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!

ONE SONG!

(my apologies in advance, Daddy... I'm "doin'" it.)

If you know Aunt Dee Dee and I, you probably know about our laughing fits. You know, the ones where we are both laughing so uncontrollably that even if we could talk to you and tell you what we're laughing at you wouldn't get it anyway? Well, if you don't know us in person, it happens.

Another thing you may know is that we randomly quote songs to each other. Usually October is "Rent" month because (for reasons unknown) we both like to listen to Rent in the fall.

I digress.

Adele has picked up our passion for quoting songs. However, (and this is probably a "because she's not our twin" thing) it is frequently VERY difficult to figure out just what song Miss Adele is singing...and therefore very difficult to sing along with her, which is what she (sometimes) wants.

For example, during her "big sleepover" at Aunt DeeDee's this summer, Adele was laying on the futon, trying to go to sleep when she started shouting (she doesn't really "sing" just yet) "Mwon San". DeeDee thought something was seriously wrong. Either Adele was incredibly sick, or some cows were dying somewhere. Eventually (somehow?) she figured out that Adele was trying to sing a song. As the weekend went on, we learned that the song was from Snow White (Adele is very good about explaining these things, however she's two, so it still takes some detective work). A few days (and a few You Tube "Snow White, One Song" searches later) we figured out the mystery song (appropriately titled "One Song").

We now have a new "Mystery Song" this time its supposedly from The Little Mermaid, although no amount of You Tube searching seems to be helping. She's singing something about "Princess Dijon". She says that it happens in a scene with Ursula, but Daddy and I can't figure it out. At least she doesn't get *too* frustrated with us when we keep asking her over and over again about this mystery song.

Here is our (appropriately dressed in her Ariel nightgown) "Princess Dijon"




Now get down from there, silly girl, your "dress" clashes with the wall!

But Then Again...

Babies in jeans ARE pretty darn cute!
Especially when they're wearing pumpkin shirts!

or when they're wearing clothes that are several sizes too big! (Okay, technically Adele's not a "baby" anymore...)


It's also tough to top sleeping babies:
Look at her all snuggled up in the sling!

And this one...ahhh...makes me want to go get her out of her crib and snuggle her all night long!

These two weren't sleeping, but they looked pretty cute all bundled up, snuggling on the swing after dinner tonight!