Videos

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Trick or Treat


Bubble Wrap

Halloween Night

Boo! Natalie's first Halloween was a success. The first house TERRIFIED her! There was a stuffed demon guy on the porch with a sign that said "The ____ Family is out trick or treating; please be polite and only take one piece. Apparently this is the oldest trick in the book, but I didn't really notice. Well the guy MOVED and Natalie screamed like I've never heard before. The guy had to take off his mask and calm her down. But after that, things were fun. She would say 'more candy' 'trick or treat' and 'please'. It was a good time. Ryan is already 'checking' the candy and deciding what she can eat.

I Can Do It!

Everyone who sews has scared me off of zippers - they are hard, tricky, etc. Well, I DID IT! I made these Thanksgiving dresses for Natalie and a friend. There is a zipper along the back, with a hook and eye closure at the top. I also had to put a pleat in the sleeve and gather the skirt part. I am learning so many new sewing skills. I picked up 2 books at the library and am zooming along. The next project is the big one - cutting up my friends wedding gown to turn it into a baptism gown for her daughter...we start that one tomorrow. I'm having her over to make the first cut! YIKES.


Here Natalie is posing in her winter coat from Oma. It has some fur lined black boots to match, but we haven't pulled those out yet. She is getting good at doing a cheese face. Her hair has also really started to come in It's gotten longer and looks like it is filling in. It could probably use a trim around the bottom; it's very scraggly from her baby hair but I am not ready for the first haircut yet!!

Other BIG news - her hemangioma on the back of her neck FINALLY seems to be shrinking down and fading a little in the color. Yay!

Pumpkin Painting

This afternoon was beautiful. It would up being in the 60-70's so we headed out to the park to paint pumpkins and paint handprint turkey pictures. Natalie looked cute in all her Halloween colors. She also had fun on the playground.


In more terrifying news, she now can turn knobs and open doors. We thought at first it was an accident. She likes to hide in the closet and yell BOO when we open the door. I guess we took too long yesterday, so she opened it and came out. We put her back in because we thought it must have just been not closed tight. After 4 more times we were convinced she CAN do it, we just thought it was only doors that pushed out. Once again, we were wrong. She can also turn knobs and PULL open doors, like the bathroom and pantry. Good for potty training, not good for someone who says HUNGRY 14 hours a day!

Harvest Festival

We've had a busy weekend (is that a surprise?). Friday night we got a babysitter and went to a pumpkin carving party with some friends from work/church. Then on Saturday we got Natalie all dressed up in her Minnie Mouse costume to go to a Harvest Festival with Tidewater Mommies.



Natalie had a good time making a Halloween Scene with apple stamps and foam stickers. We also got to color Halloween masks. It was a fun time for all of us. Later today we have a pumpkin painting at the park! I love being busy!



This is a funny picture to me. Ryan was helping the other mom's so they could go through the line for chili. It was nice of them to be the baby whisperer.

Costume Bunco

October's bunco had a costume theme. SOME of us participate more than others :-) I had Ryan climb into the attic and dig out my Parkette uniform, when I was a rifle in the marching band. I look pretty similar to my pics from back then (at least to myself so don't tell me I look old!)

Pumpkin Patch

On Saturday we went with some mommies from Tidewater Mommies to go to Belmont Farms. This is the same pumpkin patch we went to last year, so it is becoming a tradition! Last year it was warm, but this year it was 50 and drizzly which was much more fall-like. We looked at some animals (pig, goose, sheep, rabbits), took a hayride out to a pumpkin field and a sunflower field. They also had a playground area for the kids to explore. We grabbed some Mc Donald's on the way home and a grand old time was had by all.

Counting to 10

Natalie has started counting to 10! She usually skips 3 and 5, but she's getting better about saying each one. She can recognize the number zero, and she seems to understand the idea that we say a number each time we put a braclet on (see video). We are also working on getting through the ABC's better. She will say ABC, HIJ, L(and a bunch of mush for LMNOP), QRS, TUV, W, X, Y, K.

Lots of pics to come this weekend - we are going to the pumpkin patch for picking, hayrides, and playtime!

Oh, and a short video of me saying our dinner prayer and Natalie concludes with a hearty AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMEN.

Pray

Count

A

Promised Videos

Natalie's Bath - See how she sings Row Your Boat and follows Ryan's directions to look up, turn around, stomp, etc.


Reading Books - See her choose a book, climb on the couch, and point out what is in the pictures.

Updating Again

A week has gone by in BGP (big girl panties)and we've had NO accidents. I *think* we are potty trained. At least I am. But Natalie IS starting to tell people at the Y, church, or other sitters that she has to go.

Speaking of church, they came to tell me while I was working in second service that Natalie was bit. She was fine, just had a little indent for a minute and it was gone they said. Thank goodness she was not the BITER.

Here are some pictures and some videos (in the next post). She has mastered the art of 'cheeseing' for the camera. Natalie seems to refuse to 'do her tricks' on the phone or in public. SHE DOES TALK. I swear. ALL DAY. We hear "row your boat genely down feet money money money money" and "S, T, U, V, DUBBBBAUUUU, X, Y, K. Now I know ABC's, next time me" and "hoot hoot hoot goodnight". She also has a kitty book from the library pretty must memorized (not that it's hard...kitty running, kitty rolling, kitty eating".

In other news Ryan and I went on a date for dinner and billards, that was fun. I am still subbing 1-2 days a week. Ryan got 100% on his first big project. He is taking writing for buisness, and information systems management 2. Oh, I got glasses.

Halloween Hairbows

Since it's now October, I have to maximize everyday of Natalie wearing her Halloween clothing, pajamas, and accessories. We wore the candy corn dress to church, and today she's sporting her new hairbows I made on Friday night with mommy friends. Tonight we're breaking out the witch pj's (which I just remebered we had). She is watching Backyardigans, which is one of the few ways to get her to cooperate for pictures.

Potty Training is now on week 4. She has not had an accident in 3 days, and I think it's been 1 1/2 weeks since she had a poop accident. She wanted to wear Minnie Panties today so we'll see how we do! I have to put a note on her at the YMCA that says "ASK ME TO POTTY", and that has helped there a lot too. Gosh I hope I'm not one of 'those' parents who are bossy!

Her language is exploding. Everytime I turn around another word comes out that I didn't know she had. She is moving on up to three and four word sentences. Some examples.

"Yay mommy! Pee Potty!" (this is when I go to the bathroom...nice when we are in public out to eat)
"I found it"
"Where Daddy? Werk"
"Hungry time, yay!"
"MMMM Yummy food"