TRICK OR TREAT

Here's more of our little pumpkin!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN! Daddy better watch out...looks like we have a future Reese's fan on our hands! More photos of our little PUMPKIN to come later!

YUMMY!!

Here's Claire having some pasta the other night. As you can tell by her messy face, she LOVED it! She is still a pretty good eater, but will definitely let you know if she isn't interested in eating something. She basically pushes everything she doesn't like off her tray and onto the floor...it's really quite charming. :) She is also certain to let you know if she wants more of anything. She starts reaching forward and says "mo, mo, mo". It's pretty cute and amazing to watch her first signs of real verbal communication.

Pajama Time!

Pete, Emily, and Whitney came over for dinner on Saturday night. Claire was loving Whitney...she kept trying to touch her (we are still working on gentle) and was giving her lots of smiles. It also turns out that the girls have matching PJs - it was the perfect photo op!

Fall Frolic

We took advantage of the beautiful weather this weekend, and spent a large portion of time outdoors. We went on several walks, took a couple trips to the park, and cheered the Johnnies on at the Tommie/Johnnie football game. Claire LOVES being outside!

Here's a few photos from Friday afternoon. As you can see, Claire is sporting yet another adorable hat. Too bad she thinks its funny to keep taking it off...it is going to be a long winter if she doesn't start keeping it on!

In other news, we spotted the tip of Claire's FIRST TOOTH on Saturday afternoon!

A Wild Adventure

Last Friday, Claire and I met my friend Marie and her son Wesley for lunch. Afterward, we ventured over to Wild Rumpus. What a quaint and unique bookstore...it was perfect for our little ones. There were cats and chickens roaming throughout the store, as well as birds, rabbits, and reptiles in cages for the little ones to view. Wesley chased the cats, while Claire chased the chickens...it was hilarious to watch! If you haven't checked it out, it is definitely worth a trip!

Look Who's Walking

Here's a video of Claire walking from this morning. It is amazing how her confidence continues to grow each day. She is still working on her balance, but she is definitely making progress. Enjoy!

Changing Seasons

While I am not ready for the cold weather that is on the way, there is something that is so adorable about babies when they are all bundled up. Everytime I am out shopping, I find myself buying Claire yet another new hat. I just can't help myself when she looks this cute!

Ten Months Old

Another month down! Which mean, another month of exciting new developments from Claire!

At TEN months old, Claire:

• has mastered the act of cruising around furniture. She will cruise along anything she can get her hands on.
• keeps improving on her walking skills. She usually takes a few steps at a time, and definitely crawls more than she walks, but I don't think it will be long before that changes...especially since she took 16 steps (yes, I counted) tonight!
• still doesn't sit still for very long periods of time, as evidenced by the picture above. This was the best photo I could get this month.
• LOVES daycare. I swear that she senses when we arrive in the parking lot each morning because she starts kicking her legs and gets a BIG grin on her face. Fortunately for me, she also LOVES when I pick her up each day!
• definitely has favorite foods. The top of her list includes fruit, cheese and toast. She is not a huge fan of vegetables, that is for sure.
• still has ZERO teeth...I'm not sure we will recognize her when she gets her first pearly white!
• has started to enjoy books more and more. She will actually sit with us and let us read a few books to her every morning and evening. Her favorite books are the ones with peek-a-boo flaps.
• is a fan of music. She enjoys dancing with Mom and Dad and listening to her children's CDs in the car.
• loves spending time outdoors. More often than not, that is where I find her each day when I pick her up from daycare. She also enjoys several stroller rides each week.
• is super careful and very gentle.
• is becoming more and more like a toddler. It is such a delight to watch her change from each month to next...can't wait to see what month eleven has in store!

New York, New York

Art & I made our way to New York this past weekend for the first time. We had a wonderful time taking in the city and checking out a few well-known landmarks.

Took a long walk through Central Park. It is amazing how few leaves have changed compared to the ones here in Minnesota.

Stopped by FAO Schwarz to pick up a few things for Claire. What an incredible toy store!
Went on a boat tour where we checked out both the Brooklyn Bridge, and Statue of Liberty.

We also made our way to several excellent restaurants, a Broadway show and made a brief stop by the today show. It was nice to spend some time together in a new city. While we were there we also celebrated our 4th anniversary! My parents were generous enough to watch Claire while we were gone...we sure missed her, but knew she was in great hands. Thank you!