Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween from the Horton House!

Weekend Review

The weather turned way cool at the end of the week and weekend so Barrett got to wear is cute elephant hat to work Friday.  I thought he looked so cute.  

Last week was Patrick's last week on 2nd shift and we were very excited.  We can't wait to have him home in the evenings.  I told Barrett to smile so we could send Daddy a picture and he did.

Saturday I left Barrett at home and headed to Tuscaloosa with my parents for the Alabama Tennessee game.  I was so nervous to leave him.  I knew he was in great hands and we needed the time away from each other but it was the longest we'd been apart. In other news, I was having a really good hair day.  I think it was the time I let my hair rest between blowing dry and curling mixed with the 0% humidity.
Stephanie and Lauren stopped by on their way to the game.  I enjoyed catching up with them.
Sweet baby brother.
Sister, sister.
Celebratory cigar after rolling over Tennessee. Funny story, before we left for the game I asked if I was going to need a jacket, everyone said yes so I grabbed my sweater wrap. Then my cousin Mark asked me why I was taking my "snuggie" to the game.  Ha.
Back at the apartment with the brother again.
This little booger wanted to drag all the toys out again after I put them away.
It was a fun weekend.  Not nearly long enough though.  I'm not ready to go back to work yet.  We have a fun week ahead with Barrett's first Halloween!  

The Great Pumpkin Patch

Another thing on the list of things I couldn't wait to do with my kids got checked off this week.  Patrick and I took Barrett to The Great Pumpkin Patch.  We went on Thursday morning and we got there at just right time.  We were before the school groups and we got a private hay ride out to the patch.

Barrett was unsure of the adventure at this point.

We walked and walked and finally found our perfect pumpkin.

and Barrett thinks I'm hilarious.

Waiting for our ride back to the barn.  He was checking out our choice.  I'm not sure he approved.

Oh my word he's so cute.

This is my new favorite family photo.

 

We didn't stay long but its been one of my favorite fall days so far.  The weather here as finally cooled off and it really feels like fall.  In the last few weeks I've felt so overwhelmingly blessed that it literally brings me to tears.  Never in my life did I know how much I would grow, learn and love this season of life.  God is good.

10 Months

Today son, you are 10 months old.

Two months until your first birthday, say it ain't so.  I can not believe how much you've grown and changed this month.  Your little personality is really starting to show and it's the sweetest thing about you.  I've had a hard time this month accepting the fact that you are, in fact, going to be a year old soon.  I love watching you grow and learn but my heart hurts thinking about how fast it's all happening.  I finally put out my fall decor and you love it.  You're constantly trying to get my glitter pumpkins off the hearth.  You have become more independent this month.  I see less of my tiny baby and more of the little boy you're becoming.

• You weigh around 18lbs.  
• You're around 28" tall
• Your hair is still lighter.
• Your eyes are still blueish but I think they're slowly changing.

 

• You wear a range of sizes.  Most of your play clothes are 6-9months.  Your dressy clothes are 9-12months.  Keegan let us borrow his handmedowns again this season and between his clothes and the things I've bought you you're not going to have to wear the same thing twice in December. 
• It's been tricky dressing you lately.  You're fall/winter clothes are to big but it's getting to cold for your summer clothes. We've been doing some layering.
• Still wearing size 3 diapers and going through about 5-6 a day.
• This month you started sitting yourself up. You only did it in your crib for a while but now you do it all the time.
• You also started crawling this month.  You're still not to steady and would rather army crawl where you need to get but I think it's safe to say you're officially mobile.
• You have 3 more teeth for a grand total of 6.

• You've found your toy box and your favorite thing to do is drag every single thing out.  You love to unpack anything.  
• You also found Ally's toy box and will do the same with her toys.
• You are in to everything.  You love my glitter pumpkins that were on the hearth but have been moved to the mantle, you also love to press buttons on the DVR
• You do not like to hear the word no.
• You clap your hands on your own.

• You went to your first Bama game.  If it hadn't been so hot I think you would have been content to stay most of the game.
• We also had your first "sick" visit to the Dr.  Although it turns out you really weren't sick.  We thought you had an ear infection but you were cutting two teeth and had a little cold. Nothing to bad.  You did manage to get a shot though.  We went ahead and got your first flu shot.
• We also took you to the pumpkin patch for the first time. I think you liked it.

• You and Ally have really bonded this month.  Mostly over your lack of coordination with finger foods.  She will play with her toys right in front of you and you try to grab them from her.  It's so cute watching y'all play together.  You laugh and laugh at her.  If she's been away from you for the day she is so anxious to check you out when we get home.
• (Judging by the above photo, I think she was a little jealous during your photo shoot)
• I can't wait for Halloween.  Y'all are going to be so cute together.

• You've started eating table foods more and more.  
• You eat the same two meals each day and then at lunch we just share whatever we're eating with you.  We're trying to give you less baby food and let you feed yourself more but I still like to make sure you're getting enough by feeding you.  
• You take 4 6oz bottles each day.  Although if you get in the afternoon nap like you like (3-5) you only get 3 bottles (2-6oz, 1-8oz)

• You are sleeping great at night.  I put you down around 7:00 and you sleep until 6:30-7:00.
• Naps are still hit or miss.  If we're at home all day (which rarely happens) you take two good 1.5 hour naps in your crib.  At work you take one 1 hour nap and then usually fall asleep on the way home.

• You still love Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.
• You love toys and books.
• You're favorite things to play with are Ally's toys.  She isn't so sure about this.
• You've also developed a love of the weather forecast on the news.  You will stop what you're doing to watch when the weather map pops up. 

 

We've started preparations for your 1st birthday party.  It's made me happy and sad.  These last two months are going to be busy and full of fun.  I'm trying to soak in every minute of your first year, my first year as a mother.  You've taught me so much about life.  The holidays are quickly approaching and will forever remind me of your birth.  Happy 10 months, Barrett!  The best 10 months of my life.

Photo Catch-up

It was brought to my attention this week that I haven't blogged in nearly two weeks and even though my parents live 10 minutes away from us they need pictures of the grandson on the blog  ;)  .  We've had an unexpected busy couple of weeks at work, that combined with Patrick's shift change leaves me exhausted and crawling into bed around 8:30 every night.  I don't really think that's normal but it is what it is.  So here is our last couple of weeks in pictures from the iphone.

At Barrett's 9 month check up, Dr. Farr gave us the okay to start table food.  I'm pretty sure a chocolate chip cookie was not what he had in mind.  We can thank Grampy Steven for that.

This is what Patrick comes home to most nights.  Ally curled up, with her head on his pillow and body all cozy under the covers.

This little booger was supposed to be taking a nap the other day and when I looked on the monitor he was sitting up.  He'd never sat himself up before.  He only did it in his crib for a while but now he does it all the time.

We've had some beautiful weather around here lately.  We sit out on the deck in the afternoons and Barrett loves it.  He hasn't had much interaction with our big dogs, (which makes me incredibly sad because Gracie was so good with my niece Ava, I know she'd love him.)  Ally did not like them being so close to the baby.  She growled and barked at them.  Barrett just laughed!

So cute!

Another day on the deck.

He will wave (to himself mostly) but not on command.

We've started sharing our lunch with him and he thinks he is big stuff.  It's pretty cute.  This day Chloe was there and she has two little brothers so she knows all about babies dropping food.

I bought this hat before I even knew if Barrett was a boy or girl.  (It has the cutest little detachable bow if we ever have a girl).  I put it on him and almost died from the cuteness!

He hasn't been crazy about table food, he mostly just holds it in his hands.  We had Chinese one night and gave him a piece of the sweet and sour chicken without the red sauce and he gobbled it up. (Although now that I look at this picture I think was of the doughnut he had for breakfast. We eat really healthy around here.)

I was in the kitchen one afternoon and I didn't hear him, when I went to check on him he had not only found his toy box but dumped everything out of it.

He was so proud.

Then he pulled the blinds away from the window. I guess he needed to see outside.

The next day he found Ally's toy box.

He didn't nap at all one day.  So here he is at 6:30pm.  I love those sweet lips.

Friday we wore our pumpkin outfit and it is adorable.  (And I still love love love that dresser, I love the fact that it was my great grandmother's even more)

This is what one load of garbage looks like from a busy week of sign making.  It is probably the least "green" process ever.  This was maybe half of the garbage one the floor of my office.

I think that covers the last two weeks.  Hopefully I'll be back to regular posting this week.  We've got a trip to the pumpkin patch planned for this week and it's Patrick's last week on 2nd shift this rotation. WooHoo!  

Leaving a Crimson Legacy

This past Saturday was homecoming at the Capstone.  In 2003, I went to my first homecoming game as a student in the prime of my life.  Ten years later I took my son to his first Alabama game.  So much fun sharing this with him.  It was about 95 degrees and the sun was bright.  We had a bunch of extra tickets since it was such an early game so Barrett got to go.  We only stayed for 4 touchdowns because I'm not kidding it was in the top 5 hottest games ever.  He did so good.  He acted like he was going to go to sleep but he never did.  He looked around and watched everything around us.  

Hanging out at Uncle John's before the game.

Before we left the apartment.

Barrett and Granddaddy. Sweet boy watching the game.  Right before we headed back to the apartment. Barrett was to busy watching the replay of the touchdown on the jumbotron. Having a cheese curl after the game. Bentley was snuggled up with my camera.  Maybe he wanted him picture made. Hanging out after the game.  
We walked down to look at the sorority lawn decorations.  I keep thinking it hasn't been that long since I was in school.  Then I walk around campus and see how much things have changed.  Its crazy.  They've built 3 or 4 new sorority houses and are adding on to some.  Those new houses are huge and beautiful!   It was a fun day with my little guy.   Looking forward to taking him to lots of football games in the future!