The Cheese Stands Alone

14 Months of Evan, Part 1

2009-09-22T23:21:00.007-05:00

It is hard to believe how much Evan has changed over that past year and 2 months! I'll let the pictures tell the story.

Picture with Dad at 1st birthday party!

Hanging out with cousin Ezra at Grandma and Grandpa Bryan's in November.

Playing with cousin Grace at Thanksgiving. Great-Grandma Vincent and Aunt Ann are in the background.

Christmas 2008

Evan loved the baby chicks at Rural King this March. They had tubs and tubs of them and we had to visit each one and pet chicks in every tub!

Robert, Evan and me. Easter 2009

How To Pass 14 Months Without a Blog Post

2009-09-19T22:26:00.003-05:00

Decide to pack and leave your home of 5+ years in the space of 1 month.
Move in with in-laws and share one computer with 3 other adults.
Work full-time so that you are only home when other 3 computer users are and internet time is at a premium.
Repeat Step 3 for 8 months or so.
Buy your own house, paint and move in the space of 1 month.
Quit your job to be home full-time and start a daycare, but continue to drive to in-laws to check email, Facebook, CNN, etc.
Look for an ISP in your new neighborhood only to discover that you live in a communications blackhole. Around here, they call it "rural." It's supposed to add to the charm.
Repeat Step 6 for 2 months.
Save up your money and have a satellite dish installed to receive the internet.
Resume long-neglected blog.

Well, that is the past 14 months of my online/offline life in a nutshell. Future posts will include pictures of our new house, Evan and the town to which we have moved, Decatur, IL.

11 Months Old!

2008-07-20T22:08:00.004-05:00

Evan is almost 1 year old now! Hard to believe that at this time last year I was hugely pregnant and very uncomfortable! Now I have a very sweet boy to show for it!

According to the scale at the vet's office, Evan is 21.4 pounds. (Don't worry Grandmas, we checked for doggie peepee first!) We will have an official weight and length after his 1 year check-up next month. Within the past few days he has started to become a very coordinated crawler, picking up both hands and knees in sync. Now the cats are in real trouble and they are just starting to get an inkling of it!

I'll let the picture tell the rest. We had a beautiful day last Sunday and the outside pictures are from then.

Evan can show us "how big" he is! The answer: SO BIG!

Playing in the shade with his hippo!

Closing in on the camera.

He always looks this engrossed when playing with this toy! It's one of his "Top Ten Favorite Toys of 2008."

One last smile for the folks at home! Evan knows why you visit my blog!!

First Tooth!

2008-05-19T19:56:00.004-05:00

This morning started out like any other. Evan played on his playmat white I tried to get just 5 more minutes of sleep before getting ready for work. He was insistent on chewing my finger like always. But this morning, I felt something different, something tiny and sharp! Turns out that it was the corner of his first tooth! It is the bottom right, for those who care to know such details. Of course, after I realized what was going on, he would not let me inspect his mouth any further!

Unfortunately, he had a rough morning at the sitter's and was pretty difficult to deal with till after his afternoon nap. His afternoon was decent and then he got fussy again after getting home. I had suggested to Robert that he give Evan one of the teething biscuits that I had made once they got home. He later told me that he offered Evan one and Evan threw it! Twice! So that wasn't the answer tonight.

He is sleeping peacefully now and hopefully will for the rest of the night. Soon, the tooth fairy will visit again and bring him another pearly white!

9 Months Old!!

2008-05-14T21:54:00.002-05:00

Evan turned 9 months old this past Saturday. He "celebrated" with a check-up at the doctor's. Evan now weighs 20 lbs 8 ounces and is 28 and 1/2 inches long!! He seems to be going through a "more long, less round" phase. The doctor was pleased with how he is growing and said that he looked happy and well-adjusted.

He has been experiencing one of the hallmarks of his age: separation anxiety. It seems to be improving a little. He is at least adjusting well to the new sitter. It's still a scary thing for him when I leave the room for longer than a few seconds and especially scary when I shower!

Evan hasn't shown much interest in crawling or standing, yet. He is able to get around well enough rolling for now. I'm not worried as every baby develops at their own pace. Still no sign of teeth, either, but that's fine with me as he is not yet weaned!

We are looking forward to warmer weather so that we can take Evan on the trails in his bicycle trailer! I think he will enjoy that quite a bit. He loves anything to do with being outdoors!

My Handsome Boy!!

2008-05-06T23:07:00.003-05:00

I just had to post some more pics of my handsome little guy! He was looking so spiffy in his polo that we took some picture today. Enjoy!!

Heart Walk 2008

2008-05-06T22:31:00.004-05:00

Saturday was a windy, cloudy and cold day for a 3-mile walk! We took the train and arrived at Forest Park just after 8 a.m. Evan seemed to enjoy his first train ride! He especially liked watching the people come and go from the platforms.

We met up with my friend, Andrea, and her husband. To help protect Evan from the wind, I put up the sleep hood on his carrier. He didn't complain one bit and in about 5 minutes he was fast asleep. In fact, he slept for the entire walk! All in all, it was a fun time and a nice walk.

Thanks again to everyone who made donations to the American Heart Association! Your contribution will be a great help to a great organization!

Big boy sitting in his own seat on the train! He wasn't too sure about that!

Evan and Momma on the train!

Andrea, Evan and I at the walk! See all of the people behind us? What was amazing wasn't the amount of people, but the amount of people in shorts!! Brrrr!!

Funny Cats to Make You Smile!

2008-05-02T00:02:00.005-05:00

Winston will tell you that this is the story of his life since Evan came home!

Thank goodness all of our cats are "self-kleening!"

This one is for Lee...remember playing "the floor is lava?"

All Geared Up!

2008-04-22T22:24:00.004-05:00

Evan has a new carrier! We are all geared up and ready to walk for the American Heart Association. The walk is Saturday, May 3rd. This was a spur of the moment decision so we don't have a lot of time to raise support. If you would like to support our team and make a donation visit my AHA page! We'll post pictures from the event!!

In other news, Evan is now 8 months old! He is around 21 pounds. Quite a chunky monkey!! He is still rolling to get where he wants to go. I now call him "Mr. Independent Sitter" as he is doing very well sitting on his own. His new trick is "High Five." He loves for people to put up their hand so he can give them high fives! It's so funny and he gets a charge out of it, too! Today he has also been experimenting with his vocal volume. This time instead of screaming and sqealing, he was whispering to himself. It was cracking me up! Evan starts with a new sitter, Ms. Debbie, on Monday. His previous sitter was licensed for day care and could only have 2 infants at time. We are hoping that he likes his new playmates, he already likes the cat, Gabby, that lives there!

7 Months Old!!

2008-03-14T13:30:00.004-05:00

I am seven months old now. Mama says that's hard to believe! I am beginning to roll like a pro! Last night I rolled until I was under the dining room table and couldn't roll any further. I have been eating lots of solid foods. My favorites are oatmeal, carrots and sweet potatoes! I'm not a big fan of green beans and sweet peas, but Mama gives them to me anyway.

When I'm not rolling on my mat I like to read books with Mama and play with Daddy! I have also been to the park a few times since it is getting warmer. They have swings that are made just for little guys like me! I love to swing!!

I still don't have any teeth, but I'm chewing on everything that I can get a hold of to try to make them break through. I'm also getting better at sitting by myself!

Making the Kindest Cut of All

2008-03-14T13:16:00.004-05:00

I recently decided that I was tired of long hair and tired of always wearing a ponytail or braid. So I had it all cut off and have donated it to Pantene's Beautiful Lengths campaign. They are collecting ponytails to be made in to wigs and given away free to cancer patients! I had around 10 inches to send. Check out my new do!!

When the Tickle Monster Strikes!!

2008-03-08T01:07:00.003-06:00

What's that Tickle Monster saying? Heeee's aaaaa chunky monkey, he's a silly monkey, he's a funky monkey, he's my baby monkey!

Gets him every time! I love that he has begun to giggle in anticipation of being tickled, just from seeing my hand hover above his belly and hearing the beginning of the Tickle Monster Chant! So much fun!!

Prunes and Carrots Everywhere!

2008-03-06T22:34:00.004-06:00

First it starts with a hand...

Then the other hand gets involved...

And before you know it...

Prunes and Carrots Everywhere!!

Learn-A-Word Wednesday: obstreperous

2008-02-20T23:09:00.002-06:00

ob-strep-er-ous

-adjective

1. resisting control or restraint in a difficult manner; unruly.
2. noisy, clamorous, or boisterous.

Even after three years of spelling bee training, I don't recall ever learning this word. I do, however, completely comprehend the meaning. Let me give you the word in a couple of example sentences to demonstrate my comprehension.

Using definition #2:
Winston, our cat, is at times obstreperous after Evan has gone to sleep for the night.

Using definition #1:
I pray that Evan will not be an obstreperous child once he begins making his own choices.

Do you know any obstreperous people or animals? I hope that they are boisterous rather than unruly!

Cabin Fever: Times Two!

2008-02-06T15:05:00.000-06:00

On Sunday, Evan didn't seem well and felt kind of warm to me. So, following the mama instinct, I took his temperature (the accurate way, which he tolerated quite well). Good thing that I did, the poor baby had a fever of 103! I was a little freaked, but considered the facts that he was nursing well, wasn't overly congested and wasn't having difficulty breathing, I decided to treat at home and not run to the e.r. Some Motrin followed a few hours later by some Tylenol and his temp was down to 99.6 by bedtime.

Monday had to be a sick day for me as Evan's sitter doesn't take kids that have had a fever in the past 24 hours. I wholly agree with that policy. Evan had a temp most of the day around 100 anyway. He was only happy if he could lay in Mama's big bed and nurse and sleep, which he did most of the day. Thankfully he was agreeable to also do this on the futon so I could watch Oprah and the 5 o'clock news and not go completely crazy!

Tuesday was better. No fever and he went to the doctor for his 6 month check-up. He received his shots as well. By the way, he is now 26 and 3/4 inches long and 19 lbs 2 oz. I told the doctor about the fevers and she confirmed that he likely had a virus and she saw inflammation in his left ear. She told me to give her a call if the fever came back and she would call in a script for antibiotics. No fever before bed last night.

This morning I got up and got showered for work. I could hear Evan fussing in his crib so I got dressed and went to get him ready for the day. I put him on the changing table to dress him and he totally freaked out! He is usually the happiest first thing in the morning. Okay, I thought, he's probably just really hungry. I nursed him, but when I put him back on the changing table he started screaming again. Today his temp was102.2. So we made calls to the doctor, the sitter and my work, then I took Evan to sleep in the big bed.

Our only outing today has been to the Shop N Save to get Evan's amoxicillan and to the Starbuck's to get me a skinny sugar-free latte. What a day to start South Beach again! How long till my Laughing Cow cheese wedge and celery? Hopefully Evan will be feeling better tomorrow and we can go walk the track at the Y. For now, I'll close as my right hand is tired from typing and my left arm has fallen asleep from holding Evan! Why did I have to make this such a long post?!

Polar Bear Mania

2008-02-03T00:00:00.000-06:00

The past few weeks I have been all about this sweet, little polar bear! Her name is Flocke and she is being hand raised by zookeepers at the Nuremberg Zoo in Germany. Every so often there is a video on CNN of her. Here are some pics so you can enjoy the cuteness, too!! To see more, click on any of the following pictures.

Snow Day!!

2008-02-01T14:38:00.000-06:00

Today we are having a snow day! I was so excited to see how white everything looked out the window when I woke up this morning! Mama said that I could go out to see the snow for "just a little bit."

Here I am all bundled up in my snow suit ready to go! It turns out I don't have mittens, so mom put socks on my hands to keep them warm. That was fun! I like to chew on socks on my hands!!

This is what we saw when we went out the front door! Snow everywhere except where the snow plow had been! It was so bright and white it made me squint my eyes!!

Here I am in the snow! Mama says that I am her Snow Angel! Don't worry Grandmas, I was only in the cold long enough to get these pictures!!

Learn-A-Word Wednesday: ephemeral

2008-01-30T21:16:00.000-06:00

e-phem-er-al

adjective
1. lasting a very short time; short-lived; transitory: the ephemeral joys of childhood.
2. lasting but one day: an ephemeral flower.

noun

3. anything short-lived, as certain insects.

I always thought that this was a pretty sounding word, but never knew for sure what it meant. Already there are so many things about Evan's babyhood that have been ephemeral, but I have a feeling that teething is not going to be one.

Trillium nivale is a "spring ephemeral" flower. I looked at pictures of ephemeral insects, but they were all really creepy, so we'll just have the flowers!

Learn-A-Word Wednesday: galactagogue

2008-01-23T22:23:00.001-06:00

ga-lac-ta-gogue

noun:

An agent that promotes the secretion and flow of milk.

This was a new work for me! I encountered it while googling for how to make more milk. Turns out, I already had some galactagogues in my cupboard!

Random Animal Picture

2008-01-22T16:33:00.000-06:00

Some people say childbearing and breastfeeding have the same effect. Hmmm....

Send More Milk!

2008-01-17T22:54:00.000-06:00

The request of my babysitter on Monday, relayed through Robert, was send extra clothes and send more milk. Send more milk?! I usually send along 3 full bottles of breast milk with Evan totaling somewhere between 15 and 18 oz. So, as of Wednesday, I'm now sending 4 full bottles, 20-24 oz. And I spend a lot more time with my trusty breast pump.

Here it is in its "at home" location on the end of the futon. Then I can pump and watch Leno and not be driven as crazy by the sucking, whooshing sound! It travels with me to work so that I can spend half of my lunch hour with it as well. I never thought that my breastpump would be the most-used baby shower gift, ever!

Pumping more to get more milk also makes more dishes. Here's my kitchen counter complete with bottles, lids, etc that are air-drying.

And because I cannot and am not willing to breastfeed forever, we have started giving Evan "tastes" of rice cereal and banana.

Of course, it will take a little while until Evan is proficient at eating solids. So, in the meantime, I'm spending extra time with my pump and sipping more nursing mom tea!

Random Animal Picture

2008-01-15T20:26:00.000-06:00

Just for the heck of it! I found some funny pics here and will post them occassionally for a laugh!!

5 Months Old!

2008-01-11T21:55:00.000-06:00

Evan is now 5 months old and full of new tricks! Just to recap from the last month: he grabs his toes, raises his head while on his belly, has rolled once from back to front on his own and is beginning to sit up leaning forward on his own. I must note, however, that the sitting up is very brief, usually followed by a topple to the left or the right. Thankfully he is a sturdy little fellow and doesn't scream once he hits the mat!! I will post several new pics from today. I think I have figured out what I was doing wrong at Christmas to make the pictures so blurry.

Evan has a new foam alphabet play mat. We set it up in the living room for him to roll around on and play with his toys. It is quite large (6'x6') so I put some of the squares away and will set it up in full when it gets moved to his bedroom.

Evan also has a new chair! It is a high chair that attaches to a kitchen chair to save space. He likes sitting at the dining table now like a "big boy." Besides, his legs are getting a little to chunky for the Bumbo. He still uses it, but when we pick him up, sometimes the seat stays attached!

Showing off new tricks!

Smiling for the folks at home!!

Smiles is Sepia!!

Learn-A-Word Wednesday: auld lang syne

2008-01-10T00:33:00.000-06:00

Okay, so it's three words and technically a phrase, but what does is mean?! I figured since it is the new year and the phrase is featured at the end of one of my favorite holiday movies (It's a Wonderful Life) it is time to find out!

The phrase is from Scottish and Northern English descent.

noun
1. old times, especially times fondly remembered
2. old or long friendship

Knowing that it seems even more appropriate for the New Year as we reflect on the year that has just passed. HowStuffWorks notes the the song is Scottish and extremely old, written in the 1700's. And I thought Bing Crosby Christmas songs were reaching a ways back!

Look Ma! Toes!!

2007-12-28T21:42:00.001-06:00

Evan has discovered his toes and oh, the wonder!! Whenever the opportunity presents itself, he lifts his legs and grabs his toes. Usually this happens on the changing table and makes diaper changing a challenge. He will even grab the feet of his pajamas in an attempt to get to the toes! So much wiggly fun!! Here's a picture and a video clip - I attempted to email the clip, but it is too large to attach.

Christmas 2007

2007-12-28T21:06:00.000-06:00

We had a wonderful first Christmas with Evan. Of course, Evan didn't know what was happening, but he enjoyed seeing all of the people. He is now enjoying playing with his new toys! He's having more fun now that he can hold objects better and get them to his mouth to taste and chew. I'll let the pictures say the rest! Hope that you all had wonderful holidays!!

Waiting to open presents Christmas morning with "Skinny Puppy"

Hanging out with Dad

Snuggling with Mom

Resting up for presents!

I love my rat from Cousin Ezra!!

Learn-A-Word Wednesday: yuletide

2007-12-26T16:44:00.000-06:00

yule-tide

n. the Christmas season
n. period extending from December 24 to January 6

Origin: 1425-75, late Middle English

Okay, so all of that was already obvious. But what the heck is a yule? And what does it have to do with tides?

According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, there is more to yuletide that meets the eye.

[Yule] was the Anglo-Saxons' name for a two-month midwinter season corresponding to Roman December and January, a time of important feasts but not itself a festival. After conversion to Christianity it narrowed to mean "the 12-day feast of the Nativity" (which begins Dec. 25), but was replaced by Christmas by the 11th century, except in the northeast (areas of Danish settlement), where it remained the usual word. Revived in the 19th century by writers to mean "the Christmas of 'Merrie England.'"

Now for the other half of yuletide.

-tide

n. a season or period in the course of the year, day, etc (now used chiefly in combination)
i.e. eventide, wintertide

So there it is. When you sing about "yuletide carols being sung by a choir," you will know what you're singing about!

4 Months Old!

2007-12-12T23:15:00.000-06:00

Evan turned 4 months old on Monday! So hard to believe!!

He had his well-baby check-up yesterday complete with 4 more vaccinations. Yuk! He is now 25 3/4 inches long and 17 lbs 10 ounces. Quite a big boy.

I would post a picture, but my camera is currently on hiatus to Dover, NJ for repair under warranty (long story, I'm not too thrilled to relay, but if you really want to know, ask).

Evan also has eczema. For the past month or so I have been slathering him in Eucerin lotion twice a day and he was still turning into something akin to a lizard. Then, more recently, he has taken to aggressively rubbing and sometimes scratching his forehead during the night. I wouldn't see the damage until the next morning as I don't turn on any lights for night feedings. But there he would be in the morning a bloody, scratched up mess. The doctor came into the room and the first thing she said when she saw him was, "He has eczema." So now Evan uses a steroidal lotion three times a day and already on day 2 it has made a huge improvement on his face. He also seems to be relieved of the itching (good for baby) so he will be able to sleep better and wake up less frequently (good for mom). Once my camera has returned from the nether-regions known as Joisy, I'll post some new photos!

Hams for Hanukkah or Why I'm Using Eid Postage Stamps On My Christmas Cards

2007-12-07T19:50:00.001-06:00

This begins with a story about a conversation Evan and I overheard at the post office last week. We were waiting in line behind an elderly lady to mail our most recent mooched book to Israel. The conversation went something like this:

Elderly Lady: What are E-I-D stamps?

E-I-D stamps? A quick look at the poster by the window told me that they were holiday stamps.

Postal Employee: Oh, those. They're for the Muslim Christmas. whispered tone It's really such a shame, but we have to carry them. I don't know that anyone buys them.

Elderly Lady: Oh. How do the Priority Mail envelopes work?

She was full of questions.

I could not believe what I was overhearing from the mouth of my local Federal employee! Such misinformation and intolerance. If I had had the money that day, I would have purchased 3 books of Eid stamps just to make a point.

So why am I using Eid stamps even though I'm not Muslim? Let me count the reasons why...

1. The same constitutional amendment protects my right to go to a Christian church, read my Bible and pray to God that protects a Muslim's right to go to Mosque, read the Quran and pray to Allah.

2. Intolerance and prejudice never won anyone's hearts or minds.

3. A Muslim friend and co-worker of mine has a greater dedication to his faith than I do to mine at times. He puts me to shame when I claim in my heart that I am worshipping the true God, but can't find time to pray or read my Bible.

4. The Eid stamps are prettier than the Christmas stamps this year. I mean, really, whose idea was it to make "Christmas Knits" into stamps?

For more information on the Eid festivals check out this link. For more infomation on Hams for Hanukkah, click here.

Savoring Every Moment

2007-12-06T23:05:00.000-06:00

I have been thinking a lot since Evan has been born about how I view time. I had a habit for most of my life of "wishing time away." What I mean by that is I would always be looking to the next event rather than focusing on the present. When I was 9 I wanted to be 10, when I was 12 I wanted to be 13, when I was in high school I wanted to be in college, when I was in college I wanted to be in a real job, when I was dating I wanted to be married, etc.

I think you get the point.

I was never satisfied with my life as it currently was. When I reached 29, I began to see that I wasn't going to make all of those "some days" happen. I was not able to keep reaching for everything that I didn't have without missing out on what I had already been blessed with.

The potential for whiling time away grew exponentially with Evan's birth. Not only could I wish away my own life, I could also wish away the life of my child. If only he could talk, walk, use the bathroom on his own, bath himself, drive.

I could wake up one day and not only have missed out on my entire life, but also on the life of my family.

Now I hardly like to think much past today and definitely not past this week. It scares me how fast time has already gone in my life and in Evan's short life thus far. I don't want to miss a single precious moment wishing for "some day". I don't want to miss a single opportunity to teach Evan, to comfort him when he's upset, to snuggle him and love him. I don't want to miss a single "first time" or sweet smile.

I don't want to miss my life.

Learn-A-Word Wednesday: zoetrope

2007-12-05T20:52:00.000-06:00

zo-e-trope

noun:
An optical toy, in which figures made to revolve on the inside of a cylinder, and viewed through slits in its circumference, appear like a single figure passing through a series of natural motions as if animated or mechanically moved.

I had never heard of these before and they sounded interesting. Wikipedia has a fairly brief, yet informative article about their history. You can even learn to make your own at www.show.me.uk.com. I may try that out some cold weekend this winter!

Learn-A-Word Wednesday: lepidopteran

2007-11-28T22:48:00.000-06:00

lep-i-dop-ter-an

noun:
1: any of a large order (Lepidoptera) of insects comprising of butterflies, moths, and skippers that as adults have four broad or lanceolated wings usually covered with minute overlapping and often brightly covered scales and that as larvae are caterpillars.

Hmm...that whole "minute overlapping and brightly covered scales" thing explains a lot about the "powder" that came off of butterfly wings when I would "pet" them as a child. Of course, the butterflies were already dead, usually the unwitting victims of the minivan's grill.

This lovely blue morpho speciman is available for $8.50 from Ianni Butterfly Enterprises. It originates in Paraguay. One of my favorite species...

What Are You Thankful For?

2007-11-24T01:04:00.000-06:00

God has blessed us greatly this year. There is so much to be thankful for! My "short list" of thanksgivings:
Robert completing school and finding a good job
The birth of our son, Evan
Our good marriage

I hope that you took some time yesterday to reflect on what you are thankful for. It puts everything into better perspective when I think about all of the blessings we have living in this country at this time in history.

We spent the holiday with Robert's extended family. There were grandparents, great-grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins and friends. So many people to be thankful for! So many people for Evan to meet as well. We were both pooped out by the afternoon. He from not sleeping enough the day before and me from too much turkey (is it possible to have too much turkey)? As you can see in the picture we had a nice catnap along side Grandpa Vincent. (Thanks to cousin Tracy and her "candid camera"!)

Learn-A-Word Wednesday: perfidy

2007-11-21T22:45:00.001-06:00

per-fi-dy

noun:
1: the quality or state of being faithless or disloyal: treachery
2: an act or an instance of disloyalty

This word dates back to 1592.

Well, Evan and I have not yet made it to the thrift stores to purchase our mega dictionary. However, I remembered a word from a book that we are reading together, The Tale of Despereaux. Actually its entry here is based on the recommendation of the book's author:

"At least Lester had the decency to weep at his act of perfidy. Reader, do you know what 'perfidy' means? I have a feeling you do, based on the little scene that has just unfolded here. But you should look up the word in your dictionary, just to be sure."

I am ashamed to say that I did not know what perfidy meant. Now I know and I will make sure to update Evan as well since I don't think that he knew what it meant either!

Learn-A-Word Wednesday: tautology

2007-11-14T22:34:00.000-06:00

tau-tol-o-gy

noun:
1 a: needless repetition of an idea, statement, or word b: an instance of tautology
2: a tautologous statement

This word comes from Late Latin tautologia and Greek tautologos.

Welcome to the latest feature of "The Cheese Stands Alone" where we seek not only to entertain, but also to inform. Drawing on inspiration from a fellow blogger we will explore a new word each Wednesday. I have found, however, that I need a better (larger, more varied) dictionary. For me there is fun in just picking words at random, but when the dictionary is too basic, there aren't many words you readers would not already know.

Where would the fun be in that?

So, before the next installment of Learn-A-Word Wednesday, Evan and I will head to our local Salvation Army and Goodwill in search of a real dictionary. One that weighs at least three pounds! Much better for the random selection of words!!

3 Months Old

2007-11-12T21:49:00.000-06:00

While I'm posting, I'll add Evan's 3 month update. I'm only 2 days late on this - see I'm getting better, catching up!

Evan is growing big and is stronger every day. He is getting good with head control so he likes to sit up either in the boppy cushion or the bouncy seat. He has discovered his hands and stares at them on occasion. They are also good for sucking and are getting better and grabbing dangly toys and Mama's hair!!

He is still smiling like crazy, but no audible laughs, yet. Though it does seem like that will be soon, too! This morning he was holding his nose with his index finger and thumb. I'm not sure why and he wouldn't tell. When I asked him what he was doing he just gave me an ornery smile behind his hand!! If I can, I'll try to get a picture of this, it's great!

Smiling for Grandma Bryan!

Sitting in the rocking chair like a big boy!

Happy Halloween!

2007-11-12T21:35:00.000-06:00

Okay, okay, I know it's actually Veteran's Day and that I'm nearly two weeks late getting these pics up! Cut a new mama some slack!!

Here are some photos of Evan in his Halloween outfit. In case you can't see it in the pics, his shirt says "Daddy's Little Monster." He didn't do any "official" trick-or-treating this year, but we did visit a few neighbors. He received some candy, which I assured our neighbors he would eventually eat in the form of breast milk!! He was also given some spider rings that the cats have now claimed as theirs!

Me and Evan

Daddy and Evan

Celebrity Cribs

2007-10-25T23:17:00.001-05:00

Okay, so maybe not celebrity cribs, but definately a crib! Evan and I embarked on our first mother/son project this week when we assembled his crib! I told him that this is the first of many "big boy" beds he will get to sleep in. We will begin the transition from bassinet to crib in a couple of weeks. First he needs to get adjusted to me going back to work two days a week. One change at a time...

Just another moocher!

2007-10-25T23:08:00.000-05:00

I was out surfing the 'net a few nights ago and had a cool website recommended to me! It is called BookMooch. How it works is that members list books that they want to give away and then gain points for sending them to others. With your points you can request books from other members. The only cost is the shipping to send out books. I'm psyched! I've got my inventory listed and have requested my first couple of books. Now I'm just waiting for others to request my books! It's free! It's fun! You should check it out. Go ahead. Being a mooch isn't always a bad thing :)

2 Months Old!

2007-10-10T21:15:00.000-05:00

Evan is 2 months old today! We took pictures this morning as his well-baby check-up this afternoon came complete with 4 shots! Owwiee!! Evan weighed in at 14 lbs 4 oz, 23 1/2 inches long! He has gained 3 lbs 1 oz and 2 inches is the past month! Tonight our big boy is sleepy and somewhat fussy from the shots - very sad, but he should be back to normal soon :) Enjoy the pics!

Looking Spiffy!!

2007-10-03T12:46:00.000-05:00

Evan's Infant Dedication

2007-10-03T12:20:00.000-05:00

Evan had his Infant Dedication at church this past Sunday. It was a nice ceremony and Evan even had a fancy outfit for the occassion! Evan was fussy during the ceremony and screamed when Pastor Mark placed his hand on his head to pray the Shield of St. Patrick! We had lots of family in attendance: Grandma and Grandpa Emery, Grandma and Grandpa Bryan, Great-Grandma Jones, Aunt Michelle and cousins Grace and Eva! After church we had dinner and visited at our house.

Silly Mommy!

2007-09-22T00:02:00.000-05:00

Trying to catch the elusive first smiles! Evan's been social smiling for a couple of weeks, but boy, they come and go quick!

Six Weeks Old!

2007-09-21T23:58:00.000-05:00

Mama's got a new toy (a digital camera) so that means instant pictures for the blog! Here's Evan today at 6 weeks. He's growing so fast!!

One Month Check-up

2007-09-10T16:26:00.000-05:00

Evan had his one month check up today. He is now 21 1/2 inches long and 11 lbs 3 oz!! I couldn't believe how much weight he had gained. I guess that I don't need to worry much about him spitting up some since he seems to be keeping plenty down! Evan also got his 2nd Hepatitis B shot which he was not happy about. He has some thrush (a common yeast infection) on his tongue, so he will be taking nystatin 4 times a day and I will be putting nystatin cream on three times a day after feedings. Overall, the doctor says he looks great and to keep up the good work!

Evan Glenn Emery

2007-09-08T23:31:00.001-05:00

Our Expanded Family!!

2007-09-08T23:29:00.001-05:00

Welcome to Our World!

2007-09-08T16:34:00.001-05:00

After a "dead in the water" blog started 2 years ago and a fairly up-to-date MySpace account, I have decided to renew our blogspot blog. This way anyone can view what we are up to without having to join MySpace (and I can show off pics at work since sites like MySpace are blocked)!

We have a new member in our family! Our latest encounters have been of the newborn variety! Evan Glenn Emery was born August 10th at 1:31 a.m. He weighed 7 lbs 13 oz and was 20 1/2 inches long.