Tummy Time!

We've been trying to get some tummy time in whenever we can. Danielle will put up with it for a few minutes, but then starts fussing or tries to suffocate herself on the mat in protest.

She hasn't really perfected her neck muscles. We need a lot more tummy time.

Typical Dani.
This kid spits up SO much, as compared to Lily who hardly ever spit up at all.

I LOVE that little face!!

(turned on the house lights and turned off the flash -- much better!)

I just can't get enough of her cuteness . . . .

She is coo'ing away.

There's that fist again.

And we can't forget Lily! She is pretty dang cute too!

New Toys

Danielle is at that in between age where she doesn't want to sleep all day, but I don't quite know how to entertain her. She can't quite grasp objects yet and she can't sit up in the bumbo, so she isn't really into playing with things. I think she is getting a little bored with her rainforest. So I went up to the playroom and found some more baby toys. I found Lily's laugh and learn puppy. The voice alone used to mesmerize Lily at about this age, so I figured it was time to introduce her to Dani.

She was pretty into it.

She liked the songs the best, and I enjoyed hearing them again too. It had been a long time!

Smiles for puppy.

Not the best picture, but I had to post it -- Danielle tries to sit up! She does this all the time and gets herself up to about a 45 degree angle!

The thing she enjoyed most with the puppy was . . . .

. . . kicking him off the nap nanny! :)

I had to post these too to document that Danielle always has her entire fist in her mouth. She doesn't suck her thumb, she sucks her whole entire hand!

That's my Dani!

It's Finally Fall Weather!

It has been pretty cold in the mornings (30s and 40s)! I wonder how many years I'll live here before I get used to sending the kids off to school with hats and mittens. So bizarre!!

Trick Or Treat!

As we've done the last two years, we had Lily (and our friends) over for dinner and play before we all go out trick or treating together. This was the first year that Halloween fell on a weekday, so the pre-party was a litter shorter than usual, but it is all about the trick or treating anyway!!

Playing in the backyard -- they were all so hyper and excited for Halloween!
Lily had said the other day that she didn't want to wear her wig trick or treating and I didn't really want to deal with it either, so she picked put pink hair color. It was still very "Katy Perry" since her hair is a different color practically everyday!

Grandma stopped by to see the kids and bring treats. It was warm inside and Danielle was a little hot and overwhelmed, so I didn't have her dressed yet.

Eating dinner.

The gang (minus Danielle, Abigail and Matthew who were in their strollers)
Madeline, Emily, Matthew, Ben
Carys, Madison, Lily and Makayla.

We had 11 kids, 9 adults, 3 strollers and a wagon. We took up half a block!!

My little cupcake -- in only half her costume. The other half was in the stroller in case she got out later.

The kids raced from house to house!

A lot of our neighbors do a good job at decorating!

Ghost poop!!

Dani's stayed awake the whole time. I was surprised since this was (of course) the first day in a long time when she didn't really nap all day. We've had such a great schedule going and she choose today to mix it up.

They were all so cute. I LOVE watching Lily and her friends have the time of their lives. It is the greatest thing ever!

At Elise and Trent's house. We missed them this year, but they went out with family and left a bowl of candy on the porch.

Lily and Mady stuck together nearly all night.

We hit more houses than the last two years and in half the time! The kids have really perfected their trick or treating! The kids and I were ready to keep going and hit a couple more blocks, but Danielle had a different idea. The combo of hunger, over exhaustion and over stimulation hit her hard and she went into full hysterics. Thankfully, we were almost back to the house and everyone else was ready to get home anyway. It was a little after 8 o'clock, we had been out for an hour and a half and the kids had school in the morning. So we headed home. Rhiannon and Jenn tried to help me get Dani calmed down, but she was a mess. I had to take her upstairs and swaddle her to get her to cool down. After that she was good. It figures. Lily's first real holiday was Easter and she was a disaster so it is only fitting that Dani would lose it on her first holiday! :)

Before bed we had to wash that pink out of Lily's hair. She LOVED having a pink bath!