Sweetness

Our blue eyed girl is too much fun.  One week until her 7 month birthday!!  She is on the verge of mobility and is able to get up on all fours and rock back and forth.  She also lunges herself forward by getting in a push up position and using her toes to thrust herself.  In my opinion, this is EARLY.  I guess I saw it coming, but hoped I might be able to have one of those 14 month walkers.  Apparently, Estess kids crawl at 7 months and Evie is definitely a LOT more like her Daddy than David ever was.  Soo, we are just along for the ride and trying to prepare for life with TWO MOBILE children. 

Evie loves baby food.  Her favorites are any type of fruit and green beans.  She doesn't seem to love peas, but does okay with them.  She eats baby food 3 times a day and takes a bottle 4 to 5 times a day. 

She adores her brother and is just desperate to get moving so she can play alongside him.  I am not sure how David will feel about this change.  Well, I am sure.  It's pretty safe to say they probably aren't on the same page.

(new posts below)

Father's Day

For Father's Day, we spent the day at Lake Guntersville with Gaga and Papaw.  The day was filled with all the things all things boy.  It was so sweet to see my boy and his Daddy doing so many things that Grant grew up doing with his own Dad.  I watched my baby become a boy.  He fished, swam, and drove the jet ski and 4wheeler (VERY VERY SLOWLY).

Grant is a WONDERFUL Father.  I love doing this whole family thing alongside him.  He has the most playful spirit and the kids thrive on all the silliness, wrestling, and fun.  He is affectionate, intentional, and always concerned foremost with the workings of our little family.  After a long day of fielding all kinds of complaints and negativity, he comes home to a house full of chaos and demands.  He never ever ever once has made a complaint about the cleanliness of the house or the state of our dirty laundry.  Instead, he jumps right into the kitchen and whips up something delicious and is always sure to offer David opportunities to help him out.  We then jammie the kids and do the whole put down routine.  Poor Daddy finally is able to crash around 8.  I know he is worn out, but he still will offer me a foot massage or ask about my day.  I love that he feels strongly about contributing to the family even when the easier choice would be to disengage and crash in the recliner.  Instead, he chooses to be present during these precious fleeting days with our children.  I will always always be so impressed.  We love you Daddio.

(new post below)

Friends

(new post below)

Pals

These two kiddos could not be any more different.  I just pray they grow a bond over the years that keeps them close.  For now, they adore one another.  However, I can tell that conflict is around the corner.  David may need medication once Evie goes mobile.  We would like to thank Evie for the great life lesson she is about to teach our little man.  Siblings are so good for growth!

Oldies, but Goodies

Recently, I uploaded a ton of old pictures from my phone.  I had completely forgotten some of the shots I had saved on there and thought they deserved a mini-post of their own.

David LOVES fire trucks.  I adore this picture because it reminds me our weekly library trips.  He loves to run to the corner on the way to the car and check up on the fire trucks.

These rain boots will forever remind me of his second year of life.  He lived in them.

To this day, David sleeps in the car in this exact position.  I love it.  So very chill.

Update

Memorial Day 2010

Lake Martin

We had such a fun time with my side of the family over Memorial Day weekend.  Our cousins were there as well and we spent a lot of time just enjoying having nothing going on.

David "fished" and did lots of kayaking.  He loved being outside.  My parents have a great set-up with a little beach and then a pond area with tadpoles.  David made his morning rounds around the house in his PJs.  We tried to catch tadpoles, played with the hose, and dug holes in the sand.  It was a little boy's dream!  

Contrary to what our pictures suggest, Daddy was at the lake as well.  I need to get better about pulling out my camera these summer days.  Evie did lots of napping and cuddling with all her people.  She loved to play on the dock while Big Brother swam and fed the ducks.

David at 2 years 9 months.

He has become a chatter box.  It is beyond precious the things he comes up with to talk about.  And his talking is seriously constant.  He is still very sweet natured and tenderhearted.  He gets his feelings hurt very easily and is often "sad" about things that don't go his way.  The last few weeks he has sprouted a little fiesty side that we were glad to see existed.  Everyone needs a little spunk!  His general obsessions are coo-coo trains, fire trucks, and garbage trucks.  His favorite shows are Handy Manny, Chuggington, and Thomas and Friends.  We are about 75% potty trained, I would say.  He is completely day-trained at home, but we are still learning to ask to go when we are out and about.  I am sure that will come with time.  He has also become quite a fish in his little puddle jumper, but is still VERY cautious about going under water.  Like every almost 3 year old, David struggles with sharing his things.  He is very possessive and territorial, kind of like a small dog. :)  It truly is hilarious because every single time we leave for the pool or playgroup, we have a discussion about which toys he refuses to bring along for fear of them being taken.  He has learned to recite Proverbs 3:5-6 and 2 Timothy 1:7.  I love how toddlers don't deal with insecurity at all.  He loves to sing his bible verses while playing on the beach or even swimming in the pool.  He yells them very loudly.  It makes me sad to think of how much the world is going to steal from him in the next few years.  I just wish we all could as innocent and pure as a little 2 year old.

Recent Sayings

"Mommy, you're breakin' my heart."

"Mays yous please---go away."

"May I have a cokes shushi."

"I sad Nanny not my best friend.  I so sad about that."

"Dear God, Tank you for binoculars, fire trucks, and dump trucks."

"It's hard to calm down Mommy.  Will you rock me?"

(6 month Evie post below)

Stop the Bus...

Evie Marelle is 6 MONTHS!!!!  (boring post that only family would really enjoy :)

I cannot get over it.  I am painfully aware of how fast this is all going with her and am trying to do everything I can to take her all in before her babyhood is gone gone gone.  We are LOVING our girl.  I could basically have a 6 month old child on my hip for the rest of my life.  It is the perfect age.  It is a great mix of squishy soft baby days and the predictability that comes with the later months of the first year.

Things I want to record:
-17 lbs. 11 oz.--90%, Can't remember exact height--somewhere between 50% and 75%.
-Loves to chew/suck on her thumb.
-Eats baby food twice a day now and has not rejected anything so far.
-Evie is the sweetest baby and has no problem just going along with things.  She is just happy to be alive, I guess.
-She is EXTREMELY ACTIVE like her Daddy.  I seriously am nervous about her gaining mobility.  We have to pass her around when we are out because it is so exhausting for any one person to hold for a long period of time.
-Evie sat up unassisted for quite awhile the day before her 6 month birthday.  She is even able to sit in a high chair when we go out to eat now!
-She has become quite attached to this pink lamb blanket.  She loves to bury her face in it when she is sleepy.  It is amazing how much it calms her and helps her go down all by herself.  Evie also sleeps not only on her tummy, but face down.  It is a sight I have had to get used to because she insists that is how things are going to be.  Evie is also a HOT sleeper.  A teeny tiny baked potato.
-She loves this Psalty song about David and Goliath.  We call it the Giant song.  David is obsessed and makes us listen on repeat quite a bit.  I am guessing she has grown accustomed to falling asleep in the car to the Giant song because she LOVES it.  I have never seen anything like it, but it stops her fussing every.single.time.  On the ride back from the beach (long story, but had no bottles with me!).  We were 30 minutes past her feeding time and she was not happy.  As I drove down 331 trying to find a place to buy a bottle, I turned on the Giant song and she went from all out crying to SILENCE and stayed that way until we found a Rite Aid.  I was shocked.

-Evie is still very social and laughs/smiles at just about anything.  Her little personality is so precious. 
-She is still a great sleeper, but I have noticed sleeps very lightly.  Even with a floor fan on, she pops her head up over half the time I go in to check on her during the day.
-No teeth so far, just lots of drool.  She also loves to chew on fabric and will stuff a burp cloth or lamby in her mouth to soothe herself.
-This week Evie has begun to roll herself across an area (2 or 3 rolls at a time) to get to a toy she seems to want.  David never did this, so I am find it quite funny.

All in all, we are so blessed to be having so much fun with 2 children.  Things are not perfect by any means, but my hard days usually have more to do with my daily chores than with our children.  Maybe having David has given me a hindsight that allows me to really appreciate even the hard things.  I have grown to enjoy the random night that Evie needs to sleep with me in her recliner (lots of ear infections).  I guess I can sense how quickly we are approaching the down hill slope to toddlerhood.  I am desperately trying to box up every moment to save for when my days with diapered babies have passed on.  Although, with my memory, there is a good chance I will be consulting the blog to remember what my kids names are in a year or so.

Happy 6 months Evie-Lu!!!  We are so in love with this precious girl.