lydia was free! We might have to make this part of our weekly routine. Megan

Getting Ready for Baby

Because the next few months will be busy with travel, we have spent the last few weeks getting ready for Baby! Here is a pic of the nursery. We still need to add curtains, wall decor and crib, but it has come so far from being the catch-all room. I love coming in here and picturing our baby boy playing, getting so excited to meet him. We toured labor and delivery at the hospital a few weeks ago which also drove it home that we are now in the final trimester and getting close to the finish line. With so much going on in the next few months, he will be here before we know it! Megan

Hailing John

John's luncheon to "hail" him into Sector San Diego was this afternoon. It was just another proud moment for us as a family to reflect on how far we have come in just a year's time. And we are lovin' the Coast Guard! It is small and not intimidating. The people are friendly and the hours are great. I continue to be so thankful that we have been given this opportunity. Megan