Riley's Jack-O-Lanterns

Trick Or Treating 2011

This was Harper's first Trick or Treating and Riley's first to actually go trick or treating.  The last few years she was either too small or too scared to go.  This year was completely different!  Riley had so much fun.  It was really fun to see her run up to every door (screaming!), tell her joke right away (Knock, Knock. Who's There? Boo. Boo who?  Don't cry it's just a joke!), take her candy and run back to us.  She was a rock star at remembering her joke.  She didn't forget it once.  If there were a group of kids at the door she budged her way up the steps and told her joke whether someone was listening to her, or not.  I'm not sure when she decided to break out of her shyness, but she sure was miss independent that night.  I carried Harper (our little ladybug) in the sleepytime wrap and she lasted a good hour without any complaints.  That things is a lifesaver!  Here's some pictures.

Riley's Preschool Halloween Party

I was lucky enough to go to Riley's Preschool Halloween Party.  It was so fun to see Riley interact with her classmates, listen to the teacher, and sing her songs.  They paraded into the room in their costumes, stood in their spots, and sang all of the songs that they've learned over the last couple months.  Ms. Megan had some cookies and milk afterwards.  I got to see some cute pictures of Ms. Megan's little Harper.  Turns out she has a 10 month old Harper at home.  She said that whenever she mentions her Riley will always say, "that's my baby sister!" 

 I love this one of Carter looking for his Daddy.

 Giant Whale, Giant Whale!!

Night Eyes 2011

We went to Night Eyes last Friday night and it was a perfect night to be outside.  We tried to get there early and were able to dodge the long lines.  Because it was so nice out the lions, tigers, and snow leopards were all very active.  The most active we've seen them all year.  It was a good night to get Harper out.  She had fun chewing on her rings and looking around.  Riley's costume was a hit.  Everywhere we went we heard, "oh look, it's a crayon!"  As we were leaving Riley laughed and said "Everybody likes me!"  We even made a brief appearance on the Ch. 5 news.  They were out filming and showed us getting Harper situated in the stroller and Riley walking up the path.  Here are a few pictures:

i9 Soccer Season Ends

Riley slowly warmed up to playing soccer this fall.  Thankfully, by the end of the season we didn't have tears and she was excited to go every Saturday.  Actually playing, that's a different story.  Here's some pictures from her final game:

 

 

 

 

Harper Grace: 5 Months Old

Little Miss Harper is 5 months old today.  She is so sweet, so cute, and so much fun!  Here's what she's been up to:

• She has her first ear infection.  It was just the start of one, no fever, no complaining, but a little ear-pulling.
• She weighs 13 lb 1 oz.  I don't remember how long she is.  She has short legs and a long torso just like her sister.
• She is wearing mostly 3-6 month and 6 month clothing.  We are finding that not all of Riley's hand-me-downs are lining up with Harper's growth.  We are in search of some new clothes this weekend.
• She isn't too interested in the rice cereal.  Some days she will gobble it up, other days she wants nothing to do with it.
• She tried applesauce in her rice cereal last night and she hated it!  You know that shake you can't help but do when something tastes terrible, grosses you out, or is sour?  She does that after every bite.  I may try sweet potatoes next.  If that isn't successful we'll hold off again for a few weeks.
• She is a finicky eater.  She is still drinking 100% breast milk. We try to feed her every three hours, but she usually won't stick to a schedule.  Sometimes she'll eat 5 oz, other times she'll eat 2.5 oz, but mostly she eats 4.5 oz bottles.
• She is still sleeping through the night.  We've had a few nights where she's wanted to eat at 1:30 or 3:30, but usually she's sleeping from 7pm-5am.  Mommy and Daddy are soooo thankful for this.
• She is a finger sucker at night.  This probably contributes to her great sleeping habits.  We try to make her use a paci during the day, which usually works unless she finds her fingers first.
• She is now taking two 1.5-2 hour naps every day.
• She is rolling all over the place.  She can roll from tummy to back, and back to tummy.  She is just now getting to the point where she likes to be on her tummy because she can play and see more.
• She loves all of the attention that she gets from the kids at Hedy's.
• Her favorite person continues to be Riley.
• She has the cutest squeal ever.
• She is extremely ticklish.  She will laugh uncontrollably when we tickle her tummy before her baths.
• She still likes her bath. Once out of the bath, there is no messing around. She wants to get dressed fast, eat fast, and go to bed.
• She is working on sitting up. She is always leaning forward. She likes her bumbo for short periods of time, but always leans herself forward.  Several times she's sat up on her own for about two seconds before tipping back.
• She loves to stand up.
• Her hair continues to be awesome!  Right out of the bath is the best.  It is a little curly and all over the place.  It truly is a mohawk right now.
• She loves singing and will usually join in.
• She loves her butterfly teether, rings, piggy rattle, and pretty much anything else she can get into her mouth.
• She loves to grab her toes and pull them to her mouth.
• She has the best little cheeks that we love to kiss!



Halloween Puppets

Riley and I made a Halloween puppet one night Daddy was out of town last week.  The next night, when he was home, she asked if we could all make puppets again.  So we had a family craft night, which was really fun.  Here's a few pictures.