Caroline's First Halloween

I was going to do one big Halloween post on Sunday, but I decided to do one "kiddie" post tonight & one adult post later on because we have way too many Halloween festivities going on this weekend to cram into one post. Kiddie post comes first...
This being Caroline's first Halloween, I am trying to do as many festive things as possible. This is definitely a case of "the apple didn't fall far from the tree" because my mom is the queen of holiday festivity-ness (yes, I made up that word). I remember being visited by the Great Pumpkin in October and St. Nicholas in December (in addition to Santa Claus!), & making cherry turnovers on George Washington's birthday. I think my mom even had activities for Flag Day. That's just the kind of lady she is :)
Anyways, we did the apple orchard & pumpkin patch trips earlier this month to get the holiday spirit ball rolling and I feel as though we've done Halloween justice as well. It started last night with a pumpkin carving party. Several friends and our little family went over Kim's house with our pumpkins and some goodies to snack on while we carved. I should have known that this get together would end as these get togethers always do: with the girls in one room chatting away and the boys in another location doing something mischievous. Last night was no different. The girls ate and talked and the boys went out back, found a Red Rider BB gun, and proceeded to use our pumpkins for target practice. We didn't realize what was going on until I went outside to check on Paul's carving progress and he nearly dinged Caroline as we unknowingly crossed the line of fire! Luckily, no one got hurt (except the pumpkins). We left the party with a wounded, uncarved pumpkin.
Today we got up with a full schedule of Halloween plans. The first stop of the day was to Stroller Fit class for a Pumpkin Party. Normally Caroline and I get a good workout in during this class, but today all we did was sit around looking adorable and eating as many sugary treats as possible before 10 am. Ok, Caroline sat around looking adorable, I ate as many sugary treats as possible. MANY thanks to Paul's Aunt Kellie for the cute Halloween outfit!! Caroline got an astounding amount of oohs and ahhs while wearing it. Caroline herself also enjoyed the outfit tremendously.
After the Pumpkin Party, we headed home to carve our pumpkin. Daddy did the carving while Caroline sat in her high chair & played with pumpkin goo. Messy, but fun. After that Caroline went down for a nap & Mommy baked a bajillion sugar cookies for our Halloween party tomorrow night.
The last Halloween activity of the day was Cold Call at Darden this evening. Caroline donned her adorable Halloween outfit again and we headed out to enjoy a good time with friends and a costume parade for the children. Once we got there, we put Caroline in her Halloween outfit: a hot dog suit. She looked really cute, but also a little hot & scared, so we took her out after snapping a few pics. Luckily, she was wearing her special outfit underneath, so that served as her "costume" for the evening. After a couple hours (and many more sugary treats) we headed home.
I know that Caroline won't remember her first Halloween, but I know I will and I hope the hundreds of pictures we took will show her how much fun we had when she's older! I at least know I exhausted her with all the activities I carted her around to (see the last pic).

Cereal Time!

Today was an exciting day in the Hepper household...for me at least. We gave Caroline her first taste of solid food: rice cereal. The goal of this introduction was just to let Caroline taste the cereal, not eat a whole bowl of it. It's a good thing we started out with those expectations because I don't think even a teaspoon actually made it down the hatch. Caroline did seem to enjoy the experience though, she didn't get nearly as excited as I thought she might. The funniest part was when I gave her the spoon to try and feed herself. It's a good thing the spoon is soft because she proceeded to poke herself in the eye, forehead, cheeks, and ears before finally finding her mouth. . I think the rest of this post will be in pictures - our little cereal muncher at work!

Sophia's Baptism and NYC Trip

WARNING: This is a long post. Paul has warned me that continuing to post in such a fashion will result in a severe reduction in readership. I will try to more succinct in future postings. :)
Whew! What a whirlwind weekend for the Derbys, DeNiros, and Heppers! We all converged on the Park Slope neighborhood in Brooklyn to visit with Allison's family, witness Sophia's baptism, and (drum roll please) finally meet Michael's girlfriend, Suzy.
It all started on Friday with Caroline and me getting ready for our flight to NYC. Let me tell you, it's no fun trying to finish laundry, pack, and get two "you can't make me go into that horrible place" dogs to the kennel, all with a baby in tow. You might ask, "where was Paul during all of this?" Well, Paul was off in Maryland competing in a business school M & A competition. I can't really complain because his team did come in second place and there was some prize money involved. A small prize, but beggars can't be choosers, right?
Anyways, we got to the airport with relative ease, enjoyed a brief and drama free flight (Caroline is a fantastic traveler!!) and soon were on our way to Allison and Billy's Brooklyn apartment. The rest of the evening was low key as well. We ate dinner at Allison's with Marmee and Grampy and then retired to our hotel, the Park Slope Inn. Paul joined us later that evening.
On Saturday, we went to the park that is next to Allison and Billy's apartment so Landon could run around and burn off some energy. I should take a break here to say that I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked the Park Slope neighborhood in which Allison and Billy live. It was bustling, clean, and had tons of families running around. I met several of Allison's friends, and everyone was really nice. So, although I'm still glad we're not moving to NYC next year for Paul's job, suffice it to say I probably wouldn't have died it we'd decided to go that route :)
After the park we headed to a kid-friendly place called "Two Boots" for lunch. In hindsight, this is where the "real fun" of the weekend began. Allison and I were feeling a little overwhelmed by the busy morning we'd had corralling the kids. We decided to indulge ourselves a little and order Hurricanes to drink. In case you've never had a Hurricane, let me inform you that it has five kinds of alcohol in it. We happily slurped down our drinks, and enjoyed lunch with the family. After that, we headed back to our respective "homes" and all took a much needed afternoon siesta. I myself enjoyed a great nap. However, I came to find out that Allison's siesta included several trips to visit the "porcelain god." I didn't think much of this at the time and actually gave myself a secret pat on the back for not being a lightweight like my sister apparently was.
As the evening loomed and dinner with Michael's girlfriend, or "potential Aunt Suzy" as I like to call her, was approaching, it became clear that Allison would not be joining us for dinner. She was just too ill.
So, Billy, me, Paul, Marmee, Grampy, Michael and Suzy departed for the restaurant while Allison went to bed and the babysitter took care of the children (interjection - this was the first time I left Caroline with someone I didn't know - let the record show I did not cry and only called the babysitter twice). We left in two cars - one drove directly to the restaurant where we were dining, the other (containing Michael, Suzy and my parents) went to an entirely different restaurant, although they didn't know that at the time. Add to this that it was raining cats and dogs, and that we had really hoped to make a good impression upon Suzy, and you get an idea of how frantic the start of the evening was. Luckily, we got everyone to the correct restaurant, enjoyed a great meal (thanks Grampy!), good stories (thanks La!), and good company (Suzy is adorable!).
On Sunday we woke to beautiful weather and with excitement for Sophia's big day. Allison was feeling better, so we chalked her sickness up to the now infamous Hurricane. We enjoyed a tasty brunch with our family and the Derbys and then hurried off to the church for mass and the main event. The baptism itself was largely uneventful. Sophia looked absolutely adorable and big brother Landon was on his best behavior. Caroline also looked pretty darn cute if I do say so myself. Thanks to Marmee for the two adorable pairs of Robeez shoes. Caroline no longer has to go around freezing her toes off because her mommy can't dress her properly!
After the baptism we all went back to Allison's to change into our travel clothes and prepare for departure. Marmee and Grampy left soon there after, which proved to be wise and extremely lucky for them. The babies and Landon went down for a nap, and the rest of us put our feet up for a while.
About 1 hour before Paul and I were going to leave for the airport Landon woke up from his nap. Being the good Aunt La that I am, I volunteered to go check on him and help him downstairs. Big mistake. As Landon rose from his bed and reached up for me to carry him, a horrible look came over his face and before I knew it, there was a spewing of vomit like I had never seen before. I won't go into details, but suffice it to say that Landon hosed down his entire room and my entire right pant leg. Ick! It seemed as though a stomach bug was to blame for Allison's tummy troubles, not the Hurricane. This would be confirmed when Billy succumbed to the same fate as his wife and son within hours of Landon's episode.
Paul and I spent the last 45 minutes of our visit waiting for my clothes to be washed and dried and keeping ourselves as far away from Landon and Allison as humanly possible (not an easy feat if you've ever seen a New York apartment). Allison, ever the hostess (she really was a GREAT hostess), asked Paul if she could fix him a snack for the road. Paul, with his lip curled up so high you would think it had been super glued to his nose replied, "I think we'll be getting external snacks. "
All in all, it was a fantastic trip to see the family, even if it did come with a few dramatic moments. As my mom says, "We'd like to say that things like this never happen to our family. But if we did, we'd be lying."

4 Month Doctor's Visit

Today was Caroline's 4 month well visit at the pediatrician. She will actually be 5 months old this weekend, and I'm not really sure how we got off track on that, but oh well. When we arrived in the office I was immediately put "on guard" by a girl who was in the waiting room, wearing a face mask and coughing loudly every 30 seconds or so. Swine flu alarm bells went off in my head, my paranoia kicked in and I decided to wait in the hall while Paul checked us in. :)The girl's mom kept glancing in my direction and it was clear to me that she knew her daughter was the reason we weren't coming in. Better safe than sorry in my opinion though, because Caroline can't get the flu vaccines for about another 6 weeks.
After Paul checked us in, we were sent to the "well patient" waiting room, which made me very happy. Soon after we got called into the back. We stripped Caroline down for weighing and measuring, which is a shame because I always dress her so cutely for these appointments. The nurse wouldn't even let me keep her hair bow in!
Paul and I were really excited to see how much Caroline had grown since her 2 month check up. Turns out, she's grown quite a bit taller (for a baby) but not so much bigger. Caroline weighs 14 pounds, 13 ounces and is 25 and 3/4 inches long. That puts her in the 75th percentile for weight (down from the 90th at her 2 month appt.) and the 95th!!! percentile for length (up from 21 inches). We were glad to see that our little Sugarboo is growing like a weed. :)
With the weighing and measuring done, we settled back into our room and Caroline happily went to work dousing the paper on the examination table with her drool. I put the hair bow back on so she wouldn't feel completely naked.
Dr. Ranney came in soon there after and being checking Caroline out. Caroline was quite the ham, smiling and cooing at Dr. Ranney - until the "hands on" portion of the visit began. As soon as Dr. Ranney started checking Caroline's heartbeat, the frowns began to appear on her face as "stranger danger" started to set in. Dr. Ranney did a great job finishing her exam quickly so Caroline didn't fall into total meltdown mode. Caroline checked out perfectly healthy and is on target with all the developmental milestones (sitting with support, rolling over,laughing, and cooing, etc.). Dr. Ranney also assured us that we should have no fears about Caroline being autistic, given her clear attachment to Mom and Dad. :)
After that, Dr. Ranney made some suggestions about starting solids (we can wait another few weeks) and nighttime sleep (it's time for Caroline to get less night time visits from Mom) and away she went to see another patient.
Then the real fun began. In came the nurse, toting syringes. Caroline eyed the nurse warily. We laid her down and with one look at Mom, Caroline melted into tears. The nurse acted quickly, first administering Tylenol and the rotavirus vaccine orally. Then came the fun stuff. Two shots in the upper thigh and Caroline was done. Literally and figuratively. She just looked so pathetic lying there on the table, crying her little eyes out. Luckily, we were all done and Mom and Dad could comfort our little crying bambina. The nurse gave Caroline a big metallic band-aid to cover her "boo boo", we got her dressed and away we went, prepared for a long and loud car ride home. Fortunately though, Caroline fell asleep before we even left the parking lot and the only noises we heard from her were occasional sad little sniffles that come from crying too hard.
All in all, it was a pretty good trip. We thwarted the Swine Flu (at least for now), got a good report from the doctor, and don't have to worry about any more shots for several more weeks.

Cestari Pumpkin Patch Trip

Yesterday we decided to go with some friends to a nearby farm for a visit to the pumpkin patch. I was really nervous about going because the farm was about an hour away and we were planning on departing during Caroline's prime napping hours. If there's one thing I've learned in the 5 months I've been a mom, it's this: Never mess with naps! It makes the rest of your day and usually the night time a disaster.
So, it was with fingers crossed and a few Hail Marys that Paul and I embarked on this outing.
Right from the get go, Caroline was an angel. She slept the whole way to the farm, and once there, she didn't make a peep about how chilly it was and how her mother had seriously under-dressed her for the elements. Luckily Paul came to the rescue, using a spare set of socks as mittens and a blanket from the car for extra warmth.
Once out of the car and bogged down with what felt like a 20 pound diaper bag (you have to bring it, but hardly ever use it), we entered the farm and bought tickets for a hay ride out into the pumpkin patch. The pumpkin patch was the best part of the trip for me. After countless years of "hunting" for the perfect pumpkin in front of my local Kroger, I was so excited to actually pick a pumpkin off a vine. Paul surprised the group by leaping off the wagon and into the patch like a kid let loose in a candy store. He was off to find the "best" pumpkin, challenging the other men in the group to beat him. It shouldn't have been surprising that he could turn an innocent family outing into a competition. :) Caroline and I took our time and found an adorable mini pumpkin just for her. We left the field with her pumpkin and a hefty 13 pounder that Paul found.
The rest of time at the farm was spent shopping the little store they had on site, eating pulled pork sandwiches and funnel cakes, and feeding the goats. All in all, it was a great trip. Caroline seemed to have a really good time, and she even slept all the way home.

Here We Go!

After thinking for a quite a while that I would like to start a blog, I finally decided to take the leap and do it! I was inspired by a high school friend who blogs about her life abroad in Germany. "Windows and Weissbier" is the name of her blog, and it's all about her days as an "international lady of leisure" (her husband works for the Department of Defense). Anyways, I figured if she could do it, so could I.
And then I started thinking about who might actually care to read such a blog. Finally I decided that using Caroline was the perfect excuse and that if nothing else, people would read my blog to find out the latest happenings in her life. Hence the name "SugarBoo." It's my nickname for Caroline. Not sure where it came from, but I've been using it for quite a while and it's stuck.
My hope for this blog is to keep everyone up to date on our lives and maybe amuse you all a little bit at the same time. If it works, great. If not, at least I can say I gave it a try!
I hope you enjoy!