Halloween

Halloween 2012! What a blast! Although it rained we made the most of it. Started off in the morning with the boys waking in matching pj's and helping mama bake cupcakes, storytime the night before with daddy and alot of playing in there bedrooms. Logan insists these days that Hunter play with him. Hunter doesn't really play but he sure does enjoy just sitting in Logan's room watching him play. I like to listen from the outside to Logan telling Hunter what toy he can play with or not play with. Lucky for Logan, Hunter doesn't tell him what toy he wants to play with just yet.

 

While the Chicken Caccitore simmers on the stove, the boys and I all get dressed in our Halloween costumes. They weren't really costumes for anyone but Hunter though, everyday clothes for the rest of us. Daddy, Mama and Logan were cowboys (or cowgirl) and Hunter was our prize Bull. Pretty fitting for our heavyweight.



I attempted to put freckles on my cheeks (more cause I guess I don't have enough naturally) and Logan didn't like that, he informed me "mama you sick, you need to go to bed right now"



Boo Boo insisted on bringing down Pistachio for the festivities! We found Logan his saddle just in time for Halloween. It was a hit of course, all the neighbors came out to see what the neighing was coming from. Logan couldn't have been happier, he wanted Pistachio to come inside, it's all he can talk about.



A boy and his horse!

 

and Grandparents too!

Mustache pumpkin was Mitchell's, mine was an owl but you couldn't tell. Until next year! Give us ideas for a family costume again!



Pumpkin Patch (visit # 3) and final!!

 

Nonna really wanted to take the boys to the pumpkin patch, so we arranged to meet there on the weekend while daddy was at work. The boys loved it, well Logan anyway, there isn't much Hunter doesn't not like these days. Except being hungry. There were still tractor rides, hay slides and a hay maze. (yes stanly lane again, my favorite) Logan really wanted to inspect the tractor most of the time while we were there this trip.

 

I was able to snap some pretty cute pics of the boys today though!



                       Hunter: 6 Months   Logan: 2 Years 8 months

 

We had a blast! Came right home with all of our mini pumpkins to get started on our Halloween dinner table crafts! Stay tuned for Halloween night pics!

 



Pumpkin Patch (visit #2)

 

Back to Stanly Lane, I just can't stay away! This time we met up with our cousins, Nacho, Nico, Manya and Mia. What a blast the kids had running around through the pumpkins up on the hay stack, down the slide and in and out of the maze. It is so fun watching them teach each other new things and care for one another. It is family love. It is always a good time when we get together. Hunter sat back, mellow as usual and just took it all in. Next year he will be right there in the middle of the maze with them.

 

Big Pining and Aunt Sari joined in on the action, pushing Logan around in the wheel barrel and spoiling each one of them with yet another pumpkin, cause the 8 that we bought just a few days before weren't enough. Although the one Aunt Sari picked is my favorite and is front and center on my dining room table.



 

Franco Family 2012

 

Caldwell Family 2012



Miss Mia is so in love with Hunter it is just too much. I went to take him from her arms, thinking she would want to run around and play, however I was quickly almost pulled down to the ground with her because of the tight grip she had on him. She wouldn't let him go, she said, "no I will hold him".

 



 

Can't wait to carve pumpkins with this little family and stay tuned for yet another trip to the patch!

 



Pumpkin Patch (visit #1)

Stanly Lane Pumpkin Patch 2012 was a wonderful success, it's our favorite. First trip was on a Friday, Shitbird ditched school to go with us, and the boys were so excited for her to be there. Logan ran all around picking up every pumpkin he could and trying to pick up some he couldn't. Hunter was in a sleepy mood so no smiles in these pictures. Fall is my favorite time of year, the smell of rain coming the colors changing and the decorating. Ooooohhhhh the decorating, I love pumpkins and Halloween and Thanksgiving. Of course Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. It is a day to just be greatful, of your family, health and the feast that is put on the beautifully set table. Plus it is usually within days of my birthday.

 

I couldn't resist posting the pic of Hunter after he fell down from sitting up, too cute!

 



 

Yes he did eat a little straw.

 

Logan drove the tractor, rode the pig a few times and like I said picked up a few pumpkins using his grunting and funny faces to help him.

 



Pumpkin Patch 2012

 



I couldn't resist being a kid again and going down the hay tower slide with my boy! You can't say no to play time! He was in love, couldn't get enough.

 



Logan 2 Years 8 Months

Amy 16 Years 7 3/4 Months

Hunter 5 1/2 Months

 



6 Months "Oh Boy!"

Dear Hunter, you turned 6 months old yesterday! Oh my, where has the time gone. I just can't believe that in another 6 months you will be 1. You are beginning to get quite a little personality. You love to be sung to, and tickled and most importantly you are in love with your brother. Everything must stop when you hear his voice, including nursing. Which at times is very frustrating to me, but I still love that you are enamoured with him. You are now eating 3 solid meals a day because you have decided that you don't want to sleep through the night anymore. Your day is the following, you wake up anywhere from 5:30 to 6:30 AM nurse and go back to bed for a couple hours, (Logan wakes around 6:45 or 7, so there is no sleeping in for mommy anymore) then you wake around 9 and eat some bananas and Oatmeal, we usually go for a nice long walk, about 2 miles, with a stop at the park. Then it is back home to nurse around 11 or so, then you get pears and rice and nurse and go down for a nap, which these days is about 30 to 45 minutes. boo hoo!!!! Nurse again around 4 or 4:30, eat dinner around 6 or 6:30 (which is either sweet potatoes or butternut squash with a little rice, soon to try green beans), nursing right after you finish. Around 7:45 you take a bath with Logan, which you insist on now. If you hear that water running and you aren't in the bath with him you are screaming with anger. I think it's pretty cute, it's just one more way you show us you love your brother. While your screaming Logan is asking over and over and over again if "Hunter take a bath with me?", which is his way of showing that he loves you. You nurse again around 8 or 8:30 and again aroud 10 or 10:30. Then it is off to bed. You are my alarm clock around 2:45 every morning, you just want your back rubbed or to be rocked. No longer are you being swaddled, as of the last few days, we thought that was why you were waking up. Who knows now though. Hopefully you will figure it out soon though, mama can't function on 5 1/2 or 6 hours sleep. We are starting the cry it out method now.

We are so in love with every little noise you make, you are a squealer, that is for sure and you can sure hit some pretty high notes with it. We are trying to get lots of video recording in of you and Logan so that you have something to watch when you guys are older, it's pretty funny watching him put stickers on your head or telling you which toy to play with or not to spit up. He is quite the attentive big brother. Halloween is coming up and mama is pretty excited about your costume and trick-or-treating.

 

 Logan insisted on being in on the 6 month shot, so we took off your nice shirt (Logan said you were going to spit up) and snapped a couple of you two together. You both wanted to watch the cartoons on T.V. or make silly faces by sticking your tongue out. I am so in love with both of you I just didn't think it was possible for a heart to grow so much, but mine sure has. I am soaking in every minute with you two cause once these days are over there are only days when you are older and arguing or beating each other up. (hopefully not for many years)

Love you so much!

Hugs & Kisses

Mama



Firehouse Visit (in August)

Finally after being at the firehouse for short little visits, Hunter actually visited the firehouse for lunch, station 91, daddy was covering at a different house. He had been there for quick little visits before, to pick daddy up to go to San Diego and then just to say hi when we got back. But this time we went for a full visit. He was treated by big brother showing him everything about the fire engine, antique and new.

 

 He wasn't too sure what to think of it, but Logan sure did enjoy himself as usual. Driving, checking the tires, looking for house and turning on the lights. He even was taken through the training tower. Hunter and I stayed outside of that, too many bad fumes to smell. Plus it was really high up.

 

We will be back to visit again soon, and hopefully it will be to daddy's station, station 94.



Happy 5 MonthDay! (a few days late)

Dear Hunter,

you are quite the little looker these days. Always keeping your eye on your mama, Logan and Daddy. We don't go far from you otherwise tears and red upset screams come with it. You are so much fun, laughing and talking, it is really hard to watch T.V. or talk to daddy because you always have to get your two sense in, which is just mumbo jumbo right now. We occassionally ask that you keep it down but very quickly remember that this will pass and we will miss it. (unless your a talker like me.) You started waking up every night around 3 am crying. We weren't sure if it was because you were un-swaddled or hungry. I tried really hard not to nurse you at these times, most of the time you would go back to sleep after we re-swaddled you, but sometimes mama would just let you nurse. Your now eating Oatmeal for breakfast and Rice Cereal for dinner, and now you are back to sleeping through the night. I am going to be making you some sweet potatoes this week, hopefully you like them. You have started rolling over all of the time now, as soon as you are layed out on your play mat you go right over to your belly and start looking around. It is the cutest thing, seeing that big head of yours raised as high as it will go so you can see what is going on. You also started hanging out in the jumperoo, which you love because you can really watch Logan in the living room playing with his toys, and you try to talk to him but he says "hey stop doing that" everytime you start to talk, just because he can't hear his cartoons.

 

As you can see from this picture below you are topping the scales at almost 18 pounds and you are only 5 months old. We think that you will be outweighing your brother before too long, but hopefully you will have a growth spurt in length, I don't know how much more I can let these diapers out. just kidding!



Everyone has a hard time remembering what Logan looked like at your age so here is a refresher for everyone! Totally different than you! Also at 5 months he weighed 15 lbs 10 oz., however you surpassed that at 4 months weighing 16 lbs 1.9 oz.

Logan 5 months old                                                    

 



Logan 3 months old, visiting with Tante's                   

 

We are so in love with you and your brother, words couldn't even begin to explain it. You are still so enamoured with Logan too, that whenever you hear his voice you instantly stop what you are doing, nursing included, and look all over for him. I hope that when you are both grown young men that love and devotion will remain. Can't wait to see how much you will enjoy real food this month.

 

Love you always,

 

Mama

 

Hugs & Kisses



Happy 4 MonthyDay!

Dear Hunter,

You are too sweet! Still in love with your brother and a total Mama's boy. I cannot get over how chunky you are, Logan calls you his "Chunk a munk" , which means chunky monkey of course and he has to squeeze your cheeks when he does it. You don't mind, you are just fascinated by him. You started to only sleep about 5 hours a night, instead of 8 or 9 so it was a must to start you on rice cereal. You aren't too sure about it, but you are back to sleeping almost as much sometimes more. I just can't keep up with your weight gain, 6 month clothes already oh my! I have boxed up and given the hand-me-downs of 0-3 and 3-6 month clothes on, sigh sigh. You are still in love with being swaddled but I think that might be coming to an end in the next month or so, you are trying really hard to roll from your back to your belly always getting up on your side to watch mama give Logan a bath. You love to just lay there on the floor outside the bathroom and listen to us, always trying to chime in the conversation with your mumbo jumbo. Now when you aren't being listened to you start to make raspberries. It is so cute, by the end of it you are pretty frustrated and need an outfit change because you are so wet from drool.

Rice Cereal from Amanda on Vimeo.

You are starting to get a little routine down now too! Yes a routine, leave it to me to run a tight ship at 4 months old. Your day kind of looks like this:

6:30 / 7 am:          Wake and nurse

7 / 7:30 am:          Back to bed

9:30 / 10 am:        Wake and eat rice cereal, nurse

12:30 pm:             nurse

1:00 pm:               down for a nap

3:00 / 3:30 pm:     wake and nurse

5:30 pm:               nurse

6 pm:                    nap

7:30 pm:               nurse

8 pm:                    tummy time

8:30 / 9 pm:          bath

9:30 / 10 pm:        bedtime 

of course these times are all estimates and some days you catnap throughout the day but I am trying to get you on a close schedule with your brother so that mama can have some time to herself. Plus your big brother Logan is doing so well potty training he might be going to school soon so we have to prepare you for getting up and out. We love you so much and are having so much fun watching you grow.

Hugs & Kisses

Mama

Wolf Creek Camping (Trip #2)

Wolf Creek Campground on the Union Valley Reservoir is officially our favorite spot! The drive isn't too bad about 2.5 hours, and the weather, oh the weather is amazing!! High 80's to low 90's and the water is perfect for bathing and swimming. Yes, I said "bathing" there are no bathrooms at this campground. Aj and my parents came along for the trip and even Pa surprised Logan and came up for a night.

Night bike ride complete with head-lamps, they didn't come off the remainder of the trip. Thank you Boo-Boo for those! 

First full day we hit up the water for a nice relaxing swim and some soaking up of the sun to work on our tans. The boys had a blast, even Hunter relaxed in his little sun-room. He just loves to be laying around kicking his feet and talking away these days. Logan preferred to be playing in the sand with his dump truck.





The next day by the lake Uncle Mitchell thought it would be fun to teach Aj how to jump off the rock. At first Aj was a little afraid, he is a Cabral afterall, but once Uncle Mitchell held his hand and jumped with him there was no stopping him. Logan even jumped with them a few times. Thank goodness for the Caldwell jean, mama doesn't have it in her.

Keeping the sun off my baby was a little hard in this heat, he was pretty much in a diaper the entire trip. A little vitamin D is good for you, right?

 Butt Crack!!!

    Logan: 2 1/2 Years    Hunter: 3 Months

Yes, we got a flat tire and the boys learned how to change it. There was alot of "Why"
 and "I do it" going on during that 20 minute tire change. Thank goodness Boo-Boo was napping. 



Fabulous trip! Fabulous Weather! Fabulous company! Can't wait for our next camping adventure.