Gymboree Time

Elise is doing tummy time during her very first Gymboree session. She loved looking at the other kids and even though she was the oldest, she wasn't the biggest. Most of the boys in the class had her beat.

Golden Gate Park

This was Elise's first picnic and here she is being held by Auntie Monique while getting some love from Auntie Jeanne

Santa Barbara Vacation

On the way home, we made a pit stop in Solvang to eat, shop, and stretch our legs a bit. Solvang is a very cute little town. We ate at this pancake house that made awesome Gouda omelettes and waffles with homemade whipped butter. Yum!

Electric Trolley

For 25 cents, we rode the electric trolley up and down the main drag

Chillin'

Dad and Elise relaxing after a day of sightseeing

Beachfront

Believe it or not, this is only our second family picture. This was taken in front of our hotel, right across from the beach.

Stearns Wharf

Elise is snoozing away as we tour Stearns Wharf

Paseo Nuevo

During one of our early dinners (5pm), Elise is hanging out while we wait for our food. The area that we are in is Paseo Nuevo which is a very cool outdoor shopping plaza.

Two-Piece Bikini

Already the California girl, Elise relaxes poolside while Dad takes a dip

Swimming Pool

Happily splashing in the water, Elise didn't mind the pool at all. She may not be an Aquarius by birth sign but she sure loves the water.

Santa Barbara Harbor

We took our first family vacation to Santa Barbara, CA. Elise was a trooper in the car during the 5+ hour drive (which we did in 7 hours). She mostly slept and adjusted very well to her new surroundings.

Finding Toes

Elise has discovered she has toes. Now she'll swing her feet up and catch them with her hands. They make great playthings in a pinch and seem to occupy her endlessly.

Tripod Pose

This is what they call the tripod pose with her hands making the "third leg". For a few seconds she can sit all by herself and she usually bounces forward like she's trying to scoot ahead.

Happy 5-Month Birthday

Happy 5-month birthday Elise. Her cheeks are definitely her trademark. They are full and round and we kiss them every chance we get. There's an old wives tale that if you kiss your baby's cheeks too much they get bigger. We don't care because we find them irresistible. She is definitely talking up a storm these days. Some days she is so animated, her whole body seems to jump out of her clothes. She has gotten into the habit of only taking 30 minute naps, usually 3 a day which doesn't give Mom much time to do anything. And she is very precise about it, not a minute more or less. We guess it's the downside of her sleeping 11 hours at night.

We didn't have a doctor's appointment this month but we think she's somewhere between 13 and 13.5 pounds.

Highchair Time

This is Elise's first time in her high chair. It gives her a much better view of the kitchen and she can watch us work while we talk to her.

Still being fed exclusively with breastmilk, usually 5 times a day every 3 hours, Elise will soon be transitioning to solids in about a month.

Water Play

As we said before, Elise loves to take baths and she is now discovering the water and how fun it is to run your hands under it.

Sitting Up

Elise has gotten very good at holding up her head. In fact, when she hears one of us say "uppie" she gets ready to pull up into the sitting position.