Happy Halloween!

Halloween weekend was a busy one for us. On Sunday, we were happy to host a Hottman family gathering at our house, and all the babies were in attendance. Lyla enjoyed catching up with cousins Isabella (the Cheerleader) and Blaire (the Bee):

And, most of all, it was just great for all of the cousins to check out each other’s costumes and to get this classic photo of the Ladybug, the Cheerleader and the Bee:

The girls sure are growing fast – look how far they've come! Wow!!

After the cousins left, we had dinner together and handed out candy to kids in the neighborhood.

Happy Halloween!

Boo at the Zoo

We had a great evening at Boo at the Zoo this year. Lyla the Ladybug was amazed when we first arrived – she kept looking around, smiling in wonder at all the kids around her. We were able to collect candy with our good friends Rand, Liam and Lily. Everything about the evening was absolutely perfect, especially being with our friends. It was one of the many times this year when I’ve experienced just as much amazement as Lyla – being a mommy and daddy is so much fun!

We are already looking forward to next year.

I’m going to have a hard time choosing pics for this post, so there might be more than a few:

Lyla’s favorite way to “ride” with Daddy:

Daddy said that Lyla walked right over to this hay maze and was intent on walking all the way through. People kept asking Lance how old she is because they all say she looks too little to walk.

Lyla loves Lily:

She is soooo beautiful:

We ended the night with a ride on the haunted carousel. I think Lyla was way too tired to enjoy it.

And, no night would be complete without pics with our favorite sea otter:

San Fran

We had an interesting trip to San Francisco. Lyla’s first flying experience was a really good one, thanks to lots of good advice from Aunt Martina. She did so remarkably well that we were complimented by flight attendants and the people who sat next to us. She seemed to really enjoy seeing all of the other passengers, especially the kids sitting near us. We were grateful there were no ear issues, and she bounced right back from the three hour time change.

Here we are getting ready to leave Cincinnati for our five hour trek. We saw a whole new side if Lyla’s attachment to her pink Lyla Quinn “covie” – as soon as she saw it, she wanted it and would snuggle up to it. It was so cute!

We were able to catch up with several old friends from Columbus, which was definitely a highlight of the trip. We were so happy to see several of Lance’s residency friends, including Drew & Jen Johnson, who have a daughter, Kate, who is just 2 weeks older than Lyla. I was really happy to see Yvonne, another residency friend, and she was glad to get to meet Lyla:

Lyla and I were happy to explore the city (especially the Farmer’s Market) while Lance was in his conference, although our efforts to get out and about were hampered by the rain that started the day after we arrived. This was not a slight mist, mind you, it rained hard for two days in a row, which apparently is unusual for this time of year. So, in Hottman Family fashion, we “made it work” by buying a rain cover for Lyla’s stroller. She stayed snug and warm, although Lance & I were drenched, and I wasn’t entirely happy about it:

However, the annoyance I felt about the rain was NOTHING compared to what we dealt with at the Westfield Mall, just a few blocks from our hotel. We went there to get out of the rain and give Lyla her bottle:

After her bottle and after discovering that my iPhone had been destroyed by the rain (UGH!), we decided to go to the Family Lounge to change Lyla’s diaper. While there, someone decided to steal my wallet, which changed the face of the entire trip. It was NOT fun!

But, we again made it work and moved onward. We were able to get to the Wharf on our last full day, which proved to be one of Lyla’s favorite spots. She enjoyed Boudin bread, a San Fran favorite, and we had a great time exploring San Fran’s UP and DOWN sidewalks with the stroller. We made it the perfect day.

On the long walk back to the hotel, Lyla did this:

…while we did this: (And, trust me, there is no way a picture can depict how STEEP these sidewalks were)

All in all, it was a great trip. We’re very proud of our very adaptable traveller. She did a fantastic job!

More Pasta Please!

We think that Lyla might really love Italian. She hasn’t refused many foods as of yet, but she seemed to particularly enjoy her spaghetti this evening:

Here, you can see her doing something she has come to love – “giving” her food (among other things) to Daddy & I. She seems to be greatly entertained by it.

Happy Birthday, Nan!

We celebrated Nan’s birthday this evening by going to dinner at the Summit and having dessert at our house afterward. Lyla had her first bite of ice cream tonight – she liked it, took a few bites and was ready to get down and walk, walk, walk. We were once again reminded of how nice it is to live closer to home – it was so nice to be able to meet Nan for her birthday dinner.

Happy Birthday, Nan! We love you!

Here are pics:

The First Hottman Jack o’ Lantern

After the pumpkin patch, this evening we went outside to carve our first pumpkin together. Our pumpkin turned out well, despite the fact that Lance and I aren’t the most experienced carvers.

Lyla particularly enjoyed cleaning out the pulp and seeds – and playing with her very own mixing bowls, of course :

Who cares about how cool our pumpkin is? I just want to eat part of his head:

Doing what Lyla Q. loves most:

Our jack o’ lantern by night:

In developmental news, Lyla got herself up to standing tonight for the first time right before bed. I know it sounds odd – one would think that she was already doing that if she’s walking around everywhere. However, in classic fashion, Lyla Q. has her own way of doing things. In her book, crawling is a non-issue, walking is the ultimate goal and pulling herself up to stand (in the middle of the room, mind you) is the priority list in order of importance. We were getting her ready for bed and, suddenly, she put her legs apart, reached down on the floor and pushed herself up, unaided by any furniture.

We sat there in awe as we often do with Miss Q. and just laughed and clapped for her. She’s our girl! :)

Pumpkin Patch Take Two

Today we decided to try the pumpkin patch again with Blaire and Isabella (and Jennifer and Rebecca, of course). This time we visited a patch in Shelbyville – Gallrein Farms. It was a little less crazy than Huber’s, and everyone had a good time. Lyla practiced her walking skills, had a few falls, but all in all, it was a fun afternoon.

Here, it looks like the girls are in jail together. We certainly hope not, although they appear to be having a great time. :)

Some hay pics. All of the girls had their own agendas. I think Blaire was interested in getting a little shut eye here.

Spotting the tractor coming back from the pumpkin patch:

Lyla’s pumpkin patch experience was dominated by her hatred of the sun in her eyes and this half eaten banana from lunch. I had to pry it from her hands - she was not happy about it either.