The Zoo!

Last Thursday, one of Linda's old college friend and sorority sister, Nicole, came to KC with her 2 year old daughter, Sophie, and stayed with us for a few days. We joke that Sophie is Evan's future bride! Anyway, it was a great couple days and was good to catch up with Nicole... Yesterday morning, we decided something kid-friendly would be a trip to the Kansas City Zoo. I think I was more excited for this than Sophie... I hadn't been to our zoo here since right after Linda graduated high school...way back in the mid 1990s! And it had been since I lived in Omaha, back in 1999, that I had gone to any zoo. The Kansas City Zoo opened up a new Polar Bear exhibit, which was pretty cool. The zoo wasn't crowded at all. Although, it wasn't how I had remembered it from back when I was a kid, it was a fun trip!

Evan did awesome! Even though it was 95° and felt like it was 105° with the humidity mixed in...Evan was a trouper! I figured he would go into atomic mode and have a meltdown due to the heat and general uncomfortableness...but nope, not even a grumpy whine from him...even on the car ride home! Click here to view the pictures (from my facebook)... (I was gonna upload, but blogger takes too long...and I couldn't narrow down my favorites!)

There's Something In This Water...

You know when you are starting to look to buy a new car? And you find that particular one that you really like? Then you see that same car everywhere? That's kinda like when you have a baby. Seems when you have a baby, either you're the beginning of a baby wave or in the middle of one. It seems 2009, 2010 and 2011 is gonna be the years of babies. So many of our family, friends and coworkers are starting to pop out offspring. Here's a rundown:

1. Deb & Mark - Deb is a coworker and a good friend of mine. She was part of my "party days" way back when. She and Mark welcomed their second son, Nathan in April 2009.
2. Neisha & Ted - Neisha is a friend I've known since high school. She and her husband, welcomed their daughter, Mira in July 2009.
3. Mindy & Jason - I worked with Mindy years ago. She and Jason had their son, Jayce also in July 2009.
4. April & Tom - They are friends from DC, from when Linda lived there before we got married. They had Braden last August...actually he turned one today!
5. Erika & Jeremy - More friends from DC. They had Sophia last August...actually a year ago tomorrow...
6. Erik & Maja - Erik is Linda's cousin...technically her 1st cousin, once removed... They had their daughter, Emma on August 27, 2009.
7. Holly & Bill - Linda and I went to high school with Holly. She and Bill had their daughter, Brea last September.
8. Kristy & Jay - I've known Kristy since grade school. We graduated high school together and since the invention of Facebook, we've become reacquainted. Their son, Connor was born last October.
9. Cassie & Josh - Cassie is a coworker of mine. She and her husband had their daughter, Katelynn last November.
10. Sean & Deanna - Deanna is an old college friend of Linda's. Sean & Deanna had a set of twins in 2008...then had their daughter, Abigail, last December.
11. Zac & Lindsey - Zac was a coworker of mine, and now lives in Dallas with his wife. He was part of my old "party days". They had a son this past January.
12. Jackie & Bryan - I used to work with Jackie as well. She and her husband, Bryan welcomed their daughter, Lyla also this past January.
13. Karen & Shane - Both Karen & Shane were coworkers of mine and also live in Dallas now. They had their daughter, Scout, last February.
14. Bridgett & Mark - Bridgett is Linda's older sister... She and Linda had due dates just a few days apart...however Bridgett went into early labor and Evan's cousin, Logan, was born March 16th.
15. Linda & me - Obviously you all knew that... Evan brightened our lives on April 7th.
16. Christine & Brian - Christine was my favorite bartender from the summer I lived in Las Vegas in 2007... She moved to New York City with her boyfriend, Brian, and they had a son, Avery, in June.
17. Brad & Amy - Brad is also a coworker of mine. He and his wife welcomed their son, also named Evan this past June.
18. Justin & Deana - Justin is also an old friend I've known since Kindergarten. We also graduated high school together...and again, with the invention of Facebook, we have reconnected and are probably closer friends than we were in high school, as weird as that might sound. He and Deana welcomed their son, Lexen, also last June.
19. Candice & Justin - Justin is a coworker of mine, and he married Candice. Candice also used to work where we do... Candice was also part of my old "party days" crew. They welcomed their daughter, Brooklyn last month.
20. Melissa & Sebastien - I used to work with Melissa during my summer stint in Las Vegas. She and her husband, Sebastien are expecting a son in just a few weeks.
21. Stacey & Mark - I used to go to school and church with Stacey. She and her husband are expecting #3, a son, in September.
22. Angela & Mike - Angela also used to work with me... She was also part of the party crew back in the day.She now lives in Nashville with her husband. They are expecting their first, a son named Kaden, sometime in September.
23. Dani & Nathan - Linda and I went to high school with Dani. She and her husband are expecting #2 soon...I think also in either September or October.
24. Kerry & Amber - I work with Kerry & Amber...they are one of the many married couples at work... They are expecting their second child, a son in October.
25. Mariah & Blake - Mariah is my cousin in North Dakota...well, technically my 1st cousin once removed... She and her husband, Blake will be welcoming their son, Wyatt, this October.
26. Ellen & Chad - Linda lived with Ellen & Chad when she lived in DC before we got married. They are expecting a son this coming December.
27. Brigid & Mark - Also more friends in DC from when Linda lived there...also due in December.
28. Vanessa & Brandon - Vanessa is my cousin and they will be welcoming a daughter, also this December.
29. _____ & _____ (names withheld since it's not public knowledge, yet...and no, it's not Linda & me) - This couple will be having a baby next April...around Evan's birthday!
30. _____ & _____ (names withheld)... This couple is due, I think, in March or April?
31. _____ & _____ (names withheld) - Just found out I believe...and probably will be another April baby.

So crazy! I'm wondering who's next?!?

Wow, where've I been?

Answer - Taking care of a fussy, teething, (and as of today - more on that later) sick baby!

I just realized that it's almost been an entire month since I wrote and entry... But, it seems that I don't have lots of time to spare with Evan starting to become his own little person. And by the time I do after Evan goes to bed...my mind is complete mush and I'm too tired to really put a sentence together... So I'm rambling tonight. Mindless drivel.

At any rate, I think we (or maybe just Linda) may have wrote before that Evan is now rolling over. He started doing this at the end of June/first of July...and now he's a master at it! I can't leave him for a few moments without him rolling over onto his belly, whether he is in his play gym or his crib. I've been so nervous about it when he sleeps... He now prefers to sleep on his stomach...and of course all the experts say this increases the risk of SIDS. It freaks me out... When we first brought Evan home from the hospital, we put him on a wedge...but he wiggles so much in his sleep, he would just maneuver his way outta it. He can't stand to be swaddled, he has to have his arms and legs free to flail about... Each night before I go to bed I peak in on him to make sure he's okay and not face planted into his mattress. Luckily he knows to move his head to the side if he sleeps on his tummy. Evan is now working on rolling back over from his tummy to his back. He's kind of done it a couple times, but not worth really saying he's accomplished it.

His 4 month checkup was last Wednesday. He weighed 16 lbs. 1 oz., was 25¼ inches long, and his head measures 44½ cm (just a tad over 17½ inches). Our pediatrician was impressed with the fact that Evan is already bearing weight on his legs and likes to attempt to stand (with support, obviously). He mentioned that we may have an early walker.

Evan hasn't quite figured out though how to crawl. He's trying...really is... Everyday I notice he's wanting to figure it out... He gets his legs going and underneath him...and his butt up in the air, but he needs to work on his upper body strength. Although, today I noticed that he's trying to tuck his arms underneath him in an attempt to lift up his upper body. But then he gets pissed and lays flat on his belly and screams in frustration.

I mentioned to our pediatrician that Evan is now waking up in the middle of the night. Evan really had us spoiled. Ever since he was about 3 weeks old, he has slept through the night... And I mean like 7 to 8 hours, sometimes 10 to 12 too! But over the course of the past couple weeks, he has almost woken up every night, anywhere between 11:00pm to 5:00am. Our doctor confirmed that Evan is indeed teething, but didn't think he'd actually cut any teeth for at least a month or more...so this could be the culprit. He also said that he maybe gearing up for another growth spurt and his body isn't getting enough calories to carry him through the night. Therefore, he gave us the green light to start solids. The thing I love about our pediatrician is that he is not controlling, great at giving advice, and lets you raise your own child. He told me that there are 'guidelines' that are hotly debated about how to introduce solids to him...veggies before fruits, or fruits before veggies? Dark greens before yellow colored veggies? I honestly had not heard of any of these guidelines...and he told me that there was really nothing to support one or the other and told me to do what I felt was best for Evan. After his appointment I went to Target and picked up some baby food sweet peas, carrots, peaches and bananas. But...with that said, I got LOTS of unsolicited advice when I posted on my facebook that I was gonna try Evan on solids... Not that I mind tips here and there, it is appreciated. But wow, a little overkill! So, I heeded their advice and started him with sweet peas that first night. See below for the video:

He loved the sweet peas! We moved on to carrots a few days later and he seemed to like those as well. Not sure if he likes the green beans that I bought the other day though for him...

And as far as Evan being sick...dunno what exactly hit him. Last night he did actually sleep through the night. I got up at about 7:00 this morning and got Truman taken care of, coffee made and Evan's bottle started. At 8:00, Evan started rousing and I went into to get him up and change his diaper. He seemed really happy (lately in the morning, since he's been waking up in the middle of the night and this whole teething stuff) he has been a pissy-pants in the morning. He downed his bottle (which is also a rarity these days...he's turned into something of a grazer)...all 8 oz. of it... As soon as he finished his last swallow, it all...and I mean ALL...came back up. Projectile vomit! It shot straight out of his mouth and nose, all over him, me and the couch...nearly missed Truman. It soaked me through and through! I hadn't put on a shirt yet, but the puke soaked through my shorts and underwear! It was really like this scene from "The Exorcist" (although Evan wasn't this demonic...but there was a lot more puke). Evan hasn't been sick at all, thankfully, and I figured this was a call that I need to make to the doctor. The nurse called me back and said it sounded like a lot of other phone calls she's gotten...some kind of stomach bug going around with projectile vomiting and diarrhea to boot. Luckily no diarrhea for Evan (yet...knock on wood)... So Evan's diet all day today has been Pedialyte, until 4:00pm when I was instructed I could try another formula bottle with him. He kept that down...and I tried him with some bananas (per the nurses instruction...no veggies, only fruit) and he ate pretty much the entire bowl. Poor kid. Hopefully this puking thing was just a rare occurance and he really isn't sick...he seemed fine otherwise. No fever, acted okay, until he got pissed when I would only give him Pedialyte. Maybe it's just another symptom of teething?? Probably not. I don't want to wish anything to go quickly with Evan, but I'll be really happy when we are over this teething crap!

Objective: Mobility Now!

Evan is really trying to get himself mobile. Here's a video of one of his recent attempts.




Also for your viewing pleasure is a picture from the same mobility attempt that I like to call, "Cheeks McGee."

Linda vs. snap-up pajamas

There comes a time with every new parent when you realize you really dislike certain baby products. Right now, I can't stand snap up pajamas.

I know what you're thinking, "Linda, they are pajamas for crying out loud. It's not like you have to be a Mensa member to work the darn things." Yeah, well repeat that sentiment at 1:30 am when you are half awake and going on four hours of sleep from the previous two nights and using one eye because that's the one that will focus - kind of.

See, if you have one of those onesies with the feet in them that snap up at each ankle and then somehow meet in the middle, these aren't the easiest things to navigate under the strain of limited sleep. They are the Christmas lights of pajamas! If you are off on one, you have to undo every single one and try again. For added complexity, factor in an onery little boy who LOVES to keep those little feet kicking and moving. This means you have to get the foot in the sleeper fast and snapped fast in order for it to stay on.

This is why Brian and I prefer sleep sacks. They are basically nightgowns because they are open at the bottom, but the bottom as the elastic band around them so you can pull it around those little feet. After sleep sacks, the pjs that just have snaps from ankle to ankle are my second favorite. With the ankle-to-ankle items, you have to pull it over the baby's head like a sleep sack, but you get the added cuteness of the feet and its much easier than the full snap up. Zip ups are also ok.