Madeleine's sixteenth month: October

During October, Madeleine turned up a whole level of absolute cuteness. She was more interested in pretend play, being watched as she acted cute, and generally testing out how endearing she could make herself. She learned about herself as she was exploring the fluid concept of "self". She would look in the mirror at new outfits, bows, pigtails and gained a new sense of personal appearance.

She had Nani tie a towel around her quite a few times and ran around the house enjoying the toga:

On a whim, I put a pair of shorts on her head, and she was delighted!

Another day, I was looking for a piece of jewelry and she went to town be-dazzling herself with rings on her toes and watches on her legs. She even asked me to put a few pigtails in her hair. She still continues to put her bracelets and necklaces on herself, I don't make her do it, she just likes wearing trendy bendy bracelets and bows and the like. I love that she looks like some anime puck princess in this photo:

Of course, as a mother, who loves cute clothes on little girls, I can't say I don't encourage her at all, and when she's all dolled up, I can't help but enjoy it too.

The weather in October went from sunny days to rainy days to sunny days again, and I think on one particular cold night we had a fire. Again, Madeleine is gaining that sense of pretend by making her animals kiss each other and hop up and down and more animal appropriate actions. This will translate into mothering her babies into December (but that is another post!).

During this month, Madeleine and Tim took their first trip to the WAP (Wild Animal Park- and you better enjoy it before it becomes the San Diego Zoo Safari Park).

Here is the obligatory sign picture that Tim created as a tradition for our family.

I wasn't there, but I am sure he is asking her where the animal is that made the egg in which she is sitting. This is her gesture whenever we ask her when something is, or she has put an object down and we ask her to retrieve it.

She loves ducks, and I know she had a wonderful time with her Dada on their rainy day trip to the WAP.

The next day, we needed to all get out of the house for a little bit. We went to the park around the corner from our house. Of course, she is growing so quickly that I am trying to get her into her cuper cute clothes that I bought on clearance last year when she was just 6 months old. Here she is being playfully cute in a faux-fur lined half sweater from Gymboree. She is adorable!

Once the sun came out, Tim took Mads to the park. He was so helpful in allowing me some downtime during the last month of the pregnancy. I was very tired and he would take Mads out on a daddy-daughter date to help me out. Here he snapped an awesome shot of her reading Poky Little Puppy's First Christmas and gesturing to the park in anticipation.

Once at the park, she was a good little monkey, and always very curious ♥

Near the end of October, we celebrated Grammi Cindy's birthday at the Trask home.

Grammi loves having all her grandkids, plus a niece and nephew hanging out on her lap.

Another trip to the WAP with Dada where Madeleine loved feeding the deer. In this picture you can make out that she is mimicking the deer licking. Her tongue is out- so cute!

Thank the Lord for gentle deer. Here Madeleine is trying to snuggle one.

IN late October, we went to Bates Nut Farm with the Fish family. I had never been, that I could remember, and was shocked to see a packed parking lot and hundreds of people there to pick their pumpkin. We enjoyed all the amenities of the large farm including a hay ride, bounce house and a huge pumpkin patch of gourd-geous pumpkins (i couldn't resist!)

Here MJ lets us know that it's cold outside at the patch:

sweet little pumpkin-head princess:

She was gleeful in feeding the goats. She fearlessly allowed them to eat toasted Os out of her hand.

Paisley & Madeleine share a flower and a sweet moment:

I look like I swallowed a pumpkin; thankfully these large gourds made for a good seat for a tired Mama (38 weeks):

beautiful girl:

Lainey loved Madeleine's pigtails and just kept touching her head. She wanted to hug and fawn all over Mads. Since Madeleine was an only child, she didn't really know how to respond immediately. It was only a few hugs later that she was smiling and conceptualized the idea that just because adults honor her personal bubble, doesn't mean other kids will do the same. Lainey's love was very tender and fun to watch; Madeleine learned quickly to appreciate the affection.

the lovely Fish family:

"kiss-a-pumpkin"

We bought our own pumpkins at Winco and carved two. Tim, who had never carved a pumpkin before, did one and I did the other. Madeleine helped now and then.

Tim worked Halloween, so my parents came over to help me out. My dad passed out candy and my mom went with me and Madeleine trick-or-treating. Madeleine was a pink cat this year. This was the first time in many years that I did not dress up, but I couldn't really pull a costume together that would acomodate a 39 week belly.

The hot weather returned and a week after we carved our pumpkins, they were shriveled heaps from the sun.

That was our fun and busy October!

Love, Lauren