And we're in...

We finally made it to, and survived through moving day...or shall I say moving days.  After a series of unfortunate events and seriously shady dealings with the moving mafia, we are in and have the majority of our household items and sanity intact.  

One of my favorite photos from the move, a fast moving Andy in front of more dollar bills than I have seen in one setting, highlights the shadiness of this entire operation.  After a day or two late, and not a dollar short, the moving mafia made their appearance, collected the cold hard cash and not so gracefully moved in our furniture.  

Mais, alors....our lovely new kitchen and family room in my favorite Benjamin Moore shade - Palladium Blue

Harrison was a bit uneasy at first of the big move, however shortly after the boxes and furniture began arriving, he was elated to see some of his favorite items including the piano,

the breast pump, and his favorite moto-cop rocker (who wouldn't put these two items together?).

Although a bit rocky at times, this move couldn't have gone as smoothly as it did given the circumstances without the incredible support of Andy's parents who worked tirelessly packing and unpacking boxes, entertaining a rather active toddler, and cooking us delicious meals.  Thank you Karen and Harold...Harrison so enjoyed playing blocks with you and showing off his biking skills!

At one moment during the move I caught a glimpse of myself and the ever growing belly in the closet mirror and had to take this self portrait of our baby girl and I in our new home.  What an adventure this continues to be!

We are currently working on a landscaping plan for our mini yard, and in the interim, we are all not terribly enjoying the dirt and straw covered space.  Throw a few pieces of furniture and rugs outside however, and an instant oasis of sorts is created.  Here Harrison is teaching Max about some of the finer aspects of the yard - concrete blocks and rocks.

" See Max, you eat the rocks..mmmmm, delicious!"

Blue and his blue bone - looking a bit scrappy but still always a happy dog.

Our second night in the new house found a happy Harrison and Max enjoying spending quality time together on the stairs.  I think they like it!

Harrison checking out the cute boy in the mirror. 

A collection of photos

Despite moments of longing for the familiarity and comfort of the Northwest, life thus far in San Diego has been rather incredible.  We spend much of our time soaking in the outside and exploring this different kind of loveliness.  

A trail steps away from the Casita, leading into the Elfin Forest.  We love to take walks through this gorgeous area, listening to a symphony of frogs, birds, and a meandering creek.

Harrison is thrilled with his new home and getting to spend much more time comfortably outside.  

Nature boy

Harrison's latest obsession:  slides

Pure determination

 Working on the farm

Checking out the horses just below the Casita

A chilly and bright day at the beach

 Hanging out at a park just down the block from the new house

Loving precious time with Dad

 Hhhmmm...boys

A House in Progress

The house in January

And thus far...

 Before landscaping and final paint job - Harrison loves playing around the construction site

Andy and Harrison enjoying time in the kitchen just after the counter tops and back splash were installed

The family on tour 

H running with keys in the "expansive" side yard...safety first!

One of several series of paint swatches

The Great Unveiling

We discovered I was pregnant in the whirlwind of the winter holidays and looking back it still feels surreal.  In mid-December, after I spent much of our scouting mission to California fatigued and feeling generally less than amazing, Andy suggested I take a pregnancy test. Although seriously doubting this to be a reasonable explanation, after 2 home pregnancy tests and a visit to the doctor, the existence of baby #2 was confirmed just before Christmas Eve.  We spent the remainder of the holidays marveling in this beautiful and surprising gift.   

Fast forward through our chaotic move and some uncomfortable mornings, and here we are!  I am currently 20 weeks along (half way) and at this point, with so many other crazy factors in life, we decided to learn the gender of our new baby.  During an anatomy scan at the doctor's office, the mystery gender was written down on a sheet of paper and placed in a sealed envelope to be opened at a later time. 

We wanted the moment of unveiling to honor both the new little one and our family, and choosing a location near the ocean seemed the most fitting.  Thus, near dusk in Del Mar, after Harrison exhausted himself playing at the park, we walked along a cliff band overlooking the ocean and opened the envelope.  This moment couldn't have been more perfect.  

  

Dad and Harrison overlooking the Del Mar beach.

The envelope please....

Side profile of baby # 2.

And without further adieu...

Life's a Beach!

Well, not exactly, but during my parents recent visit to San Diego, we found ourselves on the lovely Torrey Pines beach in 76 degree weather.  Not bad for early March!

It was a momentous day as this marked the first time Harrison's little feet had experienced the bliss of warm sand, smooth pebbles and gentle salt water.  As you can see from the photos, he absolutely loved this new adventure and we cherished the opportunity to experience the beach through a toddler's eyes.

First steps

Exploration

Sandy hands with Gigi

Walking in water

I love waves

Harrison and the ever growing belly by the sea

Making sand castles with Grandad and Gigi

Contemplation

Sorting and classifying rocks

Showing Gigi and Grandad the beach