Leah's first fall

I adore fall. There is nothing like the smells, the crisp, clean air, the holidays that bring excuses to celebrate, and the trees changing... heaven. We decided to bite the bullet and hire a photographer to capture some of the magic of Leah's first autumn. She was great, and we got some really fabulous shots that we will cherish forever.

Thanks, Bridget! 

www.bridgetsternphotography.com 

8 Months Old!

Sweet Girl, at 8 months old you...


-Weigh about 16 pounds. You are still tiny, but you are growing, and that is all that counts. You have delicious thigh rolls, cheeks to die for, and a chubby little belly, so we are not complaining! You are now in 9 month clothes pretty much all of the time, so you are right on target!
- Hate to snuggle. I am using the word HATE here. You are so busy looking at everything and touching all the things around you that you forget to snuggle with your parents unless really coerced. Boo. We keep trying, though! The few snuggles we get are so worth it!
-Are really getting some stranger anxiety, and get upset when I leave the room sometimes. It is bittersweet- I am so happy you want your Mommy, but sad when I feel like Ihave to leave you.  We play and play and play on the floor, and the second I walk away, you get sad. As soon as you have some company, though, you are happy as a clam and right back to playing!
- Love your food! You still eat 5 "liquid" meals a day, although we are transitioning you to 4. You nurse when you wake up, have 2 bottles and baby food at Joanie's house, nurse when we get home, have baby food for dinner, and nurse at bedtime. You are starting to learn how to feed yourself. We have been putting cottage cheese, banana, and egg yolk on your tray, and you are getting the hang of eating it with your hands!
- Speaking of food, your food adventure is continuing! You have had lots of and lots fruits and veggies, oatmeal and barley. You love egg yolks, cottage cheese, and yogurt, and we have even been giving you some shredded cheese this week- another big hit. You hate chicken, though, and literally gag when we try to sneak it into your veggies. I think your Dad is secretly happy.  :)   Up next this week is tofu! Let's see if you really are destined to be a vegetarian! 
-  still only have 2 adorable bottom teeth. They poked through on your 6 month birthday, and we have not seen any since. I adore your smile with those two little toofers. 
- Are getting very, very frustrated with the fact that you can't figure out how to crawl. You can spin yourself all over the room using your arms, but you can't seem to figure out how to crawl! When something interesting (and just about EVERYTHING is interesting to you right now) is out of your reach, you get upset and "swim" with your arms and legs. You will get there soon! 
- Still love car rides and long walks. You are in constant motion when you are playing, so I guess it makes sense that you like to be in motion when you are strapped into something! 
- Are really, really "talking" up a storm these days! We are cracking up all the time listening to you say "Ba ba ba", "Da da da", and "Ya, Ya". We talk back to you, and you get a big smile across your face, like you are proud of yourself for talking. We are going to have so much fun when you really start to talk! 
- Have a few fav toys right now. Your singing duck (you have always loved that one), your green and pink baby doll, the little piano you love to bang, your wind-up bah tub lobster, and the Minnie Mouse from Aunt Beth and the girls are the ones you get most excited about ans squeal when you see them. You still love books, but now you would much rather eat them than listen to the story. 
- Really love being sung to in any form. You still love "Baby Beluga", the Hokie Pokie, ABC's, and the classic Paul Fasse original, "Who's the big girl? Who's the big girl? It's Leah! It's Leah!" that your goofball Daddy sings to you all the time. We play lullabies every night when we start bedtime- either Rock-a-bye Beatles, Beach Boys, or Bob Marley, or some classical music to soothe you. I sing a few songs to you every night while you have your bedtime feeding. Some of our favs- "To make you feel my love", "Lullaby", and "In My Life". 
- Are a beast at night if we don't get you to bed. You play so hard all day that you need to be down by 7:30, or you are DONE. We get you up at about 5:40 during the week, and on the weekends, you sleep til about 7:30! You like your shut-eye, that is for sure, and we are thankful for that!
- Still love to suck that thumb, especially when you are tired. That,and the eye rubbing, are signs it is time for a nap.
- Love to be out and about. You really enjoy people watching, and you like shopping and going to restaurants because there is so much to see! It is fun to watch you take it all in. 
- You are growing and learning more every single day, and it is such a pleasure to watch you develop on every level. 


You are the light of our lives. I can't get enough of you, my Leah. You are the best thing about our days.  

Another perfect fall afternoon at the best pumpkin patch!

Fall brings so many excuses to go do fun things in what we have left of nice weather. LOVE!

Fun little snippets

Every day brings new stresses, new obstacles and new challenges to everyone. With that said, every day also brings joy, laughter, smiles, and precious moments that deserve to be taken in. 

Oh, how I wish I had more moments with this little Love as of late. We have been having a lot of fun, though, and Leah is still such a joy in every way.

Playing peek-a-boo in the car

Hi Mom and Dad! 

Peek-a-boo again!

LiLi, are you attending a tennis match, circa 1985? Love.

The Arboreta with Nonnie and Papo!

Uncle Jim!

More loves with her fav Uncle when we had a big fam sleepover last weekend

Taking a walk and playing with the darling neighbor girls. They love Leah so much!

"These are a few of my favorite things!"

Licking the bowl much?

This girl LLLOOOVVEEESSSS her yogurt. Can you tell???

Splish Splash!

Bathtime is FUN around here!

What makes a perfect day?

Great Friends that add up to one sweet family?

Great friends again, with one of our fav kids and a baby boy on the way?

A sweet/super cheesy family photo?

A gorgeous scene?

An Uncle Loving on his Makayla?

A horse (that stunk) kissing the babies?

Stonlen glances?

A family pose that makes a Mommy melt?

Friends loving on one another, even if one is not so sure?

We had a wonderful day last weekend at the zoo/pumpkin patch. Thank God for beautiful weather, time to spend with those we love, and great friends for all!!!

A place to hang your hat (and coat)

Some days when I come home from what feels like an absurdly long day at work, teaching 100 students the facts of life, I pull into the driveway after picking Leah up and think to myself "man- here goes full time job #2!"  Being a working Mom, as many of you know, is much harder than it looks!!! I have been feeling overwhelmed from time to time, which is not like me, and it is driving me nuts. I go to work, chug away non stop for hours, come home, try to be super mom til 8, then it is time to clean and do hours of schoolwork. UGH. I can't stand feeling negative or ungrateful, so I needed a spark.

The other day, I figured out that I could something to look at to remind me of how blessed I am every day, whether at work or at home. At work, i have a letter that a student wrote me, telling me I have inspired her to be a kinder, better person. That melts my heart. 

When I walk in the door of my family room every day, holding my little bundle in my arms, feeling stressed about the work ahead, I look at this sign. We got it from our darling Aunt a few years back for Christmas. There was never anything under the sign, with the exception of our shoes. As of last week, though, there are hooks with cute little coats and hats that belong to one very, very good reason to work hard ,stay positive, and appreciate every day. It may sound silly to some, but I realized the other day that looking at that coat hook filled with Leah's stuff reminds me of how blessed I am to have the life I do. That melts my heart even more.

Yes, life gets chaotic.Yes, I have been known to cry here and there at work as of late. Yes, being a working mom is hard. Yes, my house is a freaking mess most of the time. But, this messy house is a HOME, and so much of that is because of my wonderful husband, and the little girl who snuggles into these coats. Thank you, $10 Hobby Lobby coat rack, for reminding me that my house is full of chaos, but it is full of love and joy, too.

It really is the little things that count, isn't it?

Little Viking

So, Leah is a true blooded Little Vike- on both ends! Both of her parents teach at high schools with the Viking mascot, so it was only fitting that we take her to her first Viking Football game this past weekend. We chose the Fremd game, cause it was homecoming, and, let;s face it, Fremd is better (sorry HF'ers). 

It was chilly, so we did not stay long, but at least she can now say she's been to a home game!

Two of my fav ladies. Love you, girls!!!

Our little fam next to the field. 

No shock here- Leah liked the lights!