Beach Time with Dada

Smoothies

We have a coffee shop that makes a smoothie we all love. It is called the "Very Berry". When we went away to Palm Springs this summer we tried different recipes and found one that is similar to this one. We make smoothies now all the time and Evan loves them. He has his own straw cup and we hand it to him as we begin the blending process. E will get up on his red stool or stand and our feet while the blender goes. He will imitate the blender sound too. He knows what is coming!

Yellow and Other Observations

Yellow is Evan's first color that he knows how to say and identify. It is amazing because he really understands that everything has a color but can't quite yet say which color it is. So-we start most conversations with him pointing to an object and saying, "Yellow?". He also understands counting and will point to multiple object and make a sound as he points to each object. His capacity for learning and understanding amazes me everyday.

This week I told Evan that he looked so nice and he immediately looked down at his outfit and then looked up at me with a huge grin. I was amazed that he understood what I was referring to and he appreciated the compliment!

Each day I hear the sounds that Evan makes and think how much I loves those sounds. I know one day soon they will disappear as he takes on speaking real words and sentences. Right now he often says "NaNaNa na'..."Oynyah"or "En-nah. I am going to miss thes sounds so much. He loves to make actual sound effects instead of words. He makes a splash sound instead of trying to say "water". We walk past the ocean or a fountain and it is "pssshh".

So much happens each day and I think to myself that I really need to add "that" to the blog and then life happens and it all gets away from me. Time is going so fast. I feel so lucky to be able to stay home with my little boy and watch him grow. He grows and grows and grows...I try each day as it comes and try to stay in the present with him. Weeks go by like days and months go by like weeks. I know I will look back at this time with such fun-filled memories of our days spent together.

Good Bye Palm Springs..

We go home tomorrow. In tribute to our time here in PS, I wanted to post some of my favorite photos from the past two weeks.

By The Pool

Dear Evan-19 Months Old

Dear Evan-
Here we are another month has gone by and you are 19 months old now. I can't believe it. We have had a nice July. We have been staying in a house in Palm Springs while some construction was being completed at our own house. You love it here. There is everything you love and more. Our day starts with breakfast and the sprinklers going off. We then go and have a morning swim and play with rocks. After that we have our mid-morning snack of a fruit smoothie and some more play outside before it gets too hot. Naptime and then after we play inside for a while and then play in your small pool until the sun is lower and we can go into the larger pool.

There is so much you have done this month and are learning to do. You love to knock on doors now. If someone closes a door and is inside, you will go to the door and knock upon it twice. You don't understand why someone wouldn't open the door for you and will knock again until you receive a response. You are into playing hide n'seek now. You like for us to hide and you come and find us. You really want to be where everything is taking place or where the action is...you don't understand why Mommy is at the sink and wants to be up there too. You have started this thing where you will hand me something and label who the item belongs to. If you find my cell phone you will hold it and then hand it to me and say "mama". You are learning so many more hand gestures. You love to move your fingers and pat things and have people mimic you. Grandpa was here the last few days and he played this with you. You loved it. You want to eat everything we eat. If you see Mommy sneaking a cookie or Daddy drinking something you want to taste it. You respond to so many requests. I ask you just about anything now as you respond to so many things you always keep me on my toes of what you will do next. This week I handed you a towel and asked for you to wipe up the floor where you had spilled something. You did it!

These past two weeks have been a special time for us as a family. You have started some new habits. One is that when you are ready for bed you come to me and say "night-night". And you mean it. You do it for bedtime and naps. It is really amazing. You are sleeping much better at night now. It may be because there are no more noisy neighbors like at our house or that you have played so hard nothing will wake you. I think it is nice that no more teeth are giving you trouble for now. You have all of them except your two year molars.

You are so physical. You love to be upside down whether Daddy or I hang you that way or if you simply bend over and look at the world between your legs. You love the feeling of seeing everything differently. You know pretty much all of your body parts now. Your new ones are "elbow", "ankle" and "hair".

You have many new words. It is always difficult to remember them but I will do my best: elbow, lawnmower, tow truck, ice, you nod your head for "yes and for "no", noodle, leaves,Grandpa "Ba Pa", night night, yellow, blue, red...

You know the concept of color now and counting. You will point at similar things and make the same sound as you point to the same object next to it. I can ask you where the red truck is and you will point to one. Or the yellow bird, etc. I think you pretty much know yellow, blue, green and red.

You are in love with your Mama. You say my name so many times a day. You will repeat my name over and over until I look at you in the backseat of the car. When I look at you, you will just smile.

You are a joy and a wonderful boy. I love you very much.

Mama

If the shoes fit...