Playing Cars with Daddy

Evan always has the best time playing with Daddy! Such an infectious little giggle!!

Evan's First Big Snow Storm

On Sunday after Christmas, we had originally planned to stay in RI for the day and watch the Patriots game with everyone. However, Mother Nature had a different plan for us. There was a big snow storm coming and so we either needed to leave early on Sunday or plan on staying until Tuesday. While it would have been fun to be snowed in at Papa and Gramma's, we decided to leave on Sunday. This turned out to be a good thing seeing as we all came down with a nasty stomach bug on Monday. Bruce had it the worst but fortunately Evan didn't have it very bad. We were down and out for about 48 hours and were mostly recovered by Wednesday. The storm ended up being less than anticipated as we only got about seven or eight inches. Wednesday, when we were all feeling better, we took Evan out to "play" in the snow for the first time. While he didn't hate it, I don't think he really knew what to think of it. He made a little snow angel and had a ride on a "sled" (really a trash can lid and jumper cables). I think we should work on upgrading our "sled" before the next storm!

My First Christmas!

Whew! What a busy day! Busy but so much fun!! After staying up so late, Evan slept in pretty late as well. He first started stirring a little after nine and Bruce and I were anxious to start our first Christmas as a family. When we went into his room to get him, he was all smiles...as he is almost every morning. We had some breakfast and then began opening gifts. Evan was just about as excited about the wrapping paper and bows as he was about his gifts.

After getting ready and packed up, we headed to RI to have dinner at Uncle Dan and Aunt Karin's new house. They put on a wonderful meal and Evan enjoyed the ham and twice baked potatoes. After dinner, it was time for a nap for the little boys. While Evan and Sean napped, we opened gifts. Danny was excited about all of his toys and could hardly wait until it was his turn to open another gift. Just as I began to open Evan's gifts, he woke up. I guess he didn't want to miss it! He must have been a very good boy this year because EVERYONE spoiled him...probably more than we did!

Christmas night, after video conferencing with Omi and Grandpa Bob, we went to Uncle Glenn and Aunt Chris's for the annual Dowding dessert and yankee swap. Even after such a long day, Evan was great! He spent quite a bit of time with Bumpa and shared lots of smiles and giggles with everyone. We spent Christmas night at Gramma and Papa's house so that we didn't have to drive as far. Once again, when we got home, Evan got a second wind and was not quite ready for bed. He spent some time sitting on Papa and Gramma's big bed being awfully silly!

What a wonderful first Christmas! Evan sure is a lucky little boy! And we are a blessed mommy and daddy!

Waiting for Santa

Christmas is always a special time of year for us because we spend the holidays with wonderful family members that we do not see as often as we would like. This year it is extra special with our first first-hand Santa experience. We spent Christmas Eve with the Kavanagh's and had an amazing feast at Aunt Linda and Uncle Louie's. As always, the food and the company were great! One of Santa's helpers made a special appearance and had gifts for all of the great-grandkids. Some of the kids (especially Jackson) were very excited about Santa, others (especially Evan) were a bit scared. We decided to drive home so that we could wake up Christmas morning at home. We arrived home a little after 10 and Evan was so excited that Santa was coming in just a few hours that he didn't want to go to sleep. We enjoyed almost an hour of his smiles and laughter before putting him to bed around 11! I am sure Evan's Christmas Eve excitement will continue to grow in years to come!

We Need A Little Christmas!

A week or so ago we received a musical Christmas ornament in the mail from Omi and Grandpa Bob. Ever since it arrived, every time we play it Evan gets excited and dances. It is just too cute! Thanks, Omi and Grandpa! Enjoy the videos!

Happy Holidays!

This year the holiday season has been so much fun! We have been enjoying sharing our traditions with Evan and watching his expression as he is exposed to the spirit of Christmas. We have been decorating, wrapping, baking 20+ dozen cookies (check out the three videos of Evan "helping" with the sprinkles), singing, watching the snow fall...and doing it all as a family! It has truly been wonderful! The next few days are sure to be busy and a bit crazy but also so much fun as we share in the celebration of Evan's first Christmas! Happy Holidays to all!



In addition to enjoying the holidays, Evan has been growing, growing, growing! I put him on the scale today and he weighed-in at 22 pounds! He has outgrown all of his 6 month clothes and is wearing mostly 9 months with some 12 months too! What a big boy! Evan continues to eat really well and has added yogurt, cheese, steak, ham, and oatmeal to the list of items he enjoys. Evan doesn't seem all that interested in crawling but he has moved onto one knee while reaching for something he is interested in. I am sure it won't be long before he puts it all together! His bottom teeth grow bigger and bigger and are being joined by the top two which started coming in on the 11th. Evan is currently getting over his third cold and we are hopeful that he will be feeling back to his usual self by Christmas!

Seven Months Old and Christmas Photo Shoot

What is the perfect way to celebrate Evan's 7 month birthday? Why, a Christmas photo shoot of course!! We knew we wanted to take some pictures for our Christmas cards this year and today was the perfect chance to do so. I think we may have gone a little over board though...we took 162 pictures...just today! Evan is moving and squirming around so much now though that some are blurry. Looks like we will have plenty (probably too many) to choose from for our cards!

Visiting the O’Shea’s

After a relatively low-key week where Evan and I were sick and Bruce was in Florida at a conference, we had a very busy weekend! Papa and Gramma picked Bruce up at the airport when he returned on Friday and brought him back home. It was very convenient seeing that they were going to be coming to Millbury that night to baby-sit for Evan anyway while Bruce and I attended his company holiday party. We had a great time, so good in fact that we ended up getting home much later than expected. Sorry, Papa and Gramma!
Saturday morning, we packed up the car and headed to Haddonfield, NJ to visit the O’Shea’s. They moved back from Mexico in July and this was the first chance we had to see them. While it was a bit of a long way to go, for what ended up being a relatively short visit, it was great to see them. Their kids are getting so big! Can’t believe the twins are six and Quinn is almost four! Time flies!

In Other News…

…I won’t be going back to school this year. We have decided that I will be taking the entire 2010-2011 school-year off and spending the time at home with Evan. I have loved our time together so much and everyday gets better. Instead of 80+ high school students, I will be spending my days with our sweet little guy! What is better than that? Nothing!!

Decorating the Christmas Tree

This year we decided (for two reasons) to put up our Christmas tree a little earlier than we normally do. For one, we have a really busy December planned and so this was the best weekend for it; and two, we are really excited to start the holiday season with Evan and see the holidays through his eyes. On Saturday when we got home from RI, we immediately went to buy a tree. It was as cold as it has been all season so we were all bundled up to stay warm. Evan fell asleep in the car on the way there and slept through the choosing of the tree. But boy did he look cute doing so! We let the tree lay out for a day or two and decorated tonight. When the tree was bare, Evan wasn’t sure what to think and in fact I think he was a little scared of it. Once the lights were on, he warmed up to it a little bit and once the ornaments were on, he really liked it. Bruce and I have quite a few ornaments from our childhood (a tradition we are planning to start with Evan too) which is nice because he can play with many of the ornaments. Can’t wait to see what he thinks of the wrapped presents!

Gobble, Gobble!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!! Boy, do we have a lot to be thankful for this year? Our precious little boy brings us more joy than we ever dreamed of. We had a very nice day which started out with what will become an annual family ritual – watching the Macy’s Day Parade. Evan napped through most of it but saw the beginning and woke up just in time to see Santa Claus. Due to the Patriots game, our turkey day dinner was a little later than usual which was good because we had a lot to get together. This also gave us plenty of time to video chat with Grandpa Bob, Omi, Auntie Kristina, Uncle Ty and Hannah who were all enjoying their holiday together in Montana. It was nice to “see” them even though we weren’t together.
We had dinner with the Dowding’s and Evan tried his first bit of turkey. A little while after dinner, we headed to the Kavanagh gathering. Evan only had a short afternoon nap and I joked with Bruce that we should say “Hello” and “Goodbye” at the same time because I didn’t think Evan would last too long. Much to our surprise, our little guy was a trooper!! We stayed and visited for a long time and he was an angel!

Pop!

We (especially Bruce) are suckers for Evan’s laugh!

Fun with Cousins!

Today Evan and I spent the day at Gramma and Papa’s house with Danny and Sean. It was a really fun day for everyone!! We don’t often go to RI on Monday’s because Papa and Gramma are busy with the boys. After today, I think maybe we should go more often because it was great to see all the boys playing together, especially the little guys while Danny napped! Today was certainly one benefit from Papa not being able to lift the little ones due to his surgery last week! (Well and the fact that he feels much better now too!) Check out the videos (one, two, three) too.

A Pats Family Photo

A quite Sunday afternoon at home watching our Patriots beat Indy!

My Friend in the Mirror

Six Month Stats

The stats from Evan’s six (and almost a half) month doctor’s visit are in. Weight: 20 lbs, 12 oz (89th percentile); Height: 28.5 inches (94th percentile); Head Circumference (Home measured) 47 cm (99th percentile). The nurse at the pediatricians office said that Evan’s head circumference was 44 but it was 44.5 at his four month appointment so I rechecked this when we got home and found that 47 was the correct measurement. A big head means a big brain, right? We think so for sure with this (not so) little guy!

Happy (not so) little guy!

I Love My Daddy!

My daddy is fun!






And he makes me feel better when I don't feel so good!

Who Needs Toys…

…When you have an empty box of wipes, an egg carton, an avocado and a sippy cup?

Look at What’s New!

Last Saturday night, Evan had a tough time going to bed and staying asleep. He would fuss for a bit and then fall asleep only to wake up and repeat the process about 30-40 minutes later. We knew his teeth were close to coming in so we figured that must have been the problem. Sunday morning when he woke up he had a new tooth…just in time for his half-birthday! It was tough to see but you could certainly feel it. Then Monday, I realized that he had not one but two little teeth! I am still not sure if they both popped through together but there they are…cute, little, sharp…and tough to photograph!!
On Tuesday when we went to the grocery store, I bought Evan some Gerber Puffs, in honor of his new teeth. He is not quite sure what to think of the new flavor and texture. The faces he makes are priceless! After a little while I’m sure he will grow to love them just like his cousins do!

What a Difference Four Months Makes!

Today Mindy and Jayten came to visit and boy what a difference four months makes! The last time they were here was the end of June and the boys were not quite two months old. Now they are both about six months and much more fun and interactive. They had fun playing together and with Wally while Mindy and I had a good time catching up. If you want to see how much they have changed, check out A Big Boy in a Bumbo.

Six Months!!!

Six months ago today our lives were changed and will never be the same! Six months…how can six months have already passed since Evan was born and we became a family of three?? It is hard to imagine what life was like before Evan but I know what life is like now. It is full of wonderful smiles, an infectious giggle, and unconditional love. I had no idea that you could love someone so much and simply thrive on doing everything within your control to make them happy. We have had more fun in the last six months than I ever thought possible. Sure it hasn’t all been smiles and giggles, it is a lot of hard work too, but it is all worth it. Every minute!! Evan, Mommy and Daddy love you more than you will ever know. Thank you for being everything we ever dreamed of and more!! Can’t wait to see what the next six months brings!

Happy Halloween!

Today we met Papa & Gramma, Uncle Dan, Auntie Karin, Danny & Sean, Grammy and Bumpa at Effins for lunch. We wanted to be able to get all the boys together in their Halloween costumes but still have everyone home in time for the Pats game and trick-or-treaters. This was the perfect solution!

When we got home, we had a quick video conference with Omi and Grandpa so that they could see him in his costume as well. We brought Evan to the door a few times when trick-or-treaters rang the bell. Evan was the cutest little carrot (according to Danny)…I mean pumpkin…ever!

Daddy Day!

I had class again this afternoon so it was a Daddy Day! This time Evan and Daddy spent the entire afternoon together alone (last time Omi was here). As I wasn’t here I can’t provide lots of details but I do know that they watched some of the Rally to Restore Sanity, went for a run, and had a little photo shoot. I also know that both Daddy and Evan had a great day together just boys! The first of many!!

A Collection of Photos

Some photos are just too cute not to post but don’t really have a story to tell. Here are a few of those. There are also some new videos on YouTube.

Happy Birthday (again), Daddy!

This year on Bruce’s birthday we were driving to Myrtle Beach. As a result, we didn’t really have a chance to celebrate his day as we normally do…with peaches and cream pie. Shortly after our vacation I bought peaches to make his pie but they rotted before I could make it. So I had to get more peaches and wait for them to be completely (almost past) ripe without rotting. This led to a very late, but still tasty, peaches and cream pie!

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

Pats with my Pals

Today we were invited to Carl and Hannah’s for the Pats game and an Oktoberfest celebration. Adam, Carl and Hannah’s son, was born about five weeks before Evan and the last time we saw them both Hannah and I were still pregnant. We had been wanting to meet Adam so what a great excuse to get together with some friends that we don’t see very often. We didn’t know too many people at the party but our good friends, Mike and Michelle were there with their son Dylan, along with lots of other families with young kids. As you can see, the boys had fun playing together!

A Future Reporter??

Do we have a budding news reporter on our hands or just a well-informed citizen? Daddy and Evan read the paper together on a lazy Sunday morning.

Look Dad, $100 off at Rotmans

Are we in a low signal strength zone, Dad?

Omi and Grandpa Bob Come to Visit

Whew! What a busy week we had! Last Thursday evening, Omi and Grandpa Bob arrived in Boston. Grandpa had a conference in Boston through the weekend so we didn’t see him until Sunday but we spent the weekend with Omi. Their flight got in around 6:30 pm and it took a little while for Omi and Daddy to get home but when they did Evan was all smiles for a little while. A special treat for Omi I’m sure, especially considering she hadn’t seen Evan since August in Chicago.

Friday was a pretty low key day with lots of Evan-TV. Saturday, I started another graduate class so I was gone all afternoon which gave Evan, Bruce and Omi some time to spend together. It was a chilly day but they bundled up and went for a walk on the bike path.

Sunday was race day! Bruce, Uncle Dan, cousins Mark and Jen, and I ran in the Amica Half Marathon in Newport. We woke up early and drove to RI to drop Evan off with Gramma so that we (the runners) could head to the race and Papa, Aunt Karin, Danny and Omi could come cheer us on. Grammy and Sean stayed back at the house with Gramma and Evan while we ran. It was a beautiful day! Much better than last year! And I think everyone was pleased with his or her performance. Bruce and I had a couple of minor injuries but we were able to push through them and complete the race in good time. After the race and post race festivities, we went back to Papa and Gramma’s house to watch the Pats and have some lunch. Grandpa Bob took the train to Providence so that he could join us for the celebration!

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday were pretty low key as well considering that Bruce and I had both come down with Evan’s cold. He started getting sick on Friday and seemed to be mostly over it by Monday but it his us a bit harder. It was nice having Grandpa and Omi here as two more sets of hands that were eager and willing to take care of Evan in the mornings, allowing Bruce and I to sleep in a bit. Monday, Bruce and Grandpa hung the storm door, a project that was two years overdue! Tuesday, we all went to Old Sturbridge Village for lunch and to tour the village. It was a beautiful day and we were able to see both the sawmill and the carding mill in operation. Wednesday night Bruce and I were both feeling better and so we had a date night, leaving Evan to spend some QT with Omi and Grandpa. Thanks for coming to visit, Omi and Grandpa Bob!

My New Snowsuit…Maybe…

After we dropped Omi and Grandpa off at the airport, Evan and I went to spend the day with Papa and Gramma. When we got there everyone was still sleeping because Evan, being the good sharer that he is, passed his cold on to both Papa and Gramma too. While we were there, Gramma showed us the snowsuit that they had bought for him. It is just adorable! We tried it on him and while it fits him now, I’m not so sure it will come February so we will have to exchange it for the next size.

Silly Brain Eater and Gobble, Gobble

Daddy’s do silly things to make babies laugh!

Evan Loves Bath Time!

As Evan continues to get bigger, he grows more and more fond of bath time. He sits up quite well in the tub and loves splashing and playing with his toys from his pal, Jayten. Tonight after his bath we had a little photo shoot of him in his adorable Pooh Bear robe. Such a little model!

Abby and Connor Come to Visit

Today the Cenotti’s (minus Chris) came to visit. It was a beautiful day and we were able to have lunch out on the deck, complete with Connor trying to eat leaves that Abby was gathering from the yard! All three kids were very well behaved and had a great time playing together. Plus they all napped at the same time which was an especially nice treat for Amelia and I, giving us a chance for some much needed girl talk! Once they all woke up from their naps, we took advantage of the beautiful weather and went for a little walk through the neighborhood. What a great day!

Another big event of the day was that Evan rolled over for the first time!! Just after Amelia and the kids left, Evan was in the living room while I ran to the bathroom. I heard lots of slurping (what I thought was spit-up) and went to investigate just in time to see him roll over!! We are in trouble now!

Columbus Day

In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue…or maybe not depending on what historian you listen to. Either way a Monday holiday is a good excuse to go shopping! Today Evan and I went to RI for the day. Evan stayed with Papa while Gramma and I went to lunch and shopping. A fun day for all!

I'm ready to sail the ocean blue!

Don't I look cute, Gramma?

Five Months Old!

Evan is five months old today!! And he is full of surprises these days. It seems like everyday he does something new. His hand-eye coordination improves everyday and he reaches out and grabs everything he sees, including our drinks and French fries off of my plate! Some of Evan’s latest tricks are getting his toes into his mouth (something he has been working at for some time now); sitting up mostly on his own with only occasional help from pillows; and panting like a dog (check out the video, it’s funny!) Evan has also added another food…applesauce made from the apples we picked on Sunday. We are having so much fun as he continues to develop into a little man with a wonderful personality! There were so many great pictures, it was hard to choose just a few. You can find them all here. Enjoy the photos!

I'm gonna get them!	Trying, trying, trying!	Look at me....sitting up!
This is fun!	Whew, tough work!	Love that applesauce!
Seal tail tastes good too	Kisses for the seal	I am 5 months old today!
Got my toes while sitting up	Chillaxin'	Opps! I rolled over!
ROAR!	Daddy is my best pal!	Still trying, trying, trying!
Got it!	Look at what I found, Dad	Got it again!

Apple Picking

When I was growing up, it was a tradition in my family to go apple picking each fall with my mom’s family. We would meet at A&W for lunch, go apple picking and then go back to my parents’ house to watch the Pats. The girls would make apple pies while the boys went out and played football in the street. While we haven’t continued this tradition on an annual basis in the recent years, we have gone occasionally, including today.
It was a little late in the season and unfortunately a little cooler than we thought it would be but we met Papa & Gramma, Aunt Karin, Danny and Grammy at A&W for lunch to begin our adventure. (Uncle Dan and Sean stayed home to catch up on some much needed R&R.) We had planned to eat at the picnic tables but the wind was blowing quite strongly and so we piled into the minivan to eat our hot wieners. After feeling how chilly it was and realizing that we weren’t quite dressed for it, we were ready to head home without picking apples but Danny wouldn’t allow it. He was really excited to “go into the forest and pick apples”; he even wore two hats (although no one knows why)! So we decided to go and it turned out to be a lot of fun. Sure it was a little chilly but not too bad. I hope we can make this an annual event for Evan, Danny and Sean. Maybe next year we can invite more of mom’s family too…just like we used to!

Is this a good apple to pick?	Our first picked apple	Daddy getting the ones up high
Nice work, Daddy!	Danny "in the forest apple picking"	Evan's own little apple
Danny, Evan and Mommy	Auntie Karin and Grammy	Did you see that touchdown, Grammy?
Nice and shiny just for me!	Sean playing with his toys	Danny watching Scoobie Doobie Doo with Papa

I love my Papa!

All the little ones hang on every word Papa says!

Zerberts from Danny

Homemade Carrots

Today was my first attempt at making baby food for Evan. Until now he hasn’t had anything besides formula, rice cereal and bananas. When we saw Dr. Gonroff last week she told us we could start fruits and orange veggies so we decided to start with carrots. Plus we already had plenty of them in the fridge. As you can tell from the photos, we can add carrots to the list of foods that Evan likes!

First homemade baby food	My first bite of carrots	I'm not so sure about this!
Getting a bit better	Yummy when mixed with cereal	Um Dad, I think you added too much liquid...its like carrot soup!

Ready and waiting!

What a mess!