Sunday, November 4, 2012

Halloween!

I am not a big fan of Halloween.  I hate scary, gory stuff.  But this year I had so much fun because we took Quinn Trick or Treating for the first time and then had a little Halloween dinner party with the Johnsons and the Courtneys.  We had a great time taking all the kids to the Brookside shops to trick or treat.  Then we headed back to our house for some yummy dinner, drinks, and dessert.

I made Quinn a cute pink skeleton costume with fabric paint.  Then Alicia and I decided to make Jude one to match!



Here are our Spooooooky Skeletons :)








 Trick or Treating at the Brookside shops:









"Mommy won't let me eat candy so I'm going to eat my pail instead."





Jacob's Well Play Group Halloween Party:



This is right after I told her we were going to see Josie at the party and she was saying "Jooo-see!"



Deanna Rose Farmstead

It's November!  Time flies when you have a toddler!  I have so much to blog about and so little time and so many pictures to post.  :)

A few weeks ago we went to Deanna Rose Farmstead with Alicia and Jude:

goats!!









  
We love playing in the leaves.





More October outdoor exploration:



Watering the grass :)

I gave you your first haircut!  I evened up your hair with a little bob.  You are such a cutie!



You love green smoothies!


And climbing. . .

15 Months Old

This is a late posting but October 20th you turned 15 months old!  We had your doctor appointment the day before.  It was not fun.  The part with Dr. Moylan was great, but the shots did not go well this time.  I had to hold you still as the nurse gave you the shots and you looked at me like you fully blamed me for letting them hurt you, and then afterwards you screamed and cried for a long time and even hid behind the chair not wanting me to come near you.  It was the worst.  Eventually you wanted me to hold you again but I felt so bad.  That day and the next you could hardly stand or walk because your little legs were so sore.  :(

On a better note, Dr. Moylan said that you look great and are still in the 3rd-5th percentile for weight at 18lbs, 2oz and the 25th for height at 28 1/4 inches.  He also handed me a paper on temper tantrums and told me that at 15 months you were now entering the "terrible twos" and that they would last about 3 years.  Fun, fun :p  I have seen just a couple tantrums, it's really hard not to laugh.  You caught me off guard the first few times, letting your body go limp, falling back onto the floor and screaming.  I just stood there thinking, "where in the world did she learn this from?".  I guess some things just come naturally.  :)

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I LOVE Dr. Moylan.  I always feel better after talking with him.  I also love how supportive of breastfeeding he is.  He said his wife nursed their kids till between 15 and 18 months, and that was back when a lot of women didn't even nurse to begin with.  I've been thinking a lot about this trip that Daddy and I want to take in January.  We'd be gone for at least 5 days and as if being away from you for 5 days wasn't hard enough, I'll have to wean you by then.  I am pretty resistant to this notion of having to wean you before you are ready.  I thought maybe by 18 months we'd be ready, but things are still going so well and I don't have any desire to take this wonderful, nutritious, nurturing, soothing, special connection away.  You usually just nurse about 3-4 times a day, in the morning, before your nap, and at bed time.  You recently starting signing for and saying "nurse" when you want to nurse and it is one of the sweetest things I've ever seen.  It breaks my heart thinking of taking this away from you and from us.  It puts you back to sleep at night if you wake, it comforts you when you are sad or teething or clingy, it puts you back to sleep for a few hours at 5am every morning.  *sigh* I'm not sure what to do.

At 15 months you are able to say lots of words, for example: peek boo, peacock, Josie, Jude, poopy, Grandma (ma-maw), nurse, shoes, ball, please, more, cracker, two, etc.

You like to help me count, I say "one" then you say "two" and I say "three".  Sometimes you will say "three" also.  You like to pick up my phone and put it to your ear and say "hi Daddy".  And since Thanksgiving is coming up I just taught you "gobble, gobble" for turkey.  You love to dance to music.  You will sing songs with me and do the motions for "Itsy Bitsy Spider", "If Your Happy and You Know It", and "Old McDonald" (you love to say "e-i-e-i").

I love you sooooooo much my sweet girl.

Jacob's Well

JW Community

Jeff and I have recently starting volunteering with the JW Kid's Community in Quinn's classroom (1 year olds- "Movers").  It's been so fun to see her in a classroom setting.  She looks like such a big girl sitting patiently at the table with all the other kids and then eating snack and listening to the story.  Even today at our volunteer meeting she climbed up into one of the empty chairs at the table among the adults and just sat quietly observing.  One of the other volunteers, when he found out that she was our daughter, said she was one of his favorites because she was always so happy and friendly.

Once a month I am meeting with Christy, who is on staff with JW leading the Infants-2, and another gal Amy, to help out with curriculum planning for the Infants-2 year olds.  We just met this past week to brainstorm ideas for the theme of Noah's Ark and I really enjoyed meeting with them and putting on my "creative teacher hat" for this new age group that Quinn is in.  It's been so interesting to observe all that Quinn can do and communicate and understand these days.

I am excited to start thinking about Advent activities for the Kid's Community, and to do as a family in December.  It will be a great Spiritual Practice to start with Quinn and for Jeff and I as well. 

Another thing I love, love, love is serving communion at JW, especially on the last Sunday when it's whole family communion.  It always makes me feel connected and a part of the community which is, and can feel, so big at times.  I love seeing all the kids coming up with their parents and seeing all the familiar faces, even ones that I don't have names for.

On another note, after 29 years of hating coffee, I am now officially a coffee drinker.  Motherhood has finally worn me down and I need a little extra kick.  :)  I am surprised at how quickly my taste has adjusted to even enjoying coffee, of course only with flavored creamer.