November Miscellaneous

After returning from our Inks Lake outing, we determined it was time to invest in another baby hiking backpack....

"Look Mama, I could totally carry Autumn." 

Let's start with your own water and lunch.

I barely trusted Adam to put on the empty pack itself.

"He tells such great stories."

I have had this baby outfit since before Aaron was born. It was the first baby clothing item I purchased. I didn't know too much about babies then and how they grow and that ours would be so large... so that mixed with the time of year they were born, neither of the boys were able to use it. For reasons unknown, I stashed it away with a few other baby items I couldn't part with (Levis jacket, etc)... knowing darn well, at the time, that we were good with two and done. Long story shorter, I pulled it out the other day, once again faced with the daunting task of getting a giant baby inside of this rather awkwardly designed Eskimo suit. She was her normal joyful self at first, tossing a few smiles and being cute...

Then the newness began to wear off and she realized how warm this outfit was, on top of her natural and highly insulated body...

Then she went to a dark place...

"This isn't fun anymore."

Big brother cuddles. It's so cute to see Aaron so interested in her... he was just as interested in his baby brother when he was two years old and would always climb up on the bed asking to "holda Baby Ada."

Oh man, my heart skips a beat every time. Sometimes I lose breath entirely.

"What's up?"

With both boys Alan and I meticulously selected the "baby" that would become their number one pal over their kid years. With Aaron it was Doggie, a well traveled, stuffed Husky who's gone through several rounds of fur replacement and scaring from nervous rubbing. Adam's main squeeze is Puppy (I know, we're original), who is a special edition dalmatian having something to do with 9/11. She (Has Puppy always been a girl?) is always close by and is still required for sleeping, long car rides, and movies on the couch.

Autumn is no different. I went through the possibilities, not wanting another dog, we settled on this monkey...

There's a good chance, for safety reason, we'll have to dock her tail but I think she'll be a good friend. Autumn was just testing out her crib while I put clothes away and I let her hold the monkey, who will probably be named, you guessed it, "Monkey."

Things progressed quickly and she went in for kisses. I'd say they hit it off nicely.

Middle brother cuddles.