Jesse goes to the beach

Jesse visits Natural Bridges State Park with his aunt

One of the day's rare peaceful moments

If you've read the first post about our Santa Cruz day over at my own blog, then you know Jesse didn't have an especially fun day with us on Monday. But he did have some quiet happy moments sitting in my lap at the beach, as these pictures show.

He drank six or seven ounces of formula, he watched his cousins dig in the sand, he looked at the water, and he had a good long nap in the baby carrier.

And he screamed a lot, too, but between the wind and the waves, it didn't seem so bad.

Day 8

We took Jesse on a big outing today: we started at a breakfast joint, then hit the Roaring Camp Railroad, then took a mile-long hike through the redwoods. (If you're reading this post, you probably already saw the photos over at my blog.)

But Jesse's favorite part? Sitting in the grass.

I didn't even know he knew how to sit! But when I laid him on his back in the grass, I could see him using his stomach muscles trying to sit up, and it seemed like he might have the core strength to sit upright. So I set him there, and he only lasted 10 or 15 seconds, but that is longer than my daughter did on her first try, which was when she was six months old.

Speaking of my daughter, in this video that's her orange sandal you see appear from nowhere and bump Jesse in the leg. He was surprised by it, but not upset.

Days 6 and 7

Oh, a two-week blogging gap! Sorry! If you visit my own blog, you may have read my excuses over there. But now we're carrying on...

We baby-sat Jesse on Friday, July 27 and Monday, July 30, both times with the welcome company and assistance of my parents. They have been baby-sitting him with regularity this summer while Jesse's dad is out of town, so they are very experienced! In fact, Jesse is now old enough that he has developed preferences and expectations, so it's good for me to have an familiar baby-sitter on hand. He has grown particular about how he wants to be fed (warm bottle, please), rocked to sleep, driven in the car (music, please), and so forth. It makes sense, but I can see a real difference from how he was at the start of this summer, when he was relatively un-formed and flexible. I guess my baby nephew is growing up!

Anyway, he and I still get along well. I took him to his first yard sale on Friday right after I picked him up from Erica's house, but there wasn't anything good. Then later that day we had a park playdate with the kids' second cousin Jett, son of my cousin (and Erica's cousin too) Kim. We took a picnic lunch to Scott Park in Watsonville, which had a fun play structure for the big kids. Jesse enjoyed being outside, but he isn't much of one for playgrounds yet. He hasn't been in a swing yet, and I was tempted to let him try it out, but then I thought maybe Erica would like to be there for his inaugural swing!

Cousins and second cousins, L-R: Laurel, Jett, Jesse, and Isaac

Then on Saturday we had a family outing to Gilroy Gardens amusement park, and Erica got to join us! It was a nice experience for me, and probably for Erica as well, because usually when I take Jesse somewhere I have to take care of him! This time she was on the hook.

Erica holds a wide-eyed Jesse on the "bumper boat" ride at Gilroy Gardens

Erica and Jesse on the merry-go-round, with both my kids in the background

Then our next baby-sitting day was on Monday, and it seemed very low-key after the weekend's excursion. Jesse did get to experience his first piano moving, although he didn't seem to appreciate the work that goes into moving a baby grand.

Just two more baby-sitting days left before the end of the summer! We'll be sure to do something fun with Days 8 and 9.

Picking oranges

Yesterday was a baby-siting day for us! As we did last time, we just hung around my parents' house. Next Friday we'll have to get out and do something.

We did take a walk down the hill to my parents' orange grove, where we picked several dozen oranges. Jesse loves being outside and going for a walk in the baby carrier, although he invariably falls asleep. Also, as he seems to be teething, he spent the entire time chewing on the strap of the baby carrier!

Oranges? I'd rather eat this strap, thanks

Self-portrait with oranges

A week without Jesse

As it had become evident that baby-sitting and swimming lessons weren't compatible to our schedule, last week we didn't get to see Jesse. We will be doing it this week, however, on Friday! So stay tuned.

In the meantime, here are some photos taken during our Independence Day visit to my parents' house.

Jesse and his mother visit the pond at his Opa & Oma's house

Oma, Jesse, and Erica stay shaded from the sun

Cousin Isaac gets to hold Jesse's bottle (with Aunt Nicole's help)

Bird calls

Here Jesse enjoys Aunt Nicole's attempts at bird calls, and even joins in a bit!

Day Four

How did Jesse like his baby-sitting day with me on Friday? He thought it was pretty fun, I think. He actually saw a lot of my family over the course of three days, as we stayed with my parents for a few days for the Fourth of July.  Erica came with him to my parents' house on the Fourth of July, my mom baby-sat him the next day, and I baby-sat him yesterday. So he is growing very familiar with our faces! In fact, when I went to pick him up at Erica's house on Friday morning, he grinned broadly when he saw me, and (maybe) even stretched out his arms to me.

Jesse's grin is a wonderful thing

We hung around my folks' house all three days, unlike our last two baby-sitting days when we went out and had adventures. In some ways it is easier to take care of a baby at home instead of out at a park or store, but really the big difference was the number of adults around: between me, my parents, and my husband Craig, there was never the need for any of us to juggle three kids at once. And watching just one kid at a time seems pretty easy! (Assuming you're not completely sleep-deprived, that is.)

My parents live in a beautiful rural setting, so Jesse had his first campfire cook-out by the pond, and we went for several walks in the woods.

Aunt Nicole and Jesse in the redwoods

And when it was time for the second nap of the day, what could be nicer than Oma's lap?

They both had a nap, actually

We'll be taking next week off from baby-sitting (swimming lessons get in the way, unfortunately) but we'll be back the following week on Friday, July 20. I wonder if Jesse will forget us by then.