let's play...dress up!

Well - Happy Halloween to you all.  Thought I'd post about our day today.  Kind of an interesting one.  Someone on my team at work was randomly asking people with kids if they were smaller than 16 lbs and/or 26" in length - well, Adilyn happens to be both (note her latest deets @ 9 months).  SO I told him that she was and asked why he was asking.  Turns out he has a good friend that works for Halo (sleep sacks) company and she was looking for some baby models.  Yeah - models.  All that to say, I got an email late last week saying they wanted to cast Adilyn for a photo shoot today.  It was quite the experience - though I think I quickly learned that life is not for me! 
To start the day, we had to get up at about 5:30am to get ready and wake Adi up while it was still dark out.  We drove to NE Minneapolis to a photography studio in a big, old brick building.  The photographer and marketing manager met us there close to 7am.  Adi was supposed to just lay on her back, modeling various styles of sleep sacks.  I think they got a few great shots - but we definitely forgot to take into account the fact that Adi is not such a fan of laying on her back anymore.  She wants to be on the move whenever she's awake - so she got quite fussy - having to lay still and put her arms down and keep her eyes open while the bright lights flashed.  All in all, she did a great job - and we may even see her (or parts of her) turn up on websites featuring those sleep sacks!  Towards the end, she had to have her paci to comfort her - so they may use another baby's head for those shots (weird I know)!  But I guess her body is the perfect size for those things!  In all the madness - I didn't even take a picture of her 'on set' - but here's one the Marketing Manager snapped.

Oh - and here's Adilyn's halloween costume this year. This was taken at her daycare's Fall Festival last week.  We kept it simple (cowgirl)- as we had a hard time finding costumes that would actually fit her that had legs - and she would have been UPSET if she couldn't move all night!

Hope you all have a safe night!

photo montage

alright - time for another photo update...

ALWAYS crawling...and smiling!

seriously, Mom?

Hmm. I wonder what's outside?!

Time to break out the jackets...

...and hats - even though we've already outgrown this one, it kept me very warm on our walk!

Everyone loves my fleece! It even matches Mommy's! :)

on the road again...

Just when you think summer is wrapping up and your schedule will slow down....it doesn't.  This past week was a little bit chaotic around the Powers' household! 
Last Tuesday we were all frantically packing - I was off to Bentonville, AR for work; Dan to Montana to hunt antelope; Cade was going to G+G Peltier's and Adi was headed to G+G Powers' house.  Needless to say - I was a bit frazzled; hoping I remembered to pack everything Adi would need while we were away.  It was a rough couple of days - but I was SO excited to finally see my girl again on Friday afternoon; that was a LONG time without her!  I think it's more difficult being away now that she's much more mobile and active - more to miss out on in my mind - but THANK YOU to Grandmas + Grandpa for watching our little ones (Cade too)!
This weekend was pretty relaxing - though it made me realize how much I appreciate when Dan is with us too!  Now that Adilyn is on the move CONSTANTLY - it's a lot harder to get other things done around the house (like laundry and cleaning and cooking).  Oh well, I'd much rather play with my kiddo and have a sandwich for dinner than eat gourmet meals (sorry Dan)!

We spent a lot of time with family this past weekend - lunch + shopping with my Mom; shopping with Grandma Powers and spent time helping my sister move out of her place. It was a full weekend, but I think we finally got organized/planned for the upcoming family photo shoot this weekend! 

Dan got home from MT late last night/early this morning. They didn't get any antelope - but did get a small deer to fill his tag.  We are glad to have him home!

Here's what you've been up to lately:

• crawling EVERYWHERE! sometimes it looks like you just want to get up and walk - you kind of lift your leg up and step on your foot every now and then instead of your knees when you're crawling
• playing by yourself a little more - you entertained yourself very well yesterday when I was busy in the kitchen getting dinners ready for the week
• learning how to 'make things go' - you figured out how to turn the xbox on last night and thought it was pretty funny to press the button over and over - watching the light turn on and off...though you thought it was funny when I told you 'no' and moved you away toward your toys instead - not quite the effect I had hoped for
• EATING - you're quite the little foodie already! you have loved everything we've given you to eat so far - mostly just veggies (remember this when you're sitting at the dinner table refusing to eat those little green trees)
• you are also starting to let us know how good everything tastes - as you end almost every bite with a heartfelt "mmmmm!" which makes me smile every time :)
• you also like to try to share your food with the puppy as he walks by - anxiously waiting for something to fall to his level
• you have started to become more vocal too - clearly saying 'dada' or at least making two 'da' noises in a row
• you recognize your name (usually) - when we say it from across the room, you turn and smile
• continue to pull yourself up on everything and 'cruise' around furniture wherever you can
• you've even "stood" alone for a couple of brief seconds a few times - i think you're on your way to walking in no time
• you HATE your car seat now - though i can't exactly blame you
• guess I should have appreciated the ease of portability when I had the chance!

Well that about wraps it up as of lately. I will try to post some pictures sooner rather than later - and will get our family photos up as soon as I can!
Hope you are all doing well!

humbly proud

well - I think I'm done starting these entries with the obvious - that it's been a while.  My goal is to make it through Adilyn's first year of 'regular' whatever that means - posts about what she's doing and more importantly who she's turning into.  So, I will continue to provide updates and pictures - but I do want to be clear; this blog is not my bragging rite to the public or my only expression of how proud I am of our little girl.  More than anything, I'm realizing and hoping that this is instead a way for Adilyn to look back on the first year of her life - to see what a blessing she is and will continue to be to us.  I also hope that this will serve as a clear reminder of how incredibly blessed we are by not only having Adilyn entrusted to us as her parents - but by the GRACE of God each moment of our lives. 
SO I hope you read these entries as my expression of how humble I am for what God has GIVEN us - not for what I feel we've done right to raise our little girl.  She is amazing, and ours, only by the grace of God.

OK - that being said; please be praying.  For those of you that know, my dearest friend Kristen is expecting a little baby boy in December (due Jan 2, 2012 technically).  She is facing some potential complications - so please PRAY!  - thank you.

Alright. On to the update.  Adilyn is officially 9 months old! SO hard to believe how fast time has flown and that in a matter of 3 months, she will be ONE YEAR!  :)

we got to spend some time at the pumpkin patch with good friends and great weather a few weekends ago 

family pumpking patch picture

playing in the leaves with G+G Peltier

another picture, Mom?

this is the only way she'd stay sitting still...

our little 9 month old!

pretty typical Adi - on the MOVE

Adilyn is 9 months old today - she had a great check up at the Dr. and got her first flu shot.  Dr. said she is VERY happy with Adi's growth and said she's developing into a perfect, beautiful little girl.  Her fine motor skills are very advanced - so apparently Adi will be burning more calories than some other babies her age.  She stayed on the growth charts for 2 of 3 of the measurements:

Height: 25 & 3/4" {2%}

Weight: 13lb 11.5oz {<2%}

Head Circumference: 42cm {10%}



Adi, your'e very busy:

• Crawling! as of about 3 weeks ago - across rooms; down the hall (it's small, but it still counts); at daycare and home
• Pulling yourself up on EVERYTHING - you love to pull yourself up and sit back down slowly. You probably do about 25 reps within an hour!  Up and down you go...
• Chatting - you love to make noises (razz) and just kind of chat/copy noises we make...especially when you're on your changing table
• Giggling - you are one happy baby and it brings joy to Daddy and Me!
• the other day, you tipped the change jar over and coins went everywhere (yes, we need to babyproof still) - so I frantically tried to scoop the coins and couldn't. I had to start picking them up 1 by 1 while trying to scoot them away from you and you away from them before you could pick one up and put it in your mouth.  It took about 2 minutes for me to pick all of them up, all the while trying to keep you from getting them - and you were LAUGHING...which got me laughing.  Thanks for the laughs, honey - you're so much fun!
• Sleeping - you still are a great sleeper at night; even though you aren't big on daytime naps - usually only a couple of 30 minute naps throughout the day.  Fine by me, since this household gets a full nights' sleep every night!

Well, that's about it for now - back to the family! Hope you are all humbled by the blessings God has given you - today and each day!