The Parrillo Family

Jake, Eloise and I took a trip to the Morton Arboretum a few weeks ago to see the fall leaves changing color. It was the perfect day for a picnic in the trees. Eloise was able to try out our new hiking carrier and she LOVED it! She was dancing and laughing as we walked around. After a walk and a little drive, we headed to West Chicago and Sonny Acres . I have been visiting this small farm for their pumpkin patch since I was in kindergarten. It was so fun to take Eloise there. Almost nothing has changed. It isn't the fanciest patch, but it definitely has the right amount of kitsch. Eloise loved the wagon!

Eloise is ten months old! The past month brought two teeth- and lots of ibuprofen, poor baby. She looks so cute when she smiles big and shows off those tiny little chompers. She is eating more finger foods, including spaghetti and grilled cheese. She loves both! Eloise gives sloppy kisses when she is in the mood. They are the absolute best. She has also started standing on her own. It started when she would briefly let go of the coffee table or her crib. She would giggle for a moment and then snatch the crib rail. Now she uses other things to push herself up and squeals with delight until she falls on her tush, as evidenced here, pre-tush fall: She seems a little camera shy and we don't have a good video of it. Hopefully, we will be able to share that soon! Here are the rest of her ten month photos. We also took a trip to Champaign last week for U of I's homecoming and Eloise's first Illini game. She enjoyed it thoroughly, particularly all the clapping as the I...

Eloise learned how to clap by watching all the happy guests at Rachael and Tim's wedding. Here she is, showing off her skills! I love the sweet little noise her hands make.

We spent a weekend in August in Bloomington to celebrate Rachael and Tim's wedding. It was a sweet, casual wedding, with a ceremony at a chapel in the trees and a big party in the couple's backyard. It was the perfect way for Eloise to have her first dance with her daddy. The weather was perfect, the love was palpable and there were good friends everywhere. We had an awesome time!

Visit to Erin and Cooper- photos and kissing babies Day at the park

Eloise is nine months old! This month has brought more crawling, more climbing and more talking. She loves stairs! Our house is on its way to being fully baby-proofed. She has become very chatty- ma, la, da, ba. She will imitate raspberries for her daddy. She learned how to clap at our friends Rachael and Tim's wedding. The clapping during the ceremony scared her a bit, but by the time dancing started she was doing it on her own. We took a trip to Michigan for a gorgeous late summer weekend and apple picking. Eloise loved hanging with her cousins Isabelle and Grant. They even found a tiny little apple for her. As always, we took a million photos with her pony and her banner, as well as a few from apple picking.