Boo at the Zoo

 This morning I had plans with my first trainee, Audrey, to participate in the Breast Cancer Awareness Walk in Orlando, but she texted me saying she thought she had a fever and neither of us went. But I did the most important part by donating when I signed up. So at 8am I zoomed up to Gainesville to attend in Boo at the Zoo with Mommy, Jacquie and Peyton. The original plan of meeting at the Pioneer Village Museum didn't work out. I forgot to first check the website to make sure they are open on Sundays! (Future reference: they are not.) I dressed up as Dorothy, which is always my go-to Halloween attire. And I was able to convince my mom to be Glinda, even if it was just for a few family photos in the backyard!! She was a cat for the event.

 I was really excited because I love seeing people dressed up especially in non-scary costumes, plus I hadn't been to a zoo in a long time, so I really hope they have all the animals out. Maybe since 2012 with Sana at the Brevard Zoo, which I need to take Michael to. And after we walked through all of the areas, we watched a bunch of dancer girls perform to Halloween songs, including "Thriller". Peyton couldn't take her eyes off of them. That's how she was with everything, but she kept her Princess Zelda wig on (not Raggedy Ann, come on people) and some of the kids knew that Jacquie was dressed as Link (not Peter Pan or Robin Hood).

 Peyton was mesmerized by the Squirrel monkeys, which was great because that's where we waited for a while in order to let one of Jacquie's friends (Courtney and her baby Aubrey) meet up with us. It was fun sitting there just because we got to see everyone pass by with their different costumes. A lot of little girls were still Anna and Elsa from "Frozen", I saw 4 Dorothys, some zombies, Ghost busters and Ninja Turtles seemed popular, and one girl was Boba Fett. Mommy really liked the girls that were dressed like cupcakes and donuts, with the dad dressed as a chef.

 I was really happy when the last dress up area was Wizard of Oz themed, with an area of crafted poppy flowers. And the Lion King characters were great, but once I began being in the pictures, we just used our phones. Even I'm out of practice and sometimes have trouble adjusting the settings just right, especially when the lighting keeps changing from in the shade to sunny, to indoors. I'll have to ask Michael to give me some lessons again. 

 I really feel like having a kid makes life a lot more fun and that is a big reason as to why I've wanted to spend so much time in Gainesville, or at least visit as often as I can. Doing things with Peyton for her to experience and see everything and get out of the house to try something new is really good for everyone. Yes, I know it is also a lot more responsibility and having a baby will take a financial toll (which I will learn in much more detail as time goes on), but if being a "married adult" means spending half of our time watching The Office on the couch for hours at a time even though we've seen all 9 seasons three times already, that doesn't really feel like living. It feels like wasting time and I've done enough of that.

Tiffany Scissorhands

*** Thank you so much to Michael, owner of GoreFX for doing this incredible "Edward Scissorhands" make up on me and helping me with the outfit and hair teasing. I couldn't have done this without you!! And thank you to Alana for taking most of these pictures. *** 

 I couldn't let October pass without taking dress up pictures, especially since without this I wouldn't get a pre-planned time to dress up. Last night would have been the night we got to dress up at work for our shift, but my trainee (Crystal) and I had block training all during the day, so we didn't have to come back at night to answer the phones. Not many people dress up at work anyway. I guess they are too cool or think its embarrassing or for lame babies. A lot more people dressed up back in 2012 when they had contests and I won a $25 gift card!! All credit goes to Michael for my Dead Riding Hood make up and borrowed costume.

 And here's a behind the scenes one of me laughing because I don't really like pictures of myself where I'm not smiling, but from the pictures I found, Edward looked pretty sad. I hadn't seen the movie in a long time and it wasn't on Netflix. After the pictures, Alana and I watched Mockingjay, Part 1 to get ourselves for the Part 2 release in three weeks. Michael is going to the double feature with his friends which will play both, back to back. 

 For the blog title: Tiffany being Blood Widow's first name, as I am basically wearing her outfit in half of these pictures. I'm not sure if I just "made that up" since the cracked framed picture shown of young Blood Widow at the orphanage was really played by a young actress named Tiffany. But I believe the director, Jeremy, also said it when we met with him over the summer for the same reasoning.

Portraits ~ Wilder Family

Daddy did not come to the pumpkin patch with us on Sunday afternoon (girl time is fun too) but I wanted to get some Grandma and Grandpa pictures with Peyton too. So we set these up while there was still some light out before dinner. He was a sport laughing along while we took these. I'd really love to get some of her with great Grandpa "Papa Narles" too, if he's up for it. Maybe we can accomplish that when I'm in Gainesville again for Thanksgiving weekend/ Peyton's 1st birthday!!

 I made Daddy a Peyton scrapbook picture frame for his birthday. He says he has it on his desk at work and everyone comments on it. But I think he needs to print these other ones out too.
Especially this one. ^^ :)

 It's so strange to see how little Peyton is in these pictures, knowing she will one day probably grow to be at least 5'6" (Jacquie's height). And even being amazed that she can balance herself better now and stand almost on her own as her legs get stronger, and as long as someone lightly holds her up. Jacquie wanted to take a picture like the one above when we were at St. Augustine Beach, but a month ago Peyton wasn't strong enough yet and would keep trying to sit down instead. I look forward to happily freaking out to all of those new moments with our kid(s) one day.

At dinner that night I was just watching Peyton eat her Cheerios, and just sighed saying, "How can Michael not want one of these?" My comment got many quick responses such as "One of these?" and "Hurry! Sale ends Tuesday!" I have been thanking Michael for all the progress he has made, especially in the past few days. Last night I went to IKEA to look at micro cribs to check prices and dimensions, since Michael had been asking me how we would fit a crib in our bedroom. When I got back home he asked me to send him all of the pictures I had taken since he was at work (Halloween Horror Nights). *Excited gasp!* :)

Glitter Run ~ Gainesville

The Color Run has been on my "Adventure List" for a few years and when I saw they were doing the Glitter Run in Gainesville, then found out that Lindsey had already signed up in June, I did too! I also invited Mia and Tonia, who invited her sister Robin. Jacquie said no thank you and Sharanya had to work that afternoon. Mia and I rode together that morning (Saturday, October 17th), stopped for lunch at McDonalds, then raced from the car to the field where "the walkers" were lined up was since we worried we would be late. Luckily Lindsey was able to find us (taking selfies) off to the side since we didn't see her at first. We found Tonia and Robin about 25 minutes later when we saw their dad waiting on the side for pictures.

Lindsey's phone somehow got on the "Fade" effect, but I corrected it for her once I noticed it. She has the newer iPhone 6 and her pictures turned out much more crisp than mine, but I think she said the megapixel quality was almost twice as much. I've only had my 5s since last August, so I'm not sure if I need to wait another year before I can get an upgrade. By then (September 2016) they will probably have the iPhone 7 out. Am i right? ;) I have a lot more good photos, but they are vertical and I'd need Michael to show me a couple more times how to make the side by side collages. He walked me through the one I posted last night of me and Peyton at the pumpkin patch.

My favorite picture! :)

View of the stage where they played music and threw out extra bags of powder and glitter for everyone to release.

In the color pit after the "race". Hold your breath! We saw one girl who was passed out, being carried out of the pit. We assumed she inhaled a lot of the glitter (I accidentally inhaled some, then walked back to the fresh air). Luckily there were medics on stand by for situations like that.

The last picture we got on my phone before the battery died.

 Lindsey had two other friends that she started the event with, but once we found Tonia, the other girls ran ahead. She was able to meet up with them later for after/ colored pictures. I already signed up for the Color Run in Orlando in January. I'm still trying to convince Michael to come with me, especially with how easily all of the power washed off. **Note to self: next time make sure you have more than 20% battery before arriving-- for twice as many pictures!! Mia said she would probably do it again as long as I danced more and I've invited 3 friends from work already. I'll have to make sure to keep biking a lot of the days before to keep my natural energy levels up.

the Inquisitive Pumpkin

I told Jacquie that I still wanted to practice with the Canon Rebel T2i and blog again. I have plenty of time and it's nice to have a break from watching Hulu all night long when I don't have to work. Blogging makes me feel more creative and productive. She told me that she wanted pictures at the pumpkin patch and she had the perfect outfit to use, all from Gymboree- including the pumpkin hat. We also talked about going to the Kanapaha Botanical Gardens since they were having an entry-free weekend, but they closed at 5pm, and we got busy taking other family photos before dinner. (I'll post those after the Color Run pictures! They are too fun and beautiful not to show off.) Plus Mommy said she went last year and it was super packed. I'd prefer to have nice pictures without random strangers in the background. The website says regular Kanapaha admission is only $7. Not bad.

Peyton is one of those babies that tries to figure everything out. She looks cranky a lot because her eyebrows are often furrowed, but she's just trying to understand what is going on or who someone is. Sometimes I call her "Eyebrows". Mommy said I was exactly like that when I was a baby. It is possible that 400 of the pictures I took looked like that, but we skipped through those and saved the happy ones to post. I love when you can see her two little bottom teeth. But she already has eight! Four of them which are still growing in. And right now we have to hold her hands in a lot of the pictures because she is always putting her hands in her mouth. It covers up her great smile!

I ended up taking a total of 536 pictures just during the 45 minutes we were at the pumpkin patch. Its easiest for me to just take a bunch and delete the cranky faces later. I don't want to miss out on any of the cute smiles, especially when her facial expressions change so quickly. I busted out laughing on Saturday when Mia was holding her because she went from smiling without showing her teeth to instant grump cat face. I'm not sure what changed since Zach was standing behind me shaking his keys and trying to make her laugh. But it was super hilarious! I keep forgetting how much she does not like when I bust out laughing because it's suddenly so loud. And she cried once when I sneezed.

 When she gets a little older (maybe when she is 3 years old? She's one week shy of 11 months here) I'll have to get pictures of her wearing the first Dorothy dress that my mom sewed for me in preschool. Having her sit next to a scarecrow like this one and my stuffed lion would be super cute.

 I love the pictures above because you can see them smiling at each other and Peyton looking steady, knowing she is safe with her mommy holding on to her. I can't wait for my future baby to call me mommy (right now Peyton can say "ma ma ma ma" and Jacquie always tells her "I'm here") and reach for my hand when we cross the street. Yes, I know babies are a huge responsibility and how I'll be exhausted at points and will no longer be allowed to be selfish. Sounds like regular mature adult life! I know that it costs a lot for the doctor appointments, hospital birth, formula, food, diapers, etc. Michael makes sure to remind me of this almost every day. But I make sure to tell him everything will work out just fine and life will be extra amazing because we will have created a new life together. An actual new human life to mold and love unconditionally- not just a cliche fresh start.

[ the foretold eyebrows! ]

 ^^ On the Walking Dead hay ride! We didn't see any zombies, but the ride was longer than everyone thought it would be and we turned around by an old creepy building. We wouldn't have been prepared!

After the pumpkin patch we went home and decorated green zombie cookies that Mommy had baked from a kit. I was secretly really excited about it since I've been loving New Years Eve when we make belated graham cracker houses with icing and candy.  Jacquie and Peyton came to church with me and Mommy on Sunday, and I was the one holding her before and after so we figured that everyone who whispered "that's such a cute baby" assumed she was mine. And that's perfectly fine with me!! I liked doing the sign of the cross on her with holy water, feeding her one Cheerio at a time during the homily, and singing to her when I knew the words. It's so precious how she can hold food in her hand and chew the little rice crisps like a big girl. She even held it up to my mouth to let me take a bite. Jacquie kept saying she can't believe Peyton will already be one on Thanksgiving Day!

Attempting to taste the gourd! 

These two photos with me were taken by Mommy with the iPhone 5.

I'm excited to say that Michael has slowly been wrapping his head around all the baby prep. We went to the bank and opened a second savings account yesterday to keep the baby fund separate from our Atlanta house fund. Then he spent 45 minutes editing a picture of Peyton, but I didn't post it here since he turned it in to a scary Halloween card. He asked me a lot of questions about why having a baby now would be better than waiting two years. Hopefully my answers were acceptable or valid in his terms. I felt very prepared to answer questions about where we would put everything (I really would not want much since we live in a 1-bedroom apartment) and explaining how we wouldn't need a changing table because we always change Peyton on the floor with a plastic mat under her. And when I look up minimalistic baby reviews, everyone says a changing table is a waste of money and they never used it. Plus changing the baby on the floor means they can't roll off of anything. I thought it was funny that now when Michael talks about a baby/kid he says "he" instead of "she". He wants us to have a boy now so we don't have to pay for a wedding in 25 years. (Ha! Sorry Ailyn.)