Happy Halloween

We carved our pumpkin today right before we left for the trunk-or-treat. Here's Carolyn checking out his candle.


I think this has been Carolyn's favorite holiday so far. She really got in the spirit of saying "trick or treat" and "happy Halloween." Jeremy took her house to house and he said she was having so much fun she was running between houses. I just think she's the cutest ladybug I've ever seen.

He's growing up

Lucky me, my doctor was worried that the baby wasn't growing enough, so she requested an ultrasound for that day! The baby was just in a totally weird position, and is actually a little larger than my due date would suggest. Here are pictures of the growing boy.
This is his little face kind of turned toward the camera. You can see his forehead, eye, and cheek at the top of the frame.

Profile shot.

Carolyn dresses herself these days

Pumpkin Patch

Jeremy so often misses these activities because of work, but I missed two chances this week to go out to this farm and really wanted to make it. They have cute cows there, or so I've heard.

And cute sheep, but the rooster is suspect.

Is this our pumpkin? Nope.

Not this one either. Still looking.

I found it, Mom! I found it!

We must have walked that whole field twice until Carolyn was willing to call a pumpkin her own. Who knew she could be so picky. We thought she wasn't going to pick a single one, but when she saw her pumpkin, she just knew.

It's over

Carolyn started swim class four weeks ago. I have wanted to do this with her for over a year, but it never worked well. Being due in two months, this was kind of a now or never sort of situation, so we signed up for the Mommy & Me swim class. I am so glad that we did this together. She loved her time in the pool, and the whole way there each day, she would tell me all the things we would do: songs, wash arms, bubbles, etc.

It was a tough four weeks because whoever made the schedule for the classes never had toddlers, or at least had them long enough ago that they forgot how hard it is to mess with nap or meal times. My two options were 12:20-12:50 or 5:20-5:50. Seriously? Those are my options?! Every Monday and Wednesday, Carolyn turned into a ticking time bomb. We would try to time lunch so she ate right before class and wasn't asking for food. Then we would rush out of the water at 12:50, get dressed, have a snack in the car, and try to get her in bed before 1:45. At least half the time Carolyn was yelling at me the whole way home about one issue or another. It was exhausting. Add in the extra fetus I've been toting around, and I think I was more tired than Carolyn ever was after going to class.

But her face after riding this giant water slide? Totally worth the whole thing.

It must be real...

In order to have room for a baby in a few months, we transitioned Carolyn into her big girl room yesterday.

Her whole room. Ignore the sheets at the window. I have yet to get a shade to darken her room.

Her bed (I just want to point out to her Uncle Scott that Bob (rechristened Littlefoot after Carolyn saw The Land Before Time) sleeps next to Carolyn's bed now at her request).

Wall thingies I painted and put together for her.

Lamp on the wall

This was actually in her old room. Now it hangs above her closet. I just like it.

We actually had to move quite a few things around to get her room ready. I took over our extra bedroom sometime in July because I couldn't sleep in our bed anymore with my hip pain. We finally took some furniture out of the master bedroom and that left room for my air mattress. It's nice to be back in my old room. Sharing a wall with Carolyn was not easy.

I just can't believe it's time to move her. This means a baby is really coming. It's no longer "things that should be done someday," but "if this doesn't get done, Baby and Carolyn will share a crib come December."

Cousin Fun

I was upstairs minding my own business instead of Carolyn when Gordon caught Carolyn and Chandler indulging in a little fun. Catch the video on Rachel's blog!

Elmo-wears!

Carolyn has shown numerous signs that she is ready to potty train. I really didn't want to start the process because of things like my giant belly, my aching hips, my extra sensitive nose.

The process started months ago when her cousin potty trained. She was fascinated watching him climb up on the toilet and would periodically ask to do it herself. We got a kid ring to go in our seat, but I never tried to get her to go. I finally decided that she was ready though when she messed a diaper, took it off herself, and climbed on the toilet to finish. Sorry if that's too much information for you all, but most of you are parents.

We went to Target to pick out underwear, and, surprise, Carolyn picked out Elmo ones. She actually calls them her elmo-wears. It is her favorite part of the day to pick out which Elmo design to wear.

She is doing fantastic. We've had accidents sure, but I never thought it would be this easy. It's been four days and two of those are accident-free. I know there's a lot more to do with nap time and night time, but she likes the potty so there just isn't the fighting I thought would happen.


She gets an m&m with each success we have, but this evening, she decided she wanted a Tums. Isn't it sweet she sees her mom eat them like candy right now and just thinks they are so delicious? When she asks for them, I give her the nasty green ones. Fewer of them for me to eat.