Pumpkin Patch(s)

Raya LOVES the Pumpkin Patch. Kallen LOVES eating the hay at the Pumpkin Patch :) We've been twice already and we'll probably go one more time this week. This year Raya can ride most of the rides. Our first trip this year she checked out a bunch of different rides. The second time we basically paid $15 for her to jump in the bouncy house the whole time. Which means I'll need to actually invite kids to her birthday this year because a bouncy house seems like the best present for her!

We really go for the rides (and the cute pictures) We still haven't bought any pumpkins. Last year we got ours at Walmart. Lol. Its like $50 for 2 baby pumpkins at the pumpkin patch. Ridiculous! If we get some this year I will def be getting them for $4 at good 'ol Walmart. 

Of Course I got Halloween Jammies

Trip #2

I'm getting excited to get everyone dressed up. We're doing a Family Costume this year!! What?! Yep :) Everyone's costumes are almost done. I still need to find mine though...Kallen's surgery is Friday morning, so I don't think we'll be able to do much. The little "private community" we live in is having a Halloween party Saturday afternoon. I might take Raya out to that and leave the boys home. Then Sunday, the main event: The Haute Dog Howl'oween Parade. Its the largest dog parade in the world. Lol. Kids walk before the dogs. Its so fun. People are SO creative! Seriously, if you're around Long Beach on Sunday come with us! We'll all be walking in it at the beginning and then stay and watch the dog part after. 

Happy Halloween!!!

Hiiii!!!!

OMG. I think I've done 1 post this whole month. Uh. And its not like I've been incredibly busy. Lol. I guess most of my "free time" that I used to blog has been filled with more important things...like the Real Housewives of New Jersey Reunion and X Factor :) oh AND of course the Jersey Show Finale and Reunion.

Everyone is doing well! Kallen has started "walking." He takes 4 or 5 steps now. He gets so excited when he starts walking that he'll actually jump. Lol. And then immediately fall down. His hernia surgery is this Friday. Hope this week goes by fast. I'll be glad to have the surgery done with. And I'm sure he will too.

Raya's been talking up a storm! I can notice in the last 2 weeks she's really made a language break through. She uses a lot more sentences and her words are easier to understand. She's such my little sidekick. I still hate them growing up, but the more she does grow the more she becomes my friend. Its fun being buddies with her. She's so funny and we spend a lot of our time cracking each other up- which pretty much sums up my friendships with a lot of my girlfriends and my mom. Ahhhh.

 Its been so warm here! I was so excited for the Fall weather...but I just got a small little taste. It was like 85 or 90 last week! Thats HOT for where I live. And it was hot at night too, which is weird. Anyways, we busted out the "pool" LOL. Its actually a water table that Raya always insisted on sitting in, so I took the legs off and the 2 of them try to sit in it. Haha. I really wanted to take them to the pool...but I'm still not sure thats the best idea. Has anyone done it? Like just you and 2 babies? I was thinking if I did Raya would have to keep her floaties on the whole time, which isn't an issue for her...but it still kinda gives me anxiety. I'd have to be 200% focused on both of their every moves. Seems a little exhausting....

And Raya's still climbing as always. Seriously...all I can say is with all the climbing she's done she actually has GREAT balance, so maybe thats the reason we've yet to make a trip to the emergency room for stitches...

Hope everyone is doing well! Gonna do a Halloween post right now :)

Keeping Up With Kallen--9 Months!!

Mr. Kallen!
You turned 9 months Oct. 3rd, 2011. I LOVE 9 months! Well I loved 8 months too :) A lot. But I was holding you last night thinking about how you'll be 1 in just 3 months and really can't believe that your baby months are flying by. You even look a little more "kidish." When you're standing up I can tell you're a little leaner and you're growing into your body. And I hold you now like a big boy. I can't cuddle you up like a little bundle of baby. Now your legs hang down and you hold me just as much as I hold you.

You have become VERY mobile the last few weeks. You've mastered standing. You can stand, squat down to pick up a toy and stand back up. The day you turned 9 months you mastered walking behind your walker. Raya did the exact same thing the day she turned 9 months. So you're pretty much right on track with her physical milestones. Actually, you're a little ahead of her because she didn't stand unassisted until about 9.5 months and you've been doing it since 8.5 months. You've also taken STEPS!!! You took one step 2 nights ago and I thought you were going down but you caught yourself and stood back up. Yesterday you took another one. Oh baby boy, you're killin me! I'm not ready for this! You are a VERY fast crawler, especially when I open the door to the patio. If its possible to sprint while crawling, you do it! You love to be outside, so as soon as I open the door you make a beeline. You're also cruising all over the house. You'll go through the whole living room from chair to couch to chair to baby gate, whatever you can hold onto and walk next to.

The very sweet thing about you is that no matter how much you grow you continue to be the cuddliest baby! You love to snuggle and hug on me. You'd be totally fine if I decided to carry you around all day. If you get the littlest bit tired or hungry you crawl around behind me whimper for me to pick you up. Sometimes you'll say "Mama" too :) And then when I do pick you up you hug me just like I imagine a koala hugs. Uh, you're so stinkin sweet!!! Its just about impossible to stay in a bad mood after picking you up. Sometimes I get a little annoyed because I'll be in the kitchen trying to wash dishes and you'll pull yourself up on my legs and just hold on and whimper, so when I finally give up on the dishes and pick you up you instantly hug me and I'm wrapped around your little fat finger. Is this cuddly sweetness a boy thing? Raya was never like this. I knew she loved me and she was a mama's girl, but she was never lovey-dovey like this. Who knew boys were SO. MUCH. FUN!!

You have 5 teeth now- 2 front teeth, and 3 on the bottom. You sleep through the night...usually go to bed about 8 or 9 and wakeup about 5:30, but just to eat :) I'll give you a bottle and you'll go back to sleep until about 7:30. You're a great sleeper! You take about 3 naps a day, sometimes 4. You're morning nap is usually in my arms while I Facebook, or vote for myself for the RAW Makeup Awards. lol.

You're in size 12 month clothes. Those fit you great. You're also wearing some 18months. I'm not sure what your Stats are for the month, but we go to your 9month doctor appointment tomorrow. You weigh 22.5 pounds and are about 29in long- that's the 75percentile for both height and weight. You're wearing your size 4 shoes. But I can rarely get your feet in them. You have the chunkiest feet! They're like blocks. Its so hard to get shoes on them. You're in a size 4 diaper.

You're a very happy kid. You laugh a lot. And a lot of those times its at yourself. You crack yourself up. Haha! I wonder where you get that ;) And this very second you just stood up, looked at me, busted up laughing and took another step! HAHAHA. You're also still a very loud baby. You make all kinds of nosies and when you're playing you bang everything! Its so funny how different you and Raya play. I don't remember Raya really banging her toys, but you will sit with a smaller toy in you're hand and bang the hell outta whatever bigger toy is in front of you.

And I forgot to post this last month, but you said your first word!!! And it was "Mama!!!" I have a video of it. You said it a few days after you turned 8 months :) Here's the video:

Kallen bug, thank you for being the sweetest mama's boy! I am so lucky to have a baby love me like you do. You are the sweetest part of my life. When I was pregnant I joked about not being able to love you like I loved Raya because she was my second half. And I don't love you like I love Raya. Its such a different kind of love. You're my favorite son :) You make life better.
I love you!!!
Xoxo. Mom