30 days and counting

...until my baby turns ONE! Today she is 11 months. I have to say that I'm liking her personality and her new tricks as she gets older. Just yesterday Carlee started to pop lock! She's liked music for awhile now and will dance/ rock to it. Yesterday she heard the music and moves her arm like she's poplocking...it's hilarious. So now I've got a poplocker, hair-brushing, kiss-giving, "dad"-calling, cell phone-using, hand clapping, and gibberish talking machine.

The pumpkin patch!

We decided to meet up with some other moms and kiddos at the Tanaka Farms pumpkin patch since Halloween is fast approaching. There wasn't much for the non-walkers to do, but it was still nice getting together with everyone. Carlee especially liked picking at the hay.

Trying to get 10 kids to take a group picture is impossible...but so darn cute!

I love the look on Carlee's face in the above picture. She was looking at Brandon/ Brody (one of the twins) who was crying!

Those were the best pictures I took...no smiles. Carlee was too interested in the hay and people watching. We plan to go again but with Daddy and when it gets cooler!

I love this girl

to be a kid

The life of a child is a great one...but the life of a mother is just as great. Mothers get to experience all the moments in their child's life and appreciate every single second. For me, this is one of those moments:

Our Friday nights now...

We love us some football!

Friday nights from here on out will be consumed with football games. This past Friday was Carlee's first football game experience. I was nervous at how well she'd do being confined to our laps in the crowded stadium. I was expecting to have to leave shortly into the first quarter. But she did surprisingly well. She was mesmerized by the cheerleaders and their pom poms. She danced to the music from the band (although her dancing is more like a little head bobbing and body slightly rocking). She went from lap to lap but overall did very well. We ended up leaving at the beginning of the 4th quarter b/c Carlee (and Daddy) were tired. Plus our team was killing the other team, so it wasn't even fun anymore.

Carlee now knows how to do "Touchdown!" We say "touchdown" and she puts her hands in the air, just how the ref signals a touchdown. She learned that on Saturday while watching USC play. Now she's ready for next Friday night!

Adventures in babysitting

..ok so its not babysitting when its your own child, but it can still be an adventure!

I've known for awhile now that going anywhere with a baby is not an easy task. No running out the door with just my purse and keys. Usually there's no running period, but when I make it out the door, its with the kid, purse, diaper bag in tow.

Today Carlee and I went grocery shopping. Not too much of an adventure since she usually sits quietly and people watches as I cruise the aisles (sometimes with puffs as bribery). Or I just leave her at home. I think its been awhile since I've been to the store with her b/c today she did not want to sit down, she prefers to stand. She's been that way at home lately....all over the place. So rather than fight her on it, I let her do her thing and this is how she stayed throughout the whole shopping trip, proud as can be, smiling at strangers with a sense of accomplishment. I couldn't stop laughing!