Pumpkin Fest 10K and meeting Emily

On Sunday, October 25 Brian ran in the Sycamore Pumpkin Fest 10K. The weather was perfect and around 1200 runners came out for the event, some even dressed in costume. Brian and Cassidy before the race. Cassidy slept from the time we arrive in the morning at 8:30 until just before Brian finished the race. Of course she decided she was very hungry about 5 minutes before I knew Brian would be coming across the finish line. Luckily we had a bottle and Brian's mom gave her about an ounce (which held her over until he finished the race and we got pictures)

This is at the beginning of the race as the racers were starting to spread out. Brian is in the bottom left of this picture.

Brian just moments before crossing the finish line. He completed the 10K in 53:03. He's definitely got the running bug and wants to someday complete a half marathon, but he said he's not doing it until he can do the one in Disney World.

Grandma and Grandpa Gerken came up for the day to see Brian race, do brunch afterwards and then catcht he pumpkin fest parade. Cassidy finally woke up in time for daddy to finish the race.

After the race was done.

And the prize for completing the Pumpkin Fest race is your very own pumpkin!

Cassidy's 3 month picture! She looks so big next to the teddy bear now. She is definitely growing (check out those cute chubby thighs!)

Last night we headed to Dixon to meet Cassidy's newest cousin, Emily. In this picture we have Ellie (12), Cassidy (3 months) and Emliy (1 week). We'll be sure to get an updated cousin picture at Thanksgiving when they are all together.

Cassidy and Emily. Cassidy saying, "I'm so big" and smiling for the camera, while Emily just snuggles up for a good nap with her new best friend. It is absolutely amazing to me how much children change in the first year of life. Only 3 months separate these two and they are so vastly different in appearance and what they are doing.

Emily is so done with this photo shoot, and Cassidy is not sure what to do about the crying baby next to her.

During my lunch time runs lately I've been pondering how much life has changed in 3 months, all the things we've learned and the joys in our life from having Cassidy in our life. Here are some thoughts from those runs.

***I live for weekends now, but for entirely different reasons than I used to.....sleep!

***I do thing newborns are cute, but they are sooo much more fun when they can smile, giggle, grab at toys, etc.

***I never knew that I could function on so little sleep or that I would consider it a "good" night if we only got up once or twice. (I really thought that by 12 weeks our child would sleep through the night)

***Nothing in the world compares to the huge toothless grin your baby gives you or the giggle they make when they find something funny

***No matter how many milestones Cassidy reaches ahead of the average baby, I will dwell only on the ones she's not reaching figuring we're doing something wrong (for instance she must not be rolling over because we don't give her enough tummy time...yes we know we're crazy and she's fine)

***Priorities really do change when a baby comes home and I don't care how clean my house is or what is for dinner, because after work I really just want to play with her.

***Catholic guilt has nothing on a mother's guilt....you feel guilty for needing a break, for taking them to day care, for letting them cry, for just about everything and I hear it just gets worse.

There is so much more we've learned, but that's a snapshot. Even as I type this I just keep imagining her huge grin and giggle, it is my very favorite thing and luckily she is starting to do it more! (now if I could just get a good picture of that huge grin, nothing compares)