We found sunshine!!!

Annette and I got to hang out in the sun at the campsite in Miranda while the men all went to chop firewood. Talullah and Gillian were so cute running around together, and Berlyn slept 95% of the time. Grandma even took the big girls for awhile and let me and the baby take a nice, long nap. What a wonderful way to spend a day.

Winnie the Pooh... and Talullah, too!

It would not be a stretch to say that nana loves to spoil Talullah. When Talullah saw this Pooh costume, it was a "must have".

Run, run, run!!!

To say that little miss Talullah has not been sleeping well at night would be quite the understatement. In an attempt to wear her out, we took her to the park for some play time before dinner. She ran around, watched the birds hovering in the sky, picked flowers... I think she truly enjoyed the afternoon outdoors. But did she sleep through the night? Absolutely not. On to plan B... Nyquil.

Life's a beach

Today was amazing. For the first time in much too long, the sun was already shining when we rose to greet the day. We packed a lunch and headed to Loleta for Berlyn's first trip to the beach. Of course, the fifteen minute drive in that warm, cozy car lulled both girls to sleep so we spent the first hour and a half just sitting in the front seat, talking and eating our meal. As soon as Talullah's eyes opened, we packed the stroller and headed for the sand. It was GORGEOUS. No wind... just warm rays soaking vitamin D into our skin, leaving us smiling for the rest of the day.

Isn't it amazing

This picture was taken at the hospital about four hours before Berlyn was born. Can you believe that there is an entire, living, beautiful baby girl all warm and cuddly under that blanket of skin? Every time I think about it, I tear up. The gift of life is truly an unbelievable experience.

Berlyn Joelle Downey

The newest Downey was so excited to meet her momma and daddy that she came 16 days ahead of schedule. Berlyn was born Aug 8th at 9:55pm. After 2 hours of labor (I know that sounds easy, but it WASN'T!), she made her grand entrance. At 5 lbs 13 oz, she is a bundle of perfection with dark hair and a beautiful little face. What a delight she is for the 20 hours a day that she isn't crying... although even when she's screaming from 11pm to 2am we love her just the same. Talullah is in awe with her baby sister. She loves to give her hugs and kisses and she's been doing so well with sharing. Not her mom and dad, perhaps... but she has already tried feeding Berlyn cheese and likes to put all sorts of toys in the bassinet while her sister sleeps. Talullah is going to be a great big sister. Nick and I are excited about our growing family and we can not wait to watch Berlyn's personality develop. Every day, we are blessed.

The Nursery

As a gift, my friend Michele came and painted a beautiful addition to the girl's room. It's something I've wanted to do since Talullah was born and it turned out even cuter than I imagined. Michele did such a great job and once again I'm reminded of how blessed we are to have wonderful friends. Doesn't the nursery look adorable???