Water, water, everywhere.

This has seemed like an especially hot summer so we are constantly looking for ways to keep cool. Leah told us about this great park less than 10 minutes from our house so one afternoon we had a playdate with them. Needless to say they both had a great time, screaming and splashing in the water. Zawadi loves water and alternated between eating rocks and yelling with joy at the streams of water splashing in her face. Zawadi was a little bit of a bully, grabbing whatever toy Abby had in her hand at the time, but they figured things out and Abby did a great job sharing. We are trying to pretend that the Nickoloffs aren't leaving us in just a few short weeks and hope to cram in lots more dates before that day.

Picnic at the Eno.

We were so excited to discover that within five minutes of our new house there is the amazing West Point on the Eno. We took our dinner there one night and were amazed by all it has to offer. There are walking and hiking trails, picnic areas, and kayak and canoe rentals all surrounded by beautiful scenery and amazing historic buildings. We had a great time enjoying the view and exploring the trails. We came across many spiders and frogs and even saw a deer. Luckily (for Clyde especially) we didn't see any of the snakes the sign warned us about. We defintely plan on spending lots of time here as a family and are so thankful for all that Durham has to offer.

I can't believe it.

Zawadi has been using furniture to stand up and then letting go and balancing. We were all very impressed with this, being that she just turned 7 months. Well yesterday she decided to impress us even further by standing up in the middle of the floor all by herself. She did it once, and then again, and again, and again, and is very proud of her new skill.

New buddy!

This weekend Zawadi and I went to a baby shower for my friend Kiana. We had a great time meeting new people and catching up with Kiana. Zawadi also made a new friend, Jaslene, and had a great time playing with her. The two girls were so funny together, butting heads and swapping pacifiers. Jaslene is almost a year old and we got to watch her take her very first steps! Seeing the girls play made me feel a little bit better about daycare in a few weeks, and watching Zawadi crawl after the older boys playing catch made me feel certain she will make friends with anyone she meets.

Puffs!

Zawadi has become a huge fan of solid foods within the last month and definitely knows the sign for "eat." She gobbles down any fresh fruit or baby fruit, Cheerios, cheese, ice cream, you name it. Here she is reaching for her puffs. Strawberry are her favorite and she will go to great lengths to get her hands on them. :-)