Autumn has always been my favourite season, and this year is even better because it is my first fall season as a mother. So, you better believe I am soaking up the joyful moments and capturing all the memories I can for my baby’s first fall. Here are 10 ways that I am celebrating fall with my baby.
1. Picking out a Giant Pumpkin
I took a trip to a local farmer’s market with my baby to pick out a giant pumpkin for my baby to sit in. While there, we snapped some cute pictures with the fall decorations and enjoyed a delicious lunch of farm-grown butternut squash soup.
2. Apple-Themed Pictures
I had an adorable little photoshoot planned in my mind to capture the fall with my baby. I bought a bunch of apples at a local apple orchard to bring home, and I happened to have a large bushel basket. I noticed a warm, overcast day and took advantage of the ideal weather for an impromptu photo shoot. So, I draped a blanket over and in the basket for my baby to sit on and piled a few apples around the baby and a few on the ground in front of the basket to snap some adorable pictures. I found the bright red apples to pop most in the photos. The baby held an apple and gave me big smiles for gorgeous fall photos.
3. Swimming Lessons
This activity isn’t necessarily fall-specific, but my baby happened to become old enough this season for us to sign up for mommy and baby swimming lessons at our local indoor pool. So, this new experience and memory will now be tied to my favourite season for me, and hopefully, we can sign up again for the winter because my baby loves the water!
4. Fall Fair Baby Show
Our local fall fair hosts an annual baby show, and this year, I was able to enter my baby. All the babies must be registered in advance so that all contestants can be awarded an award and prize, so it’s all in good fun. I have secretly looked forward to this event for over a decade. I have chosen an adorable semi-formal outfit with fall colours for my adorable little baby show contestant.
5. Eating Fall-Harvest Foods
I have been integrating the fall spirit into our daily routine with fall-harvest baby foods. I purchased butternut squash, a pie pumpkin, and some apples from a local farmer’s market. I’ve blended up some cooked butternut squash to make a puree that I froze so I can use it all season and cooked some fresh butternut squash into soft, squishable little pieces that my baby can eat. I plan to cook my pie pumpkin to blend into a puree for my baby to enjoy the entire season and to cook into a baby-friendly crustless pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving dessert. I’ve blended some apples into a fresh apple sauce for my baby, and I also plan to cook some to soften them so I can cut them into tiny pieces that my baby can eat.
6. Fall Holiday Books
I have been integrating books celebrating the holidays of the fall season into our daily routine. I have found children’s stories about Thanksgiving and Halloween that I read to my baby aloud while the baby explores the soft play toys. We read a couple of touch-and-feel and flap Halloween books together. The baby may not understand them yet, but the baby enjoys interactive books, and the fall stories make me happy to celebrate my favourite season.
7. Joined a Walking Group
This fall with my baby, I joined a parent walking group that meets weekly at a local trail. My baby and I have been able to take in the changing leaves and fall foliage, exercise, and meet new friends. It’s been a great experience, and I urge new mothers and parents to find a parent walking group near you.
8. Thanksgiving
My family is blessed this year to celebrate our baby’s first Thanksgiving with family enjoying a fall feast. I plan to utilize some of my butternut squash puree and baby-friendly crustless pumpkin pies to ensure my baby has safe food, as we are not hosting the meal. I hope to offer the baby other safe soft foods like mashed potatoes if they are served, but I plan to bring some fall foods already prepped for the baby to be sure the baby has food with the rest of the family.
9. Pumpkin Photo
For years I have envied social media friends sharing adorable pictures of their little ones smiling with their feet poking out of the bottom of a giant pumpkin. So, I am beyond excited to recreate the modern classic photo this fall with my baby. To create this keepsake photo, I will carve the pumpkin my baby and I picked out on our trip to the farmer’s market.
10. Baby’s First Halloween Costume
My husband and I are excited to pick out a Halloween costume for our baby’s first Halloween! We have a hard time agreeing on which direction to go in. My husband tends to want to choose the first costume in the baby’s size closest to him but insists he wants to be present and part of choosing the baby’s first Halloween costume. I want to be intentional and find a costume of a classic Halloween character, such as a jack-o-lantern, black cat, or ghost, even if it means we must visit multiple shops or order a costume online. Whatever costume we decide on, I am so excited to capture some pictures for our precious memories.
I hope you enjoyed reading about the ways I am celebrating fall with my baby. I wish you a wonderful and joyful fall season filled with beautiful memories and heartwarming moments with your loved ones. Happy fall, everyone!
Let me know how you are celebrating the fall season on Instagram.