goodbye October

How is it already the end of October?! Time goes by far too fast in my opinion. Why can't life just sllloooooww down already?

We have been enjoying fall and trying to take advantage of our last opportunities to spend much time outside. I am not looking forward to the cold weather forcing us indoors, especially now that Tatum can really play and have fun outside.  So what have we done this October?

We played in the leaves. Tatum really wasn't sure what to think.

Tatum went to her first Friday night high school football game. Okay, we really only went at halftime to see the marching band perform.  Good job Kelbs!

As you can tell, Tatum was mesmerized by the band. :)

 

Tatum learned how to walk! She started out the month of October walking with toys and now she can do it alone! 

We played "in" our sandbox. So maybe I made her sit outside of the sandbox and just reach in with her hands....I really wasn't expecting it to be used until next summer!

We bundled up on cold days.

Tatum tried on grandma's glasses.

We went to the park. A lot.

Dad wrapped Tatum up like a burrito. Over and over again. She thought it was funny. Mom took a picture.

Tatum got to swing in a blanket for the first time and LOVED it. Mom and dad got a kick out of it as well. Our little girl is swinging in a blanket! Such a milestone. :)

October was good to us and we are sad to see it go. We hope you had a good month as well!

gotta start'em young

 A couple of weeks ago we were at my parents' house for dinner on a Sunday and Brennan got some cute pictures of Tatum playing on their piano.  I really do hope my children will want to take piano lessons. I have not yet decided if I will be willing to force them against their will...I might be. :)

quarter of a century

Well it happened. I got old.  I'm not sure how, but it just sort of happened. Somehow I turned 25, which to me just sounds old.  Like grown up.  And I'm not sure I feel all that grown up.  I kind of feel like I just graduated from high school.

It was a good birthday.  Brennan surprised me and took the afternoon off work and made me a delicious lunch and brought a yummy ice cream cake from Cold Stone.  That evening we headed to my parents' house and they were nice enough to watch Tatum while we went to a couple of stores and then to see The Dark Knight Rises.  It was a good show, but I think I would have preferred to watch it at home.  It was also a late movie so we didn't get back to my parent's until about midnight.  Midnight is late to me...I am totally getting old.

 I got lots of scarves for my birthday. Clearly people realized my wardrobe needed an update. Thanks everyone!

Brennan doesn't look tired at all, does he? :) This was after the movie.

I got to spend most of my day with this little cutie, what more could I ask for?

On Sunday night I got another yummy cake with my family.  Thanks mom!

It was really a great day.  Thanks to everyone for the visits, the texts, the gifts, the cards and the phone calls! I have some pretty remarkable people in my life.

10 months

Tatum hit the 10 month mark over the weekend. It sounds so old! There was no doctor appointment this month so no stats to report. Suffice it to say she is taller, heavier, and has a bigger head. :) But it has been a big month for development! What is Tatum up to now?

-She is WALKING! Brennan has been so excited for this to happen, but I just figured it would happen when it happened and didn't feel the same sort of anticipation.  The excitement I felt sort of caught me off guard.  It was just so cute and exciting and I felt so proud! She took her first steps about a week before she turned ten months and walks a little more everyday.  Last night she really shocked us by totally cruising around the room.  So fun!

-She still has two teeth.  But could be working on more.  Anybody else ever struggle to determine if your kid is sick or teething???

-She loves books. Certain books anyway. Her current favorite is "Who Lives There?". Much to my dismay she almost never sits through a Sandra Boynton book and I love them!

-She has a few obsessions.  Her biggest obsession is my hair. It's a little strange. But she also has an obsession with water bottles of any kind, empty or full. She just loves them. And she loves to play with doors. We have lots of doors upstairs in our house and she loves to sit there and swing them back and forth.

-Being outside is her favorite. We aren't looking forward to being forced inside this winter.

-She is getting opinionated. She will rip her headbands off now. She arches her back and gets a little dramatic when she has to get buckled in her stroller or get her diaper changed.

-Sleeping still isn't her favorite. She has been napping a bit better (when she isn't congested) but still doesn't sleep through the night. Maybe someday?

-She loves it when we sing songs. It can almost always distract her from whatever is making her cry.

-She now likes to join in the laughter.  It is the funniest little forced laugh. Probably the cutest thing I have ever heard.

-She still looks like her dad. Exactly like him.

See?

Here she is on her 10 monthiversary, as my dad calls it.

 And here she is looking cute after Church on Sunday.

I can't believe she is getting so close to her first birthday! We love watching her grow and learn.

photo shoots

Just before going to Arizona my friend, Allison, asked if she could take some pictures of Tatum to practice her photography skills.  Being the kind and generous friend that I am, I obliged. :)  I still haven't seen all of them, but here are a couple she emailed me.

Tatum wasn't having the happiest of days so it was a struggle to get smiles from her, but I still think they turned out cute!

Then in Arizona, we took the three girls to the park to try to get some cute pictures with Mara's fancy camera. We aren't photographers by any means and getting three kids under the age of 2 to cooperate is a bit of a challenge, but I still think we managed to get a few cute ones.

This next one shows how pretty much how it all went. Especially when we tried to get all three. Pure chaos.

 I love this one. I love how Jade is being sweet to Ella and Tatum is taking it all in.

 Poor Ella got jostled around a lot by Jade. Doesn't she look so comfy in this one? :)

 Haha, love it.

 Ella was, by far, the best behaved. :) Even when she was being tossed around like a rag doll.

 This last one is probably my favorite from that day.