General Butler: Trick-or-Treat

Every October, we head up to a nearby campground to join Pappy and Carl at their campsite for a night of family, fun, and trick-or-treat. This year was no exception. Last night, we headed up for a fun night spent with your cousins, playing and trick-or-treating. Family traditions seem to get a little more fun as you guys continue to grow, getting excited about these traditions too.

 

 

 

 

 

Jack-o-Lantern Spectacular

For the past few years, the Jack-o-lantern Spectacular has been on our radar as something we have really wanted to do, but just never have. This year, we finally went, thanks to Aunt Boo! Together, we walked through the park viewing incredible pumpkins, with a variety of themes A-Z. It was a little overwhelming in the beginning when the crowd was thickest and it was difficult to see anyone. But once the crowd thinned out, it was really neat to see such detailed and talented work. I just love October and all of the ways we celebrate the start to the holiday season!

 

 

Pumpkin Picking

One of my favorite, and longest running, fall family traditions is our trip to Mulberry Orchard. We pick a Saturday in fall to enjoy a hay ride, pumpkin picking, corn mazing, and playing on the playground. It's been fun to watch these pictures change through the years as you boys (and now Charleigh) have grown. This year we had a beautiful day and found the perfect pumpkin for carving!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Boo at the Zoo

Boo at the Zoo has quickly become one of our favorite Halloween traditions and a fun way to kick off the October festivities. This year, you boys were finally brave enough to meet the characters and get your picture taken with many of them (the ones you recognized and were excited to see). Like kids ourselves, it made your Daddy and I very excited to one day take you to Disney World. The magic in your eyes meeting some of the characters was wonderful. I love the innocence and wonder you kiddos make me stop and notice on a daily basis.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Painting Pumpkins

Expectation: enjoy a beautiful afternoon outside, jamming to Halloween themed music, painting our three little pumpkins like we do every year.

Reality: paint spilled all over the kitchen before even beginning to paint pumpkins, paint spilled on the deck three different times, a couple breaks for a timeout, and pumpkins left "unfinished" (deemed by you boys) because it was just time to call it a day.

Oh well, that is parenting toddlers though! You hope for the best, plan for the worst, and roll with however it all seems to go. We will strive for the expectation again next year! Until then, we at least snapped a couple cute pictures this year where we can pretend like all went well.

 

Field Trip

Every year, your school takes one "field trip" to the local pumpkin patch. Sadly, the patch we typically go to closed down. So this year, we headed to the pumpkin patch our family always visits. It was a gloomy, warm day, but lucky for us the rain held off until right as we pulled away (just like last year!). Pumpkins were picked, apples munched on, and hay rides given. All in all, a fun day for the 3-year old preschool class!

 

 

 

 

7 Months

Time is just flying by, Peanut, and now that we are in my favorite three months of the year, I know it's going to go that much more quickly! This month we have been busy visiting great grandmas, playing at the park, and getting ready for Halloween. You are such a sweetheart and make all of us that much happier.

• We won't get an official weight this month, but I'm sure you are at least 18 pounds now, wearing size 3 diapers and size 6 month clothing.
• While you are one of the happiest, most content babies ever (seriously, you rarely cry and when you do it doesn't last long), you are not the greatest of sleepers anymore. This past month, your longest stretch of sleep is typically from 8:30 to 2 / 3 AM. After a quick feed, you are back down until about 6:00, another quick feed, and down again until anywhere between 8 and 9. Now that you are pulling up so easily, you will pull up in your pack n play and stare at us in the middle of the night. Before, you would put yourself back to bed, but now that you can see us, it doesn't seem likely that you'll fall back asleep on your own while sharing a room with us. So, it seems like it may be time to transition you into your own room...however the thought of having to go "all the way" upstairs in the middle of the night to feed you, doesn't seem worth it, when I can so comfortably nurse you in my own bed. So, we'll see, but I have a feeling you'll spend a little more time in our room. Once awake for the day, you usually nap somewhere around 10:30 and 12:30. If we are lucky, you will nap again somewhere between 2:00 and 4:00.
• You are still eating about every three hours. You also eat a small helping of fruits or veggies at dinner time. Your first taste of sweet potatoes was hysterical! The texture and taste combo was too much for you to handle and you could not stop gagging. You had all four of us practically in tears from giggling so hard. Now that you've adjusted, you love sweet potatoes, green beans, peas, carrots, and bananas. This month, we will add a small helping around breakfast time too.
• We cannot keep you contained anymore and you no longer enjoy the safety of your playpen. You don't like to be trapped in there and want to be free to roam (sorry Sister, it's sometimes necessary though to keep you safe!).
• You now prefer to be standing than sitting, and pull up on nearly any and every surface you can. You are even getting brave enough to let go and will stand without holding on to anything for 3-5 seconds!! We just can't believe how quickly you are growing.
• You are a drooling machine, continuing to put everything into your mouth, yet still no signs of teeth.
• You are exploring new sounds and your inflection matching your moods. You are trying to imitate some of the sounds you hear us say too.
• You love to lift your arms up in the air, almost as if you are waving with both hands. You find this very entertaining and crack up at yourself. 
• We've wondered if you would have as easy of a sleep cue as your brothers (Ry sucks his thumb, and Wy likes to stick out his tongue and tickle his pants). This month, it seems to be your ear. When you're sleepy / falling asleep, you pull on your ear. At first we thought maybe you had an ear infection, but ears are all clear! So, it seems like this may be your sleep cue for now!

You are just sweet as can be and we can't get enough of our Little Squish. Your eyes just sparkle with joy and we can't get enough of it! We sure do love you, Little Sis!