Mom's group

When on a car strike and it is snowing outside (no joke, it snowed this morning), the only solution is obviously to throw a party :-) Really, it just worked out that way.
We have a little mom's group/playdate that meets about every two weeks. Most of us met when we were pregnant, and it is a really great group of women. Maybe next time we'll get pictures of the moms, but for now a photo of the babes will have to do. They range in age from 2-4 months.

Choo Choo Bob

We took our walk on Monday northward, to Marshall avenue, where we discovered a true gem. Choo Choo Bob's is a small train store, with everything for the hobby enthusiast. A smart businessman, Bob knows it is important to hook kids at a young age, so in addition to the model trains set up, there is a play area in the back with 8 little tables set up with wooden train sets for kids to play in. Bob has also produced a DVD, which reminds me a bit of Mister Rogers with a train theme. Or maybe I just don't know enough kids shows to come up with a better comparison.

Best of all, when you walk in the door you are greeted by Engineer Paul in full uniform! We will definitely be coming back when E is old enough to appreciate it.

More pictures

Everest likes the leaves, so we like to photograph him there. We added pumpkins this time just to mix it up a bit. Here are a few of the highlights.

In the end, even the crinkling leaves were not enough. End of photo session.

8 hours!!

So sleep has been getting rougher and rougher. From the very beginning, E has slept for 4 or 5 hours the first chunk of the night, but for the last couple weeks it has been tough to get more than a 2 hour stretch. This means he is up at 11:00, 1:00, 3:00, and 5:00. A growth spurt you say? May be, but he only gained 3 ounces last week.
Last night, we put him down at 8:00 and he slept clear through until 4:15. I don't know why (could it have been the extra long naps yesterday, or the bottle at 3:30, or Suzy's magic touch?), but it gave me a ray of hope that one day I will be able to function like a normal person again.

Random pics

We're trying to be better parents and take more pictures of E. Here is a sampling.

Morning stretch - every morning when we unswaddle E, he does a big stretch and is super smiley. They are usually some of my favorite moments of the day, even if I am far from ready to get out of bed.

I don't even know when/where this pic was taken, but E is a happy little pirate!

Bath time!

Dad works his magic when E is at his crankiest. E is a blur in the original of this picture :-)

Mike's 10 year reunion and small car victories

Mike's 10 year college reunion was last week. We celebrated by going to Bethel's homecoming football game and then hanging out at Tony and Laura's with a bunch of Bethel friends. Unfortunately, I don't have many pictures, but here is one of E in his halloween costume. We broke it out early in honor of the game. More pics of this are surely to come!

We also had a small victory on the way to the game. First time ever E has fallen asleep in his carseat on the way to the game! He still screamed on the way home, but we are making progress!

Wraps

I've been getting more into wraps, and trying to vary the carries we use a bit. So far we have the front carry with two variables. E can face in or out, or have his legs out or in. We did a first attempt with a back carry just around the house for a bit. He's awfully cute, and it was quite liberating, but I felt like he needs to be just a bit more secure through the shoulders. We tried again another day, and E would have none of it. We will keep trying!