Oh My Gourds!

It's that time of year- time for the annual Ebersole Halloween porch scene! And what is Halloween without pumpkins? We decided to take a drive into the country to a little place called "Country Pumpkin." Upon arrival, we were in awe at the expanse and activity at the pumpkin patch. There was a hayride for all ages, and cotton packin' (there is a huge cotton field on the property and offers great photo ops!) and  a corn box for the kids, and pumpkins and gourds of all shapes and sizes as far as the eye could see. I especially loved the height chart for photos, too- except my husband is not the greatest photog, not even for an amateur, so our photos for that weren't that great... no biggie! There was even a little outdoor cafe! It was pumpkin insanity! It was unseasonably warm, so our stay was short and we are hoping to go one more time before Halloween to take part in all of the festivities! We had a great time and Noah was in HEAVEN. He was free from the stroller and we allowed him to run around from pumpkin to pumpkin! He loved pulling our John Deere wagon along, too (provided by the Country Pumpkin)! Even though we were there for less than an hour, we still had an amazing time, hence the reason we would love to go back again!

DUDE.

It has been over four months since my last post. Needless to say, I have been one busy momma! Classes started back in August and I have been extremely focused on passing them all- hopefully with A's so I can restore my GPA back to its former glory! Noah is still... my Noah. Just much more active, especially where climbing is concerned. He climbs on the computer desk. He climbs up onto the bed. He climbs onto the dining room table. Need I go on? He is definitely getting his battle scars where climbing is concerned, too. One time, he climbed into the rocking chair and fell face first into the wall, causing an astronomical nosebleed... I almost passed out. He was a trooper, though! Any time he has an accident, like the one just mentioned, Noah just dusts himself off and keeps on trucking. His determination is awe inspiring and I am so proud of him. He's such a happy little man. He loves to clap... and the most endearing thing that he does lately, is clap when he first wakes up. It's almost like he is saying, "Thank you, God, for another day!" How can a mommy not be touched by such a sweet thing? My child continues to teach me so many wonderful life lessons. Lessons he doesn't even realize he is teaching. I love being a mommy.

Bill and I have been having growing concerns about Noah's speech development... or lack thereof. He is EXTREMELY bright and completely understands everything. He's just not showing any interest in verbalizing yet. His pediatrician told us that it was normal for some babies, boys especially, to develop speech a little later than most. He went on to tell us that if he wasn't speaking by his second birthday, then he would refer us to a speech therapist. His doctor also suggested that we need to ignore Noah's demands (pointing or crying) in order to "force" him to speak. Needless to say, I was a little bothered by this "good ol" boy approach to encouraging my child's speech. Bill and I did follow this direction for a couple of weeks only to be met with building frustration- by all of us. I decided to take the matter into my own hands and called for a private screening for my child. We are still in the process of getting Noah evaluated, but we should be accepted into a pediatric speech therapy program for early intervention in the next few weeks. I am relieved to know that we are on track to have Noah talking within his age range by his 2nd birthday, which, if you can believe it, is only 4 months away! So mommy friends, I urge you to always seek a second opinion when it comes to important things in your child's life. And always, ALWAYS trust your instinct. God gave us maternal instinct for a reason!

It is now Fall... my favorite time of year! I am hoping to post more blogs as we get closer to Halloween and of course, the upcoming holidays! Christmas shopping is underway, too. I have most of it done (for Noah and Bill), but I have a few odds and ends to pick up. I have some new Christmas decor, which I am UBER excited about, so I will be posting blogs about my adventures in holiday decorating, too! Should be fun, because I am far from being an expert! I have more of a relaxed, hippie approach to decorating, a nod to my childhood I guess you could say. So be on the lookout for fun and jolly updates in the future! There will be lots to write about, for sure!