Celebrating Ashley and Sweet Jacob

Our good friends, Ashley and Reagan, are expecting their second son! All of us hostesses had a lot of fun decorating and preparing for the shower. Since Ashley and Reagan are HUGE Lost fans, we decided to decorate in that theme. I have never seen one episode, so I volunteered to send out invitations and open my house for the party.

could they be twins????

the hostesses

Five kids made this mess! Glad they had fun!

Also glad they cleaned up.

12 Month Stats

Today I took my little girl to her 12 month well exam and also to get three shots. She is doing great: takes one three hour nap, sleeps twelve hours at night, eats three meals a day, eats two snacks a day, drinks milk with meals, and drinks water with snacks. She refuses baby food (has been for the past three months) and only takes one bottle (at night). Two months ago, I was determined to spend the summer "mastering" the above in order to prepare Evie for daycare and ease the transition. Well, slow and steady made a difference! We took baby steps to get to this point. I'm so proud of Evie!

The stats:

Weight 21 lbs 14 oz  (65%)

Height 31 in (95%)

I was not at all surprised by Evie's growth, because all along she tended to be in the 90% for height and about average in weight. So far, Evie is not taking after her momma! I've never been even near 90% for height! I think I was finally 5 foot by the time I was in ninth grade, embarrassing I know!!!

During our appointment I couldn't help but remember our first well appointment with Evie when she was 4 days old. She cried the entire time. Judd and I were helpless! We had already suffered through two nights without sleep! Our reasuring pediatrician taught us many "magic tricks" at that appointment 1) the velcro swaddle 2) the pacifier. Yes, these sound like very simple fixes, but at the time, Judd and I were the blind leading the blind! Thankfully, that night Evie did sleep much better thanks to the swaddle and pacifier!!! My how time has flown. Now we are anxiously awaiting Evie's first steps and first (for sure) real words. There's always something to look forward to with a child.

Happy Birthday Evangeline Lillian!

This time last year Judd and I became parents. Parenting is such a gift. We have had fun watching Evie grow and learn this past year.

                                    

birthday breakfast: blueberry pancake

(blueberries are her favorite fruit)

yummy!

baby doll from papa and gammy

opening presents with dad

front facing car seat!

Stonebriar play area

standing on her own

first carousel ride

lunch at the food court

Birthday Party

We had so much fun celebrating Evie's first birthday with a luau! It turned out fantastic. About 40 people came. Judd and I were so happy to not only have our close friends with us, but most of all, our parents! The day couldn't have been any better! Here are a few glimpses of the day (out of 500 pictures taken)!

Summertime Fun

Without a doubt, my favorite season has ALWAYS been summer. Being a teacher allows me to continue to love and enjoy summer just like I did when I was a kid. The sunshine and easy going pace is something I look forward to every year. Now that I have Evie to play with, summer has been better than EVER! We've been up to a lot lately...

Early Birthday Present
My dear teaching friend, Kendra, brought her almost two year old daughter, Macie, over to give Evie an early birthday present. They won't be able to make Evie's party because they will have moved to Appleton, Wisconsin! I will really miss Kendra's mommy and teacher wisdom. She won't be next door to my classroom anymore. :o(

playing with her new puzzle

yummy- puzzles taste good!

EIGHTH Wedding Anniversary
For our wedding anniversary Judd and I went out for a nice dinner while the Knights watched Evie. In fact, Evie slept over at their house! She did a great job. The next morning I came over to pick up Evie and snapped a couple of shots.

snack time

playing with Asher

Rosemeade Rainforest Water Park

One very unpleasant part of Texas summers is that it is VERY hot! It has been in the 100's most days. Luckily, there are many local water parks operated by mostly every city in the Metroplex! Evie and I have visited several in the area. It makes for a nice way to spend a hot morning.

shallow area for little kids to play

taking a break

self portrait

Rose Cottage Play House

We found a great play house at a consignment store for Evie to play in. What a great way to spend time playing inside.

Dora Tent

After waking up from a very long nap at 4:30, I decided to set up the tent in the front yard. Evie had fun playing in the yard. Honestly, I have to force myself to go outside, and I am GLAD I did.

Stonebriar Mall

Evie and I hit the mall to do some shoe shopping! Since she is starting daycare and is almost walking, I decided she needed a well made pair of shoes. We went to Clark's, which had a great variety of shoes for toddlers! I liked it a lot more than Stride Rite. After finding shoes, we stopped in the food court to have lunch. Evie ate chicken nuggets, yogurt, and milk. Yum!