PUMPKIN CARVING PART 2

As you can tell by the terror in her eyes, she wasn't a fan of being placed in a pumpkin but she sure looked cute!

PUMPKIN CARVING

We carved pumpkins with my niece, nephews & sister in law yesterday afternoon. 

The result was a "dapper cat", "batty cat", "haunted house" & "Sk-elvis"

TRUNK OR TREAT

Addison was a total trooper last night & definitely got tons of attention @ Trunk or Treat.  Unfortunately she was mistaken for a boy but I guess with the hat on & since she wasn't a cat or a stereotypical "girl" costume, you can't blame people.  Philip got paranoid & pulled out her pink chevron burp rag & attached her pacifier to her costume because the clip is a pink & green Amy Butler design, lol.  It was SUPER hard to find anything that fit Addison that was Halloweenish let alone a costume so we are totally happy with her little Tigress costume.

FALL WEATHER IS FINALLY HERE!

Eiiikk...I am totally LOVING this weather. The crispness in the air makes it truly feel like fall!  It came just in time for all the fall festivities we have going on this weekend.  Tonight we are passing out candy at Clayton Middle School "Trunk or Treat." Addison has an adorable little costume my parents picked up from the GAP (I'll post pictures tomorrow).  Tomorrow we are carving pumpkins with my niece & nephews & Sunday we have the annual Fall Festival at the Joyner's.  I am SO excited...I LOVE this time of year.  Many of the reasons I love fall: Green Mountain pumpkin spice coffee from Brueggers (or just pumpkin spice K-cups), warm apple crisp...well really anything with apples especially if they are macs! Panera Bread's orchard harvest salad...drool. Tomato soup & chilli. Slouchy sweaters, infinity scarfs & cable knit hats.  Boots & hooded sweatshirts, not together of course.  A warm fire...I could go on & on & on.  I LOVE fall!! I love it even more now that Addison is starting to fit in some of her 0-3 month clothes.  She partook in some of my fall favorites herself today:

hat:  VineStreetGoods

shirt: Baby Gap

pants: Baby Gap

boots: Children's Place

8 WEEKS

How is it possible that Addison is already 8 weeks?!?!

It's unbelievable how much she has changed in such a short period of time.

She smiles (deliberately) non-stop with the most adorable grin...I love her chubby little cheeks when she smiles. She's is as snuggly as ever & intentionally wraps her arms around you as if she doesn't want to let you go. She has the sweetest little voice & her coos/ahhs constantly, it completely melts my heart! Undoubtedly with Philip & I as her parents she'll be a talker. I called it from the womb...this girl LOVES music! No matter what she's doing as soon as it comes on she darts her head towards the direction the music is coming, smiles & purses her lips while listening so intently. Some of her favorites off her playlist include "Sweet Disposition" by The Temper Trap, "Yellow" by Coldplay, "My Heart is Overwhelmed" Hillsong Live from God is Able, "Bradenburg Concert No. 2" & "Sonata 8" from Baby Einstein: The Definitive 100 soundtrack. Seriously, you should see her eyes light up when she hears music. She is completely mesmerize by her hands, who needs toys?! She has mastered tummy time & holds her head up fully erect & looks around in such a nosy fashion. Oh & nosy she is. She gazes with endless fascination at herself in the mirror & makes a high pitched coo like she is excited to see herself. Perhaps the most exciting is that she is becoming so much more predictable with sleep/eating habits. 

8 weeks is also somewhat sad for me because it's a few weeks closer to the dreaded 12 week mark when I return to work.  We have some decisions to make regarding that but for now I am going to continue to embrace every moment with her & relish in our one-on-one time. 

HAMPTON'S PHOTO SESSION SNEAK PEAK

Sunday's photo session went surprisingly well considering Melissa was working with a 10 month old bulldog & 7 week old baby, oh & of course Philip, jk.  We met at Raleigh Little Theater at 4:30 pm & the lighting was spectacular.  It was a bit challenging to keep Hampton's attention being in an unfamiliar surrounding filled with people & all sorts of excitement.  It didn't help that there were other photographers doing sessions, taking pictures of children nonetheless, shaking bells & hooting/hollering.  By the looks of this picture it didn't really matter & Melissa was able to capture Hampton in all his bulldog glory!

BABY MAKING

Philip & I have definitely entered a whole new realm of our marriage.  Not too long ago checking the mail didn't seem complete without a wedding invitation, save the date or bridal shower invite.  Suddenly it seems like everyone has moved from "first comes love, then comes marriage"...to the "then comes the baby in the baby carriage" phase of life. Every time I check the mail there is a new birth announcement or baby shower invite.  IT'S EXTREMELY EXCITING! In the last 2 weeks we have had 2 very dear friends let us in on their secret that they are expecting & we couldn't be happier for both couples!! Other friends of ours, who also struggled with infertility, have just hit the 20 week mark after successful IVF.  Eeeiiik! It completely warms my heart!!  In my subdivision alone there were 4 of us pregnant due within months of each other, not to mention at least 6 kiddos age 1 & under. Addison will have lots of little playmates in the neighborhood. I am out on maternity leave at the same time as 2 co-workers & in the last 1 1/2 years there has been countless babies born within my department.  Is this a baby boom or am I just hyper aware because I now have a baby?!