the ocean

i love having j. home more. today we took elenora to the ocean for the first time! i've been saving it for a nice day, and it got up to about forty degrees so we headed out. singing beach is one of the most beautiful, and in the winter the dogs all come out to play. elenora was so good and just cuddled in my arms and looked at the waves and the sand. we walked so far down the beach that she fell asleep on our way back. it's so nice to have her sleep in my arms sometimes, since she mostly just sleeps on the bed. she's so darling. and it was so special to have j. there with us. at his last job he was barely ever home before seven at night, so this was really fantastic.










ella has been reaching for food a lot lately. the other night i was drinking a glass of water and she reached for that, too. i let her touch the outside with her hands, and then she pulled it to her mouth. she seemed to know what to do with it, so i guided it to her lips and she drank a bit. it was so cute to see how happy it made her. now she continues to reach for our glasses and even water bottles. today i pulled out a sippy cup for the first time and put a tiny bit of water in it. she loved handling that. i don't know that i've read anything about giving babies water... but i can't think it would hurt her any.

she has also been talking a lot. sometimes while i nurse her she pulls off to look up at me and smile, and sometimes she will also talk. she will then go back on and repeat: pull off, look up and smile, talk, go back on. it's the cutest thing and makes me laugh. she knows it's a joke too.