Monday, October 24, 2011
Gull Meadow Farms
Last weekend we went out to the local farm to pick our pumpkins and get some apples to make applesauce for Everett. It was a gorgeous fall day! I can't wait to let Everett paint his first pumpkin! My favorite part of carving pumpkins? Baking the seeds... Mmmmm!
9 months!
We've arrived at 3/4 of a year! Little man is beginning to stand - he's balanced with no hands for 15 seconds. He stands there, knees slightly bent, arms straight up in the air like "look mom, no hands!," look of complete concentration on his face. He's also started clapping! He was doing the motions of clapping before, but has just now figured out how to make real noise when he brings his hands together. And it brings him such delight! His little face just lights up when he hears the sound he can make with his hands.
Other Milestones:
- He now laughs when we laugh. You can break out into a giggle randomly and he'll look up and you and start laughing hysterically. It's our nightly routine while the bath water is filling up.
- Literally 10 minutes ago he started sticking his tongue out and grabbing it. When he's standing, or pulling himself up on something, he's now sticking his tongue out. I love it!
- He's always been ticklish, but we've found some fun new spots, including that spot right above your knee. Tickling sessions have also become part of our nightly pre-bath routine.
He's had 6 teeth now for awhile, and we've started giving him small finger foods. He loves bread! At this point, he really prefers food he can pick up and feed himself - he puts up a fit about being spoon fed more and more frequently. So, mealtimes have become a bit of a challenge... :)
I let Everett put in his two cents, and this is what he had to say:
gttttttttttt4rrrrrdrtr v ff q.,l;
9 month stats:
Weight 18 lb, 12 oz (25%)
Height 28 1/4" (50%)
Head 46.2 cm (75%)
Monday, October 10, 2011
Our First Family Vacation
This past week, we took a roadtrip down to North Carolina for Kyle's cousin's wedding. We decided to spend a few days in Gatlinburg, TN as a family to get away from everything and focus on us.
Everett did absolutely amazing on the trip - we still can't believe what a trooper he was. In the days leading up to the drive (through the night, no less), he developed a horrible cough that left him whimpering in pain every time he'd cough. To top it off, hours before we left, he threw up everything he ate. With all his issues, we were a bit worried the drive might be rough, but our little man proved us wrong. He slept straight through on the 10 hour drive (coughing and whimpering along the way). As for the vacation itself...
The pictures are in reverse order and too annoying to fix, so I'll just go backwards. :)
We headed back to MI during the day, stopping to feed Everett, entertain him, and let him stretch his legs along the way. After 10 hours of traveling, we pulled into Chipotle to grab some dinner, then parked it, picnic-style, in the parking lot right off the highway to try and wear him out before the last 4 hour stretch of road staring us in the face. We got lots of weird looks from people coming in and out of the restaurant, but you've got to do what you've got to do.
See that face? That's 10 hours of pent-up energy right there!
After TN, we headed to High Point, NC for a wedding on the Frank side of the family. It was great to see everyone. The Frank side of Kyle's family is huge - Everett got to meet lots of family! We weren't sure what "title" all these relatives were to him, so we looked it up. He met lots of Grand Aunts and Uncles, first cousins once removed, and second cousins.
Stealing a dance with my little man.
Grandma and Grandpa
He did so great at the ceremony! I took him out for a bit to play, as he started squealing and shrieking with delight, but there were no screams or cries for this guy. I think it helped that he'd recently inherited this ball from some family. He absolutely adored this ball and didn't put it down the rest of the trip. Doesn't he look dapper in his shirt and tie?
In Gatlinburg, we went for a lot of day hikes in the Smokies. Everett loved going for hikes, and he was a total hit on the trails. I think nearly everyone we passed said something about him - how cute he was, what a good hiker he was, how he was super lucky to be traveling by backpack, you name it. It never did get old hearing everyone fuss over him!
We took Everett to the aquarium one of the days we were there. His favorite animal was definitely the penguins. He was so cute watching them, hands up on the glass, following their every playful move. He could have stood there for hours watching them!
Taking him through a tunnel to see sharks.
The jellyfish were crazy!!
Crawling to me in the tunnel to go see the penguins up close (above).
This penguin was hilarious, and Everett had a ball with him. He stayed in that corner playing with us the entire time we sat there.
We rented a cabin (actually a "chalet") in the mountains instead of getting a hotel room. It was the best decision we could have made. Everett had his own room, we had an upper and lower deck to sit outside on, and a hot tub to relax in after Everett went to bed for the night. The drive up and down the mountain to get to the cabin was a bit of an experience - especially for someone who gets car sick. It was about a 10-15 minute drive on a steep, curvy road with hairpin turns everytime we went up and down the mountain. But SO worth it to have space to spread out and relax!
Everett did absolutely amazing on the trip - we still can't believe what a trooper he was. In the days leading up to the drive (through the night, no less), he developed a horrible cough that left him whimpering in pain every time he'd cough. To top it off, hours before we left, he threw up everything he ate. With all his issues, we were a bit worried the drive might be rough, but our little man proved us wrong. He slept straight through on the 10 hour drive (coughing and whimpering along the way). As for the vacation itself...
The pictures are in reverse order and too annoying to fix, so I'll just go backwards. :)
We headed back to MI during the day, stopping to feed Everett, entertain him, and let him stretch his legs along the way. After 10 hours of traveling, we pulled into Chipotle to grab some dinner, then parked it, picnic-style, in the parking lot right off the highway to try and wear him out before the last 4 hour stretch of road staring us in the face. We got lots of weird looks from people coming in and out of the restaurant, but you've got to do what you've got to do.
See that face? That's 10 hours of pent-up energy right there!
After TN, we headed to High Point, NC for a wedding on the Frank side of the family. It was great to see everyone. The Frank side of Kyle's family is huge - Everett got to meet lots of family! We weren't sure what "title" all these relatives were to him, so we looked it up. He met lots of Grand Aunts and Uncles, first cousins once removed, and second cousins.
Stealing a dance with my little man.
Grandma and Grandpa
He did so great at the ceremony! I took him out for a bit to play, as he started squealing and shrieking with delight, but there were no screams or cries for this guy. I think it helped that he'd recently inherited this ball from some family. He absolutely adored this ball and didn't put it down the rest of the trip. Doesn't he look dapper in his shirt and tie?
In Gatlinburg, we went for a lot of day hikes in the Smokies. Everett loved going for hikes, and he was a total hit on the trails. I think nearly everyone we passed said something about him - how cute he was, what a good hiker he was, how he was super lucky to be traveling by backpack, you name it. It never did get old hearing everyone fuss over him!
We took Everett to the aquarium one of the days we were there. His favorite animal was definitely the penguins. He was so cute watching them, hands up on the glass, following their every playful move. He could have stood there for hours watching them!
Taking him through a tunnel to see sharks.
The jellyfish were crazy!!
Crawling to me in the tunnel to go see the penguins up close (above).
This penguin was hilarious, and Everett had a ball with him. He stayed in that corner playing with us the entire time we sat there.
We rented a cabin (actually a "chalet") in the mountains instead of getting a hotel room. It was the best decision we could have made. Everett had his own room, we had an upper and lower deck to sit outside on, and a hot tub to relax in after Everett went to bed for the night. The drive up and down the mountain to get to the cabin was a bit of an experience - especially for someone who gets car sick. It was about a 10-15 minute drive on a steep, curvy road with hairpin turns everytime we went up and down the mountain. But SO worth it to have space to spread out and relax!
It certainly is different to "vacation" with an infant - I'm not positive that it should really be called a vacation. But it was a much needed few days away and our trooper of a child couldn't have done much better. It's nice to be back now though, in our own beds with our own routines. Until the next vacation anyway... but I think I'm set for awhile. :)
Sunday, September 25, 2011
8 Months!
It's hard to believe the little man is already 2/3 of a year old. He becomes more and more like a little boy, and less and less like a baby everyday. He's climbing up on everything, moving from toy (or piece of furniture) to toy (or piece of furniture). He's taken a few spills, but is quickly learning how to balance, or fall on his butt and get right back up again.
He's standing with one hand bracing himself, though he often removes that hand and scares the crap out of mommy. The kid is fearless. He doesn't even first try to balance himself, he just goes hands free without even thinking about it first, like he knows how to do it or something (he doesn't). But he's actually stood a few seconds before tumbling into my arms!
We experienced our first rash, and boy has it been a doozy! He got it last Monday and is still covered head to toe in red spots. The doc has confirmed it's not contagious, and it's not causing him any discomfort, it just looks horrible. Fortunately, I took these pictures the first night it appeared, while it was only on his tummy. That onsie is really just a clever disguise. :)
My most favorite thing in the world is that he now crawls over to me and onto my lap. He buries his face in my leg, or pulls on my shirt to stand up, then buries his face in my chest or my shoulder. It's simply the most precious thing on the planet, and I adore it.
Here's my little ham at 8 months:
He's standing with one hand bracing himself, though he often removes that hand and scares the crap out of mommy. The kid is fearless. He doesn't even first try to balance himself, he just goes hands free without even thinking about it first, like he knows how to do it or something (he doesn't). But he's actually stood a few seconds before tumbling into my arms!
We experienced our first rash, and boy has it been a doozy! He got it last Monday and is still covered head to toe in red spots. The doc has confirmed it's not contagious, and it's not causing him any discomfort, it just looks horrible. Fortunately, I took these pictures the first night it appeared, while it was only on his tummy. That onsie is really just a clever disguise. :)
My most favorite thing in the world is that he now crawls over to me and onto my lap. He buries his face in my leg, or pulls on my shirt to stand up, then buries his face in my chest or my shoulder. It's simply the most precious thing on the planet, and I adore it.
Here's my little ham at 8 months:
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
7 months!
Okay, so E is almost 8 months now, but I never got around to my 7 month update. A lot has happened in the last month!
Everett now has four, count 'em four teeth. Two upper, two lower. He's working on his 5th now - the one next to his upper right. Contary to the others, it seems this one is giving him some trouble. Teething until now has been a breeze. In fact, I don't even know when he got his 3rd tooth. He threw his head back laughing one day and there it was - a pearly white tooth bud poking out from his gums, the first upper tooth he got. Since then, his new thing became grinding his teeth. The sound is like nails on a chalkboard to Kyle and I, and the kid just loves to do it. It sends shivers down my spine just thinking about it.
The little man is crawling! Everyone always asked me "is he rolling around the room yet?" and he never did. He hated his tummy, so rolling over onto it was something he simply wasn't going to do. He never scooted either. But a few weeks ago, after several days of countless attempts and resultant face plants, he crawled. And now our little man is all over the place! He is getting into so much mischief these days. And, parents of the year... we still haven't babyproofed. Oh my.
We found out Everett may have asthma. We've been doing breathing treatments morning and night, our poor guy. He hates them, and I mean absolutely despises them. The only way we can get him to lay there passively for the treatment is by powering on the iPad and playing renditions of "Wheels on the Bus" and "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star." Thank you, You Tube, for allowing me to calmly administer medicine to my wee one. And I swore he wasn't going to watch any tv or videos as a baby...
Everett so looks forward to going to bed at night that the time between pulling him out of the tub and getting him to his room have become, well, antsy. The ordinary evening in the Frank house consists of fuss fuss fuss when getting him diapered and in his jammies for the night. This evening family time has quickly lost its ranking of my most favorite time of the day. :)
This kid has become so much fun over the last few weeks. We play and rough house and giggle and the amount of interaction just amazes me. He's like a little boy. I don't want this age to end.
And now for the 7 month photos...
Everett now has four, count 'em four teeth. Two upper, two lower. He's working on his 5th now - the one next to his upper right. Contary to the others, it seems this one is giving him some trouble. Teething until now has been a breeze. In fact, I don't even know when he got his 3rd tooth. He threw his head back laughing one day and there it was - a pearly white tooth bud poking out from his gums, the first upper tooth he got. Since then, his new thing became grinding his teeth. The sound is like nails on a chalkboard to Kyle and I, and the kid just loves to do it. It sends shivers down my spine just thinking about it.
The little man is crawling! Everyone always asked me "is he rolling around the room yet?" and he never did. He hated his tummy, so rolling over onto it was something he simply wasn't going to do. He never scooted either. But a few weeks ago, after several days of countless attempts and resultant face plants, he crawled. And now our little man is all over the place! He is getting into so much mischief these days. And, parents of the year... we still haven't babyproofed. Oh my.
We found out Everett may have asthma. We've been doing breathing treatments morning and night, our poor guy. He hates them, and I mean absolutely despises them. The only way we can get him to lay there passively for the treatment is by powering on the iPad and playing renditions of "Wheels on the Bus" and "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star." Thank you, You Tube, for allowing me to calmly administer medicine to my wee one. And I swore he wasn't going to watch any tv or videos as a baby...
Everett so looks forward to going to bed at night that the time between pulling him out of the tub and getting him to his room have become, well, antsy. The ordinary evening in the Frank house consists of fuss fuss fuss when getting him diapered and in his jammies for the night. This evening family time has quickly lost its ranking of my most favorite time of the day. :)
This kid has become so much fun over the last few weeks. We play and rough house and giggle and the amount of interaction just amazes me. He's like a little boy. I don't want this age to end.
And now for the 7 month photos...
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Photo Catch-Up
I've fallen off the wagon on keeping up to date, so here's a recap of the last week:
I took E to Gymboree for a Family Music class. We're planning on hitting a class a week there, and this was our first time. E loved the drum, which is what he and his buddy Landon are leaning on below. He actually pushed himself up to standing and leaning on it! I was quite impressed. Love this picture of the two of them. Landon lives across the street from us and is 2 months older than E. Makes for fun, convenient play dates!
Our boy is all smiles as of late. I just couldn't resist capturing this giant grin on film. The look of sheer pleasure.
I picked up two new hats for E this week. I think hats are the only thing going in the way of little boys' clothes. There is far too much cuteness out there for little girls (it's a good thing we had a boy - we'd be broke by now!), but boys clothing seriously lacks. This hat was ridiculously adorable though, and even more adorable on the boy wearing it. :)
I took E to Gymboree for a Family Music class. We're planning on hitting a class a week there, and this was our first time. E loved the drum, which is what he and his buddy Landon are leaning on below. He actually pushed himself up to standing and leaning on it! I was quite impressed. Love this picture of the two of them. Landon lives across the street from us and is 2 months older than E. Makes for fun, convenient play dates!
Our boy is all smiles as of late. I just couldn't resist capturing this giant grin on film. The look of sheer pleasure.
I picked up two new hats for E this week. I think hats are the only thing going in the way of little boys' clothes. There is far too much cuteness out there for little girls (it's a good thing we had a boy - we'd be broke by now!), but boys clothing seriously lacks. This hat was ridiculously adorable though, and even more adorable on the boy wearing it. :)
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
New Trick
Everett has a new trick! He's started opening and closing his mouth like a fish. It's so cute! I catch him doing it all the time now, I just love it.
Picaso
Move over Picaso, this kid likes to paint! Pretty sure that's the beginnings of a masterpiece right there.
Grandma and Grandpa
Grandma and Grandpa came to visit for a few hours today. It was nice to get some things done around the house while they loved on their grandson!
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