Trick or Treat!

The Halloween festivities continued this evening with some trick-or-treating in our neighborhood.

Alaina got all treats and no tricks.

Happy Halloween!

From our little flower.

Best Halloween ever!

A Presidential Welcome

Alaina got a pretty important piece of mail yesterday... a "Welcome to the World" from the President and Mrs. Obama.


We sent The White House a birth announcement and got this in return. It will make a great addition to her baby book.

Alaina's First Pumpkin

Alaina is very excited about Halloween tomorrow. She planned her pumpkin design the day after we got home from the pumpkin patch and woke up bright and early this morning knowing we were going to carve it.

Alaina and Harry resting up for the pumpkin carving.

All set to get started!

Let the carving begin!

Harry really enjoyed gutting the pumpkin... maybe he had a little too much fun.

I'm cutting the eyes. Alaina insisted on hearts.

Our finished product.

The pumpkin all lit up. Alaina is thrilled with how it turned out.

7 Weeks

Alaina turns 7 weeks old today; it's hard to believe. She is smiling and staying awake for longer periods during the day (I use this time to take lots of pictures). To answer our favorite question, "Is she sleeping through the night?"... No, no she isn't; she's only 7 weeks old. She gets up at least once, sometimes twice to eat, but we are working on sleep training so hopefully she will be able to go longer hours soon.

When you take a lot of pictures of a 7 week old, you get a variety of results.

Sometimes they look happy.

Sometimes they look really happy.

Sometimes they look thoughtful.

And sometimes you don't know what's going on, but it makes you laugh.

Happy 7 week birthday, Alaina! We love you!

Date Night

Last night Harry and I had our first date night sans baby since Alaina was born. We went to dinner at Villa Antonio and to see the movie Buried. Both were wonderful and even though we missed Alaina it was good to get some alone time.

We paid Laura with coffee and cupcakes. I'm calling this the babysitters survival kit.

Alaina arriving at her Aunt Laura's, ready to be sat.

Laura and Alaina after a cultural evening consisting of Jeopardy, "It's Not the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown", Baseball and the News.

Harry, Alaina, and I ready to go home.

Wordless Wednesday

It felt like a pink overalls day.

Playtime for Alaina!

Alaina is really starting to become active and have a sweet little personality... I thought I would share it with all of you.

This was Alaina playing today.

This was Alaina playing with her Aunt Laura on Friday.

30th Annual Thompson Family Reunion

This past Friday and Saturday the Thompson family met for our 30th annual family reunion. It is 2 days of eating and socializing that Harry and I look forward to every year. This year we got to introduce Alaina to our relatives and the festivities of the day.

Harry, his dad, and little Alaina sitting around the fire.

Harry and a very happy baby

This year Russ added homemade fried pickles to the menu... they were delicious!

The pigs ready to be pulled off the grill.

Pulling the pork off the bone.

Chopping the pork.
While the men work on preparing the meat for dinner, the ladies enjoyed a tea party (some even wore their pearls!)

Mama and Alaina at the tea party.

Laura feeding her favorite niece at the tea party (note the pearls!).

Alaina, Harry, and I ready for a dinner of chopped pork, baked beans, homemade slaw, and more desserts than you can imagine!

How Very Mad Men

Mad Men (one of Harry's and my favorite shows) is set in the early 1960s so I felt it fitting that it appeared int he title of this post. On Friday I made 3 pies for the Thompson Family Reunion (more pictures of that to follow) and I did it while having a baby strapped to me. I thought women of the 1950s/1960s would have been proud of me.

Too bad I forgot the 3 pies at home for the reunion. Oh well, more pie for Harry and me!

Our Pumpkin at the Pumpkin Patch

Yesterday Harry and I took Alaina to meet some friends and pick out a pumpkin at Carrigan Farms in Mooresville, NC (talk about your full fall weekend... leafing and pumpkin picking). We all had a great time and Alaina picked out a nice 24 pound pumpkin.

Alaina and me with the pumpkins.


Harry and Alaina with the pumpkins.


Alaina finally got to meet Ayla, too... Ayla was born 3 weeks after Alaina.

Me, Alaina, Ayla, Nicole, Ingrid, and Carson

Alaina will carve her pumpkin very soon; she has requested a happy face. More pictures of the carving will follow soon.

Leafing on the Blue Ridge Parkway

This weekend was beautiful and the leaves on the Blue Ridge Parkway were at peak viewing season so Harry, Alaina, and I drove up to look at the beautiful scenery.

Harry and I paused for a quick picture.

Alaina and Dolly hung out in her car seat.


We paused along the way for a picnic lunch at one of the overlooks... it was beautiful!


A family photo at our picnic site.

We ended our trip at the top of Mt. Mitchell.

Harry, Alaina, and I at the overlook on Mt. Mitchell.



Views from the top of Mt. Mitchell.