Happy Halloween!

Hunter spent his first Halloween at the Kenard Dale football game, where he watched his cousin Nate play his last home game as a senior. Nate made some awesome tackles and they won the game 35 to 7! After which, Hunter was so tuckered out that he fell asleep at 5:30 p.m. without even making it into his Halloween costume. Hopefully next year will be more eventful and we can actually take Hunter door to door trick or treating!

Luckily, he had worn his little monkey costume to Day Care earlier in the week and photos were taken of him with the other kids, so the costume wasn't a total loss! He also dressed up with his Opa the night before Halloween in crabbie costumes!

Our Little Music Maker

Season of Change

Here in Maryland, the leaves are beginning to change from green to red. They are quite beautiful, so today we took some photos of Hunter amongst the fall foliage.

Sadly, this changing season also marks a very difficult change in the Vandrey household. Tomorrow, I return to work after 3 months of maternity leave and Hunter starts Day Care. Every time I think about it I get choked up. Ryan is handling it much better than I. Of course he feels bad for me and knows it will be a tough transition, but he has been back to work for quite a while now, so he is use to leaving Hunter every day. I, on the other hand, have not spent more than 4 hours apart from Hunter since the day he was born.

I realize there are benefits to this change; I will have a structured schedule again; I'll be making money with which I can provide Hunter with not only everything he needs but also a lot of things he wants; Hunter will have access to many new fun toys and experiences at Day Care; he's going to learn a ton from Connie (his Day Care provider) as well as the other children she cares for. Despite knowing all of that, when I'm home playing and cuddling with Hunter in the middle of the afternoon, it's hard to think positively about anything that will end those moments. It's also heartbreaking to think of all the "firsts" I am going to miss when we are apart, and there is something very special about watching your child do something for the very first time and seeing the joy/shock/excitement/pride on his face when it happens. I know in my head that this is the very best thing for our family, but my heart just doesn't want to let go!

Here are some photos and videos of the things I'm going to miss most when we are apart:

Playing together and finding new ways to make him smile and squeal...

Checking on him during nap time to find him snoring and making sucking faces...

Afternoon walks and cuddles...

Sucker!

Thumb sucker, that is! Recently, Hunter has been experimenting with putting various things in his mouth. Sometimes it's part of a toy, many times it's his fist or fingers, occasionally it is mommy and daddy's arm or shoulder. Then, today, Ryan went to get Hunter from his nap and witnessed this, which is most definitely a first!

Popular Boy!

Hunter had a busy week filled with lots of special visitors; his Pop, Pop-Pop and Granny J, and Aunt Laurie. He enjoyed being adored by all!

Roly-Poly Baby

Hunter seems to have gotten the hang of rolling over from front to back! Lately, whenever he is having tummy time he flips himself over.

Here are some clips of him in action!

Opa's Birthday!

Hunter got to join Opa's birthday celebration this year. We had a family dinner with Opa, Mimi and Uncle Scott at an excellent restaurant nearby. Afterwards, we returned to our house for Mimi's fabulous rum cake! YUM! Everything was excellent!

Happy Birthday Opa!!

Fall Fun!

This weekend was full of fun! On Saturday, we took Hunter to his first Oktoberfest (thrown at a friend's farm in Maryland). Our good friends, Abbey, Amanda, Alan and Little AJ attended the festivities with us and AJ even tried to drink from his Daddy's Hefeweizen! After a full day there, Hunter came home and changed into his costume for a Halloween Birthday Party for his friend and neighbor Ian, who turned 4.

On Sunday, we took him to Applewood Farm where he patiently sat in a pumpkin patch while Mom and Dad snapped a ton of pictures. Then he visited the petting zoo and saw 2 goats, a sheep, a donkey and a pot-bellied pig!! What a weekend, with gorgeous weather to boot!!

2 Months Old!

Hunter is growing up so quickly right before our eyes. It seems like just yesterday we were having our first ultrasound and trying to decipher his features from the photos taken.

And yet, today he had his 2 month appointment and now weighs 12 lbs 10 oz and is 23 and 3/4 inches long. The doctor said he is in the 75th percentile for weight and 80th percentile for height! If there was a way to slow down time, we would certainly do it to preserve this very special time with him, but we also know there is more fun to come over the next days, months, and years as he continues to grow and develop. We are looking forward to every moment!

Jet Setting to St. Louis

This weekend, accompanied by his parents and grandparents (MiMi and Opa), Hunter took his first (out of utero) airplane ride to St. Louis to visit his Great Grandmother, or Urgroßmutter, "Oma", his Great Uncle and Aunt, Jobst and Joanie, and his Cousin Kitties, Amber and Bisky. Once again, Hunter was a superb traveler and actually slept through the entire flight there, including take off and landing. He had a few wakeful moments on the flight back, but not many. Needless to say, the folks sitting near us on the plane were pleasantly surprised and very relieved!!

During his visit, Hunter showed off his talents and personality by batting at his toys and cooing to his relatives. Oma could not believe how big he was and insisted that he looked older than 2 months, but we assured her that he just has a very healthy appetite! She spent much of our visit holding him in her arms, chattering with him, and rocking him to sleep. It was her first time holding a small baby in MANY years, but she showed the skill of an old pro. Oh - and she paid a little bit of attention to his parents as well!

While Uncle Jobst was hesitant to hold a baby so young, Aunt Joan got some cuddle time with Hunter so he could properly thank her for his new wooden rattle. He had fun tracking it with his eyes and is looking forward to the time when he can grasp and shake it without assistance!

Amber and Bisky seemed a bit less impressed with Hunter (much like his "older brother" Jack) but they certainly were excited that we were staying in the guest bedroom, otherwise known to them as "the forbidden room" and tried to sneak in whenever they got the chance.

It was a very enjoyable visit for all and we were sad to say "goodbye" but will plan a return trip in the near future!