We are at the beach almost every day. It's not a hot, sticky, sweaty beach either. It's the beach where sometimes need to wear a sweater. I love the beaches here at sunset. Everything gets this silvery blue glow with accents of pink and brilliant orange. The pelicans fly by in groups close to the water, almost skimming the surface.

We collect rocks, feathers, driftwood and shells. The boys collect sand crabs, throw sand, jump waves and build castles. You can see seals and dolphins just past the waves.

No matter how cold I think the water is, the boys don't seem to mind. They run right in only complaining of the cold when we have to drag them back to car against their will to go home. Pretty much the only way to get them off the beach is to entice them with promises of ice cream or the hot tub back at the house.

In the morning, on most days, the beach is foggy. I can see it from my window in the morning. It makes me happy to wake up in the morning with the door open and a chill in the air.

The picture on the left was taken tonight at Hendry's beach. Tonight as we loaded up the car I looked at the floorboards and wondered if I'll ever get all the sand out of my car. To be honest, I'm not sure I want to.

I'm really loving the word "expecting" right about now but it's not quite right. The sun beginning to peek out of the tree shows the feeling but I'm at a loss for the right word. I need one that brings together hopeful, tender, fearful, awkward, clumsy, nervous, happy, impatient, insecure, tired, occasionally bloated, aware and introspective all into one perfect word. Is there one?

In one moment I feel healthy, vibrant and tuned in and an hour later I feel bloated, tired and insecure. I wish I could pinpoint something in particular happening to change the mood but, usually, it seems to happen without cause. I find myself feeling tightly wound and nervous. I'll be full of fear and anxiety and then, just a short while later, I'll feel excited and hopeful. I know what you're thinking, poor Steven. No, don't fret about him. In my typical fashion, I keep a lot of this to myself day to day, which may not be a good thing either but it's me and it's the way I am processing it. I know the sometime craziness of it all is okay too (well, most of the time I know that). I get that I have hormonal stuff happening and that having a baby is always a big deal, even if it's #3.

It's not just me. We're all sort of coming to terms with it. The boys are making their way through it too, asking questions and adjusting to it. They are each doing it in their own way too. Sayer is more fearful and concerned but he's coming around. Most days I am thankful that the whole process takes 9 months. It gives everyone a chance to adjust to the idea, including me.

There is a farmer's market 6 days a week. It might be in Santa Barbara or down the street in Montecito or up north in Goleta but it's never far and the food is always amazing.

It makes me wish I were a better cook. I wish I knew all the possibilities for heirloom tomatoes! And what in the world do you do with squash blossoms?

I can say, with complete confidence, that the strawberries here are completely different than the ones in Houston. There's no comparison and Harry's Berries top the list here. They're like candy.

The real highlights from the market and the things we all love and remember when we're not here...the honey sticks and comb honey from San Marcos Farms, Blackberries, blueberries, golden raspberries, gaviota strawberries from Harry's Berries, fresh baguettes, artisan cheeses, yum!

The ocean is different every day. It's one of my favorite things about this place and about the coast in general. You never know if it's going to be foggy or clear, cold or warm, rough or smooth. The colors change from day to day. The sand changes too. Every sunset seems a little bit unique. The moon, of course, adds to the excitement.

I have an 180 degree view of the ocean from our backyard and everyday it greets me fresh with a new combination of variables. I can see it out of the window from my bed and it's the first thing I look at when I open my eyes. The second is my 8 year old, who has snuck in somewhere around 4 am and is cuddled up next to me. The 8 year old is a magnificent view too and, between the two, it is the very best way to start my day.

I am working on a collection of Instagram photos of the ocean. I am trying to take one every day. These are a few of my favorites so far. If you are following me on Facebook and Instagram then you may have seen these already. If not, I hope that you will! If you are an iPhone person and love photography, you definitely need to download the free Instagram app. It's awesome! By the way, instagram, if you're listening, you need to bundle together your image effects and sell a CD of action presets for photoshop. I'll be first in line to buy them!

He was saying to Finn, "you know, I could just do this all day" to which Finn replied with peaked interest, "what are you doing?!".

I love that he could do that all day. He was picking tiny creatures out of the kelp. He showed us a leaf with eggs on it, tiny crabs, krill and a baby nudibranch! We'd seen a nudibranch on the Discovery channel but not in real life and not under a microscope.

It's days like this that reaffirm in my mind why we take this trip. Where else would we see a baby nudibranch?! I love that the boys get to see someone so passionate about picking things off of leaves of kelp. I love that they get to join in. You never know where or when that spark of interest will be lit. I've heard scientists and artists interviewed and recounting when they first found their passion and often it's in tiny moments like this.

(taken at the Ty Warner Sea Center in Santa Barbara)