Peanut's Post: Big Changes

Hi folks!  There have been some big changes going on around here.  Mommy and Daddy are still busy unpacking and our computer with all our pictures on it is still in California (on a moving truck) which means they cannot upload any new pictures right now, so they've left the blogging to me for the moment.  So here are a few pics I snapped on my iPhone from the last two weeks. 

First Mommy graduated from law school.  Apparently this is a big deal to some people.  As far as I'm concerned, it was a nice ceremony, on a nice day, overlooking the ocean.  And I got to go to Katsuya for dinner the night before, where I flirted with our waiter who looked like Bradley Cooper, so I can't complain.  

I'm not sure why it was such a big deal - she's still studying so I don't think anything really changed - but everyone kept talking about "graduation" so I guess it was important to Mommy.  

 

Then the next day I found myself at LAX again.  Last time we were here, I ended up in Hawaii, so I wasn't too worried.  Except I noticed that Mommy and Daddy had packed an extraordinary amount of stuff for this trip, so I was a little suspicious that we might not be going on vacation this time.
  

We got on the airplane, just like last time. 

 

And I instantly made a baby friend.  He was 6 months older than me, and honestly, way more interested in me than I was in him.  

He couldn't take a hint (kept saying my name over and over again "Eeee-ahhh, Eeee-ahhh") so I finally just had to sit down and ignore him.

 

Mommy and I read books on the plane.  She reads lots of books.  Big books and small books.

 

And then we arrived in this place called Atlanta where I've spent more time in shopping carts than I spent in my entire time in California.  Apparently it's necessary to give exorbitant amounts of money to places called Target and Publix in order to move to Atlanta. 

 In any case, we've moved into our new house, and I'm in the process of exploring every inch of it whenever Mommy looks the other way.  

It's tough work, but someone's got to do it!

BA's Corner: Since Law School Ended

Wednesday: International Commercial Arbitration
Thursday: Peek-a-boo on the floor

After Law School ended, AA had some free time on her hands and she and Leah spent a lot of time playing "extreme peek-a-boo".  This happened around our kitchen island back in California, where AA would hide behind one corner, and Leah would crawl toward her, and by the time she reached that corner, AA was no longer there and would pop out from the next corner.  They'd go around in circles until AA couldn't take it anymore.  Leah loved it. 

It usually ended up like this.  We think there's a pretty good chance Leah is going to be a dentist...

Leah also has a new tunnel she likes to crawl through.  We put this out last week, and she immediately went for it.

And she is pulling up on everything now.  She's started to move her legs and feet a little, but we're not to cruising just yet.

 She also helps with the dishes....

Moving to Atlanta

Moving to Atlanta has been stressful but worth it.  I am so happy to be here.  When we left L.A. I shed a few tears as the planed lifted off at LAX.  I was leaving so many wonderful friends in L.A. and two of the biggest events in my life took place in L.A.  It was our home for three years and as I looked down over the rows of houses and buildings, spotted palm trees dotting the streets, I couldn't help but cry a little.  Four hours later, we descended on Atlanta, and I knew we'd made the right choice in moving.  BA lifted up the sunshade and all I could see was trees, for miles and miles, and the buildings of Atlanta sprouting up among them.  I felt as though we were home.  I didn't feel that way about Atlanta during the one year we lived her before law school.  I was bored with Atlanta then.  I guess I still had some wanderlust to get out of my system.  Now, after three years in L.A. I am so ready to be here.  I think this city is going to be just right for our family at this point in our lives.  I love the trees, and the fact that the roads are wide.  I love that most businesses have a free parking lot, instead of having to park in a garage or on the street.  I love that there was only one person in line in front of me at the grocery store on Sunday at noon.  I love that I don't feel frantic here.  After L.A., Atlanta doesn't seem big, doesn't seem crowded, doesn't seem stressful at all.  I know that eventually I'll think Atlanta traffic is bad, but not now.  Compared to L.A. there is no traffic here. 

So here's how the move went.  On Saturday morning we loaded the car in Agoura Hills and drove to LAX, dropping my sister Haley off at her terminal before heading to ours.  BA had to return the rental car, so Leah and I stayed with our 10 bags plus a stroller and car seat (yes, that's right - we checked 5 of them, and miraculously were able to carry on the rest) in our terminal while BA returned the car.  Leah was great on the flight.  We bought her a seat, just as we did for Hawaii, and so she was able to nap in her car seat.  While the other babies were melting down around us, Leah slept quietly and peacefully for an hour and a half.  We were met at the airport by BA's parents, and drove to our hotel.  The next morning, Nana and Papa watched Leah as BA and I went house hunting with our realtor.  We were disappointed with the limited selection of properties in our price range, but found a nice townhouse in our desired area to rent.  We put in an application that same day and have spent the past few days running around gathering paperwork and money orders to help the lease go through.

Yesterday, we took the day off (because there was really nothing house-related left to do except wait for the lease to process) and went to the Zoo.  This is my last day before Barbri begins and so I wanted to do something completely non-academic.  The Zoo was perfect.  Leah didn't really grasp the concept of the animals, but BA and I enjoyed it.  The gorilla exhibit was may favorite because they had a baby gorilla there.  She was one year old and acted exactly like Leah - climbing all over her mother, reaching up to pull her hair, plopping down to eat something she'd found on the ground. 

And today I attended my first Barbri class.  This is the beginning of two months of the hardest, most intense studying I will ever do.  And unfortunately for the first week of classes, I'm attempting to do that intense studying in a hotel room while a moaning, groaning, mischief-seeking, rascal of a 10-month-old, crawls around looking for attention and electric wires to eat.  It's been a challenge.  I've accepted that this week will likely be a loss to me in terms of studying so I'll be putting in some serious make-up time next week once we are settled in our house.

For The Record: Ma-Ma

We are in the middle of moving to Atlanta.  This means we have been running around frantically trying to find a rental house, get an application approved, visit daycare, and get oriented before Barbri starts for me tomorrow.  This also means that we have no computer to upload photos to, and it will be another week before that can happen.  But there are lots of exciting stories coming up, so stay tuned.  For now, here's an update that happened 2 weeks ago, during the height of exams and we haven't had a chance to post yet.

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Leah officially said "Ma Ma" Friday night, 5/4/12.  She's been saying it faintly and not very decisively for about a week.  That night she said it deliberately.  And, in perfect Leah style, she's now on to "Ma Ma Ma Ma Ma Ma Ma....." 

She also crawled into the bedroom when she got home from daycare, looked around for BA (who is usually at his desk in the bedroom, but this time wasn't there), stopped, sat down, and said "Da Da?"  The second BA opened the front door she started crawling towards it.  The other day, she started crawling towards the door as soon as she heard the keys slide into the door lock.  Pretty amazing.  That little Peanut just doesn't want to be left out of anything!

She's drinking out of her sippy cup on her own, and you won't catch her taking the easy way around something if it's in her crawling path.  No matter what it is, she'll attempt to go straight over it, even dragging it along with her if necessary (usually without even realizing it).

And she has her first toothbrush now.  I think she was a little surprised, and a little tickled when we used it for the first time.  But mostly, I think she just thought it was another fun little adventure and went along for the ride.

Proudest Accomplishments

My proudest accomplishments.  Leah and Law School.  In that order.

Pepperdine School of Law, Class of 2012

School Portraits

We sent out copies of Leah's first school portrait to most of our immediate family, but I wanted to share it with you, our blog readers, as well.  I love this picture.  It's the first picture where people other than my mother have commented that Leah looks like me.  My mom has always said that Leah looks like me - and I realize that she is probably saying that because it makes me feel better, and not because it's true (love you, mom!) while usually our family, friends, and strangers alike will comment on how Leah is the spitting image of BA.  And most of the time, she is, and adorable too.  But in this picture, our whole family can see the resemblance to me! 

Leah - 9 months

10 Months

Leah turned 10 months yesterday.  We don't know her height and weight because we don't have a doctor's appointment for this month, but we're guessing that she's around 19 lbs. 

Since we are moving to Georgia in exactly one week, we decided we should celebrate her 10 months with a peach pie.  

There's a sneaky look in her eyes

Impossible to control anymore

We also had my first unofficial mothers day.  Leah's daycare had a little mothers day brunch for me (and the other moms) with pound cake, berries, and pink lemonade.  They had an art project of Leah's hand prints and her picture.  It was so sweet and really nice of the daycare teachers to do that.  BA wanted to get me flowers to mark the occasion, but I said just buy me a bottle of red wine - I've earned it!