Simon's World

Conversations with Simon

2012-02-02T19:57:00.001-06:00

This conversation happened after a rough morning of toddler antics.

Me: simon, I'm sorry I got mad but sometimes you push my buttons.

Simon: (looking very concerned) mommy, I'm sorry I push your buttons. Hug and kiss?

He then gave me the best hug and kiss that melted my heart.

A little later that afternoon we were sitting on the floor putting a puzzle together when all of a sudden he got up and walked behind me. He spent some time inspecting my back then looked at me with a huge grin on his face and said, 'mommy! No more buttons to push!!'

Ah I love him.

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Our Favorite Hangout

2012-01-24T20:43:00.001-06:00

Simon and I love Starbucks! We love taking a break from our day of running errands, playing with cars, and learning our ABCs to enjoy a treat. Simons preference is for the yogurt with granola while I prefer a nice hot coffee. Here are some pics, you can see simon was concerned with the level of his privacy and felt the need to remain mysterious.

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Heritage Farm Museum

2012-01-24T20:36:00.001-06:00

In my quest to keep my toddler busy and entertained we have visited several museums in cold weather. Our latest venture was to the Heritage Farm Museum in Virginia. Picture a warehouse that is transformed into a time when general stores were the place to be, milking the cow and collecting eggs from hens was a daily chore, and hard back breaking labor went into making every meal. They had some fun interactive stuff for Simon and lots of history and reading about life back in the old days for the adults. Not sure how I felt about the whole thing but it kept simon busy for a good two hours, so mission accomplished.

In the kitchen

Simon making daddy dinner

Jojo milking a fake cow, simon wouldn't touch it

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Some Snow Pictures

2012-01-22T21:16:00.001-06:00

I guess it is winter so the presence of snow is to be expected...that still doesn't mean I have to like it.

Simon seems to really enjoy snow however getting dressed for outside is a struggle. After sending my mom one of these photos she responded as most grandparents would 'where's his hat?'. Well after forcing him into 2 pairs of socks, 2 pairs of pants, layers of shirts, boots (why oh why are boots so difficult to put on a child?), a coat and mittens I had no fight left in me for a hat. I'm just happy this year he is wearing his gloves maybe next year will be the year of the hat.

With his very own shovel...yup that's lightning McQueen on there.

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The Zoo

2012-01-12T18:48:00.001-06:00

Wow, what a beautiful day for January!!! I decided not to waste the 65 degree temps and headed out to the zoo with simon. We had a great time watching the monkeys, pandas, reptiles, and especially the elephants.

Enjoying lunch on a bench

My favorite, simon and the panda eating snacks

Watching the elephants, he was concerned this one was sad because his other two elephant friends were on the other side of the fence (his girlfriends)

So cute!

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Cars cars cars

2012-01-12T18:42:00.001-06:00

This kid LOVES cars with a special affinity for Lightning McQueen and related characters. I seriously am afraid our house will not be able to hold anymore toy cars. As with the real world you can see from the picture that simon also knows what happens when there are too many cars trying to get to one place.

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Playmuseum

2012-01-12T18:37:00.001-06:00

Bethesda has a great place called 'playmuseum' and Simon and I decided we had to check it out. At first it was a little strange, to get in you have to find a door in a strip mall and walk downstairs to the basement. But once there it was like heaven on earth for a toddler. The basement was separated into smaller rooms each with a theme: grocery store (complete with mini carts, real cash register, and fake food), fire truck room, animal room (with live rabbits, birds and reptiles), construction room, kitchen, etc. We went on a weekday so it wasn't too crowded and basically had the run of the place. We even were there for story time when a young man read the most enthusiastic version of 'brown bear' I ever heard. I couldn't help but think that Andy would probably love the place and have more fun there than simon :)

Construction room

Firetruck room

Safety first!

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Mommy, what's that mean?

2011-12-21T19:22:00.001-06:00

Simon is very curious and lately has been asking what things mean. For instance, while we were in the car today here is our conversation.

Simon: mommy, what's christmas mean?
Me: Christmas is when Jesus was born.
Simon: what's that mean?
Me: Jesus came to earth so we can go to heaven
Simon: what's heaven mean?
Me: heaven is where Jesus lives
Simon: whats that mean?
Me: hey simon look over there at those pretty lights

Love all his questions but sometimes distraction is just as productive.

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Firetrucks!!!

2011-11-27T20:32:00.001-06:00

As with any 2 year old, lots of things excite him...cars, trains, dinosaurs, bikes, tractors, and of course firetrucks. While in NJ we visited Poppops firehouse and simon had the chance to see all the big trucks, sit in the drivers seat (he actually managed to turn one of the engines on much to our surprise), wear poppops helmet and even talk on the loudspeaker in the ATV (he chose to yell 'MOMMY').

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Ikea

2011-11-18T14:20:00.001-06:00

Who knew IKEA was the place to be with kids on a Friday? First of all I love IKEA, second of all i love going there with simon because it is like a big playroom for him to run around. Today when we went there was a bonus puppet show! Plus simon got to eat free!! I love IKEA!

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Visit with Nana

2011-11-18T14:14:00.001-06:00

Had a lovely visit with nana this past weekend. Went to the air and space museum, played at the super fun park, and simon and nana made sweet potato biscuits. It was a lot of fun and good times were had by all:)

Watching planes land

Simon expanding his cooking expertise

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Lions, Tigers, and...,Tweetie?

2011-11-08T19:53:00.001-06:00

This weekend was beautiful! We went up to NJ to visit Babchi and Poppop. While there we went to Cattus Island state park, the Popcorn Park Zoo, a seaport museum, and a safari! We saw turtles, fish, lions, tigers, bears, birds, zebras, giraffes, water buffalo, and a bunch of other animals.

At the safari we were able to feed the giraffes some carrots. I wasn't sure how this was going to go since simon isn't a big fan of large animals. Maybe because he was with his Poppop it was ok because he did way better than I thought.

Um not sure....

Too close! Too close!

Babchi and the giraffes

Andy and the giraffes

Hanging out on a tiger

The winefest we went to was at six flags so we also got a chance to hang with some Looney Tunes characters. Simon LOVED tweetie bird. So much so that at one point tweetie just sat on the ground to play with him :)

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Trick or Treat

2011-11-02T18:10:00.001-05:00

This year for halloween I decided simon would be Thomas the Train. Since he is still young I thought it best to choose a character he loves. I spent a good deal of time making said costume even though in the back of my mind I knew there was no way he was going to wear it. Luckily he had a train hat so when he wore that with overalls he looked like a conductor.

First we went to a harvest party at our church. They had a lot of games and of course candy. Here is a picture of simon and his buddy Blake. Even though the lobby was super busy and crowded these two thought it was the perfect spot for a lollipop break.

On Halloween we went trick or treating at our friends house in a nearby town. I didn't get any good pictures but Abby and Phoebe went as little princess ballerinas while simon wore his hat.

The only pic I've been able to get

Andy being a trooper and wearing the costume the best he can

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Snow in OCTOBER!!

2011-10-29T21:31:00.001-05:00

Yup, it snowed all day today. RIDICULOUS. I'm not a fan of winter so to be already having to deal with the fluffy white stuff falling from the sky makes me not very happy. None of it stuck to the roads or sidewalks but that's not the point, it isn't even Halloween yet. Aughhh, it's going to be a long winter.

My poor pumpkin

At least it seems he is going to
wear his hat and gloves this year

First snowmen

Fall Fun

2011-10-22T21:21:00.001-05:00

We took a little trip out to Jumbos farm for some fall festivities. First there was a hay ride out to a corn maze. It was a pretty impressive corn maze but I was confident in our directional abilities so we decided not to buy the two dollar map at the entrance (a decision I will later regret). Simon took the lead for the first twenty minutes telling us which way we should go and he did a pretty good job of avoiding dead ends. Then as most toddlers will do he found that picking up corn and throwing it was a much better way to spend his time while wondering around tall corn stalks. After a half hour or so we made it to the platform in the middle which one would assume is for helping you find your way out. Not the case here my friend. It gave a better view for sure but helping in any way not so much. We decided it best to head in the general direction of the exit and by chance saw some smaller trails through the corn no doubt made by other individuals in our predicament who just wanted to get the heck out of the corn no matter the cost. After finding two such short cuts alas we found the exit! I think I speak for everyone in my family when I say that we have had our fill of corn mazes for the year.

After the corn maze we got to pick a pumpkin and take another hay ride. They also had lots of animals to look at; chickens (simon loved), sheep (simon tolerated), goats (no way we were getting close to them), and cows (didn't actually see the cows because when I mentioned their name simon took off in the opposite direction).

Enjoy the pictures!

Picking corn to throw in the maze

Made it out of the maze

Allowing me to take a picture with him

So cute

Being silly

Our pumpkin!

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Port A Vacation Photos

2011-10-16T17:41:00.001-05:00

Spending sometime with friends in port aransas Texas. Having a great time!

Wondering how fast he can get in the water.

Eating pizza at the gaff listening to a good band

Visiting the museum sitting in an old Farley boat.

Catching waves with daddy

He loved sitting on the board and riding a few waves in, even handled wiping out a few times!

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Surf fishing with daddy and poppop

2011-10-10T07:07:00.001-05:00

We spent the evening enjoying watching the moon rise over the ocean while drinking some good wine and catching fish. The best way to spend the evening :)

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Cooking with Simon

2011-09-27T19:44:00.001-05:00

Simon loves to help me cook, bake, marinate, mix, basically make big messes :) it's the best.

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Apple Picking

2011-09-12T12:25:00.001-05:00

Today was a beautiful day so I decided to take simon apple picking. What fun we would have! There is a great farm close by that has all kinds of pick your own fruits and also has farm animals that simon (in the past) has loved to look at and feed.

The morning started out a little shaky because someone was up early and seemed to be cranky. But I pressed on, determined to go through with things even though all signs pointed to staying home hiding under the covers.

We started out fine, walking through the orchard with simon munching on an apple enjoying the sunshine. Things were muddy but not too bad. The more we walked the whinier he became so after just one row of apples I decided to turn around and go to the other orchard.

I was walking ahead of him to keep him moving and not really listening to the whines and cries of an unhappy toddler. When I did turn around the poor guy had wandered off of the path I was taking and was in grass up to his waist and a huge puddle. He was a trooper and even though he was NOT happy he kept going, I think he knew there was no way I was going in after him :). After he got back on track I gave him some M&Ms to help lift his spirits, forget his wet soggy shoes, and more importantly walk back to the car.

After a few minutes of walking we came up to the animal part of the farm. The same part where simon has spent many times feeding and enjoying the animals. Not today my friends. He took one look at that poor cow and started screaming like he was staring in the face of an angry bull and not a small gentle cow sitting behind a fence. Carrying him now we made it past the scary, crazy-eyed goats and some terrifying golden retrievers whose main job is to greet guests and give slobbery kisses.

At this point, I am muddy and tired from carrying him and no amount of M&Ms can help this situation. Desperately clutching and hanging onto me we made it to the front store to pick up a few more veggies. Thinking we were safe simon agreed to be pried off my body and help me pick tomatoes unaware that other unforeseen dangers were waiting for him (a slow moving tractor and a minivan).

We are home now. Wet shoes and clothes are off and drying. Lunch has been eaten and now it is nap time. Thank heaven for nap time.

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Trains!!!

2011-09-10T19:23:00.001-05:00

Went to a train show today. At first we were a little unsure of how it was going to go but simon loved it! Didn't even care that he couldn't touch anything.

On another note I discovered this new app where I can update my blog on my phone so hopefully I will be posting more often:)

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First Boating Lesson

2011-07-12T08:42:00.002-05:00

Simon had his first boating lesson this weekend. He loved going fast on Pop pop's boat and then was able to drive it for a bit (we did a lot of circles). So fun!

Delaware Vacation

2011-07-06T07:11:00.003-05:00

We had the chance to spend some time in Delaware over July 4th weekend. Pool, beach, ice cream...we had a great time!

Daycare Days

2011-05-18T12:02:00.003-05:00

Simon goes to daycare two days a week and loves it. He comes home babbling on and on about things they did and loves to show off his work. Our daycare provider homeschools her two boys and Simon loves sitting at the desk with them completing his own school work :) Here are some pics that they sent me.

Simon Turns Two!

2011-05-03T07:52:00.003-05:00

Last weekend Simon turned two-years-old! I have a hard time believing that he is already two but then instantly reminded when he starts to show those lovely 'terrible two' traits.

We were in NJ for easter as well as to have a party for Simon with our NJ friends and family. It was a great weekend, dying eggs, egg hunts, birthday cake, presents, a trip to the ER...oh wait that last one wasn't so great. Along with turning 2, Simon (and his parents) also had his first experience with croup. It was scary as he woke up from his nap not being able to breathe, we rushed him to the ER, with an aunt, cousin, and Babchi in tow. They gave him the meds, including a nebulizer treatment, which turned into a nebulizer wrestling match with Simon fighting off Mom, Dad and the nurse. He recovered quickly and for that we are were very grateful!

It has been awhile....

2011-05-03T07:49:00.003-05:00

Not even sure if anyone still looks at this blog but I have definitely been slacking in the blogging department :) Here are some updated pics of our little man. More pics from his 2nd bday to follow.

Sand, swimming, and slides

2010-06-30T08:19:00.005-05:00

Simon LOVES water! We recently spent some time in New Jersey where he got to visit the bay, swim in a few pools (both large and small) and go to Breakwater Beach (a waterpark). He couldn't get enough of the stuff!

Simon and Daddy

Sliding can be hazardous

Simon turns 1!

2010-05-26T19:26:00.006-05:00

A few weeks ago we celebrated Simon's 1st birthday as well as Poppop's and my birthdays which were later in the month. It's taken me awhile to post the pictures but enjoy!

Simon's "smash" cake

The birthday cake...although I did take a cake decorating class this is WAY better than I could ever do (a friend's daughter, an aspiring cake decorator, made it).

Beautiful and delicious!

Not so sure about this whole cake thing

Didn't eat much of it but loved tearing through it:)

Poppop and me!

Cleaning up

The family

Favorite Toy

2010-04-06T12:56:00.002-05:00

My son's favorite toy is a stuffed rat...yes a stuffed RAT. I think even more disturbing is that he carries it around by the tail. Where does one get a stuffed rat you may ask, well IKEA of course (thanks Josie!).

Evans NC Visit

2010-03-30T19:53:00.007-05:00

Visited Ben and Beth at their new house in NC over the weekend. Had a great time and here are some pics, enjoy!

Ally and Simon planning their escape

Ally petting Simon

Simon taking Ally down

She recovered well :)

Trying to get some exercise in

Simon determined to get rid of the baby flab

Nana and Isaac guarding the stairs

The Evans boys

Rachel wishing someone would share their ice cream

Ethan's third balloon, not thrilled with the hat

Simon showing everyone how to correctly destroy a kitchen

Welcome to Maryland...here's 3 feet of snow.

2010-02-23T10:38:00.002-06:00

Wow, what a crazy month we have had. Closed on our townhouse, moved in during a snowstorm, very next week ANOTHER snow storm, followed by yet another storm. All I keep hearing from people is "We never get this much snow in Maryland", yeah, whatever, tell that to my shoveling muscles :) Although it was bad and I am ready to see the snow gone it was a great time to meet our neighbors and Andy had a whole week off of work to help unpack.

We are pretty much settled into the house. We plan on taking some time before starting any projects although we are anxious to make some changes (kitchen and some bathroom updates and of course painting).

Simon started daycare this week, he is attending a home daycare that is about 6-7 minutes away. It is a very nice family, they watch 3 or 4 kids, spend as much time outside as they can (when weather allows), and have yoga time! I think it is just a relaxing time for the kids, but I love picturing a bunch of babies doing sun salutations and warrior one poses :)

We haven't been able to explore much outside (due to all the snow and bad weather) but in the next few weeks we plan on getting into DC and checking out all the area has to offer. Although we miss Texas and our friends there we are looking forward to this next stage in our lives. This past weekend we were able to go to a family reunion down in Richmond, VA and this next weekend plan on going to NJ for a b-day party and to see the big polar bear plunge event in Seaside. Soon we also hope to visit with Andy's brother down in NC and let Simon and his cousin Ally become best buds, these are all things that would not have been possible in TX so we are grateful.

Don't have any pictures to post right now but I will get some soon of the house and of our little rascal, Simon.

Christmas Steps

2010-01-19T19:22:00.003-06:00

Merry Go Round

2010-01-19T19:11:00.004-06:00

Simon went on his first ride on the merry go round! We think he enjoyed it but it is hard to tell, you decide.

So tired on the walk home...

Update: Still homeless and waiting to close on the house. It might happen this friday but we are thinking it will be early next week.

Exciting Times!

2010-01-08T14:42:00.003-06:00

Quick update: Andy has started his new job at NIH in Bethesda, MD and loving it. On top of starting a new job he is also super busy with house stuff...that's right! We bought a townhouse! It took AWHILE but it all fell into place. Right now the paperwork is going through and we should close the week of the 19th. In the meantime, he is still living with his aunt and uncle in northern Virginia while Simon, Javy and I are living in NJ. Not the greatest of living situations but it will do for the next couple of weeks. Our families are very generous by letting us crash at their houses and we really appreciate all the help!

Here are some pictures from Christmas. I have a great short video of Simon walking (with the help of his new walker/push toy thing) but can't seem to get it to upload to the blog (very frustrating). He is very good at walking while holding onto something and even forgets sometimes that he needs to hold onto something, which doesn't end well.

Simon loved climbing over the presents

Still climbing

Daddy and Simon at the Jenkinson's Aquarium

Watch out

Texas didn't win but Simon was representing.
Now to get some Kentucky blue attire...

Moving!

2009-12-11T18:23:00.003-06:00

Dance moves

2009-12-03T15:20:00.003-06:00

Simon has some new awesome dance moves. Usually it entails bouncing up and down and the newest addition is shaking his head. Couldn't get a good video of the whole thing but here is a snipet of the best part (in my opinion).

Thanksgiving

2009-12-03T15:11:00.002-06:00

Ally and Simon, i.e. double trouble

Ben under attack

Rachel chillin and Ally groovin

Ethan, Ally, Simon

Getting ready for cold weather!

2009-11-18T08:23:00.000-06:00

FIrst Halloween

2009-11-01T08:02:00.000-06:00

6 months

2009-10-29T04:41:00.003-05:00

Wow, Simon is 6 months old! It is truly amazing how much he has grown and developed in only a few short months. So far he has 2 bottom teeth and we just noticed today that his top teeth will be making an appearance VERY shortly. He isn't crawling forward exactly but he is somewhat mobile these days. He is kinda like an inch worm except he tends to go backwards instead of forwards. I used to be able to put him down and he would stay in one place, however now I put him down and turn around and when I look back he is, say, under the bed or under the coffee table. Good times ahead!

At his 6 month check up he weighed in at 18.4 lbs and was I believe 26 and 3/4 inches long. We also got the word from the doctor to start adding in veggies to his diet (see pictures below). There is nothing funnier than giving a baby some green beans and watching them shiver as they swallow because of the taste. It is hilarious. The green beans went over well and yesterday we tried sweet potatoes which did not go as well.

Stay tuned for halloween pictures!

Simon vs. Cereal

2009-10-12T17:22:00.004-05:00

Captain Stripes

Getting ready for his first bowl of cereal

The bowl I used when I was little...so sentimental:)

First spoonful

The result

I would say in the end the cereal won. I think Simon had more of it on his face, hands, chair, and me than he actually consumed but we all have to start somewhere. Practice makes perfect!

Big month

2009-09-23T16:54:00.002-05:00

Here is a short update and of course some pictures. Simon is now 5 months old and he is keeping us on our toes. Big news this month is the appearance of his bottom teeth! Last week we noticed one tooth poking through and today I looked in there and the second one has come out. This is explains a little why everything he touches goes right into his mouth...toys, clothes, hands, Daddy's nose, Javy's ears, the list goes on.

Serious Simon

His favorite toy

It actually got a little chilly here in south Texas for a day and he got to wear something other than a onesie!

Fancy feet

2009-08-26T18:06:00.000-05:00

Practicing the art of sitting!

2009-08-26T17:10:00.000-05:00

What a cutie!

Falling over

Daddy's ready to catch!

A pro!

Almost 4 Months!

2009-08-20T22:27:00.000-05:00

Simon is growing growing growing! I look back at pictures and can't believe how big he has gotten in just 4 short months. He spends his days laughing, smiling, eating and sleeping...everyone's dream right? He doesn't like to lounge around but prefers to sit up and whenever possible stand (with our help). Here are a few pictures from the past few weeks.

Playing in his bouncer/excersaucer thingy.

With Daddy on the beach...he passed out soon after we started walking.

Playing around.

Simon and Aunt Josie!

In other family news....today is Andy's birthday!!! The big 30. Andy handled entering his 30's way better than I am going to, of course he is taking cold medicine so maybe he is a little groggy :) We celebrated last weekend with 'Sally and Andy's Sandy Olympics', which is exactly what it sounds like...games on the beach. It was a lot of fun and most importantly no one got hurt!

Visit to New Jersey!

2009-08-12T17:13:00.000-05:00

Simon and I just got back from our fabulous visit to NJ. Unfortunately I don't have any pictures just yet but will post some soon (they are on Aunt Josie's camera). I was worried the most about the plane rides but he did great, way better than I expected.

We had great weather, we actually got to take a walk DURING THE DAY and SIT OUTSIDE DURING THE DAY! In case you are wondering we can't do that here in Texas when it is 112 degrees outside. We took Simon to the boardwalk to see all the bright lights and sounds, although he slept most of the time I think he liked it. Most importantly he got to meet all his NJ family and friends...we miss you already!!

Evans Family Visit

2009-07-31T15:50:00.001-05:00

New Shades

2009-06-29T18:10:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Babchi, Simon now can head outside in style.

2009-06-27T18:20:00.000-05:00

2 Months Old!!!

2009-06-24T18:31:00.000-05:00

Simon is now 2 months old! Crazy how much we have learned over the past few months. For example, the importance of covering up certain parts during a diaper change and how to successfully give Mylicon to a screaming baby :)

At his 2 month check up, Simon weighed in at a healthy 13 lbs and measured 24.5 inches. He also received his shots and took them like a champ. A few weeks ago he has started smiling especially when you point out his nose and mouth to him (I have been trying to get a good picture/video of this but he is camera shy). Lately he is also starting to be more vocal and testing out all the sounds he can make, all of which is very cute and very exciting to us.

This is Simon giving his first hug to Javy (don't worry I didn't actually leave him on top of Javy, he was just there for a second and as you can see Javy wasn't going anywhere)

Simon in his bumbo seat, he's still a bit small for it.

First Night Out

2009-06-24T18:27:00.001-05:00

A few weeks ago Andy and I went out to celebrate our anniversary and got not one, not two, but THREE babysitters to watch Simon. From the pictures they took I think everyone had a lot of fun. Here is one of my favorites of the evening.

Many Faces of Simon

2009-06-11T16:03:00.000-05:00

Just Chillin' (we have to work on the whole camera red eye thing)

2009-05-18T14:06:00.001-05:00

Simon's First Concert

2009-05-11T11:25:00.001-05:00

Simon attended his first outdoor concert on friday. We enjoyed an evening at Robert's Point Park and Simon seemed to enjoy the music, well he spent the whole time sleeping.

Notice how far away we are from the general public...no chance of getting sick here! :)

"The Grandparents"

2009-05-11T11:19:00.000-05:00

Some pictures of Simon with his Grandparents. We are still working on what to call them, here are a few options:

Bubbles and Bampy
Poppop and Babchi
and the current favorites Tonette and Sweet Lou

Simon DiGuilio Evans

2009-05-11T10:47:00.000-05:00

Simon was born April 23, 2009 at 6:35 pm. The whole delivery and hospital stay did not go as expected but bottom line is Simon is happy and healthy and was able to come home with us when I was discharged.

A brief synopsis...I went in to start the inducing process on wednesday evening and they started the pitocin and broke my water on thursday morning. By mid morning the contractions were very close together and I felt that I experienced enough pain for the day so signed up for an epidural. The epidural was awesome however I am one of the lucky few that had an adverse reaction. The pain was gone but for the next 10 hours I spent either shivering or having full on spasms that I could not control. Fast forward to when I started pushing Simon decided that he did not want to move any further and the decision was made to have a c-section. Then the drama started. Simon had some bad test results (low glucose levels, fever etc) so after spending an hour with us he was taken to the nursery for further tests and then was placed in the NICU where he stayed for the next 5 days. It was an extreme roller coaster ride for us. It was possible he had a bacterial infection and had to be put on antibiotics but in the end it turned out to be a contaminated sample and Simon was fine and was able to go home. It was a lot of stress to be put under for a contaminated sample but it was way better to be safe and start the antibiotics than wait for the results which could have been worse.

Fast forward to the present...Simon is the best baby! It is amazing how much he has grown the last few weeks and how fast our lives have changed. My parents have been in town for the past two weeks and they have been extremely helpful (except for when my mom fell down the stairs and hurt her ankle and we had to then wait on her). Anyway here are some pictures, I hope to be more diligent in posting pictures for all to see but make no promises :)

New Kind of Room

2009-04-08T18:26:00.000-05:00

Over the years we have lived in apartments, condos, duplexes, and small scary houses. In each place we have changed curtains, rugs, color themes, etc. but nothing like this! Here are some pictures of the baby's room just ready and waiting for the little guy to make his appearance...seriously anytime he is ready he can come.

Rare Photo

2009-03-24T12:06:00.001-05:00

Parents Visit, Baby Shower, and Pregnancy

2009-02-20T22:36:00.000-06:00

My parents came for a visit in the beginning of February. This was a trial run for them to be Winter Texans and I think they could easily fit into that role as long as they didn't have to share a hotel room. :) It was a great visit, although my pregnancy hormones led to some interesting moments. So far one of the great pluses of being pregnant is you can be moody, unreasonable, unpredictable, loud, and most importantly obnoxious and everyone has to shut up and deal with it because you are pregnant! Love it.

While my parents were here my friends threw me an awesome baby shower. I'm not really a big fan of sitting in front of people having to open presents and make small talk but it was a lot of fun and I'm so grateful to have such good friends! I will post some pictures soon of all the good stuff we have accumulated.

Pregnancy is going well. I am starting to go to the doctor every two weeks and starting in March we start our childbirth classes! Should be a good time had by all I'm sure...I'll keep you posted. I am getting HUGE and at times could care less but then other times wish I had a bit more control over is going on. I think I am a bad parent because I haven't been taking pictures of myself through this whole process but honestly I don't think I can handle looking at the photos. I know, I know I'm pregnant and I'm supposed to gain weight. I have taken to just not looking at the scale in the doctor's office, I would rather not know. Of course this doesn't work when the doctor then warns you about how much weight you have gained. A problem with having a male doctor is when he says things like that you can't but think, "Sure I'll listen to you about gaining weight when you lose all control of your hormones and have another human being growing inside of you...THEN we can talk."

The baby is kicking and moving like crazy. It is an amazing to feel his body as he twists and turns and to think that soon we will be meeting this little guy. I can't wait!!!

Just a bit confused

2009-01-15T15:49:00.000-06:00

I was sitting in a seminar today not listening to the speaker at all (although he was from NJ and studying stripped bass) and all that was going through my mind was, "YOU ONLY HAVE 11-15 WEEKS LEFT!!!!" Yes I know that 11-15 weeks is a long time but in my crazy mixed up head it may as well be tomorrow. I'm still trying to figure out the difference between strollers, infant carriers/car seats (I think they are the same), travel systems, and whether or not I need a stroller for the infant carrier/car seat or if I can get away with only have one stroller and a separate car seat. You would think the internet would be helpful but everytime I think I make a decision I read a review that basically makes it sound like if you buy this item your kid will be tossed 5 feet into the air everytime you go over a bump in the road. How is that helpful? And don't even get me started on cribs and changing tables...

Can you see a problem?

2009-01-08T21:35:00.000-06:00

The top photo is Javy doing what Javy does best...pull apart her stuffed duck. The bottom photo is of some new stuff we have received after a fabulous baby shower given by my family. Notice the cute stuffed duck??

2008-12-15T22:35:00.000-06:00

Wow, I am really good at this whole blogging thing :)

Not much going on pregnancy-wise. I am getting bigger which is good but also hard to handle at times. This evening for instance when we tried to take a picture and I almost broke into tears when looking at them. Here is a picture of me at about 5 1/2 months (you be the judge).

Friends of ours just had a baby boy 3 weeks ago and we got to spend some time with them tonight. It is unreal that in a few short months we will have something that small! He is a great baby, until Andy held him that is, then he started to cry (hopefully our kid will like Andy better).

Soon we are off on our big holiday road trip. On Friday, Andy, Javy and I will head from Port A to Kentucky where we will spend a week with the Evans family. The following Friday we travel to New Jersey where we are going to help celebrate my Grandparents 60th wedding anniversary (Happy Anniversary MomMom and PopPop!). And finally we get back in the car to head back to Port A after New Years. Sounds crazy but we are looking forward to being able to see both families and travel according to our own schedule (which I think is going to include A LOT of bathroom breaks).

Oh Boy!

2008-11-26T09:47:00.000-06:00

It's a boy! We are so excited and happy to finally know what the baby is. We've already discussed how football and basketball scholarships are probably out of the question so we will focus on baseball or soccer ;) Possibly names are already flying at us. Examples include: Hunter (I'm guessing for obvious reasons), Will, Brett and my favorite, Gaff, however nothing has really hit us as The Name yet. For me I would like a strong name that isn't common but not too strange. I did hear a good one on TV the other night, Foswhitt...come on Foswhitt Evans??? How can you go wrong!

Now the fun is beginning...the shopping! We are starting to look for cribs, changing tables, strollers, and all the other fun stuff this little guy needs. It gets overwhelming at times but we are working through it.

I would also like to give a shout out to Chris and Nic for having a great baby blog to copy off of :)

Pictures to follow soon...

Let's try this

2008-11-15T10:05:00.000-06:00

Alright so here we go. We are officially going to try this whole blog thing since you don't seem to be "in" unless you have one:) Now to make our life seem exciting to others...hmmmm.

Most everyone knows that we are having a baby and we hope this blog will keep family and friends in distant places updated, informed and somewhat entertained on our status.

Javy is super thrilled about having a baby around, or maybe she is just excited about all the new "chew toys".