Happy Halloween!

Boo at the Zoo

Yesterday Colin and I took Channing to the zoo for the very first time. We didn't realize that they were having Boo at the Zoo until we pulled up and saw that every kid was dressed up in their Halloween costume. We were afraid that the zoo would be packed but luckily it wasn't. The weather was nice and it was a beautiful day. Channing actually got excited over a few of the animals, especially any of the ones that are in the cat family. We thought she would get excited in the petting zoo since she always gets excited when her dogs are around, but she could care less about goats. She did touch a couple of them though. I am glad she enjoyed the zoo and I know she will just continue to like it more and more as she gets older.


Here's how she reacts with her dogs:




Here's how she feels about the goats:




Watching the zebras:

The Real Photo Shoot

I forgot to post pictures from when my mom and I took Channing for her six month pictures. These were done by a professional photographer. Just a few of my favorites below.

Photo Shoot

Channing and I had a photo shoot in the front yard and at a park nearby. I know I am not a professional photographer but I think some of the pictures are pretty cute.

We are still here

Since it has been so long since I blogged last, I apologize for this marathon update. We are still living with Colin's parents and are enjoying our time with them. Channing is now almost nine months old! It is amazing how quickly time goes by and how fast she is growing and changing. I am so thankful that I do not have to work and that I get to be at home with her everyday. I would miss so much if I wasn't with her all the time! There are many women out there who have to go back to work after having a baby or want to go back to work (and there is nothing wrong with that), but I am not one of those women. Even when I was working I felt like my place was at home. This is just where I am supposed to be and I am very blessed to have the opportunity to do it.

Here are some things that have happened since the beginning of September:

*Uncle Connor came to stay for a couple of weeks and Channing got to meet him for the first time. As you can see below, she thinks he is lots of fun! Her cousins also came to stay while Connor was here and they all had fun playing together.




Channing and Uncle Damon




Channing and Aunt Melody




The Cousins (Logan, Grant, Maddy, Channing, and Jackson)





*We hung up Channing's swing on the swing set at Gran Jan and Papa's and she loves to go as high as we can swing her. She might end up being a little daredevil like her Daddy. Not only does she like to swing high, but she also likes to be thrown up into the air or flipped upside down (see pictures below).







*Channing and I also made a trip to see my family and what was supposed to be a long weekend visit ended up being almost a week long visit. We were having so much fun we didn't want to leave! My mom has come to visit us and we have seen my family a couple of different times at different places but Channing and I had not gone there to visit since Easter. It was great to see everyone again. Channing has four cousins on both sides of the family so she always has tons of fun watching them and playing with them. Below are a few pictures from the trip.

Playing with Austin on the floor




Hanging out with Meagan




Ema with Madison and Channing (in their matching dresses)




Channing and Opa




*A new experience - Channing got to take a bath for the first time with two of her cousins at two different times. Madison liked washing Channing's hair. It actually was pretty clean when she was finished. And yes, Austin was taking a bath in his shorts (in case you were wondering).








*We also made a trip to our old home to visit all of our friends. We miss all of our friends and were sad that we had to move away from them. We love you guys and wish nothing but the best for all of you. You will always have a special place in our hearts and hope to see you often. One of those friends is my best friend Kristin, who is Aunt Kristin to Channing. We have been friends since our freshman year of college and will always be friends, no matter where we live.




*Channing's friend Claire was turning one and we went to her birthday party. Claire's mom, Sarah, and I were best friends growing up, so we are excited that our girls are close in age and will be friends too. Unfortunately I did not take a single picture at the birthday party.


*Channing loves to watch her Praise Baby DVD. She knows when I turn it on and she knows when it is about to end. She gets excited when I turn it on and she starts to fuss when the last song starts to play. I try not to use the TV as a baby sitter very often, but every once in a while it is the only way I can get something done. It is really helpful when we are going on a trip and I have to load the car. She won't let me the leave the room for a second otherwise.




*Her favorite person still is Daddy.




*She isn't crawling yet but is getting close. She can army crawl and scoot to get anywhere she wants to but doesn't move very far or very fast. However, today she got up on all fours and crawled a couple of times for the very first time ever. It won't be long now. Maybe next time I will be able to say that she is crawling.

Look Who's Talking

Ok, so she might not be saying actual words, but Channing has her own way of talking to us. It is actually quite funny, especially with her squeals and growls. Hope you enjoy the video below (if it works).

Our Latest Endeavor

I know it has been a while since I have blogged and I know several of you out there have made it known that there needs to be an update, but there is definitely a good reason for the break. Within the past three weeks we have packed up our stuff, put our house on the market and moved to another town. Colin decided to sell his lawnscaping business and work with his dad at his plastics plant. We are excited about the move and the opportunities it brings, but it has been very chaotic. I think we are now more settled than we have been but we won't officially be settled until our house sells. Colin's parents were generous enough to let us live with them until that happens.

Besides moving, a lot of other things have been happening. Channing turned six months old! I can't believe how fast she is growing! We went to the doctor for her six month check up and she is still as tiny as ever. The doctor isn't concerned because she is still gaining weight and getting longer. However, she is continuing to develop at a normal rate. Now she can sit up all by herself without any help. At first she would only sit up for a couple of minutes at a time but now she can sit forever. She loves being able to play with her toys this way. Now I think it will only be a matter of time before she starts crawling. I am not in a hurry for her to start. I know everything will change when she becomes mobile.

We have discovered Channing's favorite food. Bananas! She can't seem to get enough of them and you can't try to give her any other food after she has had a taste of bananas because she won't eat it. She does fine with all of the other fruits and veggies we have tried and so far we haven't had any allergies. She is actually starting to really like meal time. We have also started giving her a sippy cup with just a teenie tiny bit of juice. (It is mostly water.) At first she wasn't sure what to do with it but now she has learned to grab the handles and lean her head back to drink. Sometimes she actually gets some in her mouth.

Channing is also starting to have more and more fun in the water. She likes to splash and play in the tub as well as in the pool. I will try to post some pics below.

My mom came up for a visit and we took Channing to have her 6 month pics taken. They turned out great! We bought enough pictures that we got a CD with all of them on it. I will try to post some of those as well. It is just too hard to say no to such cute pictures!

I can't make any guarantees but I promise to try and post more often. Now that we are settled, I should have more time to get on the computer and write.




Moving is hard work!






One way to get around






The best way to get around






Fun in the tub






This is how Daddy gets Channing ready for dinner