For his third outfit change today, Mama dressed Owen in his new long underwear. He took to them immediately, and oh my did his blue eyes pop! With plenty of room to grow, these will be great for underneath the Halloween costume this weekend and on through the dead of winter.  I can’t believe our little July baby is headed into his first fall and winter already!

This morning a package arrived in the mail with new big-boy overalls for Owen. Mama couldn’t wait to dress up her little man for a photo while the morning sun was streaming in the windows! As Murphy’s Law would have it, this outfit wasn’t long for the world. Moments after this photo was taken, there was a poop explosion that required a full-on diaper and clothing change.

The Sunday morning after our hike, we took advantage of the beautiful fall weather by driving to Smolak Farms in North Andover, where we enjoyed apple cider, apple cider doughnuts, and apple picking.  Fortunately, we found a grove of trees holding delicious Macouns and Macs, with which we filled our bag before heading back to town.

Last Saturday we hiked with Owen for the first time, to the top of Kidder Mountain in southern New Hampshire.  It was a chilly day, but we kept a good pace and made a pit stop in a sheltered, sunny spot near the summit.  As usual, Owen spent a good portion of his time in the carrier looking up at the trees, whose leaves were just starting to turn that beautiful Thoreau-esque array of autumn colors.

Autumn in New England has arrived!  A few mornings ago, Owen and Mama met friends Kati and Sammy Holland for a cup of coffee and a walk on the waterfront. There was a nip in the air, which made it the perfect morning for Owen to wear his hand-me-down union suit.  He stayed cozy in the stroller for awhile, but soon after we took this picture it was time to go inside and warm up with lunch and a nice long nap.

Much to Mama’s delight, one evening when Owen was 11 weeks old she discovered that he was captivated by a book called “Jamberry” by Bruce Degan.  In the book, a little boy and his brown bear friend go hunting for berries; while on their journey, they encounter a fantastic world filled with bright, colorful berries and a variety of animals who love them dearly.  Now we read the book almost every night, and Mama can’t wait to pick berries with Owen when he’s old enough to enjoy such an adventure.

Once it was clear that Owen could hold up his head pretty well, Mama decided to try putting him in the umbrella stroller.  The wide grin that spread across Owen’s face when Mama sat him in the stroller was all it took for her to realize that Owen was ready to roll.

“The Last Gasp” is a Cape Cod institution:  a 60-mile charity bike ride from Sandwich to Provincetown held in late September each year.  ”The Last Gasp” is also a nod to what is typically the last lovely summer-ish weekend on the Cape– what some people call “Indian Summer”.  Daddy did the bike ride with several of his Cape Cod office colleagues in honor of a co-worker who died earlier this year.  Owen and Mama took Daddy to the starting line of the race early on Sunday morning; while Daddy rode across the Cape, Owen and Mama relaxed with a nice walk in the sunshine, a long nap, and some quality tummy time, pictured here.

Owen got his first taste of the New England Patriots with their season opener on Monday, September 14th (they’re watching their first game together here).  Daddy says that Owen loves watching football but gets bored during the commercials.  I can’t say I blame him.

In early September, Mama and Owen boarded the Amtrak Downeaster for Owen’s first train ride.  He loved looking out the window at all the trees and buildings passing by, and charmed all the passengers who walked past our seat. We headed north to Exeter, New Hampshire where Daddy was competing in a day-long adventure race with some of his friends.  It was rainy, so instead of waiting at the finish line with beers and snacks, we hung out with Alyson and her son Max at their house, made lunch, napped, and waited for the big boys, who came home drenched, tired, and hungry.