Orlando Photos Part 2

Mary Anne, Geri, and Janie at Nathan's shower in front of his "loot."
Family reading....
I guess brothers never grow up. This is why Nathan will someday need a sibling to harrass.
Roberta, Nathan's new best friend at his shower. She was the only one successful at calming him down when he got overwhelmed.
Aunty Mary Anne, Uncle Brian, and Nathan

Orlando Photos

Scott playing "airplane" with Nathan
Scott blowing bubbles with Nathan in the pool
Grandma Geri and Nathan
Four generations of Evanses...Mom Mom Azalee, Lee, Brian, Scott, and Nathan
Nathan meets Mom Mom for the first time. We are reminded of the cycle of life.

Orlando and a Busy Evans Household

Well, it has been entirely too long since our last post. I knew that would happen...the pressure to keep it up was so great in the beginning and then we got busy and things went downhill....Not that there isn't lots going on in our household - there is TOO much going on - but because of the business there is not as much time to document it all!

Since the last post Nathan has interviewed and hired a new nanny named Magdalena and been to Orlando and back as well as various mommy events that I drag him to. He has also rolled over from front to back, grown out of (i.e. refused to sit in) his bouncy chair, blows bubbles and talks constantly, has discovered his hands and feet, puts everything in his mouth, continues to refuse to nap and to sleep at night, and has started laughing. Nathan is still running our household but I think we have come to terms with it and just ride the wave.

In Orlando last week for Scott's birthday, Nathan got to meet his Uncle Brian and "Aunty" Mary Anne, meet many of his Grandma Geri's friends at a belated "Welcome Nathan" shower and neighborhood party (where he got lots of wonderful gifts), spend time with Grandma and Grandpa Evans in the pool and around the house, meet his Great Grandma Azalee, and just have a whole lot of fun. Grandma Geri and Grandpa Lee went the extra mile to set up the house for Nathan - he had his own crib for the first time and new clothes and toys to play with - such fun! We think he really liked the crib because he slept longer than he had been and seemed to sleep pretty well. We purchased one today so we'll see if that is the trick (at this point we have tried anything and everything to get the kid to sleep). The trip to Orlando was all too short but really nice to spend time with family. I think Grandma Geri also enjoyed introducing Nathan to everyone - she is one proud Grandma. We have lots of pictures from the trip but will try to pick the best ones for the blog.

The latest news is that I go back to work this week so we'll see how frequently I can keep up the blog. We constantly joke that our second kid is going to have an inferiority complex because how could we possibly keep up with Nathan, a second child, and do a blog?! I guess we'll just see...just like your love expands, perhaps so does your ability to multitask.

More Time in the Park and Rice Cereal!

Well, we've been busy since we've been back. More time in the park, including days with Murray, Debbie, and Hannah, and Ann, Sam, Carol, and Oliver. It's been getting hotter, but we are still trying to get our outdoor time at some point during the day. We've also been busy beginning the nanny search for my return to work. It has been very overwhelming and stressful. We are hoping to find the "perfect" person to take care of our little boy. Nathan has taken it all in stride, but has been giving us grief in other ways. Since our return from New Hampshire, Nathan has decided he doesn't want to sleep at night or during the day. This is making for one very tired and stressed mommy. Scott and I have tried every "strategy" to get him to sleep more than a couple of hours at a time....loading him up with food, putting him to bed earlier, putting him to bed later, letting him cry a bit, snuggling with him, ...the list goes on and on. Perhaps it is putting him in his own room that has caused a change or the travel - who knows? We have begun to realize more and more each day just how much of a mystery each baby is, and especially the first baby when you start out "cold" as parents.

The latest strategy to get Nathan to sleep is rice cereal. We thought perhaps he was hungry at night so today we called the pediatrician who said it was fine to start him on rice cereal just once a day. It was very funny to watch him try to navigate a spoon and get excited about this new food. No doubt our boy has always loved to eat - no matter what it is! Pretty quickly he had rice cereal on his face, hands, shirt, carseat....everywhere. It was very cute!

Other new things are more frequent rolling over, discovering his hands and feet, sleeping on his tummy one day, and more hand/eye coordination than he had before. He grabs for things and puts everything in his mouth. It is great fun watching him grow every day. Now, if only we could resolve the sleep issue.....Please wish us luck!Murray and Hannah playing Totem Pole.

"Oh man! Rice cereal in mother's milk is very delicious. So good that I want to rub it all over my face."

"Wait a minute. I put my foot here. I feel the water. I see the water. Whoa."

Kicking back in the park, blowing spit bubbles and smiling. Life just doesn't get any better

"So what if you're bigger than me. Check out my drool." (Nathan and Sam having "tummy time").

We're Back! Happy 4th of July!

Well, we survived another road trip with the little guy. He was great! I think we are catching on to the fact that Nathan likes the great outdoors and wide open spaces. New Hampshire at Andy and Alex's house was a lot of fun. Great weather, great friends, nice and relaxing. Nathan, however, did not like the cold lake water. I think he is spoiled with the pool water from Atlanta and 80 degrees is what he prefers. So, instead of swimming he spent time with our friends Bridget and Andy and their daughter Marion, Alex and Andy, and Joel and Becca, and went for some walks. Apparently the activity wore him out because he napped every day while we were there! It was great. Marion, who is almost 3, really loved "Baby Nathan" and asked about him all day long..."Where Baby Nathan?" "What he doing?" They clearly had a bond.

In addition to making new friends and enjoying new places, Nathan also has started to clasp his hands together and today (Thursday) took his pacifier out and then put it back in his mouth all by himself! He still loves to read his books and is rolling over more and more. I am having trouble keeping him in his bouncy seat and on his changing table because he wants to move all the time!

He also had a visit from my former roommate from Atlanta, Lori, today. It was great to see her, even though it was very brief. She got to hold Nathan and say hello and then had to head upstate to visit her father in Albany.

All in all we are doing well. Lots of travel! Now we are home for a little while before we head to Orlando at the end of July to visit Grandma Geri and Grandpa Lee.
Lori and Nathan.
Nathan on a canoe ride in Lee's Pond, New Hampshire. Notice how he was helping Mommy with the umbrella.
Marion holding "Baby Nathan."
The gang (minus Nelson in the background on the stairs setting up his camera for a group photo). From left - Joel, his wife Becca, Marion, Bridge, Andy, Alex, and Jane. Scott was taking the photo.
On a walk with Andy, Bridget, Marion, Scott, Nathan, and Alex.