Jumping In The Crib

A few nights ago Kaia and I were putting Evie Lu to bed and it seems our little girl had a different plan. She went crazy. Evie Lu tapped into her inner Tigger and was bouncy, bouncy, fun, fun, fun. We didn't encourage this (much).
So, it is time again for You Write The Caption. You've got three pictures to choose from. Go to it!

Your Friendly Neighborhood Evie Lu

No, I will never reveal my secret identity!

Every parent warned us ahead of time. "It doesn't matter how fancy the toy is, your child will want to play with the box." It is true. Evie Lu does play with some of her fancy toys, but she loves the simple things. In the kitchen we have a whisk and sauce pan at her level and Evie Lu goes to it constantly. Evangeline is a champion mixer. Food service industry here she comes!

Well, the mask is a little itchy.


Another toy we need to unpack is Kaia's knitted hat. Hand that to Evie Lu and she'll play with it forever. We assume she can see through it. I really hope Evie Lu can see through it, because she pulls it over her eyes and goes running. I want to let Evangeline get a little more familiar with the layout of our place before we try out the blindfolded stunt baby trick. Or we could just dress Evie Lu like a hockey goalie.

See, it is just little old me.

Evie Lu Games

Peek-a-boo!


Evie Lu is more fun to be with everyday. She is definitely developing the tough side of toddlers with one heck of an attitude, but for the majority of the time Evangeline is a really sweet girl. If you ask Evie Lu for a hug or a kiss she'll give you one. Granted, the kiss is more of an open mouth attack.

Dad, I'm better at this than you.


Peek-a-boo is a game Evie Lu will initiate on her own. It is a crack up. There have been a couple of times that I did not mean to start a game, but Evie Lu saw me cover my eyes and the game was on.

We are pretty convinced Evie Lu says "tickle." It sounds more like, "tic-a-tic-a" but it is definitely there.

What a hug!

Trying To Get Back Into A Routine

There are boxes everywhere. I just don't know what to do!


A week ago we were getting ready for the first mid-week Lenten service and our living room was packed with boxes. Today there are boxes everywhere and we are starting to find all those vital things we've been missing since Friday. (I searched all morning to find the cord that lets me upload pictures from the camera.)

Evie Lu has been on a roller coaster. The joy of having grandparents here and the excitement/tension of moving meant that Evangeline's naps were anything but regular. Today starts the battle to get back on schedule.

Evie Lu loves her room and our guest room doubles as her play room. (If you plan on visiting, and I hope you do, you can weigh in on carpet colors. I was thinking we'd go with Evie Lu's favorite hot pink, but that might not be too restful.) What more could a little girl want?

Okay, I'll pose.

Moving On Up . . .

. . . to the eastside! We've spent the week and weekend moving, but I promise we'll be back up to full strength with Evie Lu updates this week.

Diversionary Tactics

All I know is that I'm finally in charge.


We have had a long standing (and mostly firmly implemented) no tv for babies rule here at our house. The one huge exception has been when fingernails need to be trimmed. Evie Lu hates getting her nails trimmed and Kaia found the PBS Sprout channel makes our little girl fall into a trance. It is a bit frightening to see Evie Lu completely zone out.

Once we turn the tv off Evangeline returns to her normal self. Well, almost normal as you can see from the picture below. Evie Lu is excited to see pitchers, catchers, and Grandma & Grandpa report on Thursday! (Just in time to move.)

You can pack everything except this hat.

Washing Is Very Important

Hey dad, bust off me. I'm washing up for dinner.


As Evie Lu continues to be move to little lady from baby, we are adding new elements to her routine. Kaia now helps Evie Lu to wash her hands in the sink instead of using baby wipes. I do not join in this activity often because I spend most of the time laughing at Evie Lu.

Hey you, use a towel not your pants!


Evangeline is also all about trying to whistle these days. Mostly she pushes air past her lips with little discernable sound and looks ridiculous. Maybe Evie Lu is trying to imitate her Great Grandpa Alfred!

When we are done we whistle.

Get The Door, It Is Evie Lu!

Can I cook for everyone?

It seems this week has been developing personality week for Evie Lu. There is a light in her eyes that makes me think she really know what is going on. Sometimes that isn't such a good thing. When Evie Lu realizes we are about to do something other than what she wants to do, she lets us know.

The other development this week is the absolute love of stairs. I have stairs at my office and Tuesday night we were at a coworkers house with a winding staircase. You could not pull Evie Lu away. The frightening part is that Evie Lu wants to go down the stairs the same way she went up. Just imagine Evie Lu's giant head going down carpeted stairs. Not good.

I can take out the garbage too!

What I've Been Doing

Hey check out Evie 3-D! I'm reaching for you!


Since I last posted our little family has had a busy few days. Here are the highlights:
Thursday - We find a 3 bedroom 2 bathroom house for rent. (This house also has 2 bonus rooms and a nice deck and backyard.) Evie Lu decides today she doesn't want a morning nap.
Friday - Evie Lu and I go sign the lease for this house. We will move in on February 15. (Make your plans to come see us now!) For the second day in a row, Evie Lu goes with only one nap. Kaia, Evie Lu, and I visit a childcare center close to the church. (Kaia feels bad for the lonely looking little girl who hasn't been picked up by 5pm.)
Saturday - Evie Lu continues with the one nap theme.
Sunday - I took the day off so Kaia, Evie Lu, and I go visit Kaitlin at her church. Evie Lu discovers picking her nose mid-service. We watch the Super Bowl with a great group of friends, but Evie Lu gets frightened by the gasps/shouts/weeping and gnashing of teeth as the Giants win the game.

We are amazed by Evangeline's shift to one nap. We knew it would be necessary to fit in at daycare, but Evie Lu has made it way too easy for us. Maybe Evie Lu realized she was making it too easy and started the nosepicking as a counterbalance.


I can play peek-a-boo with one hand.

Weaned!

Evie Lu, I'm chasing you!

Kaia and I have been looking for a new place to live and childcare in the last few weeks. (If you want to discover the recipe for being completely overwhelmed just mix those two together.) Evie Lu is not the little girl who would sit in a bouncy chair or swing and coo softly at you. She is a runner and an intensely curious little girl. So, we need to find a good place that will stimulate her mind, keep her safe, and make Kaia and I comfortable leaving her with these strangers. That is a tough combination.

You were chasing little old me?


Part of this whole process included weaning Evie Lu. She was down to only a morning breastfeeding for the last month and Kaia decided it was time. Since Evie Lu has been weaned and we got rid of the bottles after the new year, she is a sippy cup only girl. I think I will invent a sippy cup with a little ball bearing that lets the milk out when the cup is at a "non-being-poured-out-intentionally" angle and blocks the flow when Evie Lu decides it is fun to play with milk.

Behold the oven mitt!


Evie Lu has a friend Olivia whose grandma is very sick. All your prayers would be wonderful. Alyssa, Trevor, and Olivia we love you!

Snow Day

Our whole area has been blanketed by snow (a couple inches) and it doesn't take much to shut everything down. So, we've got a snow day and Evie Lu and I have decided to do some reading.

I like to lounge around.

How does this one open?


This book won't open and it tastes bad.


Oh, here we go!


The end of this book is great.

Evie Lu Peels Lima Beans

It takes a lot of practice to get to the good part of the bean.


Kaia pointed out the other day that Evie Lu spends the vast majority of her time either sleeping or eating. (And I said, "Yeah, me too.) What does Evie Lu have to show for all this time? Well, Kaia also noticed Evie Lu peels her lima beans. Not being the biggest lima bean fan, I'd never noticed they could be peeled. Evangeline is very deliberate about this process of peeling and she carefully discards the skin of the bean. (Usually on the floor.) My daughter is a weirdo.

Evie Lu Roots For The Cubbies

When do pitchers and catchers report?

Back on Father's Day Kaia gave Evie Lu and I Cubs caps. At the time the hat was way too big for Evie Lu, but her head has grown and now she can wear it with pride. (I think Evie Lu likes wearing a hat because I wear one so often.) And hey, there are only 23 days until spring training!

I'm drooling with excitement!

I Like Sandwiches

First you put the sandwich in your mouth . . .


It has been really cool trying new foods with Evie Lu. There have been big hits (Swedish meatballs and lasagna) and some big misses (refried beans and cottage cheese), but Evie Lu always seems to be up to try something new. She loves sandwiches. As you can see from the pictures I not only cut off the crusts, but I also cut the sandwich into tiny little sandwiches. Evie Lu eats her sandwiches the same way Kaia does. They both start out interested in the whole sandwich, but after a little while the individual parts of the sandwich become much more interesting.
What do you think Evie Lu should try next?

. . . and then you make a funny face.


From the very good news department: We found out on Friday that Kaia's foot is still broken, but it is the best kind of break to have. Kaia will have to wear the boot for a couple more weeks and then she's free to wear a stiff shoe. Hooray for lucky breaks!

Warning: This Post Is Gross

A hug from Grandpa at the airport.


The picture above is the last we have to share from our trip to Minnesota. Evie Lu's Grandpa Wayne was very afraid of Evie Lu being very afraid of him. This was not the case of course. She loves her Grandpa dearly.

Now on to the grossness I promised. There will come a day in the near future when our household will become host to a poop slingshot. I know this because Evie Lu has taken to grabbing for her dirty diaper as I change her. Instead of letting her play with the diaper, I grab it. Someday I fear Evie Lu will let go just as I've grabbed the diaper and we will have the poop slingshot. I've even had a nightmare about it.

As I've been living in dread of the poop slingshot, yesterday saw the first real puke of Evie Lu's life. She was a spit-uppy baby from the get go, but this was honest to goodness letting go of the lunch she just had. Evie Lu woke up crying after twenty minutes of a nap and it sounded to me like she was choking. I put her up on my shoulder and tried to dislodge whatever was there. I then held her up so I could look into her mouth when she puked. You know you love someone when they puke on you and your first thought is to get them cleaned up and happy. Evie Lu is not sick and we think it was a combination of teething, reaction to shots, and having too much mac & cheese for lunch. In the words of Evie Lu's Aunt Megan, "Eww, gross!"

A Perfectly Boring Baby

I want to smile, but my mouth is too full.

We finally had Evie Lu's 1 year check up today and Dr. Ann told us we had a very boring baby. Evangeline is 25 lbs 3 oz, 31 inches tall, and her head is still freaking huge at 47 cm. In the last three days we've phased out the bottle and Evie Lu is now only drinking from cups. Dr. Ann was happy with the bottle development and encouraged us to keep doing what we're doing. The only traumatic part of the visit were the five (!) shots Evie Lu had to get. She was not happy about that at all. I think Kaia was only slightly less traumatized than Evie Lu. As I held Evie Lu's arms I could see Kaia getting ready to tackle the nurse.

In the picture above you can see Evie Lu chowing down on chicken and pasta. The pasta came all the way from Italy as a gift from her Aunt Megan and Uncle Chris. I thought it was a great idea to share some with Evie Lu, but then Kaia started asking what the dye was in the pasta. It turns out the black stripe is squid ink dye. I thought it was fine, but since babies are not supposed to have shellfish Kaia got worried. I don't think I helped by saying, "squids don't have shells, they are just squishy." And Evie Lu is totally fine.

Se Brosser Les Dents

Dad, this doesn't taste like anything.

Since Kaia broke her foot, I've been the nighttime routine guy. It has been fun doing the bath time and the new fun part is brushing Evie Lu's teeth. We've been trying to do this for months now and Evie Lu would have no part of the deal. For some reason, after we got back from Minnesota Evangeline thought it was an okay thing. Evie Lu will even try to brush my teeth. It is a crack up.

It was mentioned that I never told the story of how Kaia broke her foot. If any of you remember the opening to the Dick Van Dyke Show and his ottoman escapades, you'll have an idea of what happened. We use an ottoman as an Evie Lu barrier and Kaia was stepping over this ottoman to play with Evie Lu. As Kaia stepped over, her right foot landed on a hard little wooden block with sharp edges. Kaia came down hard on this block and then crumpled in a heap with a loud cry. Kaia heard a pop and she wasn't sure if it was the block or her foot. Turns out it was her foot. The little wooden blocks have been put away for a while.

Taking Care Of My Mom

Okay mom, I'll be good. I promise.

As you can see in these pictures, Kaia is sporting the uber fashionable big black boot. The boot intrigues Evie Lu quite a bit, but thankfully our little one has not landed on Kaia's foot yet. Is it tough chasing a one year old when you are hobbled? Absolutely. So far Sunday was the only day that Kaia had to handle the morning to night routine solo. Keep Kaia in your prayers for quick healing and maintained sanity.

I'm having a runaway!

Girl Power!

Did someone ask for five smart, strong women? Here we are!


They may be smiling, but I'm plotting my escape.


Ha ha, my Aunt Kaitlin has bib overalls just like I've got.

Winter Wonderland

Do you see the mountains in the distance? Look hard, they are very, very distant.


Evie Lu was in Minnesota with snow and so we had to take her sledding. Granted the day we finally made it out was ridiculously cold. I think the high was 1. Undaunted we dressed up and headed outside. (Actually, Kaia was the only undaunted one. I was fairly daunted and thought a nap sounded better.)

The intrepid explorer looks on with determination.


We loaded Evie Lu onto the sled and Kaia sat behind her to keep her safe. We think Evangeline liked it because Kaia could hear her singing as I pulled them across the farmyard. This was a lot of fun and I can only imagine what it will be like next winter when Evie Lu will really be able to play in the snow.

What have you people done to me? Am I supposed to be a seal?