Beach Life

I have spent the past 4 days shamefully hiding out from life. In all fairness... I did escape for a quick hello to meet Aunt Balissa yesterday, but almost as quickly as our visit ended... I was already racing back home with visions of pajama pants and an episode or two of Liv and Maddie on the Disney Channel.

Those vacation day blues. I've got it bad. We all do. Annie and Lucy haven't been out of pajamas in a couple days, naps are plentiful and sunshine is limited in the house. Honestly, if it weren't for the week that our maid came (I know. I'm a brat.), I swear we would have still been ankle deep in beach crap. Luckily though... because she was coming I did do some laundry and then stuffed all the rest in to our closet to live for a couple weeks. You know what... I'm okay with it.

I mean, let's be real. If you had seven days of unfiltered, abundant, laughter-filled moments of family time with the most beautiful backdrop, wouldn't you mourn its loss just a little? No? Well, then. I want to be YOU when I grow up... or do I?

On a different day, I would make every attempt to explain to you that for the wellness of my mind and body, my feet belong in the sea. The magic of laughter found from chasing waves or catching crabs between sugary sand dunes with flashlight yielding children, leaves imprints on my heart that even the purest of shoreline waves can’t wash away. All my worry and anxiety and frustrations take backseat and for the first time in what seems like forever I can breathe again. Like lung filling, no hesitation, take down the world sorts of breathing. Not to mention, dang. My nails look pretty darn stellar at the beach. In beach life we eat better. We sleep better. We play better. But even the most eloquent of expressions (and this is not that) would absolutely do little to truly identify the solace and safety I find there. So... I won't explain it. 

I'll just show it. 

Because these people...

and their shenanigans...

in this place ...

casts the most beautiful light in my heart.

I am gently reminded it has always been that way...

Lucy and Daddy- 2013

 Annie and Daddy- 2015

Now to seek out "vacation mode" Julie in my every day life. Oh the greatness that could be.

Eleven Months!!

 ...
I'm not even going to pretend that I'm just sneaking this bad boy in under the wire. Five days, folks. Psst...it's birthday week.

Buuuuuuutttt..... let's pretend it is not and take it back a few to a time not so long ago...

You remember that time... where you could actually play outside in Texas and didn't feel your skin melting off your bones. Remember that time???? I miss it.

Eleven Months was beautiful. Road trippin'

crazily celebrating my favorite guy...

For real fun. Eating flip flops on the bottom of a dressing room loads of fun.

Cousin hangs kind of fun.

DISCOVERING ICE CREAM kinds of fun.

And that whole trip to see Dr. Williams and hearing that my "hips are looking good"... well that was okay but my parents sure seemed excited. I just wanted to hang around my friend.

11 months... you've been good. 

*Physical therapy started up for Annie one day a week which means that before we started therapy she pretty much charged head on in to all her milestones... cause' that is how it works, no? Travels to Dallas, learning to crawl, swimming almost every single day... all kinds of gloriousness. 

This whole first year of life... almost checked off the list! FIVE DAYS. We can't wait. 

10 Months!

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I know that we are very quickly approaching that first birthday mark and yet amazingly, this month was my most favorite ---filled to the brim with all the great new firsts for our sweet girl.

10 months.

Annie's nine month well-check was pushed to 10 months due to her cast and need for backlogged vaccinations.

10 Month Stats

Weight: 14 lb. 4 oz. -- >1%

Height: 25.5 inches -- >1%

Head: 42.9 cm -- 16%

She's small like her sisters for sure... just a bit extra small due to her body cast and limited muscle mass. What she lacks in size she makes up for in mighty.

In her first week out of cast Annie learned how to roll over both ways and sit up. She's pretty proud of her new-found mobility!

I just can't get enough of those little leggies! They have been so greatly missed.

Some other great firsts for the month...


First swing... SUCH A HIT.

First wedding!!

First time out in clothes that fit!

First full weekend at the pool and actual first swim!

First frozen yogurt!

We also decided this month that it is high time that Annie starts holding her own around here. She sure makes for a great laundry sorter. (Best core work to date!)

Annie also had her first kiss this month by her future husband. She's a sucker for the older men (a whole month older!)

School's out, the summer is FINALLY here and we are slowly starting to build a new bit of normalcy around here. Not to mention better sleep schedules. Annie is still in her Lorenz brace 12 hours a day (while she sleeps) that keeps her crazy abducted still but we are so grateful for the daytime mobility. She now is just waking up once a night (brace isn't all that comfy) vs. the 2-3 times for the past 4 months. So.. WHOOHOO for that... we will take all the extra sleep we can get.

Visits to Dallas, parks, hill country fun and the BEACH are on the horizon. Such a fun month to come!!