Happy Halloween!

Our Halloween fun began on Wednesday when our ward had a Trunk-or-Treat activity. Tori was a Princess (was there any doubt that this would be her costume?)!!! After much reflection, we determined she would be Cinderella, so that Jared and I could be her mice!!!

Jared and I had a great time making our costumes for FHE! Check out that focus!!!

I had to take a few pictures of Tori before the activity!

Our princess was not always a happy one...

Until she got her dinner, then she was all smiles!

I think we looked great!!!

Tori bonded with her fellow princesses!

Thanks for Tori's adorable costume Jessica!!!

I think that we wore her out by the end of the night...

Tori and I went trick-or-treating at Riley Hospital yesterday. We promised to come in and show off her costume! Tori loved all of the attention she received.

I think she was telling Doris a story.

As a disclaimer, this sad face was not Tanya's fault - but it was so cute I had to post it!!!

She really does like Tanya!!!

Today (being Halloween), we didn't really do anything to celebrate. Tori isn't that into candy yet. But, I still dressed her up again so we could get some pictures of her without all of the extra layers.

Happy Halloween!!!!

Fun Fall Photos

I absolutely love the fall in Indiana! The leaves are so beautiful and the air is full of all of the great smells of autumn. I am so glad that Grandma Allen needed fall pictures - it made us get out and enjoy the leaves even more!

These were taken by our post office - it's amazing where you find great backdrops!!!

Nothing says fall in the Midwest like a corn field!

Growing Up

Tori hit a huge milestone this week. She finally likes being in her swing and her bouncer!!! It may not seem like much, but it is so nice that I don't have to hold her whenever she is awake or try to keep her happy in her sling. Our baby girl is definitely starting to grow up!

Oh, how she loves her swing...

and her bouncer!!!

We'll Take a Double...

A double of our Tori, that is! Tori had her two month well baby check today and is weighing in at 8 lbs 11 oz. She has officially doubled her birth weight! Since she has done so well with her weight gain, we no longer have to do supplemental bottle feedings - huzzah!!! She is just doing great with everything - Tori is also on the growth chart for all of her stats! Really, the only bad thing about the appointment was her two month shots. I was really glad that Jared was able to be there with us for that part. Tori had to have three shots and take one vaccination by mouth. When we started out, I had both of Tori's hands in mine as the nurse got ready. But as soon as Tori received the first stick, and subsequently let out a huge scream, Jared unceremoniously shoved me aside. He claimed it was so Tori wouldn't think I was being mean to her. However, I think it was because he couldn't stand hearing his baby girl scream like that. The Papa Bear definitely came out today!!!

Here is a picture of our little trooper with her battle scars!

Noisy Little Girl

Really from day one Tori has been a noisy girl. She would constantly grunt - especially in her sleep. Often we would think she was awake in the middle of the night, only to find her completely out for the count. As she has gotten bigger, her noise repertoire has increased. Over the past few weeks I have been trying to capture all of them. We think they are pretty great!

Tori had just finished eating and was really happy!!!

This one is great - especially right at the end!

Tori has recently started making little yelping sounds. She almost sounds like a monkey!

And here she is making noises while she sleeps!

Two Months!!!

Our little Tori turned two months old last Saturday!!! We have been a little busy, but we finally got around to taking her pictures this evening. She really has changed so much in the past two months - our little girl is growing up on us!
As we were getting our studio all set up, Tori was smiling up a storm in her napper. We had to take a few pictures right then!

Jared thought it was fun to put her bear on her head, I'm not sure what she thought of that?

Here are the 'studio' shots!

I love this pose and the look on her face!!!

Her smile is showing up more and more everyday- it is so much fun!!!

Buddy Walk

Jared, Tori, and I were able to participate in the annual Down Syndrome Buddy Walk this afternoon. It really is an awesome event! We were able to join with Jared's old lab members to walk along the canal downtown - we were the Mouse Pack team this year. After the walk, there was an awesome sack lunch, games, and music. But the best part was the resources available for families of people with Down syndrome. I really hope that we will be able to participate every year that we are in Indy!

It ended up being a really nice day, but we had Tori all bundled up just in case. She stayed nice and warm in her new car seat cover!

I think Tori really enjoyed herself - check out that smile!Jared loved showing off his baby girl!Here we are enjoying our lunch in the sun!

And it also provided a great opportunity to update our family photo!

P.S. Tori turned two months old today!!!

I'm Starving...

Since Tori started out so small, the doctor has been having us give her two bottle feedings a day with added supplements. Basically extra calories so she will continue to put on weight the way she has been. The hard part with the bottle feeding is that Tori wakes up hungry and then we still have to heat the bottle up to get it ready for her. And she is not always very patient with us!!! It often becomes Jared's job to keep her entertained while we are waiting for her bottle. Tonight I captured some awesome footage of Jared doing just that - hope you enjoy!!!

Sleeping Beauty

Really from the start, Tori has been so entertaining to watch sleep. She is always in a super cute or crazy pose or doing something fun with her hands. Here are some of our favorite pictures of our sleeping beauty!

Jared thinks she was practicing her "Thriller" moves in her sleep!

To demonstrate how active she is while sleeping, the next three pictures were taken in a span of about a minute!

Wrap Wednesday

Today Tori and I travelled downtown to Riley Hospital to participate in the traditional "Wrap Wednesday" with my fellow audiologists. I think we (the audiologists) have had wraps every Wednesday for about three years now. It is an absolutely fabulous tradition - not only are the wraps great, but it gives you something to look forward to in the middle of the week! Today was even better for a few reasons. One - I haven't had a wrap in 2 months and it tasted so great. Two - it was so much fun showing Tori off and having her meet everyone! I know that she enjoyed her bonding time with all of the incredible ladies at Riley!!! We will definitely have to come for Wrap Wednesdays every once in a while!!!

And now for a little backtracking. Tori and I made our first visit to Riley last week. Once Tori arrived, I knew that I needed to stay at home with her. Jared and I talked this over with each other and felt it was the right thing for our family. Last week's visit was to let my boss and coworkers know about our decision. I must admit that I was really nervous, I wasn't sure how happy everyone at work would be about me not coming back. Looking back, I shouldn't have been nervous at all. Everyone was so amazingly supportive!!! I know I am going to miss working at Riley, it has been a great place to learn and grow. I have become a much better audiologist over the past four years. But the thing I am going to miss the most is my Riley family. That is really how I feel about all of the audiology team and the incredible staff I have been privileged to associate with. You have all been there for me, Jared, and now for Tori through so much! Thank you for being the amazing people that you are! And don't worry, I promise that we will come visit often.

Now for a really great story that is a little on the lighter side. As we were finishing up our visit last week, Tori was getting a fussy since it was time for her to eat. Doris was holding her, so I asked if she would like to feed Tori her bottles. She jumped at the chance. Tori did a great job eating and burping - or so we thought. As Tori was finishing up, Doris asked me if she usually burped at the end. Just as I was saying she did, Tori became a fountain. I didn't know her little body could hold that much liquid! It went everywhere - all over the floor, all over Tori, and especially all over Doris' pants. I felt really bad, but all I could do was laugh. Doris was a great sport and said she would just wear scrubs for the afternoon. I really was kicking myself though - I didn't have my camera to document the event. So today, Tori once again needed to eat before we left Riley. I was a little shocked when Doris agreed to feed her again. The outcome this time was much better. I did have my camera today - here they are together!

A Really Great First

This weekend, Tori was able to participate in her very first General Conference for our church. I know that she is not going to remember anything about it, but that's okay. It was also a huge first for me and Jared - our first General Conference as parents. It seemed that the messages held a much deeper meaning for me as we now have the huge responsibility to teach Tori the wonderful truths of the gospel. While I feel a little overwhelmed with the task, it is also one that I know is going to be so incredible!!!

Shake, Rattle, and...

No, we are not rolling yet! Today marked a very momentous occasion in Tori's life - the first time she played with a rattle. Before now, Jared or I have played with the rattle and tried to get Tori to join in. But today, she held on and shook her rattle all by herself! We are so proud of her!!!

Doesn't she look like she is having so much fun! Rattles are pretty great!!!