Pics of Adventures from the Past Two Months

In order to share some representative moments and cute outfits... I'm going to suck it up and let you see just how terribly messy parts of our house can be some of the time (sometimes much of the time.) You have perhaps glimpsed this from time to time. It will be VERY apparent this go around. Say with this first picture... I want you to see a big development since last I posted... that being that Caroline shares her daddy with other kids much of the week. Here she plays alongside Parker in the pack and play in my VERY messy office.



Caroline has adjusted beautifully to sharing her daddy. Some days she's a bit rough with Parker though... she has learned to say "i sorry." And now she says it ALL THE TIME. It sounds adorable, but... are we raising an over-apologizer? Wouldn't be surprised... her mommy and daddy can be such!

Here are two shots from a Friday trip to the zoo with mommy from late August. At the petting zoo and the alligator cove. I have a hard time getting good shots when it is just the two of us.




Another Friday trip with mommy, this one to Monkey's Treehouse. I think these were from the day after my birthday, just before she turned 21 months. She loves to push around the grocery cart!





The beloved wife (Jenn) of one of our groomsmen (Matt) has moved to Bowling Green, Kentucky for a teaching job. This is just an hour up the road from us. When Matt comes to town to visit (he's working at a university in Virginia for the year... bless them!) we try to catch up. They always plan GREAT things to do. They are fabulous friends who love kiddos. In early September we went to Mammoth Cave National Park with them. Caroline and Kev joined them on a cave tour. I sat outside on a beautiful day and read Barth and Bultmann, such is the life of a Ph.D. student. But Caroline had a great time with them and did really well on the tour. There was bit of a wait for the tour. One of the ways C stayed entertained was by racing Matt from a tree to a wall. She had a blast. She raced daddy at one point too and he ended up diving and sliding somehow, bizarrely breaking his cell phone. Ah well. He's not a fan of the cell anyhow! We love Matt and Jenn!




Mamie sends us stickers sometimes. Caroline has fun with them! Not a flattering pic of mommy, but... ah well.





We went to a free outdoor concert one Saturday afternoon in September. We met up with some friends from the div school. They had a great bubble wand! And a very cute baby!






I ran my first ever 5K race on October 2nd. Here's one of me at the start, two of how Caroline kept herself occupied in the half hour plus I was running, one of me crossing the finishing line, and one of us together. See her BEAUTIFUL jacket?! Thank you, Bryna! WE LOVE IT! So this is shortly before she rolled into 22 months!







The other big news on October 2nd was the arrival of our NEW CAR. New to us, that is. My Uncle Terry and Aunt Debbie drove it all the way down from New York for us. We spent Saturday showing them a bit of Nashville and campus. We didn't get that many pictures, unfortunately- none of uncle Terry. But here are a few from the day. Caroline LOVES the new car. Every time she sees it she says "NEW CAR!" Unfortunately, no pics of the car just yet.







Pig tails? Puppy tails? Whatever you call them, over the past month we've been experimenting with them. Isn't this outfit too stinking cute? I bought it almost a year ago. So excited she can wear it now!





O.K., now a BUNCH of shots from another VERY fun visit to Matt and Jenn. When we arrived at their apartment there were a LOT of ducks by the pond at their complex. Caroline wanted to go see them. So we took bread out and fed them. She got rather shy when the ducks actually came near. She was bolder as they walked away.




We went with Matt and Jenn to a harvest festival at a nearby orchard. FINALLY the requisite cute kid with pumpkins shots. The best we could get. Caroline has since picked out a halloween costume for herself on etsy.com. She's going to be a pumpkin fairy. So is her Godsister Abby with whom we'll spend Halloween. She will be SO cute. Stay tuned for pics!






Admiring roses outside where we ate lunch.




At the door of a play house she enjoyed.



And a FAST slide that descended from a hay bale! She LOVED this.




And a bounce house! Mommy had a hard time getting around in here, but I sure am glad I went in with her as there were two VERY rambunctious boys in there with her. She was, of course, unphased. She's fearless.




She also enjoyed the petting zoo which is where I first heard her say "Hi, buddy!' "Come ere buddy!" She especially liked the sheep. I didn't know she knew the word "buddy," but she learned this from listening to her daddy talk to Parker and Alistair. It is SO cute when she says it. She greeted Alistair the other morning with a "hello buddy!" She now says a full "hello" more often than not.



It was an orchard, so apples were purchased... and enjoyed.



We then went back to Jenn and Matt's place. I was SUPER tired so I stayed back and rested while the three of them went to a playground near their apartment. It appears a good time was had by all, including piglet, an increasingly special friend. This stuffed animal was made by Betty Schlieder, a dear parishioner in Lowville. If you're reading, Betty, piglet is a hit! She's also increasingly fond of a blanket gifted to us by a member of Pa and Eepa's home congregation. No official lovey, but getting closer...






And now pics from today. We went to the zoo this morning with daddy and Alistair. At first she wanted to ride in a stroller because Alistair was riding in a stroller.



Then she wanted mommy to carry her so she rode in the ergo on my back. Here we are looking at giraffes. Or- "juhjuhs" as she calls them.



But then she wanted to get down and get a closer look for herself. Good photo opps. This beautiful dress was brought back for her from Mexico from a friend of my mom's. It was WAY too big when I first looked at it and it ended up in the back of the closet! I just found it rotating clothes out and in and it BARELY fits. I'm glad we got one good wear out of this BEAUTIFUL dress. I wish we had used it this summer. Oh well. Maybe she'll wear it one more time.




Fun in the toddler bounce area at the jungle gym at the zoo.




Such a BIG girl. On a big girl swing all by herself.


Having a snack break on daddy's lap with Alistair.




Some more swinging in the sunshine.




Other big news? As of a few weeks ago she is now in her toddler bed. I do have a pic from today in her bed (she took a LONG nap!) But I haven't downloaded it yet. So, later. Sleep has been terrible again as she has enjoyed the freedom of the toddler bed (we transitioned because she climbed out of her crib in the midst of a temper tantrum! ah... 2's are a coming!) We're not sure if it is just the bed or if it is also the fact her 2 year molars are still making their slow trip to the surface. Whatever it is... I had JUST gotten used to semi-decent sleep, and this is ROUGH.

Another phrase we hear a lot these days- "I need help." Sometimes "I need help please."

She's blowing us away with the complete sentences and emerging manners.

Alright, thanks for your patience. Must get the girl to bed.