Halloween is almost here!

It's almost Halloween! Do you know how I can tell?

Because some jerk keeps scaring me with the rubber spiders we bought for our jack-o-lanterns.

I wonder where he got that idea?

Here's the cutie. Sometimes she goes after her camera when I grab mine.


I can't wait until we can compare pics.

Here's what she likes to do...cruise around the furniture!


She has gotten pretty balanced - this is amateur stuff right here.


Talk about scary. Pretty soon she'll be putting it all together.

This is her face when I sneak up on her and say, "What are you doing?"


This is the face when you take something away from her.


So with Halloween around the corner, I thought I would share some photos of the pet cemetery behind our house.

Apparently it has been there for quite a while, and although it isn;t sanctioned as a pet cemetery, a lot of locals lay their furry friends to rest there.


The Angora Fire last year really hit this area hard, and many of the older crosses and trees here are charred.


The backs of these grave markers are black and burnt, but it looks like someone refinished the front of them. Many old graves were remarked with new crosses.


I really like this one. Can you see the two burnt crosses in the background? I thought that was cool.


Anyway, I will be sharing our jack-o-lanterns once carved and decorated. But for now, take a look this pumpkin from my photoshoot this weekend.


I can't wait until I see her on the outside!

I know I have been slacking...

But I am growing somebody in here!

I have a long list of things I want to get done:

Clean the house
Plant bulbs
Winterize the deck and potting bench
Make Christmas lists
Oh, and i don't know what is on the rest of the list, because this one ate it.


So I guess "Make another list" is now on my list.

I can't believe how fast she is. She can totally stand on her own for like 30 seconds, and now she is really into climbing things. I don't know what happened to that sweet little baby that couldn't do anything or go anywhere, but that baby has been replaced by some proper trouble.


In fact, today I went into her room to hang a sweater. That was all. In and out.

I came back into the living room and she had climbed into and was standing in her rocking chair.


And she thinks it is hysterical. Also now I ask for kisses and I get snotty, wet, hard kisses, sometimes with a little bite. Just so you know she means it.


I hear New Baby is making hands and feet this week. Also, New Baby is now the size of a blueberry, pretty much double the little lentil he/she was last week.

In other news, my baby doc is on a month's medical leave, so they have had to reschedule my appointment - which was supposed to be tomorrow - and they haven't been able to get it together yet to tell me when they can reschedule me. They know it needs to happen before he gets back, and yet can't seem to find a free space for a new pregnancy appointment with one of the other 4 doctors in his practice for a month. A month?

Obviously my reputation precedes me. Thank goodness Dr. G thinks I am funny. Remember, this is the guy who still has Madee's newborn picture in his office, not on the bulletin board in the hall with all the other babies. What can I say? He takes pride in his more ground-breaking work.

Anyway, I have been pretty tired and quite nauseous, so I try to nap whenever Mad goes down...it looks like the list will have to wait.


In fact she is sleeping right now, but Charlie was razzing me about his family update - like he doesn't live right here in the middle of it - so I thought I would give him something to read before I shut these eyes along with her.

By the way those are cookie crumbs on her delicious little face.

So the kisses taste good.

Bathtime, Birthdays and Bopping

So at this age, they love to imitate Mom and Dad. I guess that is why her 2 faves are the phone and her new camera.

She is also pretty fond of this guy...she loves to chase the dogs around the house. Ono actually plays chase with her.

Zeus is actually just trying to get away.

What a great kid.

Every night, we watch Jeopardy!, then it is bath time.

Last night, as we were expecting the answer for Final Jeopardy!, we noticed that she had crawled into the bathroom and was trying to start her bath without us.

What a big girl!


Madee went to her first birthday party this weekend! It was surely a wild time! It was chilly o she made her entrance in this adorable velvet number, courtesy of her Lovely Auntie Terri!

Thank you Terri! It was so awesome that you bought her clothes for when she was older...we still have several outfits to look forward to!



This is the birthday girl, Lila Pearl.


She was so cracked out on birthday cake and presents and friends. It was adorable. I am excited to have Madee's first birthday.

And she can't wait to open her own presents.


Let's see...in other news...we are "in talks" to buy a new vehicle that will be the right size for our clan. I am pretty excited because I imagined up the "Dream Car" and it looks like we found it.

I can't give any deets, I just don't want to jinx it! But look soon for updates and pictures of our new 4-wheeled family member!

The Volvo has been a great car, but knowing 2 car seats are going to be in our vehicle for the next several years makes us a little more realistic about what we can fit into. And the Volvo just isn't it.


Madee lets go and stands by herself all the time now. She is getting better and better at balancing. She is also quite a dancer. She bops to everything music and really seems to like the ABC song. And Reggae.

I am excited because I have a new baby to take pictures of. Aliana was born on Sunday, and like several other Tahoe baby girls I know, she was 8 lbs, 3 oz. I am guessing that is just the cool weight to be born at...I think cousin Rachel weighed that too!

I did some senior pictures last week, feel free to sneak a peek right here!

And I have a maternity shoot next week, plus her little one is due in 2 weeks! So I will have some fresh new fun to share with everyone. I am really enjoying the whole photography gig, and I am learning so much.


Updates on New Baby...I have these dreams that he/she is already moving around in there in a very formed way. Like legs and arms poking out. It is funny to dream of New Baby and to wake up so thin. So I had a crazy hot sauce streak running last week, spent about 2 weeks eating pizza, and have now settled for lentils, bananas, and low fat milk. I chose these because the first 2 should help reduce my risk of developing high blood pressure this time, and milk because it does a baby good.

I am mostly nauseous at night, a little pukey, and just dog tired. Other than that I am feeling pretty super!



Madee says "Hi!"

9 Months Old!

Madee is 9 months old today! If we could just shake the sickness our family has had all week, she would be a lot happier about that, I bet.


But she is a pretty good sport.


As long as you don't try to wipe her nose. Because then it is on. She is not a huge fan of being wiped in any way, but mostly on her face. It presents daily challenges.

And is the cause of much joy around here.


Not sure if you can see the little scratch marks she's sporting right now, but they are awesome. She did that all herself. I am pretty sure it is just her new look. Maybe she wants to intimidate the other kids.


Lucky for me she will sit still for a manicure. I think she wants the clippers so bad she will sit and wait for them.

Also lucky for me, she is easily distracted, so she has yet to get her chubby little hands on them.


Here she is chilling with her milk in front of the fire. Isn't this dress the cutest? I want one in my size.

I love how she has her leggy rolled down on one leg.

Like she is in a gang.


Awww....Mommy/Baby pictures at Apple Hill in a pumpkin patch! It was such a great day!


We bought her that pumpkin and brought it home for her to play with. She loves it.


I love her. This is how we always are. I am ecstatic and happy and goofy and she is always looking at me like "Get real, Mom."


Oh but she will do some cutting up for her dad.


She is my sunshine.


Too cute in her country girl wear...

She gets so frustrated being unable to tell us what she wants, needs, feels, especially when it is so obvious that she thinks quite clearly. She just can't get it all out.

It isn't easy being 9 months old.


Of course with all her freedom and mobility, it sure seems easier than when she was 6 months. I guess that is a lesson she will learn. Things do get easier. More complicated, but easier.


Lately she is just too busy. She is also getting really good at standing, turning, lunging and has even taken a couple of steps. She often lets go of what she is holding on to and stands freely for a few seconds.

But my favorite when she is standing at some spot, eyes me, and decides to go for it and lunge for me. Or actually she has done it a few times towards things that cannot catch her like the couch and the hearth.


She grows up too fast..and all we can do is sit back and enjoy.

She loves to get dirty

My sweet cutie pie.

This morning when she got up, she was in her dad's arms and she pointed to her bottle and said, "unh."

She knows what she wants.


Have I mentioned how weird Zeus acts when I am pregnant?


In fact, he knew before Charlie and I did. He becomes super protective and sulky and strange and always needs to be touching me, sitting with, sleeping with, or otherwise extremely engaged with me.


It is terribly cute. But the sort of thing that can get on pregnant lady's nerves every once n a while...


Madee turned her hand and now she can Big Girl Clap!


Isn't she adorable in this little shirt from her Auntie Jess?


This is my little bird. She's the dirty kid. I see all these other little clean, proper, neatly dressed babies, and mine is always the one with dirty knees, food all over her shirt, and this weekend she is sporting a crusty, snotty nose.

I love her. She is just so cute and so full of spunk.


Not much makes her happier than when I just let her crawl around in the woods.

The Kokanee Salmon Festival was this weekend, so we went to see them swimming up Taylor Creek.

Madee like the big aquarium in the Stream Profile.


We had a great weekend. We also went to Oktoberfest and saw lots of mommy and baby friends as we walked around and Oom-pa-pa-ed.

Madee likes the polka. I love how she seems to know what to do in our self family portraits...


The steins were really cool this year! And yes, that's 2 Oktoberfests in a row I couldn't drink at, but I did get some yummy sausage!


Madee loves to get out in the world so she can learn about new things and meet new people.


"Love you fishy..."