Scoot

Today Evan was playing with baby Las Vegas. He gets to a point and he almost starts to cry out "get me out of here!". Too much stimulation. I have learned about when that will happen and hurry to save him earlier from that crazy place. So, today just in time I took him away from BLV and we played together for a while. I was getting ready and turned to put my earrings on when I turned to see Evan stretching his neck to see over to where the BLV was sitting. It made me laugh as it was the first time I had seen him stretching his gaze to see a toy. I finished putting on my jewelry and took another look over at Evan. Evan had scooted his way over to the BLV. Just as I recognized this, Evan hit the bar that makes the music sound. I guess I took him away to early today?!

I want to hold your hand

Evan is has this sweet thing he does lately. He wants to hold my hand when we nurse or when he is falling asleep. I love it.

Today was the first day that he reached up to touch my face. He touched my cheek, then my chin and then, my cheek again and looked right into my eyes as if to really connect my face with me. Then he knocked off my glasses! He is all about grasping and holding right now. It is amazing to see what a difference a week makes in his ability to hold things.

Playgroup Day

Evan and I went to playgroup today with Brandie and Sofia (our buddies). It was a smaller group today and a lot of fun. I say smaller but, there were probably 15 babies. Evan was curious about the trees. I find right now these groups are really for the mommies as all the babies just stare at us staring at them! We had a potluck this week and we brought cupcakes. They were a hit. We thought we lost Evan's hat but it was found in the driveway at Gianni's house. Whew!

Love 24/7

It was an LA day

We started off the day by taking Evan to an antique show. It is the big yearly show for LA. He was a dream. He looked around and took it all in before falling asleep in the sling.

We walked to REI to get me a new water bottle since now all of the typical Nalgene bottles are considered "unsafe".

We took Evan for a walk tonight. We usually do a walk between 5-6pm. It was a beautiful day today. Warm. Summer is on its way. That's a funny thing to say living in Southern California but after living here a while you do feel the seasons change into one another. Steven had Evan in the Bjorn.

We walked and admired all of the vegetation. It is so beautiful here. We walked passed a building and I noticed that they had clover planted outside. It was something so familiar to me but something I hadn't seen in such a long time. Growing up in the Mid-West you see clover everyday. It never looked so beautiful to me as it did today. It is funny when you don't see something for so long and then see it somewhere you never do it looks so exotic next to all of the tropical "everyday" flowers here. I never thought that I would call a "Bird of Paradise" a regular flower like clover was for me back in Chicago.

As we got to the end of a block we noticed a movie being filmed. A director was running between actors positioned on different street corners calling out instructions. As we walked passed you could here him scream "Action!".

There was a man on a bicycle cruiser with a towel around his neck pulling his wife/girlfriend on her skateboard.

Sometimes it just hits me and I realize that I live in quite a place.

An Apple A Day

Look what Daddy bought me...

Today is Thursday

Usually Evan and I have a playdate with Brandie and Sofia on Thursdays. Sofia has a cold this week so Evan and I were on our own. We went to yoga and then got ourselves a Boba. Evan is so into watching the world go by. We sat in the shop while I drank my Boba and he intensively watched people going in and out of the shop.

He was great a yoga today. He sits there on a boppy (boppy cushions are the best!) and watches me do my thing.

This evening-Daddy was working so we took a walk. This week I have been carrying him openly without the sling. We walked to the bluff and looked at palmtrees and all the roses blooming in the rose garden. As we were walking home I noticed that Evan was fast asleep in my arms.

Evan Pictorial Update-Four Months

Dear Evan-Four Months Old

Dearest Evan-
This has been the most amazing month. So much is happening with you! You are holding up your neck. But the one thing I have been most excited about is that you are into your toys now. You pick up toys and play with them. You smile when I give you a toy and you talk to them when I leave the room!

You look towards Daddy or I as we leave the room and when we enter. When Daddy comes home you are so excited to see him and greet him with huge smiles and giggles. You squeal and laugh out loud when we blow on your tummy. This has been something we have been doing to you since you were born so it was super exciting for us to finally get such a response from you!

You still hate your carseat. Although, you are doing much better now that you enjoy your toys. You talk to me from the backseat and check in to make sure I am still there. We talk back and forth. It is so much fun to have your company!

We went to the doctor today for your check up. You are 15 pounds 6 ounces (60%) and are 26-1/4" long(80%). You are long! You are such a kicker!! I call you wiggle worm as you never sit still and are always wanting to move those legs and arms. You now hold your hands together. Sometimes it is the left hand holding the right but mostly it is the right hand holding the left. Hmmmm. Will you be a lefty like Daddy?

I love you very much!

Mommie

A Day In the Life

Today we went to introduce my Dad to Tiffiny Lendrum who owns a gallery here in LA. She specializes in consulting with architects and designers. Evan just hung out. It was a hot day and the air conditioning felt good. I just laid him on the floor on his changing pad and he took it all in. I love how he hold his feet up in the air. I am going to miss that when he doesn't do it anymore!

First Time in a Shopping Cart

Today was the first time I placed Evan inside a shopping cart. He wasn't sure about it but then he was fine.

Baby Las Vegas!

Our good friend Matt and Michelle gave Evan a baby activity center. The first time Evan played with it I named it "Baby Las Vegas". It has sounds and flashing lights. Evan has grown quite found of his almost daily trips to Baby Las Vegas. I have noticed that when it is in the room he turns his head to look at it. It if fun to see how he is recognizing his favorite toys now. He has Phil, Gordy, Baby Las Vegas and Tigger the rattle. These are his favorites. Recently-I introduced him to FeeFee the giraffe that does all sorts of things. He likes her too.

Steven caught this picture of Evan as he gave a longing look towards Baby Las Vegas....

Mommy And Me Movies

Evan and I attend Mommy and Me movies every Tuesday at 11am. It is so nice to see a movie every week. I have missed going and seeing current cinema on a regular basis. I don't check what movie is playing and just go to whatever is being viewed. That makes me go and see movies I would never choose to go to on my own. Each week the theater is set up for us. They provide a changing table, dim the lights and have the movie on a lower volume. Now that I am part of a few "mommy" groups I know people that attend weekly and their babies. There is usually about 5-10 moms and babies.

Evan naps and nurses. He is getting to a place now that he doesn't nap but wants to be part of the activity. Last week he started to fuss when I would move him away from glancing at the screen. The dimmed room with track lights shining down on us and this huge screen of flashing lights is just too much excitement for one little boy to take! He loves being there and lays upon my lap staring at the ceiling and chewing on his fists as it helps his teething pain.

Today all of the babies were talking. I think maybe one of them started it and then all of them started talking or fussing at the same time. It was funny to hear these noises and know that this audience welcomed them. Evan finished the movie sound asleep on my lap.

Playdate Day!

Aren't they too cute for words?

The Perfect Bath Time

Tonight I looked back at pictures of Evan. My tiny little boy just home from the hospital. His birth was such a surprise to me in so many ways. The fact he came to us a month early really brought an even larger impact to his arrival. I am sure I would of had all of the same feelings if he came on time; but, that that he came so unexpectantly heightened my every emotion.

When we first brought Evan home we had to wait to give him his bath until after his bellybutton fell off. He was so small that placing him in a bathtub seemed inappropriate as did the sink. We gave him sponge baths for month or so until I finally bought him a small tub that could be placed into the bathtub. Evan was so trusting and let us bathe him in his new little tub. During the first bath, I couldn't help but notice his little frightened face. He looked so apprehensive and not relaxed as I had hoped. I had been reading how bath times for babies relax them to help them sleep. I needed to figure out a way to make this better for him.

When Evan was about 6 weeks old-I met with my friend Liz. Her baby girl Isabella was born the day before Evan. Liz inquired if I had taken a bath with Evan yet. She encouraged me to do it and told me it was the most bonding experience.

That night I went home and shared with Steven we were going to take a bath with Evan. We made bath time an experience for him. I crawled into the tub with the water just right. Steven handed me our baby and I placed him facing me on my bent knees. I used my hands to coat his tiny body with water and talked to him. Steven thought of lighting candles so the light was just right. He loved it.

That is how we now give Evan a bath. I think we will give him a bath this way until he is old enough to sit in the tub alone. Steven and I trade who gets to sit in with him. One of us bathes him and the other sets up the "scene" and gets the new diaper, p.j.'s and towel ready. The three of us stay use this as time to spend together as a family.

I gave Evan a bath tonight. He talked to me and smiled alot. It made me think what a good example this "finding a better alternative for him" turned out to be. I hope we keep this example in the front of our minds on other fronts when we see our son needs to have something different to make him feel safe and more comfortable. He loves his bath now and it relaxes him so much he can barely stay awake when it is over.

Evan Pictorial Update-Almost Four Months!

Yea...it's me!

I love staring out my window...

Tummy Time...I can do this!!!

Trip to the Aquarium

Too Hot

It was 86 degrees today. It was Evan's first day of being hot. I thought it would be a funny thing to report on....I am sure not many Mommies out there report on the first day being hot. So-if Evan ever asks me "Mommie-when was the first day you remember me being hot?" I can now tell him....4/13/07.

Did Someone See The Fish?

This last week was amazing. There are so many new things Evan can do. He laughs out loud! He is also playing with his lung capacity and has found he can scream. It is a happy scream or I guess I should call it a squeal. It brings tears to my eyes to hear him laugh.

Evan is holding up his head. He is still just a little shaky. Tonight he did his first mini-push up! He still hates tummy time. I found that doing it on top of the boppy cushion has really increased his strength as it gives him a slight incline and makes the process more comfortable for him. He can do tummy time so much longer on the boppy. Tonight was the first time in a couple of weeks we did tummy time on the floor (without the boppy). This is when he did his mini-push up! He still doesn't like to do the tummy time very long on the floor and gets frustrated and cries out to be taken out of it. What would we do without our boppy?

He still struggles with being in his car seat. We are doing better. It seems that the mornings to early afternoon are the best times to take trips. After 2pm or so we can count on having a break down on the way. It is so sad. I stop and pull over to comfort him. It makes a typical quick trip out a long process but I can't help want to comfort my baby! It is so sad to hear him get so upset. As soon as I pick him up out of "that seat" he is happy again-smiling and talking. If Steven is with us, one of us will sit in the back with Evan. This person is the entertainer to the baby. This usually works except when it doesn't!

We went to the Long Beach Aquarium today with the Haubs. It was our first big two family outing all together. What a group we are: Mercy is 4; Aaron is 2; Elijah is 5 months and Evan is almost 4 months. Between checking out the fish (did we see any fish?) we were breast feeding, changing diapers, petting sting rays, kissing baby Evan (sweet Aaron); waiting for lunch, finding stroller parking and all getting very tired in the process! It all made for a great day! Did I mention I don't think I saw any fish??

Evan's naps were a struggle today. Evan had only taken a couple of catnaps in the sling. He was so tired when lunch finally arrived. He fell asleep on my lap. We decided I should just carry him to the car so he will stay asleep. (any transition to car seat or stroller will wake him up) In my arms, he stayed asleep all the way to the car. Once we arrived at the car and he was placed in the car seat he was side awake.

Evan slept 6 and half hours straight lastnight! It was the longest he has ever slept. We have been on an every two hour schedule. Except the past three nights, Evan has only required one feeding. All I can say is "ahhhhhhhhhh". After today's lack of good nap time I am now concerned I might of screwed this good sleeping record. We shall see!

He is now going to sleep between 7:30pm and 8:30pm.

Hi Mommie

Look how big he is getting!!?

My Confession

Today I was talking to a friend of mine who was inquiring about Evan. I made a confession to her. I have been amazed at the reality of having a child. It is like nothing I have ever done before. Before I had Evan I always would relate having a child to having a pet. Now, I know for some that might be a stretch but then you don't love animals the way I do!

I thought that for at least the first year he would be more of something I took care of than what I would nurture. I am finding that there is a huge difference in those two phrases. For one thing I can't believe at such a young age (16 weeks) Evan has such a personality. He has likes and dislikes. He lets me know what he wants and when he wants it. I just never imagined that he would all ready be such a person. That is when I found out that I need to nurture him and not just care for him.

Clair du Lune

The week Evan was born we played him this song. It will forever be in my memory as his song for as the years pass this song will always have the power to bring me back to those first moments of little him.

Locked and Loaded

Evan has started to notice that I am attached to what is feeding him. It is hilarous. He will stare up at me and sometimes stop eating and smile. This last week he has really started to find his own voice. He talks to me now during a feeding. He has so much to say!

Mommy My Mouth Hurts

Evan has begun the road to "Teethdom". The poor little guy was really struggling yesterday. I rubbed ice on my finger and then let him chew on it. It seemed to do the trick. It was the first time he experienced something cold in his mouth. He wasn't too sure about it and made funny faces as if to say "Ick".

The thing that got me was how trusting he was...he knew I was just trying to help him feel better.

The Little Things

When we decided to have a baby, I thought....wow a "baby". I had no idea about what having a baby really means. The future of motherhood was going to be amazing and I had absolutely no idea. These past three months have given me so much.

Babies...
You see their smile and it instantly melts your heart.

That at 3 month old baby all ready knows how to demand your attention. Evan will see me working on something and for a moment or two not look at him. He will call out a whimper until my gaze goes back to him. Then-he will smile!

When they wake up all of their bodily functions come alive as their face turns deep tomato.

You cannot spoil them enough. They eat it up.

Make the best sounds. They love to repeat sounds and to hear you talk. Listening to Evan's first coos, ga-gas have been the most rewarding experience. He makes the best "ahh-goo" you have ever heard. It is amazing (there is that word again) thing to see your baby start to talk.

Make the best cuddle partners.

Know who their mommies are and want them with them at all times. You don't know how many times I stop and realize...Oh, I am the Mommy! He wants me!! I get to do that "magic thing" Moms do and can instantly make my baby not cry by holding him. It is too cool for words.

Cry and it is ok to let them when they are sad. When I first had Evan all I wanted to do is keep him from crying. I still do. But-sometimes I realize he needs a cry because he is sleepy or is overwhelmed and needs to let off steam.

Hate their car seats and strollers but, they love for you to carry them everywhere.

Are so busy! It is so fun to watch them as they move their arms and legs. Up down-up down-up down!! Sneeze. Gas. Up-down-up down-up down.

Love light and sounds.

Not only talk (i.e. coos, etc) but they tell you what they want and their urgency to get it! You really do learn their different cries.

Have the best feet and most expressive hands. You just want to eat them up.

This Week

This week....

Since Evan was born we have been blowing on his tummy trying to make him laugh. He would just look at us in amazement or give us a look of uncertainty. This week he did his first laugh at his tummy being blown. It was hilarious!

Evan has found his own voice. He talks to himself now or to whatever toy will listen. It is so cute to hear him as he stares out the screen door, siting in his swing, calling out sounds and laughing.

Evan is starting to make constinent sounds. He has mastered the vowels of "coo" lingo. This week he has started saying "mmmm" and others. Yesterday he gave me a big "Me"!

He has started going to bed earlier. It hits 7:30pm and he is out. He is still waking up a lot during the night. Lastnight it was every two hours.

He can ride in his stroller and really watch the world around him go by. You can see it in his eyes. He tracks things with his eyes and really watches them.

He is good with his naps. He is pretty regular too.