In Love.

I love my girls!

We've been having so much fun enjoying the gorgeous (well, except for yesterday morning) weather, pumpkin recipes and well, all things fall!

We're cleaning like crazy, getting ready for visitors for Anna's baptism, and in the process we're switching out a lot of Anna's toys, giving her "big girl" playthings. Adele is especially excited about the transition! Anna's favorite "plaything" continues to be her sister, giving her belly laughs on a daily basis (well, except today-she was pretty crabby for some reason...probably teething, but I can't be sure).


Miss Anna is now rolling from her tummy to her back (although today she wouldn't...too fussy, I guess) and she rolls from her back to her side (especially when I lay her in the crib) and she usually won't stay on her tummy for long before rolling! She loves her exersaucer, and will occasionally still stay happy in the swing. She can sit for long periods of time unassisted, but prefers for me to be right behind her (even if I'm not touching her at all) it seems that the second I leave her sitting alone in a room she topples over (I don't do this often...mostly just to see what will happen). She is working hard at teething but so far no teeth to speak of. I was just sure one was poking through on Sunday, but I guess I was wrong because she's still all gums. She now has tried rice cereal, squash, green beans, sweet potatoes and pumpkin. She enjoys her solid food but I think she still prefers nursing (especially in the middle of the night lately...and I've been too tired to try the whole cry it out thing again...it's a pretty vicious cycle!) She is my little snuggle bug and I am trying to soak her all up because she's already getting too big too fast!

Also growing too fast (because "God made me grow", as she told me the other day), Adele has completed her first sticker chart for good behavior and earned a trip to the dollar store with $2.00 to spend. I'm a sucker and gave her a third dollar because I couldn't resist buying her some pumpkin socks! It's actually somewhat surprising that she has earned this reward because since initiating the sticker chart (she had to earn 20, at a max of 2 stickers per day) we've had to take just about everything out of her room. During nap and bedtime she started CLIMBING her furniture and could reach what we thought were "high" shelves. So, everything came off of the shelves. Next she started climbing her bookshelf, actually knocking a shelf (and all the books on it!) out. So, the books from that shelf went away. The next day she had all of the rest of the books off the shelf and was tearing the covers off of her chapter books (this time I was actually upset with her...the other times we were able to laugh at her once we got back downstairs). I was at a complete loss about what to do after the book incident, especially because I knew that it was at least partially my fault for having chapter books in her room where she could access them! After all, she is only two!

I could hardly believe my eyes last night when she had taken ALL of her clothes out of her dressers. But I left the mess and told her that she'd be cleaning that mess up by herself today before doing our intended project of decorating our pumpkin cookies.

She cleaned. We decorated.






We ate.
We ate WAY too many pumpkin cookies.
Now we have to make more before our company comes!

And finally, after a fantastic day, we completed the sticker chart!
So, we shopped!
She picked out red fairy wings and matching "slippers"
And smiled the whole way home.



(And then, while I was writing this she took her books BACK off of the bookshelf. I know this because while they're back ON the bookshelf, they're a little bit...sideways. I love that naughty little girl!)

Fall, Leaves, Fall!

Version 2010...

I already used this title once

But guess what? That's okay, because the leaves fall every year, and that's pretty redundant too! Fortunately, no one here seems to mind!

Then:





Now:







And no, I haven't forgotten about Anna, it's just that I've either forgotten the camera when she's happy outside, or she's been fussy and in need of a nap during the leaf-jumping activities. I started writing this blog last night with the intent of taking pictures of Anna in the leaves so I could add them today. The weather didn't find that appropriate, however, and if you're in the Midwest, I think you know what I mean! Unfortunately, I'm not sure how many leaves are left for us to take pictures in (whenever they dry out...) Oh well...at least OUR tree didn't blow away with them, like many of our neighbors' trees did!

ZooBoo 2010!

We visited ZooBoo last year, but although Adele was "all about" scary boo's, she didn't much care for the zoo. We tried again this year. The weather was perfect, (and I didn't want to clean), so down to the zoo we went! We actually stayed for the trick or treating part too! (There were only about 5 "stations" where volunteers handed out candy, but hey, Adele got to practice her "trick or treat-ing"!) Anna wasn't too impressed with the decorations, but she sure was a sweetie the whole time we were there, and even napped for a while in the sling!

My Girls!

I love these girls!



And it's pretty clear that they love each other too!


(and no, Cookie ISN'T supposed to be in the living room, but who could resist letting her stay for just a minute when she looks like that?!)

Edited to add:
(which was followed by a big red blotchy spot on Adele's cheek...nice work, mom!)

Five Little Pumpkins

One of Adele's favorite "fall" poems is Five Little Pumpkins. (it goes like this:)

Five little pumpkins sitting on a gate
The first one said, "Oh my, it's getting late!"
The second one said, "There's a chill in the air"
The third one said, "But we don't care!"
The fourth one said, "Let's run and run and run!"
The fifth one said, "This is Halloween Fun!"
Woosh went the wind, and out went the lights
And the five little pumpkins rolled out of sight!

We stopped by the pumpkin patch at church the other day with all of the quarters from my coin purse, which happened to be just enough to buy five little pumpkins and some fun stickers to decorate them with!

Belly Laughs and Birthday Wishes!

Somehow, our "little" Anna turned five months old today. I don't know where the time has gone! She spent her "birthday" being entertained by her favorite big sister (who just so happens to be the BEST big sister, ever!). After dinner, Adele was goofing around in the "piano room" and Anna had the best belly laughs! It was SO cute watching the two of them actually interacting with each other (well, Adele would have been acting silly regardless of Anna's laughs, but still...)
The Best Buds:





5 Month Recap:
Anna is eating solid foods once or twice a day. So far we've tried rice cereal, squash and green beans. She likes them all.
She is sitting on her own for a few seconds at a time. She loves sitting in the Bumbo or in our laps.
She will bring both of her hands together to grab toys (and usually puts them into her mouth).
Her toes are one of her favorite "playthings", followed by the stacking cups and some plush blocks.
She still does not really roll over. She rolls to the side but doesn't like to be on her belly, so she just stops on her side. She can roll off of her belly if she is on a soft surface (like our bed) but doesn't do that often either.
She likes going for walks in the stroller and stays busy watching everything as we go.
She doesn't hate her carseat as much as she used to, but she does get fussy if we go on multiple car rides during the day (she's not incredibly fond of getting strapped into the carseat, is the problem, I think.)

On the Sleep Front:
She has put herself to sleep a handful of times, but usually I rock her (with her paci or nursing) to sleep and then lay her in her crib.
She slept through the night several times, but the past few nights has been up every two hours (!!!) to eat. (Time to let her "cry it out" again, but I've been so tired (because she's been up so much), it's easier to go nurse her rather than staying awake, listening to her cry. It's a vicious cycle. Hopefully it will end soon!)
She takes about three naps a day for a total of 3 or so hours. Naps usually last about 45 minutes, but every now and then she has a long (up to two hours!) nap (which always throws me for a loop!)


All in all, it's been a great five months! I love this little girl more and more every day!

Haunted Happenings

(Alternately titled: The Longest and Most Hodgepodge Blog Post Ever!)

It's been a while since I blogged last. I had a bad case of mastitis last week, Anna's been teething, and Adele has been itchy. What it all boils down to is that the sleep situation hasn't been great...especially for Mommy, it seems! We have been busy enjoying the fall weather, though (but not so much the "summer" weather that keeps reappearing!) and are definitely getting ready for Halloween!

Last weekend we went to a charity event (I guess?) for one of the local hospitals. They were giving away pumpkins ("one per child" while they lasted, which wasn't long considering people took WAY more than their fair share) and food for a suggested donation of $1.00 per person. Costumes were not required, but what's the point of going to a Halloween event without a costume? Daddy was afraid it wouldn't be well attended, but somehow the word got out. We did take one pumpkin for Adele, but skipped on one for Anna since she's so little (and because we saw families carrying handfuls of pumpkins back to their cars without a single child in sight).

Adele had fun bouncing in a bounce house, we saw a wild cat from South America, as well as some rabbits and ponies (we kept our distance from all of the animals, but they were there nonetheless). Adele had fun dressing up in her Belle costume, but Anna's isn't finished yet, so we improvised.

Beautiful Belle:

"I'll get you, my pretty"

uh...

Make that "I'll get you, my piggies!"

Hanging out eating her lunch on the curb

Did I mention that we started Anna on solid foods?
Well...not doritos yet, of course! She did like playing with the empty bag though! (She doesn't really like to be "left out" during meal times!)

We've taken quite a few walks around the neighborhood looking for "scary boo's" as Adele calls Halloween decorations. She usually waves at them as we walk past. She is also quite fond of picking up "treasures" (Sticks, pine cones, crabapples, apples, acorns-although I get a little freaked out about picking up nuts!, etc.) while we walk.





She also insists on "holding" Cookie at times...which is fine, unless there are chipmunks out and about!




Since it is Fall in Indiana, there are times that it is too hot/cold/windy/rainy (although not so much on the "rainy" this year) to go outside as often as we'd like. Anna is glad for her "new" bumbo seat (on "loan" from a friend from church) for the times when we're stuck inside! She is working on grabbing toys with both hands, and of course, EVERYTHING finds its way into her mouth. Including her toes, although she refused to "participate" in that activity while I had my camera out today. (Or maybe she was distracted by those cute leg warmers aka "babylegs" I made her on my recently spontaneously-fixed-on-its-own sewing machine!)
Look at her trying to sit up! (too bad that's not what I was trying to take a picture of!)
Almost:
Finally!
Where is baby Anna? Can you find her?
this is seriously how Anna spends a good portion of her morning "awake" time-she is happy as can be kicking her little legs up while playing in the pack-n-play. I usually am busy getting Adele her breakfast (okay, and MY coffee!!!) and on school days, making Adele's lunch as well, so its nice that Anna entertains herself in the pack-n-play like this! I look over from the kitchen and see her kicking her little feet and fall in love over and over again!


While Anna eats her toes (or naps...), Adele and I have been making lots of Halloween "art projects" to decorate our house as well...I suppose I should try to take some pictures of Adele with her creations at some point! I feel like Anna gets featured a lot more on my blog right now, but really that's because I feel guilty because I take so many fewer pictures of Anna as compared to how many pictures I took of Adele as a baby...life's rough being the second born, eh?

Last tidbit: Today is Memaw and Bapa's anniversary. I tried all morning to get Adele to say "Happy Anniversary" (so we could send them a little video) but she looked at me with this confused look on her face, then tried to say the words, but all that would come out was, "Happy Versary, Anna!" I guess she heard the name "Anna" in the word anniversary, and Happy Anna Versary didn't sound right to her, so she changed it around!