Happy Halloween! Our neighborhood held it's Halloween festivities yesterday and we all had so much fun. Quinn was a skeleton baby and Lillie was Elmo. Of course she was Elmo, he's her best friend! We walked up and down Southport and Lillie learned to say "trick or treat" very quickly to gather a pumpkin full of candy. And how perfect that Elmo saw Elmo and the two shared a big hug! We ended the walk with some pumpkin decorating and a fun play session at the park. Meanwhile, Quinn slept in the stroller the entire time. Next year will be a lot of fun...especially if Quinn is walking (no pressure)!

Purple is all the rage in Lillie's world these days...the color purple and finger painting! She loves both, and although she does indeed know how to identify other colors, she'd rather everything in her world be purple. We started using the finger paints a lot in the past month, and she can't get enough. This is great news given the weather is getting colder and we may be stuck inside more often. Now we have to figure out how to keep and display all those cute masterpieces!

Quinn turned three weeks old yesterday, and while it's only three weeks, my how time flies. It's a little sad to think about how fast he's growing...just look at this photo and all his rolls! He had such a full belly when we snapped this pic, I think his diaper was about ready to pop off.

















Once we were finally done taking in all his cuteness, we gave Quinn his first bath. We're hoping he's like his big sister and will learn to love the water, but for now this momentous occasion ended with tears.

















Comfy and cozy again, here's Quinn with his first hairstyle, complete with a part. Isn't he handsome?!

He's here! We're proud to introduce Quinn Russell Sullivan born on September 28 at a whopping 10 pounds 5 ounces! It's been way too long since our last post, we know. While things are understandably a bit busy right now, we're hoping to be much better about letting everyone know what's going on here in Chicago.

Quinn is a rock star already, sleeping very soundly for most of the day. We're getting more and more chances to see his eyes open as the days go on, and they are looking to be blue just like his big sister. Lillie is also a rock star of a big sister, helping Mom and Dad with his burping and being our diaper changing aid. Everyone has settled in nicely in the last couple of weeks, and we're so glad to be the Sullivan Four...finally.

Our visit to Alaska was great, but way too short. As always, we packed as much in as we possibly could: a baby shower for Patrick, Julie, and their new baby girls, catching up with friends and family, a marathon relay, and Conor was even able to go through his old childhood He-Man collection to get it ready for Ebay (anyone interested?). Collin, who is only a few months younger than Lillie, greeted her with open arms and they had a ball giving each other hugs and kisses.

This was the all-star marathon relay team who ran the Mayor's Midnight Sun Marathon, consisting of Jenna, Catherine, Conor, and Terrill. They called their team "The Why-Nots," which was very appropriate since they didn't really form until a few days before the actual race. You may recall that Conor ran this very marathon back in 2005, so of course he was excited to be back in it, but this time as the anchor to the relay. They all did really well and ended up having a great time.

Before we left to head back to Chicago, we were able to enjoy the Sullivan June Birthday and Father's Day party, and on such a short trip, it was nice to be able to see so much family at one time. It's always fun when our trips coincide with these get-togethers. It was sad to say goodbye since we're not exactly sure when we'll be back. Most likely it won't be this year, but we're hoping for a trip early next year.

Next up in our busy summer was a trip out west to Sonoma/San Francisco/Anchorage. We packed a lot into just over 9 days. Our friends, Annie and Brian, got married in the middle of wine country, in a beautiful outdoor ceremony. I'm told the wine was amazing, and I can certainly vouch for it smelling delicious! We spent the weekend in Novato and did a lot of catching up with friends and family. We were able to see both Kelly and Erin from the Sullivan clan, our friends Chris & Jess with their son Auggie, and of course all our friends that were also there for the wedding.

We took a trip to a redwood forest called Muir Woods which was jaw dropping gorgeous and cool! It was an easy hike on all of us the morning after the wedding. That night we met up with cousin Kelly and her boyfriend, Greg, for some great burritos.

The next day we made a go of as many wineries as we could fit in before meeting up with cousin Erin in St. Helena for dinner. Lillie was such a trooper through all of this and loved being around so many new people.

On our last day, we checked out of the hotel and drove into San Francisco and did mostly a driving tour of the hot spots while Lillie slept. We were able to squeeze in a little picnic at Crissy Field, and oh my, was it windy and cold there! I highly recommend heading over to the Warming Hut for some hot chocolate and sweet treats after spending some time on the beach. Afterwards, we had just enough time to make it to the airport and hop on an airplane (or "airbee" as Lillie calls them) on our way to Anchorage. It was all so great and I cannot wait to find another time to go back to San Francisco.

Back in May (yes May!) we took a little trip to Ohio where Lillie had her first overnight with Mamaw and Papa. Conor and I stayed in a cabin in Hocking Hills for a couple of nights as a sort of "babymoon" before Baby Boy Sullivan arrives in September. Lillie had a blast hanging out with her cousins, climbing trees, attending baseball and soccer games, and celebrating Carter's birthday.

Conor and I had a wonderful relaxing time hanging out in the beautiful Hocking Hills. I was even able to start catching up on reading Harry Potter, which has been an ongoing to-do for a couple years now! (Yes, I still haven't finished the series, but I'm getting there!) We felt like we were all by ourselves in the middle of nowhere, which is exactly how we wanted it. I highly recommend our Inn to anyone who finds themselves in this area of Ohio. Very nice people and great food!