Helloooo October!

The last few weeks have been a bit of a whirlwind, or maybe more of a tornado. I'll back up...I had a phone interview with Target right after labor day weekend to discuss opportunities for a buyer or product manager position. The call went well but the next openings weren't until January. I decided that was okay, I was hoping to start working sooner but Jan wasn't too far away. About a week and a half later, Target called on a Friday to interview the following Monday to start the Monday after that. This is when time started to move at warp speed. Long story short, I ended up accepting an offer for a product manager position on Tuesday (after the Monday interview) but was able to push out the start date for another week. So many mixed emotions! I felt as though a large countdown clock began to tick away each last minute I had of one-on-one days with Eloise.

We spent our days relaxing, enjoying being outside, and trying to catch up with friends. I found myself rocking Eloise a bit longer then necessary before naps and playing her favorite games over and over and over...like peek-a-boo!








We of course had to have another play date with Brayden and Nicole, these two have been hanging out since birth! We were really excited to go to the zoo for the first time. Como Zoo on a week day was perfect, not too many crowds and just the right size (and of course FREE is always nice too).

Face to face with a seal!

Lunch at the zoo, good stuff

Good bye friend :( We'll miss you!


The fun doesn't stop there. After much too long of an absence, Eloise and her BFF Ella got to catch up. They are about two weeks apart and it was so fun to see how similar they are in what they're up to! I'm so glad Ella's mama Nickie is at Target too (and on the same floor as me!).

The cutie pies

11 month olds don't always pose for the camera...

A kiss from me to you!

Check out Ella's luscious locks, we sure are envious :)


We also had a get together with Eloise's younger friends :) Unfortunately Colin couldn't make it so Charlie got all of the attention from Gwen and Eloise.



Tom was able to take a day off so we could have a fun family day. We went to an apple orchard by our house and although it was bit chilly, Eloise had fun picking a few apples.


Dad showing E the ropes

Ellie's turn to try

Spotting a good one

All mine!




There were also pumpkins for sale (and this place had a mini-winery too! But we were with child and it was kind of cold so we didn't partake...) Eloise loved the pumpkins!




There was a nice set up that was perfect for photo ops..but again, 11 month olds don't always like to pose or look at the camera for that matter. We tried anyway.



Eloise had a fun sleep over at my parents house on Saturday and Tom and I went to dinner and a MOVIE! We celebrated 5 years of marriage, a really great 5 years.


Sunday we went to our last Twins game of the season. We met the Kippley's for brunch at Ikes and then went to the game. It was a glorious day, literally it was unbelievably perfect outside. Or maybe it was the two mimosas I had at brunch...either way it was a perfect day for outdoor baseball.

A foul ball landed two rows behind us and then bounced into our row. Tom ducked, safety first.


We picked up Eloise after the game and came home to this:

Aaaah, so beautiful.

And somewhere in there we also painted our kitchen. I am kicking myself for forgetting the before photo! We went with the same color as our dining room. After re-painting the family room it was evident that our kitchen was in dire need of fresh paint. Which reminds me, I need to put up some after photos of our hole-in-the-wall project. We're not QUITE done as we're having some built-ins put in, so please stay tuned. Oh and now we might possibly be updating our kitchen cabinets...it's the snowball effect, make it stop!


Week one of work is wrapped up and we all managed to do okay. Of course Eloise got sick from visiting daycares and the poor thing was up most of the night on Sunday, a very tiring and sad way to start off my first day of work. Tom was able to stay home with her and she bounced back a bit. Tuesday night she puked all over me as I was putting her to bed. Again, tugging at the heartstrings. The great news is that she has been happy at daycare. Playing with other kids and new toys. I watched her through the window a few times before she saw me and she was playing away, smiling, and having fun which helps me feel a lot better.

11 month photos to come!