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Ladybug

So I ordered Nicole a ladybug rocker. It is the cutest thing ever. I was never a patient person when it came to gifts. Me and Jake have never waited to give gifts we just give them to each other without waiting. It seems that our gifts for Nicole are going to be given to her right away. Luckily this is the first birthday and she doesnt really know that they are gifts. Next year we will have to learn to wait to give her some gifts. She also got some new earrings. I havent tried changing her earrings yet, maybe tonight we will. Her birthday party is on the 16th but we are celebrating it on the 30th. Jake gets home from his fishing trip on the 14th and we plan to go camping for the weekend, so we will be doing smash cake in the woods. Sounds perfect to us.

Walking

Good news

So this week has been great. Nicole started taking steps this week on her own a lot. Over the past two days she has been walking everywhere, so I have officially put down that she started walking on the 22nd of June. 11 months 6 days old, so exciting. When we get to daycare everyday we walk holding hands down the halls, it takes forever but she enjoys it. Today I thought she was going to run on me. She is the only one in her room walking so she is showing up the little boys in there.

Jake got great news this morning at 505 am. He made Tech Sergeant. So exciting he won't be able to sew on the next stripe for a few months yet. But its nice to know that he made it. I saw his name first on the list and he didn't beleive me that he was on there. It was nice that his bosses called a few minutes later to congradulate him.

Mini Update

Nicole got the crud that me and Jake had last week.  So sad to see her not feel good and not be able to do anything for her.  I took her to the doctor off base to get seen.  After having pneumonia in Feb I am more cautious now.  So the doctor said she sounded good and didn't see any major issues outside of her cough.  On the plus side to this appt we got to see her height and weight.  She is 22lbs even and 30 inches tall.  Such a skinny minnie.  Now it seems she is developing hives.  It is coming and going.  I read some about it and it seems that the most likely cause is the virus she has is causing the hives.  So far they are not causing her any problems.  Hopefully she is better this weekend.  Plan to go camping as much as possible this summer.

California

So it has been a week since we got home from California.  We had a very long trip home, I think we spent longer there this time then we did for our own wedding.  We traveled home to see family and be a part of Dustin and Malia's wedding.  Jake and I spent a few days away from Nicole for the first time.  We went to Monterrey and went to the aquarium.  Both me and Jake remember the aquarium being much bigger than it was this time.  We had a great date night out for Jake's birthday. 

Jake sure knows how to take a picture.

While we were away from Nicole she was being spoiled by Nana and Papa.

After going to Monterrey we went and spent a few days with Grandma and Granddad.  She got to enjoy spending time with the dogs and playing in the dirt.  It seems that granddad doesn't want Nicole to nap.  Constantly playing with Nicole while trying to settle her down, sounds a lot like Jake.  

Jake, Dustin, Scott, Mike and Andrew all got to go fishing.  They went to somewhere, where it is almost guaranteed to catch a fish.  Andrew was a little hesitant to hold the fish and wanted to play more once he caught one.  The guys taught him to say that the fish was big and how to hold his arms all the way out.  It was really cute.



So happy, loving the outdoors





Smiling at her Papa





I want some lip gloss, please. 



After spending time with Jake's dad we went and stayed at a hotel for the remainder of our trip.  We took Nicole swimming for the first time. However the pool was cold and not heated at all.  So eventually we got into the hot tub.

We were lucky and got to see Anna and Sarah before they headed to the coast for Relay for life.  It was so hot on this day, may have been the hottest, so we indulged in a Gigantic snow cone.  

We made one long day and drove to the beach and saw Randy (Jake's high school friend) and Granny S.  We were lucky and Granny had the day off, so we all went to the Ocean.  The water was warm much warmer than the pool at the hotel.  Nicole was mesmerized by the ocean she just kept staring at it. She enjoyed playing in the sand.  We found a sand dollar and brought it home to remember our first ocean visit with Nicole.

We met and spent some time with Jake's cousin Chris and his family.  Nicole sure enjoyed her time with them.

Nicole also got to meet her Aunt Cindy and Uncle Dennis for the first time. At lunch with the family Dennis gave Nicole a lemon wedge while we were waiting for some food.  You know how impatient she gets.  She kept making a face while eating the lemon but never put it down, so she must have liked it.  

Nicole also got to meet Granny S brother Bill and his wife Doreen.  She found herself a new love in Bill.  She just had so much fun with him.  I think it might have been the beard.

Nicole sure loved Andrews Mater Toy.  We thought she was getting ready to walk with help from a toy with wheels.  And had talked about getting her something when we got home.  Nana and Papa had this still so for the first couple of days she crawled with the toys and pushed them around that way.  Eventually she realized she could walk and push or pull the toy. Every time she sat on this she would roll backwards and not forward.  Whatever works for her I guess.

I got Jake and Scott to stand back to back and see how much more till Scott towers over both of his brothers.  He is already taller than Dustin.

This was nearing the end of our trip.  The wedding was the next day and then we were headed home.  I think we were home longer for this trip than our own wedding.  But it was a good trip.  Got to see a lot of family, introduce Nicole to some new family and take part in a great wedding.  It was great to see Dustin and Malia make it official.  It is nice to be home now.  Planning our next trip.  Probably to Oregon and Washington again this fall.