IT'S FALL Y'ALL

This wreath is now available on Etsy.  Use the coupon code ITSFALLYALL for 20% off!

Man, I am excited it's fall.  Bring on the pumpkin flavored foods!  October really is the absolute best weather in southern Louisiana.  And I'm not sure what it is, but something about fall really, really makes me want to make arts and crafts.  Violet's a little young this year, but you can bet your britches, I'm gonna be dipping her little fingers and toes in some paint this time next year.  I mean just look at those little fingers.

Violet has been grasping a lot of new concepts this week.  Her motor skills and hand-eye coordination have really been improving.  She no longer walks like a zombie with her arms flailing in the air to help her balance. She can easily grasp tiny objects on the first attempt.  And her cognitive skills are really improving, too.  She'll hide from us behind the curtains.  When we say, "Where is Violet?" she will kick her leg out from behind the curtain as if to give us a hint.

As a result of this new mental leap, as they call it, the wild really came out in my child this past week.  Violet has never been what I would call a champion sleeper.  I still wake up a few times at night to nurse her, which I hear is not completely uncommon for exclusively breastfed babies.  And honestly, I don't mind, because usually she drifts right on back to slumberland after nursing.  The past two nights are a different story entirely.  Sunday night was the worst; she was wide awake from 2 a.m. until 5 a.m.  She was a maniac.  After a couple of hours of shushing, rocking, swaying, nursing, singing, and just trying to hold her while she attempted to rip my eyelids off, I turned the lights on and just let her play.  That might have been a huge parenting mistake.  We'll see.

Don't they look like just a couple of buddies sharing secrets?

I know this is just a phase, hopefully one that's already over.  But in case it's not, we are currently accepting prayers for sleep filled nights and naps.

LABOR DAY WEEKEND

Our Labor Day weekend consisted mostly of naps and scratching things off our honey do list.  We finally hung up our family growth ruler in the kitchen.  (I've also added it to our Etsy shop.)  Now we just have to get Violet to stand still so we can mark her height.

Wooden Growth Chart Ruler 

We also took a little day trip to see some family.  Violet has been doing impressively well in her carseat this past week.  I've been putting her little stuffed animal fox in her lap and she pets its little face while we drive.  Cutest. Thing. Ever.  The first time she laid eyes on that thing, she was all giggles, so obviously we had to get it for her.  I'm not positive, but I think she thinks it's a cat, which definitely would explain her fondness of it.  She also loves her little pink cat, dubbed Cuddles Kitten, because it's easy to carry while she's walking.

It was so nice having Jon off an extra day.  Violet adores him and the extra pair of hands definitely makes the day go a little smoother.  I'm sad the three day weekend has ended, but fall is just around the corner which means Violet's birthday, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year are all going to be here before you know it!