Happy Halloween!

We hope you all had a Happy Halloween! Here are some shots of Jadyn's second Halloween holiday.

In the afternoon, we went to a trick or treat event sponsored by shops in our neighborhood. Even with a two-hour nap, Jadyn woke up pouty, and she had to be convinced that being a ladybug for a few hours was going to be fun. Needless to say, it took awhile for her to warm up to the camera! It was easy for her, though, to follow the lead of the throngs around her -- she carried a bag, stopped at each store, took an item from a bowl, and then dropped it into her bag like a champ. Mom and Dad didn't dress up per se, but we did wear wigs to get in the spirit.





On our way home, we chatted with a neighbor finishing up some yard work. Jadyn enjoyed a friendly cat and offered to help with pruning.





After a spell at home to wait for darkness, Jadyn went trick-or-treating on our street. She seemed tired but when asked if she wanted to go home, she'd look to another house and say "more!" She loved going up neighbors' steps and knocking on doors. She would take a candy or two, drop it in her bag, and then start back down the steps to the next house. Once back home, she enjoyed poring over her loot, even rearranging it for display.



Then she wanted to wear our wigs.



Here's a great shot from last weekend, playing with the twins Emma and Kaylin in their 'foam pit."


This past week or so has been full of firsts for Jadyn, the aforementioned 'foam pit,' real trick-or-treating, and, unfortunately the flu. You'll all be glad that we did not photo document that event! It was short-lived, but it wore her out (as well as her parents), and we're looking forward to her appetite returning in full force. Illness aside, her vocabulary continues to grow: without prompting she has named 'dark' vs. 'light' rooms in the house; she has begun counting as she ascends steps, "one...two...three stairs"; and regularly requests help getting into things she probably shouldn't with "open, Daddy, open!" We're looking forward to the upcoming holiday season, with her new awareness and vocabulary!

More Great Photos

Slowly but surely, we're catching up on sharing Jadyn's moments of fun. Here's more....

We have found the parental bed is big fun for Little J. When the sheets are being changed, she likes to dance on the bed to disrupt the process, and throws herself down on the sheets and pillows and waits for us to "get" her.



After the bright spring and summer, she FINALLY agreed to try on some 'sunglasses' one evening in late-September. She is very aware that both her parents wear glasses, and this pair she definitively calls her own: "Jadyn's glasses". These shots were taken with Monkey, one of her new best friends.



On a whim, Daddy swung a pillow at Jadyn, and she LOVED it. Now he'll ask: "Do you want me to beat you with a pillow?" and she'll say, "Yeah!" and run for the couch and lie waiting for the fun. Sometimes when she is a little tired and overreacting to a perceived monumental injustice (such as not being allowed to stand on the coffee table or climb the coffee cart, or being forced to wear shoes to go outside -- oh, the horrors!), a walloping with a pillow is a fantastically effective "reset button."

Signing for more!



She has not tired of shoes. At all. Not one bit. She reorganizes them regularly, in neatly aligned pairs.


She knows which are Mommy's, which are Daddy's, and which are Jadyn's, and regularly informs us of these facts. And she is getting very good at walking in footwear much bigger than her typical size.

In Mom's slippers

Jadyn is getting closer to dressing herself completely. Here she is trying on some new pjs.


It's been months since she has worn zip-up fleece pjs, and we think she forgot all about them. The zipper confuses her a little, and she calls such nightwear a "coat." Makes sense if you think about it!

The potty generates a lot of interest these days. She enjoys practicing: putting the seat adapter in place, climbing up on to the toilet, sitting, using toilet tissue, and flushing. We'll be excited to report when things progress beyond the practicing stage.




Other cute shots: wearing Mommy's winter hat, offering Daddy some corn (the last of the season), and wearing Daddy's bike helmet while riding in the house.




On the last sunny weekend of the year (with a La Nina winter in store, we're being realistic), we went to a corn maze and pumpkin patch with our neighbors. Jadyn had lots of fun!


After tripping on a corn stalk, she wants her dirty hands wiped off!

A great pumpkin


Jadyn's world is expanding quickly these days, and her vocabulary grows daily. We've recently heard her request "my turn" when she wants something we have, and just today we heard her count to five. She has learned at school to say "stop" when she is not happy with someone else's behavior. She says "Bopf!" -- way cute!!! She sings the tune of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star/ABC's and some of the words of each, often mixed into the same song (which is super adorable). Our cats, who were both called Abby for a long time, are now correctly distinguished (though Cosmo is "Mah-co" -- also super adorable). Occasionally we hear short sentences, such as "Mah-co, wanna snack?" when she is feeding Cosmo his dinner, and "Mommy sit, Daddy sit" when she wants us next to her, at dinner time or when it's time to read books. Suddenly we've realized our 6 pound miracle is a 20+ pound manager, and we couldn't be prouder.

Weekend Adventures

Jadyn has enjoyed several outings with Mommy, Jeannie, and Alexa in the last month or so. Alexa and Jadyn are exactly 8 months apart, and are able to play pretty well together, or at least in parallel while the mommies visit. The first photos are taken at a park near home after heavy morning showers. Puddle play is fun!



These were taken at a different park on a different weekend -- gray and gloomy, but no rain to dampen the party.



Daddy had a great idea for the last sunny and warm (in the 70's) day of the year. We went to Discovery Park for a long walk and to enjoy the shore. It was gorgeous out! Here you can see Jadyn trying to decide what to do about the wet sand on her toes. (She doesn't like her hands or feet to be dirty for very long.)



Enjoying the beach and hanging out with Daddy




Later that afternoon, hanging on the porch in the bright sun, Jadyn played with her monkey, bear, and shoes.



Jadyn adores her monkey, and shoes have been a big part of every day for quite some time now. More photo documentation of these faves in the next post!