Thursday, May 23, 2013

Let's Backtrack A Bit (Part 1)

On Monday, May 20, Sam turned 5 months old.  Let's work back from there!



The previous weekend, our family took a road trip to visit our friends in Portland, OR.  What an adventure.  It was our first official road trip as a family of four and everyone made it through unscathed.  We hit a lot of traffic on Friday afternoon when we headed out, so the travel time was essentially doubled... hello to almost 5 hours in the car!  Evelyn hadn't napped earlier in the day (I was hoping she'd snooze in the car) but was happy enough to look out the window.  Sam was a great traveler too; he'll take a bottle of pumped milk (Evelyn never would).  I brought my trusty pump and fed him fresh bottles along the way.  Reaching a destination has never been more satisfying!

We had a lovely Friday evening with Jess and Jules and a fabulous Saturday that made all the car travel worthwhile.  We had some delicious meals, tasty beverages and a lot of laughs.  Saturday, J & J took us to the Portland Rhododendron Garden.  Evelyn had so much fun watching the ducklings and goslings scurrying after their mothers.  Jess and Jules... if you ever get time to squeeze reading this blog into your busy lives... thank you for a fabulous weekend!  We miss you and can't wait to see you again!




Someone must have proposed earlier in the day! 
The goslings were about Sam's size!
E hid behind Joe at first... she was timid
Goslings on the grass and ducklings on the dirt...
Joe, Evelyn and Jules
Jess. Evelyn, Sam and Rebecca

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Playing Catch Up... Again!

Yesterday was Sam's 5 month birthday!  That's right, he's not six weeks old anymore (although the blog has certainly frozen him in time with how little I've posted).  Writing another post has been on my to-do list for several months, but getting to the computer isn't one of my day-to-day priorities anymore.

Here's a glimpse into our lives at this very moment (then I'll update you on what's happened over the last 4 months... maybe in a few days when I can make more time)!  I'll start with the youngest family member...

Sam loves to be in just a diaper
Sam weighs 15lbs. 4oz.!  He barrel rolls across the room and will stay upright for a few seconds if placed on the floor in a sitting position (he's not a huge fan of the Bumbo seat, however).  He prefers to lean forward and prop himself up in a tripod pose whenever possible.  His favorite toys are a spinning ferris wheel that suctions to flat surfaces, Sophie Le Giraffe and a bird toy that hangs on the handle of his car seat.  He smiles, love to giggle at Evelyn, and laughs out loud when tickled.  He loves chewing/sucking on two of his fingers and will gnaw on his hands whenever he's given the chance.  We put him on his back to sleep but inevitably find him on his side during naps or at night.  Sam slept through the night last night for the first time since birth.  He'll take a pacifier and drink pumped milk from a bottle.
May 2
May 9: Super Sam... thanks Ryan and Angela for the super onesie
4/19... one day before Sam's 4 month birthday

Evelyn weighs somewhere between 27-28lbs!  We'll have a more accurate number in June when she has her 3 year check up... WHAT??? Evelyn is going to be three!?  How is that possible?  Evelyn is just growing up before our eyes.  She still naps most days, thank goodness, but has a seemingly endless supply of energy.  She helps with dinner preparations almost routinely and is in the kitchen whenever I allow her to be.  She opens the fridge on her own and sets the table (with some help).  She knows her left from her right and has an uncanny sense of direction (must have a heavy dose of Joe's genes... as I still struggle with directions)!  Evelyn loves tending to and playing with Sam; she loves making Sam laugh.  She now sleeps in bunk beds in what used to be the guest room, as we finally moved Sam into the nursery a few weeks ago.


Some of the things we hear Evelyn say all the time are:

"How's that sound?"-- she ends almost every statement like this.  For example, she'll say, "When I finish dinner, I can have a piece of cake.  How's that sound?"  We have all we can do to not burst out laughing, because she usually tags the line onto ideas or suggestions that are out of the question or not going to happen.  She doesn't question if she can have cake, she just assumes she will have cake and that we'll agree to is because she followed her demand up with the question, "how's that sound?"

"That's so cool," or "That's pretty cool!"

"It's coming awhile" --- aka, "It's coming along."

"I have a hurter." ---aka, "I have a boo boo or an ache or pain somewhere."


Making homemade guacamole
Love all the hand-me-downs... Thanks Aunt Kate and Uncle Jim!
Sporting Daddy's flip flops
Joe and I are doing good too.  Won't update you on what we weigh but I'll tell you it's more than Evelyn!  We are learning to balance marriage and parenting, although it is always a work in progress.  Joe has been busy with work and I have been busy with the tasks of raising two little ones.  We will be celebrating some big milestones soon too.  Joe's 8th anniversary of working for Boeing is in June and we will be married 6 years in July!

My three loves!