October

I mention every October how much I love October. It is the start of better weather and lots of fun activities.... and as soon as October hits, I start to remember that I really love where I live for half the year. ;-) (Okay, I love where I live most of the year, but it's a lot easier to have a good attitude about the weather when my skin isn't melting off.)

Anyway! We kicked off the season by decorating for Halloween. The kids were thrilled with all the fun new "toys" that got pulled out.

One thing we love about October is that we start doing nightly walks as a family to check out everyone's Halloween decorations. The kids absolutely love it. Even Joshua!

I thought this picture of Matthew and Kate holding hands on one of our walks was cute-

We love checking out the Halloween decor and costumes in all the stores. Shopping trips become a lot more fun in October!

I took my traditional baby-in-a-pumpkin picture with Joshua. :-)

I even took the kids to the pool one last time! (It is still pretty darn warm for most of October.)

Park days become the norm again. It's the best! This was actually Joshua's first time in a swing. (He became old enough for one as soon as it became too hot for the park, so I didn't get him on a swing until he was almost 7 months old!) I loved watching how much he loved it!

Michael turned the big 3-0! I would've loved to throw him a party, but he really didn't want to have one. He just wanted to keep it low key. On his actual birthday he took a half day at work and we went bowling and ate lots of yummy food. That weekend, we got a babysitter and went on a date. We love this guy and everything he does for our family!

Kate started another session of her dance class and this session is extra fun because they use lots of seasonal props. During this little performance she dressed up as a monster and a pumpkin. So cute!

The boys went to one more Diamondbacks game for the season! I didn't go to any games this year because taking Joshua didn't sound fun, but hopefully next year we'll all go. :-)

Michael got promoted to a blue belt in jiu jitsu! He got promoted and then immediately (as in, like, an hour later) competed in a tournament as a blue belt... against a guy who had been a blue belt for quite a while. He was definitely expecting to lose, and he did, but he actually was a great competitor and only lost to ref's decision. Pretty awesome!

Michael and his coach-

And of course, the Arizona State Fair! So fun! We ate way too much totally unhealthy and delicious fair food, rode some rides, took the kids to the petting zoo, and enjoyed the OVERCAST day! (It is rarely overcast here, so it felt like heaven.)

Matthew had a field trip with his preschool class to a pumpkin patch and me, Kate, and Joshua got to tag along too. It was super crowded that day but so much fun!

We had a blast at our ward Halloween party, and Michael competed in the pie eating contest. He didn't quite win, but it sure was fun to watch. :-)

At the very end of the month my parents came for a visit and stayed through Halloween. We loved having them here! 

My dad was put right to work and he (and Michael when he wasn't working) built us a patio shade for our backyard. I love it! And the kids loved "helping."

On Friday morning while my dad was slaving away and Michael was at work, me and my mom took the kids to a super fun park I'd never been to before. They have the cutest little rides and my kids are still asking to go back.

I made my parents take our family Christmas card picture for the fourth year in a row. ;-) They are great sports - especially since it is only getting harder with so many littles! During our photo shoot my dad caught this little gem:

More "gems" - ha!

And then Halloween! Joshua was a biker, Kate was Cinderella, and Matthew was a pirate. Matthew and Kate were hilarious trick-or-treaters. Not shy at all - they'd practically yell, "Trick-or-Treat!" and were so excited at every.single.house. Love these funny kids!

(Joshua got to stay home and help pass out candy).

Checking out their loot:

And that's it for October! Whew!

Dancing Kate

Kate just finished her first dance class! It was a simple and short class called Baby Ballerinas. I actually wasn't sure how she'd do, which is hilarious to me now because from the first minute she started she absolutely loved it and participated 100%. I see several more dance classes in our future. ;-) (Starting next week!) On the last day of class the parents were invited in the classroom so the girls could show off what they learned. It was adorable! I put this little video together of the performance. You can kinda see that she starts off shy but gets more and more into it as it goes on.

Joshua at 6 months

My baby is 6 months old! Whenever I get to this point with my kids, part of me wants to do a celebratory dance for getting through the newborn days (and nights!) and making it to my very favorite baby stage. The other part of me is SO SAD that we've gotten to this point so fast and that before I know it, my baby will be long gone. Just another example of the crazy rollercoaster of motherhood I guess. ;-)

Joshua is such a sweetheart. Sure, he's a cat napper (argh) and is nowhere close to sleeping through the night (double argh) but he is so smiley and sweet regardless. He seriously has me totally wrapped around his little finger. He is always willing to smile at anyone. He is so happy to be my buddy no matter where we have to be at any time - church, dance class, a meeting, preschool carpool, or just an outing for the older two. He is usually a wreck by the evening as a result of not really sleeping much all day, so bedtime can be kind of an ordeal around here, but other than that, or when I try to actually get him to nap for more than 15 minutes, (sigh) he is pretty content.

Let's talk about my very favorite features of his. His lashes! I'd kill for lashes like his! They're soooo long and beautiful! And his CHEEKS! I could (and do!) kiss on them all day, every day.

Even Matthew and Kate can't help themselves. ;-)

Speaking of Matthew and Kate, Joshua loves them both. He will pretty much just watch them run around and be crazy, but lately I can see in his eyes that he's starting to want to join in the fun. Won't be long little man!

Joshua weighs a little less than average and his height is a little taller than average. No teeth. I am not even close to surprised. Neither of my other two kids got teeth until they were close to 10 months old so I'm not holding my breath. He sits really well and puts weight on his legs really well but I think it'll still be a while until he crawls. He is not a fan of being on his belly.

Joshua is a really really good eater. I've started him on solids and he likes pretty much everything he has been given, though admittedly he still has a lot to try. Still.... he loves him some food. It didn't take long at all for him to get used to solids and now meal times (usually morning and evening) are some of his favorite times of day. He really doesn't even usually get that messy when I'm feeding him. (Knock on wood!) I remember my other two would be covered in food by the time I was done.... and while I wouldn't exactly say Joshua stays clean, he definitely is cleanER than I was expecting. He is having some trouble figuring out the sippy cup though.

Joshua loves the bath and bubbles. He also likes the pool as long as it's not too bright outside. He HATES the sun in his face. Not exactly the ideal situation for an Arizona baby! Ha! He has just recently started showing a tiny bit of interest in simple picture books. (Yay!) He loves to be out and about. He will rarely, if ever, fuss if I am walking around with him in the baby carrier, facing out so he can see what's going on. He likes the stroller too, as long as it's moving. ;-)

Joshua is pretty tough. I'm not sure if he was born that way or if it's a result of being the third kid. :-) He loves "wrestling" with Matthew and Michael, and both Matthew and Michael are happy to play this way with him almost every day.

One of my biggest fears before Joshua was born was that I just wouldn't have TIME to enjoy his babyhood. While I definitely have my moments when life feels absolutely crazy and I wonder how I'm going to find time to even breathe, I have been so lucky to actually feel like I have been able to enjoy so much about his early days. While I can't say that I always have the best attitude about running on so little sleep, I have found that now that I know how fast it really does go, being up holding my baby in the middle of the night isn't always the worst thing ever. ;-)

I love this boy. Happy 6 months Joshy! So happy you are ours!