Halloween Festivities



Boo Fest

There is a local farm who has Boo Fest. We go each year since it is so close to our home and because I've taught quite a few the family's grandchildren. We love going seeing all the animals and going on the hay ride to get a pumpkin.   

Sophie and Daddy found a great pumpkin!

Sophie fell in love with this little pumpkin, so of course we had to get it, too.

Traditional family photo at the farm

Treat and Eat Night

Each year my school has a fun night for the kids. Kids can go to each classroom and get candy from the teachers. There are also games and activities for them to do. It is always fun to see all of the students dressed up and having a good time. They decided that all trick or treating would be on the 1st floor this year. Since I teach on the 2nd floor that meant I wouldn't have to pass out candy like I normally do. I was fine with this because that meant I could relax and have fun with my family. We stayed in my classroom for awhile and visited with all of my old students who came back for the evening (I love catching up with my old kids!). Next we took the girls to get some treats from my colleagues. We ended in the library where we were able to color and have fun with some friends. 

Getting some candy from Auntie Ca-Ca.

Sophie was so excited to see her old buddy from the baby sitter's! She has missed him so much this year.

So excited by all the treats she was able to get!

Josie was a good sport about walking around the school with us.

HallZOOween

We are so lucky to live close to a zoo. We love the zoo on normal days, but we especially love it during holiday times. Around Halloween they have treat stations set up and give pumpkins to the animals to smash/eat/play with. The girls and I went with a friend and her daughter. It was such a nice day and the girls really enjoyed themselves. Sophie loved seeing the animals and getting treats. Josie loved watching all of the people and animals. We had such a great time.

 

Decorating Pumpkins

 

Halloween

After a day at the baby sitter's house and a quick check-up for Josie, we were ready for some Halloween fun. We passed out candy on the porch for awhile. Sophie loved giving candy to the treat-or-treaters. Every time a new person would come to the house she would say, "More friends!" It was pretty cold and rainy so Josie and Joe went in the house and waited for other trick-or-treaters while Sophie and I went to visit a few houses. She was so happy while she marched up each door. She was too shy to say "trick or treat" though. We got pretty wet after visiting ten or so houses in the rain. Sophie was shivering and after some convincing she agreed that we could go home. She was so happy and talked about it for the rest of the night. 

My sweet bumble bee and flower.

Sophie loved passing out candy to 'her friends.'

Josie tried to sneak some candy.

Halloween is over? Oh no!



Josie is 8 Months

Happy 8th month to Josie!
This has been a month full of first for Josie! She sprouted her first (and second) tooth, went to her first wedding, tried puffs, started army crawling, and said her first word - dad.

Since this isn't a month where Josie gets a well visit at the pediatrician's office, we don't have an official weight for her. Our scale says that she weighs 15lb 8oz, but I'm not sure how accurate that actually is. Josie is still in size 2 diapers, but I bought a box of size 3s for whenever she runs out of the other size. She is in 6 month clothes, but she can still wear 3-6 month items, too. I am starting to put those away now though, and I'm pulling out 6 month fall items.

Josie still loves to eat. I've been wearing out my Baby Breeza by making all sorts of fresh fruits and vegetables for her. She loves pretty much everything, which excites me more than anyone could ever know. Her favorite foods so far are squash, sweet potatoes, and pears. She doesn't seem to like my homemade peas or green beans, but loves store bought ones. (I honestly don't care if she eats homemade or store bought. As long as she eats I am happy.) She has also started eating puffs and Cheerios this month. She LOVES feeding herself. It is getting to the point that when she starts fussing we will sit her in her highchair and give her some puffs. That cheers her right up.

We started out this month on a Momma-Daughter road trip to Nashville to visit one of my very best friends, Tara. Josie was a perfect road trip companion. She did not make a peep the whole way there! I actually got nervous a few times and thought something was wrong. She loves being in the car though, so her good behavior shouldn't have surprised me. We stopped about half way there and I fed her, changed her diaper, and took my own bathroom break. That was definitely an adventure. (I didn't want to take the car seat in and put it on the dirty floor, so I had to hold her while I used the restroom - very difficult. TMI, I know.) Josie was such a good girl while we visited. She slept through the night, played happily, snuggled with me so she could fall asleep for naps, and was a sweetheart. The only time she really was fussy was when we went shopping; she doesn't like waiting around and keeping still. She fell asleep after an hour though and we were able to enjoy the rest of shopping trip. Our trip home went just as well the trip down. I am so glad that I was able to have that time alone with Josie. It was definitely a bonding experience for us, and it made me fall even more in love with her!

As I mentioned before, Josie started sleeping through the night while we were in Nashville and she has continued to do so once we got home. There was one or two nights when she had a hard time sleeping, but that was because of her tooth that was coming in. I think part of the reason that Josie is sleeping through the night is because she stopped taking her early evening nap. It used to be that every day around 5:15 she would take a 30-45 minute nap. When she woke up she would eat, play, get a bath, play a little more and then go back to sleep. That nap is gone now and she really wears herself out, which means sleep at night for everyone. I forgot how wonderful uninterrupted sleep can be!

Both of Josie's bottom teeth have erupted and are working their way out. The one that appeared earlier this month is half of the way through. Her newest one just burst through her gums a few days ago. Josie is gnawing on everything and drooling all over the place! She's had a few rough days (and a rough night or two) but overall has done pretty well with teething.

The first tooth

Both teeth at the end of the month.

Josie has started to say da-da! Since the day she began saying it she hasn't stopped. All day long we hear, "Da-da-da-da-dad-dad-daaaa-da-dad-dad..." She will get so into that she pushes her lower jaw out and show off her new teeth. It is so cute!

Josie is army crawling all over the place and I absolutely love it. At the beginning of the month she would squirm around a little and then roll herself to what she wanted. Now she is full on army crawling! I love watching her zero in on an object and make her way over to it. She is getting so fast! She will get up on her hands and knees and rock, but she doesn't quite know what to do next. She just falls forward on her face and goes back to army crawling. Gone are the days of my stationary little baby. I can't wait to see her speeding along on the floor, chasing after Sophie.

Getting her to keep on her back and pose for pictures is pretty much impossible now. 

Here are some more pictures from the past month:

 Josie sits up so much more now (but she prefers laying on ground). She still can't gracefully get down though and usually just face plants onto the floor.

I celebrated turning 30 with my two favorite girls! Josie really wanted to grab my cake. 

Such a happy girl!

I tried letting Josie feed herself one night. It didn't go so well...

She loved playing with her food. 

Ice cubes in the mesh feeder have been one of Josie's favorite things this month. It really helped with her teething.

We let Josie try out a sippy cup. She was able to drink from it a bit, but she still isn't quite there yet. 

The only (somewhat) decent picture I have of Josie at her first wedding (the wedding of Joe's cousin, Mike).  

Josie enjoyed the teether cookies I made for her. 

Teething sucks!

I had some really cute visitors at work one day! 

First Word

We have been waiting and waiting for Josie to say her first word. Earlier in the summer I could've sworn that she said dad, but she never said it again for me to be sure so it didn't count. She has said something that sounds like "hi" a few times, but it has never been super clear.  She has been making a mmmmm sound for a while now but never said mom or mama. A few days ago while she was laying on the floor in the living room, I got up to go do something with Sophie. Josie saw me and started to cry. She gave a few mmmmmm's while crying and it sounded like she said, "Mama". She was fussing too much though so once again I couldn't be sure and the word didn't count. Last night I was changing her into her pajamas she was babbling and very clearly said, "dad!" This afternoon while she was babbling she said dad once again. This time Joe was there to hear her. So now it is official - Josie's first word is dad! I am a little sad that mom wasn't her first word (of course), but I'm so excited that she is becoming verbal!

First Tooth

Josie's first tooth popped through today! It is the right central incisor. All week long I have felt a big bump on her lower gums. She has been gnawing on things like crazy and has been fussier than usual, so I knew her tooth was coming soon. Tonight Josie was gnawing on Joe's finger and he felt the sharpness of a tooth. It had finally busted through! I hope that she isn't in too much pain.