Evan's First Birthday Party

This is it.  The final post on Evan's baby blog.
I.  Can't.  Believe.  It.


To see all the photos from Evan's First Birthday, click HERE!

It was a fabulous day.  The weather was a little warm, but things went off without a hitch.  We were happy to have some wonderful friends and family over to our house to celebrate!

Evan's birthday theme was UNO.  A friend of mine had picked this theme for her little guy over 2 years ago.  Before I was even pregnant with Evan I had mentally made note of this theme just in case we had another baby, and just in case it was a boy.  HAHA!  There's nothing wrong with planning ahead, right?

I decided an UNO theme lent itself well to Mexican food so that's what we served for lunch along with margaritas, Coronas and Dos Equis beer.  Fun.  Evan doesn't always drink beer, but when he does, it's Dos Equis.  (Did the humor of this last sentence escape you?  Don't worry, our baby is not drinking beer... it's a quote from their commercial -smile-)

Evan was a big fan of lunch- beans, cheese, chips and guacamole are right up his alley.  By the time it got to cake eating time, he was exhausted.  He did not disappoint- there was cake everywhere, but we had to stop taking photos and give him a quick sink bath when he started rubbing frosting into his sleepy eyes and laying his head down on the high chair.  Poor little man!

Thanks to everyone who was able to share in his special day with us.  It was a pretty low key small group of people- perfect.

Here's the letter I wrote to Evan to include in his baby book.  Can't believe it's already time to have written this:

Dear Evan,

You are the sweetest little boy and you bring so much joy into our lives.  Mommy, Daddy, Jillian and Liv all love you to pieces.  You are a unique little person with his own likes, dislikes, and personality.  It's so much fun to watch you as you learn and grow- it's happening so quickly!  I like to think of who/what you will be in the future.  How what we are doing now will shape who you will become.  The years we have you all to ourselves are so few- I'm savoring every moment!

You've never been the biggest snuggler.  As a tiny baby you loved being swaddled, and could not stand it when your arms were out in the open.  Once you figured out how to use those hands though, it's been non-stop.  You like to explore.  You like to grab things.  You like to stick your fingers into peoples mouths.  You like to take anything that is in, out and anything that is up, down.  We call you baby destructo for a reason.  -smile-  We also occasionally call you "boy, baby boy, little man, scooter magee, boo boo, 'E', Little E, Eh-vee (which I'm trying to put a stop to because my hunch is you won't love that one...) brother, and brother bear.  I'm sure there are more I'm forgetting...

You are quite vocal and amazingly are already starting to talk.  I know this might sound like a proud Mommy making a big deal out of a coincidence but you have said a few things clearly and on cue already- "Da Da", "Ma Ma", "Yes" and "This!".  I'm pretty sure this means you are a genius.  Haha!

Being so vocal is a double edged sword- you also really like to YELL and screech.  Aside from learning English, I think you're also developing a dialect of pterodactyl.  To be honest, it leaves something to be desired.  We're working with you on sign language, but so far the closest you've come is clapping your hands when asked to perform the sign 'more'.  We're getting there!  

You're an excellent crawler- fast with perfect form.  You can pull up to stand on anything, but you're not trying to take steps yet.  If someone tries to hold you in a standing position to help you walk you prefer to spring your legs up and down as though you are going to jump across the room.  I'm pretty sure this is because you spend a fair amount of time in either an ExerSaucer or a doorway jumper.  You really like both of those toys and they make Mommy's life considerably easier! 

You've transitioned to a sippy cup now and we're working on getting you to drink whole milk.  So far you're not the biggest fan.  You do really like to drink water, though.  You're favorite foods are bananas for sure.  You also like yogurt & black or pinto beans a lot.  You'll happily eat green beans and carrots too which I'm very happy about.  You like pretty much every fruit I've given you, crackers/bread and all kinds of meat.  Chinese food is a big hit with you too, as well as macaroni and cheese.


You've been a very healthy baby, but when you get a fever you DON'T mess around.  You've been as high as 105 degrees.  This was during a virus that both you and your sisters had and they never spiked above 102.  According to your Dr., some people just run hotter than others.  Yowzer.  While this seems to be the norm for you, it's still scary for your parents.  Speaking of scary- you've given us a run for our money this first year by falling off the bed once, and changing table twice.  To say you're an active baby would be an accurate statement.  Good thing you seem to be pretty durable!


You like to kiss our family by shoving your forehead against our faces.  You also make a very cute kissing sound that usually means you are hungry, but we like to pretend it's a kiss.  If I force you a little, you'll lay with your cheek resting against my cheek.  It has to be just the right angle, and I have to pat your back just the right way for you to stay there without objecting.  When you are happy with the set up, you'll lay like this for a long time and make very sweet little "hmmmm" noises.  I love it when you do this.


Your sisters are so good to you- they love everything you do and dote on you around the clock.  I know one day they will drive you crazy, and to be honest, I'm looking forward to it.  I think two sisters and little brother is such a fun family dynamic.  We're gonna have a great time together, our little family...


Daddy and I are so proud of you.  So proud.  This first year with you has been a crazy, exhausting, busy one but we would not change a thing.  You're our sweet little boy and we consider ourselves the luckiest people on the planet to call ourselves your Mom and Dad.


We love you so much,


Mommy

52 Weeks Old

To see all the photos from this week, click HERE!

What a BUSY week!  Aunt Marilyn is here visiting and we've had a great time with her!  She's leaving bright and early in the morning and we're going to miss her terribly.  The girls have had such a wonderful time with, "Auntie Mar Mar".  She's the sweetest. This visit, Marilyn has noticed Evan is very strong and very active.  She thinks his loud high pitched squeak (when he wants something/attention) is remarkable.  Haha.

This week in the photos you'll see:

• Evan getting some pre-birthday present opening practice (thanks Marilyn & Kathy!)
• Out for pizza lunch/frozen yogurt (where he was FLIRTING with the young girls outside the store!)
• Staying up late to watch the fireflies come out in the front yard
• Enjoying our brand new sandbox!!!  (We're working really hard on the backyard in hopes of having it more presentable for our little celebration this weekend!)
• A great day out on the water with Auntie Mar
• Dressed up for afternoon tea in celebration of Liv's birthday coming in August (my Mom wanted to send us while Marilyn was here to enjoy the fun too!)
• Evan getting his 2nd real haircut (gotta look good for all the birthday photos coming up!)
• Posing with Aunt Marilyn before going to bed on her (sniff sniff) last bedtime before heading back to CA. 

This is the LAST weekly post for Evan!  I'll be sure to share photos of his birthday, and a mushy love note for him before I stop...

Until then, enjoy the photos!

I'm looking forward sharing photos of Evan diving into his cake!!!

51 Weeks Old

To see all the photos from this week, click HERE!

(if the link above does not work, try visiting www.kulesfamily.shutterfly.com)

This was a busy week for our family.  We are working hard on our yard to get ready for Evan's birthday party and it's a lot of work!  Lucky for us, Evan is the most patient little guy and totally willing to be neglected in a baby toy and moved around the yard to stay in the shade.  He's so sweet.

Evan is almost one.  Can't. believe. it.

When Evan is irritated, he makes the funniest little face.  I finally captured this scrunched nose look in a could photos this week.  Very funny.  Evan does not like the way the mulch feels when he crawls around on it- I think the play area will be a great tool to help teach him to walk because of that!

Evan's not trying to walk, and not really cuisine around on furniture.  If you try to hold his hands so he can take steps, he curls up his legs and tries to sit down.  I did see him try to take his hands off the coffee table to stand up without holding something for the first time though.  He was able to get down to just a finger or two before wobbling too much.

That's it for this week- there are lots of pics!

Nancy

50 Weeks Old

To see all the photos from this week, click HERE!

Evan has 4 teeth on the bottom now- that's 8 total!  These two new additions literally came in over night.  One evening, nothing- 12 hours later, substantial little pearly whites!

Evan's got waving down pat now.... he also is starting to be consistent with high fives.  No cruising yet- lots of grabbing on furniture and standing though!

This week you'll see photos of Evan out to dinner at Pei Wei, our family out on the boat, Liv and Evan eating black beans together (this is a funny story- the photos are not the greatest but I had to keep them because it was so cute.  I gave a bucket of beans to Liv and told her to give Evan one at a time.  I told her she could have some too.  When I came back in the room, she had given him far more than I expected and looked rather guilty about it!  haha!  She was also quite disappointed when I told her she could not continue to fill his tray -smile-  she's a very generous big sister!) More photos of bath time fun, and a few of little E in his high chair too.

That's it for this week, enjoy the photos!

Not too many more posts to come....

Nancy

49 Weeks Old

To see all the photos from this week, click HERE!

Sweet boy.  This week Evan waved!  Super cute.  He will do it when you ask sometimes, and sometimes not...  We're getting there!  Evan is standing up on everything- not cruising, but lots of standing.  The girls have started calling him "destructo-baby".  He's a bit of a busy little thing.  He really likes to empty things.  If there are toys in a box, he takes them out.  Crayons in a bucket are quickly strewn about the floor.  All the books can be removed from his shelves in a matter of moments. Therefore, destructo-baby.  -smile-

This week Evan celebrated big sister Jillian's 5th birthday.  It was lots of fun! We also had some fun at the park, and had a great time playing on Jillian's bed- Evan was acting SO big when he was on there...  the pictures are cute.

It's hard to believe he is so close to being one.  Where has this year gone?

More to share that I'm sure is slipping my mind right now- I'll add later if I think of it.  For now, I'm off to relax a bit!  Enjoy the photos!

Nancy

48 Weeks Old- 11 Months!

To see all the photos from this week, click HERE!

It seems hard to believe, but our little guy is already 11 months old.  Where has our baby gone??  Evan is standing up all by himself by grabbing onto anything near by.  It's such a kick to walk into his room and see him standing there holding onto the rail of his crib.  He looks so big, and so small at the same time. -smile-

This week included Mother's Day- my first with the little guy.  It was great.  We had a wonderful brunch at the golf course and enjoyed spending the day as a family.  You can read more about that here...

Evan is happy eating baby food, but now that he is able to knock back about 9 of them a day (at $.50 each!) we're transitioning to table food.  At this point it's not so much that he's unwilling to eat himself, it's more me dragging my feet because of how messy/time consuming it is.  Oh well.  He's gotta learn!

Until next week!

Nancy

47 Weeks Old

To see all the photos from this week, click HERE!

Poor little guy got shots this week, he seemed a little grouchy and sore as a result.  At the pediatrician I found out he is 1/2 inch too big for his baby car seat so it looks like we will be swapping him into a big boy seat very soon.  Man!  I dislike this transition very much.  Very.  Much.

Evan is very close to pulling up/cruising on things.  He is able to quickly 'stand up' on his knees, and has a bit of a step reflex now when we help him to stand.  Times are a changin' with this little guy- he's fast!

In the pictures I tried to capture what it's like for me most of the day- Evan trying his hardest to get to me.  He wants to be near me, but then wants me to let him explore on his own.  What he really wants is for me to stand up and carry him around.  It's not happening all the time, sorry buddy.

I really do love this little guy- he's so darn sweet despite his insistence to grab, smack, pull, scratch and scream all the time.  The girls are constantly telling him (in very gentle and loving voices) to "be a nice baby".  It seems to be helping.  I think?  haha. 

Until next week, enjoy the PHOTOS of Evan crawling on/to me, Jillian "helping Evan learn how to walk", outside in the stroller and hanging out on the front deck, time reading and sibling bath time.

 (Evan will NOT miss out on a bath- he crawled into the bathroom in a HURRY when he heard the water come on, plus the girls were sharing a chocolate shake in the tub so it was a very desirable situation!!!)

Take care,

Nancy

Oh- Evan's getting a new bottom tooth- that makes 3 on the bottom, 7 total :)

46 Weeks Old

To see all the photos from this week, click HERE!

Every time I think I'm short on photos, I end up taking a ton on the last few days leading up to Tuesday.  So, there are lots of pics this week.

You'll see Evan at the pool (his first time!) and he really liked it.  I had a feeling he would- he's such a big fan of the bath...

We went to the National Aquarium this weekend and enjoyed seeing all the different exhibits.  Evan cruised around in my baby backpack and even fell asleep for a little while- this was a first as well!  It was really cute.

Evan is getting MUCH better at feeding himself.  He's been kinda a lazy baby in this regard and had not gotten into finger foods too much until lately.  Now he's cramming mac and cheese into his mouth like an old pro!

Evan has not started cruising around on furniture yet, but he has developed a new monkey crawling style with the bottom of his feet on the ground instead of his knees.  Looks like he would be very good at yoga- his downward dog is almost perfect.  -smile-  (There are a whole bunch of him crawling around- he's quick now!  I thought it kinda looked like a freeze frame video so I kept them all in the slideshow.)

Evan is a bit of a trouble maker- already is getting into more stuff than the girls did, and is MUCH more persistent/stubborn when I scold him.  He screams a lot.  Seriously, a lot.  A high pitched little shriek.  Not my favorite.  This week I scowled at him when he shrieked at me because he wanted something and sternly said, "Evan.  Say PLEASE.  P-P-Pleeeaaase."  I was amazed when he responded with little puffing "puh puh" sounds.  He's clearly a genius.  Haha!  Guess my endless amount of translating his lovely noises into words/manners might pay off after all!

The kids put on dance shows for Ryan and I.  We put on music, and Jillian tells everyone what to do,  oh...  I mean, leads the group in an amazing performance.  Evan is not the best cast member just yet.

Evan loves the doorway Johnny Jumper.  I'm thrilled because it lets him burn off some energy, but I know where he is the whole time.  It's awesome (for both of us!)

Aside from some bath time photos, that's it for this week.  Hope all of you are doing well!

Nancy

45 Weeks Old

To see all the photos from this week,  click HERE!

It's been a busy week!  I'm happy to report that Evan is feeling a lot better and although he is still taking meds, he seems to be almost 100%.  The past week he has been quite whiny and as a result has gotten off of his schedule a fair amount.  This mom is a bit tired.  -smile-

Aside from recovering, Evan spent the week enjoying a visit from Grandpa Randall and Grandma Trisha, watching Jillian and Liv at swim class, and celebrating Ryan's birthday out on the boat.  It was a busy week!

Evan is getting faster and faster at his crawling, and is increasingly curious as well.  This is quite a dangerous combination and we're all being extra careful to make sure we know where our little guy is all the time.

Enjoy all the photos!

Nancy

44 Weeks Old

To see all the photos from this week, click HERE!

I'll have to upload a different 'face' picture tomorrow- this is all I had for tonight.

My parents came to visit this evening- just in time to read books to the kids and tuck them to bed.  I'm sure we will have tons more fun with them this coming week.  We're happy to have them here visiting!

The biggest news on Evan this week- this little guy is not messing around.  Two days ago he popped a 105.2 fever.  Seriously.  I used an ear thermometer and it said 104.6.  I knew he was hot, but I thought that was crazy so I did a rectal temp- 105.2.  Yikes.  I put him in a room temp bath, covered him with cool wash cloths, gave him a strong dose of Motrin, and brought him to the Dr.  By the time we got there he had dropped to 102.8 but was still (obviously) feeling pretty rough.  After nose and throat swabs (checking for strep or flu) ear check, and blood draw we found out he had a bacterial infection.  He is behind on a few immunizations because he has been sick when they are regularly given so we had to give him a super duper antibiotic shot (one in each leg) to rule out a serious illness.  Poor little guy.  He's now on 10 days of oral antibiotics.  He's such a sweetie even though I know he's feeling rough.  Hopefully he will be back to his regular self soon!

Aside from that, Evan's still crawling around, exercising his new found freedom and enjoying all the attention he gets from his big sisters.  We sure do love this little guy!

Until next week, enjoy the photos (where you'll see that Evan was less than thrilled with our debut boat trip...  Hopefully he'll learn to love it!)  -smile-

Nancy

43 Weeks Old

To see all the photos from this week, click HERE!

*Last week I forgot to say that Evan started clapping on command.  Adorable.

It's been a busy week- lots of Easter celebrations and fun outside.  Evan is really getting the hang of crawling- he's go go go!

On Easter day we went out to TPC Potomac golf course for Easter brunch.  As usual, it was wonderful.  We ate, and enjoyed taking photos with the Easter bunny and a little egg hunt on their patio.  It was a great time. After that we enjoyed dinner with some friends of ours who were close by our house for their family Easter gathering- what a great day!

In the photos you'll see Evan patiently waiting just inside our front door- he's watching Jillian and Liv run around on the front walkway to catch bubbles.  Does anyone else think he looks jealous?!?  Also, pics of Evan hanging out in the grass, and getting his first real haircut!  Ryan and I had done a little trim while back, but this is his first time at a barber.  He did a great job and the haircut turned out very cute.

Until next week!

Nancy

42 Weeks Old

To see all the photos from this week, click HERE!

This week was BUSY!  The kids and I went down to DC to see the Cherry Blossoms.  It was a nice trip, but due to our unseasonable warm weather, the blossoms were almost completely gone.  Got some good photos though, and enjoyed it!

You'll also see photos of the kids with a sold sign.  Nope, we're not moving (we're barely moved in at this house!) but we are getting some new neighbors at some point!  At the risk of sharing my parents news for them, they purchased a little place on the water in the city neighboring where we are.  The funny thing is their house is closer to ours by boat than by land!  Ha!  So, maybe we will be able to cruise the water over to their place at some point!  The house needs some work before they move, so the timeline for now is still being decided.  It's very exciting though!

There was a small bed of tulips in DC for us to pose by, but that garden is nothing in comparison to our favorite place in Baltimore.  Since I saw how great the blooms were looking earlier this week, we made the trek to our standard tulip photo spot today and got some pictures.  The pictures were not the best part of the trip though- Evan CRAWLING was the best part!  He did about 3 knee pushes over to grab my face.  I think the grip of being on nice tall grass really made a difference for him.  He was very excited (and so was I!)

Mid week I also took a few photos of Evan in his crib.  A few days ago he started sitting himself up in his crib (sometimes in the middle of the night- bleh!)  He was still on the tallest crib setting which was fine for sitting, but not so fine for pulling up on the side rail.  I went in the other day during nap time and he had pulled himself up enough to get that big head of his nearly over the front rail!  Baby came out, and 45 minutes later went back in.  I lowered the mattress as far as it would go!

Evan fell asleep in his bouncer this week.  Very funny.  When Jillian and I woke him up (half way) he kept his eyes closed and just started jumping again.  Haha!

Speaking of doing things in his sleep- For awhile now Evan has had the ability to crawl around a little bit while he is sleeping.  Sometimes I see him doing it on the video baby monitor.  It's very funny that he didn't repeat this skill while awake until this afternoon!

A couple other things you'll see in the photos- Evan lovin' his bath time (he really really enjoys splashing, dumping buckets, scooting around, trying to drink bath water...) and a photo of all three kids in coordinating pajamas.  It just might be my favorite sibling photo yet!

That's it!  Have a great 7 days, and enjoy the photos!

Nancy

41 Weeks Old

To see all the photos from this week, click HERE!

Crawling is right around the corner.  Evan has really been getting his knees under him and has started rocking back and forth... it's gonna happen soon!

For the past few weeks, Evan's babbling has started to include a lot of "Da Da's".  It's super cute.  A couple times it really sounded like he was saying, "Hi Da Da!" when looking at Ryan.  Sometimes he will say it if you ask him to, but mostly it's random.  So, first word?  Not quite yet...

Not a lot of variety in the photos this week, but one (# 1709) that might be my new favorite of little E.  He's so sweet.

Until next week!

Nancy

40 Weeks Old

To see all the photos from this week, click HERE!

It was quite a week- and, I'm not winning any mother of the year awards.  First, in the photos you'll see Evan standing while holding onto a bridge.  This turned out not to be the best idea because our little guy ended up falling over and hitting his face on the wood flooring.  Even though I felt bad for his little face, I actually felt rather relieved because for a moment I thought he might roll right off the bridge onto the rocks a few feet below.  I know this sounds really bad, but I did have a friend standing just off camera to keep him safe so although the tumble gave me quite a little scare, he was not actually in any danger of falling of the bridge.

Now, I wish that were true for snafu #2 this week!

We had some friends over to see the new house and went down with their kids to splash in the water near our house.  We had not even gotten into the water yet- I parked Evan in the stroller, and then went to the edge to survey how high the tide was (and therefore, how much sandy beach area there was for the kids to play.)  I was bummed to see that there was no beach at all- water all the way up the retaining wall.  Splash.  The stroller brake must not have stuck and it rolled right down toward the water, and over the wall.  Evan was still strapped inside the stroller and ended up face down in the water. I jumped into the water immediately (jeans/shoes/t-shirt...) and grabbed him out.  He was startled (obviously!) but thankfully just fine.  Man. Talk about SCARY.  Poor little guy.  We're toughening him up this week I guess!

Being tough is probably coming in handy- his top teeth are coming in with a vengeance!  I actually got two different photos of his top teeth this week and you'll see how much they grew in over just the few days that separated the shots.  He's had a couple hard nights as a result, but hopefully we're nearing the end of the worst.

Aside from that, in the photos you'll see him sleeping on his belly with his little tush in the air, Skyping/jumping, park time, library and grocery shopping, attending Jillian's art show (while sporting a mow hawk), eating ice cream with our friend Neil, out for dinner, posing with the sweet Spencer kids, opening oh-so-cute cards from Miss Shere & Mr. John, St. Patrick's Day photos, posing with Daddy on his way to DC, and some playing on the rug.

I'm telling you- this was one BUSY week!!!

All the best!

Nancy

P.S.- On St. Patty's Evan ate a red potato and tried corned beef!!!  He also had his first taste (soon followed by his second taste) of a french fry while we were out to eat.  Have I mentioned how fast he is with that loooong reach of his!?!

39 Weeks Old

To see all the photos from this week, click HERE!

Cute little boy.  Not a lot of variety in the photos this week, lots of fun though- we spent a good bit of time outside and Evan got to try spaghetti!  He also had homemade mac & cheese twice and chicken.  Yum!  These new teeth are getting a work out!  Speaking of which, still just one on the top.  More soon...

Evan has started rolling to his tummy to sleep at night.  He seems to like it... until he doesn't (and then he sounds like a baby dinosaur and SQUAKS so loud for help!)  -smile-   Evan can turn himself around and around in the circle while he's sitting on his bottom, and has a very long reach.  Aside from that, no new mobility to report.

In the photos you'll see Evan after he fell asleep on the couch with Ryan after reading a book (awww!) I also took at bunch of photos of little man playing with a big bowl of spaghetti outside- he was such a funny mess maker!  You'll also see reading time with sisters, a baby in a bag, & lunch with Jacob.

It's late- Ryan and I went to a cooking class at our local Whole Foods for date night tonight so I'm beat from a long day!

Until next week!

Nancy

38 Weeks Old

To see all the photos from this week, click HERE! 

Oh sweet boy.  Things are changin' around here.  Evan got the memo that there's more to life than just sitting around reaching for things.  He's starting to move onto his belly more, rocking a bit, and starting to work more on crawling.  He also got his third tooth and is working on three more.

Evan has a sense of humor.  He watches the girls and appreciates when they are trying to be funny.  His laugh is adorable.

Evan is eating baby food like a champ now, and is really anxious to start eating more of what the rest of us are eating -smile-.  Those new teeth he's working on will help with that!

Lots of photos this week- we enjoyed some really nice days to play outside (and sample some grass/sticks), really enjoy spending time in the doorway jumper, practiced crawling, enjoyed some TOUGH love from sisters, played in the basement, visited Daddy at work, posed with Mommy, time in the pack and play, read books in an under-the-table-fort, and (of course) played in the shower.

Until next week!

Nancy

A rare weekend post...

I know, you can hardly contain your excitement.  New Evan material over the weekend?  

Oh la la.  -wink-  

I could not possibly keep these legs to myself.  Honestly, I could eat him.  

Also, wanted to make sure I remembered to record that Evan got his THIRD tooth yesterday!  The top tooth (one over from the front tooth) popped through, and the three other teeth on the top row are BULGING big time.  I'm betting he will have all 4 top teeth by April.

Have a great weekend!

37 Weeks Old

To see all the photos from this week, click HERE!

In the photos this week you'll see:

• Evan making a HUGE mess while eating carrots (in all fairness he's actually quite an efficient eater these days but I let him play with the 99% empty baby food container while the rest of the family finished up dinner and this is what happened).  
• Lots of pics in the 'Johnny Jumper' (he's SO cute bouncing around in that and the girls love to bring him toys, spin him around or push him in it.
• A picture I've been wanting to take for awhile- Evan in his crib surrounded by all his pacifiers AND holding his legs 'self swaddling' as he goes to bed.  He does this every night.  So So cute.
• Evan sleeping in his crib
• Lots of fun outside swinging and hanging out in our great weather.  In the photo above I edited out the scratches that are on his head (you can see them in other photos) but I didn't edit his eyes at all- all that great greenish reflection is just the grass on a nice bright day!
• And, Jillian "babysitting" while I worked on some things around the house.

This week has been busy and lots of fun!  A few things I want to remember about Evan right now:  

- When he wakes up from a nap he smiles at me and shoves his face into my shoulder.  Very sweet.

- He reaches for me when he is on the ground and wants to be picked up or when other people are holding him. 

- He can roll over from back to tummy and tummy to back no problem but does not like being on his belly and will not put his knees under him and try to crawl.

- He's starting to scoot around a little on his bottom due to his sitting/lunging for things technique.

Have a wonderful next 7 days!

Nancy

36 Weeks Old

To see all the photos from this week, click HERE!

This little guy is so cute.  He is doing a great job sleeping in his crib without a swaddle or anything- I do 'sprinkle' a bunch of pacifiers around him so he can find one and put it back during the night if he wants it.  He has been able to find and put in a pacifier on his own for awhile now- it's impressive how well he can do it!

Right now he's going to bed around 8pm and wakes up at 7am +/- 15 minutes.  I'll take it!  Great baby!

Funny story about feeding Evan- I've been a slacker.  Really, just giving him bits of our food, baby crackers, and whatever else he can feed himself.  I had bought some baby food awhile back, so I reluctantly decided to try giving him some again (for real this time, not just for the photo op! haha!).  It's just so messy and time consuming...  Anyway, I opened the first container (a stage 2) and he went through it like a freight train.  I opened another, he polished it off.  I offered him tiny baby crackers, he ate those.  I opened a pack of rice crackers (mum mums), & he ate both of those.  It only took him about 5 minutes to eat all this.  When I stopped this feeding frenzy, he started squawking like a baby dinosaur.  So, I topped it all off by nursing him too.  His little belly was SO big!
-smile-  So, now it's been multiple baby food containers per day, and lots of finger food too.  Hungry boy!!!

No crawling (not even rocking... he can't get his knees under him by himself yet) but lots of stable sitting/reaching.  He loves to sit and play with toys by himself or with the girls.  He is really good about being plopped in a pack and play, ExerSaucer or bouncer to entertain himself.  It's awesome.

That's it for this week.  Check out the photos, and see you in 7 days!

Nancy

35 Weeks Old- 8 Months!

To see all the photos from this week, click HERE!

Hey there Mr. Personality!  This little guy is so much fun.  He's doing really well with his sleeping and has graduated from the basement to his room.  -smile-  (He was in the basement because we were letting him cry it out and didn't want to wake up the girls).

Today (Valentine's Day) Evan turns 8 months old.

Here's a few things about him:

His favorite song (by far) is Jingle Bells.  He always responds to it with a big smile.  Funny.
We have lots of nicknames for him.  If I don't call him Evan, it's usually Baby Boy, Baby Boy Blue, Little E, Little Man, Bud Bud, Buddy Bear, Buddy...

Jillian calls him, "Baby Baby, Boy, and Boy Boy".  Both the girls call him "Brother" and "Baby Brother".

Ryan mostly calls him Evan or Big Man.

I took a photo of Evan this week holding onto the tub.  He can grab onto things pretty well like this, but to be honest, it was a situation where I propped him up, ran back and took the photo, and ran back to catch him.

In the bath, Evan loves to splash.  And Splash.  And SPLASH!

The scratches on Evan's forehead are from his own fingernails.  It's getting better, and we're still trying hard to keep his nails short enough to keep this from happening.

In the photos this week you'll see Evan eating a homemade tortilla & posing with his sisters for Valentine's Day.  I realize he will one day roll his eyes at me for that bow tie, but I don't mind!  I think it's adorable.

Until next week, have a wonderful 7 days!

Nancy

34 Weeks Old

To see all the photos from this week, click HERE!

It's been a busy week with a good amount of snuggle time for this recovering Mom!  Since the infection I had last week came along with flu like symptoms it was a tough couple days for me.  Evan is eating a lot more solid foods now- (3/4 of a small banana tonight!)  and after being up with extra feedings through the night over the course of my issues it became necessary to crack down a little and make some efforts to regain our nighttime sleep!!

I should start by saying that until two nights ago, Evan slept every night in a swaddle, with a pacifier in a nap nanny (baby foam wedge that keeps them propped at an angle similar to a car seat).  So, it was fair to say putting him in his crib without these things was going to be a challenge.  I started with the idea that we would just go cold turkey without any of it, but ended up caving and giving him his pacifier (actually, about 6 pacifiers sprinkled around him so he would be able to find them in the night and put them back in if he wanted to -smile-). The first two days were hard on Evan and I (I may have had a little nervous break down after I noticed in addition to crying he had scratched his face all over the place). It was so so sad.  I trimmed his nails down more, but he still managed to scratch himself.  Tonight I filed down any little tiny bits I could find so hopefully his handsome little face is scratch free in the morning!

He was pretty darn stubborn about this new sleep idea for the first two nights but tonight he did really well.  The first day when I went in to get him he was looking at me with one pacifier in his mouth and one in each hand.  Cute.  Twice now, I have been watching him on our video baby monitor as he's making himself comfortable and have noticed that he seems to replicate being swaddled by pulling his legs to his chest and hugging them with his arms. Such a smart baby :)

We continue to be lucky with great weather so lots of time outside still!  Hooray!

In the photos you'll see snuggle time, a birthday party, Ryan feeding Evan pears (with a pink bib?!?), a VERY sleepy boy in his car seat, posing, sister time, tummy time (no scooting or rocking yet), more sister time & a baseball sleeper (thx Nat & Rene, I think?)

Until next week!!

Nancy

33 Weeks Old

To see all the photos from this week, click HERE!

Evan is changing so quickly.  He's grabbing at everything and starting to cry if someone takes something from him that he would rather not have taken.
-smile-  He's rather opinionated about it.  It's fun to watch him flex his little baby muscles with these girls!

Something I had been waiting for happened this week:  Jillian put a headband on Evan.  I have been anticipating when the girls would start to accessorize him, and am surprised it took until now!  He seemed to like it! Haha...

Evan can blow his tongue and make a noise now.  It's not a raspberry...  I'm not sure what the noise is called but Jillian says, "It sounds like he tooted!!!"

Evan can sit up in the bathtub now and loves to splash.  The girls are very impressed with this new skill.

Our weather (knock on wood) has been amazing.  Fall like temps for the majority of the winter.  Lots and lots of time outside!  Yeah!

Evan is spending more time in his highchair as he is liking to eat baby food and finger foods (mostly little baby crackers).  He sits and watches us have dinner now.  It's very sweet to eat as a family.

Evan found himself in the mirror for the first time this week.  He has noticed himself before, but this time he really played with that baby in the mirror.  Very sweet.

Our friend Kim we know from Ft. Riley was in town for a military training class so we were lucky enough to show her the new house and the kids!  It was wonderful to see her!

That's it.  I was very close to missing this post tonight because I feel AWFUL.  I have mastitis and it is very very painful.  If you don't know what that is it's an infection related to breast feeding.  I was at Urgent Care last night, on antibiotics today but still feeling very very rough.  I honestly can't remember being this sick.  High fever, shakes, shivers, achy, sore & dealing with a cranky baby who is none too pleased with my condition.

What a week!

Enjoy the photos, and have a great week!

Nancy

32 Weeks Old!

To see all the PHOTOS from this week, click HERE!

I didn't really take a lot of photos of Evan this week.  Taking a break after the marathon photo taking session when my Dad was here I suppose! -smile- Most of the pics are where Evan is being doted on by his sisters.  And, although there's not a lot of variety, this is very representative of how things are in our house.  Evan is a superstar and we all love him very much.  The girls love to bring him toys, feed him food, or just entertain him.  He seems to be pretty fond of his big sisters too.  :)

To see all the photos from this week, click HERE!

See you in another 7 days!

Nancy

31 Weeks Old- 7 Months!

To see all the photos from this week, click HERE!

(there are a TON but for some reason I was having a hard time narrowing them down this week...)

This week Evan got to hang out with Grandpa Randall in the house.  We did lots of fun things to keep us busy!  A couple new things from Mr. Evan this week-  First, he was able to go from a sitting position to his belly in a thoughtful/purposeful motion. Second, just now (before he went to bed and I could type this post) he PLAYED with me.  This was the first time he really initiated something on his own and it. was. adorable.

We were sitting on the couch and all of a sudden Evan dives his head into my arm and sorta bites me with his lips.  After that he looks up at me with an expectant look on his face.  I looked back and he dove again, this time in my neck.  It's just like we do to him when we cover him with growling kisses.  I started laughing and he kept diving.  Burying his little face into my shirt, coming up covered in smiles and drool.  It makes me smile right now just thinking about it. It was very very sweet.  We tried to get video of it, but he was tired by the time we pulled out the camera. Next time.  :)

In the photos this week you'll see Evan enjoying big sister Jillian's Art Show, hanging out while the girls and I go ice skating, eating at 5 Guys, eating pieces of pears in his high chair, showing off Jillian's newly wall mounted mirror, bath time, posing time, reading on the couch, & playing with Grandpa in the basement!

What a week for this newly 7 month old little guy!!

Until next week, enjoy the pics...

Nancy

30 Weeks Old

To see all the photos from this week, click HERE!

The biggest change in Evan recently is how GRABBY he is!  Nothing in arms reach is safe!  It's right into the mouth with anything available.  He's very stable with his sitting now, and is starting to squirm when he's on his belly as though he's trying to get his knees under him.  When he's wearing long sleeves one of them is always in his mouth.  His favorite thing to chew on by far is anything fabric.

This week Evan had a great time at the library for story time, out for dinner, sitting around at home, dressing up in a bow-tie and hat, showering with his big sisters, playing with lots of toys...  The toys are a funny thing- when Evan is in his playpen, bouncer or swing the girls love to bring him toys.  Many, many toys. -smile-

We had some friends over to play and opened up our "first snow day" presents.   And that, is the last 7 days in the Kules house!

Until next week, enjoy the photos!

Nancy

P.S. In some of the photos you'll see little scabs on Evan's forehead right where his birthmark is.  When he is tired this seems to be right where be rubs, and rubs, and rubs...  I trim his nails all the time, but still be manages to scratch himself.  Silly little guy.

29 Weeks Old

To see all the photos from this week, click HERE!

Another week already!  This time of year sure does fly!  Evan is very capable of sitting on his own now and is starting to enjoy sitting there playing with his toys.  He is very stable and can correct his balance when he reaches for something.   This is such a fun stage where they can really start to entertain themselves.

Our visit with my Mom wrapped up this week.  It was so nice to have her here with us to relax, and spoil the kids. We all miss her.

Evan's starting to be more fun to play dress up with.  Boys are not quite as fun as girls in this regard, but I do think he looks quite handsome in his little sweater vest and button up!  -smile-

We had a great time celebrating New Years with our own box of fireworks at a ball drop at 7pm courtesy of YouTube.  The kids bundled up to watch Ryan set off the show in the street in front of our house and Evan didn't cry at all about the loud pops and whistles.  He was a little whiny when the first one went off, but after that just bounced in his favorite bouncy chair and watched the show.

That's it for this week, enjoy the photos and see you in 7 days!

Nancy

28 Weeks Old

To see all the photos from this week, click HERE!

This week Evan took his first trip to NYC, tried pizza (crust), enjoyed his first Christmas, celebrated my 29th birthday, brushed his (2) teeth, and sat in a highchair at a restaurant for the first time! It was such a great week!

My Mom is in town visiting, so somehow I managed to get side tracked and forgot it was Tuesday, so this is a day late! Oops! We're having a great time visiting with her! It's easy to forget what day of the week it is when Ryan is off work and Jillian does not have school!

In fact, that's it. It's too busy around here to be updating baby websites- I'm taking a break until next year. -smile-

Happy New Year!

Nancy

27 Weeks Old

To see all the photos from this week, click HERE!

Mr. Cutie got a haircut this week!  Ryan gave both the girls their first trim so we flowed suit with Evan. Over the past 6 months the hair on the sides of his head had fallen out and grew back in.  This left a long patch along the top that I fondly referred to as Evan's baby comb over.  For whatever reason, this long hair bugged me like CRAZY but Ryan didn't really think it was that big of a deal.  However, when I put it in a ponytail so we could save the piece we cut off and Ryan saw how cute silly she he looked with his new hairstyle, he didn't hesitate to cut it.  It's amazing how much lighter his hair looks now without the dark brown baby hair on top!  He has red undertones to his brown for sure... it's very noticeable in some light (such as the above photo) and hardly at all in other light.

Also noteworthy this week was Evan's 6 month check up.  We had to wait on his shots because he had a fever (and ear infection) at the appointment but we did get his stats:

Height: 27 1/2 inches (75%)
Weight: 17lbs, 4 oz (50%)
Head Circumference: 45 1/2cm (90%)

So, he's a little tall, average weight, with a huge head.  This has been pretty much his numbers since the beginning so no surprises here!  They put him on antibiotics for the ear infection and he seems to be feeling fine in that regard.  He did have his first runny nose/cough this week so that has been hard.

Last thing- Evan's sitting has improved a lot this week.  I made sure he had time to practice and he really seems to be getting the hang of it!

That's it for this week!  Enjoy the photos (check out Evan's LONG hair in the bath photos!  HAHA!), & enjoy your Christmas!

Nancy

26 Weeks Old- 6 months on the 14th!

Click HERE to see all the photos from this week!

All I want for Christmas... we already have.

Gah.

This little guy makes us so happy.  He's so sweet and patient and deals really well with being a third born and the fact that I drag him all over the place with no regard for his schedule.  He's going to be 6 months old tomorrow and that seems SO OLD to me!  Where has the last half of a year gone?!

He does not sit on his own yet- he's so flexible that he just flops his belly down on his legs and stays like that- haha!  He smiles whenever you make eye contact, he gurgles, ga-ga's and loves his sisters.  He does not like being alone very much.  He still sleeps swaddled (I know,  he's too old for that but he loves it...) He loves his pacifier (he can find it and put it back in his mouth now), he plays with toys, chews on everything and is growing like a weed.

Until next week- not a lot of photos this week, sorry!

Nancy

25 Weeks Old

To see all the photos from this week, click HERE!

Hello there bright eyes!  Are you guys as smitten with this little guy as I am?  Super Sweet.  He's awesome.

Guess what Evan did this week?  Got his two bottom teeth!!!  Not sitting up on his own (very well), not trying to crawl, does not like being on his belly, but he has two tiny teeth.  I guess that little taste of food last week inspired him to get movin' on teeth so he could get past yucky pureed sweet potatoes and onto the good stuff.  -smile-

This week we did a bunch of great stuff including gingerbread house baking and making at a friends house.  It was SO much fun!  While we were there Evan sat in a highchair for the first time.  What a big boy!

Until next week,

Nancy

24 Weeks Old

To see the excessive amount of PHOTOS from this week, 

click HERE!

Look who tried baby food!!!  We had some baked sweet potatoes as a part of our Thanksgiving leftovers, so we decided to let Evan in on the fun.  We'll say for now the jury is still out.  HAHA!  He made quite a mess and I suppose that's all you can hope for at the first feeding.  It's kinda like a first birthday cake- you'd be sad if they stayed clean through the whole process!

Aunt Marilyn and Uncle Neal left this weekend- the kids (and adults) in our house are sure missing them!  It was a great visit!

Evan enjoyed watching the rest of us take out all the Christmas decorations and put up the tree.  He was not very helpful in this process- maybe next year.

Today was Ryan's 6th Alive Day (the anniversary of the injuries he sustained in Iraq) so we went out as a family for dinner and ice cream.  The perfect way to spend the day.

Until next week,

Nancy

23 Weeks Old

To see all the PHOTOS from this week, click HERE!

It sure has been a busy week in our house!  Aunt Marilyn is here visiting and we are having a great time with her.  Late this evening Uncle Neal joined her at our house to celebrate Thanksgiving with us so next week we should have some photos of him with Evan to share too!

If you check out the photos from this week, you'll see Jillian posing next to Evan while he "stands up" for a picture, bath time, gardening with Marilyn and the girls, checking out the water by our house, hanging out at the golf course & kisses from Daddy.

Whew!!  Off to bed- tomorrow is a busy day of cooking for our wonderful guests!!!

Nancy

22 Weeks Old

To see all the PHOTOS from this week, click HERE!

Gah!!  This baby is so stinkin' sweet.  Love Love Love this kid!

Evan continues to be a happy go lucky little baby.  He is so easy going and has fallen very nicely into a routine.  Liv goes to bed at 7pm, Jillian at 7:30 and Evan at 8.  It's perfect.  I feed Evan before I go to bed, and then he sleeps until between 6 and 7 am.  I can't complain!

Today we went to the doctor for a 5 month check up.  We ended up a little behind on some of his shots, so although usually you only go at 4 and 6 months old, we're going between too.  So, today he weighed in at 16lbs, 10oz.  He's a good sized baby!  For comparison sake, I put Liv and Jillian on the scale too...  Liv was 27lbs, and Jillian is 31!

Evan is a drool monster, still really likes his swing and hanging out in the pack and play looking at a mobile.  He just started catching the mobile as it goes by and trying to put it in his mouth.  Funny!  We have not started giving him baby food just yet- we're trying to wait until he is 6 months old...

Evan's hand eye coordination is really improving and he's so much fun to play with.  Any time you make eye contact with him, he gives a really sweet smile and if you scare him a little by jumping out and smiling at him, he cracks up.  Every time.  Love that.

No sitting just yet, and not a huge fan of tummy time...

In the PHOTOS this week you'll see Evan at the library for story time, hanging out with his baby friend Jacob, a couple of the photos from our Christmas card shoot!, hanging out with Daddy, some close ups of his sweet face, and posing with big sister Jillian.

Until next week!

Nancy

21 Weeks Old

To see all the PHOTOS from this week, click HERE!

The key item of discussion this week?  DROOL!  Man, this kid SOAKS the front of his shirt in about 30 minutes.  It seems impossible to get a photo of him where he is not drenched with spit.  He puts almost everything in sight into his mouth, chews on his hands all the time and bites (aka, gums) you really hard if you stick a finger or knuckle in his mouth.  Maybe an early teether?

Daylight savings time= no fun with a little guy in the house.

Check out all the photos this week & you'll see Evan waiting patiently for his big sisters to ride go-carts, a baby who wiggles around SO much on his back that he can move across an entire room in less than a minute (and subsequently in this case, ended up under his crib), skyping with Grandma Trisha, reading with big sister Liv, swinging, bathing, playing with sisters, some iphone shots Jillian took so you guys know I'm still part of this family (since I'm always on the other side of the camera!), playing at the park, and a baby who was too pooped to pose for a portrait!  Whew!  What a week- I'm tired!!!

In 6 days Evan will be 5 months old!!!

Until next week,
Nancy

20 Weeks Old

To see all the PHOTOS from this week, click HERE!

What a busy time of year this is!  I'll have a few more photos of the kids in their costumes later, but for now there's a few for you to see here!  Evan had a great Halloween- he's such a happy baby!  He was great about being hauled around from house to house being showed off.  Our silly little goose!  In case you can't tell, the kids were Duck, Duck, Goose for Halloween.  It was very sweet.

Non-halloween related details about our little guy:  

Mid last week Ryan's Dad headed back to AZ- it was great to spend some time with him!  

Evan's still being swaddled at night.  He was doing well getting back to his sleeping through the night but we mixed him up a little bit this weekend when I woke him up at 5:30am to give him an extra feeding before he went to his first Raven's game that afternoon.  Yup, Evan went to a game (without Mommy!) and had a great time.  This is what happened:  The girls and I were in Baltimore for Disney on Ice and Ryan was offered to join our friend Aaron for the Raven's game.  After our show was over we drove over (it was only about 2 miles between the stadiums) and  grabbed him so the boys could finish the game sans baby.  It worked out perfectly!  Go Ravens & GO Evan!

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