The First Half of June 2025

June has been an eventful month—and not just in the “hey, it’s summer” kind of way. After our whirlwind of a May, it felt nice to slow down a bit and settle into a rhythm. With the warm weather, longer days, and a calmer calendar, we’ve been soaking in the small moments at home and around the neighborhood. So here’s what the three of us—me, Alison, and Madeline—have been up to lately.

Let’s start with Madeline. She is oh-so-close to crawling. She’s right on the edge of it, rocking back and forth on her hands and knees like she’s revving an engine, ready to launch forward. But then… she scoots backward. She’s got the mechanics down, just not the direction. It’s both impressive and a little bit hilarious to watch. Truthfully, if she needed to crawl, she probably could, but right now she’s getting around just fine with her signature mix of rolling and scooting, so she’s not in a huge hurry to change things up.

She’s also picked up a new skill this month: dancing. We first noticed it when she was playing with an activity cube our neighbors passed down to us. The cube plays a little tune, and suddenly Madeline starts holding her arms up by her shoulders and swaying side to side in perfect time with the music. It’s adorable, and she seems so pleased with herself whenever she does it. 

And in exciting (and slightly dangerous) news—her two top teeth have come in! So now she’s rocking four little chompers total, which is both very cute and, at times, painful. Let’s just say if you’re offering her a finger to hold or a shoulder to rest on, you’ve got to be ready for a surprise nibble. The biting is usually playful, but every now and then, it’s got some real power behind it. It’s one of those milestones that’s exciting… but also comes with a learning curve.

We finally made it back to a Bees game this month after missing a couple during our Europe trip. We were excited to return to the ballpark. Now that it's officially summer, the game time got bumped back to 7:05 p.m., which works well for us—we can make it for the start, even if we usually head home around 8:15 when Madeline starts rubbing her eyes. My grandparents didn’t make it to this one, but they passed their tickets along to my cousin Brynndi and her husband, and we hadn’t seen them in ages. It was great to catch up and hear about their lives. The weather was perfect, and being back at the stadium felt like slipping into something familiar and good.

Earlier in the month, we took Madeline to her 9-month doctor’s appointment. She’s doing great. Thanks to all the hummus she’s been housing lately, her weight percentile jumped from 11th to 25th, which felt like a win. She’s still measuring tall—no surprises there—and the best part was that this visit didn’t include any vaccinations. So Madeline left the office happy, chipper, and completely unaware that those one-year shots are looming just a few months away.

After the appointment, we stopped by Kristin’s house to see her newly finished basement—and to catch the tail end of Skylee’s end-of-school party. We knew the party was happening and wanted to swing by to say hi. Kristin had gone all out, renting a giant inflatable waterslide for the backyard. Twelve-year-olds were running around in swimsuits, dancing to music, eating snacks, and squeezing every last bit out of the school year. The party was winding down by the time we arrived, but we hung out for a bit. Madeline was in a great mood. She snacked on strawberries and got to spend some time with Blake, Debbie, and Aleene, who also stopped by. She danced, played, and showed off her surprisingly strong toy-throwing arm. It turned into one of those spontaneous, sweet afternoons that linger with you.

We’ve also been spending a lot of time outside. The weather’s been warm but not unbearable, and summer evenings in Daybreak are hard to beat. We love sitting out on the porch swing or laying on the grass, enjoying the breeze and the glow of golden hour. Madeline especially loves watching Tex chase the frisbee. She could honestly watch him for hours… though Tex himself usually taps out after about three throws when it’s this warm. Still, those low-key nights in our yard have been some of the best parts of the month.

We’ve been making an effort to take advantage of the neighborhood pools too. Early in the month, we met up with our old neighbors at the splash pad near our house. Their triplets—who are somehow already three years old—were running around and having a blast, and it was so good to catch up and see how much they’ve grown. Another evening, we walked over to the Eastlake pool. We only stayed for about 15 or 20 minutes, not because the pool was closing, but because bedtime was fast approaching. Still, it was worth it. Madeline had a great time in the water, splashing and kicking her legs. She’s really warmed up to the whole pool experience, and I get the feeling we’ll be spending a lot more evenings there this summer.

Earlier that week, I had a fun outing with the Ancestry accounting department. On a weekday morning, we all met up for a team-building activity at an escape room. We were split into groups and did two different rooms, with teams getting shuffled in between. The first one I tackled was Indiana Jones-themed. It was fun, but kind of chaotic—we needed seven hints and barely made it out with five minutes to spare. The second room was pirate-themed, and my new team was feeling motivated. Bryce, our VP of accounting, had done that room earlier and finished with just seven seconds left, so naturally he was talking a bit of trash. That gave us some extra drive, and we ended up breezing through with just one hint and 25 minutes to spare. We might’ve even landed on the June leaderboard. It was a great morning—one of those rare work outings that’s genuinely fun and full of good energy.

The rest of the weekend ended up being pretty eventful too—in the best kind of way. On Friday night, Alison and I took advantage of Kids Night Out for a well-earned date night. Madeline’s school hosts this once a month, and it’s such a gift. From 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., you can drop your child off and they take care of everything—playtime, snacks, winding down for the night. It’s a setup that feels especially comforting because Madeline already knows and loves the environment. While her usual teachers weren’t there this time, one of the teachers she does know well was working, which helped ease any nerves. Honestly, it went even better than we expected. We dropped her off and she was all smiles, ready to dive in and play.

Meanwhile, Alison and I headed to Sukihana, a local spot by the lake we’ve been wanting to try. The sushi was incredible—fresh, flavorful, and beautifully presented—and it was so nice to have an uninterrupted meal together. It felt like a little slice of pre-baby life, but even better because we knew our girl was happy and safe. When we picked her up at 9:30, she was already asleep. We gently woke her for the walk home, and once we got her settled back in, she went right back to sleep and slept through the night. Total win. We’ll definitely be doing that again.

On Saturday, our dear friend Victoria came to stay. She was visiting from Denver and spent the weekend with us, which was such a treat. It was her first time at our house, so we gave her the full tour and caught her up on everything. The weekend was low-key in the best way—we played a lot with Madeline, lounged on the porch swing, visited the splash pad, and made dinner together at home. I made pizza, which I can safely say we’ve now perfected. The crust, the toppings, the balance of flavors—it all came together just right and made for a delicious summer meal.

After we put Madeline to bed, the three of us headed outside to enjoy the warm night by the fire pit. We made a pint of one of my favorite Salt & Straw flavors—Caramel Corn on the Cob—and it did not disappoint. A couple of our neighbors wandered over and joined us, and we ended up sitting around the fire for hours, swapping stories, laughing, and enjoying that relaxed magic that only a summer evening can bring.

And then came Sunday—my very first Father's Day. I had been looking forward to it, and it was everything I hoped it would be. We kept things simple and sweet. In the morning, we went for a long walk around Daybreak Lake while Madeline snoozed in the stroller. Back at home, I spent some time on the rug with her, just playing and soaking her in. We watched some baseball, and she was in such a happy, playful mood.

Then, something amazing happened. After weeks of scooting and rocking and going backward, Madeline started crawling forward. She kept chasing after a toy easter egg and apparently that was enough incentive to begin crawling forward. Then Alison came downstairs and sat across from her, and Madeline lit up. She started giggling and then, with determination and joy, crawled right into her mama’s arms. It was the best Father’s Day gift I could’ve imagined. That tiny moment, her little body moving forward for the first time to get to someone she loves—it just melted me. I love my baby girl so much.

We capped off the day with a Father’s Day barbecue at Blake and Debbie’s. It was nice to gather with family, eat some good food, and enjoy watching Madeline play with Goldie. She had a blast crawling around and soaking up all the attention, and we left with full bellies and full hearts.

So that’s June so far. Nothing too flashy, just a collection of sweet moments and little adventures. We’ve been trying to stay present, make time for joy, and keep cool—sometimes literally—with lots of dips in the pool. Summer with a baby feels a little slower, a little softer, and full of magic if you take time to notice it. And we’re doing our best to notice it.