Trick-or-Treat

Happy Halloween!!

The last few days we have been prepping Noelle for this exciting day. She learned to say "trick-or-treat" and I told her we would be walking to people's house's and getting candy. All day yesterday she continued to tell me "we walk people's house's morrow". Because she was dressing up as a tiger she also had to perfect her growl, which was accompanied by a very strained and intense face and clenched hands. Too cute!

Well, of course when it came time to put on her costume tonight, it wasn't smooth sailing! For some odd reason, Noelle was very against putting her tiger outfit on. We tried multiple bribery tricks and to no avail. Finally, some wonderfully sweet Skittles candy did the trick and she transformed into a little tiger and was happy about it. The costume came with little mittens for her hands and those immediately had to be cut off because they did not make the Princess happy.

After a very trying picture session, only yielding a few good pictures, Noelle and I headed out into the neighborhood. I was planning on hitting a maximum of three houses so as to not tire her out and have a cranky toddler to haul home. We went to the first house and she did better than expected! Her little fingers gripped my hand tightly and she belted out in a very high pitched girly voice "trick-or-treat"! A smile quickly appeared as candy was handed to her, it was as if a light clicked in her little head and she decided this was a lot of fun. We went to the three planned houses and I said it was time to head back to our house. My little tiger looked at me and sweetly said "More people's houses please!". How could I say no to that. She even insisted on holding her bag even though it was getting heavy and dragging on the ground. Three turned into about eight or nine! I was amazed at how much she really enjoyed herself. She walked the entire time, even after I offered to carry her multiple times as our all ready extremely slow speed seemed to be hampered by the quickly approaching bed time.

When we finally made it home Noelle had to go through all the candy and sample as much as we would let her. A bit of a sugar high kicked in and she was gleefully gallopping through the house. We finally stettled her into bed with the promise that she could eat lots of candy tomorrow. I wasn't sure she was going to be old enough to really enjoy herself and only Tom and I would reap the benefits of cute pictures. She definitely proved me wrong, and unfortunately enforced the point that she really is no longer a baby! Enjoy the pictures below of tonights fun:

24 and the Third Trimester

There are milestones during a pregnancy that every women looks forward to reaching. Hearing the heartbeat, seeing the the baby during the first ultrasound, getting through the critical first trimester, feeling the baby move, basically every week is another wonderful achievement in the baby's life. I have finally reached the beginning of the third and final trimester. The true countdown until little Max arrives has begun. The third trimester is the home-stretch. My little boy will be packing on the pounds and his body systems will finish maturing before he graces us with his presence around mid January. I am hoping that during the next few doctor's visits I can schedule the date of my c-section and really start preparing for the exact arrival date.

I have been feeling pretty good overall. I have my very emotional cranky days, as is to be expected. This baby sits a lot lower than Noelle. I am truly amazed at how different my stomach looks and feels during this pregnancy compared to Noelle. He, hopefully, is much bigger than she was. I would like to hear any opinions out there (from the, oh, three or four, regular readers) as to some predictions on weight and height, and even eye and hair color. To refresh some memories, Noelle was 17 inches long and 5 lbs. 3 oz. and she was born four days before her due date. I'm personally hoping for around 7 pounds and 20 inches. I would like him to have blond hair and some blue eyes like his mom, but I have a hunch he will have dark hair and eyes like Noelle and Tom.

Yesterday was my Birthday. I am now the big 2-4! Tom and Noelle gave me some wonderful presents last weekend. I took it easy yesterday and swore off all household duties for a day. When Noelle woke up I told her to say Happy Birthday and she did! It had to be the best birthday wish ever! I continued to remind her throughout the day to say it and every time she did it was followed by a hug and/or a kiss. That in itself is the perfect birthday present.

Tomorrow my sister Charlotte is coming to visit and watch Noelle. Tom and I are probably going to go to a movie. Charlotte is doing my hair as a present to me and I'm so excited. I'm going a little crazy on the color to "spice" things up in my semi-dull Mom hair existence, and I have complete faith in Charlotte that it will look fabulous!

Burning Love!

We had one of those weekends where a smile was fixed on my face and at times my stomach was aching from laughter!

A loud, high pitched voice cut into our dreams around 9:30am Saturday! Noelle and Zeus were kind enough to both sleep in that late. Tom quickly got up and brought Noelle into bed with us. We watched some cartoons and slowly let our bodies awaken. The sun was shining bright and there was a slight nip in the air, the perfect fall morning if I may say so myself. After a few more hours of laziness and a failed attempt at a morning nap, we decided to dress and head outside to cut the grass and enjoy the weather. The grass needed a bit of raking after mowing and Noelle was quick to grab her rake and help Daddy out. After the front yard was finished Tom moved to the back and we jumped in Daddy's car. Noelle loves to sit in the driver's seat and push all the buttons on the radio and windows. She also enjoys opening all the compartments and playing with Daddy's things! We literally spent about 45 minutes in the car as Tom finished up the yard. I couldn't believe how content she was just dancing to the music and rolling up and down the window and playing with some hidden stickers we found. I wasn't about to complain because I just sat in the passenger seat and relaxed! After the yard was complete we were all hungry and jumped in the car to head to Big Boy for a late lunch/early dinner. One never knows what to expect when taking a toddler into a restaurant, but it was very pleasant and we all had a great time. When we came home Noelle was ready for a nap. We put her down and then I jumped into bed to get a quick nap. The rest of the evening was very uneventful.

On a little side note to the the actual goings on of the weekend, I want to mention Noelle's new obsession with her baby. She has named her baby, Max, and he/she (it is dressed in pink but has a boy's name) has to have their diaper periodically changed, share meals with Noelle, and is always being mothered. She even sings songs to the baby which basically goes like this, "Twinkle Twinkle Star (insert a bunch of mumblings that are so close to being part of the song, but not really, although the melody is close) what chew are", it is so cute and makes us crack up because she is trying very hard and her little face is intent as she rocks her baby! I hope all this very close attention and scrutiny towards the baby's well being is just a good sign that she will be a very loving big sister!

Sunday I got Noelle up and she ran into our bedroom and yelled at Tom "Daddy Up! Daddy Up Please!". I was going to let him get a bit more sleep but Noelle was not having any of that! Breakfast was not much because groceries were lacking! I went to get Noelle when she yelled that her nap was over and when I opened the door there she was with a newborn blue cap (her new brother's hat that we were using for the baby) on her head. It fit, although a bit small, and she looked like a little hoodlum! I busted out laughing! As we were getting ready to go to the store, Tom told Noelle we were going shopping and tried to get her all excited. She did indeed get excited because shopping to her means "New Toys for Well!" ever since she went to Toys R Us with Daddy about a month ago. We promised her that if she was a good girl she would get a new toy and she was, so she received a little bribery toy.

After groceries were unloaded, a completely clad Noelle went outside. She insisted on eating an apple and took it out with her. For some odd reason while throwing a ball for Zeus she kept throwing her apple! It was humorous to see Tom throw a ball and then an apple follow suit. Sometime during the evening the cute pony tail that keeps her wild hair out of her eyes came out and she had Elvis hair. We told her to say "Hunka, Hunka burning love" but it sounded like "Hunka Hunka Love" and was very funny to hear! When it came time to put pajamas on Noelle hiked up her pants almost to her armpits, and her top was tucked in and she walked around. Again we were laughing so hard!

So that was our weekend. Not really much, but the weather was incredible and we enjoyed a lot of time together and Noelle was so much fun.

Pumpkins!!

Tom decided to use up a vacation day on Friday. We left our house around 11am and headed up to Traverse City. Traffic was not an issue, but our broken DVD player presented a challenge for Noelle. She is a very good little traveler and after we explained that Barney, Teletubbies, and Little Einsteins could not be viewed, tears fell then she found other things to keep her busy. We expected her to take a bit of a nap, but of course she fell asleep about 20 minutes before we arrived! Go figure!

Saturday we all went to a pumpkin patch and had so much fun. Noelle loved petting the animals. There was a little pygmy goat for sale, we tried very hard to convince Grandpa to buy it, but for some odd reason he was opposed to that idea! Although he was willing to buy it for us, as long as it went home with us...yeah, Zeus and a pygmy goat in a very small SUV for five hours, that sounds like a blast! We grabbed a little yellow wagon, put Noelle in it, and headed out to the pumpkin patch. The wagon ride had to be the best part because Uncle took her "super fast"! She loved picking out a little pumpkin of her own and carrying it back to the wagon,. When it was time to leave, a little girl dressed in pink, did not like that idea! Here are some pictures to enjoy (you can double click on the images to see them bigger):

From all the fun as soon as we got home Noelle went down for a nap! I decided to start to get ready for my dinner date with Tom. My parents so wonderfully offered to watch Noelle for us. My birthday is coming up in a few weeks and we decided to take this opportunity to go out to dinner and hit the mall. I have been craving the Olive Garden lately so that is where we went. It was so good, and I know it's not that special of a restaurant, but it's what the pregnant women wanted!! After a fabulous dinner we went to the mall. Of course, being parents we ended up getting ourselves nothing and bought some things for Noelle and Max (what do you guys think of the name? I'm trying it on for size and would love opinions!).

While we were out Grandma, Grandpa, and Uncle Alex decided to carve Noelle's little pumpkin with her. Apparently, she was too delicate and girly and she did not want to touch the guts with her hands!! She did like touching them with a spoon and from what I was told thoroughly enjoyed herself! Here are a few more pictures of Noelle's first ever pumpkin carving experience:

Sunday we left around 2pm and made it home around 7pm. It was an easier ride because Uncle lent us his DVD player and Noelle was able to watch her favorite shows. I on the other always have a very hard time leaving my family. I hate living so far away. Five hours is a very doable drive, but I can't help and imagine how wonderful it would be to live closer. To call and pop in whenever I needed a "Mom hug". Noelle loves to give me hugs, and sometimes I want one from my Mom! Just to have them close by so they would be able to spend more time watching Noelle grow and change. With the new baby coming I don't want them to miss anything. It is always so wonderful to visit, but harder to leave.

In baby world, Max (again, let me know what you think of the name) is now right around 14 inches and about 2 pounds. He is a very active and I am really enjoying feeling his kicks during the day, and night. I am feeling very good, although the nausea seems to have returned, but I can deal with it. I do enjoy being pregnant, it is a blessing.

When Mama Gets Made Up!!

I have mentioned this to some people and even though I hate to put it in writing, it is a little memory I will look back on and laugh.

Being a stay-at-home-mom my daily wardrobe consists of yoga/comfy pants, no makeup, no contacts, and a pony tail. When I do venture out into the real world I stick my contacts in, sometimes throw on real pants, usually blow dry my hair, and put some make-up on. Noelle now associates any of these activities with "we going' bye-bye"!! She will go get her shoes and get very excited. She has even gone as far as to put our dog into his crate for me! Even if I just feel like doing my hair for myself, or wearing jeans instead of black yoga pants, I spend the next hour convincing her that we are not going bye-bye and sometimes Mom just wants to feel pretty. Maybe I need to make more of an effort to not look like a slob all the time!

The other night I went into our stored baby clothes to dig out a our very limited supply of neutral newborn outfits I remember having. Noelle decided she had to try all the clothes on herself! Tom and I laughed and laughed at how much she looked a hobo with the too small clothes on her! Enjoy these pictures:

Picking Apples

Apple picking has always been a fall favorite in Michigan. We decided to hit up a wonderful little Orchard just miles from our house on Saturday. We invited our friends, the Mitzels, to come along. I had no idea that we would be dripping sweat the whole time! Although it was bright and sunny outside, high 80s is not the best weather for a fall activity.

We took a wagon ride out to the orchard and the wagon came back about 15-20 minutes later. That was more than enough time to pick some different varieties of apples and enjoy eating some apples too. After the picking was done and the wagon dropped us back off we headed into the little bakery. Because of the heat we quickly bought some donuts and cider and headed back to the air conditioning at our house. We grilled steaks, hot dogs, and some brats for lunch then let the kids play together until it was time for naps then they headed back home. It was a great Saturday and here are some pictures to enjoy!

Norah and Noelle on the wagon ride

Kitty, Noelle, and Norah munching on apples
This morning, Sunday, Noelle woke up with a swollen shut eye. She received a bug bite Friday evening near the eye and it continued to swell over the last few days. She looks like she went a few rounds in the ring with Mike Tyson!! We took her to the doctor because of the swelling and risk of infection. Luckily, she is okay, here are some pictures!

Cute Picture

This picture I took this morning and I thought it was too cute not to share!! They are best buds!

See Ya!

Noelle has been creating more sentences and learning countless new words lately. Many smiles are brought to our faces by these new and wonderful word combinations!

The other day she was playing on her Little Mermaid car scouting around the house. I noticed something in her mouth, obviously not supposed to be there, and I asked her to please spit it out. She got a big smile on her face, look right into my eyes and said "See ya, Mommy!", then turned her car around and took off. "See ya" is a response used not only when saying bye to people, but when she is trying to escape from Tom and I.

I thought I would add some little bits of Noelle:

-She loves to play "Rosie" while her blankets, (called "Pink and White") are laid out on the floor, satin side up, of course. She holds her own hands while we sing it.

-"Fips" (Flips) off the couch and on the floor are a new favorite activity.
- Daddy introduced the wonders of a cave! Now in the morning she has me make a cave that stays up all day long. She is a little scared of the darkness the cave creates and has to tell us about a thousand times that "cave dark".

- Anything she can stand on is referred to as "tall"

- If she gets hurt she immediately runs to the closest person while saying "cry, snuggle, white and pink night night, fuffa (pacifier)" and she repeats this until content and/or distracted by something else

- Teletubbies are her favorite TV show. She calls them "tubbytubbies" and "tellies". She knows the names of all "four tellies, Winky, Dipsy, Lala, Po"

- While at Subway on our way out of Wal-Mart she said to me "six fans" I looked up at the ceiling and sure enough there were six fans! That surprised me! I guess all the counting of random things around the house has paid off.

- "Pee-pee Step" is her potty training toilet when it is being used as a step.

- When she does go potty on her "big gurl potty" she says "wipe and flush it"
- As soon as she wakes up and I go into her room she asks for daddy and I tell her he is at work.

The rest of the day she tells me "Daddy at work".

-After naps and in the morning I always ask if she had any dreams. I'm pretty sure she doesn't understand the concept but I get the same response of "Abigail, Duke, Uncle, fast, tower". In translation that means she is thinking of Grandma and Grandpa's dogs Abigail and Duke. Also, Uncle Alex takes her for a fast stroller ride, and while we were visiting last time she was introduced to a tower that we saw on a walk.

Well, I hope you enjoyed reading a little more about my little Noelle Rose.