Pumpkin-ing!

Our next Fall adventure took us to Dollinger Family Farms. Along with GP and the Samples, we were off to find the perfect pumpkins to adorn our front porch. Who knew it'd be a 70 degree day?! Ahhh, Chicago...you always keep us on our toes!


Dollinger Family Farm


Baaaa!


straw maze with GP...will they find their way out???


Oh no! A dead end!


2 out of 3 ain't bad


Booski wanted to try the straw maze too!



pumpkins!


all of those pumpkins and this girl would rather pick out rocks!


How tall this Fall?

'






observer




Kenna never turns down a ride in a wagon


this one is PERFECT!


I think this one is pretty perfect too!




Fall sure is fun!

Fall Favorite

I love Fall.

I love everything that comes with Fall...cool evenings, a fire burning in our fireplace, wearing a hoodie, apple picking, pumpkin patches, Halloween, hot tea, Notre Dame Football, and of course...my birthday :)

I couldn't be more excited to share all of my favorite fall activities with Benny & McKenna.

Apple picking was up first on our list of things to do. Along with the Samples and the Bea's, we headed to Honey Hill Orchard in Waterman, Illinois.


eating cinnamon apple donuts with Brayden


Benny wants some too!





Tucker likes his corn right from the source!


picking some Red Delicious


Here Brady...I found a good one!


Steph, Tim, Avery, Brayden, Megan & Brian...you may wonder why they're all looking down...that's because there were WAY more apples on the ground then in the trees!


Benny found a good one!


McKenna couldn't wait any longer!


my sweet boy loves picking apples


Fall Favorite


Baby Bjorning it! - Brian, Benny, Tim, Avery, Brad, Camera Bag


walking through the orchard hand in hand
...when did these two get so old?!


Happy Fall!

thank you. thank you. thank you.

I'll forever be indebted.



forever.



I'm not sure I could get any luckier.

Hinsdale Center for Reproduction held their Baby Picnic 2011 on September 18 and we were invited. We were finally invited. Something I couldn't wait for...to be a lucky guest to their baby picnic. If you were invited it meant one thing and one thing only -- you were successful. You had a baby.

Who knew we'd have two.


eating a cookie with Daddy

The pouring rain wasn't going to stop us from celebrating. Celebrating McKenna. Celebrating Benson.

Nothing was going to stop us from saying thank you.


we weren't alone



chatting with a couple of our nurses



Victoria!


J.J., our embryologist


talking to Dr. Hickey



thank you.

6 Months Old

Dear Benny,

Oh my goodness! You are now a 1/2 year old!

 
6 months old, September 14, 2011


We met with Dr. Kreiling for your 6 month well check. You weighed 15 lbs. 9 oz. ( 10th %tile) and you were 26 1/8 inches long ( between the 25th and 50th %tile). Dr. Kreiling was impressed with all of the great things you're doing. She loved hearing that you're already crawling all over the place. She told us that it's time to get working on drinking from a sippy cup and using that pincher grasp! McKenna was not excited to hear that she'd have to share her sippy cups. I went out and got new ones just for you! To finish out our appointment, you had a whole bunch of immunizations.  You had one oral and 4 injections.  They also gave you the flu shot.  It was so sad to watch you get the shots.  You really seemed to know what was going on...your mood changed right when the two nurses came over to you.  Oh, how it breaks my heart to hear that cry. 


You've become such a good eater! You can't wait for dinnertime every night. If I'm taking too long to get your dinner prepared you definitely let me know! Along with your rice cereal, you eat a fruit and vegetable for dinner. You love yogurt too.

You're wearing size 3 diapers and size 6 months clothes.


You have the best laugh. It is so contagious. I can't help but giggle right along with you. You usually laugh the hardest when you're getting tickled or when I sing..."boo boo booski...what are you even doing?"... :)  You also love to sing Wheels on the Bus.  Just like your sister, your favorite part is when we get to the driver and we move on back!  We laugh so hard together.

You're army crawling all over the place. You haven't quite figured out how to crawl on all fours yet, but army style is working just fine for you!


We're working on sitting up on your own.  Right now you're able to sit up when we prop you up.  You sit up great when we get you in the seated position; you're very stable and you're able to get out of it on your own. 


You're favorite person in the world is your sister. You want to be right along side her at all times.




You went on the swings at the park down the street from our for the first time this month...and you LOVED it!

You don't really enjoy your bouncy much. I think you don't like it because it makes you stay in one place. You don't like staying in one place and you definitely don't like that it keeps you in the living room when everyone else is walking around the house. You can't stand to be by yourself. You want to be with everyone.


Just like Aunt Puggie, you're a thumbsucker! We know exactly when you're tired...your thumb goes right into your mouth.



You are my cuddle bug. You love getting kisses and you love to be held.  You also love to snuggle with blankets and stuffed animals.


You're drooling all over the place!  You still only have your bottom two teeth, but with the way you're drooling there has to be some more teeth on their way.


I'm so excited to share my favorite time of year with you and your sister...there's nothing like Notre Dame Football Saturdays. Go Irish!

Just know that you are the most perfect little boy in the whole world.

I love you my sweet sweet Booski.

Love, Mommy