Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween from the Bee Family: 

Queen Bee, Worker Bee and Baby Bee

For Colden's first Halloween we decided to go with a family costume theme and I decided to make all of our costumes (with Nanny's help - thanks, Nanny).  Some electrical tape for the stripes, coat hangers, knee-high stockings and glitter for the wings and pipe cleaners for the antennae and stingers.

 

 Here you can see the back of his costume with the little stinger

We took Colden around trick or treating in our neighborhood.  Yes, we know he can't eat candy...but mommy and daddy can!  He actually had a blast reaching into the bowls of candy and taking out a handful.  Between this year and next year, we'll just have to work with him on which candy mommy and daddy like the best...because he never seemed to grab the ones that we liked.

After trick or treating was over, it was time for him to admire the treasure:

 

 Note to self, maybe we can get Colden to crawl for the first time using candy as bait...

...because he really seemed to like it!

Overall, I think Colden's first Halloween was a success.
 

 (I'm not sure which one he likes better: candy or leaves)

 My little "Love Bug"

Happy Halloween!

First Hike - Birdwatching

We took Colden on his first hike - to Hawk Mountain, PA - the world's first refuge for birds of prey.  People come from all over to watch the annual hawk/eagle/falcon migration during October.

 

We saw quite a few hawks and vultures.  No eagles.

We even saw an owl.  OK, so the owl was part of an educational program that they had that day, but I just love this picture that I took.  :-)  Yes, it's real.  Yes, it's alive.




Colden had fun taking in the fresh air...the noises...

...and the strings on Mike's sweatshirt.

He had so much fun bopping up and down on the trail...




 ...that we wore him out.

The first of many hikes yet to come.

Picture Day (6 months old)

Picture Day #1

My coworker, who is an amateur photographer, just happened to mention in passing one day that while he's great at photographing landscapes, he could use some practice taking pictures of people.  A light bulb instantaneously went off in my head - he needs an adorable subject to photograph...and I have an adorable son!  Win-win.

He very kindly volunteered to do Colden's 6 month old photo shoot at a nearby lake/park.  Unfortunately, the one weekend my coworker could photograph Colden, Mike was away for a work-related class. 

Colden's 6 month old photo shoot:

 (Of course Josie had to come along to the park.  And of course she had to go swimming in the lake.)

  

 

During the photo shoot, Colden found a leaf.  And then he couldn't concentrate on anything else...

 

If you look hard enough, you will even see a piece of leaf on his upper lip. (I obviously wasn't fast enough to keep the leaf out of his mouth).

 My blue-eyed boy

(Photos by Matthew Shrensel - thank you, Matt)

Picture Day #2

 They had picture day at Colden's daycare the week that he turned 6 months old.  Below are just the proofs from the photographer (so pardon the poor quality of the scanned images). 

 Colden's 6 month old photo shoot, take 2:

Pumpkin Picking

We took Colden to a farm right down the road from us to go pumpkin picking.

At the farm he got to drive the tractor...

He got to act silly with daddy...

He got to hold the reins of a horse made of straw...

And of course, he got to pick out a pumpkin:

At first he didn't seem too excited by the pumpkins...

But that quickly changed when he got to sit on one.

Colden, Mike and I each got to pick out a pumpkin.  As you can see, our little pumpkin did a great job picking out a little pumpkin of his own.

6 Months Old

HAPPY 1/2 BIRTHDAY, COLDEN!!

In honor of Colden's 6 month birthday, we lit candles and enjoyed some yummy birthday cookies.

Well, we enjoyed the cookies while Colden watched.  But don't worry little man, in another 6 months you'll be stuffing your face with cake...and putting it in your hair...and throwing it on the floor...

6 month checkup at the doctor's office:

Weight: 16 pounds, 8 ounces

Length: 27 inches

(3 days)

(1 month)

 (2 months)

                                           (3 months)

(4 months)

(5 months)

(6 months)

It's amazing to think of how far Colden has come in just 6 months!

He is babbling and laughing...


(here he is laughing at me reading him Dr. Seuss's "Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You?" right before bedtime)


...He is holding his own bottle, eating solid foods, sitting up...

In fact, he is sitting up so well now, that he has started wrestling his toys:

...He is even getting ready to crawl:

 

Happy 1/2 birthday to my smiley little man!