New Pictures

In case you hadn't heard, we had/are having a blizzard. So work was cancelled and I spent the day with the Ever monster. We managed to get out in the snow for a while too. See?

The other day, I thought Ev looked too cute while sleeping, so I snapped some pictures as he was waking up.

Also, we've been having those horrendous nights again where Ev wakes up around midnight and is inconsolable. Turns out he has two molars half-way in. EEK! Let the herbivoring begin!

Getting into the swing of things

I know I have been a terrible blogger lately and I promise I will get back to my normal, talking about myself and my fascinating life, schedule soon. Things are finally starting to calm down (after the Everett room paint spill fiasco that I still don't like talking about), and I'm trying to get us back into a routine. I know you all have been sorely missing your Everett detailed updates, so I'll try and catch you up.

Everett has been sleeping through the night beautifully (except for the past three nights when he has woken around 2 am) and it is amazing how much sleeping for 8 hours straight can make you feel a million times better. He is still sleeping in his playpen since we don't want to assemble his crib just to take it down and assemble it in his new room next week (when the new carpeting is installed).

He now has 2 teeth!!! I still haven't managed to get them in a picture because they're still little and his smile doesn't show them, but believe you me, they are there. It used to be kind of cute when he would grab your finger and put it in his mouth. Not anymore. Ouch. Ev is using newfound teeth to do things besides cause pain in my finger (and luckily not other body parts!). He has just recently started using his teeth to bite his rice crackers. It's pretty darn cute. He absolutely loves these crackers called Baby Mum Mums (made in China, but what can you do?) and will fall into utter silence when you give him one - also works with the first chunk or two of tofu. Yes, I did just say tofu. The child loves to smush it into his mouth. He's not entirely a vegetarian though, as he did eat some tiny pieces of chicken the other day.

Everett can now scoot a bit but we're not sure he does it entirely on purpose. If you set him down in one spot, he will fall forward onto his face/stomach (not as hard as he used to), roll to the sides, turn to face different directions, and generally end up 6 feet from where he started. He can also support his weight on hands and knees but then just flops down. I am not looking forward to this whole mobility thing. That means closing the kitchen door to the basement all the time and purchasing at least two baby gates for the stairs. Oh well!

Ev is still a giant baby and getting bigger by the day. I have no idea when, if ever, he will slow down....maybe aroundf 18? : )

And a minor cat update too (just for Britt!): Mabel has become Saint Mabel and is thriving living in a big house. She can disappear to hide in a million and one locations when she doesn't want to be found, but still loves lounging on the couch and getting belly rubs. She has also become much more friendly with others. In our apartment, she would run and hide whenever someone came over. Now she comes to check it out and plops on the couch for some snuggles. Needless to say, she is now the ideal cat. OLIVIA, on the other hand (caps for emphasis and yelling), has been a beast. She is back to her scratching on our boxspring at 4:30 a.m. habit, pulling on carpet, puking all over, and just being a general nuisance. I think she has her feelings hurt that she is most definitely no longer the center of attention at all times and is acting out because of it. We're going to borrow some "don't scratch" and "do scratch" sprays from ... hmm....I was going to say "the Hammond house," but that doesn't quite work anymore....from G&G H's house....and see how those work. Olivia did get to explore outside for a while the other day but hissed and snapped at us when we tried to get her back in, so she won't be going back out anytime soon (besides that I'm worried something will startle her or she'll get some courage and find her way into the street).

Well, I have made myself a GIANT list of things to do today, so I'd better get started before Ev wakes up (he's taken to sleeping later and later recently). Now I just have to decide....breakfast? shower? dinner prep? Hmmm....

Bedtime Horror

For the past week or so, Everett has decided that 7-8pm isn't actually bedtime.  We're assuming it's something to do with his sore gums (will those teeth just appear already!?), but he has been waking up after only 45-60 min. wailing and won't go back to sleep until around 10ish.  It also might have something to do with sleeping in with mama (which I'm trying to stop!) and taking long naps during the day.  I need to do some more reading and figure out how to proceed.  Last night, I totally gave up and he slept between us all night.  He's currently napping and then we're heading in to work for a while.

Yesterday, I had my first encounter with "park moms."  Of course, I swore to myself that I would never be like them.  They just all seemed so self-deprecating and judgemental.  Ev an

d I were sitting in the shady grass and I took my shoes off.  A little girl noticed this and told her mother that I wasn't wearing shoes.  Her mother said, loud enough that I could hear her of course, that there are dangerous things I might step on.  Geez.  Not, "it's okay because she's just sitting on the grass," not a simple "yes, I see that," noooo, I am apparently a terrible example to her little girl.  I just kept my shoes off and smiled at Ev (who also was not wearing shoes).  It was a lovely park though.  Here's a picture I snapped on my cell phone (before it died....gotta get a new battery...) of Ev sitting all by himself in the grass:

This baby is STRONG

That pretty much sums up this post. Brian realized today that all my whining is for good reason. Everett got a fistful of Brian's arm (like he does to me multiple times/day) and said, "Wow, he is really strong!" Yeah....I know. Not just strong little pincer fingers either. If we are sitting on the floor and Ev decides he wants to jump, he can just about knock me over (I am totally not exaggerating!) He is definitely strong enough to crawl, he just needs to figure out the coordination and such and we'll be on our way. This baby amazes me.
Mini-Me: I now, without a doubt, agree with everyone who says that Ever looks just like Brian. It is especially obvious when he's sleeping. I looked at him asleep the other day and went, "Holy cow!" Ev's also developing a clear replica of Brian's brow line. Strange genetics and their cloning.
The boy is also still growing. I just did another full closet switcheroo this morning, replacing all 3-6 month clothes with 6-9, 6-12, and 9 month clothes. They are cuuuute clothes, but I'm so sad to put away his adorable baby gap onesies! *sigh* Big boys don't need onesies.... We also had to raise his jumperoo to level 2 (out of three). Now his feet barely touch the ground, but at least he can't launch himself out and onto the ground.
Monster boy has his 6 month check-up on the 29th and shots on June 9...and I have to do both appointments all by myself! Brian has been awesome about coming to every checkup (even prenatal ones), but now I can supposedly handle the babe on my own and should be able to take him to the doctor and scary county health office! That will be nice about moving to the northwoods and getting a better insurance policy - Ev won't need two appointments for every check-up!
The teething saga continues in full force. The poor babe is learning how to use his teething rings well. The funny/scariest thing: obviously his gums are sore, but he gets MAD. He shoves his fists in his mouth and yells. Loudly. And very intensely. I told Brian I'm not sure I want to see him as a 6 foot-something teenage football player who loses a game...
Anyways....We're planning to go to the park today and enjoy the sunshine, and hopefully I'll get some cute pictures of the boy/baby. He's still a baby, right???! Enjoy your Sunday!

An Everett Update

I realized it's been a while since I've given y'all the milestones update on Ev.  So here goes as much as I can remember.

The weekend of April 25-26: Feet were discovered.  He had been examining them for a few days and looking a bit startled when they moved.  Over this weekend, he realized that he could control them and they promptly ended up in his mouth.  He now loves grabbing his feet (especially when they are bare) and pulling on them, eating them, drooling on them, etc.

The next week [on vacation]: Being able to grab feet suddenly made it much easier to control the rest of his body.  While he still hasn't quite figured out rolling front to back or moving on his tummy, he did manage to move a bit.  I would lie him down on the floor with his head pointing one direction, turn around, look back, and his head was facing the opposite direction.  It's the beginning of independent movement and it's scary!   :)  Just kidding, it's very exciting, but we're kind of hoping he holds off on the mobility a bit until we move and only have to childproof one house.

   Also during the vacation week, auntie Christy was nice enough to teach mister baby man how to blow raspberries.  He now spits, razzes, and makes farty noises ALL THE TIME.  This also results in his nuk flying across any and every room we are in when he decides it is a good time to razz.  (We used the nuk as a crutch over vacation and now have to work on not using it during the day again....)

And just today: Ev figured out how to hold and use his own pacifier.  Eek!  It takes a while and he ends up with it backwards, sideways, and upside down before he gets it it the right way, but he can do it.  This also goes along with.....TEETHING!  Yes, the dreaded time has befallen us.  Ev was miserable this evening, chewing (and drooling) on everything he could get near his mouth.  You have to feel even worse for the poor babe because he tries so hard to be happy.  In between whines and cries, he smiles at you.  Poor thing.  We finally gave him some tylenol and he fell asleep (only about 2 hours past normal bedtime).

Still working on: 

Sitting - Everett can sit on his own, but for very short periods of time.  He does pretty well with the boppy behind him, but inevitably finds something interesting on the floor in front of him and faceplants.

Rolling front to back - Yeah...he just doesn't like being on his tummy, so....

Moving - I have a feeling this one is coming soon.  I don't know if it will be creeping, rolling, or some other method, but he's going to start moving.

Expanding the palate - Ev has now dined on acorn and butternut squashes, avocado, pears, rice cereal, sweet potatoes, and barley.  After some more work with sweet potatoes and barley, we will be moving on to bananas, green beans, peas, and oatmeal.

Phew!  This boy is growing (huge!) and learning so fast, my head is spinning.  He's going to be a genius athlete who runs the world....at least I think so.  :)