Playdate
Sam spent the day with Gram and Pops and Evie and I enjoyed our time together. It gave us a chance to play, just the two of us. We made some block towers, fed her dolly pretend soup, and listened to music. It was a good day...
Because I Was There, Too
Some photography friends and I decided to take five photos of ourselves with our kids and share them this week. It's hard to remember to get on the other side of the camera. But it's important that our kids know we were there, too.
(All photos taken with tripod and remote)
Evie at Twelve Months
Evelyn Mae you are twelve months today! I only have one chair photo this time (and your collages) because that was all I needed for your party. We might take more later, but for several days on either side of your birthday the weather was either very cloudy, rainy or icy and that made your room kind of dark and dreary. In addition to that, you were very,
very
wiggly in your chair trying to get the one picture I needed. I would position you and take a few steps back to photograph you and by the time I got to where I needed to be, you had ripped off your 12 sticker and were on your knees about to topple off the chair. Oh my, you keep me busy little girl!
This was a big month of growth for you. Something changed in you in the last two weeks - all of a sudden you are becoming more like a little toddler and leaving your babbling, waddling baby-ness behind. You are a fast walker with a giant stride. You can point to things that you want to hold or want to know more about and you are trying so, so hard to talk. It's complete jibberish, but it has the flow and intonation of a real conversation and it's hilarious to listen to. When you don't want something you shake your head "no" and an excited grunting noise means "yes!". You are growing out of some of your baby toys and finding new ways to play with others. You can build some wicked block towers - always six blocks high (because all we have are six blocks!) and you can open and close lots of different doors and compartments on other toys. You are very strong and have great fine-motor skills already. Just like big brother!
While I have to say you are a very flexible, go-with-the-flow kid, you have created several routines and patterns you love to follow. Every morning you wake up, hand me your binkie (buh-buh), your blankie and Miss Bunny and then lift your arms up for me to get you out of your crib. You give me some hugs, then peek around the corner of your room to see if Sam's up. Then you get down and play with Sam for a minute. After that you go straight to your room, unplug your nightlight, bring it to me and mutter something, which I assume means, "Here, Mommy". Plug protectors are useless with you, by the way, you can pick them out with your chubby little fingers in no time flat. You still take a morning nap, and we know you're ready when we see you laying on the living room floor with blankie and bunny. When you hear Daddy gets home from work and you hear him at the back door, you start squealing and talking and you all but run right for the door. At night, when you're ready for bed, you lay back down on the floor with your blankie, and after kissing Daddy goodnight you wave bye-bye to him all the way back to your room. You've even started waving goodbye to me while laying in your crib before I shut the doors. So sweet. You wake up around 5:30 for a morning feeding then go back down for another couple hours of sleep. Then we repeat it all again!
We've had fun playing games with you lately. You still love Peek-a-Boo, This is the Way the Lady Rides and Horsey, Horsey but we've made up our own game recently, too. After Sam goes to bed, when you're supposed to be calming down for night-night you try to get Mommy to chase you in your room. Because I can't resist playing the game with you, I chase you and say "I'm gonna get you!", then you fall down, I tickle you, you giggle uncontrollably and then we wave bye-bye to each other. Mommy leaves the room and you peek around the corner to see if I'm coming back. Of course I am, and we do it all again! It gets ridiculously loud for a before-bed game and Sam usually watches and laughs from his bed. Daddy and I think you're going to have a great sense of humor. I see it in your eyes, the way you look at me when we're playing a game or doing something funny. It's like you completely understand what's going on and what's funny about it. Daddy says you're going to have to have a good sense of humor to survive in this family. I think you're going to fit in just fine!
Fall was a busy time for us this year. We visited the pumpkin farm and you fussed the whole hay ride, just like Sam did the first time he rode it. You enjoyed a couple other Lens Baby playdates and had fun just being outdoors, practicing your walking. We took Sam to his t-ball clinic Saturday mornings and we spent his practice time finding leaves to crush. A couple of weeks ago we had our family photos taken by our sweet friend, Carrie, and you were a very good girl as long as we kept the Cheerios coming. You love to drop off and pick up Sam at school, and Mommy has to take you in strapped in your stroller because you want so badly to walk around and check out all the kids' cubbies.
You are getting into things like crazy - rooms, drawers, closets. We had a feeling you would do this and we knew it would be tough because Sam never did for some reason. Your favorite place to be is Sam's room. We can tell you think it's some kind of forbidden wonderland, full of colorful little toys that are dangerous yet oh so fun to chew on. And there's always lots of paper on the floor to crinkle and rip. Your eyes get so big and you make your excited noises when we catch you in there. You also love to get in the pantry and play with the boxes in the recycling and, of course, the dishwasher is still a favorite place to hangout. You'll take anything out of the bottom rack (and sometimes sippy lids from the top rack) while Mommy is filling or emptying the dishwasher. As I said before, you keep me very busy.
Sam is your very best friend and everything he does is hilarious (to you, that is). You follow him everywhere he goes and it's not unusual to find you two rolling around on the floor like puppies. He likes to run around the house with your push toys or kick the sweater ball right past your head and you're happy just cackling right in the midst of it all because you think you're playing, too.
You're still an awesome eater. I know it's probably not going to last so I'm enjoying it now. You eat everything Mommy and Daddy eat and lots of it. After we see Dr. G next week we'll get the go-ahead for cow's milk and possibly peanut butter, too. You love to feed Mommy Cheerios off your tray. You pick them up and offer them to me, all while saying "Ahhh!" Such a thoughtful girl!
Measurements: I'll come back and add these in after your appointment next week...
weight - 22.6 lb. - 85%
length - 31 in. - 95%
head - 18.8 in. - 98%
We're very proud of you, Evie. Look how you've grown this year!
You're so sweet and fun you've made the past year fly by! Happy Birthday, Evelyn.
Today
Today, she turns one.
Happy Birthday, Evelyn.
Evie at Eleven Months
Evelyn Mae you are eleven months today! (Actually, I'm post-dating this by almost two weeks. You and Sam have kept me very busy lately!) We can't believe you are almost one year old!
You were even more difficult to photograph this month. You moved all around your chair and started tearing your 11 sticker off your shirt the minute I put it on. I got one picture with it, then we chucked it and just took some photos in your onesie. As you can see from your photos, you are an active little person!
You started walking this and you are really good at it, too, for being such a little thing. Even strangers have noticed how strong and sturdy you are when you're walking around. You climb the stairs at Gram and Pops' house like nobody's business (with someone right behind you, of course) and you love to go up and down the front steps at home.
The next four pictures show you playing Pat-a-Cake and Peek-a-Boo, two of your favorite games. When I say, "Where's Evie?" you put your hands on top of your head if you don't have a blankie handy to hide behind. I guess you think we can't see you!
This past month wasn't super busy. The weather is getting nicer and we've been taking lots of walks in the morning with Sam and going to the playground. You like to swing, but if Mommy pushes you too high you get a very frightened look on your face. You've also been down a couple of baby slides, too, but really you just want to do whatever Sam is doing. Your most favorite thing to do is play with leaves. You like to stomp on them, crush them, tear them, and carry them around in your little fist. You kind of talk to them, too - it's not a babble, more like an excited "ooh! ooh!" I've already started planning your first birthday party and we're going to have an autumn theme. I'm going to make sure there are lots of leaf decorations for you.
Measurements:
weight - 22 lbs
length - tall girl!
head - still like a perfectly round McIntosh apple!
Clothes - You're wearing your 12-18 month outfits and a few 18-24 month things. You look adorable in just about anything you wear, especially your jammies. You don't like bows and headbands, but you love, love, love shoes. You love wearing them, holding them, walking around with them, even putting them on. Mommy got you a pair of white walkers, black patent leather Mary Janes and some brown MJs with flowers on them. You like to bring me your shoes, put them in my face and then you say "ahhh". Silly girl
Diapers
- You're still in a size 3!
Feedings - You're still eating about three to four times a day for a total of about twenty minutes a day. This month you also started eating more table food. I love when I can just mush up whatever Daddy and I are eating. You like pretty much everything so far, especially little bites of chicken. You also love the portable food pouches that we take with us when we're running errands at lunchtime. You get so excited when you see the pouches with the little plastic circle tops - you kick your legs, clench your fists and your eyes get really big. You can feed yourself with those, too, a bonus for Mommy!
Sleeping - You're still sleeping pretty well. I feed you around 10:30 and again between 4:30 and 5:30, either right before or while Daddy showers for work. You usually go back to sleep after that, sometimes until 7, sometimes only until Sam gets up at 6:30 or so. You usually need a binkie re-plug once or twice, which you used to let Daddy do, but lately, Mommy's had to go in and do it, plus pick you up for a little snuggle. That's okay. I don't mind.
Talking - You still like to "talk" although you haven't said Mama or Bubba yet. Other than those two babbles, any sound or noise we make, like Dada or blowing zerberts, you can mimic. You copy Brother when he's blowing on his morning oatmeal and you mimic Mommy when I make kissy noises at you.
Patio
Pretty girl, playing on the patio. Silly girl, sticking out her tongue!
Walking Shoes
Well...there's no stopping her now. She's walking! It was hard to decide what day to offically mark as the day, but I think yesterday, October 2nd is going to be it. She's been taking steps now for a while and showing a great interest in walking, but yesterday was the first day when she just couldn't stay off her feet. She walked from one end of the kitchen to the other, walked around her room, even walked in her crib last night when she was supposed to be going to sleep. Walking somewhere was always her first choice over crawling.
So, off we went shoe shopping this morning, just us girls! We found a pair of Stride Rites from the resale shop that are pretty cute, although they make her look like such a big girl. Afterward we headed to downtown Denton to try them out. The first time her feet hit the pavement in her shoes she wouldn't move. She didn't cry, she just stood there and looked at her shoes, then looked at me, then looked at her shoes, then looked back at me again. She didn't know what to do with them! It took just a few minutes for her to start moving, though, and then she was off. I was imagining a whole storyboard of walking images today, but she was too busy exploring and, of course, turning her back to me and walking away - just like big brother! Hopefully I'll get some video soon. It's so fun to watch her toddle around on those chubby little legs. Our big girl!
Little Sister
Wherever he is, I find you, too...
Peek-a-Boo
I see you!
DishwasHer
You and this dishwasher! Why do we buy you toys? You could keep busy for hours with this thing if we'd let you...
Evie at Ten Months
Evelyn Mae you are ten months today! Double digits little girl! Looks like you're pretty happy about turning ten months. This monthly chair sessions was next to impossible as you are very, very mobile now. You are just days away from full-on-walking and you had no desire to sit in your rocker for long. In fact, you figured out pretty quickly that if you lean back and try to stand up at the same time, the rocker will go back all the way to the wall which allows you to simultaneously bop up and down and give Mommy a heart attack. Lots of fun for everyone!
Measurements -
weight - 22 lbs
length - too tall to stand up under the table, now!
head - time for Mommy to make new headbands!
Clothes - You're wearing both your 6-12 month and some 12-18 month outfits. We're still in summer clothes, but the cooler weather is upon us. You wore your first pair of jeans the other day and my did you look cute.
Diapers
- You're still in a size 3. Mommy's not going to put you in a size 4 until I have to - the smaller the size, the more diapers in each pack!
Feedings - You're now eating about three times a day for a total of about twenty minutes a day. This month you continued eating the last batch of food Mommy made you: lentils, broccoli, spinach, peas and various fruits. You like toast sticks (just like Brother did), and little bits of pasta. Anything you can pick up with your chubby little fingers.
Sleeping - You're sleeping pretty well and you dropped that mid-night feeding without any problems. Any waking up you do is when you can't find your binkie or your teeth bother you as they push their way up through your gums. Daddy says that when he goes in to help you find your binkie, you look around him and down the hallway to see if Mommy's coming, too. You like Mommy to rock you now more than you ever did before, day or night, whenever you're feeling sad or you need a little help calming down.
Talking - You're still ruh-ruh-ruhing, and yah-yah-yahing, but you've definitely added a new favorite, da-da-da-da. You don't say no-no yet, but you shake your head "no" anytime you hear it. You've tried to pull down the lamp on the living room end table so many times that when Mommy went to turn it on the other night, you shook your head "no-no" at me. Smart girl!
This month was a fairly quiet one. We were busy getting Sam ready to start his last year of preschool and we had several t-ball practices and games. There's a boy there - the big brother of one of Sam's teammates - who loves to play with you and keep you entertained during those hot evening practices. We went to a playdate with our friends at the McKinney fire station and there was one firefighter there who was pretty smitten with you, too. You started taking a few steps, but we're not calling it "walking" yet, because you are very wobbley and you fall a lot. It won't be long though, that's for sure. You are very determined.
You love Sam and anything he does. You're his biggest fan and he always gets a laugh from you, even when he doesn't get one from Mommy and Daddy. You still like to watch him at the window while he plays in the backyard, and it won't be long before you'll be able to go out there with him. We went swimming several times this past month and you did great floating in your raft. You like to get out, too, and play in the shallow end. And it was fun to watch Sam go underwater and *pop* back up!
Your favorite place to hang out with Mommy is the dishwasher. Maybe this is because Mommy spends so much time
at
the dishwasher, I don't know. But the minute I put the door down and start loading or unloading, you make a beeline for the dishwasher and start pulling things out, silverware being a particular favorite. Even though grabbing things out of your hand makes that boring chore take that much longer, I like having you with me while I work!
I took these pictures of you practicing your walking after we did your chair photos. Right after I took the last picture your legs gave out and you plopped to the ground. Good thing you have lots of padding on that toosh! You love playing in your room, pulling clothes out of your bottom drawer and pulling anything and everything off your shelves. I now have two children who know how to mess up their rooms in the blink of an eye.
10 months down, 2 to go...oh boy!
Brother's 10 month chair photo
Sleepy Snaps
A Saturday siesta...
and a Sunday snooze...
Andrew and Evie
Evie watched Sam play T-Ball from the arms of a special visitor this morning...
Evie at Nine Months
Evelyn Mae, you are nine months today and what a smiley girl you are. If I had a nickel for each time a stranger stopped us and commented on your smile I'd be rich! 
Measurements -
weight - 21 lbs 7 oz - 90%
length - 29 in. - 90%
head - 18.3 in. - 97%
Clothes - You're wearing both your 6-9 month and 6-12 month outfits. We're still in summer clothes, with a long way to go, I'm afraid.
- You're still in a size 3!
Feedings - You're now eating four times a day for a total of about thirty minutes a day. You eat around 3, 10, 6, and 11. This month you tried lentils, broccoli, spinach, peas and various fruits. You like everything Mommy makes you! You also like baby poofs, mum-mums and baby yogurt bites. These things keep you happy while Mommy makes dinner
Sleeping - You're still getting up for one feeding each night, and needing a binkie re-plug here and there. Dr. G. said no more eating in the night. You're too big of a girl to need a mid-night meal. We'll see how that goes!
You're a very busy baby, pulling up to everything and everybody, cruising around the furniture and crawling so fast we can hardly catch you. You are showing signs of being an active little person! You loved watching Sam swimming at swim lessons and I'm sure you're anxious to try it yourself. We took you to the pool a couple times this month and you're very happy floating in your baby raft as long as you have your binkie. Sometimes you spit it out and try and lap up the pool water like a little puppy.
We don't see any teeth yet, although I can kind of feel something working its way up on your bottom gums - Dr. G. felt the same thing. Looks like you're going to sprout teeth a little later than the average baby.
Dr. G. was happy to hear that you are talking to us, although he wishes you were using more consonants when you babble. You're rah-rah'ing and yah-yah'ing with an occasional Da-da thrown in, but he wishes you were buh-buh-buhing, too. He suggested it might be because there's someone else...
who shall remain nameless...
who's taking up most of the talking time in the house. I think that's a very possible explanation! He still gave you an A+ on your baby report card. Mommy forgot to tell Dr. G. the funniest thing you say...Hi! You love to say "Hi!" to everyone - strangers we meet, Daddy when he comes home, even your own reflection in the meat department at the grocery store. You say it with quite a punch, almost yelling it at us, and you sound like you have a Southern accent already. "Hah!" you say. It tickles us every time! What a friendly gal! You have a strong, deep voice - I wonder if you're going to be an alto? You sound a lot like Sam. Sometimes when one of you makes a sound from your room at night, Daddy and I will look at each other and ask, "Which kid was that?".
You still love books and all your toys. Mommy's old pop beads and Sam's talking mailbox are your favorites right now. We always know when you've found something on the floor that's not a toy because you pick at it and talk to it - almost growling at it - for a long time. I always have plenty of time to take it from you.
Your official nine-month photo and below it, Brother's nine-month chair photo
We love you Evie Mae!
Her Favorite Spot
The day she started crawling was also the day she started pulling herself up. I couldn't believe it. This girl has strong, strong legs and quite a bit of determination, too. She's been pulling up on things ever since that day and she likes doing that just as much as playing with her toys.
This is her favorite spot in the house to pull herself up to. It's the windowsill in our living room, the one with the best view of Sam when he plays in the backyard. When he goes out there in the morning, she speed-crawls right over to the window, often with a baby toy in her hand, and pulls herself up to see what he's up to. I usually open the window and they sit there and chat. She'll hang out there with him for the longest time. She sure does love Brother...
Playing
I realized the other day if I scoot way back into the laundry room I have a new and somewhat wider view of the living room, as opposed to being backed up against the couch, so I camped out in there for a while and just watched her play. She's all over the place now - and
fast
! She loves to talk to her toys, too, in her deep little voice, and while it sounds serious and sometimes loud, you can tell she's having lots of fun. I wonder what she's saying?
Teacher Sam
That's what we're instructed to call him when he gets out his chair, posters and pointer. Sam's been very interested in the solar system for a while, particularly the order of the planets, their colors and whether they are hot or cold. Having taught third grade for so long I have quite a few little nuggets of interesting information about the solar system and he soaks it up like a sponge. Every once in a while I'll tell him something about space that's a little surprising and he'll argue with me, but that's just for the sake of arguing, which he likes to do even more than learn about space. We drew a picture of the solar system the other day and as soon as we were finished he decided Evelyn needed to learn all about the planets, too. Out the pointer came, along with a couple of chairs, and a classroom was built. She wasn't a bad student, but she certainly wasn't
engaged
in the lecture. Teacher Sam doesn't mind. As long as he has the floor, he's happy.
Won't Be Long
Caught Evelyn standing up in her pack-n-play and had to grab some quick shots. She pulled herself up in her crib a few days ago, too. We didn't expect to see her pull up so soon, at just eight months old. Pretty impressive! We know it won't be long before she's standing on her own and taking those first steps. Walking is definitely just around the corner....
As soon as she pulled up, I thought of these pictures of Sam pulling up for the first time in the same pack-n-play back in January of 2010...at 10 1/2 months old!
