Fall Produce

So as you all know Shaun and I sometimes go overboard with certain things. This year we went overboard on canning/bottling. We started with the pear sauce. It took me all day to peal, core, cook, mash, bottle, and seal 7 pint size bottles. But it is so sweet! Cecilia is going to love it. Next came the grape juice. We first did 11 from our neighbors vines, then got another 46 quart size bottles from a neighbor of my parents. I know, overboard. But as my mom says, if we don't drink it this year, it will keep to next and then we won't have to do any then. Let me also insert that Shaun loves homemade grape juice and all of its healthiness. He drank a ton in the last year. Plus Cecilia will drink some this year too. But because it stains like nothing else, it may be a sippy cup only drink :)


We also did a bunch of applesauce this year. About 15 pint size jars. See what I mean about being busy and not posting? I have already given a little bit of applesauce to Cecilia in her cereal, she won't eat it any other way. So it was well worth the many hours spent doing all of this :)

Happy Halloween!

The hardest part about this Halloween was deciding what to dress Cecilia up as. The bear won out in the end because I thought it would make her eyes really pop. It was a little big for her, but super cute nonetheless!

Cereal

We had our 6 mo checkup recently and the Doctor said we could start feeding Cecilia cereal. To be honest she didn't really like it much at first.


Ok didn't like it at all the first couple of times.


But perseverance. That and a trick I learned at church, mix a little applesauce in. Conveniently we just made a ton of applesauce and had some in the fridge. So next time went much better and I think she ate more than what she wore :)

Then and Now

So I know it has been a while since we posted, but I'll do another blog about why later. First, I've been meaning to do this one for a couple of weeks and want to get it done. The idea came from looking at some friends blogs who did the same. The baby turned 6 months in October. You don't realize how much they grow until you compare photos of them in the same thing. I was also really excited about a few outfits when she was first born and put her in them before they fit. They are now bursting at the seams, so you can really see the difference. Anyway here it goes.
Then:

and Now:
Huge difference huh?!
Ok here is another one.

Then:

And Now:

Let me just say trying to get a 6 mo old baby to put her head down in your hand is no easy feat. But you get the idea.
OK one more and then my favorite ones.

Then:


You can't tell from this picture, but her legs are about straight and her feet are barely poking out.
And now:Notice her legs are bent and the dress comes to about her knees.
OK now to the most applicable comparison.
Then:
And:


And: (I know lots of pictures in this series, remember this has always been her favorite place. If you need a refresher go back to the swing war posts)
This one is my favorite of the series because I forgot she used to raise her hand in the air when she slept, until we figured out how to swaddle her better and she didn't get her arm out. Isn't it so cute?

On to the Nows:

And:

I have to add that I had to wait for a day when she took a very long nap so I didn't feel guilty waking her up taking her picture. This day she was so out of it I got two before it woke her up. See what I mean about getting her out of this thing? Look at how far her feet poke out. To think, when we first started using it I stuffed a blanket around her head. Boy does time fly...

Fall- apples and pumpkins

I was really excited to take Cecilia to a U-pick apple farm and pick apples to make applesauce for when she can eat it. Well the farm was a little disappointing as all of the apples had terrible hail damage and the pumpkins were just in a pile on the grass. Cecilia was more interested in the leaves on the trees than the fruit and the grass than the pumpkins.
But we still had a good time with our friends the Brubakers who came with us. Maybe this weekend we can do a better photo shoot at my parents house. Need a good fall pumpkin shot to send to the grandparents.

Puerto Penasco- The Beach

The three of us took some friends down to Shaun's parents beach house in Puerto Penasco this weekend. We had a great time. Everyone said it was very relaxing and fun. I'll let Shaun post about the details of the weekend but I was really excited to post about Cecilia's first experience with the ocean.
The first day we took her out there and the waves were a little noisy well we all know how she hates noise. So it wasn't too surprising to me that she didn't like it. Here is a video of her being wimpy with her cute sunglasses on.

I tried to carry her farther into the water past the noise but she kept fussing. It was the first time (of many I'm sure) that I saw her afraid. You could totally tell she was afraid of it. She had a death grip on me and kept turning her face away from it and burying it in me. It was kinda funny.

But the next day the ocean was really calm and she liked it better. I was able to get all the way in with her and let her play in it a little. She kept doing her fish face and it reminded me of when we called her a fish when I was pregnant. Well the fish swam in the ocean this weekend! Here is another video and pictures.



The next day I took her out and let her play in the sand. I don't have a video of it but do have a bunch of pictures. She liked to run her fingers through the sand. I don't think you can see but she has a little on her face too. Maybe next time I'll let her play longer and let her eat some of the sand :)


It was so much fun to take her to the ocean and let her experience another new thing. The first of many trips I'm sure :)

The swing war-Conclusion

The sleep book says to try something new for 5 days to see if you baby will like it and handle it. Well the 5 days are up. I know they have been up for a while. I've been dreading making this post because guess who won? Cecilia. It is a little embarrassing to tell the world my 6 month old daughter won. But I just couldn't take her not napping anymore. She was tired and cranky and so was I. So on day 6 I put her in the swing. I told myself that if she didn't nap well then I would keep trying in the crib longer. But I woke her up after a 2.5 hour morning nap and Shaun got her after an almost 3 hour afternoon nap. She was so tired and so happy to be in her favorite place that I said ok fine your obviously not ready to make the switch. Hopefully she will let me know when she is and hopefully the transition will be smoother. Until then I'm happy the war is over. If anyone has any suggestions for me I'm all ears!!!