Sleep, blessed sleep

I spent my first night away from Philip on Tuesday night and although I knew it was going to be hard, I was actually looking forward to one night of uninterrupted sleep.  By the time I got to Minnesota and to the hotel it was dinner time.  So I ordered room service, and relaxed while doing some work.  I was asleep by 10 and I don't think I moved all night!

Ah sleep, how I've missed you

Pumpkins

Last weekend we met up with our friends to visit the pumpkin patch.  It was a lot of fun picking out too many pumpkins, playing on the playground equipment and then grabbing lunch afterwards

Here the men and babies are playing on the teeter-totter

Natalie steering the pirate shop

Monkey hanging

Natalie and Kai hanging

Climbing on the huge tire

Playing in the airplane teeter-totter

Pumpkins picked and loaded up - now let's start pulling

After we convinced them to push and pull at the same time

Once home, we dug into the pumpkins - they are SO slimy

Here they are, cleaned and carved

Bat-Kitty

Ghosts

The wort filled pumpkin we had to have

All the little pumpkins Natalie picked out

We saved the seeds and roasted them - YUM!  

These are salt and butter

These are vanilla sugar - so delicious

9 Months!

WOW - time seems to be flying by.  It was just yesterday that Philip was born, right?  I mean, I'm tired enough to know it was 9 months ago, but really?  I'm starting to forget how small he was...

At 9 months:

• You sit up very well and you enjoy it
• You are starting to creep and swim on the floor
• You are still a mama's boy and sleep in my arms every night
• You like your toys and are starting to not hate the car
• You love your sister and get so excited when you see her.  
• Sister still loves you and likes to mother you.

And here is Natalie on the month before she turns three!  Lord help us, we will soon be dealing with a very strong willed three-year-old

Fixing her hair

Sitting pretty

Baking with my little helper

Natalie loves to help me in the kitchen, so put her to work, I say.

Here she is prepping the dough to make cheese sticks

Sprinkle the flour so it won't stick

Spread it around

Roll it out

Now we are going to make cake pops

Crumble the cake

Looks good

Now let's wash these hands

Ballet Class

As I've mentioned, Natalie is taking a ballet class, but they only allow parents to watch the kids from time to time, because they tend to get stage fright when parents are there.  Well, back at the beginning of October we were able to attend the class and see all the dances she has learned.  It was SO cute!  I couldn't stand it and I think I had a smile on my face all day. 

At the ballet bar

Getting ready

Doing the Mickey Mouse Dance

Seriously, it was SO stinking cute!  Phil took videos of every dance and we watched them the other night on the TV - Natalie thinks she is famous now...so cute

Circus Time

We started our anniversary festivities by going to the circus with Natalie.  I think Phil and I might have been more excited...

We started with a trax train ride to the circus - this is the photo Natalie took of us

Pre-show with the Elephants

Pre-show with the tigers

Pre-show trying on the outfits

Pre-show, getting a temporary tattoo

tada!

It was a fun show and Phil found us awesome seats; however, all Natalie wanted to do was ride or pet the animals so she didn't last until the end of the show.  We left before the end of the second act, but while we were there, she got a circus lemonade and cotton candy, so she had a great time!

County Fair

Back in early September, before my trip to New Jersey, Philip, Natalie, Phil and I went to the county fair.  This fair is the same fair that Phil and I had our first date to, so we always try and make a trip, so it was nice to return with two kids.  Ahh...life begins with the fair.

This is the mommy pig that Natalie got to pet - all the babies were eating at the time

This little goat escaped right after Natalie pet him.  The little rascal was caught and tied up again

Natalie got to ride a pony - it was SO exciting!

This is us on the HUGE yellow slide

another shot - it was so much fun, we had to go three times 

Natalie on the only ride she did alone - the little train

On the ferris wheel with Phil

Getting ready for the roller coaster

Going around the coaster track

It was a lot of fun!  We went pre-nap for Natalie and Philip slept while we were there.  Looking forward to next year when we might be able to go in the evening. 

Family Photos

We had the lovely Kirstin Roper take our family photos once again, over the summer...it just took me a while to get them on the blog.  We met her at a local park back in late July, and we are very happy with the results.  If you remember, she took the photos back when Philip was a little peanut and also back in July 2010, when we were still a family of three and Philip was still cooking in my belly.

Here are a few favorites - and believe me it was hard to choose these few - we had hundreds to choose from!