Austen is 8 Months Old!

Austen is starting to try crawling...just in the past few days, she has started "army crawling" to get where she wants to go. She also has taken a few crawling "steps" and is on her way to crawling on her hands and knees. Life is about to get a bit more hectic! Even so, it's so much fun to see Austen hitting this new stage (although, I have to admit it's also a bit sad because she's growing up so fast!) and getting closer to keeping up with her big sister which she wants to do so bad!
She also has a tooth! The bottom right one cut through about a week ago, and the left is right behind it. Another exciting milestone, but we'll miss the gummy smile!
Obviously, Austen loves to eat. Her favorites are pears, sweet potatoes, and squash (well, in my opinion :)). She also has loved bananas, but we have discovered that they cause some tummy trouble, so she's banned from those for now.
She has also started to clap, and we think wave - so cute. :)

Snowday!

I got to stay home from "school" today because of the snow. It's definitely a perk of being a teacher! They've already called tomorrow off, too, which makes this a 6 day weekend because of Thanksgiving. :)
Of course I had to get the girls out in the snow. This is Austen's first experience with it, and she seemed to enjoy it. Kaitlyn is now old enough to appreciate it a bit more, so we are looking forward to this winter!
Why would both of them look at the camera at once? That would be silly.

I love this one :)

Too busy to look at the camera for Mama, as usual:

Adventure Girl:

Vegas!

Jeff had a business trip last week in Vegas, and I went and met him on Thursday. His conference was over on Friday afternoon, so we stayed until Sunday. It was SO nice to have some time with just each other. You really don't realize how much you need it until it comes.

This is the one and only picture we took...oops! I always tell Jeff that I want him to take me to Disneyland, so I said this would hold me over for another few years until the girls get a bit older:

Bouncy Playdate and Sister Fun

I happen to have access to a little bouncy house that is the perfect size for Kaitlyn and her friends. So, we packed it up and took it to Monroe for a playdate with Paige. They had a great time :)

Lately, in the mornings, Kaitlyn doesn't want to get out of bed until Austen comes in for a bit.

This may have been a bad mommy moment...I had to get a picture before telling Kaitlyn that we don't sit on our little sister. Austen only looks slightly concerned:

They "play" together well a lot of the time. Kaitlyn has gotten used to "trading" a toy with Austen instead of just taking it. We are working on it. :) Now that Austen is starting to get on the move, it's getting harder for Kaitlyn to share. There are definitely frustrated moments, and I can imagine that it will get worse before it gets better as Austen becomes even more mobile. Fun times! Overall, though, Kaitlyn does quite well.

This one got in the middle here somehow. We started giving Austen "Puffs" and she loves them. She can't quite get them in her mouth by herself yet, but she's working on it!

First sister bath! Kaitlyn made Austen some tea:

Playing in Kaitlyn's room after bathtime:

Growing up too Fast!

Mother, O Mother, come shake out your cloth,

Empty the dustpan, poison the moth,

Hang out the washing, make up the bed,

Sew on a button and butter the bread.
Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?

She’s up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.
Oh, I’ve grown as shiftless as Little Boy Blue,

Lullabye, rockabye, lullabye loo.

Dishes are waiting and bills are past due

Pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo
The shopping’s not done and there’s nothing for stew

And out in the yard there’s a hullabaloo

But I’m playing Kanga and this is my Roo Look!

Aren’t her eyes the most wonderful hue?

Lullabye, rockaby lullabye loo.
The cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow

But children grow up as I’ve learned to my sorrow.

So quiet down cobwebs; Dust go to sleep!

I’m rocking my baby and babies don’t keep.

~Ruth Hulburt Hamilton

New Table!

Well, this isn't the new table, but it's a pretty cute picture of Austen and Riley waiting for Kaitlyn and Papa to come back inside. Austen is not standing by herself yet, but can stand for a bit if you prop her up just right. :-)

Grandma Bonnie and Grandpa Roger got Kaitlyn this adorable little table for her birthday. She is in love with it...she will rearrange the chairs all night if you let her. It's the perfect size!