“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.” ― L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

October has always been one of my favorite months… the fashion, the smells, the colors, the sports – I love it all. Even so, it’s hard to believe we are in the 10th month of 2018… Where on earth did the time go?! Does anyone else get into an irrational spiral thinking about time passing? Here’s my latest thinking: it’s October, which means it’s almost Christmas-time, which means it’s almost 2019, which means it’s almost time for my child to start kindergarten, and I’m not ready for Bodie to start kindergarten!… (Bear in mind that Bodie is not even 3 weeks old yet…) I need help… ha

All that said, here are a few of the things I’m really looking forward to this month:

1. A Trip to the Pumpkin Patch

Basic or not, I love all the pumpkin things, and I especially look forward to going to the pumpkin patch each year. While there are several really big ones right outside of Nashville, Luke and I usually go to the one in 12 South–it’s cute and had a great selection, but it’s not overwhelming. I can’t wait to take Bodie along this year and snap all the pictures. I got him a little pumpkin outfit to wear. ☺️ Even though it’s newborn size, it’s still a little big…. but it’s so stinkin’ adorable and so I don’t even care ha. My second favorite pumpkin patch is… Trader Joe’s. That counts, right? They always have the best pumpkins (especially the cinderella, fairytale ones… my favorite) for the best prices. I typically pick out one or two pumpkins from the 12 South patch and then buy anything else I want from Trader Joe’s because the prices are so much better haha. Anyone else?!

2. Our Family Halloween Costumes

So I’m not going to give away too much with this right now, but I’m pumped about what we’ve decided on. I’ve looked forward to dressing up a baby for halloween for such a long time, and now that I get to, I’m beside myself about it (especially because he will only be 6 weeks old). Assuming we pull off the costumes we have planned, you’re bound to see a multitude of pictures. Stay tuned, friends!

3. Luke’s Parental Leave

For as much as Luke works and how demanding his job can be, we are so fortunate for the amazing paternity leave policy that his firm has. He can take up to 4 weeks of leave within 60 days after the birth, and he is able to split that up however works best for us. He took his first week off when Bodie was born, and then went back to work for the past week and a half for trial. His trial is over, and now he’ll be off for the rest of his leave – I could not be more excited. It’s so rare that he has any extended time off where he doesn’t have the stress of billable hours hanging over him, so this is a real treat. We have lots of plans to binge watch some shows, do a few house projects, and soak up all the precious, fleeting time with our little Bodie Bear.

4. Bodie’s First Trip to the Zoo

This ties right in with Luke’s parental leave, but we are planning to take Bodie for a stroller ride through the zoo this week. Luke and I love going to the zoo, and while Bodie won’t remember this first trip, Luke and I definitely will, and it will be such a sweet memory for us. I’m thinking in the spring I may even get a season pass so Bodie and I can walk the zoo during the weekday mornings. It just sounds so fun to me!

5. Bestie Coming to Town

At the end of the month, my best friend Mariglenn is coming into town to stay with us for about four days, and I can’t wait. She and her husband moved to St. Louis around the same time Luke and I moved to Nashville three years ago. Before that, we lived in the same city together for about eight years (Auburn then Birmingham). We hate being separated now, but it makes the time we get together so much sweeter. We are so excited to have her coming to visit and hang out with Bodie for a few days. I’m just speculating here, but I predict we will drink way too much La Croix (we usually stack our empty cans in a pyramid so we can tally at the end of our visit. Who does that? We’re strange…), eat at Proper Bagel at least three times, and watch a bunch of Princess Diana and Royal Family documentaries.

Thanks so much for your patience as I stepped away from the computer and blog the past three weeks to spend time soaking up those precious newborn moments with Bodie. I’m excited about all the content I have coming the rest of the fall and can’t wait to share some fun projects I’ve been working on (and some sweet baby lovin’) with y’all soon. Hoping to have Bodie’s birth story up next week. xoxo.