Happy Halloween!

 

 

Eskimo Kiss

Happy Birthday Daddy!

Happy Birthday to the best daddy ever.  I'm so glad I get to spend the day with you today. You are so much fun and I love everything about you--the way we snuggle and watch EPL soccer on Saturday mornings, the funny faces you make and silly songs you sing to get me to laugh, the way you let me play with the remote control when mommy takes it away, and the list goes on.

I wish you a very happy birthday and love you very much!

10 Months

Happy 10 months to our little Carmen James.  What a fun month its been.  You have entered the sponge stage and are absorbing so much and becoming so expressive and interactive.  You’ve uttered a few words now and I’m sad to report that ‘daddy’ came out before ‘mommy’ (sigh…) but I can live with that. 

You continue to be a girl on the go and are constantly in motion.  If you were a superhero your name would be Destructo girl--you have no fear, dive head-first with gusto into everything and love to make a mess.  When I pick you up from daycare, the teacher always has a funny story or anecdote about what you did that day.  You are nothing less than entertaining.  While you play well with others and are well mannered, you love food and will ‘steal’ from the big kids at lunch time.  You’ve been spotted taking bites of grilled cheese sandwich from your neighbor and have been guilty of swiping a banana off their plate as well.  It’s simply amazing how much you can eat and that there is nothing you won’t try.  I’m beginning to believe that you have two hollow legs. 

With all of the eating, you have energy to learn new things—you ‘ve started associating clapping with music, you give the best high-5’s and make the funniest noises when trying to mimic animal sounds.  My favorite is your interpretation of a rooster.  You love to point and we find ourselves walking around the room going from one object to another so you can investigate what you see and find so interesting.  You are intrigued by the salad spinner and give the biggest smile and laugh when you see it go ‘round and ‘round.  I love how the little things make you so happy.  

You still are not crawling on all 4’s even though you can, and you still revert back to the commando crawl.  You are pulling yourself up on everything and most people would agree that you will probably start running before you start walking.  Look out world.  All of this activity does make you sleepy and you still love to cuddle and suck your thumb when you are ready for a rest.  Your beloved Lamby is never more than an arm’s reach away at bedtime and the poor thing has turned from pristine white to a muddled gray in some spots.  Let’s just say that he is well loved.  And, you my dear Carmen are well loved too.  What a gift you are for us each and every day.  

The Farm

Today we visited The Farm to select the perfect pumpkin for Carmen's first Halloween.  It was quite the adventure--we saw farm animals (one of the biggest pigs I've ever seen, llamas, calves, chickens and even a donkey), munched on kettle corn and navigated the vast pumpkin patch with a wheelbarrow.  It was the ideal way to spend the afternoon as a family and get into the Halloween spirit.

What are these smelly things?

Who knew that chickens had any relation to the tyrannosaurus-rex!

 

Big, friendly scarecrow.



Lots and lots of pumpkins.

I think we picked out a winner!

Mommy and Me Yoga

Carmen and I are taking a mommy and me yoga class.  Truth be told, the yoga is really for mommy and Carmen is just along for the ride.  So far so good...she thoroughly enjoys playing with the yoga straps, crawling on to other's mats and exploring her surroundings, which consist of mirrored walls and a very inviting alter with some 'no touch' items.  In true Carmen fashion she has quickly become a ham bone. She often crawls up to the teacher and sits on her mat and then curiously looks around the room of women, some with their little babies.  The teacher graciously picks Carmen up when she happens to be directly under her feet and continues instructing without missing a beat.  Carmen has also made a new friend in the class and they sit and stare at one another and then play follow the leader.  Today I had to 'remove' Carmen from the little girl's diaper bag more times than I can count, as my darling daughter was trying to steal her shoes and her sippy cup.

While the relaxation and namastes are not quite as tranquil with Carmen in tow, I'm happy to be back doing yoga and it's so much fun being together.

Feed Me

Our little Carmen likes to eat!  Although, by the way she is going after the spoon in the picture below, you would think we never feed her.

A summary of her likes and dislikes in no particular order...

Likes: applesauce, bananas, carrots, butternut squash, black beans, sweet peas, pears, mango, kidney beans, chicken, nectarines, peaches, yams, avocado, tomato, spinach, potatoes, green beans, oatmeal and, of course, anything in the cheerio/puff snack family.

Dislikes: Nada, zip, zero, zilch (at least for now)