October days...

October is well under way, and I'm sorry it's been so long since I've posted. We've been taking turns being sick, and things have been a wee bit miserable around the palace. Jesse is finally over a nasty ear infection, and I just finished my last round of antibiotics for bronchitis. Katie had a cough that was keeping her up at night that seems to be improving, and I guess Dave seems to be hanging in the best of all of us. We all seem to be in better health and spirits this week. And I finally have some energy to tackle the never ending to do list.

Thanksgiving was a busy weekend with work on Saturday, church and a dinner with the Denne/Meredith Clan on Sunday, and then Katie and I decided to try our hand at our own feast on Monday. Whoa. Is it ever a lot of work. We tag teamed the bird and stuffing. She did the gravy and potatoes and home made applesauce. I did a Gluten free apple pie for dessert, salad, and cooked vegetables. It was a good test run for Christmas, as we will be staying here in Ottawa for the holidays. I'm not one of those people who gets excited for Christmas super early. Usually I don't want to think about it until December. However, having a kiddo now, and getting to establish some of our own traditions and timing is an exciting prospect this year. We will certainly miss our East Coast visit. However, with me being 9 months pregnant at that point, and with all the prep and marking work Dave needs to get done over the holiday, we figured it would be a smarter decision to stay put this year.

Jesse is walking strong these days, and trying out lots of words. He has his own little vocabulary that I understand fully, but others may not. In addition to dada, mama, burb, and tickle, he says up and down, done, brr, car, bath, and hot. He also calls his Aunt Katie, "Ticky." It's pretty cute. He has developed an obsession with books, and anytime he sees one will reach towards it and moan...Booooooo. He hasn't quite got the "k" on the end. We have a big basket of books in the living room and he pulls each one out and brings it to me to read several times per day. He is also getting better at playing more independently and will sit in his little book corner and read aloud to himself while he flips through the pages.

Halloween is just around the corner, and I have a stinkin' adorable elephant costume to sew up for him. It's going to be quite the timely project, but looks like so much fun. We also live in an area of town that gets busy and gets lots of trick or treaters this year, so I'm looking forward to taking Jesse out for a bit and then being home to see all the other kids dressed up.

Dave is making it through the school year with a pretty good attitude and spirits. He is involved in a fair amount at school from the yearbook to guitar club, and the supervisor of the Cappies program. He also has been playing guitar a fair amount for worship at the church and youth group. Maybe he's a little bit too busy..... But I'm always amazed at how well he handles all his activities and work.

It's been lovely having Aunt Katie around. Dave is away a lot and it's nice having someone else to chat with in the house in the evenings especially. It's also fun having someone else who likes making fun of some of Dave's quirks and habits with me. Ya... sometimes we gang up on him. But it's usually well deserved. She has also been very gracious to hang around the house some evenings so Dave and I can get out for a coffee or walk while the baby sleeps.

Well, J bear is spinning around the living room like a bit of a maniac and it's a sign he is almost ready for a nap. I also have plans for laundry and perhaps cutting out his pattern today.... so should be on my merry way. Thanks for reading, I'm out :)