Our 5 Year Wedding Anniversary

Dave and I have been together for well over 13 years but Friday, June 25th marked our 5 year wedding anniversary!!! What a fun day and night we had! My mom stayed with Evan and Dex while Dave and I headed downtown to see Toy Story 3 (excellent movie by the way and just as good as Toy Story 1 & 2). After the movie we went back to the hotel to change and then went to dinner at Gibson's. We enjoyed a much needed relaxing evening over dinner and at the beach. Saturday morning we woke up, ate breakfast at the Drake, the most delicious breakfast I must add, and took a stroll to the beach to lay out, read and enjoy some quiet time before heading back home to our little munchkins. I can't imagine any better of an anniversary...It was more wonderful than I ever could imagine. I am so blessed to have Dave in my life as my husband and my best friend and I am looking forward to many more happy and healthy years together. Cheers to 5 years of marriage Dave!!!!

Let the MeSs begin!!!

Today we officially started reconstruction! It's been nearly a month since the fire and we are now just beginning to rebuild the walls and get things back to normal. After waiting for the insurance's approval, we finally got an estimate of $16,000 for the repairs last week. I was glad to have been gone today because the dry wall dust was everywhere. The crew was great in that they cleaned up almost all of it, well at least the stuff that visible to the naked eye, and we are able to live in our home through the night and into the morning before they are back at 8am. Funny little story....Evan found the blue tape markers along the baseboard entertaining while I was making dinner. I turn around to look at him and there he was with 3 crumbled balls of blue tape stuck to both of his hands. At the moment I was thinking, crap, how am I going to know what walls these came from but in looking back once I was able to figure out where they belong (or so I hope they are back where they belong) I laughed at how cute E looked standing in the hall thinking he did nothing wrong. He probably thought they were some new toy...ha hahaha.

While the construction crew was hard at work at our house, Evan, Dex and I made a trip out to visit my parents. Evan and Dex hung out with Nana and Papa and I went to my work friend's baby shower. It was great to see my co workers and catch up with them. It feels like I never left them :) E definitely had a wonderful time by the huge grin he had on his face when I came back. He played with some of the toys that my sister and I grew up playing with, went on a walk, and tried his first fruit popsicle. Not too sure about how cold it was at first but definitely grew to like it rather quickly. He came home with a red stained mouth and a little stinker smile ;0) Thanks for such a relaxing day Nana and Papa!!!

It took me a long time...over 6 months, but....

i finally figured out how to insert a picture into my blog entry...lol

it's not hard at all and i don't know what my problem was. anyways, i picked a picture hoping that it will show up!

15 Month Pediatrician Appointment

Where is the time going!?!?! I can't believe Evan is already 15 months old, what! Well E went to the doctor on Monday for his 15 month check up. He wasn't too happy about it. He knew what was going on and what was about to happen as soon as he saw the nurse and doctor. Uh oh...the tears came a flowing. We saw a different pediatrician since E's pediatrician didn't have an available appointment until July so that might not have helped matters. E weighed in at 26 lbs and 32 inches tall. He is in the 75th percentile. The doctor was pleased with his growth and reassured me that his stranger anxiety is purely developmentally appropriate and may stay with him until 2-2.5 years old. E got two shots which he didn't like AT ALL. He hasn't seemed to be effected by them as much as he is the 2 molars that are erupting. Speaking of molars, the top right molar, the one I said was black and blue, still hasn't popped through. It started to concern me when I saw E's left top molar break through and it didn't ever turn black and blue. I thought the black and blue was normal because I learned of it at a pediatric dental presentation I attended back in February, but just to be safe I phone Dr. Kristin, E's dentist. Low and behold it's totally normal and will eventually break through along with some blood. She assured me not to be alarmed and to stop on in if I am in need of more peace of mind :)

Aside from E's check up and recent teeth erruptions...E's having a hard time backing off the milk. He LOVES his MILKY!!! If we let him choose one food/drink to live on it would hands down be milk. Let's hope all this milk builds strong bones so he won't break any in his years :0) E's added more words to his speaking vocabulary like milk, cheese, shoes, ball, and shake (this one he's been saying for awhile, not consistently but at Gymboree when we sing the Shake the Parachute song). He's signing (which I may have mentioned in my past post but can't remember) turn around, please, and again. Along with his vocabularly development Evan is becoming more opinionated. Watch out! He's going to be one determined little boy (a.k.a. stubborn) !!! If I take him away from something he enjoys or wants something he can't have, he talks back, screams, or walks back to the place he was at originally after I put him down. Oy! Dexter has become so easy in comparison...lol. Speaking of Dex...E now walks Dex's while he walks along side. I will have to get it on video. It's too cute. Evan also can throw Dex's toys to a further distance so Dex can actually chase after them a little bit. Before Dex would just look at the toy, then Evan and not do anything (probably thinking "that's all you've got").

We have been taking Gymboree classes on Wednesday mornings and took a Music class there for the first time yesterday. We also have our weekly Monday playdate, Family Grounds a couple times week, and fill our afternoons with either Gymboree open play or parks. Our latest venture is going to Bally so I can workout (instead of getting up everyday at 5:30a to go workout sans Evan) and put E in the Kids Club to play. Well, yeah, that didn't go over to well. Tuesday was our first day and E cried from the time I dropped him off until they called me over the PA system (10 minutes later) to come get him. I am going to keep trying. We went again this afternoon and...he DID IT!!!! 30 minutes in the Kids Club while I worked out. Thank you Evan!!! We'll be going again next Tuesday and Thursday so I can sleep in those days (hopefully E will sleep in too :)

Thank You Mommy

"Thank you mommy"...I heard it for the first time today!!! Well I actually didn't hear it but rather I saw E sign it. Not once but twice!!! It was a heck of a week with E teething and all so it was the perfect end to a rather tiring week. E's getting his first molar on the upper right side. His gum line has been black and blue since Monday and he's been very clingy, whiney and sporting a wicked diaper rash (his usual teething signs). Anyhow, I have been teaching please and thank you signs to E over the last month and he has finally signed it. I am so proud of him!

All this thank you business got me thinking of how often we took our parents for granted and how little appreciation they got when we were younger. I know I put my parents through a lot growing up and I can only imagine how they felt during those years. Parenting is a selfless job and I cannot be anymore grateful for having two wonderful, loving and supportive parents. I know I can never express enough to them how happy they are my parents. Thank you Mom & Dad!!!!

Welcome SUMMER!!!

I can't believe it's already JUNE!!! Where does the time go?!?!? This past weekend marked the "official" start to our summer and couldn't have been anymore fulfilling. I am so excited of what this summer has in store for us. E is so mobile and aware of things that I think we will be able to take him to see and learn LOTS of fun stuff. After our lovely time at Gillson Park on Saturday, Dave, Evan took Evan to the beach for his first time. When we set him down in the sand he cried at first. He didn't like it one bit. Dave tried to get him to play with the sand bucket and shovels but he just observed Dave doing it. After a minute or so he began to touch the sand and realized it wasn't all that bad. He became brave after playing for a bit and started to crawl towards the water. We were about 25 feet away from it. Evan crawled for about 5 feet, got up and walked the rest of the way. Much to my surprised he only fell down once. When he made it to the water he was a bit reluctant to go in so Dave held his hands as they walked in together. Evan didn't stop. He just kept walking. Silly me I didn't bring a change of clothes so I decided that we better take his clothes off so he doesn't get soaking wet and have to go home naked. Despite the warm weather it was cooler by the lake. Anyhow, I took lots of pictures but uploaded a couple here. Looking forward to going back soon!

The rest of the weekend we grilled dinner while taking in the peacefulness of our back deck. Believe it or not...it is quiet in terms of 'city living'. I finished a book from the Redemption Series...so eager to start the next one tonight. I also finished a page of E's scrapbook. So much more to go but it will be done soon. I am determined ;0) Evan really really really enjoyed his new water table and will hopefully continue enjoy it throughout the summer. Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday weekend as well.