The Harvest Continues

Nola, is a nurse I work with. She is the kindest woman you will ever meet, she also has an apple orchard. She lets me come down every year and pick apples. I cannot believe how delicious an apple picked off the tree is compared to the grocery store. Nola told me it is when they get boxed up and packaged where they add all the chemicals. I thought I had tasted a crisp apple before, no, no I never did until I took a bite of an apple I just picked. That my friends is a crisp fresh apple and the taste is divine.

Speaking of apples, here is our Apple with Nola.

All the apples I picked. Nola helped me pick them; it only took a half an hour (and all from one tree with PLENTY of fruit left - I want an apple tree). Most of the food the baby eats I make (the exception is prunes, I don't make prunes) but I blend it up and stick them in ice cube trays (holds about 2 TBL) pop one out and stick in the microwave when it's time to eat. It is not as time consuming as one would think it would be AND it saves money, you know what you are putting into your baby, and reduces waste (no plastic or glass containers).

Speaking of produce...

Here is my pumpkin at the start:
And now: I really don't have the heart to carve it up (is that weird?) I think I will actually make pumpkin pie from it.

And here we are on an evening stroll in the crisp, cool, autumn air.

A Peculiar Love Affair

I love the idea of traditions. Since the babe was born I have begun a love affair with them. I have a list of traditions I would like to have with my children. Will I do all of them? Probably not, but I do have my favorites. One of those traditions is in the autumn go to a local farm and enjoy the festivities. We have had beautiful weather this month, BEAU-TI-FUL. Last night we did our first annual pumpkin festival (and hopefully many more to come).

I believe I have mentioned before Brad has a thing for horses (okay, honestly the man has a thing for ALL animals, but especially horses.) If we are traveling and there is a field of horses off the road, guess what? We stop. Well, this horse wanted to eat our pumpkin.

And this cow. Adorable. This cow wanted Brad's pumpkin too, and she gave the cutest look. It was actually the same look Sydney gives you when she wants your food.

I love her face. i wish the photo came out clearer.

The tongue. Gets me every time.

**These last photos I was experimenting on in photo shop. And silly me did a silly thing, I never created a "save as" I only saved, so the only copies I have are the ones I experimented with. Oh, well.

First wagon/hay ride

Her Halloween outfit.

My little family.

Growing

grow
   \ˈgrō\, grew, grown, grow·ing.
verb (used without object)
1. to increase by natural development, as any living organism or part by assimilation of nutriment; increase in size or substance.
2. to form and increase in size by a process of inorganic accretion, as by crystallization.
3. to arise or issue as a natural development from an original happening, circumstance, or source: Our friendship grew from common interests.
4. to increase gradually in size, amount, etc.; become greater or larger; expand: His influence has grown.
5. to become gradually attached or united by or as if by growth: The branches of the trees grew together, forming a natural arch.

The outfit on the left was the outfit we brought her home in 6 months ago (it was even big on her). The outfit on the right is the one she wore yesterday (size 6 months).

So much has changed. She smiles throughout the day, she laughs, she squeals, she talks... a lot (wonder where she got that from?), she loves to eat books, she rolls over (tummy to back), she scoots backwards, she can't sit up on her own but oh, does she try (it makes my abs hurt watching her try to sit up), she seems to be a good eater (has yet to not like anything she has tried, the peas and beans took a little bit but now she seems to like them), she loves to look at herself in the mirror, she sleeps from 7:30 pm - 7:00 am, she takes 2 naps a day, she loves to chew on everything, when a new toy is presented it promptly goes into her mouth, after her nap (Sydney usually greets her first) she squeals when Sydney walks into the room (my heart melts every time).

I will never get over how fast time goes. My life has never gone so quickly since she came into it, I wish it would slow down a bit, but it can't so the only thing I can do is cherish every day.

I once had a teacher greet us one Monday morning and he asked, "How many of you wish it were Friday?" I am fairly certain we all raised our hands. He then said "Look at what you are wishing away." I have never forgotten that (obviously), and it means more to me now than ever before.

Survival Mode

We have been in survival mode this past week. We have been in pajamas all day every day, with the exception of Wednesday, when I had to go into the office. What we have dealt with: colds, the flu, coughing, sinus infections, ear infections, and pink eye. None of which were suffered by the babe. That's right folks, somehow the babe got through this with very sick parents unscathed. I called the pediatrician and told him how sick we were and how to keep the baby from getting it his response, "Wash your hands and nurse like crazy." Well, apparently it worked, because while Brad and I were in bed suffering she remained happy as a lark.

However, I believe we are on the mend (crossing fingers).

This left me speechless

And on the floor from laughing so hard.

**Edit**

After my husband learned I had this quote on my blog, he thought (out loud) what a very strange place to post such a thing. Here is the thing. After birthing a child, I have to admit I felt I was all powerful. I was in shock that I could do such a thing. I felt unstoppable. Really, the power I felt was exhilarating. Therefore, I have pride in all thing "womanly". And this quote summarizes my feelings. The day I gave birth I had this attitude "I dare you just try me, I am tough - I just had a freakin' baby!"**

What you said you would NEVER do and then you became a parent

I swore up and down I would never let my child watch TV before they were 2. I've read the studies, even read how they performed the studies. Absolutely, no brain stimulation whatsoever. A baby is better off watching you do something boring, like cleaning, than letting them watch television. That was before I had a child who would scream bloody murder in her car seat and before the flu struck our house.


The Apple hated her car seat (luckily, it is not so terrible now, but until a month ago she would scream, and it was that scream that would make you want to beat your head against the wall). Thank goodness for smart phones (I think now, "what did I ever do without the Internet on my phone" prior to that I would think "what did I do without a cell phone" etc, etc. Really the list goes on and on). But anyway, if we were on a longer trip (more than an hour) I would prop up my phone and play, Elmo. The baby loved that little puppet. The video that catches her attention the most is, none other than, Elmo with the scantily clad Katy Perry. She would go from the blood curling scream to perfectly content in less than a second. It was heaven for 2 minutes, once the video ended the screaming commenced just as quickly as it had stopped.

Then today. Brad had been sick throughout the weekend and last night the sickness from hell got me. I was up all night with chills, a fever, vomiting, and aches and pains, it continued through today. I was miserable. Luckily, the babe sleeps well so I was able to nap while she napped, and then I did it. I did the thing I said I would never do. Desperate times call for desperate measures in my book. I was still feeling horrible. I propped up my laptop and played Elmo and Katy Perry. On repeat. For an hour. She watched contently and I slept wonderfully. Don't judge. Brad called to check on me I told him I was a terrible mother, he tried to comfort me by saying "It's not like you do that everyday." And he is right, I don't. Sometimes a mother just needs a nap. Sometimes a mother needs to do something she swore she'd never do, so she can be a better mother for the rest of the day.

And for your viewing pleasure:

Reason to Celebrate

We learned from our vet that Sydney does not have cancer (there is a 95% certainty it is not, great stats for us)! Yahoo!! We will just have to watch the area. We celebrated with chicken and brown rice (from a can), carrots and, of course, plenty of treats.

Here she is with her doctor.

Last weekend while I had to think of the possibility of Sydney having cancer, I was home... alone. We had plans made, but the Apple got pink eye so we had to remain behind, while Brad continued on with the dogs. I was home alone, and well, I didn't realize how much I depend on those dogs (particularly Sydney). Brad travels, and those dogs are my company and my protectors. I could not survive a husband who travels without them.