Cutie!

Our little preppy girl...

The Soft Landing

I love reading the softlanding.com blog for all their reports on the safety of many baby items. They have news on more great items - Boon is coming out with PVC free bath toys and I can't wait!!!

Update: 1/16/08
We got 2 of the new Boon bath toys at Babies R Us ($7.99). She loves them - especially the water spiders that you put in a little net. This set hasn't made it to the tub yet - it's a regular feature downstairs. In the tub the floating rings that go onto a "splash" are a big hit. I love being able to finally give her bath toys since before there weren't any safe ones!

Christmas!

Christmas Eve

We went to Grammy and Grampy's to play with Abbi (and Aunt Jess and Uncle Scott). The girls had a good time playing and sharing.

Is that Minnie Mouse?

I made Autumn a pinafore and Jim thought she looked like Minnie Mouse in it. We checked it out with Grammy's Minnie - I sort of see the similarity but Autumn is much cuter and Minnie sits still for photos!

Nice Cover-up, Zoe!

Zoe threw up and apparently she felt bad and tried to clean it up - Jim thought I put the sponges over it and I though Jim did but it was actually Zoe! Good kitty! We're still trying to find a home for her since my allergies are really bad. Doesn't anybody want this remarkable cat that even tries to clean up after herself?

Autumn's Christmas Photos

We took Autumn to Sadies for her Christmas photos and she was such a stinker - she just wanted to run all over the place and find things to play with. The photographer was so patient and did a great job. The photos are copyrighted so the images have "proof" on them but you can see how cute she is...

An important call for Ms. Lady Bug...

Autumn LOVES being on the phone! I usually put it on speaker phone and Autumn carries it around and talks as she walks (just like Daddy who can't sit still while on the phone!). When the phone isn't on, she holds it to her ear and has some good conversations. Lately almost anything serves as a phone - here she has Aunt Lori's old Shera camera and then Aunt Lori's good camera. Maybe she thinks they are camera phones like Mommy has?

Autumn's 2nd Halloween!

It's hard to imagine that at this time last year Autumn was only a week old! She's gone from a cuddly little baby to beautiful lady bug! I tried to make a costume she'd keep on - and it lasted for about an hour of walking around (and around, and around...) Grammy and Grampy's house then she was "so over it".

Autumn's First Birthday Party

Autumn already had some practice with the cake from her actual birthday on Friday, but she loved this one, too. She did not want to let go of it! Besides the cake, she also had fun visiting with friends and family and chasing after all the other children. She's such a toddler now!

Autumn's Birthday Gifts from Mommy and Daddy

We each bought Autumn a special gift for her first birthday. Mommy got her a custom made doll and Daddy got her a toy box! She liked the wrapping paper better than either gift!

Autumn's First Birthday

Autumn's first birthday = Autumn's first cake! She thoroughly enjoyed it!

Autumn's new best friend

Autumn loves her Piglet - she cuddles with him, carries him around, and smothers him with kisses - sooo cute!

Down on the Farm

Today we visited Wehr's farm where we saw pumpkins, steer, donkies, chicks, chickens, goats, and Gramma, Grandpop, and Aunt Lori. Autumn doesn't make a very scary scarecrow...

Mirror Mirror on the floor...

...tell me, what's the Eagles' score? Well that's what Daddy would teach her the mirror says! Our vain little girl!

Grammy's Birthday Party

We had a surprise party for Jen's Mom (Grammy) at Buckeye Tavern. Aunt Jess, Uncle Scott, and Abbi came to celebrate, too. They got Grammy a very cool characature of her holding a baking sheet in one hand and the two girls in the other. Autumn also learned to make a "fishy face" today!

Grandpop's Party

Today was just the day of parties! Autumn wanted to get Grandpop's (Jim's Dad) cake but she has to wait a few more weeks for her own birthday!

Autumn's First Cookie

Autumn tried a teething cookie today (thanks, Aunt Jess!). She wasn't quite sure what to do with it but eventually figured it out. We're thinking she'll like Christmas cookies!

Does Fisher Price Need a Model?

Autumn loved her new Push Lion - an early Birthday present. She likes posing with it - so Fisher Price, give us a call (we'll even put pants on her!).

Mmmm, beans!

Autumn tried some kidney beans today...she like them. Soon we're on to chili!

Autumn's First Pumpkin

We went to the Scarecrow Festival in Emmaus today. Autumn picked out her first pumpkin at the Farmer's Market. It was very exciting! Mommy and Daddy were more excited about the delicious carrot cake samples at the one store - yummy!

New "do"

How cute!

We entered Autumn in the "Cutest Baby Contest" at the Lehigh Valley Mall. It's a fundraiser for the March of Dimes. The baby with the most votes (dollars) wins so we're sure she won't be in the running but we think she's the cutest (and so does she!). She's #115 in case you're at the mall. Her photo was also in the Sunday Morning Call (9/14/08) on the right side of the center spread.

Peas please!

Jim wonders if Autumn is our child since her new favorite food is peas - she hates the pureed ones but LOVES the whole sweet peas. Jim loathes peas so I guess she either takes after me on this one or he needs to talk to the mailman ;)

"Look at my Tutu"

I made Autumn a tutu - just for fun. She likes to feel all the pieces of tulle. Very cute!

New Ride at Grampy's Funland

Grampy built Autumn a swing! Even though she used to love her infant swing, she wasn't too sure of this one. Simba was trying to help (he got his own ride later!)

Scary Face

How can such a sweet, beautiful child make such as scary face?

Hamburg-er Festival

We went with Grammy and Grampy to the Hamburg-er Festival in Hamburg today. It was a nice small-town street festival which reminded me of CornFest in Shippensburg. We met a purple cow and Patty the hamburger (get it?). Afterwards we went to Cabella's and saw fish - which amazed Autumn- and some dead and stuffed animals (thankfully Autumn doesn't understand and can't ask questions yet!). We ended up at Cracker Barrel for dinner and you may notice that Autumn's clothing is a bit different in the last photo - she had an "accident" (a large smelly one!) and the only other clothing in the car was her bathing suit!

A Momentous Day!

Autumn's top right tooth came through today (4 down, dozens to go!), she went on her first trip to On the Border, and she took her first steps today. What a way to end her ninth month and enter her tenth!



*warning: there is music so don't play at work ;)

Grammy's 80th Birthday!

We surprised Grammy (aka Great-Grammy) at the Chinese Buffet for her birthday! I think Grammy likes it there since she ate as much as Uncle Marc! While Autumn couldn't enjoy all the wonderful Chinese food, she did have rice - puffed rice - not quite the same but she enjoys playing with it and having some make it to her mouth. It was a very nice day and I'm still full!

Yogurt - Yum!

So Autumn had her first taste of sugar today - none of her baby food has sugar added but we're adding in some foods other than fruits and veggies and decided on yogurt (Yo-Baby Organic Banana!). No surprise, she loved it and I couldn't get it in her mouth fast enough!

Peaches!

Peaches are a hit!

9 Month (and 2 weeks) well visit

Autumn is 18lbs and 28.5" long - that's 25th percentile for weight and 75th for length. Her hemoglobin is low (8.1 and should be about 11) so we need to take her for blood work to see if she inherited my anemia or if she's just not getting enough iron from her foods (she doesn't like the iron-rich green veggies - got that from Daddy!). She only got one shot today so that was better than the previous visits.

Jen's Grandfather

Early this morning my Grandfather passed away. He fought for a long time - much longer than the doctors thought. They just can't account for somebody's will to live. I'm thankful that he got to meet Autumn while he was still feeling a little better. I can tell her how he called her a "little fatty" because of her chunky (yet adorable) thighs. I pray that he's at peace and marveling at God's glorious kingdom.

"Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so you do not grieve like those who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.(1 Thes 4:13-14)...Our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who by the power which enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. (Phil 3:20-21)"

"Dirty Mouth" has a new meaning

Autumn loves Zoe - and today she gave her a big, open mouth kiss on her side...I'm still picking cat hair off of Autumn's mouth area!

Game Debut

ALLENTOWN, PA - Wearing her fashionable pink Phillies outfit (soon to be replaced with her Iron Pigs Ferrous T-shirt) young right-hander Autumn Grace Harper went the full nine innings (only taking time out for one bottle) in her minor league debut with the Iron Pigs at Coca-Cola Park. As any 9-month plus rookie would do in her first time out to the big ball park, Autumn was fascinated with her surroundings, most notably with the large video board on the scoreboard behind her as she sat on the grass beyond the left center field wall with Mom, Dad, Gramma, Grandpop and Aunt Lori. Although sometimes distracted by the cheering of the large crowd, she maintained her focus when it came to watching her family eat chili-cheese nachos and strangers feasting on funnel cake, while she laughed at the young fans running around the KidsZone, knowing full well her time would come for both. As she was paraded around the concourse of the stadium wearing her trademark heart bedecked red hat, she stopped to wave (in her own unique way) to the fans in the stands as if to say, "I'll be back", knowing this would be the first of many appearances for Autumn Grace at Coca-Cola Park. At the post-game meal at Red Robins, Autumn slept while her entourage ate. She did eventually awake to raise a bottle to her successful debut. Oh...as for the game...the IronPigs won 5-3! (report courtesy of Grandpop)

I feel good...

Little Bunny Foo-Foo

That can be her new name since she LOVED her first taste of carrots...

Let's Jam!

Autumn loves Grammy's musical toys and likes to sing and bounce to "Elmo's Jam" on the guitar. She also discovered that a ball can be musical too!!! I'm glad I finally remembered to bring the camera and capture it...

Water Wars Episode I

"Grampy's Funland" presents Water Wars Episode I: "Mr. Ducky" vs. "The Ball"

Take me out to the ball game!

It was actually softball - we went to see Jim play tonight (Olympus has a company team). They lost but Autumn had a fun time anyway...



Autumn's commentary...

Fun with Bears

No exciting plans for the evening so we put Autumn in a wash basket with her stuffed friends...

First Time in a "big" Pool!

It was a nice summer day so we took Autumn to the Lower Macungie Pool - a little bit of a hike but nicer than the ones around here. She loved it!

Autumn's new pinafore!

I ordered Autumn a pinafore from a wonderfully talented SAHM on etsy.com. It came today and I absolutely love it! It's reversible, too. If you are looking for handmade (and well-made) clothing that's affordable, check out her shop - AliyahsHopeChest.etsy.com. Autumn liked herself so much that she kissed her reflection in the mirror today - how cute is that!

We don't like spiders or ants!

It was such a beautiful day outside so we went to Grammy and Grampy's to sit in the shade. Poor Autumn was the victim of a nasty ant or spider - not sure which. She got her first "bite" - she got the raised white bump and it got red but didn't seem to bother her. Bet they don't have a place for this "first" in her baby book!

She's Standing!!!!

Autumn's been pulling herself up for a few weeks now - on us mainly - but today she climbed her way up in the pack-n-play. Since there aren't spindles to hold on to she presses her hands against the mesh and moves her knees in closer as she moves her hands up the sides and then eventually makes it to her feet. It seems like a lot of work! Tonight we visited Grammy and Grampy and were going to put her in their crib for a nap. When we laid her down she sat up and then pulled herself up on the spindles with no effort at all. It was cool to watch her stand in the crib for the first time but I see some bumps on her head in the future as she falls back down in the crib!

Shhhh...

Our little singer decided she should sing in church today - she was SO loud - Jim had her out in the narthex almost the whole service but every time somebody opened the sanctuary door I could hear her! How old does she need to be to start children's choir?

Shopping!!!

Grammy took Autumn shopping tonight while Daddy, Grampy, and Grandpop went to see Batman. Autumn picked a Fisher Price radio that was the closest we could find to the toy Grammy has at her house. It plays a few different nursery tunes for Autumn to sing to. She also got an outfit similar to my favorite one she had when she was about 3 months. I was so happy since I LOVED that outfit and was so sad to pack it away when she outgrew it. So glad Carters doesn't change their line too much from year to year!

We also went to get 9 month portraits done today - we were a week away from 9 months so close enough. Anyway, if you go to Portrait Innovations beware - they don't save their photos so you have to either buy an expensive package to get them on CD or never see them again. And the guy we had lied to me and said we could print from the CD (which I figured was true since it was $40 for 3 more sheets and the CD!!) but Jim opened the files and we could print them the size of a postage stamp - the resolution is super low. Not a happy camper but we did get a few very cute shots! Hopefully a few of you will benefit from my unfortunate experience and be better informed for if you need photos!

The Next American Idol

Well not the next, but maybe in a few years...Autumn loves to sing along to a Fisher Price "radio" toy that Grammy has at her house. Autumn pushes the button and a short song plays - she "sings" and when the music stops, so does she! She pushes it again and starts to sing... sooo cute!

Autumn's First Carousel Ride

We took Autumn to the board walk in Ocean City for her very first amusement park ride - the carousel! Jim took her for a ride while I took photos and guarded the stroller!

Like my new dress?

Gramma bought Autumn a new dress at the Ocean City craft fair...