San Diego - week 2

We haven't had good internet connection since we've been home. So, here is the update from our second week in San Diego. Some of these pictures are copied from Molly's myspace, which is why they're smaller.
It was amazing to see how quickly he adapted to life on the go.

Some days it was hotter in San Diego than it was back in Arkansas... Heat wave!

Grammy and Granddaddy

Great Great Aunt Shirley and Great Great Aunt Georgia, who's tasting Liam's thumb.

Another Great Great Aunt Shirley

Uncle Caleb. Freshly shaven and ready for bootcamp!

Auntie Sarah and Hannah

He loved the handle of Molly's suitcase. Tasty.

Auntie Linda, where is your hair?

Desserts at Heaven Sent in Hillcrest. Yum.

Uncle FoFo and Uncle HayHay (Forest's buddy Hayden).

Ready to drive home from Whole Foods...

Line Dancing

I went line dancing one night with Molly and Emily.

This guy named Al tried to teach me how to 2-step. I'm really bad at it.

I'm also really bad at pool.

It was great to get to see Emily again.

La Jolla Cove

Hollywood

We drove up to L.A. with Molly, Emily, and Forest one day to get special fabric for circus. We had a fun time finding parking both in the fabric district and then in Hollywood. My general impression of Hollywood remains the same: it's a dirty place in every sense of the word. But, it was fun to take Liam to such a CA landmark... The drive back down to SD normally takes 2 hours or so. We hit traffic all the way down the coast. It took 5 hours.

Auntie Molly

The Hollywood sign is to the right of my ear...can you see it?

At Beard Papa's, a cream puff eatery.

You choose the cream puff, and they fill it for you right there.

Liam liked the looks of the cream puffs...

Seasoned traveler.

San Diego - week 1

We have been having a great time here in San Diego. The flight went really well. No major meltdowns. Thanks for all the prayers. Liam has done really well being in a new place for such a long time. He's learning how to be flexible. Some days are definitely better than others, but overall he's been fairly go-with-the-flow. It might have something to do with the fact that there are LOTS of people here loving on him. But he sure misses his Daddy!

At the San Diego Zoo

Don't let this sweet face fool you...he was a big grouch that day!

Liam really liked the goats in the children's zoo.

Liam and his cousin Hannah

At the Hall HouseLots and lots of fun with Grandpa!

Telling Grandma a story...

At Dog Beach in Coronado

He really liked squishing the sand between his toes...

Snuggling with Grammy

Grandaddy

San Diego Zoo - round 2

Ready to roll in his new umbrella stroller.

Liam's favorite animals were the flamingos: They were colorful, noisy, and didn't move too fast for him to keep track of them.

The hippos came right up to the glass for us to look at them...

This peacock was out for a stroll. He came right up next to us. Liam thought that was pretty neat.

This is an orangutan with a burlap bag over his face. Funny.

After a long day at the zoo, nothing's better than relaxing in the shade with your new favorite panda!

At the Woltman House

Making friends with Daphne (feeding her treats).

Making friends with Lily.


Uncle FoFo.

Liam really likes this hat!

Uncles are so much fun.

Lily thinks she'd like to go to school with Forest.

Diaper changes in the car = lots of fun

from the garden

Here are just a few of the things we've been harvesting from our garden. You know a lot is growing when it becomes a chore to have to go outside to pick it!

Lettuce and Strawberries

Elephant Garlic

Yellow Bush Beans

What's growing now:

LOTS and LOTS of cherry tomatoes (3 cheers for the mexico midgets...)

The beefsteak and paste tomatoes are just starting to ripen. I had a slice of one on my egg sandwich this morning. Definitely worth the wait!

We have a 6'x6' bed of sweet potatoes in fulls wing, but we won't harvest them until the fall.

A row of peanut sprouts (to harvest in the fall...homemade peanut butter). This is Gabe's baby.

Jalapenos, habaneros, cherry peppers, and cayenne peppers. Salsa anyone?

A huge head of red cabbage

Basil, basil, basil

2 baby watermelons

Gourds (both the bottleneck and easter egg varieties I've grown in the past...they came up as volunteers)

Coming soon:

Kale

Mustard Greens

Collard Greens

Carrots

Acorn Squash

What I really need to get outside and plant, but have been ignoring because of the heat and mosquitoes:

Lettuce

Another pumpkin (the vine I had going died from the heat and lack of water...)

Beets

Radishes

tickle me caleb

I always forget that I can't turn the videos after I take them...

But it's still super cute, even though it is sideways.

first bites - video

fun with the Boucher boys

We spent the weekend with Caleb and Owen Boucher so Jason could go on the "Man Trip" with our church. It was a lot of fun and a lot of craziness. Liam loved it. Gabe and I slept really well each night.

the boys

Owen

Caleb

first food

So I had been planning to wait until Liam turns 6 months to introduce solid foods. My research had convinced me that at 6 months a baby's digestive system is better prepared to handle new foods...and Liam has had issues with regularity from day one...

And then I started reading up on making homemade baby food, so I would have plenty of time to prepare myself for the logistics of it. That's when I read the "signs" to look for when determining if your baby is ready for solids:

Good head control - check
An interest in our food - check (he LOVES to watch us eat)
Wanting to nurse more frequently, like when he was a newborn - check...
Losing the tongue-thrust reflex - check (at this point I had to test it...)

So I caved and gave him so avocado.

First bite

What the...?
yuck!