our Halloween clown

my mom offered to make Clara's halloween costume and dug through her old patterns until she found this one

20 years ago she made it for my sisters

and now for Clara

the balloons were my touch (she's obsessed with balloons and loved it)

and was crazy about her plastic "punkie"

these were taken at our ward halloween party

with her friend Avery

even though she was once again sick we took her trick or treating for a few minutes

(she started saying "tick tweet" after a few houses)

and I even let her eat a few pieces :)

**Some 18-month stats because I don't know where else to include them:**

height: 33 inches 86th%

weight: 23 lbs. 10 oz. 69th%

head circumference: 18.75 inches 84th%

September and October

I've been focusing on my recipe blog (it's getting a makeover very soon!!) and been neglecting this one. But we're still here in Chicago with nothing too exciting to share lately.

Oh, except that we finished breastfeeding- which was a pretty big deal. There were a lot of tears but overall she did remarkably well. I'm grateful I was able to nurse for 17 months and I miss those tender moments, but it was definitely time. And she's sleeping much better at night, for naps... it needed to happen.

Also, fall here is was gorgeous. (What little bit of it we got.)

photos from the last two months, with a few notes...

poor thing face-planted and looked adorable with a purple-blue nose

baby boots and skinny jeans (that must be unbuttoned after breakfast)

Kristin and her friend Angela from Ann Arbor came for the weekend for a girl's getaway. They invited me to stay in their hotel with them for a night so we could shop and eat and run around downtown. (It was my first night and day away from Clara and of course I worried- but she barely even missed me.)

Lincoln (our next-door neighbor) turned 1

Clara with her best friends

my mom came to stay for a week and we loved every minute of it!

she is happiest outdoors, at the park

Lincoln Park Zoo

her first carousel ride

 it amazes me how despite the bumps and noisy city she always falls asleep mid-run

Ann Arbor and other recent photos

First a few photos from the last weeks (or month, who knows)...

she sat like this for at least 20 min

the water room at the Children's museum (this convinced me I need to get her a rain jacket because they're adorable!)

Saturday shopping on Michigan Ave. 

 Brooke and our mama stopped for a short visit

 she LOVES her private pool

Tuesday morning farmer's market

cuddles

this is all she wants to do at the park anymore

devouring tomatoes as we stroll through the farmer's market

And now for a little Ann Arbor...

Kristin and Brody have been living there for a year now and we finally made the trip (about a 4 hour drive from Chicago).

We learned a few things along the way: 

Michigan is gorgeous. 

Road tripping gets easier with age. Clara did pretty great. Only freaked out in her car seat once or twice the whole way! 

Don't stop in Gary, IN. Just keep driving no matter how bad you've gotta go. Makes our sketchy neighborhood feel safe. 

On campus at the University of Michigan

 Zingerman's Deli

Cider Mill for donuts

On our drive back we stopped to pick apples at a small farm in Michigan 

 she made this face every time she tried to pick up the heavy bag