A breath of fresh air

Today was simply a breath of fresh air! Dave hung out with Evan all morning while I took some alone time...worked out, went to the chiropractor (I have been having mid back pain for the last couple of months from holding Evan) and got a mani-pedi. This afternoon we went to Gillson Park in Wilmette with Dave's family for his mom's birthday. The weather was beautiful. We had a picnic in the park and walked over to the visit the gardens of the Bahii Temple. Absolutely breathtaking!

It's been a while since I wrote an update on the house, sadly there is not much to report. Just met with our home insurance adjustor last week and are awaiting approval from our insurance company for the go ahead to start reconstruction. Hoping to get word from them next week.

Updates on E...

I still find myself amazed at how much he is changing and how big he is getting! I am so proud of how much he has learned and what he continues to teach us every day. Evan's really really trying to talk more. He has now added more, ball, and shake to his verbal vocabulary. He still has his good old baby babble that he thinks he is communicating to us but we still cannot make it out. He's singing along in the car while clapping and tapping at times. He's starting to jog, as I like to call it, without out falling down. Still a bit unsturdy but he's walking 99% of the time. Since I planted flowers on the deck he has enjoyed playing outside going in and out of the patio door, picking the flowers and throwing off the deck so he can watch them fall to the ground (mind you we are on the 3rd floor). He signs "help" while he faces the chair as his request to us to help him onto the chair. Once there, he sits, looks around and laughs. He has found quite a few ways to entertain himself, this being one of them. At the park Evan enjoys the swings and likes to climb up and down the stairs. His latest craze are the plastic cups that you can get at Starbucks, Panera, etc. You know the ones with the lids and the straws. I put some water inside with the lid and straw assembled and give it to him. He loves it! He will hold onto it in his stroller, walk with it, try to bring it up to the top of the park's jungle gym. I should try to get a video of it...it's hilarious! E's loving his books. He'll sit on the couch or the floor and page through them while he babbles. He usually brings me a book and signs 'help' for me to read it to him. Over the last week or so he has been himself bringing his toys (usually one or two) to me and Dave. He'll walk over to us with the toy, give it to us, and then walk away. He's also been doing the same with Dex. Except instead of E bringing his toy to Dex, he brings Dex's toy or bone to Dex. Aside from all these fun little developments, E is getting one of his first molars. I was wondering why he had been so clingy, whiney, and picky about eating early this past week and speculated that it might be teeth. And...sure enough, I noticed his upper right gum is black and blue. Ahhh...it looks terribly painful it's no wonder he wanted me to hold him almost all day.