Heather Drive: fall season

Showing posts with label fall season. Show all posts

Halloween Eve

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Another trip to a pumpkin patch (we really got pumpkins this time), plus a family dinner/pumpkin carving party at my mom's = Halloween Eve. We also put the kids in their costumes so my mom could see them (she's out of town tomorrow), but those pics will have to wait! :)

It was a beautiful fall day, and we certainly made the most of it. <3

We're excited for tomorrow night, because we'll actually have trick-or-treaters! In our condo, we never had them. My brothers and sisters-in-law and nephew are coming over for frozen pizzas, to hang out, and to take the kids to a few neighbors' houses.

What is your favorite part about Halloween?

Pumpkin in the Patch

Monday, October 17, 2011

I don't know how it happened, but Nora is suddenly looking less and less like a baby, and very much like a little girl. She has changed so much in the last few months. As we went into the summer, she was still this petite, semi-squishy baby, and now she is JUST SO GROWN UP. I look at photos from June and July and it almost doesn't even look like the same kid.

:::sobs:::

Maybe it's those two front teeth?

We took a little bit of time on Sunday to visit a pumpkin patch. The weekend was mostly rainy, but the sun was shining bright for a change, so we took advantage in order to get some photos. Check out my big girl at the pumpkin patch:

The Smell of Autumn

Sunday, October 2, 2011

If you live in a place where you get to truly experience all four seasons, you know exactly the smell that I refer to. I wouldn't know how to describe it to you, but there is just a SMELL that comes with the change of each season. And right now, here in New York, it smells like fall.

It's a good thing we got out to enjoy the smell (and the sunshine) last weekend, because this weekend was so very awful. If last weekend was the picturesque perfection that is a New England autumn, this weekend was the exact opposite of that. I can take--I even welcome!--the crisp, chilly temperatures, but the dark, rainy, dampness is just gross.

So let's reminisce for a few minutes about how awesome last weekend was, shall we? We took Nora to an apple farm on Sunday morning. (You know we've been busy when our first apple picking venture of the year doesn't happen until late September! Usually we're out there sweating our asses off the first chance we get, at the end of August.)

This farm was new to us, but is closer than the one we've typically frequented, especially since we moved. This one still offers wagon rides, cider, and cider donuts, so it's a winner in our book. And as it turns out, the scenery here is actually way more beautiful than the "old" farm. Nice! My only complaint is that they don't have as large a variety of apples as the other farm, which stinks when you love all of those other varieties!

Nora was very serious. I think she was sleepy. She's sporting her pink Bills jersey in support of her fave team, even though we were pretty certain they were going to lose to the New England Patriots. But LO AND BEHOLD, THEY WON. It was so exciting and fun, and it reminded me what it feels like to actually put your heart and soul into a team. My blood pressure skyrocketed, my heart was pounding, I was jumping up and down. Michael and I high-fived, I was waving fists in the air. It was glorious.

Of course, they lost today, but you know what? You can't win 'em all. We'll see what happens next week. The fact that I can even say "we'll see" right now is a testament to the fact that things MIGHT be changing for the Buffalo Bills. Hooray?

See? Sleepy. She has become quite the snuggler lately. Daddy and I kinda LOVE it. I hope we have some more fall weekends like last weekend. I can't stand the rain; it's so depressing. Coming up on the list of fall family fun? PUMPKINS. Wheee!

Pumpkin Patch on 10.10.10

Sunday, October 10, 2010

This weekend was the epitome of the perfection that is fall. It was absolutely gorgeous--the colors, the sunshine, the temperatures that were warm but still cool enough to feel like fall.

When we're in the middle of winter, spring, or summer, and someone mentions fall, it is days like today that I think about and look forward to. I can feel the air, I can smell the smells, I can imagine the orange glow of the leaves and the sun. It's just perfection.

Naturally, today was THE day to get out to the pumpkin patch.

And of course, everyone had the same idea. It was crowded! But it was nice, as everyone all around us seemed to be in good spirits. Early this week, we had maybe a 4-5 day stretch of rain and gloomy weather, so everyone was ready to be out to enjoy the day.

I started off in my jacket and with Nora wrapped in a blanket, but it turned out to be warmer than we originally thought and we were actually able to shed our outer layers.

We picked out four pumpkins--one for each member of our little family (Tessa, too!). We also explored the grounds, where there is a petting zoo, teepees, hayrides, and a country store. We picked up a pumpkin fried cake (yum!) and took lots of pictures.

A baby only has one first trip to the pumpkin patch, you know.

With the exception of a minute when she had spit-up shoot out of her nose, Nora slept the whole time. I guess she didn't find it to be all that exhilarating. But we wandered, and with all of the little kids around, it wasn't hard to picture how Nora will tear it up come next year. (But I can't even really think about that for too long, because it freaks me out that she's going to grow up that fast.)

Even though she's not yet aware of her surroundings, and she'll never remember this stuff, we think it's important to begin to make these family memories. So we did.

And Nora was the cutest pumpkin in the patch. (Duh.) :)

Welcome, October!

Friday, October 1, 2010

Nora is all decked out in her pumpkin attire. She has several pumpkin/Halloween inspired outfits that will have to make several appearances throughout the month.

She's pretty darn cute, if I do say so myself.

Welcome, October!

Two Weeks

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Nora is already two weeks old!

It's funny for us to think about how, a little more than two weeks ago, we didn't have her yet. It's true that once they're here, you have a hard time remembering what life was like before.

Our first week with Michael back at work went well. It was hard having him leave the first day or two, but now we're developing a bit of a routine. I'll admit to feeling a little bit lonely sometimes, but generally, the days go by so fast. I don't really know how, since at the end of the day, I never feel like I've accomplished much, but somehow, living from feeding to feeding and trying to squeeze in a shower, a load of laundry, or a little computer time in between makes the day fly by.

After we spent Monday and Tuesday at home all day long, I couldn't take it anymore so we've been trying to get out of the house on a fairly regular basis, too. I've been taking the baby on a few errands every couple of days so I don't go stir crazy. And while the errands make me feel more productive, they make the days go by even FASTER.

It's really hard to find the time to blog. I also have newborn photos I want and need to edit, but I haven't even transferred them off of my camera yet. :( I'm going to try to set aside an hour or so every day this week to make a bit of progress on that front. I want to get birth announcements out!

A little update on Nora...

Nora has been a champion eater AND sleeper. I'm afraid to say these things out loud, but (knock on wood) she's been a really good baby.

We took her to the pediatrician for her two-week check-up on Friday, and she is up to 6 lbs., 13 oz. She gained exactly nine ounces in nine days, which the doctor says couldn't be more perfect. She's between the 10th and 20th percentiles for everything, so she's a peanut all around. :)

She still sleeps a lot, but has been having longer periods of awake time the last several days. I love when she is awake and content (fed, clean, dry, warm). She just stares, and will listen to songs, stories, or study our faces. It's so cute. Other than that, she doesn't really *do* much, so our lives aren't very "exciting." But even so, life couldn't be better. I love every minute with my girl.

Some photos from the last week or so...

First walk! (We've been on several others since then, too. I think she loves the fresh air.)

"Mommy, PLEASE! No more pictures!"

Funny sleep position

Soothing herself with her index finger. Sweet angel.

I've cut her nails like four times in the last two weeks. They grow SO FAST. She manages to scratch herself sometimes, but I feel bad having those little mittens on her all the time, too.