Eli's first Halloween

Lots of Halloween posts below (What can I say?, it's Ryan's favorite holiday!), but here's a last one of some of the photos from actual Halloween Day (on which we sat at home being grateful that we survived the frankenstorm) as well as a summary of ALL of Eli's Halloween costumes (doesn't every almost-one-year-old need 3 Halloween costumes and multiple Halloween outfits?)!

"Happy Halloween!"

"This pumpkin is JUST the right
size for me!"

Eli's first pumpkin patch 2012

Halloween 2012
Baby's 1st BOO!

Eli the Skunk 2012

Incredible Eli Hulk 2012

Flying Monkey Eli 2012

Halloween with Eli's friends!

Just before the "frankenstorm" hit NYC, we had some friends over to celebrate Halloween.  It seems like our Halloween parties are doomed (last year, we had a Halloween Blizzard!), but everyone prepared for the hurricane first and then stopped over for some food and drinks and football before the storm hit.

Here are some photos from the day!  I am glad Eli got to hang out with the girls, as most Halloween events around here got cancelled or postponed.  Hope next Halloween is a little less eventful!

Our little Incredible Hulk!
Halloween 2012

Wynne Avengers!
Halloween 2012

"Hulk Smash!"

Madeline and Eli
(See their first photo together here!  Crazy!)

Reagan & Eli!

Reagan, Eli & Madeline!
(In case you thought it was a lady bug, hulk and little bo peep!)

Halloween Family Portrait 2012

One family tradition that Ryan's sister started 4 years ago (when Hannah arrived) was a Halloween family photo.  Weird, I know, but I love it!  Way better than all of us dressing in matching sweaters and standing in front of a fake forest background. 

I will admit -- I was all about this year's theme -- the Wizard of Oz! 

I spent quite a few nights hot gluing and taping and pining our costumes (I have no idea how to sew!).  Ryan's costume was borrowed from my sister-in-law (Aunt Kel) and made by her dad!

Here are just couple of our favorite shots!

Eli is 10 months old!

And on October 24th, Eli turned 10-months-old!

October 24, 2012

October 24, 2012

October 24, 2012

Height = 29" (around the 60th percentile)
Weight = 19 lbs 7 oz (just below the 50th percentile)

Eli's life at 10 months:

• Eating: Eli is still eating like a champ. 4 to 6 jars (or equivalent in homemade food) or pureed food every day!  He likes pretty much everything, with sweet potatoes and pears still his favorite and peas his least favorite.  We started on meats this month for a little extra protein at dinner (with the hopes of a longer sleep at bedtime, but alas, meat does not equal sleep!).  We are still approaching real solids with caution, as it seems our kid chokes easily.  He is better at eating puffs and eats baby "cookies".  He's also had the occasional piece of rice or noodle, but mainly sticks with baby food.  Of course, Thanksgiving is coming soon ...
• Sleeping: A solid night's sleep alludes us all.  Eli is still a champ when it comes to going to sleep.  But his issue is staying asleep.  He wakes up yelling for food and will yell until he is fed, then goes back to sleep.  We're at a loss, and I am hoping he just grows out of it.  He used to be finicky about his napping too, but lately, he's been very good about going down and sleeping for an extended period.  So maybe sleeping through the night will also happen soon?   
  
• LIKES:
• Eating
• Sitting up  
• TV
  • He now really likes to watch his own shows and not just what we're watching.  Though he still likes his sports! 
• Being naked
• Spoons
• Walker
• Stuffed animals that are made to walk like real animals
• Real animals
• Sort of obsessed with dogs and cats and any live animals.  He gets so excited he can hardly breathe.  Adorable to take him to the petting zoo!
• Books & anything made of paper
• iPhones and iPads
• Adventures
• People watching and meeting new friends!  
• Kids
• especially his Madeline! He just loves watching kids and interacting with them!
• Crawling through the house like a mad man!
• Still an army crawler, but he can move fast!
• Pounding really hard on the washer and dryer to make noise
• Pulling on electrical cords
• Wearing costumes
• Thank goodness as Daddy LOVES Halloween!
• Snuggling
• Bath time

DISLIKES:

• Waiting for food
• Being away from Mommy and Daddy
• Especially Mommy. Still lots of whining when Mommy walks away.
  (Mommy is trying to get better about giving in too often and picking him up ...)
• Sitting still to get clothes on
• Teething

New this month!

• Trying to stand up!
  • Though he can't really stand on his own yet, Eli has started trying to pull himself up.  Oh the trouble!  Ryan caught him doing it one morning in his crib and now he'll try it with any chair or gate or person that looks sturdy.  Of course, Eli always ends up falling and banging his head, so this is not fun yet for us!  
• Animals 
  • As I mentioned in his "Likes", Eli is newly obsessed with live animals.  Even after hours with his favorite dog (Jack) or months at the baby-sitter's (with 2 cats and a little dog), Eli can't get enough and harasses the poor things!  Trips to the petting zoo are definitely fun!  And he gets far to excited about the Betta fish that is now residing in his fish tank!
• Having a rambling conversation
• Along with Dadadadada, Eli rambles on and on and will sort of "converse" with you.  His newest sounds are "et" and "bah" (probably after his visit to Grandma's where he met "Boo" the ghost).  Adorable!
• Dancing and clapping to music

And here are some of Eli's 10-month outtakes!

"Oh, Mr Seahorse, they want us
to perform again.  So demanding."

"You're right Mr Seahorse, let's give them
a good show this month!"

"You ready for this??"

"OK, we'll try kneeling first..."

"Check. Me. Out."

"How do you like them apples?"

"YEAH!"

Boo at the Zoo!

Of course we had to hit up the Bronx Zoo Boo at the Zoo!  I had been looking forward to it all year and we were very lucky to get a nice weekend to head to the zoo for some Halloween fun!

Eli had many costumes to choose from and he decided that the Skunk costume would be the best choice!  You have no idea what a big hit our little stinker was!  Everyone pointed and laughed and loved it!  Eli made an excellent choice!

Look at all the fun we had:

Halloween 2012
Our Little Stinker!

"I love Halloween!!"

"Sigh, I suppose I should get used to this with
these folks as my parents!"

"Yay, Nana and Pop-pop are here too!"

Both Daddy and Eli seem excited about something ...

Gorillas, of course!

Eli's first hay ride!

"Wait ... is this a creepy hay ride??"

"Yeah!  Goats!"

"I am so excited!!!"

A skunk, petting a sheep!

 Funniest part of the day:  Eli the skunk loose in a log!  He loved crawling through it and all the parents around us were pointing him out to their kids saying "Look -- there's a skunk in that log!"! 

"Yep, that sounds like me ..."