Halloween Memento 2014

Trick-or-Treat!

He's our little monkey and the cutest one on the block!

Our Halloween started with a morning trip to Numerica to trick-or-treat at daddy's work.

Then we drove to Old Town for the toddler trick-or-treat.  It was chilly.  I had Ava in the chest carrier and chased Jameson around on foot - quite the adventure!

Jameson looking to see whether he's any more intimidating to the staple bear in Old Town Square now that he's in costume.

Love that he's started to smile now for photos...and say "cheese".

Being that Jameson was on foot the entire time, fatigue set in before too long....

He enjoyed the break from the cold and from walking with a stop in at the children's boutique.  He played with the toy kitchen set and cash register...some regular favorites.

Shortly after our stop to "play", Jameson walked onto this restaurant's patio and said "up" while sitting himself in this chair.  He then instructed me to sit in the chair on the other side of the table.  People were staring at us from inside the restaurant - probably wondering what we were doing and if we were crazy enough to want to eat outside!  Jameson was so exhausted - he later knelt on the chair and rested his arms and head on the railing in front of him.  I knew we had to get somewhere to sit down and eat.  With age he's growing more stubborn, but I finally got him to agree to leave this patio and keep walking...

...until we walked in front of this restaurant.  He did it again!  Walked onto the patio, pulled himself up into a chair, told me to sit down and added "eat".  This swanky American bistro wasn't the type of place I wanted to take a toddler and newborn for lunch (let alone by myself!).  I convinced him (after numerous attempts) to get down from the chair and keep walking.  Well, he listened to the first half of my instruction.  He got down but then walked five steps straight to the restaurant door and started tugging on it saying "EAT, EAT".  OK, I surrender.  I opened the door and asked if they had a children's menu and with that we sat down to EAT among the business men and women.  (His macaroni and cheese was the best kids' mac and cheese that I've ever tasted - as it should be!)

After an afternoon nap, our now very experienced trick-or-treater headed out with daddy to gather some more yummy treats :)

Carving Pumpkins

Lee Martinez Farm, Oct 30th

An invitation to join friends at the farm.  Another beautiful fall morning and the perfect weather for previewing his monkey Halloween costume (all the kids were invited to wear them).

I think the goat wants this little monkey's banana!

Oooohhh.

Breaking for a snack.

More pumpkins.

So glad that he finds scarecrows more friendly than scary!

Still in a happy mood leaving the farm.  He said that his favorite animals were the horses which we cautiously visited since the last time he petted one he had an allergic reaction (back in Feb).  Oh how I wish he could have a greater exposure to them - have fun petting or feeding them!  The next day when we were getting into the car with his Halloween costume, he kept saying "animals, animals" thinking we were going back to the farm...he had a blast! 

Impromtu Trip to Boulder

Ava fast asleep :)  She naps fairly reliably in the mornings for about 3-4 hours which often coincides with our playdates and morning outings (which is much of the reason why she doesn't appear in the photos of Jameson). 

A little bouldering in Boulder.  Stretching our legs walking along Pearl Street Mall after visiting Trader Joe's.

Park Playdate

A playdate at Spring Canyon Park on the west side of Fort Collins.  It was a sprawling park and one that I can't wait to take Jameson back to next summer (huge playground equipment, lots of swing stations, well shaded and a splash park).  This was a cool morning, but gorgeous and warm in the sun.  We had fun playing with new friends from one of our MOPS groups.  Jameson spent a lot of time on the swings and unfortunately later got whacked by one :(

It's not "Where's Waldo?", but "Where's Jameson?"

Pumpkin Patch Visit

A beautiful fall visit to Osborn Farm (in Loveland) with friends.

Such a gorgeous view from the farm and where we laid out our blanket to picnic.

Enjoying the "sit" function of the new sit-and-stand stroller we got - though I wish he liked to use it more often.  Lately he's wanting to walk everywhere, making our travels rather slow.

Jameson sharing his grapes with friends Finn and Kaylee.

Excited about his new friend.

Checking out his new friend to see whether he's as real as he looks :)

Weighing our pumpkins and gourds before leaving the farm.

Carefree Weekend! :)

The last weekend of September is typically a wonderful time to go and take advantage of the changing colors up in the mountains.  With the nice weather, we just couldn't stay inside at home.  We drove up to Estes Park and into Rocky Mountain National Park (yay for free National Park entrance day!).  What a gorgeous day it turned out to be!  Our first "trip" with two kids was deemed a success despite Rob's initial reservations :)

Walking the half-mile loop around Sprague Lake.  It turned out to be the perfect distance for curious Jameson and two-week old Ava.

Sunday was football day and the kids had the perfect festive wear.  Jameson got fun Packers slippers from Grandma Lou-Lou and Papa Pilat and Ava got sweet Packers booties from Aunt Donna and Uncle Pete.  Thank you!!!  Maybe they'll be lucky charms for the season.

Jameson is still very sweet with Ava and he likes being the "big brother".  He'll give her gentle kisses and lean into her to give hugs.  In the mornings when he wakes up, he'll sometimes say "baby" in an inquisitive tone.  He likes to point out when her diapers are a "mess" and wants to throw them away after changing.  He's been helpful with getting needed items when we're occupied with her.  On the other hand, there have been times (especially surrounding naps), when he seems a bit jealous and annoyed that I am putting him down or getting him up with her already in my arms.

Ava is Born!

We joyfully welcomed Ava Marie on September 12 at 4:39am.  She was a healthy baby, weighing 6lbs, 10.6oz and measuring 19.5".

They say one child's labor and delivery means nothing about the next, and my experiences would agree with that.  Jameson's and Ava's birth stories are different from each other in numerous ways.  Jameson's labor began with my water breaking, Ava's with increasingly painful contractions at home.  Jameson was born 23.5 hours after my water broke, which included 3 hours of intense pushing; Ava was born 5.5 hours after calling the doctor from home, and after pushing through just 5 contractions.  Jameson was born with a fever (likely due to the lengthy labor) and had to go immediately to the NICU, whereas Ava was born without any complications and was able to rest in my arms for over an hour of snuggling before they took her for vitals.  Jameson had to be monitored in the NICU for the duration of his stay, but Ava spent all of her hours with us in the maternity unit, and we were able to discharge a day early.  Hooray for things being somewhat easier the second time around!

Cuddle time in the delivery room.

First time checking those vital signs.  Happy baby!!!

Daddy's first time holding his little girl.

On the evening of the 12th, Jameson got to finally meet his little sister, "Aya", as he likes to call her.  He was immediately curious and intrigued.  He would become easily distracted, but come back to wanting to touch her or look at her. 

Fortunately, Grandma "Lou-Lou" and "Papa" were already in town due to a false alarm the prior weekend.  It was so helpful having them around, allowing us to get more done before Ava arrived and to get a little bit of rest.  My Dad stayed busy painting the basement and my Mom spent a lot of time with Jameson and prepared tons of meals for us to freeze.

Sweetness and curiosity make the cutest combination.

He's so gentle with Ava.

Bundled up and ready to head home.

Two of my favorite moments following the births of Jameson and Ava have been exposing them to the outside air for the first time.  I'm not sure what about it is so exciting to me, but I cherish it more than walking them into the house!

We were so happy that Ava blessed us with her arrival in time for Grandpa to see us bring her home.

A fun new toy from Grandma and Grandpa for Jameson to be excited about during this time of transition.  Jameson took some initiative in grabbing a tool and joining dad in putting the new bike together.

His first set of wheels.

Thank you Grandma "Lou-Lou" for helping us over the past couple of weeks ease into life as a family of four.  Jameson seems to be taking fondly to his new role.

As soon as we walked through the door with Ava, Jameson ran to the basement door, eagerly wanting us to follow.  While we were at the hospital, "Papa" finished painting the trim (to cap off several days of marathon painting), and the electrical work was finished and carpet installed (so close to being done!).  We followed Jameson downstairs and got so much joy out of seeing him excited about the space.  He kept saying "run, run, run!" while running circles around the room and playfully throwing himself onto the floor and rolling around.  Big smiles all around!

Our little Ava is what I would - so far - call an easy baby.  She loves to sleep, eat, and be held.  She can stay asleep in your arms for hours.  :)