{31 for 21} Life After Lockdown: Eleven.

The statistics state that 40 percent of people born with Down syndrome will have a heart defect.  For those who require surgery as a baby, this is terrifying.

Immediately before and after surgery, heart patients need to be kept away from germs, which means they must be kept away from people.  That means no church, no grocery store, no last-minute-run for diapers.  If you know a family in this situation, please, visit if you can (without your kids), and once the lockdown is over, make sure they get outside.

We got out a lot over the weekend.  I shared about our day in Old Town, and on Sunday, we headed to the farm.  I hadn't been to this particular farm in about seven years.  The last time I went was before I knew Matt, so it's been awhile.  A beautiful October day, sunshine, and the lingering effects of weeks spent inside with Ellie and I staring at each other meant we simply had to partake in this fall tradition.

(Real farm = Real pigs.)

We went through a corn maze, which wasn't a "maze" per se because there were no options to take wrong turns.  I called it a "corn walk."  The corn walk had funhouse mirrors, a few giant bugs, a crocodile and elephants.

(Get ready for the maze.)

(Amazing frog-like baby!)

The hayride was my favorite.  Ellie was cool with the first half, but then she got hungry and it's hard to feed a baby a bottle on a bouncing hayride, so we made her wait.  Grumpiness ensued, which was quickly solved with a bottle as soon as we got off the ride.

(Why don't they serve milk on this ride?!)

(Nothing says "Happy Fall" like a crew of Presidents.  There were also gnomes and horses.)

She slept through the petting zoo.

(Ellie, see the goat?)

(Mommy, tell that goat to quit messing with my nap.)

But the absolute highlight for Ellie was the pumpkin patch.

(Reach for it, reach for it.)

(This one is my size!)

(Linking up at Paper Mama.)

Happy Fall.  What traditions are you excited about?