(Partial) Surprise Visit

Since the beginning of the summer, Robyn and I have been planning for her to come visit the weekend of Veterans Day.  When my sister is in town, it always means that a pedicure is a sure bet!  I love going with either of them and being able to just chat.  Robyn arrived at my house and off we went to get pedicures.  We walked in and I told the girl that we were here for 2 pedicures and she said, "Two pedicures and a manicure?"  Sitting there waiting for us to arrive was Ashley!  I was so excited to see her and know that it was going to be the three of us for the day!  After pedicures, we grabbed lunch and did some shopping.  Of course, then it was time to hang out and be silly with Avery!

There was time for a tea party....

And time for a dinosaur vs flower fight.

The next day we went out to take our annual family picture.  Every year, Dave and I have gone back to Funks Grove, where we got married, and take a picture.  It has been fun to look back and see how we have changed since getting married.  Thankfully, Robyn and Ashley were there to help keep Avery happy and to snap some pictures for us too!

Belly comparison- me at 5- 1/2 months, Avery at 2 year!

Halloween Happenings

Another Halloween has come and gone and ours seemed like it lasted forever!  Avery was really fortunate that she got to go to three separate trick or treating events...I don't know if we considered ourselves lucky, but she sure loved it!

Downtown Bloomington hosts a trick or treat and all the businesses pass out candy.  Last year we took my parents and this year we were lucky to take Dave's parents with us.  She was a bit hesitant at first since many of the business owners were dressed up in some scary costumes.

But once she realized she was getting free candy, she was much happier!

Then before round 2 of candy collecting, we of course needed to carve some pumpkins.  Last year, Avery cried once we started carving.  This year she wasn't too excited about digging out the "guts", but at least she didn't run away and cry.

Saturday was our annual pumpkin carving contest.  It was very cold, but the kids didn't mind and the adults were troopers for staying outside and carving their pumpkins.  I am not sure what happened that night, but I have no pictures of our party.  Can I blame baby brain on this one?  I have two pictures and they are adorable!

The night ended with all of the kids in our basement watching "ELF" (we don't segregate our holiday movies).  One parent went down there and found this...

...all of the kids snuggled on one little tiny pull out couch.  (Please pay no attention to the mess of toys all over the place- there were 7 unsupervised kids in our basement.  We are lucky there were no injuries!)

On Sunday, Dave's hometown did their trick or treating, so off to Grandma and Grandpa's house we went. Dave, Avery and I did about a block of candy collecting and then she was done.

Thankfully she was even more excited to hand out candy.  Avery stood at the bottom of the stairs and would yell up to us "People are coming!"  It was pretty cute!

Finally the time came to trick or treat in our neighborhood.  We made it to about 20 houses and she was done.  She couldn't even wait to get home to get into her candy.

Avery's friend Naomi came over to visit also...

Avery and I also made Halloween cards for some family members using her feet-

Overall, our Halloween was a lot of fun and now that we have hidden away most of the candy from Avery (and it is out of sight for this mama) we are trying to get her back on a more veggie-less candy diet!  :)

Avery also got a new little gift from Ga and Papa Glacinski-

Then she got a new toy from Daddy (well we all did, but she thinks it is hers)

And then she thought she should get something from mommy- I turned around in Old Navy to find that she had taken off her shoes and had put these on.

Quick pregnancy update:
I am currently 21 weeks and feeling fantastic!  Our baby girl is starting to move more frequently and the movements are getting stronger.  I am hoping that in the near future Dave will begin to feel her move too.  Like with Avery, I have had no strange food cravings or food aversions.  Although, everything spicy seems to sound delicious and I think I could eat Mexican food all day everyday.  Avery is getting more and more excited about her baby sister and will occasionally talk to her.  She does, however, tell everyone that her baby sitter is coming out tomorrow.  Thankfully, we are still 19 weeks away!  We still have lots to do!

It's Always Something....

This past Friday was Homecoming for our school district and of course Avery and I went to the parade!  While there, she got to see one of her favorite babysitters who was home from college....

and she got to hang out with her friend Addison...

Then, we were so excited to have my mom and dad come down and visit us for the long weekend!  Even with the chilly weather, we still managed to get outside for most of it.

On Saturday we headed to Tanner's Orchard to get some apples, donuts and other goodies.  It also provided lots of opportunities to play!  Avery was so excited to be going to the pumpkin farm with papa!

Finally, we were there!  I don't know what I am going to do if she continues to smile like this!  :)

There was so much to do while at Tanner's!

Avery got to have her first pony ride!  She loved every minute of it and kept petting the horse!
















The next day didn't go as well as Saturday did.  After a week of throat infections, new molars, and a mouth injury, we were ready to be on the mend for a long time.  Then, we went to Target.  Avery took off running down the isle and trip and fell landing her face right onto the bottom of a clothing rack.  First came the tears, then the cut, then the bruising.  This was right after on our way home...

This was later that night....

Our poor little girl!  She was such a trooper and didn't complain about it at all.  Actually, she kept wanting to look at it in the mirror and kept telling all of us how "cool" she looked.  I am thinking we need a football helmet for Christmas.

Monday morning, we headed to the local pumpkin farm with mom and dad once more before heading home.    Of course, we had to show Gaga how to drive the tractor!

So, this isn't the best picture, but it is just one more shot of our little bruiser!  

Love from Bloomington!

Fall is Here!

The fall season is upon us!  It is mine and Dave's favorite season and we are hoping that Avery enjoys it as much as we do.  We have been spending a lot of time outside and enjoying the leaves as they begin to accumulate on the ground.  

Last Thursday we had planned to go to dinner and celebrate my birthday.  I had stopped on the way home to get Avery a flu shot.  Bad idea #1.  She was slightly irritated and was not in the out-for-mom's-birthday-dinner mood.  So we chose to stay in and order pizza.  This pregnant mama didn't mind.  While we waited for Dave's parents to join us, we decided to play outside.  Bad idea #2.  Avery was playing with this little plastic flute/whistle toy.  She likes to play with it and annoy the neighborhood dogs.  Unfortunately, this night she slid down the slide right into my back shoving the flute/whistle right up and along the roof of her mouth.  Needless to say, we had about a one inch gash with blood and all sorts of gross.  The on call doctor said not to worry and to bring her in the next morning.  Fast forward to today- the roof of the mouth is healing, but has possibly caused a secondary infection in the throat.  So, pair that with 2 year molars  coming in, she is miserable.  Thank goodness for Motrin and the antibiotic.  Please send positive thoughts our way.  

How about happier news?  Last weekend to continue celebrating my birthday, a bunch of my friends and  I headed to Chicago to see a concert of our favorite band, The Avett Brothers.  It was so much fun and this pregnant mama enjoyed the concert from the second row and made it until 1am!!  

To top off the weekend, we convinced Ashley to come back with me and spend the weekend here in Bloomington.  Saturday was the Worldwide Day of Play and our downtown area does this great block party full of games and hands on activities for kids.  

And of course there was always time for ice cream!  

Sunday afternoon we took Ashley to the pumpkin farm in town.  Avery loves everything about this place and since we bought season passes, we sure are happy about that!  

She likes to visit the rooster and yell "Cock-a-doo" really loud!

Showing Ashley the bunnies

Driving the tractor

Later that night, we took advantage of the gorgeous weather and made a fire in the fire pit.  Of course, fires come with s'mores!

Today it seemed as though our large fall tree decided to drop many of it's leaves today.  Avery couldn't wait to help daddy rake.  Poor Dave though, because Avery doesn't really understand that she should be raking the random leaves and not the piles daddy already made!  :)

Then, after all that hard work, she apparently thought daddy needed a nap.  And of course, with a nap comes a blanket.  Not always a blanket of leaves, but in this case, why not?

This is our gorgeous tree in our backyard (and I love the sight of Dave still lying on the ground "sleeping")

In addition to outside fun, we have also been trying out some new indoor activities like painting...

and midday baths for our friend...

Pregnancy Update:

Currently, I am 17 weeks along and feeling fantastic!  I love the 2nd trimester.  Not only do I not feel so exhausted all day long, but the constant queasiness is gone.  Two weeks from tomorrow we get to find out if we are adding a baby boy or a baby girl to our little family.  With Avery, I had the "girl feeling" the entire time.  This time around, no idea.  We kind of thought boy, but now, no idea.  

Here you go...the first "belly shot" of this pregnancy.  It is amazing how huge I feel already this time around!