Halloween/Pumpkin Patch

So last Sunday the fam made our annual trip to the pumpkin patch. As we are in a recession and all I didn't feel like forkin out the big bucks to get ripped off at The Chesterfield Berry Farm or The Ashland Berry Farm where it costs $ just to get in the door. As luck would have it I found this farm www.gallmeyerfarms.com . Not only is it close by but they have free hayrides! It is really a mom and pop place and Millie loved it. We got there grabbed a wagon and headed out to the pumpkin patch. Once Millie saw all of the pumpkins I thought she would lose her mind, all she could do was point everywhere and go "oh, oh, oh!" We let her play with the pumpkins and all the scarecrows then went back and paid for our pumpkins. We got 4 pumpkins for $19 and I even got a white pumpkin, which is my favorite. We will going back next year recession or not...

Ahh Halloween... My favorite holiday yet this year we did zero decorating mainly out of fear that Millie would try to eat anything we put up and or destroy any decorations. I decided we would go to the Children's Museum to play/Trick or Treat. It seems that every other person in Richmond had this idea and needless to say it was a disaster. After being told 5 different things about which line to get in we made it inside, and that's where it went downhill. There were so many people and kids were running wild it stressed me out. We made it into the little kids area which was a barn and since Millie was a chicken it was ideal, until I put her in the "Crawlers Patch" which is supposed to be for little ones who can't quite walk yet. They had oversized fake pumpkins, tomatoes and carrots and other fun stuff to play with and Millie was having a good time until these big kids who were like 6 or 7 jumped in there and started grabbing the oversized produce and throwing it around. Myself and another mom had to lay down the law and kick them out and then their parent's wanted to know why we were yelling at their kids, and we had to let them know that the area was for little kids henceforth the name "Crawlers Patch." They were pissy but left. I have no tolerance for parents who let their kids run wild. I already had to yell at some red-headed brat who tried to karate chop Millie at Kangaroo Jac's I'll be dammed if I let some kid throw a giant pumpkin at her. Anywho there were lot's of teenage "workers" at the museum who were too busy texting to keep any sense of order and we promptly left without Trick-or-Treating. Needless to say we won't be going back next year.

Millie had fun but since she will be walking next year we will hopefully be able to just walk around the hood and it will be much more enjoyable and much less crowded...

You can give me the award now for worst blogger ever, it's cool. I have been sooo tired lately I just don't have the heart to sit down and type, don't worry I'm not preggers again.

So Millie had her first birthday on September 5th and it was great. The theme, and I use that term loosely, was mermaids. I actually sewed a fabric banner, made paper garland flags and some other decorations which of course Millie didn't give to craps about but I was proud of myself. Chip as usual made too much food, (but it was all yummy)we had Tres Leches cake from La Sobrasita bakery on Midlothian Trnpk (a layer of chocolate and a layer of strawberry) and Millie got to hang with her main man's Henry and her new bestie Merit. We played one game b/c I love games (pin the bow on the bald baby) and when it came time so sing Happy Birthday Millie cried like nobody's business. It was funny. I think everyone had a good time and hopefully left stuffed and content.

The Souchuns came down from Connecticut and got Millie a wagon which i now have to take her out in everyday b/c she sits in front of the window and points at it repeatedly. It's good b/c it makes me exercise and Millie just bounces up and down while we stroll the neighborhood.

She is almost walking on her own, she has gotten braver about letting go so it's only a matter of time before all my beloved treasures will have to be put on top shelves or away...

I don't have a good tooth picture yet but the top two are coming in as I type so she looks pretty funny when she smiles. I am also sad to let you all know that Chip has taught her how to "raise the roof" which i lamented was way to 90's but her persisted and now she could be in a re-make of Cool as Ice.

We haven't had any success at blowing kisses b/c she just keeps hitting her head so that may take longer...

Well I haven't been keeping up with the blog mainly out of laziness and the fact that Millie is now on the move and is wearing me out.

In major news we made a huge road trip to Chicago for T-bird's wedding.

We broke it up some but we were still in the car for 7-8 hours every day, it sucked but Millie really only freaked out once so it could have been so much worse.

The wedding was booty-ful and fun, don't worry I got my dance on.

Whilst in Chicago we went to the Lincoln Zoo and the Shedd Aquarium, we learned that Millie loves monkeys and beluga whales.

We now have to constantly keep an eye on the Milkster she is crawling and in to everything. She likes to turn the Wii on and off and mess with the CD cases. She is also waving bye-bye and pointing at everything she sees. Her favorite thing to do is go look at the pictures in the hallway and try to tell us who she sees.

Millie and I took a plane ride to NYC to visit or CT. family. The plane ride up was sucky b/c we were stranded on the runway for 50 minutes b/c a VIP was landing at JFK. The VIP was Obama and while I voted for him I was totally pissed at him for making my baby cranky on the plane and stressing me out. The way back was much better she slept the entire time.

Our Ct. visit was great and Millie got to spend time with her main man Henry eating pizza, chocolate cheesecake and going for rides in his F-150 power wheel. We also attended Ned's high school graduation party. People I used to be his nanny and now he's graduating high school it made me feel old and like I should be a grown up but I don't feel grown up at all just like a kid with wrinkles...

Millie is having a mermaid themed b-day party soon and i can't wait for it. I can't believe it's been almost a year since I popped her out. We are planning to do a time capsule and a game or two but that's about it. I will try to stay on top of this thing...

Also we visited Michael Jackson's childhood home in Gary, Indiana on the way home. It was nine in the morning and the po po were in full force and lots of people were there taking pictures and leaving mementos. My favorite was the one dish glove laying on a wreath. Thanks MJ...

So next week Millie will be 9 months old! I know I say it all the time but I still can't believe how fast it goes by. I held a co-workers 5 week old baby yesterday and he was soooo tiny and it blows my mind that Millie was ever that small.

Millie has started pointing at things which I find to be adorable but I also think her farting is adorable so take from that what you will. Her teeth are also slowly coming up more and more and she seems to be doing fine with them. She still is an uber happy baby and I hope she stays that way forever (happy not a baby, that would be weird) but I fear the teenage years are going to be payback.

New things she is doing is making a clicking noise, scooting on her but like a dog and hating chunky stage 3 foods.

Here are some pics of our fabu new patio and Millie in her bathrobe. Scandalous!

Ok still no Taggie photos but this weekend I will take pictures of that and our new patio! Yes Chip and I managed to make a patio that doesn't look horrible. Imagine that. It only took us a month but whatever it's done.
To hold you over here are some pics. I hope there aren't any repeats...

Spring has sprung, which means Millie gets to wear cute dresses, bloomers and hats.
Also she has discovered her feet and she thinks they are delicious, she obviously hasn't encountered any toe jam yet. She is on her way to crawling as she keeps putting her hands down and squirming her legs but no actual movement yet, which is good b/c we are way behind on babyproofing. We needs to get on that. In monumental news I actually sewed something that doesn't suck... A taggie blanket for Millie after my mom lost the one we had on a walk. My mom is oblivious so she didn't notice when Millie "threw" it out of the stroller. Umm that baby can't throw things, my mom's dog Maggie (who rides in the stroller with Millie b/c she is an obese Chihuahua and doesn't like to walk) more than likely ate it. I will post pictures of the miracle taggies in a few days. They even look square, wonders never cease.

On a side note about my mom's dog, the thing is huge and it wheezes when it walks/waddles. When we tell her the dog is fat she says she has put it on a diet. "What kind of diet mom?" "I stopped giving her Puperroni." Nuff said. That dog is f'ed. *A glimpse of this dogs future

Happy Easter!

Millie did not like the Easter Bunny, in fact she seemed terrified and kept looking up at shim like it was going to eat her. I selected the bunny from Chesterfield Town Center over the bunny at Regency b/c it was creepier and had glasses. I have decided next year to rent a bunny rabbit costume and set up a booth at the Easter Day parade to make mad loot, really it was crazy expensive for this picture and its not even centered.

Millie is becoming quite vocal and even said da-da, we aren't sure if she has made the connection but Chip is convinced she has and rubs it in my face. She likes to babble at her toys and now likes to slam her toys to hear the noise it makes.

We have started giving her solids 2 times a day and she loves it. She is getting better about eating and not making such a mess, except while at Grandma's b/c she comes home covered in food. It looks like my mom just throws food at her hoping some of it goes in her mouth.

Thanks to Amy and Henry, Millie has become obsessed with Taggies. You see babies love to play with the tags on all their toys etc... and not the actual toy so some brilliant and now rich mom made blankets, toys etc... that are just covered in tags, hence forth Taggies. Taggies ain't cheap so I have kidded myself into believing that I can make a Taggie blanket myself so we will see how that goes.... Thank You Amy and Henry again they are her new favorite toys.