Wow... an actual productive weekend!

So we had a long overdue yard sale this weekend. We tend to not be pack rats, so we didn't have all that much stuff to sell, but we had a few things. Two tables worth...

... with some overflow into the yard.

We did pretty good... got about $188! It was a LOT of work though. You forget how much work the last one was, so you plan a new one. But we need the extra money, and we sure don't need all that stuff!

I also baked. I know, I'm not supposed to bake, because I am bad at it. Also I am on a diet. But, I was in the mood to bake and I *think* it turned out ok. I haven't tasted it yet. It's pretty anyway, if you like homemade looking things:

Fall is a good enough reason to bake a cake right?

Do you remember the 21st night of September?

I don't! This month has flown by! We are officially in long sleeves!

Josie is standing on her own now:

Ok, Danny is really holding her up like a puppet from the back. She is loving her outside time more and more now that she is hyper aware of what is going on around her.

Even Mommy likes outside time when it's not hot... she even smiles for pictures WHILE NOT WEARING MAKEUP. Like, AT ALL. IN PUBLIC.

And of course, Stevie always loves her outside time, no matter the temperature:

Josie is still into reading the paper with her Daddy:

And she is still into looking cute (and Mom has relaxed the "no pink" standards. It went from NO PINK EVER to OK NO PINK past newborn clothes size to NO PINK past three months to Oh Whatever, fine, pink.)

She also likes to sleep while holding random stuff, like toys, stuffed animals, her bibs, anything.

And bathtime is a real party these days!!

We can't believe September is almost over, but I know I for one am looking forward to even chillier October days! Cause that means more cute long sleeved outfits for Josie... who, by the way, has about 28 times the number of cute long sleeved outfits her mother has.

Random Quick Takes

1) I am pretty sure I had something close to this outfit when I was in high school... thank god for cool kid clothes!

(and yes I got official permission to put this close-eyed picture of Danny on the blog) 

2) Lately, Josie likes to do The Twist while lying on people's laps:

3) Look what I got for $33! Not bad for Boston prices!

P.S. Those Nissin Chow Mein things are SO GOOD, and only $1!!

4) Josie had her 4 month old doctor's appointment yesterday (yes that means shots, boo), so we decided to provide you with some photo DOC-umentation. The flourescent lighting is so forgiving, isn't it? It really highlights my greenish orange hair and my wrinkles!

She is 14 lbs, 2 oz and 24 1/4 inches long, all in the average range. If I have been carrying around a 2 foot, 14 lb. sack of potatoes, why are my muscles not bigger?

  

5) My feet are freezing.

Boston Sports Fan in Training

Watching the Pats season opener:

She actually really DOES love baseball and football... she watches very attentively!  

I'm considering emancipation from my parents. By Josie.

Today, I turned four months old, and I found out I can do a bunch of stuff BY MYSELF. Who needs dumb old parents?

I can touch and grab stuff now, like on my own:

 

You can't see, but I am grabbing these ring things. I have to concentrate really hard, though.

 

This is my newest favorite... mom's hair. I've got her just where I want her.

 

Also, I can go in my exersaucer now. Mom and Dad have to prop me up a little with blankets, because I tend to tip forward. Sometimes I surprise myself by accidentally pressing buttons with my elbow. It's cool.

 

Check THIS out:

 

I also rolled over, but Mom is a bit of a loser and missed the moment. Anyway, I rolled over on the couch (yes, Mom caught me) so it was really easy. I haven't done it on the floor yet, but when I do, Mom and Dad BETTER be ready with the video camera! I don't do this stuff for nothing!

But this is the best part... I slept in the CRIB last night, all my myself!! I did cry at first, but Mom held me, then I fell asleep pretty quickly. Mom cried a lot more, Dad told me. What a wuss! I stayed in there all night, I only woke up twice needing a pacifier rescue. This is what I looked like the next morning when I woke up:

 

And look how BIG this crib thing is!

 

So as you can see, I am totally independent now and stuff. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go cry in Dad's face so he can change me and make me a bottle.

P.S. Mom says this is her favorite picture of me right now:

One Year and 17 Weeks

This week was a big one in our household. For starters, Stevie turned one year old on Saturday. We took her to her favorite place in the whole wide world, Stoddard's Neck, and then Danny brought home Frosty Paws for her. Josie and I also sang "Happy Birthday" to her. Ok, I sang to Stevie while Josie ate her hand and drooled on my sweater. I also made homemade party hats for Josie and Stevie to wear. As you can see, Stevie was NOT amused:

 

For that matter, Josie didn't seem all that thrilled, either:

But they were GOING to wear them. And wear them they did.

Later, we moved on with other activities. Josie chilled in the Bumbo:

 

And had some quiet time with Daddy:

 

She spent some time living up to her t-shirt:

And playing with plastic bags (I get the Mother of the Year award for that):

 

And growing long pretty eyelashes:

  

More fun to come!

SlapHappiness

This is Josie when she gets veeeeerrrryyy sleepy. About 26 seconds after this phase, she enters a desperately unhappy phase, which only sleep can eradicate.

You're gonna want your volume up for this one, too.

Stevie's Heaven on Earth

After we went up to Dad's, where Stevie got to roam around off leash for days, we saw how much she LOVED being free. She was a different dog, nowhere near as neurotic and much better exercised when she was allowed to run free. So, we managed to find ONE place in the whole state of Massachusetts that is both unfenced AND off-leash. It is called either "Stodder's Neck" or "Stoddard's Neck" (we have seen it spelled both ways) and it is in Hingham. It is basically a big, round hill about a mile around that is also a peninsula because it is surrounded on three sides by water, and Stevie LOVES it.

 

The first time we didn't dare let her off the leash, because there were things like other dogs and people there. We had no idea what Stevie would do. But the second visit, we got brave and let her off the leash. She did great! She would wander off in the woods and reappear in front of us, waiting for us to catch up. Then she'd disappear into the woods again, we'd keep walking, and she would come running up behind us. She was in seventh heaven. She even did great with other dogs, running and playing with each one and then moving on to the next one. Our only complaint was that she sometimes would not come when we called her if she was busy playing with another puppy, but we expected that, and we have since been working on that with her. So we have been back twice since that day, and we can easily say it is her favorite place in the universe. The first time we tried her off leash, Danny took her down to the water. She would BARELY put a foot in. She hates the bath at home, and I can only imagine this looked like one giant bathtub to her. Then the next time we took her, she saw another dog splashing around in the water. This encouraged her to hesitantly splash too, but only up to her belly. Then we went today, and Danny got her to go after a stick he threw, ALL THE WAY UP TO HER HEAD!! She was actually doggy paddling! We were so proud of her!

 

 

Josie and I stayed dry up on the path, but she was loving the outside time, too!

 

 

 

All in all, a successful new location for all of us to hang out!!