I LOVE FALL! Food, fun, and a growing boy.

We have had an amazingly beautiful fall this year.  Blue skies, crisp air, and brightly colored leaves.  Normally its grey and gloomy, but so far its been mostly sunny.  The water works started up a few weeks ago, but it hasn't been bad.  I love switching out my summer clothes for sweaters and scarves, sitting by the fire, smelling the fresh cool air, oooh yeah - and most of all, eating all my favorite soul warming comfort foods!  YES PLEASE!  We have had pumpkin spice cake (for Mike's birthday last month), Grandma Katsuko's curry, white chili, coconut curry chicken, Bauman Farms apple cider, and several loaves of zucchini bread.  Yum :)

A couple of weeks ago my nephews came down with my parents and we all went to a really fun pumpkin patch/farm.  It was super windy and cold, but we had a blast!  The boys had All Access Passes and got to do all the fun activities.  Mom and dad had fun playing, too.  We drank hot cider and ate homemade apple cider donuts . . . mmmm ;)  I also bought LOTS of fresh produce at the farm store.

Danny has been growing and learning so much and it has been really great to be at home with him. I love watching him accomplish new things every day.   Here are a few fun facts from the past four weeks:

He is obsessed with shoving his fingers and sometimes whole hand in his mouth, usually accompanied with very loud "talking" and followed by gagging.  After recovering from the gagging, he starts all over again.  What a turkey!

When he is sleepy, we will lay facing each other on the bed, and he'll smile at me, touch my face, and whisper softly until he falls asleep - he's so sweet it kills me!  AH!  Love :)  

He has become more interested in feeling and grabbing things.  My face, shirt, hair, the mesh sides of his Pack 'N Play, kitchen utensils, his feet, and Mortimer the moose.   

We taught him how to make bubbles and toot sounds with his mouth.  I have a feeling that some day it'll be annoying and we'll regret it, but for now it's adorable and Danny loves it . . . so the cuteness continues.

He rolled over from his back to his stomach  for the first time.  He's always throwing his legs up, rolling around, and trying to sit up on his own (but still tips over).  I've gotta be more careful of where I put him now that he's more mobile.

And the biggest achievement of all!!!  Danny put himself to sleep for the first time last week and slept all night long!  It was our first night of uninterrupted sleep in many months.  Of course my internal mommy clock woke me up several times during the night, but at least I didn't have to get out of bed!  YAY!  We had been sleep training him for a week or so and finally, success - but not for long.  After just two nights, we were back to night feedings.  Supposedly this method of sleep training (suggested by our pediatrician) was not only supposed to teach D how to go to sleep on his own, but that once he did, he would start sleeping for 2-4 hours longer.  Hmmm, perhaps we just weren't consistent enough?  Well, we started the training back up and he fell asleep on his own tonight, so we'll see what happens.

WE LOVE OUR DANNY BOY!