P is for Pumpkin (and photos)!

 I was being "reprimanded" today for not having posted more to the blog during the summer.  I would like to think that I will eventually be forgiven for leading an extremely busy life as a working mother.  Right?  Yeah, we'll see.

Last weekend Pat and I took Holly to the farm to see all the pumpkins and pick her up a couple.  She had a wonderful time and we came home with two pumpkins for Pat and I are a very special little one (that she's holding there in the photo) for her!

We couldn't have asked for better weather.  Last weekend it was cool and very brisk and we enjoyed it immensely!  This weekend we had more of an Indian Summer, but still acceptable in our book.  We are definitely looking forward to having a true fall and not skipping over the season.  Last spring was just insane.  I don't know when Mother Nature decided that skipping a season was okay, but I would rather it not happen again any time soon.

This weekend Holly and I traveled back to W-town to see Pat and Grandma N and Poppa J and the kitties.  We're currently house shopping in the new town, so for the time being, Pat and I are living apart during the week and visiting on the weekends.  It's not easy, but we're making it work and we are day dreaming about being a complete family again (hopefully by Christmas)!

When Holly and I returned home, we went over to my aunt and uncle's with her boys for a mini photo shoot.  P and B are excellent with her and Holly couldn't ask for better cousins.  As my aunt said, those boys are incredibly cooperative and good with her!

Holly's now taking between five and ten steps and she's getting more and more brave every day.  She still crawls like a bandit, but I see that transitioning into a running fiend by Halloween.  She's growing so fast and watching her develop is incredible.  I remember this time last year how small she was and it's almost hard to comprehend how much she's grown since then.  I was reminded of that over the weekend as I held my brand new nephew.  He was born last Wednesday at 9 pounds, 22-1/2 inches (two pounds less than Holly's birth weight and three inches longer) and he just seemed so small when I held him!  What's incredible is that you wouldn't expect 9 pounds to be small, but it's fairly average in our family and compared to Holly's 22 pounds, my new nephew's a peanut!
 
Not much more to add, but there are plenty of pictures to look at, so enjoy!

Happy Uncle J?  ;-)

Long Overdue

So I realize with a jolt of guilt and perhaps some shame that I have not updated this blog since JUNE!  Yikes!  Time has truly gotten away with me and I really have no other excuse.  I apologize for not updating sooner, but I can assure you that this will happen again.  Many times and on multiple occasions.  It's a drawback to being a parent and being involved.

So, lets see.  July, August, and September has seen quite a bit of growth and forward momentum!  She now has twelve teeth, a full year under her belt, and still loves food.  A lot.  She is most definitely a healthy eater!  There is very little that she will turn away.  She tried pickles for me one day and liked it, but then was sick later that evening.  Ever since she has refused pickles.  She's starting to refuse cheese, which I blame her father for, but I love them both anyway.  She'll still eat pizza, mac and cheese and au gratin potatoes though.  Not a total loss!  She's gone from crawling to standing, to walking with support around furniture, people and toys.

Her first birthday party was a giant success celebrated with friends and family.  She totally had a blast with the cupcakes (definitely belongs to our family, considering the sweet tooth that she has) at the party and then again cake the following weekend on her actual birthday.  I say she has a sweet tooth, but I should also add that this child puts down cooked carrots like a champ and then demands more.  I hope that she can eat enough carrots to keep away the glasses fairy!  I would hate for her to succumb to the family curse of near and far-sightedness, but if it's in the blood, she'll just have to suffer right along with the rest of us.

Holly's vocabulary is growing, although she hasn't put it to the verbal test yet.  When you talk to her, you can see how much she understands.  It won't be long before my little pumpkin will be jabbering along with the rest of the family.  :)  She'll put in her two cents ... only as long as it's politically correct and it won't get us kicked out of her grandparents' house!

Our newest bit of news that is extremely exciting for us is that Holly has finally taken her first steps this week!  She has shown off for both Grammy and Pah, her Aunt H, mommy and daddy and a couple of her teachers at school.  She hasn't taken more than one or two steps, but it's just the beginning.  I suspect that by the time Halloween rolls around, she'll be a little more sure on her feet!

In addition to everything else going on, Holly's also started at a new school towards the end of September and has transitioned very nicely.  She is sleeping well, continuing to eat well, and plays well with her friends.  Not only that, but one of her classmates is a second cousin and you can't beat having family in school with you!  They'll get to have a Halloween parade this month and I look forward to having her dressed up as a pumpkin and wearing a costume that her cousins P, B and E wore when they were that age!