Happy Halloween!

Here it is...the big reveal of Morgan's Halloween costume...a PINK MONSTER!

Morgan helped pick it out herself and loved it from the moment she saw it in the store. We think it has to do with the three big eyes; she just laughs uncontrollably when it comes near. And Mommy and Daddy love it because it completely fits her personality; we use "Our Little Monster" often...as a term of endearment of course. Plus she looks so darn cute.

Halloween was a ton of fun. The festivities started at the school with a small parade. Mommy and Daddy got there early and helped Morgan get dressed. First we all watched the big kids walk around and then it was our turn. All the costumes were adorable!

Then we headed home for some trick or treating around the neighborhood. We went to a couple houses, then back to the house to hand out some candy (and a quick monster-nap); when we didn't get many kids, we went for a walk to visit some friends and saw all sorts of neat decorations and costumes along the way.

Morgan had a great time and seem to love every minute of it...the attention from all the people, the crinkly candy wrapping, and staying up way past her bedtime. One important tip we did learn though, is "Never wake a Sleeping Monster!"

And a Few of the Family

We headed to the park with our friend Angie to get some great 9 month family pictures.

Here are just a few of our favorites!

9 months Old!

Today = 9 Months

Has it really been 9 months already? Morgan is really getting big and starting to lose her true infant look, but she is really starting to become a little person too.

The Stats
Weight: 16 lbs 14 oz; Length: 26 3/4 in

Milestones

Perfecting the Army crawl - She can really get around! Her poor clothes though. We have joked about attaching a dust cloth to her shirt...she might as well pitch in a bit, right?

Pull-to-Stand - Morgan will pull on anything now and is so proud of herself when standing. She just laughs and laughs.

Finger Foods - What a great eater! She is so cute when trying whatever we hand her. This month she put those gums to work (and apparently just discovered her tongue) as we started to introduce real solids. First were Gerber puffs, next Cheerios, then goldfish and now she tries just about everything. We have a cute video I will try to get posted soon.

First Tooth - Morgan's first tooth broke through, yet another sign that she is getting so big. Although we can't give it much credit for helping out with the finger foods yet, it sure is sharp and getting ready to be useful soon.

Favorite Activities

Catch - Morgan just loves playing catch with you while sitting on the floor. She will throw the ball (you have to be close of course) and then wave her hands and laugh as you throw it back. Maybe she is getting into the baseball spirit...Phillies are in the World Series, only the 2nd time in their 126 yr history!

Books - Morgan loves having books read and this month she even helps turn the page. We read before bed every night. She seems to still have the same favorites...I Love you Through and Through and Happy Baby Colors with Brown Brown Bear, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and Love is a Handful of Honey sometimes as well.

Shaking - Shake, Shake, Shake is still one of her favorite games. This month she appears to be trying to combine it with another favorite, Peek-a-boo, by shaking a washcloth to cover her eyes. Morgan cracks up laughing as you appear and disappear.

It's the Great Pumpkin Morgan Brown

Today Morgan helped pick out the perfect pumpkin for our front step. We had a great time visiting a local farm, Freddie Hill, our traditional place to go pumpking hunting.

And speaking of pumpkins, we took the cutest video of Morgan hanging out in the pumpkin patch last week at the apple orchard.

We are getting into the Halloween spirit! It is hard to believe that Morgan's 1st is just 1 short week away. Morgan is helping to get everything ready...the candy, her trick-or-treat bucket, and of course picking out her costume, but we'll save the big reveal for Friday...so check back soon.

Pull-to-Stand

Morgan accomplished a huge milestone this week...pull-to-stand. She took a little help earlier this week to get the hang of it but by today she is pulling up on anything she can reach. Unfortunately there isn't too much at home at the perfect level but she finds enough places, like the crib, laundry basket, Tupperware drawer and pack-n-play.

And she is so proud of herself too...the best smiles all month have been after she pulls herself up; it really is cute to see. And we admit a little funny looking because she still seems so small to be standing there. Since pictures don't really do this milestone justice, we thought we would post a video clip. Enjoy!

Start Saving Tooth Fairy

Morgan has her first tooth! The tooth is barely visible in the picture, but look real close and you will see the very top of her first pearly white poking through; the ridges just broke through this morning.

We had a rough night over the weeknight and perhaps that was a sign that the tooth was on it's way. It looks like another one (top right) may be coming close behind.

Annual Apple Picking

We went on our annual apple picking exertion this weekend (despite feeling a little under the weather...nothing stands in the way of this tradition!).

Over the years, we have tried several different orchards, all with a little different flavor (no pun intended, but seriously the apples really do taste different). This year we went to nearby Solebury Orchards, one of our favorites. They have a small operation, a beautiful wildflower garden, amazing apple doughnuts, and a tractor ride to take you into the orchard. Nothing fancy like a big fall festival with lots of activities and crowds...perfect for us!

It was really special sharing the experience with Morgan this year. She had a great time tasting apples for the first time, watching all the people (as usual), and spending some quality time with Mommy and Daddy.

Fall Foliage and Family

Over the weekend we had some very special visitors. Great Grandma Princess and Great Aunt Tanta flew out to visit from Chicago. This was their first time seeing Morgan!

We all had a great time. The weather was absolutely wonderful so we took advantage of it and showed our guests some of our favorite local places including Peace Valley Park for the scenery, Tabora (a cute bakery/shop) for their cider doughnuts, Peace Valley Winery for some tastings and a bottle for dinner, and Tutto Mario for their wonderful Italian cooking. The fall foliage could not have been better and we got some excellent pictures, especially around the park.

Morgan was a true angel the entire time, even throughout the entire dinner. The weekend was perfect, except that it went way too fast. Saturday in particular, we all wished could have lasted forever.

Happy Birthday Mommy!

Today is Mommy's birthday! (Shhhhh, it's a secret, but it was her big 3-0!) Morgan got a chance to express her creative side and give Mommy a very special present (with some help from Daddy)....her first artwork w/ crayons! Ok, maybe a lot of help from Daddy. But there were some Morgan scribbles on the card, paper, and envelope. We are amazed that Mommy didn't catch them in the act. Mommy also got a new small camera to take even more pictures with! Many of which will surely be posted on the blog...so stay tuned.

Perhaps the best present of all was giving Mommy a night out with her girlfriends...they headed to Cafe at Cedars for a delicious birthday dinner.