Pumpkin Patch and Halloween

I am pretty big into celebrating.  I LOVE any reason to dress up in a ridiculous outfit and celebrate something with people and food and fun.  Although the rain is seriously depressing me, October in Oregon means pumpkin patch time which starts the domino of holiday celebrating.

We have gone to Lee Farms in Tualatin the past few years.  It is a great farm with lots of fun activities for the little ones.  Ariy was there pretty much for one thing: the barrel train ride.  I was there for pretty much one other thing: the donuts.  They make pumpkin and apple cider donuts and if you snag fresh warm ones they are pretty much heavenly although I am not sure they beat out Gooddale (or whatever its called now).

For Halloween this year I was able to snag/borrow two free cow costumes.  They kind of fell into my lap so that is how I chose what they would be.  I liked the idea and I realize this may be my last year choosing for Ariy.  He might have a stronger opinion next year.  Rick and I dressed up as farmers to go with them.  Newberg does a great trick or treating along the downtown strip where all the small businesses are.  It is really the thing to do.  The streets are packed and different business, churches and other organizations hand out candy, glow bracelets, and put on fun games for kids.  I loved walking around and seeing all the costumes.  Ariy was more into it than last year but still didn't quite catch on.  We let him get candy at the first few businesses and then we just walked and passed right by the candy.  We let him pick out one piece of candy from his pail and then the rest went to Rick's work.  He never even asked about it again.  I am guessing this will not work the same next year.

Ava 9 months

Ava is almost 10 months old.  We had her 9 month appointment a little late (just past 9.5 months) but she still seems to measure very average.  Our little miss these days:

• 2 bottom middle teeth but is work on the rest.  We have had some late nights with this little teething monster lately.  
• 19 lbs.  Her weight and head are right around 50th percentile but her height is slowly creeping down.  I don't remember her height off the top of my head.
• She is still a full on red head and the blue eyes look like they are staying.
• She is has a lot of personality.  I call her sassy pants.  She can laugh on minute and scream the next.  She can be really loud.  She is a screamer.  Sometimes I think she must be in serious pain but then I realize she is doing it just to get our attention, hence the sassy pants.  
• She is very social but also more unsure of strangers and men than Ariy was as a baby.
• She loves her pacifier and sleeps with 4 or 5 of them every night.  She also sleeps with her bunny from Auntie Lala.
• She loves her dada.  She has even started to say dada and mama.  It's pretty cute...she just lights up when she sees him and I think she has started to wrap him around her little finger too.
• She eats everything. I was a lot more structured and slow with Ariy's food but Ava has had most food at this point.  She basically just eats whatever we are eating.  We don't do much dairy so she hasn't had much past yogurt but she loves pretty much anything else.  
• She is moving so fast these days.  She can make it to the top of the stairs in no time.  She can open up cabinets, get out all of the toilet paper and climb from the couch up onto her high chair.  This is a new experience for us as Ariy was a "late bloomer" and still is a bit when it comes to motor skills and coordination.  This little miss is going to be doing flips of the bookshelves in no time. 
• She sleeps pretty good although teething has interrupted that some.  She takes 2 naps at 9 and 2ish. 
• She gets a lot of attention because of the red hair but just because people may gush over her at first doesn't mean she will immediately give someone a smile
• Like I said, she loves to move so things like the carseat are not her favorite.  She would prefer to jump on the bed and do flips and rolls or simply climb up and down the stairs.