So, it turns out that a week by week retelling of a baby's life via blog is just too much for a Mama to keep up. Or at least when that Mama & her husband are packing up the house, moving to another one, trying to unpack, and enduring California's hottest running two weeks in decades. Which describes our last month of life. It is finally starting to cool off a bit today and for the first time in days, we are looking hopefully at the prospect of staying home in the afternoons as opposed to fleeing the house (which has only air conditioning in the bedroom) and dragging Vianne from Starbucks to McDonald's to libraries to stores all over the area.
She's been such a trooper this last month, and often has a much better attitude in all this than her mother. I thank God daily for such a sweet, good natured, resilient baby.
The house is still only about 75% unpacked, only about 25% organized. Fewer photos are being taken these days - and for a week or so most of them were being held hostage on a dead laptop (RIP my fun purple computer :-( ) until Patrick had time to be my hero and retrieve everything on my hard drive.
So, I'm considering the posts about our Oregon trip Weeks 12-14 and starting back up, in an attempt to catch up despite all the aforementioned drama. Without further ado, I give you Week 15.
Having recently begun to wear her 3 month clothes, Week 15 was something of a fashion show, trying on a bunch of new cute outfits.
Little Monkey :-)
Adorable outfit from cousin Sarah - I tried really hard, but couldn't get a smile!
Super cute! Cherry onesie & polka dot pants from Bonny Classen
Also the week where she started sucking on her hands almost constantly (as opposed to just when hungry - which made it hard to know when she was hungry!)
Another onesie in the set from Bonny
This hilarious shot is one of my very favorites of her yet. This was moving day, when V & I were hanging out in the bedroom while Grandpa, Daddy & Uncle Jon moved all the stuff into a big truck. Is she praying over their efforts...or plotting to take over the world?
The 5th of July we had a very fun day with cousin Molly & Great Aunt Carol & Grandma G., exploring the wonders of the Oregon Coast. This was Vianne's first time to a beach!
We had to stop at the Tillamook Cheese Factory, of course! Vianne decided to sleep through it. Maybe next time she will be more entranced with its magic.
Vianne with the Squeaky Cheese
Can't leave without having had some root beer float ice cream!
Baby Loaf :-)
So, like a true Oregonian, I wasn't expecting it to actually be nice at the beach. I was envisioning a more gray/rainy day, perusing shops and such. So I didn't really prepare for actually taking Vianne onto the beach. Which turned out a bit tragic when it proved to be one of those rare, perfectly sunny days at the Oregon Coast. Sunny, cloudless days and babies don't mix, so I fear that V's first beach trip was not at all pleasant, and mostly spent crying as I tried to shield her with the nursing cover, pictured below...
Nonetheless, dear cousin Molly (also helpful with crying babies in cars) helped us leave her mark on the beach.
Vianne did a lot of this as we traveled about.
After some shopping in Cannon Beach, we headed home & stopped at Camp 18 for dinner - never a bad idea!
The photos seem to be getting a bit more scarce, so there's hope that I will get this trip blogged after all. The next day, Friday, we spent with the Blairs. Had to get a shot of Vianne on Margot's ladybug quilt, in her cute new outfit from Aunt Jenny that also has a ladybug.
The second of two photos from Friday - a trip to the park. Somewhere the Blair ladies are playing in the background. Someday Vianne will join them...
Saturday morning, lounging & looking pretty at Grandma G.'s
Vianne got her first McMenamin's experience, where we joined the Hsiehs for lunch. That night, we had a Hsieh-Lincoln-Terwilliger-Oden extravaganza at the Terwilligers house.
With Kirstin
Sunday morning, we visited Hope Fellowship. Vianne wore her festive French dress from Aunt Vera & Uncle Geoff. Here she is with Debby...
And after church with the Blair ladies...
On Sunday night, cousin Shannon kindly hosted a Gustafson clan gathering, so even more family could get acquainted with Vianne. Here she is with Grandma, Shannon, her daughter Cate, and cousin Annie.
With cousin Annie
With cousin Shannon
With Great Aunt Carol
With Great Uncle Steve and Uncle Chris
With Great Aunt Gayle
With Uncle Thom
Another with cousin Rachael - sooooo sweet!
On Monday morning, Vianne & our friend Lynn got to meet!
Family dinner with the Storeys that night, saying goodbye to Chris & Matt
My lifelong friend Kendra came to visit on Tuesday, along with her adorable twin girls Emily & Grace.
With Aunt Emily, who often held Vianne but was not often photographed doing so :)
That last night we had a family dinner together, but apparently this photographer was worn out. The next morning Grandma/Mom took us to the airport, and mid-afternoon we were back with Daddy/Patrick after two great weeks!
That night, sleepy baby & Daddy, reunited!
