New gym and halloween walk

Josie is enjoying the exersaucer at the gym across the street from the Newberry. I just joined, partially because they offer very inexpensive child care. So far, Josie has been in the Kid Care room three times...she's getting better with each visit (i.e. she doesn't cry inconsolably the *entire* time I'm gone, just part of it), although these shots show her at her happiest, because I'm still in the room. (these shots aren't the greatest because they were taken with my cell phone).




I'm hoping at some point I'll be able to leave her for more than 20 minutes and actually break a sweat! But it's hard to leave a face like this!











After the gym today, we went for a walk. Trick-or-treaters were out early and we saw Princess Leia, Batman, a black belt in Karate, Dracula and a few devils and witches. This house has my favorite Halloween display (except for maybe the house down the street from us with the Chucky and Bride of Chucky dolls in their picture window...I still need to get a shot of that). I'm glad that soot-bags aren't in fashion anymore...here's an article Jack posted about the history of Halloween in Chicago.

Tuesday morning playing

Some shots of Josie playing on her mat from this morning. She's wearing a cousin-Solana monster dress hand-me-down in honor of Halloween.

Reeeeeaching for a book.








So, *are* you my Mother?








Mmmm...delicious book.








Happy.

Early voting!

Josie is bundled up and ready to go vote (after a quick trip to the pediatrician for a follow-up flu shot).










We walked to go pick up our I-go car. This is the mural of Puerto Rico on the block across the street from us. They have *giant* parrots in Puerto Rico.









It's nice and warm in this wrap!











We passed by an art gallery with cats in the window--you can't see the other one. We're right near another art gallery where we once saw the AcroCats/RockCats show a few years ago--Chicago's only trained domestic cat show! Here's a video of them playing along to Electric Avenue. Apparently, this is the Cats-n-Art part of town.




I-go to the pediatrician! And then I-go vote!








All this I-go-ing is making me tired. Is this where we early vote?











I'm proud of you, Mom and Dad, for keeping democracy alive.











Democracy is fun!









PS--The camera problem is fixed...there was just something wrong with the disk. We were glad we could document Josie's first trip to the polls!

Comrade Josie, Ready for Takeoff

Here's a picture of Josie in Smith Park. I think she looks a bit like a cosmonaut in this outfit.















Hello, comrade!

A few more shots from the photo shoot

Two more shots, stolen from the photographer's blog, for your viewing pleasure. Our camera is on the fritz so there may be some downtime here on the blog, although maybe we'll try to post some cellphone shots here and there until we can figure out what's going on with the camera (or we replace it).

Rainy day jam session

Josie can already pick out "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and a few other basic tunes...she'll be playing Segovia in no time.







We'll probably use this as the cover shot for her all-acoustic album (an unexpected departure from her heavy metal/glam rock debut, "All Systems Jo")

Supermodel shots

A few sneak peak shots from this weekend's photo shoot. I'll post more when they're available from the photographer's blog. Here's one where she's chatting with another baby model.


Josie's eyes are hypnotic in this one.












Hangin' out in the wrap.

Big eyes

I don't know why people keep commenting on Josie's eyes...








Pretty, blue eyes? Who, me?

Work it, supermodel

Josie and I traveled to Oak Park today to take part in a baby-modeling photo shoot for a company that makes baby wraps called Moby (I'm on a listserv for people who baby wrap and the photographer was looking for volunteers). I'll post the professional pix soon (and there are some great ones!)--this is just a quick shot using our camera that the mom of the photographer took. We got a free wrap out of the deal, as well as this nice hat. People kept stopping to comment on how cute Josie was and the photographer, who photographs babies for a living, was impressed, too.

Sitting up on the playmat

Josie is having lots of fun these days experiencing her playmat from a new perspective.







She is sitting up on her own for extended periods of time now.








Look at the little beer gut she has...maybe it's helping her to keep her balance.

Colder weather

It was a beautiful, brisk fall day here in Chicago. Josie is bundled up to go for a walk to the grocery store.







She power napped on the way back...it's a little too dark to see her well in this photo, but you can see the yellow leaves on the ground in this patch of sunlight where I stopped to take a quick pic.

New rug--morning and afternoon

We have a new rug in the living room to replace the thin rag rug. Now we can spend more time with Josie on the floor doing tummy time or just laying back and relaxing as in this shot. She can also practice sitting up without us worrying as much about her falling over and whacking her head.




Here's a sitting-up shot. Mmmm...monkey paw.

The tree outside our window seemed to turn yellow overnight.






Josie's head is a little washed out in this photo, but I thought she was smiling in a nice way.







Josie likes to sit up!








Here's a shot from later in the afternoon. She's a little drooly in this picture--she's been slobbering all over her squishy toy.







I like this new rug!

Some Saturday shots

Here's a close-up of Josie on her zoo mat.








All smiles (for now) on the mat.








All done! (and wiped clean of peas and oat cereal)








I'm a good a good eater!

The lil'est marathon fan

I posed Josie with my sneaker for a special shout-out pic to all my running pals and everyone else who will be tackling the Chicago Marathon this Sunday.






Now get out there and have a great race!

Thrift store tub!

Josie has a new tub...it's just like the one she borrowed from her cousin Katherine while we were in Albuquerque. I lucked out and found it at the thrift store for $2.95! I was dropping off some bags of old clothes and decided to run in on the off chance they had something...glad I did. They didn't have this one at Target and the tubs they did have started at $18 (although most of them were $30).


I spent a little of the money I saved on a bath fish. She likes it when I pour water out of it and sing the bathtime song for her which goes (to the tune of "You are my sunshine"): Oh, it is bathtime, it's really bathtime, oh, it is bathtime, for Josephine. We're gonna scrub you, right in this tub, you, gonna scrub you 'til you're clean!

CCC Onesie: Then and Now

You may remember this shot (and others) from back in June. Just thought I'd update it now that Josie is filling out her Columbia College Chicago onesie a little more fully.






This was taken earlier today. I call it "Crazy for Columbia College Chicago!"







She has a similar crazed look in this shot...I swear she was smiling sweetly. I just couldn't capture it with the camera.

Bob's yer uncle (and your stroller)

Josie had a great time meeting her Uncle Bob this past week, but she was also happy to return to her new favorite stroller, the Bob Revolution. It's so comfortable that Josie can either sit up and enjoy the view or sleep peacefully in a reclined position, even if I've got it out running (not that I run that fast, but in any other stroller she'd be getting majorly jostled).



Yay, Bob!