Feeding them chickens.

When we toured our cohousing community, I saw a little 3-year-old boy feeding the chickens.  I thought, I can't wait til our kid is someday feeding the chickens with me.  Sometimes Avi doesn't want to feed them and she stays home while I rush to feed them quickly, but more often she comes with me and has a great time feeding them.  She's never been afraid and often tries to pet them while she's feeding them.  Now, Mila can grab the scratch and feeds them, too!

Sand!

Considering how close we leave to the beach, it's amazing how fast time flies and we don't make it there (and in this case - how fast Mila is growing and maturing).  This was the first time I really set her down on the beach.  Of course, she's been going to the beach since the first week of her life, but now that she can sit up on her own it is a different story!

Sand feels so interesting and fun!

At first she just touched the sand with her hands, but soon the sand went into her mouth when I turned to look at her sister on the swing...

Hiking with Mila

One of my favorite things to do is hike.  It's so simple - all you need is a pair of shoes and a bottle of water and a little baby body strapped to the front of you.  Luckily, I live about 5-20 minutes away from about 25 different hikes.  Extra fortunate, there is a mommy & me hiking class offered in my area.  I did this class with Avi and loved every hike.  Thankfully, I have a sitter who plays with Avi so I can now enjoy hiking with Mila.  She loves getting outdoors, being against mommy, falling asleep being lulled by the rhythmic walking, and seeing other babies.

Felsman Loop looking at Bishop's Peak.

 Mila hiking hard.  I love this picture because her little hand stayed right there the entire hike/time she was asleep.

View of SLO from Madonna Mountain.

View from the top of Ontario Ridge.  Michael came on this hike because it was on my 33rd birthday & he and I took turns carrying Avi who was about 28 pounds at the time.  Thanks, Love!

Felsman loop.

Hiking is getting harder!

With this second baby, my uterus and ab muscles really cramp a LOT.  If I just walk one block at a steady pace I feel like I'm having a mild contraction!  Crazy!  I just walk through them though, figure they are just a reality of the state I'm in now.  I also try to breath into them and focus on relaxing that area.  Geez, it's really crazy cool how the body works, though!

The top of West Cuesta Ridge where you can see from Morro Rock to Point Sal on a clear day!

5 months pregnant

Avi doesn't seem to think that this hiking is too hard!

Every Monday we do stroller class.  Sometimes my stomach is killing me, but I just try to keep up with all the other moms and babies.

Red Rain Coat

 Thanks to Sitti for this very cute rain coat and hat.  Thanks to Millie for the ladybug hand-me-down rainboots.

 Pacha, Fred, Millie, Avi and Maren looking for a puddle to splash in!

 Found a puddle!

 Two camera-crazy mommies!

 Avi practicing her dentist skills on Millie who is not sure what to do about it.

Hot Springs

We recently had a mini vacation to some beautiful, natural hot and warm springs near Ojai.  Avi loved it - almost as much as mommy!