Apples, Apples, Apples!

My mom and dad have an apple tree in their front yard that was just full of tasty looking apples! We had big plans for those apples...pie, dried apples, applesauce, muffins and whatever else we could come up with! 

The first step was picking the apples. Mama, Annaliese and I tried to do it one day but quickly found out that we weren't tall enough to reach the majority of apples. But we did get enough to make a pie!

 Peeling and coring the apples with Mama

Eating the pie crust first:)

Yesterday, Auntie Kim and Elias came over to join in on the apple fun. We enlisted the help of Bapa and Kyle to pick some more apples. They ended up cutting down a few branches to get us the really good apples that were way up at the top of the tree. After all, the tree was way to big anyways!

And then we were able to get to work! Chopping, boiling, canning, drying...it was all happening at the same time!

Unfortunately, we didn't get as much applesauce made and canned as we had hoped because things got a bit too warm on the stove and we ended up melting the microwave door. We thought about using the crock-pot but that was too slow; and we thought about using the grill but decided to just call it quits for the day. 

 Our little taste-tester...she approves of the applesauce!

Just a few pictures

The month of September has been pretty uneventful as far as big, exciting things go. It is safe to say that we are settling in to a bit more of a routine and a feeling of normalness here in Bellingham. I think Kyle and I have both become much more familiar with Bellingham and are able to get around quite easily. Driving around different neighborhoods in the endless search for a house has helped with that!

We have found time for a few fun things though! We took a Labor Day hike to Point Whitehorn. It was a 3/4 mile fairly flat hike and then a trek down some steps to get to the 'beach' which was all big rocks. Both Annaliese and Elias walked/ran the whole trail, stopping only to look for woodpeckers, check out bugs, or gather sticks along the way. 

The rest of these are around the house or on small little outings we've done to get ourselves outside. 

 Annaliese fell and hit her head on the chair. She immediately asked for the icepack!

 Her new favorite way to get downstairs..."on my belly button" Don't worry...she usually turns around and goes feet first!

 Making cinnamon-raisin bagels

 At Fairhaven Park...Haleigh is sleeping in the stroller in the backgound; we went for a run before playing on the playground.

 Annaliese made lunch for me one day. She set the table all by herself and then got the yogurt out of the fridge and on the table. She then came and got me from the living room and said, "Mom, lunch is ready. We're having urgurt."

 After mine was all gone, she shared some of hers with me...it was pretty much adorable!

Haleigh and I making silly faces

While we've been having a good time at home together, Kyle has been out working every day. Apparently it's pretty exhausting...

6 Months!

Hard to believe that it was 6 months ago that we were in the hospital, meeting our little Haleigh-bear for the first time! She is growing so fast and changing so quickly! I have to remind myself to stop and cherish each moment!

 (yes, we are missing the 'o')

Sleeping: Well, Haleigh's sleeping habits have been all over the place. Ever since we moved, she hasn't slept as well. I never know what to expect- some nights she will go down around 9pm and sleep all night; other nights she wakes up somewhere between 11:30 and 3:00 and wants to eat and then will go back to sleep. Then there have been nights like last night. She was awake and not terribly happy for over 2 hours! Thank you Mama for wanting to cuddle with your granddaughter! Naps are equally unpredicatable. She usually goes down for a nap an hour and half after waking up. Sometimes she will take 2 good naps that are close to 2 hours each...and some days we end up with 3-4 45 minute naps. Oh well. We will just go with it for now and hope that she regulates herself eventually!
       She likes to sleep on her side, with her thumb in her mouth and her purple bunny in her other hand. However, she rolls over at some point because she always wakes up on her belly:)

Eating: We introduced solid foods about a week ago; Haleigh has been very interested in whatever we were eating for the past month, staring intently as we put food onto a fork and then proceeded to eat it. One night at dinner last week, Kyle decided it just wasn't fair and that she should be able to try something. Since we were having avocado, that's what we gave her. She wasn't so sure at first, but she definitely tolerates it just fine. Today I gave her some pumpkin puree and she seemed to like that as well. 

 

Annaliese was a good cheerleader:) She kept telling Haleigh, "Chew it Haleigh. Chew it." followed by, "Yea!! She's doing it!!" 

  

Teeth: Yes, we already have 2 teeth! The front bottom teeth have popped through. Definitely not a pleasant experience. I'm already dreading the other 18 (or however many there are.)

Clothing: Pretty everything we are wearing is 6 months. All of the 3-6 month stuff is now too small and I am ready to go pull the 9 month box of clothing out of storage. The 6 month pants are getting a bit tight. 

Likes: Eating food, being held, Sophie the giraffe, her purple bunny, watching Annaliese do anything, being outside, having her diaper changed, bathtime, sitting up on her own, her jump-thing.

Still working on balancing while sitting:)

Dislikes: Being ignored, getting teeth, Mom eating too much chocolate or garlic (hoping that one of those two things, in combination with teething, are the reason for a crabbier-than-normal little girl!)