Has It Really Been 6 Months?

The first 3 months felt like they "eeked" by ever so slowly, and then somewhere along the line, like warp speed, we are at 6 months and it totally feels surreal. Life is finally starting to feel normal, like a new normal, this being married and having a kid thing.

Rachel's 6 month Picture Below:

What's Been Fun

• Watching Rachel discover new toys and people - when we first put her in her exersaucer, she was bewildered and confused. Now she loves jumping in it and spinning all the toys
• Listening to Rachel's new noises - she loves to chat it up, especially when getting her diaper changed and when she's naked, or after she has nursed
• Traveling with Rachel - Thanks to her flexible personality, we have been braver in leaving the house for more than 1 hour at a time. Even though she gets short naps, she is still pleasant (unless hungry or overtired)

What's Been Not So Fun

• Teething - Ooh this girl can cry blood curdling cries when she's in pain. Thankfully, our friend Laura was with me one night Justin was out of town and quickly bought Orajel to ease the pain. Granted, she fell asleep by the time she returned (of course), but that has been a lifesaver since. Thank you Grace for all the teething toys! It takes a village.
• Sacrificing - 6 months later, I (Andrea) am still learning what it really takes to "die to one's own desires" and constantly needing to be reminded that "the world doesn't revolve around you" (anymore). Looking at Jesus's life and his selfless attitude are what inspire me and provide hope for change.
• Earthquake! Rachel slept through her first earthquake yesterday night. Justin and I woke up, jarred, when our bed was moving violently from left to right for 5 seconds. Like the movies, we grabbed each other to hold onto something that was stable - it was scary and exciting at the same time. Thankfully it was only a 4.5 and nothing fell from the walls.

Here are some picture updates of Rachel's 5th month:

All smiles with PoPo

Who knows what she was fussing about. Maybe she thought her onesie should have gone inside her jeans. Gong gong's first priority is warmth. She is wearing another onesie underneath the red one.

Maddie proudly holding Rachel

Visiting kev and Edna's baby Wesley (oops, not pictured)

Auntie Agnes and mom with the teddy bear. 

Yay! Auntie Steffy came back for the weekend!

Got to spend some quality time with Grandma!

Rachel went to church in a dress I wore when I was an infant 

Watching Finding Nemo with mui mui, aunt tina, uncle Daniel, and Maddie (who tolerated the movie)

Here are some pictures of Rachel teething:

And here are some of her favorite outfits

Justin was in DC for a few days, and Rachel (and mom) were very glad to have him home

This weekend, we took Rachel to Newport Beach and rode the ferry across to Balboa Island, where there is a nice pier and little shops and restaurants to walk along. She won't remember what she saw, but she really enjoyed laying on the picnic blanket, staring up at the palm trees and blue sky. We enjoyed a rare Mexican brunch with huevos rancheros and omelette topped with chili and cheese. The meal made us feel like we were back in Texas for a little bit :)

This teenage girl helping us take the photo told us to "do a silly one". We were not prepared nor experienced...

Rachel loves beatboxing in the park