New Beginnings: Fall Fun

Okay, before I say anything else, first let me do this. I came across Dave's baby photo, which I assume was taken in the hospital right after he was born. I compared it to one of Will. Does anyone else see a resemblance?! I love it!

William Joel, 1 day old

David Joel, 1980

Fall Fun

Alright, now that I got that out of my system, I wanted to share more photos of what we have been doing this fall. I don't think we could have asked for a nicer October in Pennsylvania! The weather has been fabulous--very little rain, lots of clear skies, comfortable temperatures, and perfect hiking weather! On the weekends we definitely try to get out and explore. It doesn't take long before we reach the tree-covered rolling hills. The color was not quite as vibrant as we were hoping, but it has still been beautiful. There were lots of yellows, oranges and browns, but very little red. Still, it has been a great fall so far with lots of opportunities for us to explore Pennsylvania.

Hellgrammites

I LOVE the weekends when Dave can be home with Will and me, and they are even better when Jonah is with us, too! The last time he was home Dave took him to find hellgrammites. Yes, hellgrammites. What are they, you ask? Really cool aquatic macroinvertebrates. Thanks to Nana's obsession with GVSU's Barter Board, Jonah has a new pair of waders and could get right in the water, just like Daddy! I would have loved to join them, but Mama had to stay home with the baby.

Still, I'm glad the boys had fun. Jonah was super pumped to show everyone what he found! Those two are something else. I wonder if Will will be as into creepy crawlies as his big brother. I hope so!

One of my favorite pictures of Jonah: ready for the stream!

A beautiful hellgrammite

Buttermilk Falls

Last weekend Dave and I went to a place nearby called Buttermilk Falls. It is the tallest waterfall in Indiana County--about 48 feet high. It's located on the property of the old summer residence of Fred Rogers' (of Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood) grandfather. Turns out his grandfather's last name was McFeely! Apparently Mr. McFeely's name on the show wasn't all that weird/creepy after all.

Anyway, the water was really low so we were able to get close, as you can see! I had Will strapped to my chest so even we could get off the beaten path. I would have liked a longer hike, but the falls were fun to explore. This could definitely be a nice spot to take visitors when they come to visit. (Hint hint, folks!)

Buttermilk Falls

Dave at the top of the falls

We tried out the front pack for the first time. Will liked it!

And by "liked it," I mean "slept the whole time."

Looking for a bird that I never did spot.

At the top of the falls

Seriously, could this kid be any cuter?!? Our little peanut.

Little Mahoning Creek

We also went to "scout" potential spots for Dave to conduct research. I think he really just wanted an excuse to fish. Dave loves to pull up Google Maps and basically guess where the cool spots are, and he usually finds some great places! We checked out Little Mahoning Creek, which was even more beautiful that I anticipated. In Michigan the rivers are mostly sandy-bottomed, but here there are lots of big rocks and boulders. If you can find a river that hasn't been devastatingly polluted as a result of past coal mining (there are lots of those, unfortunately), then the water is often nice and clear.

Pretty great spot to feed the baby!

Dave fly fishing

Forget sound machines: my baby gets the real thing!

Will Turns 1 Month

Will has been growing like a weed. Next Monday he will already be six weeks old! In many ways the time has flown, but being in the hospital seems like forever ago. I have found that with babies as soon as they arrive it feels as though they were always there. Like they were always a part of your family, even if they weren't born yet. I love that. :)

So this little fishy vest is one that Joyce, Dave's mom, made for Dave when he was just a baby. Will looks absolutely adorable in it! Dave has pictures of Jonah wearing it, too. Super cute!

David and Joyce, 1980

Jonah, 2 months

Will, 5 weeks

Just for fun, here are a couple of bath time pictures. This isn't technically Will's first bath, but it is one of the first ones where he didn't scream the whole time!

Halloween Fun

And lastly, Happy Halloween! Jonah is spending this Halloween with his mom, so unfortunately I won't have any pictures of him in a costume this year. He originally wanted to wear the creepy mask from Scream. I have no idea how he even found out about it, but there is no way I would ever let him wear it! Way too adult, and way too creepy. It's interesting how Jonah is drawn to all things creepy and scary. The funny thing is, he is very easily scared! He often won't even go to his bedroom by himself! I think he is intrigued by scary things, and as long as they are within his control he is okay and really likes them. For instance, he absolutely loves Halloween, and most of his drawings are filled with fangs, creepy red eyes, and even sometimes blood. He also has gotten really into scary stories, some of which are even too scary for me! (I hate scary things.) Anyway, I think he ended up going with a Werewolf costume instead of the Scream mask. That I can handle. At our house, we went with something a bit more cutesy. Isn't Will cute in this Halloween onesie?! We had to try it out before Halloween!