Hello World (Again)

Happy October.

Happy 6 months to my baby girl.

 Happy beginning of fall.

I used this song for one of my posts about a year ago.

Hello World - Lady Antebellum

I think a lot of previous songs (post titles) will start to make their way back here.

It's crazy to think that when I wrote that post last year, I was just about to enter my second trimester.

And now, here I am, with a half a year old baby girl.


There are moments each day, that I find myself so completely swept away with Piper, that I just have to stop and stare at her.  I look into her pretty, blue eyes and ask myself what I ever did without her.
She makes me feel so alive.

I love watching her absorb every little new thing that comes her way.
It's amazing.
She's amazing.

Last Thursday, we went to the beach for the day.  We visited two beaches and the boardwalk.
The weather couldn't have cooperated more...it was beautiful and fall was definitely in the air.  The beach was almost completely empty when we made our way towards the ocean.  Steve held Piper as we walked on the sand.  All we heard was the ocean.  It didn't feel real.  It was too perfect.
I always say that I'm not really a beach person, and that I'm so much more a mountain person.  And I still think that holds truth.  But, watching Piper's face as we got closer to the waves...
Watching as her eyes followed the seagulls...
Seeing her smile at her daddy as he walked her closer to the shore...
It was all so beautiful.  I think I like the beach a lot more these days.  I think Piper makes me like everything at least a little bit more.

Usually, I'm the one crying (or at least the first to).  Or I'm the one announcing I'm going to cry.
But this time, it was Steve.  (He can yell at me later, when he reads this, for sharing his moments of sappiness).
Not a word was said at first, as the three of us made our way onto the beach.  And then the ocean appeared.  And the sky - bigger and brighter than ever, shining above us.
Steve "pulled a Maria" and announced he was going to cry.  I don't blame him.
The look on Piper's face...

All we could say is, "I wonder what she's thinking right now."

I know what I was thinking...
Hello world.  Hello,
 sweet, calm, breathtaking moments of pure peace.
 

We walked together.  We wrapped Piper in a soft, white blanket whenever the wind picked up. 
We chased the seagulls.  We wrote our names in the sand.  We listened to the waves crash.
We kissed our girl a million and eight times.  We explored a boardwalk that I used to walk every summer as a little girl.  We ordered pizza slices the size of our heads.  We gushed over Piper sitting in a highchair, munching on her "munchkin feeder" filled with banana.  We got pictures in an arcade photo booth.  We got salt water taffy and pumpkin fudge.
We drove home, happy and content with our baby girl fast asleep in the backseat, and
talked about the magic and beauty Piper brings to our life.


We captured many of those moments on camera...

Our favorites...

A little video of our time at the beach...

 

Happy October, my friends.
I hope this month gives you lots to smile about.

October Lovin',