Happy Halloween!

When we carved the pumpkin last year Luca wasn't really interested. He helped scrape out some of the insides and then had fun putting the cut outs back in like a shape sorter toy. This year he was even less interested.

Building a duplo train is way more fun than carving a pumpkin

So Josh cut it open, I scooped out the insides and drew on the face, and Josh carved it. Tessa slept.

Playing games on my phone is also more fun than carving a pumpkin

But Luca really liked it when it was done!

And of course, we tried trick-or-treating. I say "tried" because we made it to all of 6 houses--neighbors and family and the fire station. And just doing that was a fight. For whatever reason, Luca is happy to wear his costume around the house but had epic meltdowns when we asked him to wear it for trick or treating.

Still he got candy and saw some friendly faces, so it wasn't bad. The weather was yucky anyway, so we wouldn't have gone to many houses even if he wanted to. There's always next year!
 

Little Pumpkin

Second Pumpkin Farm, Take Two

We wanted to go to the other pumpkin farm from last year and decided to go on the 14th. The weather was nice, it seemed like a great day to go. When we got there there were so many more cars than normal. Then it occured to us, it was a holiday and kids were off school. So they came to the pumpkin patch. And shy little Luca was not enthused about playing with any one. He and mom went on a horse drawn hay ride around the fields and we walked around, but decided it would be better to come back another day.

The next time we went there were a half dozen cars in the lot so we figured it was going to be a much more fun experience for Luca. We climbed in and out of the houses, fed the animals, and took pictures in the pumpkins. He had a blast and we stayed for quite a while.

I've also been putting the finishing touches on his costume! He did decide to be a firefighter, just hoping he'll still want to come the actual day.

We picked up a big ol' pumpkin at the first pumpkin farm, so we'll be carving a pumpkin pretty soon too.

Uncle Dan teaches Luca a game

Dan came over for dinner. I guess Luca missed him a little, because all night long we heard, "Hey Dan, come mere!" "Hey Dan, watch this!" "Hey Dan, play with me!" Luckily, Dan likes Luca as much as Luca likes him, so he played along all night long. Of course playing that long with a two year old can get old and one has to make their own amusement. So Dan decided to teach Luca a game.

Fetch.

Luca loved it. =) There were giant belly laughs for at least a half hour, by the time we thought to turn the camera on it he was almost worn out, but still managed to catch a little bit.

One Month

Cue the way I start every monthly post:

It's hard to believe a month has already gone by! She's getting so big. When we went in for her two week doctor's appointment the doc was so pleased with how much she was growing and how good she looked that he told us to skip the one month appointment and come back at two months. Makes sense because sick people are starting to outnumber the healthy ones in the waiting room. But it means that we don't know her measurements. I'm guessing she's around 9 pounds by now. She's got super long legs and has outgrown most of the newborn sleepers because of that. She also has long skinny feet. I did too, and the only shoes that fit as I remember were saddle shoes. I promised Tessa I wouldn't make her wear them.

She's not a big cuddler and prefers to be stretched out across your legs. She smiles at us when we smile at her. Real big open mouth ones that melt your heart. She will also track your hand a little bit, and looks in the direction of loud noises (like Luca). The other day I was making dinner and Tessa was in her little rocker. She started fussing so Luca decided to gently rock her. He was talking the whole time, and she stopped fussing looked at Luca and smiled. So sweet!

She followed in Luca's footsteps, literally. Pa said he saw her take her first steps last week! Luca did the same thing. Walked for Pa very early, and then wouldn't do it for me for more than a year. He also said his first words to Pa: "Welcome home, Pa" so we'll see if Tessa does that too.

I never said, my Grandma won the baby pool! She had the 15th. Hopefully your got your prize in the mail already, enjoy some ice cream on us!

She likes to sleep with her hand under her face, she'll wiggle until she's comfy. She also seems to sleep best and be calmest when there's a lot of things going on. The other day she was fussing, and then Luca started crying about something. After Luca started crying she stopped and when he stopped she started up again. You can tell there was a lot of noise while she was growing! While she was growing she had the hiccups 3 or 4 times a day everyday. She still gets them all the time. And they just shake her whole body. It's not so bad except when she has them in the middle of the night because they keep her awake.

She is a champion sleeper other than that though. Has been since she was born. It's such a change from how Luca was, and I am totally loving it! Also because I'm getting longer stretches of sleep at night I'm not waking Josh up and asking him to help, so he's loving it too =) She really is the sweetest little thing!

First pumpkin patch of the season

Our first pumpkin patch of the season was one of the ones from last year. You just can't beat nearby and free! Right in the front they have hay bales and pumpkins set out for pictures, so of course we took advantage.

Last year Luca was shy about the animals and loved the corn kernel bin and the recycling water pumps. This year he was still a little leery of the animals but very interested in them. There was a llama there that kept making noises and Luca would make them back to it. It was pretty funny, but of course as soon as I started taping a video he stopped. Oma showed him that the goat wanted to have his head scratched and that if he took a little fist of hay he could feed the tiny horse. So Luca got his own little fistful of hay and offered it.

That horse really wanted Luca to get just a little closer

He also enjoyed the pigs, cows, chickens, turkey and what we're guessing is the family dog. He did not, however, enjoy the corn bin this year... I plopped him in it and he immediately started crying and shaking. I don't know if it was because he didn't expect to sink in the kernels or what, but he was terrified. Tessa, however, liked it just fine.

Little ghost sleeping on the kernels

Luckily, Luca thought the pyramid of hay was fun.  It was way too tall for him to climb himself, but when he was put up on the top he pulled out little bits and handed them to me, asking me to go feed the cow. Then he grabbed some for himself and went to do the same. As we were headed back toward the pumpkins, we happened across a chicken driving a tractor. Trying to anyway.

Silly chicken. =) So we walked among all the pumpkins, looking for just the right one. Found one to carve later. Luca picked one out for Oma, and then he found little ones for himself and for Tessa. The one for Oma was a little big and heavy for Luca, but he tried to carry it anyway.

And that was the first trip to a pumpkin patch for the season! At least one more planned, maybe even a third. Maybe this year we'll go on a weekend sometime so Josh can come too!

An update

On those occasions when both kids are sleeping, I think to myself, "I should update the blog." And then I turn on the computer, sit there a minute, and go take a shower or switch the laundry or someone wakes up.

So, instead of spending time thinking about what to say and how to be witty and clever, I figure I'll just put up some pics. Because let's be honest, that's what people really want to see. =)

Luca is still in love with his sister and is being a wonderful helper. Every once in a while if he feels like he's not getting enough attention he'll tell us to put Tessa in her rocker, but for the most part he's happy with her tagging along or understanding that we have to stop playing a minute to change or feed her.

Giving Clifford kisses

 We are also really lucky that he's so willing to entertain himself, so I can spend a half hour feeding Tessa and he's happy to play and just have me watch him sometimes.
He would go to the park all day every day if he could. I don't remember when it started, but he asks daily to go. And I don't think he's ever said he's ready to go home. We have to basically drag him home.

Riding the motorcycle at the park

 We've talked some about what he wants to be for Halloween. He doesn't seem to really understand, though, what we mean. He dressed up last year but wasn't quite old enough to remember. So I was going to have him be what I wanted him to be again. But then he went to a touch-a-truck at the library, and then he went on a tour of the firehouse by my mom's, and got fire hats both places. So, he might be a firefighter this year. Last time I asked he said he wanted to be a slide, so who knows what we'll finally land on...

She's growing like crazy and it is so wonderful. She only lost a couple ounces after she was born and put them right back on and then some. At her two week appointment she was 8 pounds. I don't think Luca was that big until well into his second month. The downside is that she's already starting to grow out of her newborn sized clothes. The upside is that she's starting to grow into the 3 month clothes =)

There's a similar picture of Luca in this rocker with his blankie. It's crazy to think both that he used to be this little and that one day she'll be as big as him!

And a video. Luca is putting his contacts in. Josh wears them and Luca has seen him put them in, but Josh hasn't ever used a glass of water to do it... He just started doing it one day at lunch.