Plane People

Yesterday (Wednesday) felt surreal.
Everything was normal when we woke up. Bradshaw’s toys were strewn across the floor in the front room. Some dishes sat in the sink waiting to be washed. Dustinn opened the balcony door to let in the breeze. I took a long shower.
But at 9am the movers showed up and by mid-afternoon, the apartment was barren minus a few dust bunnies blowing across the floor.
We loaded our suitcases into a taxi and said goodbye to California.

Today (Thursday) we took a one-way flight across the country. We arrived in Washington D.C. at night. And something about the thick forest; the dark, empty roads and light reflecting off the Potomac made me feel like I’d entered the Legends of Sleepy Hollow.

Bradshaw seems a little anxious sleeping in a new place but otherwise we are settled in. Dustinn will take the metro to work and we’ll live at the hotel until we find a more permanent home.

Pull strap to tighten

9 MONTHS OLD

My friend Julie does a monthly "birthday" post about her daughter. (How cool is it that she will be able to look back and remember exactly what her baby was like at each age?)

Anyway, I think it is such a great idea! So, I'm going to start the same tradition with Bradshaw who just turned 9 months old.

BRADSHAW:

-has 4 teeth

-eats every 3 hours (breakfast, lunch, dinner + 2 bottle-snacks)

-loves to babble and make high, shrill noises

-can scoot to things he wants (his friend Kaylie taught him)

-is quick to smile and laugh

-spends about 45 minutes in the bathtub everyday

-can eat a whole apricot on his own

-unintentionally pinches really hard and pulls hair

-naps for 2 hours in the morning and 3-4 in the afternoon

-loves to lean against people, lay his head on your shoulder & give open-mouth kisses

-wiggles his whole body and slaps the ground when he gets excited

-is very ticklish (neck, chest, armpits, legs)

-loves to stand (and goes stiff as a board when you try to make him sit

-lunges out of my lap or arms for whatever he wants

-sleeps on his stomach

-reaches his arms up to you when he wants to be held

Top 7 Things...

...we will miss about Santa Monica (in no particular order)

1. Night Serenades
The most exotic birds sing in the middle of the night. I remember the first night I heard them. Around 2am Bradshaw woke up crying and hungry. After I finished feeding him, I pulled the covers up around my neck and just lay awake listening to the beautiful song in pitch dark. I felt like if I got up and checked out the window, I would be in a bungalow in the top of a jungle tree with monkeys and toucans nearby.

2. THE BEACH
You can see the ocean from the street we live on. We've tried to take advantage of its proximity by taking evening walks along the boardwalk and watching the sunset, attending weekly ward playgroup (at the beach) and running along the overlook in the morning. We will really miss it.

3. The way the palm leaves glitter
You have to walk west on Wilshire in the late afternoon and you'll see what I mean.

4. Carillon bells
Saint Monica Catholic Church is right by our house and we hear the bells everyday at noon & 6pm

5. Close proximity to EVERYTHING
There is a grocery store on the other side of our block (not a mini-mart; a huge, high-quality grocery store.) There is a post office on our block. We can walk to the dentist, endodontist, Bradshaw's pediatrician, our family practitioner, Subway, the library, 3rd Street Promenade, Old Navy, Gap, Forever 21, etc.

6. Dustinn says "The Monitor Office."
It is also within a 15-minute walk; and Dustinn has walked to and from work everyday for 8 months. It towers over Santa Monica. Nothing impedes it's view in any direction. It is right on the shore looking out over the ocean.

7. Frienda & Family
Janina & Julie are close in Westwood. Our siblings: Katy, Joe, Lindy, Elisse, Dani, Seth & Lorin are all close enough for a weekend trip. Dustinn's grandparents and his Uncle Kevan & Aunt Swan live in California.

Swimming at Kaylie's

beautiful friends =)

(Janina is 4 months pregnant!)

Hey Uncle Nelson: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!

Giving kisses to Tiger (sorry folks, no sound)

Always chewing on this finger

Bradshaw is not mobile--not at all--but he did manage to get himself wedged under the couch 3 times today.

Ndaba

That's Zulu for news.

We're moving to Washington D.C. during the 4th week of June.

It all started a month ago when Dustinn received an email that he was being considered for a unique case. The position was competitive, so they couldn't guarantee him the spot but just wanted to know if he would be interested. We weighed the pros and cons and prayed about it and then said, "yes." We didn't tell anyone about it because it was so uncertain. But just a few days ago, after several interviews with a variety of people, we found out they want Dustinn for the position. His first day will be June 30th and the case will last between 18 months and 2 years.

I'm REALLY going to miss being close enough for weekend visits from family and Julie & Janina (our LA family.) But we are excited to live close to Dustinn's parents and for this excellent career opportunity.