Fall Fun!

Penny took her first completely independent steps when we dressed her up in her Halloween costume.  Turns out all she needed was tiger paws under her!  This very cute tiger went trick or treating for the first time in our neighbourhood to a few houses.  She absolutely loved playing with the candy for days afterwards, taking it in and out of her little bucket.

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Her young friends came over for a Halloween Party and of course we tried to line them all up for a group photo.

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We had fun exploring the local fall attractions – Art Knapps’ “Funland” and of course, the Laity Pumpkin Patch!

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Penny’s First Birthday

How has a year gone by already?  It has been a while since we’ve done an update because life has been rather busy these past many months.  Hitting the milestone of the first birthday has made me nostalgic.  Sebastian and I have spent some time going through all of the photographs from the past year to put together the collage for her party, and it has been such a joy to reflect on everything that we’ve been through.  A year with a baby is a life-changing rollercoaster, one that no book nor amount of advice can prepare you for.  We are stronger as individuals and as a family with everything that we have been through together.

We celebrated our baby girl’s 1st birthday by having a celebration with our family & friends.  I had a fantastic time making her outfit.  Being on maternity leave has allowed me to rediscover my love for crafts.

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The stage is set –

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Her baby friends start to arrive, and surprisingly they were willing to wear the felt party hats I made them!

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The birthday girl finally woke up from a long nap and was delighted to see her baby friends all in one place!

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We decided to splurge a bit and got a custom cake made by a local mama at Crave Worthy Cakes.  She did an amazing job particularly with the little details.  Since Penny loves our two cats so much that “kitty” was one of the first words she learned, we decided to get our kitties on the cake for her.

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Her response to fondant icing was a look of disgust as if to say “this is not food”, as she threw it on the floor.

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The traditional cupcake was much more well received!

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The ball pit was a huge hit with the babes:

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Bubbles!

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My lovely, here’s to another year of giggling games of peek-a-boo, exploring nature, reading stories together, playing at the park and watching your personality blossom.  Your joy and curiosity is so contagious, and I am delighted to have made the decision to take another year off work to be with you.  I have learned so much from you already.  Thank you for all of the love and fun that you have brought to our lives!
love, Momma & Dadda

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Penny Adventures

Getting aquainted with the piano.

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How every morning starts – time with Smoke.  Sometimes it’s cuddles and rubs, other times they just like to watch the world go by.  These two are becoming quite close, and it’s adorable to watch.  Smoke tolerates Penny grabbing and twisting his fur, and he even brings her toys so she can chew on them.  These two understand each other.

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We have discovered a tremendous variety of peekaboo games – it is easily her favourite thing these days.

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Sitting up milestone achieved!  She can’t yet figure out how to get in this position, but she can stay in it for a long time now.  She enjoys playing with her toys sitting up – the new angle gives her many more options.

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Facetime me with Uncle Pauly!  Penny loves technology – especially because it connects her with awesome people who make fun faces for her.

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Some of the most precious times for me are when I have Penny in the carrier and we go for long walk stogether.  I love feeling so close to her and getting to experience her curiosity in the world up close. She’s so fascinated by everything new she learns about – her head flips side to side as she tries to take in the sights and sounds all at once.   The time in the carrier also reminds me of the way it felt when I carried her inside me.  It’s hard to believe we’re approaching the point where she’ll have been out in the world as long as she was inside of me.  It’s hard to remember the time before she was part of my life.  {thank you Jenna for the Tula recommendation!  This carrier is tremendously comfy}

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Army crawling and playing in the living room, aka playroom.  She’s a determined little one and when she something across the room catches her eye, she will get to it with a series of wiggles, rolls and army crawls.

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Learning to eat with daddy.  Of course most of the food is everywhere BUT her mouth!

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Her big bright smiles when she first wakes up from naps are one of my favourite parts of the day.

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Now that spring is here at last we’ve been going to the parks frequently.  I feel so fortunate that there are two fantastic playgrounds just a short walk away along the riverside trail.  Penny loves the swings – especially when she goes fast.  She giggles at the feel of the wind through her hair.

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Between story time at the library, Mother Goose program at the retirement home, play dates with girlfriends and their babies, daily walks, time with family, and the day to day necessities, life with Penny is busy!  And beautiful ☺️