Evan

As part of Miriam's My Father's World curriculum, we filled in a number
chart from 1-100. Now I only did the chart with her on days we did
actual writing work and not always then so we just a few weeks ago got
to 99. I waited until after our vacation to do day 100 and have our
celebration. We did a lot of counting 1-100. Miriam also practiced
counting by 5's and 10's to 100. Miriam made a sticker chart of 100
insect stickers. We read Miss Bindergarten celebrates 100 days of
Kindergarten. And we make a 100 pieces snack by counting out 10 pieces
of different snacks to reach 100. I tried to get them to run up and
down the driveway 100 times, but they were onto me. :)

Miriam working on her 100 stickers chart

 

Working on the 100 pieces snack.

 

 Miriam's finished product.

Evan really loved the beach. He enjoyed splashing in the waves. And he
really enjoyed digging in the sand. Once he was out playing in the surf
when a big wave got him in the face. He was disoriented and stepped
deeper out and want under again. Uncle Dave was right there with him
and grabbed him, but he did swallow some salt water. He didn't cry and
in a minute went right back out to playing in the surf. Momma was so
proud of him!!

 

 

 

 

 

While we were at the beach the kids got to fly their first kite. It was a Buzz Lightyear kite and they really enjoyed it!

 

 

 

 

We were so blessed to spend a week at Edisto Beach in South Carolina this last week. It was the kids first time seeing the ocean. They loved it! We were able to go with Aunt Kristin and Uncle Dave as well as Grandpa George and some other friends which made for a very nice vacation.
We went to the beach everyday and most days stayed most of the day.

Seeing the ocean for the first time.

Hanging out at the beach with Dave and cousin Jonathan.

Me and my baby girl.

Miriam

Katie loving the beach!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Evan digging in the sand.

Miriam

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The end of a long day on the beach.

My children have something very special. Something few children have
these days. Each has two siblings very close to them in age with whom
they spend 99% of every waking hour.  They have two built in BFFs...
not just this year in school, or for most of their childhood, but, God
willing, for the next 80+ years. Yes, sometimes it is hard having three
young children with only 29 months difference in age from eldest to
youngest. Yes, it would be easier to send them all away to preschool
rather then to keep them with me (but I don't believe for a minute that
that would be in their best interest). And yes, they do fight and tease
each other, but far more often they love each other deeply, watch out
for each other, and play together well. Yes, they really do have
something wonderful and special, and I am so blessed to be their mother!

 

 

 

 

 

 

We just got back from a week at the farm visiting Mimmi. The kids had a wonderful time.

Plenty of water play...

Lots of swinging...

Plenty of playing with Taffy, the dog...

Lots of popsicles gave their lives....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some people took mud bathes...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There was lots of running free in open spaces...

And Katie got lots of wagon rides...

There was playing at a couple of parks...

There was bike and trike riding...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cuteness abounded...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There was a zoo trip with giraffe feeding...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and train riding and playing on the toy train...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and goat petting and brushing...

and water pumping...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and play exploring....

and carousel riding...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and some people came out of their shell!

There were other adventures as well, like an airshow and a festival
with carnival rides plus 4th of July fireworks. Might have been too
much fun actually. :)

As those who have been around awhile know, I like to make a special cake for each of my children on their birthday. In the past, I've done coordinating Sesame Street cakes for M & E, a candyland cake, Elmo, Veggie tales cakes, a barn cake, and an ice cream cone cake.

This year Evan asked for a Toy Story cake. (He LOVES Buzz and Woody). So, I did Andy's Room. I made a half sheet cake and covered it with fondant (this was my first time working with fondant). I used MM fondant made from this recipe. I added a small rectangular cake for a bed, covered with a fondant "bedspread" and made a headboard out of fondant, graham crackers, and pretzel sticks. I added fondant stars to the base for decoration. I also added miniature character toys I bought (they were easy to find thanks to the new movie coming out!) As you can see, Evan loved it!

Since their birthday was on a Saturday this year, we actually had the
party the same day. Evan wanted a Toy Story theme and Miriam is all about
Kitties this years, so that is what we did for the theme. It was a nice
(if hot) day, and we were able to be outside. We had grilled hotdogs and
hamburgers, lots of sides, and, of course, cake and homemade ice cream.
There were lots of kids (and their parents) here and I think everyone
had a great time. I know Evan and Miriam did!  Evan got a big stable
for his birthday, and Miriam got a big doll house. They both also
received new (to them) big kid bikes from Momma and Daddy. Miriam LOVES
hers and cried when she had to come in the first night!  Evan got a Rex
(from Toy Story) from Grandpa George. And Miriam was SOOOO excited
about her Jessie doll (also from Toy Story) from Grandpa George.

My little boy is 4!! And he's not so little these days! But he is still
my sweetheart, the one who needs Momma hugs and snuggles. Still the
sensitive one who hates when "momma is mad at me".  Those eyes and that smile can still get me everytime!  He is my little
helper always willing to fetch and carry for Momma. He loves his
sisters (even as he picks on them!), his cars, his dog, and all things
Buzz!  While he is still shy by nature, his confidence has really grown
this last year. Can't wait to see what this year brings our way, Mr
Evan!

Oh, NO we have a MONSTER in the MUDROOM!!! And it made a huge MESS of the egg cartons!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oh, look, it's just Katie. :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Better pick up that mess girlie!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Boy is this hard work!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Look, help is coming! Super Evan and Princess Miriam to the rescue!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Many hands make light work!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All done!

Spring is here in our neck of the woods and the kids are outside as much as possible.

Here are some recent shots.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are some pictures from Easter. First, all three children, had a hard time getting this picture. Then the girls let me get a good picture.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then we went for Easter dinner and the Egg Hunt.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the 15th we celebrated three years with our little guy.... who is not so little these days! :)
I am so proud of him, of the little person he is. He has retained his sensitive spirit and sweet thoughtfulness.
He has found his voice, but only uses it with those he trusts. He has
an impish sense of humor, an infectious laugh, and a bear hug like no
other!
I love you, Evan!

Then April 15th 2007

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now: April 16th 2010

 

Momma: "Evan, when Momma says, 'Come here', you do NOT answer 'WHAT?!?'  You are to say 'coming Momma.'"

Evan: "Yes, Momma"

Momma: "So when Momma says, 'Come here', what do you say?"

Evan: "Be patient."

Momma: ....

 

One of those things that we have struggled with as Christian parents is that pesky little holiday at the end of the month of October. I was raised without any acknowledgment of Halloween and never dressed up or when trick-or-treating. Brian was allowed to dressed and t-n-t, but still it was not a good holiday. Interestingly enough, I am actually the one with the least hang ups over the kids dressing up. At this point, we do not want to celebrate Halloween and all it's dark meanings, but this year we did dress the kids up for a few party type things in the week prior. I'm not sure exactly what we'll do in the years to come, but I would love to see some type of celebration of All Hallows Eve and All Saints Day. But who knows.

Anyway a few picture of our Princess, Cowboy, and the Ladybug!

 

 

Well, we have completed our first full month of homeschooling for this school year. :)

Even though Miriam is only 4, I decided to start her in a kindergarten curriculum since she is starting to read already. I felt like if we go slow she can handle it. So far it looks like I was right.  I decided to use the My Father's World From A to Z which is the kindergarten level for My Father's World (MFW) curriculum. I am very excited with how MFW has everything set up. It's easy for me the teacher. It's interesting for the kids. It is a mixer of a number of different styles of homeschooling all of which I really like. It is 100% Biblical world view. They even teach Creation Science!  

Anyway, we spent the first 2 weeks on a unit about the days of Creation. The last two weeks we have been working on unit 1 which is the letter "S" and a study of the sun. We didn't do all the activities they suggested but we did go out an play with our shadows. We even outlined them and watched how they changed over time. The kids loved that. (See picture below.)

Some people have already ask me, "How do you homeschool Miriam with two other little kids??"  Well it really isn't hard. The lessons are short, only take 30-40 minutes a day total. Evan often joins us for the lesson. I don't require that he does but when he does, I focus on letter recognition, learning colors, shapes, and counting for him. So I focus the easy preschool stuff to Evan, and the harder stuff to Miriam. When he doesn't want to do school, he plays quietly or he does Starfall on the computer. Evan LOOOVESS to do "ABC's" on the computer. (See picture.) Now Katie is bit trickier cause lit' Miss isn't missing anything! LOL Usually though I can convince her to sit in a chair and "color" or  put the crayons in and out of her bag. After awhile of that, she comes and sits in my lap as we finish up. It's really not bad at all.

As I mentioned, I am slowing the program down a little since Miriam is a year younger then expected. Each unit is designed to be 6 days. But I decided to make it into 10 days or 2 weeks.  So we do Lesson 1 on Monday. Lesson 2 on Tuesday.  Wednesday is storytime at the library and we do a worksheet or catch up if needed. Thursday is Lesson 3. And Friday we do Lesson 6 which is actually reading a book and doing activities around it.  Then the second Monday is Lesson 4. The second Tuesday is Lesson 5. Wednesday is library again.  Second Thursday is Lesson 6 again but with a different book (they give you 2-3 options each unit).  Then the second Friday we can catch up anything we need too or do other worksheets or games.  So far, so good! I may speed things up though as Miriam gets better at stuff and more used to the routine. We will see! Tomorrow we start the "M"/moon unit. Should be fun!

 

 

We were very blessed to be able to make an all expense paid trip to Dollywood this month. Brian's employer has a Family Day there as part of their yearly employee appreciation week. We got free admission for the whole family and a free meal. Since all our kids are young, we took our time getting there and didn't actually get into the park until about 11:30. Still we had a wonderful day.

There were a lot of rides even for our little kids. Besides the kiddie rides, Miriam was actually tall enough to ride all but 8 rides in the whole park (not that we even came close to riding all she could ride!) We did some for the whole family like the carousel. Miriam was standing in line for it when she spotted THE carousel animal she HAD to have. Yeah, a chicken!! LOL

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Even doing kiddie rides, we soon learned that Katie liked the rides ONLY if she was with Momma or Daddy. If she wasn't the tears flowed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We also learned that Evan is much like his father. He doesn't much care for fast, high rides. In fact Evan hates heights. So I think he only rode about 5 rides all day. We tried, he preferred to sit it out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Miriam on the other hand... well, we couldn't get a ride high enough or fast enough for the little adrenaline junkie!! She wasn't tall enough for a real roller coaster which I think she would have loved. But she was just tall enough for their indoor roller coaster. If you ask her what her least favorite thing about Dollywood was she would say the fire in the roller coaster. The theme of this ride is that you are a firefighter rolling through the back hills of Tennessee putting out fires. It scared Miriam. However, if you ask Miriam what her favorite ride was it was also the roller coaster. Cause little Miss Fearless might not have like the "fire", but she DID like dropping 50 feet into pitch blackness at 45 miles an hour. Yup, that's my girl!! :o)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All in all, it was a really fun day! Hope we can go again next year. And maybe Miriam will have grown 6 inches. :oD

Katie told me, "I love you" this morning for the first time. I know she knows what it means because she followed it by running over and giving me an unsolicited kiss.

Evan also have a cute way of saying I love you. I often say, "I love you little dude" to him. Now he responds with, "I love you Momma dude"!

Well, Miriam and Evan had their 4 year and 3 year physicals the other week. I am happy to report they are basically healthy and certainly developmentally on track! LOL  Miriam weighted in at 38 1/2 pounds and is 42 inches tall. That puts her around 50th and 89th percentiles respectively. Evan (the dear boy) weighted in at 40 pounds and is 38 1/2 inches tall. That makes him about 60th percentile for height and somewhere around 99th for weight. They did a BMI on him which of course was off the charts. I think this is a case of US growth charts not being the best measurement of little Guatemalan boys. Thankful my Pediatrician agrees. Seriously, dude is not fat... he is just a TANK!!

We've had a lot of rain the last month. I finally got tired of being stuck in the house so out we went. I think they had fun. :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First can I just say who ever said boys are harder to train than girl does NOT know my children! Evan has been so much easier then Miriam (not that she was difficult). I am happy to report he has been out of diapers during the day for a month now. I think we've had two accidents the whole time!! WOOHOO, Evan!! We are still working to get poop in the potty. He holds it until he gets a diaper for nap or night. But I can live with that... for a little while.

We had Miriam and Evan's birthday party on June 20th. They had a really good time!  Aunt Kristin and Uncle Dave were in town and got to be here. The kids were so excited by that! They got some cool presents including 3 large floor puzzles that get put together almost everyday. Evan's cake was "Old McDonald's Farm" and Miriam had an ice cream cone theme. Here are some pictures.

 

 

 

 

 

Evan turned three on Friday, June 12th. (Yes, I know I'm late posting this. Blogging has been low on the list of things to do lately!) He had a great birthday and is happy to tell everyone he is "FEEE!"

So in honor of Evan here are three things I love about him.
1.) He has the best smile and laugh. Totally infectious! LOVE that smile.
2.) He has the most sensitive spirit.
3.) He is very loyal and loving to those who have his heart.

Here is a picture of him taken on his birthday.

While in IN we went to two different zoos. The kids loved both. Evan's favorite thing was the water hands down (see the picture evidence) He also liked the farm/ petting zoo area at both places. Little man is really into farms these days. If you ask him about it, he will tell you that "I be a farmer! Ride tractor! Ride horse!" He can spot cattle and horses a mile off and will exclaim about them every time!
Miriam just liked the animals in general. Especially the chicken.
Katie liked the carousel a lot. The picture dosn't show it because the ride hadn't started yet. Once it did, her little mouth was open the whole time. She even waved to people! LOL

We spent last week up in Indiana on the family farm where I grew up (hence no internet!) The kids had a great time. Lots of outside play. Up WAY to late. Eat way too much ice cream. Two trips to zoos (two different ones) involving lots of water.  Spent lots of time with Mimmi (hence the ice cream!) Got to ride on the lawn tractor with Mimmi. Got to see Aunt Kristin, Uncle Dave, and Grandma W one day as well. Fun trip!

Here are some pictures from the farm. I'll postzoo pictures tomorrow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brag time!!! Time for me to brag on my babies! :-D

First there is Evan. After a set back due to being one sick little dude, potty training is back on track! We had our first poopy success today!! He even told me he needed to go and held it until we made it to the potty! GOOO EVAN!! WooHoo! Maybe I can get back to one in diapers again? A Momma can dream, right?

Miss Miriam, AKA Too-Big-For-Her-Breeches, has been getting in some trouble lately for being a little smarty pants. Brian ask her the other day who was smarter, Momma & Daddy or Miriam. Without hesitation she said, "Miriam!"  Hmmm, that explains a lot! However, she really IS smart if not so wise at time. She has known her letters from sometime now on sight both name and sound. She also knows then in correct order. The last month or so she has taken to writing them (or trying to) over and over. She has gotten really pretty good! There are mistakes of course. "R" and "W" are a challenge for some reason. "S" is backwards sometimes as is "J". Over all though you could read 90% of them most of the time! She is also starting to read! She can sound out simple words... cat, mat, dad, mad, etc. Today I taught her about adding "s" to the end of these type words. She got it right away. She is starting to recognize more complex words as well things like "stop" and "spot". She also showed me that she know right away that "spot" was NOT stop and then fixed it to "Stop" on her own.

And the amazing Miss Katie... Well, she is amazing. :) Words she says: Mama, dada, that, cat, up, cup, hi, bye, "Moaw Moaw" (her cat lovey) and all done. Signs she knows and uses: up, down, yes, no, more, and all done. She waves hi and bye. She blows kisses. She says, "Shhh" and puts her little finger to her lips (too cute!) She toddles everywhere now, walking far more then she crawls. It's so amazing seeing the speed at which she is learning. She dances when she hears music (also too cute). Loves to play peek-a-boo. When you tell her "Good job" or "good girl", she starts to clap and smile so big. And the other night she even gave Momma a kiss! :)

Well, it's actually a little over a month since Katie's Gotcha day and a little under a month since we're home so I thought I would split the difference. :)

Few things have actually just happened over the last few days that tell me we have reached a new level with Katie. Yesterday for the first time since she has been with us, Katie actually cried when hurt! For those who don't know anything about adoption and institutionalized children, this is a huge thing! Before yesterday, she would never do more then whimper and rub the area with her hand. Crying means she now realizes that there is a REASON to cry... someone cares that she is hurt, someone will respond. My baby is starting to get it... she has a Momma now, and Momma cares! Even better then the crying is that yesterday for the very first time she LET me comfort her!!! Didn't ask for comfort (that's the next step), but she finally allowed it!! Thank you God!

The other thing that happened yesterday is that for the first time I got her to take a step. She would only do one at a time and it was more often a falling step, but she trusted me enough to catch her when she fell to try as she stepped into my arms. And, speaking of trust, she is starting to reach for Brian to pick her up too! WooHoo! :)

Then today we had another breakthrough. She woke up from her nap and played happily in her crib for 5 minutes until I got to her. Previously, as soon as she woke up the screaming started until Momma picked her up.

Little by little our girl is learning what having a family means! So exciting! Next month, May 11th to be exact, we will be taking her to see the craniofacial team.  I'm excited to hear what they have to say and get a general idea how our treatment plan will change since she doesn't have a full cleft palate.

In other family news.... Momma is potty training Evan. Normally I would wait a few more months, but dude is outgrowing all his pants! Those cloth diapers take up more room then underwear. :) We're taking the day off today, little dude is sick with a temp of 102. Poor guy! :(

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Can it be? Have two whole years passed since I first held my precious little boy? Yet it also feels like my Evan has always been in my life! It has been wonderful to watch him grow and mature over the last two years from that scared, anxious little baby into the kindhearted, sensitive little guy he is today. What is funny is that I was once very hesitant to have a son, not because I think boys are bad, just because I didn't think I would be a good "boy Momma". I still don't know if I'm a good "boy Momma", but I can say that Evan is the best son a mother could ever ask for!

So in honor of you, Evan, and the 2nd anniversary of your joining it, here are two wonderful things you add to our family.

1.) You have the biggest, most sensitive heart. You love your sisters and parents deeply. You are the one who thinks of others and shares things you really want. You're the one who is always asking "Me help?" and even jumping in without being asked!

2.) You are one loyal little guy! You stand by your sisters (your best friends) in the face of danger. You never miss a chance to run to Momma screaming "You're HOME!!!" and give me great big hugs! Once you love someone, they always have your love.  You love your "Wee-Wo" with all the love a little guy can give his lovey.

My sweet little boy, you make Momma so proud! I pray you never loss your sensitivity, your generous spirit, or your big smile. I love you with all my heart!

Love, Momma

 

Here are a few pictures of my boy. First, from 2 years ago today. Then one of my all time favs of him from last fall. And then from this month.

 

 

 

Some pictures from our Easter egg hunt and lunch. The big kids really had this figured out this year! "Candies!!" as Evan would say!

  

  

  

  

  

Some of you may remember that we were a little worried about Evan's speak in the past. He has definitely been a late bloomer in the speak department. He had been making slow but steady progress since the EI evaluation, but still was not talking that much. Well, while I was in China, my boy found his voice! He talk, talk, talks now.  I understand 90% of it and he is using 3-4 word sentences (finally!). He will FINALLY mimic new words and is really expressing ideas not just "naming" things. He has trouble with "L" and "R" which makes for some fun words. I love listening to him call for Leo, his lovey. He calls him "Wee-woah". And Snoopy, the dog, is "Snoo-fee". Oh, and we will not be giving him any reason to say "fork" in public... yup, it comes out sounding like the F-bomb. :)

 

That's the question of the week it seems! Well, it's a bit of a complicated answer as you might expect. The short answer is it could be better, but it could be a LOT worse!

The biggest issue right now is sleep--or lack thereof.  Katie is still not on our time zone. I don't like to give kids benadryl for sleep but we are getting desperate. So last night a dose of benadryl got us sleep from 9- 12:30ish. Then she was up screaming in her crib wanting to play. Second dose of benadryl followed but she really fought the sleep. Holding her, rocking her, nothing worked, so we tried melatonin again... 10 mgs finally put her out at 3AM! She was up at 6 AM for the day! UGGGGGGG!!!

The second biggest issue is that I am not feeling well. I have some stomach thing going on. I get stomach cramps every time I eat... nothing else, just cramping. It's been going on for 48 hours now and my abdomen is actually sore to the touch! I'm really wanting to feel better! Uggggg!!

Things that are going well.... that would be just about everything else!

Katie is eating well. I found things she loves... oatmeal, scrambled eggs, Mimmi's egg noodles in chicken broth, yogurt, cheerios.

Things I can't get in her... fruit or veggies of any kind! That's what happens what you get a child at the age when they are least open to trying new foods.

Katie continues to have a happy personalty despite not sleeping. She loves Momma, but if not too tired will play with Daddy while I'm not of the room. She is always happy to see Momma! :) She likes her siblings. Loves to follow Evan and was SO excited to see Miriam this AM.

Miriam is handling having a sister well. She mostly seems nonchalant about it. But has been excited about having three "hers" in the house now. I think that already being a big sister has made this easy for her. She is a little protective of Evan, and at one point when Katie took Evan's toy, Miriam took it back for him!  LOL

Evan's adjustment... Wow. I am so proud of this little guy! He really has taken to his new role as big brother like a fish to water. He has such a big heart, and it really shows in his interactions with Katie. He loves on her with hugs, sniffs (don't ask!!), and pats. He shares his toys... even ones he really wants... with her. He likes to show her things and is even getting down and crawling with her. See pictures at end of post! :) Really he is being very gentle with her, but I still keep reminding him! More later.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well, since poor Evan never got a proper nursery due to his sudden arrival and since the girls' room was already decorated for Miriam, I decided to give Evan his big boy room instead of doing a nursery for Katie.  So after almost 2 years, Evan finally has a room just for Evan (it was also a guestroom in its previous life).

The theme is "Transportation" and the breakdown goes like this:

• Primary-color Furniture (bed frame/headboard, desk & chair, and shelf) - $50, used from friend
• Fabric to re-cover chair & make two curtains - $7
• Dresser - free from neighbor
• Hardware to make dresser gender neutral - $17
• Paint to cover gold on dresser - free, re-appropriated from other project
• Multi-color ceiling fan - free, already in room
• Mattress - new, $100
• Box-spring for bed - free, was mine growing up
• Canvas to cover torn bottom of box-spring - free, re-appropriated from other project
• Bed skirt to cover rest of old box-spring - $12
• "Transportation" theme sheets - new off ebay, $17
• Train blanket - gift from Mimmi
• Bed-rail - free, off freecycle
• "Transportation" rug - free, off freecycle
• Pattern for wall murals - free, created myself off of online pictures
• Paint/brushes for wall murals -  free, re-appropriated from other project

I think I did pretty good if I do say so myself! :)  Have a look see.

 

 

 

Evan has the most wonderful, mischievous sense of humor and the best laugh EVER! It has been a lot of fun watching it develop over the last year.  

This morning I told him to go find his sippy cup and get in his chair for breakfast. He walked out of the living room holding up Cookie Monster and grinning at me with his little devilish grin. I decided to play along. "Evan, that's not your cup!! That's Cookie Monster!"  He laughed, dropped Cookie and picked up the dog's bone held IT toward me grinning. I said, "Evan, that's not your cup!" He starts giggling and says, "NO, bone!"  He ran into the living room and returned hugging a toy truck, face full of mischief and shaking with silent laughter.  "Evan, that is not your cup!!" He shrieked with laughter and run off and finally got his cup.

He has also recently developed a new laugh. He laughs like the French Peas from Veggie Tales!  It is seriously TOO funny. I really need to record it before he moves on! In the interest of full disclosure, while the children do watch Veggie Tales, they do not watch them THAT often!

Well, we finally had Evan's speech evaluated. He has always been one of those kids whose speech plateaus, and just when you get worried he makes a big jump. The problem with Evan is that the jumps are not big enough to really put him ahead, they just get him up to low normal... then he plateaus again! Brian has been after me to have him evaluated, and I finally agreed just to see were he is at.

So yesterday Early Intervention did a full evaluation. It actually took the full 2 hours and the evaluator had to start looking up certain parts of the test because she never gets far enough to have to do them! She actually finally just stopped because it was obvious that he was developmentally AHEAD, not delayed! I don't have the full report yet, but they called to say that he does not qualify for services since there is no issue except for speech and that is not delayed enough. The evaluator actually said she thought that if he "were around a group of his peers, he would catch right up!" i.e. put him in preschool.

Thanks, but no thanks. If not being in preschool is the only reason my son's speech is in the low normal/slightly delayed range, then I don't think we have a problem here. It's like when they told me that Miriam's gross motor "problems" were caused because I "held her too much". Um, yeah, sure. That's a "problem" I'm not too worried about! My mommy gut tells me that one day in the not-so-distant future my son will start to really speak. And when he does, his vocabulary will quickly reflect the fact that he spends his day talking one-on-one or one-on-two with his college educated mother. And just like his sister, with her 3-4 syllable words, he will blow by his age-mates who spend all day with their peers.

Evan reached another milestone tonight. One that touches close to a mother's heart. Tonight my son said "I love you, Momma" for the very first time. I love you too, baby boy.

So little dude has been uncharacteristically grumpy for the last week or so, acting out and getting more than his fair share of timeouts. He has also taken to running when I call him. Hmmm, need to nip that in the bud! Anyway, I think I found the reason for the grumpiness this AM... he is cutting both lower two year old molars. OUCH!!

Poor Evan has his first major "little boy battle scar"! He and Sissy where playing twirling Dervish which, of course, ended in "we all fall down!"  Things were fine until Evan literally took a nose dive into the Ikea chair.  I didn't even know the chair has a corner on it!! But my boy (and his nose) found that wooden corner! I knew we were in trouble when I saw it happen... the screams and blood confirmed my fears.  

The first thought into my head was "Oh crap, my son has broken his nose and is going to need stitches!  WHAT am I going to do with Miriam?? It's NAP time!!" My second thought was "DOUBLE crap, I haven't taken a shower today and my hair looks like an oil slick." Isn't it good to know I have my priorities straight? :-)

Then as I'm running around the house... think up and down stairs with screaming, bleeding child in arms... frantically looking for a 4x4 or 2x2 or ANY kind of gauze, it hits me.  What is the point of being a nurse and working at a hospital if you can't remember to rip off some gauze before you quit!?!?!  It also hits me that as the mother of a boy (and to be fair a crazy girl) I really need a "cut-and-bleeding-profusely" emergency kit.

Anyway, I finally get the bleeding mostly stopped (without the help of gauze) and assess that the nose is not broken. Cleaning the wound reveals, that while nasty and likely to scar, it isn't deep enough for stitches. (Whew... that was close.  Mental note to self, take shower FIRST thing in AM instead of waiting until nap time!) This is where I sure wished I had ripped off some steri-strips or a few butterflies... Then the wonderful Aunt Jen both reminds me I can MAKE a butterfly bandaid out of a regular one AND offers to come over and help me get it on Evan. Whew.

So thirty minutes later a very tired Evan was sporting two butterflies holding his cut closed and a Curious George bandaid over it all.  The boy did great.  The momma did ok sans the cuss words (but at least they were just in my head!) And the nose... well, it may never be quite the same, especially since 2 year olds aren't known for leaving bandaids on!   

 

Poor Evan.  He learned his first lesson about female behavior today.

Miriam woke up today rather grumpy.  Evan had two books of hers and was running around with them.  I asked him to return them to her room where they belong.  As he was doing this, she called after him, "One book, Please!!"  He kept going and yelled "NO!!" over his shoulder.  Immediately, she turned on the tears... full out fake crying!  Poor Evan fell for it.  He came back and offered her both books. While she DID stop crying, she humphed and turned away refusing to take either book.  Evan offered each book in turn and each time she humphed and turned away.  Poor Evan. He looked at me with a look of complete confusion and exasperation.  Sorry dude... it just gets worse.  As your father said, "You're never going to understand and you're rarely going to win!" (Hummm... should I be offended by that???)

Because I'm a bad mother a bad blogger, I am just now writing the kids' 2 & 3 year updates or as the case really is 2.2 and 3.2 year update!

Evan at 2 (and 2 months): weight 33 pounds ( 94 percentile) and height 34.5 inches ( 46 percentile).  Evan is starting to talk more finally.  I really think he just has no need to talk with M always talking.  He is now saying two word phrases/ sentences on a regular basic and will repeat things for me now if he's in the mood (ex. tonight I got him to say "napkin please").  He understands about anything I say to him, and he is Momma's little helper!  He is in a whining stage which I will be very glad to get through!! He runs around like a crazy boy and LOVES to jump. He'll go anywhere Sissy goes. :)

Miriam at 3 (and 2 months): weight 34 pounds ( 75 percentile) and height 39.5 inches ( 88 percentile). This girl is nothing but TALK, TALK, TALK! She also has quite the imagination these days and loves to pretend things. She also likes to tell her brother what to do and even tell him what he is feeling! She is getting more and more independent.  She still loves to read and sing and now dance.

Well, after two chances to swim in a pool in two days, Mr Evan is showing off his stuff.  We had him in one of those float swimsuits with a pair of wings on.  He was nervous at first but soon begin to move away from us.  Within about 15 minutes, Brian had him "swimming" laps!  Brian would call him and move away and Evan used his arms and legs to follow and even turn! It was too cute! See video below.

 

So after recovering from the charlie horse from Hell (I could barely walk for 24 hours!), I decided it was time to take back my garden from 2 weeks worth of unchecked weed growth this morning.  So M & E and I headed out the door. Things were going well until I realized they were doing more then "just resting" under the apple tree. The little rascals had helped themselves to the green apples and had taken bites out of 3-4 each before settling on one that was not quite as sour and eating 1/3 of it! Sheeeeee.....

Yesterday we attended a church pool party with both kids.  It is the first time Miriam had been in a real pool that she could remember.

I have a new song: (sung to the tune of "If You're Happy and You Know It")

Oh I wish I could kill a mosquito
Oh I wish I could kill a mosquito
For their a bitty and a bitey over everybody's hidy
Oh I wish I could kill a mosquito

Evan has been having a rough transition to being two and to his Daddy (who hung the moon and stars in his mind) getting a new job.  It's been a rough two weeks as a result.  But I learned something new... Evan, who never much liked the sling, is a different little boy after just ten minutes of being strapped to Mommy in the Mei tai.  I think that says how far he has come attachment wise!  Being close to me centers him and calms him... that was once, even a few months ago, not true.  Since we're taking about slings, let me tell you how I came to have one. ;)

Let me count the ways! As some have been forced to hear before, potty training is hands down the WORST thing about parenting so far. I hate it. I HATE it. I hate IT! Unfortunately I also am tired of changing diapers... and washing them... and folding them... and changing them... and washing them... etc. I truly am at a loss to understand how a child as intelligent as my almost three year old can be so at lost as to what to do on a potty. La sigh.

So it was a beautiful spring day here with temps in the mid-70's. So of course I let the kids play outside most of the day. Then just before bedtime, I ruffled Evan's hair as I often do and felt *something*. I pulled him over to the light, messed around in his hair again, and found IT.

Wow.  Where did the year go?  Has it really been a year since that little dark headed boy joined our family?  In honor of your first year together here are 12 things I love about you, Evan! (In no particular order!)

Miriam is refusing to has no interest in potty training... other then getting a "mallow" (marshmallow) for sitting on the potty.  Once in a great while we get a little pee-pee in the potty, but that's rare.

The other day I heard loud crying coming from the other room. In runs Evan sobbing and rubbing his head, followed by Miriam.  After picking up Evan, I ask Miriam, "What did you do?"  Very sweetly she replied, "I hit my Evan on the head!"

We had a great Easter this year. We got the kids up and took them to sunrise service like we do every year... not that there was a sunrise that you could see this year! :) Then breakfast with everyone at church. Then home to get ready for the service.

Evan said his first sentence today.  "Banana all gone!"  Next thing we know he'll be keeping up with his sister!

Miriam and Evan created an interesting game tonight. Miriam would fall over and then call out "Evan, you get up." Evan would run over to her, grab her by the shoulders, and while saying "Up, up, up, up" would pull her to her feet. Miriam would then fall over again, and it all repeated. After about the 6th time of hauling his sister to her feet, Evan looked at me and heaved a loud sigh. It was all way too cute. And I still can't believe he actually was able to get pull her up!

Evan has managed a new developmental milestone tonight.  He has learned to jump with both feet off the ground!  Once he realized that jumping would cause his crazy parents to cheer there was no stopping the little guy.  He was having a wonderful time jumping all around.  It really is too cute watching his stubby little leg carry him up... sometime he tips just a little back, but he hasn't fallen yet. Go Evan go!!

Miriam was obviously right handed from day one.  No question. Her left hand never dominated anything.

Evan had his 18 month doctor's appointment today. He weighted in at 26 lbs 12 ounces ... just over the 50th percentile on the growth charts. Length was 33.5 inches... just under 75th percentile. Not bad... not bad at all! Actually I am surprised to find him so "high" on the height curve. Everyone always says he's such a huge kid, but he's really not. He just seems "stout" I guess.

Just so you understand a typical morning in the life of Evan's Mommy...

The Very Hungry Evan
(sung to the tune of the "Itty, Bitty Spider")

The very hungry Evan climbs up in his chair,
He whimpers and whines 'cause his oatmeal isn't there!
Along comes Mommy with a bowl of food,
And the very hungry Evan soon improves his mood!

 

 

It's finally official!  Evan is our legal son today!  We just got back from the court house and have the papers in hand.  His name is also now legally Evan.  Yea! Yea!

Happy Adoption Day, SON! :)

 

Incidentally, tomorrow is the two year anniversary of our finalizing Miriam's adoption and name change here in the US. 

So little dude is learning to talk and is actually starting to get a few words in over his sister these days.

As an aside, I think she's in trouble. A few days ago, she made him mad doing something and he tackled her and body slammed her to the floor. Yup, missy, lil' Bro can handle you now. So ya better watch it!

 

Heard from Evan....

Wow, hard to believe but Evan has been with us for almost six months!!
He is doing so well. Every few days he tries a new word... the word of the week is "climb!" And he does climb quite well. :) He also runs all over and follows his sister into everything.
Poor little guy is having a bit of a rough week however due to cutting four (!) teeth. Consequently Mommy is also having a rough week.

or not.
Well, Evan is finally sleeping through the night. *happy dance* *happy dance*
BUT... Miriam has decided to start waking up at 5 AM and needing Mommy to sleep the rest of the night.
I guess I should be happy it isn't both of them, right?

...or Where in Evan Becomes a Blood Sucker
It started out as a perfectly lovely day. We had just returned home from shopping and the park. I was starting lunch for the three of us, and the children where happily playing with each other.

Which is saying a lot considering how much little Miss Miriam talks these days!! Evan has a short list of words he can say. Hi, bye, hot, up, down, done, cup, cat, Dada, Mama, and cracker (which means ANY food). He will also try to say some words back to you in the moment when you are talking to him.

Evan is almost walking! He's been cruising like a pro for months now. The last week his balance has gotten MUST better. I see him all the time just standing somewhere not holding on to anything. On Sunday we tricked him into taking a step and then today he has taken one step on his own twice. It won't be long now!

Evan has been home for over 6 weeks now. He is adjusting well. He generally a happy little guy with a great smile and giggle! We are still working on sleep issues but they too are getting better... having four new teeth finally in may have helped that!

I though that I would share an amazing story about Evan's adoption. Before we adopted Evan our family was in the process to adopt from China. We had completed our homestudy which is why we were even contacted about adopting him. Our families knew our plans to adopt from China and I had even talked with my mother, Mimmi, about coming and staying with Miriam when we traveled to get our child. The day after we learned about Evan, the same day we asked to be considered to adopt him, I called my mother to tell her about Evan and that we were being considered to adopt him.

Well, Evan has been with us for three weeks now and is settling in nicely. He still wakes 2-3 times a night but usually goes right back to sleep after a bottle. Boy can this boy eat!! It's so weird to me after having a child that lives on air to have one that can eat 3 (!!) jars of baby food at a sitting.

Yup, that's right... Miss Miriam is a big sister!