Happy Halloween!

Cole's 1st Halloween was a busy one indeed! We had too many people to visit so we celebrated on Friday and Saturday. On Friday we went to mom's work, Aunt Jill and Uncle Joe's, and Papa's work. Then, on Saturday, we visited Aunt Debbie, Aunt Viv, Aunt Trudi and Uncle Bill and then we went to a party at a friend's house (Eve) and we went trick or treating with her daughter and granddaughters. We had two very busy days, but it was a lot of fun. Cole actually liked wearing his monkey costume and it was nice and toasty for trick or treating. Though, I do have to say, it was a perfect night for trick or treating! No rain and just the right amount of chill in the air.

Day 297 - Halloween

(Cole-Monkey ready for some trick-or-treating!)

(Having fun with Aunt Jo-Jo's kitty cat ears)

(Opening his Halloween treats)

Day 296

(Cousin Bri and Cole all dressed up)

Fall Family Fun!

I just LOVE the fall! I think it might just be my favorite time of the year. There's nothing better than going to pick pumpkins, hayrides, apple cider, beautiful leaves on the ground, a big bowl of chili and the smell of a pumpkin candle burning on a crisp, cool day.

On Sunday, Cole's Great Aunt Sandy and Great Uncle Van had a hayride and chili feed. We got to see some family that I haven't seen in years, and who Cole had obviously never seen before. Cole had so much fun playing in the straw and he was the dirtiest little boy I had ever seen by the end of the evening. It was a great fun day at the farm!

Day 295

(Fall family picture - the cute scarecrow is standing in for Ben)

(Cole looks a little skeptical in this picture, but he did have a great time)

(McMillan's enjoying the hayride)

(Did I mention that I had hay EVERYWHERE when we got done?)

(Cole and Grandma on the farm)

(Cole LOVES playing with his bigger cousins!)

(and Aunt Holly too!)

(Fall pictures taken in Dugway)

Over the river and through the woods...

To Grandmother's House we go!

Well, we made it to Spokane safe and sound. The ride was much smoother than I thought it would be. That is after I single handedly moved the suitcases around and moved Cole's carseat over halfway through the drive so that Lola could sit in back with him. Once I did that though they both slept most of the trip.

Since we've been here we've just been hanging out, running some errands, and visiting with people. Cole and Lola are both adjusting well. Lola's just following Grandpa around the yard all day and Cole's just been getting used to his new home for a while. We had a few rough nights but he seems to be getting better every night so hopefully he'll keep it up. Now I've just got to get him to stay in his crib and out of my bed!

(Please excuse the disorganization of the pictures...for some reason this strange computer won't let me cut and paste. I'll try to do better next time!)

Day 291

(Kisses from Grandma)

Day 293

Day 292

Day 290

Day 288
(He apparently even loves bananas with the skin still on)

Day 289
(Enjoying a teething biscut)

Day 287

Day 286

(Auntie Jo Jo is so funny)

Day 285

(Playing in mama's room)

Portland

I hate doing two posts in one sitting, but I wanted to split his 9 month post up from the Portland one...

On Saturday, Cole, Lola, and I flew to Portland to meet "Auntie" Sarah and "Uncle" Jesse's new baby, Owen. This was Lola's first flight and I was pretty nervous, but she did great. It was hilarious looking out the window while we were waiting for the flight and seeing her sitting next to the plane and then getting loaded onto the plane with the luggage!
Our time always goes so quickly in Portland, but it was nice to see Aunt Katie and my good friends Trish and Anna (neither had met Cole yet) and, of course, meet beautiful Owen. We all had a wonderful time and now tomorrow, the three of us are driving to Spokane. Wish me luck!

Day 284
(Cole playing with Sarah's nice, Ava)

(Owen Jonathan - 2 weeks old)

(Sarah and Lindsay with our sweet baby boys)

Day 283
(Cole's favorite part...doggies!)

Day 282

Day 281
(Getting ready for our flight)

9 months!

Cole's now 9 months old! Here's what he's been up to this last month:

Weight: 19lbs
Sizes: 9-12 months in clothes, size 3 diapers
Teeth: 6!
Sleep: Still not so good. Cole takes 2 naps a day and sleeps with no pattern at night. These teeth are really messing up his sleep.
Milestones: Cole started crawling this last month, and now he's pulling himself up and cruising on everything! I'll be surprised if he's not walking by Christmas.
Food: Still a huge fan of fruit, not many veggies, but he also likes yogurt, cheese, breads, and pasta.
Favorite toys: anything that he's not supposed to have esp. Lola's water bowl, the computer cords, and mama's scrapbooking supplies. He also really loves books and kitchen utensils.

Day 280
(Don't forget the Cole-Man!)

Day 279
(They're both begging for the apple)

Day 278

Day 277
(Cole figured out how to open the cupboards today)

Little Explorer

Cole has now reached the point where he's exploring and getting into EVERYTHING! His favorites being the power cords to the computers, the blu-ray player, and, as of this morning, the kitchen cupboards. So far the only thing he hasn't even attempted is the stairs, which is good because I don't have any gates up yet...I know, bad mommy!
Last Monday was Ben's 29th Birthday, though he'll tell you that he's 25. He's been wanting to make homemade pasta for a long time, so Cole bought him a pasta maker and Lola got him the Cook's Illustrated complete guide to pasta and noodles.
This last weekend G-Paw came to visit us in Dugway. The guys did a little golfing and hiking and we of course enjoyed G-paw's cooking! Now we're just getting ready for the next two month adventure. Cole, Lola and I are going to fly to Portland to see Aunt Katie and Aunt Sarah and Uncle Jesse and meet baby Owen. Then, we're going to Spokane until December. Poor daddy's got to go to San Antonio and we're going to miss him!!!

Day 276

Day 275
(Cole's 1st Saints game)

Day 274
("Eating" G-Paw's yummy eggs)

Day 273
(G-Paw and his grandchildren)

Day 272
(Oktoberfest at Dugway)

(Cole was bouncing his feet to the Polkatonics)

Day 271

Day 270
(Peek...)

(A-Boo!)

Day 269

He's going to be even more upset when there's a "30"
on his cake next year!

(Now that I've mentioned the big 3-0, 29 doesn't seem so bad)

(Helping Dada blow out his candles)