Toes

If on her back Tova has been known to put her foot, especially her big toe, into her mouth and suck it just like her thumb.  It's pretty hilarious.  Today when I picked her up from school I got a funny daily report from her teachers. Turns out Tova is the only one crawling so far (sorry had to brag).  Well our little lady will crawl over to one of her buddies and suck on their toes too, and since they can't crawl away she has the upper hand!  Have I said this kiddo is going to be a handful?!?

It's October

 Getting our pumpkin patch on.  Three times in a row makes a solid tradition, right?  Today we went to Bob's corn and pumpkin patch farm to get some pumpkins and various jams and syrups!  Deven was pretty excited and even though Tova was just hanging out she got all patch'd out.  Until next year.  Fall is the best!!
 

All three looked at me at the same time!

This is more like it.

We hang out together a lot like this.

Waiting "patiently" for the next wagon ride down to the patch

He was so excited

pumpkin patch'd out

Hard rock and roll with Slash

Just another Sunday morning.

No bananas!

Today our sweet T is six months old.  Let me start off by answering the typical question.  No, Tova is most certainly not sleeping through the night.  We've had a couple four hour stretches and I remember one glorious five hour stretch but on the whole we are talking one, two, and maybe three hour...naps.  If we are talking good news / bad news, Tova's inability to sleep would definitely we the bad news.  So what's the good news?  This baby is so happy it's contagious!!  Just look her!  All we have to do is blow raspberries at her and she is all giggles.

 So what are the stats looking like? I'm happy to report she is conforming to most clothing labels and is fitting in six month clothing while she is actually six months, unlike her big bro!  When we found out we were having a girl I was so used to buying boy cloths that I felt just strange buying girl stuff.  No worries now though, I love all the tights, slippers and sweater dresses!!  I am carrying over one obsession though and that is making my kids wear hats!!  Yes, she looks adorable in them!

This month, to nick and my surprise, Tova started to crawl.  It's more of any army crawl but it gets the job done.  This is so much faster than Deven who was crawling around eight months not six!!  As of tonight she is officially sitting up from laying down on her own.  Nick found her that way when she was "working" on going back to sleep.  :)

Last time I checked she weighed in at 16 pounds but official results will be posted next week.  In the mean time we have been practicing eating really food.  I didn't having any cereal and I keep forgetting to pick some up so we have been trying some whole foods.  Bananas were a hit the first night but a definite no go the next time.  They did not make her feel good and we were up at night more than usual.  Carrots are working well and next up I think we will do avocado.  Yay for food!!

The 7 Year Itch

Nick and I decided we needed a day together to celebrate our seven years of marriage and almost 13 years together.  I'm pretty excited he isn't sick of me yet.  We dropped the kiddos off at school and headed to Mt. Pilchuck for romantic 5.5 mile hike.  No itching here; except for the mosquito bites on the hike we took.  My first major athletic excursion since Tova went pretty well...I was thoroughly exhausted by the end but after I got back into the truck, turned on the air conditioning and drank some liquid I was good as new (two days later when my muscles returned to normal)!

 This is Nick and Sam in the first half mile before I became to weak and disoriented to walk and take pictures at the same time! :)

 Our much needed fuel to get us up the mountain, mixed nuts with M&M's, so delicious.

 We of course took Sam with us, he had such a good time.  Poor guy just doesn't get out any more.  I am hoping this will change very soon!!

 Our view from the look out tower of Mt. Pilchuck.  We couldn't go up together because there was too many people to leave Sammers down below alone.  Some day we will get back just the two of us but it's hard to justify ditching our first child.

I signed the book for us.  I really wonder where these books go.  I think it would be awesome if people scanned them and posted on an official mt web site or something.  Someone should get on this.

This is us on our way down.  I chose a black and white edit so you can't see my red face and dripping sweat!!  Seven years, here's to seven more babe!!

Summer Fun

 

This is the Tova that we saw little peaks of from the time she was born, we are so ecstatic that she has begun to make a permanent appearance.   She and I still hang out a lot between the hours of 12am and 4:30am but with this face it's getting easier and easier to forget my sleep deprivation!!  Tova is super close to sitting up on her own and is practicing in this toy box.  She loves to put anything in her mouth but her thumb, our fingers or anything that can put pressure on her teething gums will do.  She just may be chubbier than her brother was...the squishier the better we say!! 

 Tova and Daddo time, chillin' on the coach with her dolly (borrowed from Deven).

Deven has been holding up well...to be fair this picture is just after waking up this last Saturday...he's not camera ready.   Seriously Deven has been a real trooper when it comes to his baby sister and all the attention she needs.  Last week I was thinking about it though and he and I hadn't done anything together (just us) since Tova was born.  So I asked Deven if he wanted to go on a date with me and thankfully he said yes.  I took my little man to Anthony's for lunch on Saturday after his last soccer game of the season (see pic below).

Deven learned to use a real napkin and we both learned that the Anthony's mac and cheese is just too rich for a little dude's stomach.  I would like to think our first date was not an epic fail but with a major puke session later that afternoon it's hard to think anything else.  Deven isn't calling it quits though but he did say we needed to go to the museum next time instead.  His favorite part of our date was seeing the drill at the construction site next to the restaurant! 

This is Deven waiting his turn (gasp) to get back on the floor to play his last soccer game.  It took all two months but he finally figured out that he needs to at least run after the ball.  He even kicked it once.  I think we will wait a little longer before trying an organized sport again.  Back to swilling in the fall for sure though!!

Random pics

Tova showing us her happy side!

before school one morning, CHEEEEESSSSEEE!

Tova's first trip to the pool, she loved it!

Tova has since gotten her foot to her mouth and would enjoy it as much as her thumb if it were just as accessible.