First Smile!

Claire's first smile was today! You can tell she has been trying to smile the past few days & today she gave me her first toothless grin (a non-gas induced grin that is..) Her first smile came as we were sitting on the couch waiting for Kate to wake up from her marathon nap (she napped for 2.5 hours today! wow!)

Of course I didn't get the smile on camera, but that is okay, I am anxiously awaiting my next smile from Miss Claire. Claire will be 4 weeks tomorrow & that is when Kate had her first smile.

In the meantime, here are a bunch of pictures I took of Claire last week. One of these pictures will be used for her birth announcement that I am in the process of making (coming soon to a mailbox near you).

Enjoy!

It's Finally Fall!

September 22nd is the "official" first day of Fall. But considering it was still in the 90's that week of September, I would hardly call that fall weather. I am waiting patiently for the true fall weather.

Today, we FINALLY had some real fall weather & I *think* I can officially celebrate the beginning of fall!

Fall is my most favorite season of all! I wish I lived in New England during this time of year.

Top 10 Things I love about Fall:

10. The new fall TV line-up! No more re-runs!

9. Football season! Go Buffs! Go Niners!

8. Fall reminds me of playing college soccer. Those were the days! Now I am a has-been. But, this time of year always brings back a flood of fond memories from college.

7. I love fall clothing! Time to bust out the sweaters, boots & UGGS! (and this year, fall clothes will help hide my oh-so lovely post-partum body.)

6. Fall means that Thanksgiving will be here soon & I get to eat Thanksgiving Dinner! Yummy! And, that means Christmas is almost here!

5. Halloween! Halloween is so fun now that we have kids. It is fun deciding on what their costumes will be. And, Kate is getting old enough to actually go trick or treating. I can't wait to take her this year!

4. I love cooking during the fall. Get ready for casseroles & home made soups! And, I especially love baking during the fall! ahhh..comfort food!

3. I love the fall weather. Days are sunny, but not hot. It cools down at night. I love the brisk air. I like how it gets darker earlier. I know, I am weird.

2. I love the changing colors of the leaves. The reds, orange & gold leaves are gorgeous! Drive down Sycamore in a few weeks & you will see some beautiful fall foliage. I want to go to New England one fall & drive through Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine & Pennsylvania to check out the beautiful trees & changing colors. (gee, that makes me sound like an old person....I am really only 29, I swear!)

1. PUMPKINS!!! Pumpkin Bread, Pumpkin Scones, Pumpkin Ice Cream, Pumpkin Cheesecake, Pumpkin Muffins, Pumpkin Cookies. The smell of my pumpkin candle. Pumpkin Decorations. Pumpkin Soup. Pumpkin Bagels. Going to the Pumpkin Patch! Carving pumpkins! I love all things pumpkin, except Pumpkin Pie *gag* (it's a texture thing)

The Beast

Tonight the 5 of us took out our new double stroller (aka The Beast) for a walk around the neighborhood.

Kate loved it, she especially liked being in front & holding on to Boulder's leash for part of the walk. Claire slept most of the time, but when she was awake, she was happy! It was my first post-partum walk & it was a nice evening.

The Beast was pretty easy to push (according to Kevin...I mostly walked the dog) Our neighborhood has lots of hills, so Kevin was in charge of the Beast.

I am happy with The Beast, it is simple to open, turns easily, easy to maneuver, folds easily & Kate couldn't get out of the straps (although she tried). The only down fall is that it is heavy, but it is the "lightest" double stroller on the market (or so they say)

A special shout-out of thanks to my MIL who bought it for us! Thanks Jill!