Naturally, we were off to the beach on our first full day, but first, we went to a kite store to buy a kite. And yes, we had sufficient wind and then some to fly the kite. I can't say wind blown sand is an environment best for babies. Conor was in the water with Holly and Greta and I had to wave him in because 2/3 of the littles were crying and 1/3 of the littles was whining. It was comical. Conor, Holly and Greta had a few more swimming opportunities just them that I hear were delightful. We did observe many a vehicle driving on the beach and I was determined to have the same experience myself. I'm not sure why it was so exhilarating/enjoyable/fun. Maybe because it's something I've never done before? I loved it. And no one complained when we followed up with ice cream.

Conor quit his job and so we went to Ocean Shores, WA for a week to unwind and have a change on scenery. It was a really lovely little town. We stayed in a little 3 bedroom house walking distance to the shore. Greta really thought she wanted to sleep in one of the bedrooms by herself, but when bedtime came around, she quickly changed her mind and bunked with her sisters. One of my favorite moments was when we were driving into town, almost to our spot, Maeve yelled, "BOAT CAR!" She had seen a boat on a trailer and immediately assumed it was just like Spokane's legendary boat car (a vehicle our family is obsessed with). Maeve also vomited when we had 30 minutes left of our drive. So yes, memories were made!

Conor gave Ira a beautiful baby blessing on Mother's Day. Ira's blessing outfit just barely fits so the timing was just right. I have so much appreciation for the baby blessing tradition in my culture. I like the sense of claim it gives me to my child. I love the way it feels as a mother, full of hope and love.

After an extended break from soccer, Greta is back at it! Our weekdays are definitely busier and so are our weekends. Greta loves playing soccer and I like to watch her games. Here are some photos of Greta playing soccer - she has bright pink cleats and her hair is in a braided ponytail.

My sweet little boy is 2 months old! It feels a little unbelievable that time moves so quickly. At 7 weeks old, Ira weighed 10lb, 4oz. He's growing really well and I've loved watching his body fill out. Ira is a super smiley baby. He smiled at me for the first time on my birthday and has progressively smiled more and more. He's easily distracted by his siblings when he's eating and wants to grin at them. Similarly, he smiles at Conor and I when we're having conversations. It's not uncommon for me to look down at Ira only to see he's smiling enthusiastically at me! He's smile is so yummy with a dimple in each cheek.

Ira's baby acne and dry skin have cleared up. His hair is growing in nicely and fairly quickly! Ira has rolled from his tummy to his back a couple times. Perhaps my favorite development is sleeping through the night. He first pulled that trick a couple nights before he's 2 month milestone and he's continued to sleep through the night at a rate of almost 100%. As a momma to five humans, I really appreciate the sleep.

Ira is a joy and I feel a lot of gratitude for his presence in my life.