Our week

I'm loving this Fall weather. Monday night  I baked pumpkin pie.  It wasn't from scratch, but sometimes the pre-made pie crusts and Libby Easy Pumpkin Pie filling will work. Especially when your mom gives you 2 cans of it and you really want pumpkin pie. I froze one half and we ate the other.  Stella and I went for a walk.  She got to ride in the "big girl" part of the stroller and I must say, she really seems to like this WAY better than the carseat part.  She's always been a nosy one and this way she can see everything.  I was on the hunt for a tree and leaves so I could sit her down and take a few pictures. It's crazy the pictures you can take and want to take once you realize your little one can now sit (mostly) unassisted.  

Here's when we started out. Sitting in her big girl stroller.

I love that everything is so new and a first for her.  I mean, this is the first time she's felt leaves before. Crazy to think of it that way.

I'm not sure what she got so upset about here, but I think the look on her face is funny. Yeah, I'm kinda picking on my kid.   

But in a that's-my-kid-so-I-can-do-what-I-want kinda way.

She's kinda looking at Bandit like, "Why won't you help me?!"

I think the problem was that she was so relaxed and content in the stroller and I disturbed her.  She calmed down as soon as I put her back in.

Seriously, could the day have gotten any prettier?  Look at these beautiful colors!

Tuesday night we basically had a mini Thanksgiving.  Ok, so there wasn't a turkey, but we had spiral sliced sugar glazed ham, butterbeans (lima beans, whatever you call them), and sweet potatoes. That was all I was doing. Then Donald says he wants biscuits in our individual Lodge cast iron pan that we got at Bass Pro Shops and still haven't used.  Ok, I'm always up for biscuits.  
Then he asks, "You don't like sweet potato souffle do you?"  Honestly, I love the idea of sweet potato souffle.  
Sweet potatoes-can't get enough of them.  
Spices-I have a ton of them, let's use them up.  
Marshmallows-absolutely. I've been known to eat the mini ones just as they are.  Can't do it with the regular sized one for some reason.  
I always put a spoonful on my plate at family reunions, get-togethers and wherever else I see the marshmallow studded potatoes, but I've never really cared for it. 
And I know why. Because it always tastes like someone dumped an entire 5 lb bag of sugar into it.  Oh and a few sticks of butter. Now I'm a down home Southern girl all the way. I only buy and use pure butter, and I love sweets.  The problem is many people go sooooo overboard with sugar and butter on a lot of stuff and this one is the worst crime.  
So he takes the 5 sweet potatoes I roasted in the oven, takes them out of their skin and smashes them.  Then adds a few shakes of the cinnamon shaker and puts it back in a oven safe dish. Cuts a few marshmallows in thirds and throws it back in the oven until they get toasty. The house already smelled amazing, but the smell of marshmallows toasting is even more amazing.  A few minutes at 450 in the oven and we had a much healthier and just as tasty sweet potato souffle.  If I had done this, I probably would have put a little bit of butter or coconut oil in the potatoes. And definitely nutmeg along with the cinnamon. And a sprinkle of raw sugar or squeeze of Agave. But this was delicious as it was and I get to enjoy it tomorrow because we had leftovers.  

Sidenote: I don't understand those who don't like leftovers.  At all.  My grandpa is one of these people.  

Yesterday we walked on The Silver Comet Trail. It's been a while since we've done that and Stella enjoyed it. She actually feel asleep in the stroller. She hasn't done that since we went to Savannah when she was 7 weeks old.

I love what these people did with an old front door. Cute way to access the trail.

Stella had toes and applesauce yesterday.  She enjoyed both equally.  

I'm leaning towards the Baby Led Weaning (BLW) method, which basically means the child feeds herself actual pieces of food instead of you feeding (sometimes, ok mostly force feeding purees), but I can't resist spoon feeding her a little bit. She really does much better when I put food on my finger and let her lick it off. As you can see, she wants to do everything herself and I think the BLW route is going to be best.  

Who knew a laundry basket is great for imprisoning entertaining your baby? Honestly, she's still a little wobbly sitting up by herself and has the tendency to fling herself backwards very fast. She's bumped her head twice this week. Poor little thing.  This way she can hold on to the squares and if she falls, the sides catch her. She also liked being pulled around in it.

Who can resist a cute baby bootie?  Some days I just let her play naked. Today was one of those days. It lets everything "air" out and it's fun to be naked. I hated clothes when I was little. My parents said I didn't have tan lines until I was 5 or 6. And only then because I had to wear clothes to school.

Sunday was November 3.  Six months since I left work to prepare for Stella's arrival.  It is truly a tremendous joy and blessing to be home with her each and every day.  Tomorrow our little girl will be 5 months old. Unbelievable!  Yesterday afternoon was a little stressful, but the good thing about babies is, they love you unconditionally and forgive you without question.  Last night while I nursed her and rocked her to sleep I whispered an apology in her ear and asked for her forgiveness for getting upset with her. She must have been listening and forgiven me because today was awesome.  

Tomorrow we are heading down to Sylvester for the weekend to be with friends and family while we have Stella Baptized at the church where Donald grew up.  My mom's side of the family also attended this church and I went periodically with them as a child.  We have the most precious Baptism gown and bonnet. I know she's going to look like a little angel in it. Of course, I'll have a ton of photos to share.