Pacifier or Thumb???

Up until a couple months ago, Pippi wasn't a fan of either the pacifier or sucking her thumb.  She would occasionally take a paci but I didn't carry one with us.  I was always encouraging the paci - always wanted a pacifier baby, they are so cute!!!  Then about mid-October…now that I think about it, it was about the same time I was weaning her off breast feeding…she took up an interest with the pacifier.  She would take it going down for naps and bed and throughout day at times.  Then a couple weeks ago, she discovered her thumb and she doesn't want much to do with the pacifier anymore. What?!?  Isn't it a little late to pick up thumb sucking?!  She always sucks her left thumb and then plays with her hair with her right hand.  It is just about the sweetest thing you ever did see.  So, it looks like we may have our 2nd thumb sucker on our hands…time will tell.

 The past couple weeks at gymnastics she has fallen asleep on me while we watch Laney, it's the best!

 She definitely sucks her thumb when she's tired but that's not the only time.

Seriously, just about the cutest thing ever.

Laney learning to bike ride

The weather is unbelievably cold, so I thought I would flashback to last month and better weather :).

Laney got a bike for her 3rd birthday but she definitely isn't dying to learn to ride.  Instead, she is happier to push her babies in the stroller.  On M/W mornings when it's just the girls and Pippi is down for morning nap, we practiced riding bikes.  She really wanted to pedal her little tricycle so we started there…she caught on pretty quick.  The big girl bike…well, that's a different story.  It was a work in progress before it got too cold to go back out, which reminds me that we need to take the bikes down to the basement so the kids can still use them this winter.  Hopefully we can have her pedaling by Spring!

The girl is way too big for this tricycle!  Already missing t-shirt weather and it's only been cold for a week…waaaahhhhhh!

She definitely looks the part.  I was basically doing walking squats to move the pedals and keep her from hitting the brakes.  Yep, lots of practice needed this winter in the basement.

Piper - 11 months!

I just got her first birthday invites printed and picked up tonight…first birthday!  How did that happen?  

Well, she isn't one yet - one more month before the big day!  At 11 months, she is officially all over the place and getting into everything she can! Currently she likes to try to pull the cords from the cable box, climb in the dishwasher if it's open, knock crayons/markers off the kids table, open/close kitchen drawers which usually = smashed fingers and of course, play in Lola's food and water bowls.  Phew and with previous experience I know she isn't slowing down anytime soon :).

-Pippi is officially a full formula baby!  Before our Napa trip I had weaned her down to morning and night feeding.  I packed that stinking pump and pumped morning and night while on vacation…got home and supply was gone.  I knew I shouldn't have taken that hated thing!  Anyways, she is taking 4 bottles a day and had no problem transitioning.

-She is going to bed right around 7, and getting up between 6-7.  She takes a morning nap around 9 and then an afternoon nap at 1.  She goes right to sleep most of the time.

-Still pulling up on everything and started to walk around furniture just a little bit.  Pushing her stroller around little spurts at a time.

-She likes to give high fives and is now clapping when we sing her songs.  

-Mainly still saying Da-da, mumbling other things that we can't figure out and I swear that she said Ma-ma today but no one was there to witness it!  

 This is the hair situation unless I have it pulled back in a ponytail.  

 She wasn't very cooperative for this photo shoot.

 Just wanted to rock in the chair and throw herself out of it.

 My assistant just couldn't stop loving on her sister.

Happy 11 months Piper Marie, we love you!!!!!

Piper - walking with a walker

She's 11 months today and as of last week, she is pushing this little walker around!  Stop it already Pippi!  She doesn't quite have it mastered yet, but she's sure trying everyday.

Happy Halloween with Green Lantern, Elsa, and the cutest flower you ever did see!

Halloween was a bit different this year because it was freakin' cold!  I mean really cold!  The last 2 years in Texas, I think it was in the 80s!  You can see last year here.

I told the kids to pick a costume from our costume collection and they were totally content doing that.  I don't think they even realize you can pick out your own and buy it from the store!  And once again - I have yet to buy a Halloween costume for my kids, thanks to all our cute family hand me downs!

We had a busy evening trying to see lots of people - it was fun (and cold, did I mention cold?) and the kids were really excited!

I love holiday themed pajamas!!!

 Mamaw and Papaw sent a candy and coloring care package from Wash, MO.

 Our pumpkin carving bumped into nap time so I told kids they could skip naps and just watch a cartoon.  15 minutes later, this is how I found her.

 Green Lantern ready for our first (and only) trick or treaters, the Stilley girls!

So happy that Jenny got this pic - so cute!  Laney was still snoozing when they were here.

 The night before Halloween I had her get in costume so I could get some pics - I knew Halloween would be too crazy!  I wanted to do the same with Coop but it got dark too quick, darn it!

 We met Henley at my Grandma's house.

Love this!  And yeah, that  Elsas wig we made a special trip for???  It barely made an appearance on Halloween ;).

After my grandma's house, we stopped to trick or treat a couple more places.  Then it was to Aaron and Cami's house - the neighbors were all gathering there.  No pictures from there :(, it was so cold and a million kids running every which way.

 The Souders Grandkids!  We went to my parents house for dinner a little bit of trick or treating.

 This is how most of the pictures turned out.

This picture one more time because I just love it!  Hope you all had a very Happy Halloween!

Piper's First Halloween!

Happy 1st Halloween Piper Marie!

 We love you sweet girl!

Her Halloween options…which one would she be???  A flower or a peacock???

Pumpkin Decorating!

We had picked up some small pumpkins on our pumpkin patch visits, so I brought them in one day for the kids to paint. 

 Pumpkins + paint = cheap and easy entertainment.

 She wanted a pink and yellow pumpkin.

 The Royals were playing this night so he wanted a Royals pumpkin.

The day before Halloween I decided that our Elsa needed an Elsa wig to complete her costume.  I texted my sister at work and told her to help her niece out :).  She found us one on Craigslist in Brookside.  Always a bit leery of Craigslist, I made Adam drive us there.  :)

 Nothing like an hour and a half round trip with the whole family to get your 3 year old an Elsa wig!  Adam had conference calls so I had to attempt to keep the circus quiet.

Totally worth it!!!!!!!

The day of Halloween we decided we better get those pumpkins carved!

 We drug Adam out of the office to help out for a bit.

 This sweet baby just watched…next year Pippi!

 One of the kids liked pulling out the pumpkin guts, one did not.  If you know my children, you will know who was who. :)

 Dad does all the knife work and I am in charge of helping clean the pumpkins out.

 The kids picked what shapes they wanted for their eyes, nose and mouths.

Finished products!  We were officially ready for Halloween!