Colin: 5 Months!

Dear Colin,

You are 5 months old!! Hard to believe that next month you will be half a year already. Time truly is going by so quickly.

You rolled back to belly over left shoulder on 10/5 and have been consistently going this way since! You've rolled to from your belly to back twice, but I don't think it was intentional since you haven't done it since then. Once in a while, you will roll to your belly in the middle of the night and we have to come in to roll you back over. Unfortunately, you don't generally go right back to sleep so it's been quite a process. You still aren't sleeping through the night.  Every night seems to be different - some nights you'll get up about midnight and 4am, other nights you'll wake up every 3 hours. Your momma is sure hoping you'll start getting some consistent nights soon.

We brought the jumperoo up from the basement and you seem to like it!! It's a completely different look at the world around you. You still like your play mat and bouncy seat, too, but you often roll over or try to roll out of the bouncy seat so they don't last long.

You LOVE to play "peek a boo" and sing "Patty Cake" or "Row, Row, Row Your Boat". We have found your ticklish spots - right at the bottom of your ribs. :-) . We can get some really good belly laughs from you.

Bath time is still a favorite. When I'm running your water and getting you ready, you are constantly kicking and smiling. I think you would lay in your tub forever if I let you. 

You are sitting up so well in your bumbo.

There are no teeth poking through yet, but you are a drooling machine! The top of your shirts are constantly soaked!

I wasn't planning to start you on baby food yet, but we gave you sweet potatoes for the 1st time on 10/23. You love sitting at the table with us and having a little snack!

You truly love people. You will smile and talk anytime someone is giving you attention.

Everyone that sees you tells us how much you look like your daddy!!

You went into the church nursery for the first time and did great. Since you are still nursing, you normally feed during the service but the timing worked out one Sunday so we gave it a try. They said you did great!

You are wearing size 2 diapers and size 6 months clothes.

Happy 5 month birthday, Colin!

Love,
Momma

Pumpkin Carving

We had no plans on the calendar for this weekend earlier in the week...then it turned into a busy one!

I had girls night on Friday night - dinner at Olive Garden - yum!!

Drake had a playdate on Saturday morning with Caitlin from Alicia's. It was so good to see them. Then, Saturday afternoon, I picked up Aireol. We all had dinner and then carved pumpkins!

 

 

Drake did not want to stick his hands inside the pumpkin so Aireol was playing with it to show him that it was okay. :-)

 

 

 

 

Poor Drake was scared to be outside with the pumpkins lit up, but we convinced him that it was okay.

We went to church yesterday and then hung out at home the rest of the day.

The Great Grocery Challenge

 

CVS: OOP $2.01, Saved $16.88 (89%)

Aldi: OOP $9.01

Target: OOP $6.49, Saved $8.04 (55%)

Meijer: OOP $23.10, Saved $31.15 (57%)

FYI - Be sure to watch the catalina machine when shopping at Meijer. I have gotten a coupon for $5 off a $50 Meijer Gift Card many times, and this week was one of them! I know I'm going to spend $50 there so I always take advantage of it and buy the gift card. Why pass up saving $5?

Weekly Totals: OOP $40.61, Saved $56.07 (58% savings)

Check out Mommy Wants Freebies and Encourage Hope for deals each day! 
 

Colin: Sweet Potatoes

Well...I wasn't going to, but I did it anyway.

The other night Colin had been fed and just acting hungry before his bath and bottle. He's been very interested in what we are eating for a while and sits up pretty well in the bumbo so I thought we would give his first food a try. (I was hoping to wait a little longer - closer to 6 months - but he's not really getting much anyway.)

I didn't have any cereal on hand so we went straight to sweet potatoes. He opened his mouth right away. Of course, most of it came out with all of the drooling that he's doing right now, but he loved it.

 

 

Rader Family Farms

Since Drake has been born, we've made an annual trip to our local pumpkin patch aka Rader Family Farms. It has changed and grown over the years and turned into a wonderful place to take kids. I know it's packed on the weekends so I convinced Jason to take today off (half price Wednesdays :-)). It was perfect weather (upper 60s when we were there) and not too crowded.

I was really glad I had Drake take these pictures on our way in instead of trying to do it on the way out since that probably wouldn't have happened. Just wish I could have gotten one of Colin, but he was sleeping on the way in and almost asleep on the way out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We picked up a couple pumpkins on our way out then headed to lunch. It was a great morning!

The Great Grocery Challenge

 

Kroger: OOP $10.92, Saved $40.37 (79%)

You can read about the details of my Kroger trip here (starting Monday). 

Meijer: OOP $37.23, Saved $44.72 (55%)

 

Weekly Totals: OOP $48.15, Saved $85.09 (64%)

I've been pretty happy with my shopping the last few weeks. I have stayed within my budget and still been able to prepare meals at home and gather my donation items for our church's upcoming Imagine campaign. Hopefully, I can keep this up!

Check our Mommy Wants Freebies and Encourage Hope for great deals daily!

Football and Birthdays!

On Saturday, we woke up and went to my nephew's football game. The weather was pretty crappy - cool and rainy, but the boys played their hearts out and won!

*I forgot my camera for the game so hopefully my sister-in-law and mom will share some pictures with me. :-)

After the game, we went back to my brother's house to celebrate birthdays - my brother, sister-in-law, nephew and brother-in-law.

 

 Grandpa Williams & Colin

 

 My sister put dollar bills inside balloons for my nephew to pop! All three boys had fun popping the balloons!

 

 

Senior Night!

After the zoo, we went to my brother's house. That night was my niece's Senior Night at the football game. It was chilly, but a great game. Nicole cheered and played in the band.

 

 

We left shortly after their halftime performance because it was getting pretty cold and the boys needed to get to bed.

Unfortunately, their football team lost the game, but it was a close one. They are headed to the playoffs this week!

Henry Vilas Zoo

We were heading up to my brother's house in Wisconsin for the weekend so we decided to meet my friend, Jackie, and her kiddos at the Henry Vilas Zoo in Madison on Friday afternoon. The zoo is free and had lots of animals different from our zoo...

Giraffes

Carter and Drake

watching the river otters!

happy baby!

Jackie and Lucy

Our family.

The Great Grocery Challenge

 

Meijer: OOP $36.21, Saved $60.78

Visit Mommy Wants Freebies and Encourage Hope for daily deals!