Halloween Evening

And the most important part of the day as you will find out in a few years is the trick or treating! We invited your cousins over to trick or treat in our neighborhood. It was very exciting because both you and Rylan shared this as your first Halloween. And this was the first Halloween that I have spent with Auntie Heather in about 15 years. Ethan was super excited to trick or treat and just could not wait to get out there. He was quite the professional at it too! He knew not to walk on peoples grass, to knock loudly on the door, and to say trick or treat! I think you will learn a lot about trick or treating from him in the future. You did make it up to the door of a few of our neighbors, but fell asleep in the middle of our outing. It was quite a busy day for you. I hope you enjoyed some of it-we sure enjoyed you!

Your First Trick or Treat

Your very first trick or treat EVER was at Grandma and Grandpa's! We were so excited to walk you up to the door with your treat bag in hand, and have them open the door to see you in your costume! You were such a cute little puppy!

Halloween Afternoon

In the afternoon we took you outside to take some pictures with your pumpkin from the Green Bluff pumpkin patch. Mommy and Daddy had to get in some of the pictures too!

Happy Halloween Morning!

We started our Halloween morning with a tradition Daddy and I have had for several years-gift giving. We gave you this cute plush pumpkin basket filled with little plush goodies.

I got Daddy some fun Halloween cereal as part of his gift. What better way to start out the day than with some sugary kids cereal!

We got you into your costume early so we could enjoy you in it all day. Then you played while Mommy and Daddy really quickly whipped up some jack-o-lanterns to set out on the front porch.

We were so excited to share in this first Halloween with you! I was so glad that it fell on a Sunday so that Daddy could be here to enjoy it with us. We actually turned it into quite an eventful day with pumpkin carving, photo taking, and trick or treating!

Happy Five Month Birthday!

Five Months Old

I can hardly believe it-you are 5 months old! Happy Birthday Little Bear! This month we introduced you to a lot of new things like your Bumbo, saucer, walking, and rice cereal. You know words like Da-Da, kitty, binky, elephants, and nurse. You love your binky more than ever. You would really like it 24 hours a day-and now you wake up crying if you don't have it at night. We took you in for your four month checkup and second round of shots. You did better with the shots this time, but you hate when the doctor gets too close or puts the stethoscope on your chest. We found out that you are tall for your age-in the 89th percentile! Who knew? Just keep that up! Your favorite toy has been the soccer ball rattle. And we think it might be time to buy a walker because you are already so good at it and that way you could move a little on your own. Daddy has been hanging out with you every weekend lately so that Mommy can work on projects around the house. It has really brought you two closer-you adore your Daddy-no one else gets you to laugh just by walking in the room. But you still wont let him put you to bed at night. Bedtime has been a challenge lately. You have been sleeping so lightly and are up multiple times every night before you truly fall asleep. It has really taken a toll on your poor Mom. Anytime we laugh you start to smile-either you are trying to get in on what's funny, or you think it is you that we are laughing at. And your feet and armpits are ticklish too! You have really shown an interest in what we are eating or drinking and reach out for our food. You love pop cans and try to put them in your mouth. We finally froze your chew toys. You love them frozen and say "mmmmm" the whole time you are chewing on them. What a month-it has just flown by. Cannot wait to see what accomplishments we have to report next month.

Mmmmmmm!

On the eve of your five month birthday we though it was time....time for rice cereal! So we sat you in your Bumbo, threw a bib on you, and gave it a try. And not only did you love your cereal, but you actually knew how to eat it! Oh my gosh! Well, that is no surprise. (We call you an advanced baby because of how well you do everything you try). You ate a good amount of it, and said, "Mmmmmm!" after every bite. Not really sure why, but this really, really excited Mommy! It is just amazing to see you growing. Not growing up-just growing into a bigger baby. And eating solids is a big step. Good work baby boy!

Dinner With Family

What a busy fall weekend! We went to the pumpkin patch yesterday, and we went to Grandma and Grandpa's for a lasagna dinner tonight. Lissa and Addison were there too. We thought maybe Addison needed to get a little practice in, so we plopped you in his arms for a few. So cool to see you with your cousin. What a wonderful evening we had with family.

Taking You To The Pumpkin Patch

We were so excited to include you in our yearly tradition of heading up to Green Bluff for a little fall fun. We always go to the Harvest House where they have the best caramel apple cider and pumpkin donuts. Sure, you have to wait in line for a long time for these tasty treats but it is always worth it. This year we went on a Saturday just a few weeks before Halloween and it was very busy with people everywhere! I think that was because the sun was shining and the afternoon was actually a little warm. When we first arrived, you were asleep in your stroller. We sat on the hill to enjoy our cider until you woke up. And when you did, you were instantly interested in all that was going on. You did not even look at me or need a little snuggle, you just started silently watch the crowd. After you were a little more awake we look you over to the giant pumpkin and ghost cut-outs. As soon as we stood you next to the pumpkin everyone around us started going, "AWWWW!", and, "Look! So cute!" I think you were probably the smallest little guy to stand in front of the pumpkin that day. So a new tradition is born-I look forward to taking your picture there every year going forward. We were also there to check out the pumpkins of course! And we found a great big one to take home with us. You know, the really cool thing that Daddy and I realized visiting the pumpkin patch this year is that although we have visited this same one for the past few years, this time it felt completely new and exciting. That's because we get to experience it in a different way now-though your eyes. It makes us look forward to all that we get to experience with you.

Puppy VS. Lion

How can we even decide? We bought 2 costumes for you for Halloween because the first one we bought-the lion-seemed so big. So we found the puppy that looked a little smaller. It's true that the puppy does fit a little better, but that does not make our decision any easier! Look at that adorable lion tail! How can we not put you in something with such a cute tail! But look at that puppy belly! Awww! They are both so cute-you might just have to wear one Halloween morning and the other in the evening.

You Love Those Kitties!

Each and every day this month you have been LOVING those kitties! When they walk by you squeal in delight! You look for them all of the time. You even know the word kitty already. And you love to pet them. Now, no surprise, Ranger is not so interested in letting you too close to him. But Harley does not mind if you pet him, and sometimes he really enjoys it. I have to observe though because you do like to hang on tight to a handful of fur, or pull on an ear. And one of your favorite things to do these days is chase after the kitties. You have learned that you can walk. So, if we hold you under your arms, you know to take a step with your left foot and then with your right (it is quite amazing) and if you continue, you will eventually reach those kitties. And you really do try to get to them, squealing the whole way there. It is really cool to see you at such a young age already be interested in our pets. Hopefully one day they will also be interested in you!

Your New Blue Bumbo

Grandma brought over a Bumbo for you today! Thank you Grandma! What a cool seat-we put you in it and it really helps sit you upright! You have maybe had a few too many new experiences this week-remember the saucer? You again just were not sure what to think! But I am sure after a few visits in the Bumbo chair, you are gonna just love it.

You Love Lovies!!!

You are a very lovey boy! You have started to give kisses (even on Daddy's nose) where you come at us with a big open mouth. It is the sweetest. And you just love when Daddy gives you lovies! You make the sweetest little noises when you are in a lovey mood, too. We hope you are as lovey as you are now when you are a little (and even a big) boy!