Happy Halloween!

The Bees

Here's Miss Magnolia Bee!

A Pumpkin Evening

See below for the amazing process that created this beautiful piece of art...

Tonight we finally decorated our family pumpkins. Maggie painted hers in fall colors, and Mommy and Daddy carved theirs. Maggie really wanted to eat paint, so after I convinced her it was probably best to keep her bugsy (pacifier) in her mouth, she spent half the time painting her bugsy while it was in her mouth, and the rest of the time painting her pumpkin. Then her and Daddy went to work on carving his pumpkin. She quite enjoyed pulling out the pumpkin guts, and feeding them to her dog, who LOVES to eat pumpkin---it's the weirdest thing. The rest of the night she played "baby" with Joe Vandal, while Mommy and Daddy finished carving their pumpkins. Now we are ready for Halloween. I know I've let it slip to a few people what Miss Magnolia will be for Halloween, but I think I'll work on keeping it a secret from now until then for the rest of you---it's just too cute!!!!

*see below for more pumpkin pictures*

She's really not a baby anymore, is she?

Today was the day. The official day. The day I realized that my little girl is exactly that...a little girl! I'm not sure if it was the pigtails that I went ahead and put in her hair, or ALL the words she said today. It might have been just how busy and independent she was all day. Even when we went grocery shopping she insisted on walking next to us. It could have been that she's drinking now from an open lid cup---which makes her even look like a big kid! I'm not really sure what it was exactly, but I definitely know that I don't have a baby anymore. Zac and I just watched our little daughter in amazement all day, just taking it all in. That this little person is what has become of our baby! I can't say for sure how I feel. I think I feel a lot of things. Happy. Sad. Joyous. Grief. All just part of being a mother I guess.

Enjoy this picture I took today of Miss Magnolia Annabelle Crist...

The Pumpkin Patch

We joined the Luangaphay Family for some pumpkin picking this evening. Maggie helped us pick some pretty good pumpkins. She even came home with a little gourd!

Maggie's going to paint her pumpkin this weekend--should be fun!

We've got our wagon, and we are ready to get pickin'.

Johnny, Jesikah and Pennington

Maggie was pretty interested in the dirt and pumpkin vines as well!

Mommies and their little ones!

"Hmmm, where do I start?"

She loves pumpkins!

Magnolia and the family pumpkins.

The tough Dads.

Pennington was a little sleepy.

The Sky is Falling

"Seriously Mommy?!?! Look at all that stuff falling from the sky!"

Well, besides playing in the leaves, Magnolia has been just a happy, busy little girl.

Allergy Update:

We took the plunge today on the allergy front...I told Chris to go ahead and give her some soymilk at lunch. It was so hard for me to do it; when you have a sick child all the time it feels unbearable to consider doing something to make them feel sick again. I'm glad Chris had offered to do it. Raising children with food allergies as well, we knew she'd be the best one to watch for reactions too. She's been so respectful and supportive of the situation we've been placed in with Moo's allergies, we truly appreciate her!

Well, Maggie's doing...GREAT! No initial reactions, so we will be monitoring poop closely (checking for mucus and blood) and paying close attention to her temperament. If she's still allergic to soy we should see the fussiness and irritability related to upset stomach. If she's outgrown at least one of these allergies now I will be the happiest Mama EVER! I can't even imagine the day I don't have to pack her food every where we go, or when we can sit down every night to a "family" meal and eat all the same foods, or when I don't have to hyperventilate and sprint to her every time someone hands her a piece of food that I haven't checked the ingredients of.

It will be wonderful!