Teddy bear, teddy bear

Ida Jane had a great Halloween. She got to dress up as a teddy bear, which kept her warm for trick or treats.



Earlier this weekend she got to go to a Spooktacular at Amy's school. Here she is on the dancefloor, giving Yoda the eye.



And here she is, "bare-headed", after working up a sweat doing some great dance moves:



Then tonight she went out trick or treating. Here she is in the front yard, ready to go!



After she got a little tired, we came home. She greeted other trick or treaters with some scary window raspberries.



After she got dressed up in some beautiful Halloween pajamas, she wanted to stay up late watching for more kids. What a great night!

Of bellies, art, and the klapperfisk

As you know, Ida Jane is expecting her little brother or sister in the spring. In the meantime, she's learning that Mom's lap isn't as big as it used to be:



(Yes, her shirt says "Not a Big Gagne Fan." I got it for her as a joke, and it's unfortunately turned into a good-luck charm. Not only do the Red Sox win when she wears it, but Francona doesn't put in Gagne, either).

Ida Jane loves to go for walks with Olivia. Here she is, giving us a not-so-subtle hint about what she'd like to do:



And here we are, enjoying the wonderful fall weather:



Ida Jane is picking up some new skills. Here we are, working with crayons. The end result was a bit abstract, but we're on our way to making beautiful art:



This weekend we took a trip to IKEA for a few essentials. IKEA has lots of wooden toys and other fun things with strange Swedish names. Here's Ida Jane walking down the hall with her new favorite toy: the Klapperfisk!

Pumpkin Epic

Sing to me, o muse, of the Germantown pumpkin patch and its many colors!



Here's her and Mama sitting on some hay bales, waiting for the tractor to take us to the patch.



Ida Jane was so excited, she couldn't make up her mind where she wanted to go!



The big beautiful turkey was definitely a little intimidating.



So many beautiful pumpkins. Ida Jane wanted to visit each one.



This one looks perfect!



Load 'em up on the wagon, and move 'em out!



Boy, was that exciting. Good thing the car ride is a half hour home.

The Hunt for Fun October

A year ago yesterday was Ida Jane's first day home from the hospital. It's hard to believe our little rambunctious pumpkin was all of 4 lbs. 12 oz. just a year ago.

Lately, she's been having lots of a fun. We visited a farm last weekend, and got to meet lots of friendly animals, like Hal the Mule:



And Oscar the Rooster, who she enjoyed petting:



Ida Jane calls pretty much anything that's remotely cat-sized a cat. And we suspect there's a reason for that. Herman is always at her side. Sometimes, he almost gets put away with the toys by mistake:



There's been a lot of hullabaloo about baseball lately, too. Here's Ida Jane getting ready to root for the Tribe (the Sox were on past her bedtime).



It will get a little tense in the house if the Red Sox and Indians both advance!

Of course, there are the two biggest pieces of news. First, Ida Jane is getting ready to be a big sister! (No pictures of her little sibling are available yet, and Mama hasn't been feeling photogenic lately). We're very excited. The baby is due on April 8, and the doctors all think we can avoid another early entry.

The second big piece of news is that Ida Jane has been a fully licensed walker for a week or so now. She still likes hanging onto things, and quick drops to her bottom are pretty standard fare, but she can definitely move from place to place. Here's a video of her playing with Dada and then walking over to her toys.



Go Tribe! Go Sox!