All the Treats!

Teeny Peep Bumpdate {39 Weeks OUT!}

For whatever reason, this milestone is a really big one to me.  When my babies have been earth side the same amount of time that they were in my womb it really makes me see how time changes so much.  It pulls on my mama heart like you would not believe!  In my mind this is officially the last “bumpdate” for each baby: when they have been earth side the same time as I carried them. It’s a big milestone.

I remember reaching this milestone with Dutch, and it amazed me.  Dutch was born at 40 weeks and 6 days. 

5 weeks pregnant ~ 31 weeks pregnant ~ 1 month old ~ 40 weeks old

Ellis was born at exactly 39 weeks (the exact day I told my doula she would be born back when I was only 6 weeks.  Sometimes mamas just know this stuff.) So here she on the outside for the same amount she was on the inside!!! Major milestone!

7 weeks pregnant ~ 31 weeks pregnant ~ 1 month old ~ 39 weeks old

Here they are both at 1 week postpartum

(Dutch on the left & Ellis on the right)Both babies at the same milestone, though Dutch was 40 weeks (left) and Ellis was 39 weeks (right)

I do love having my babies in my arms, but I definitely miss feeling them kick me (on the inside, kicking on the outside is far less cute hehe), and the safety that my womb provided them.  They are both growing so fast.  I can’t stop starring and trying my best to soak in and embrace these baby days.

Pumpkins & Ghords

So if you’ve looked at Facebook at all in the last month you’ve, I’m sure, been inundated with pictures of the sweetest kids dressed in their best selecting the most PERFECT pumpkin in the patch.  Right? Well I guess we’re joining in on the fun.  You know I couldn’t help myself. I’ve been dreaming about this trip since September last year! This past weekend we went to the pumpkin patch for the second time this year.  We went the first weekend of October, and guess what?! They didn’t have pumpkins yet! WHAT?! So we had a do-over this past weekend :-) For the past 2 years we have had Aunt Nana go with us (2014 & 2015) and we have made so many memories with her.  Sadly she couldn’t go with us this year waaaaaaaaaaa!  Even though Aunt Nana couldn’t be with us this year, we made the best memories we could.  When Aunt Nana and I were in youth group at church we always sold pumpkins to raise money for mission trips, so we always take the kids to a church pumpkin patch.  This year we tried out a new church patch and it was perfect.  They had great areas for pictures and a nature trial to take right around the corner.    Last year Dutch was only interested in the ghords.  This year was no different.  I don’t know what it is about them that he likes so much (maybe they are light enough for him to pick up by himself?), but he was not entertained by the pumpkins at all.  Ellis got a pumpkin and Dutch wanted a ghord :-) I’m pretty sure the picture above is my new favorite.  I can’t stop smiling when I see it!

And of course what kind of mother would I be if I didn’t compare my babies each year?

We weren’t there long, just for the morning, but it’s amazing how those little moments will be solidified in my mind for all time.  We had a blast and my heart was filled with joy as I watched my babies explore the pumpkin patch with big enthusiastic eyes.  I am not wishing this next year away but I can only imagine how much fun we will have next year at the pumpkin patch with two walking and talking.

Fall Books for Kiddos

I am always trying to rotate our books.  Dutch is a big reader, so we go through a lot of books.  But just like I get tired of reading the same books over and over again, he gets tired of hearing the same books.  From an educational perspective, I know that when he is starting to recite the words with me, or even say them before I can read them, that he has memorized the book, and it's time to move on and incorporate some new material.  As we go through and learn about the different seasons, it's a great time to switch out some of our books.  Our favorite fall books right now are about football, the seasons, Halloween, & Thanksgiving, and here are our favorite fall books right now:

Pumpkins Pumpkins Everywhere Football with Dad : It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown : Pumpkin Patch Blessings Pumpkin Party! : Here We Go, Steelers! Here We Go! : I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie
Mickey's Spooky Night 'Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving : Little Critter Fall Storybook Collection Disney Mickey Mouse Happy Halloween Little Pop-Up Sound : The Night Before Thanksgiving A Halloween Scare in Texas
The Berenstain Bears Thanksgiving Blessings, Harvest Festival, and the Prize Pumpkin

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving  My Thanksgiving Prayer, Apples & Pumpkins, God Bless Our Fall P is for Pumpkin: God's Harvest Alphabet, T is for Turkey: A True Thanksgiving Story I added these next 13 books in Fall 2017:

Autumn Snow ~ There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Leaves Llama in Pajamas ~ The Pumpkin Gospel ~ Johnny Appleseed

A Tree for All Seasons ~ Thanksgiving is For Giving Thanks ~ Little Blue Truck Farm Sticker Fun ~ Fletcher and the Falling Leaves ~ We're Going on a Leaf Hunt ~ Little Blue Truck's Halloween ~ God Gave Us Thankful Hearts

The Parable Treasury ~ or just The Pumpkin Parable

Pilgrims of Plymouth ~ Seed, Sprout, Pumpkin, Pie 
The Thank You Dish The following I added in 2018:

Goodbye Autumn, Hello Winter ~ Because of an Acorn Here is a collection of all of our apple books that are great for fall (More ideas for a unit study here)

Apples ~ It all Starts with a Seed ~ From Seed to Plant ~  A Seed is Sleepy ~ A Picture of God 3 in 1 ~ Apples and Pumpkins ~ Autumn is for Apple Pie ~ Secrets of the Vegetable Garden ~ How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World ~ The Giving Tree ~ These Colors are Bananas ~ The Seasons of Arnold's Apple Tree ~ Johnny Appleseed ~ Apples for Everyone

The Pumpkin Book ~ Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn  Ox-Cart Man ~ The Apple Tree's Discovery

 I Am The Seed That Grew The Tree

Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf ~ Autumn Leaves  In November

The Story of the Pilgrims ~ If You Sailed on the Mayflower in 1620

Balloons Over Broadway

Over the River and Through the Woods

Elsa Beskow Peter in Blueberry Land Collection ~ The Story of the Root Children ~ Outdoor Book ~ Woodland Book ~ Elsa Beskow Children of the Forest Collection ~ A Tale of Two Beasts ~ Seasons ~ Peek Inside a Tree

The Pilgrims of Plimouth ~ If You Lived in Colonial Times ~ Squanto Friend of the Pilgrims ~ Sarah Gives Thanks ~ Pocahontas ~ A River Ran Wild ~ Who Were the First North Americans?

Cranberry Thanksgiving ~ Leaf Man ~ Trees A Rooted History ~ Tell Me, Tree ~ Fall Walk ~ Nature All Around Trees ~ Room on the Broom

Seed by Seed ~ The Little Guys

From Apple Trees to Cider, Please! ~ Time for Cranberries

Rettie and the Ragamuffin Parade ~ Pumpkins

Thanksgiving with the Tappletons ~ The Thanksgiving Door

Fry Bread ~ Sharing the Bread

Too Many Pumpkins ~ The Scarecrow

Three Young Pilgrims ~ The Thanksgiving Story

I've got my eyes on some new books I want to get to add to our stash (thank you Amazon Prime!) Please tell me what are YOUR favorite fall books?!  What new books do I need to add to our collection? Better yet, Christmas is right around the corner, what are your favorite Christmas books for children?