Happy Thanksgiving!

Hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving weekend. We are truly thankful for the many blessings God has given our family in so many ways.

We stayed in St. Louis and hosted Thanksgiving at our house this year. It was our first time cooking a turkey, and I'm happy to report it was delicious! We did a dry brine, thanks to the recommendation and guidance of some friends. Everyone brought yummy side items, so we had a real feast.

There were 16 of us eating, so we put our two tables together and made one long seating area in our front living room. It was fun to all be together around one big table.

After lunch everyone relaxed on the couches watching football and chatting. What an enjoyable day!

Doing the wave

Mead is 10 months old now, and along with that milestone she's picked up a few new tricks. The most interactive one is that she will now wave at us when she sees us and wave back to us when we start waving. It's really fun!

And it reminds me that she is becoming a little person who wants to engage with us and take part in what we're doing too. Sometimes I spend so much time paying attention to her needs that I forget that she might want to pay attention to us too. Welcome to the conversation, Mead! We love you!!

Birds of a Feather

This is bizarre. Last week when Laine and I were walking home from church we saw TONS of birds in the trees near our house. By the time we got home they had all moved, in one sweeping motion, to our backyard. It was really amazing! These pictures don't capture the numbers accurately, but I would imagine there were at least 200 birds nibbling on the leaves and nutrients in our yard.

The birds obviously stayed long enough for me to get out my camera - I was busy telling Laine all about it and being amazed myself for a minute or two. Then, all of a sudden, they all flew away. It looked like a screen of bats flying through the sky.

Anyway, just wanted to share a nature moment!

A reading nook

Laine had some friends over the other day, and all of a sudden they disappeared and were quietly entertaining themselves. Once we moms noticed the silence we began searching.

As one of Laine's new favorite books says, "They each took a book. They each took a nook... Perfect!"

Never mind that the "nook" was in Laine's closet. Whatever works!

Monkeying Around

We just got this cute monkey suit as a hand-me-down from a friend. Laine tried it on so I could get a quick picture. But it's a little on the small side... notice the feet! I guess Mead will be the one who gets to wear it the most. One future Halloween we'll have an adorable monkey on our hands!

Nine months

Even though Mead is closer to 10 months old, I took her this week for her nine month check-up. Everything looked good - Dr. Mathews said Mead seems to be on schedule for gross motor skills. She weighs 18 pounds (25%), is 28.25 inches long (50%), and her head is 44 cm around (40%). She's still on the "petite" side, but she's growing and is healthy.

Mead eats almost everything now, except for berries and dairy. I've started being able to grind our dinner using the food mill, and she loves it! Taco soup, Mexican skillet dinner, and other recipes have been some of her meals lately.

Laine and Mead love playing together - they make each other laugh all the time. I can tell already that Mead is going to be Laine's shadow for a long time to come. We love you Mead!

Hairdos

I'm in the process of learning how to French braid. I never learned when I was little, but I always envied those girls who came to school with a pretty braid or two down the back of their head.

So with a little help from You Tube I've started practicing on Laine. I can't get it very tight, but each time looks a little better. This hairdo came when I tied one side back so I could work on the other. Penny decided he liked the funky pigtails better - so I did both that way!

Any tips on how to hold the hair tight without getting it all tangled together? I feel like I need a third hand!