Raleigh's 6-month Stats

We went to the doctor today for Raleigh's six-month checkup. She is doing really well in all departments. She measures 27" long and weighs nearly 16 pounds, 15lbs, 9oz. to be precise.

On a side note, we've got the Halloween costumes worked out. I dressed both kiddos in their outfits for a trial run. Rowan loves his Farmer Jones costume and paraded around the neighborhood. Raleigh tolerated her flower outfit for the most part, until I stopped walking with her. Then she whipped off her peony-adorned hat. We're going trick-or-treating on Sunday with friends so I'll post a photo or two for you.

Happy Mirthday, Rowan!

Today marked Rowan's 32-month birthday! Only four months until he turns 3. Wowie zowie! He is as amazing as ever, and loves to talk, talk, talk. (I have no idea where he gets that from.) His story telling abilities get sharper each week and his sense of humor is quite keen. If I may brag on him further, he is also a clever little monkey. Here's a conversation he had with Jeremy just his morning. He was eating a PB&J sammich and watching a TV show that mentioned honey bees.

R: What's a honey bee, Daddy?

J: Honey bees make honey, Rowan.

R: [thinks for a minute...] Daddy, do jellyfish make jelly?

That boy is wicked smart, I tells ya. Here's another for you. Jeremy was giving Rowan a bath the other night and told him a fib "to try to manipulate his behavior" as Jeremy put it. Rowan proceeded to tell him that he "didn't just fall off the torn up truck." We have no idea where he learned that one. His brain is a mighty computer, receiving and storing data for future use. I am constantly amazed and impressed with this special little human.

Happy birthday wishes to my sweet boy!

As seen in Wise

Seen at a gas station...

"NOW HIRING FULL TIME ASSITANT [sic] MANAGER"

At that same gas station...

Possible applicant for the "Assitant" manager position?

Oh, Wise. You never disappoint me with your public signage. Remember this gem? How about this one?

The Fling was good again this year. We spent some time with Jeremy's parents, had a quick visit with good friends, and showed my parents around Wise County. Thank you parents for helping entertain the wee ones during the drive to and from.

Rowan, my dad, and I rode the fire truck this year. We got to ride in the cab where the crew sits. Rowan had the biggest smile the whole ride and waved to everyone and everything along the way. I thought he might be scared of the siren, but he loved it. If you haven't had the chance to ride in a fire truck with horn and sirens blaring, I highly recommend it. If you can bring along an enraptured 2-year-old, do that, too.

Two things that I was especially impressed with this on this trip were 1) the choco-nana milkshake from Robo's and 2) my Fall Fling shirt (from last year) that reads, "Town of Wise: The place to be in southwest Virginia".

Happy 6-month Birthday, Raleigh!

Our sweet baby girl is 6 months old already! She is as sweet as ever and getting into all kinds of new stuff. Raleigh goes to day care two days a week and is thriving there. Her teachers say she is very smart - of course we knew this already but good to have confirmation from an unbiased source. :-)

Here's a little snapshot of what she's been up to this past month. Her check-up is at the end of the month so I don't have vital stats for you right now.

• Likes: Showers with mommy; being outside; watching bigger kids playing; looking at animals; being in the sling/carrier. She LOVES kisses. One night I had to kiss her to sleep!
• Dislikes: Not being able to do everything big kids can do; being left on her blanket or in the Bumbo chair; poo-poo diapers
• Skills: Raleigh can pull up to her hands and knees and will rock back and forth - crawling is just around the corner. Her fine motor skills are getting more refined. She can pick up toys and teething biscuits and move them to her mouth at will. She's also starting to try to hold her bottle.
• Teeth: She has 4 teeth already! Yep. The top two middle teeth came in within 3 days of each other. Like last time, she didn't complain much at all.
• Sleep: Sleep is going really well. Most nights she is out by 8:30. She usually wakes between 2:00 and 4:00 for a snack and then goes back to sleep.
• Clothes: Raleigh is wearing clothes in the 3-6 month range and some 6-9 month sizes, depending on the brand. I bought her first pair of shoes. They are pink corduroy with butterflies - very cute.