December 30th, 1997... oh, what a night!

Doug and I had our very 1st date 10 years ago tonight!! I remember it very clearly...

• how nervous I was, what I wore, what he wore
• how He was the perfect gentleman, opening doors, praying at dinner, etc.
  
• that we went to Giovanni's for dinner... he had eggplant parmesan, I had manicotti.
  
• that one of the first things he said when we sat down at dinner was, "Stephanie, I think you are the best!" So sweet.
  
• how we then went and saw "Titanic" at Tigard cinema. First time seeing it. It was awesome!
• when he asked me to get his chapstick out of the glovebox as he was driving me home... what? I remember freaking out thinking that he actually might try to kiss me... he still laughs at that... he really just wanted some chapstick!! Boys!!!

Oh, what a night!! Thanks, sweetie, for making me feel so special that night... and pretty much every day since!! I love you Doug and am so glad I said yes when you asked me out!

Fun Friday

Evelyn and I had so much fun today. She is such a joyful kid who LOVES to laugh and dance and snuggle.... sometimes all at the same time! She received lots of musical toys for her birthday and Christmas and spends hours playing with all of them. It is fun to play with her, too. I just love her so much!

She also is learning at a very fast pace. Tonight was a good example. Our cat Sam was asking to be let in from outside. EVERY time he comes in, especially this time of year, we use a towel that we keep by the door to wipe his feet off. Well, E heard him crying outside and started saying "kitty kitty" (she has been saying this for a while... it was one of her first words!). As we let him in she proceeded to walk over to where the towel was, pick it up, and attempted to dry off the cat!! She totally knew what to do. SO SO cute... so smart of her, too!!

It's not the best photo, but here she is chasing after poor Sam with the towel... after we had already wiped him off!! :) He is looking up at Doug as if to say "make her go away"!



Enjoy your weekend!

Christmas 2007

Saturday: Christmas with Doug's family
I love spending time with his wonderful family, especially Christmas... I am so blessed to have married into the Morris family! His parent, aunt, brother and sisters, as well as the nephews are lots of fun to be with. The day is very traditional, with food, carols, gifts and more.

Evelyn eating in the high chair her daddy ate in when he was a baby
Enjoying the tree and leaving the present alone...sort of!

Grandpa reading the Christmas story to all the grandkids.. a favorite tradition


Monday, Christmas Eve... We head north and stop in Tacoma to see my aunt Bobbie (my dad's sister) and my Uncle Dave. It was so great to see them... it was the first time they have had the chance to meet Evelyn. They loved on her and she warmed up really quickly to them. (Bobbie reminds me so much of my dad.. Evelyn would have really loved him... I miss him a lot this time of year). They got her the prettiest dress... I just had to put it on for a picture!
Christmas Eve/Christmas Day....After our time there, we headed further north to Snohomish for the night and for Christmas day. My aunt Carolyn, uncle Scott and my cousins Hayley(17) and Brooke(14) live there. My mom's 3 other sisters live in the area, too, and they all one came over on Christmas with their kids to celebrate. I didn't get a lot of pictures of everone... we were having too much fun I guess!

Hayley with her 2nd cousin .... she calls E "Rock Star" because E's hair was so wild when she was really little!

Evelyn(with my uncle Sam) meeting my cousin Justin's son Peyton (almost 3, with my cousin Chase, Justin's brother in the pic) for the first time. He was so sweet to her.. and so handsome!

"Santa Max"... poor thing... he hated this outfit, but the girls insisted he wear it all day!

Brooke enjoying all of her "loot"

Kiss Kiss!
We had a busy but wonderful few days with family, the way Christmas should be spent! Bring on New Year's Eve!!

I hope all of you had a great day yesterday!

Cookie Tradition

Every year since Doug and I have been married (6), maybe even before that, I have brought Christmas goodies to his office for him and his co-workers. Evelyn and I went yesterday and enjoyed seeing everyone. They all love seeing E, too!



Here is a pic of all the treats... I had to be quick to get a shot before everything got devoured!


Kevin has a gluten allergy, so this year I made him some special gluten free cookies with gluten free frosting. For all of those who have gluten allergies... I salute you. It takes A LOT of effort to cook without gluten products!

Some more of Doug's co-workers enjoying the cookies. Evelyn is enjoying her can of "puffs"!



One of the guys (who does not have kids) thought E would enjoy playing with his Transformer head that spoke with a scary voice when you pushed a button. What?! Actually, she thought it was funny and didn't want to give it back....


.... until daddy tried to put it over her head. Then she was done with it!! :)

She had fun showing off her new walking skills for everyone and being her cute little self! She was so worn out from the visit that she took a 2+ hour nap when we got home, AND went to be at 6:40.... then slept til 6:45 this morning! WOW!! Playing is hard work! (sidenote.... I slept GREAT last night... I was going to take drugs but forgot....apparently playing is hard work for me, too!)

We are heading to Dallas (OR) tomorrow to have Christmas with Doug's family. I'll post about that when we get back. Should be a fun time.!

Oh, the Irony

Evelyn has never been a good sleeper. She was colicky the first 3+ months of her life and had reflux. She pretty much would scream for at least 2 hours, sleep for one or two (if we were lucky), then be up again to eat. It was brutal to say the least. She outgrew that but didn't outgrow her apparent need to wake up thru the night. A lot. Not to eat, just to fuss.. I spent many nights rocking her for 30mins here, one hour there. Not as brutal, but tiring none the less. She has slept thru the night, so I know she can. Little stinker :) Anyhoo... the past couple of months she has only been up once a night on average. I am getting used to it!

Fast forward to 2 weeks ago. She started to walk! (insert proud mommy grin here). Since then, she pretty much has slept at least 11 hours a night!! I am serious.. 11 hours! It is amazing... walking is hard work apparently! :) FINALLY a chance to get some good shut eye!!

OH CONTRAIR MON FRAIR!! (poor french spelling, but you get the point!)

Now I am the one who isn't sleeping. This winter my allergies are acting up more than usual. At night. Fun! So I sneeze, cough, and blow my nose a lot as I am trying to sleep. Last night it was midnight the last time I looked at the clock! UGH! It is so bad that Doug has been sleeping in the guest bed so he can at least benefit from Evelyn's new feat! I am taking my allergy meds, but they don't seem to kick it.

It is so frustrating.... just when I am able to get some solid sleep, I can't! UGH!!!

I am taking benedryl tonight... for the side effects!! (Don't judge, people... I need sleep!)

Oh, the irony!

You know you are a rookie parent when.....

Evelyn and I were playing with her safari animal puzzle this morning. This is how it went:

E hands me the lion
Me: "This is a lion. It says "roooaarrrr"

E hands me the monkey
Me: "This is a monkey. It says "oohoohooh ahahah"

E hands me the elephant
Me: "This is an elephant. It says......"

Moments of silence pass as I try to figure out how to make an elephant sound... then my sweet husband, laughing, says,

"It says 'I'm an elephant'"

I think we were just really tired, but we both just died laughing at ourselves. It may not sound as funny to you, but we were in stitches! Oh, the things you need to learn to be a parent!!

Can you make an elephant sound?

Helmet Update #6.. Disappointed

Today was supposed to be the big day. We were going to visit Randall the Orthotist and we would be done with full time helmet wear. She was going to have to wear it only at night. We all thought this, even Randall. Apparently, Evelyn's head had other plans!

She actually has regressed a little bit and is more asymmetrical than she was 4 weeks ago. (Insert very sad face here) According to Randall, regression and/or slowing in progress is quite normal, but even he didn't expect it with Evelyn since she has been doing so well and making such good progress. He made a lot of adjustments to the helmet and we will continue to wear it full time for at least another 4 weeks.

As I sat in Randall's office with Evelyn while he worked on the helmet in his lab, I kept kissing her sweet head, quite bummed that it will be another 4 weeks at least until I can kiss her head whenever I want. She has been such a trooper thru this whole thing.. it's me that wants to be done with it already! Her hair is growing and is so pretty, and she is changing so much in her face as she gets older. I feel as though I am missing out on some of this because it is hidden with the pink helmet.

I am trying to be positive. This is all for a good reason and I know this is a temporary thing that is just a blip on the radar of her life. Also, she has started to walk and the helmet will be good protection as she takes a few headers trying to figure that whole thing out. It makes me breathe a bit easier, too, when she is dancing by the fireplace knowing she wont crack her head if she loses her balance! But it is still so hard!

So tonight I am sad and disappointed. But Evelyn is upstairs playing and laughing with her daddy without a care in the world. I am blessed.. and its all going to be OKAY!

"Why so downcast, o my soul? Put your hope in God and bless the Lord o my soul..."Psalm 42.5

Thanks for your continued support! XO

Things Pondered

My sweet Evelyn Joy turns one tomorrow at 3:29pm. What a year it has been!

• 365 of holding her cute little body in my arms
  
• 365 days of looking at her beautiful face
• 365 days of watching her sleep
  
• 365 days of tears, smiles, laughs, giggles, squeals, and snuggles
• 365 days of seeing life through her eyes and learning from it
  
• 365 days of watching my husband be such a wonderful father
• 365 days of prayer, love and support from family and friends
• 365 days of swaddling, sleepers, cute outfits, and socks that never stay on
• 365 days of breastfeeding, pumping, formula, bottlefeeding, spit up and cleanup
• 365 days of being tired and being rejuvenated with a thought of her
  
• 365 days that I won't ever get back again... and hope I made the most of them
• 365 days of wondering how God could give me one of His children to love, care for and raise up in His behalf
• 365 days of thanking God for such an opportunity
• 365 days that have changed my life
  

Thank you, Evelyn, for bringing such joy into my life! Happy Birthday, sweet pea! I love you so very much. It is an honor to be your mommy!

"... and Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart" Luke 2:19

One Year Ago Today....

... I went into labor. It started at about 2:30 in the morning with mild contractions. Of course Doug and I were totally excited (a bit nervous, too). The baby would be here soon.. and right on time for my Dec. 5th due date! Doug had taken the whole month of December off to be with me and the baby, so it was going to be great for him to have so much time with his new daughter. We started the whole timing thing and waited for things to progress....

Unfortunately, Evelyn had other plans. I ended up being in labor for a whole week!! I had contractions only at night for 4 days, then pretty constant for another 3. It was brutal. I was tired. I was anxious to meet my sweet pea. I didn't want to push out a big baby, or worse yet, have to have an urgent c-section or something. Painful... physically and emotionally!

At the same time, it was one of the most precious weeks I have ever had with my husband. He was up with me most of my long nights and we would laugh hysterically watching Conan O'Brien and other shows that only are funny at that time of night (the best was watching Conan get drunk on eggnog with Martha Stewart... priceless!). We went on walks, ate ice cream, had amazing conversation and prayer time, and were nap buddies! It was a blessing to have this time together before our lives would be changed forever.

I would post a picture of my last days before Evelyn came, but I don't have any. That's ok... trust me... it was not a pretty sight! :)

I can't believe my baby turns one next Tuesday!

Too, too funny!!

I copied some other bloggers who did this... its too funny not to! Enjoy, Merry Christmas!


http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=9635110126

Keep it down, people!

So I went in to check on Evelyn during her nap... this is what I found:




Apparently the sound of my shower mixed with her music was too much for her! Isn't she sweet?

Oh, we went and got our Christmas tree on Sunday. It was beautiful outside and we had a great time. Here are a few pics:





It seemed funny to get the tree up and decorated before December, but with the weather not looking super for the next couple of weeks, I am glad we did! Merry Christmas!

Thankful

Evelyn and I stayed home from Thanksgiving festivities yesterday since she has been running a fever for a couple of days (I think she is finally over it.. smile). While she was napping I was thinking about all I had to give thanks for. I am one blessed girl for sure! I am sure I could come up with more, but here are my top 10 things to be thankful for (that come to mind right now):

• 10. Freedom... God bless the USA!
• 9. Good health... I take this for granted too often
• 8. Memories... both good and bad... they help me remember where I've been
• 7. My friends... they see the good, the bad, and the ugly... and love me anyway!
  
• 6. My Bible study family of 5+ years (the Greens, Johnsons, Spiedels, Taylors, and Yoos)... love you guys!
• 5. My "BFF" Jody.. I can't say enough about how much she means to me
  
• 4. My family and Doug's family.. I am abundantly blessed by them daily
• 3.5 My cat Sam... he can be a stinker, but I love him to bits anyway!
  
• 3. My daughter.. she has stolen my heart
  
• 2. My husband... the love of my life and the best daddy ever
• 1. My salvation and the giver of that salvation, Jesus Christ

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!! Bring on Christmas music and peppermint mochas!!

Helmet Update #5: So close, yet so far away!

Well, we went to visit Randall the Orthotist today, hoping that our little bug might get to have her helmet off. Alas, not this time. BUT we are SO SO close. She is completely symmetrical in two out of the three areas of measurement. Yeah Yeah Yeah! She still, however, is still about 1mm off on her eye symmetry. Of course, this is probably the most important measurement as it can affect her vision.

So... we will wear the pink helmet for another 4 weeks and recheck. He is pretty confident it will be symmetrical by then and we can take the helmet off during the day (we still will wear it at night for a month.... kind of like a retainer after braces). He also said we could have the helmet off for long stretches if we needed to for things like birthday and Christmas pictures. That made me feel better! :) Although, as you can see, she is pretty cute in the helmet....


We can't thank you all enough for your support and prayers during this time! It has meant the world to us... and we are so grateful!

Fall Fun

Today we spent some time outside in the BEAUTIFUL sunshine. Evelyn had a blast tromping around in the piles of leaves we were working on.

Her she is, helmet free for a short bit and wearing her Duck garb... I am sure that is why they won today!! GO DUCKS!!


She was so curious about the leaf blower!


"..... I am SO outta here!!! These leaves won't slow me down one bit!!"


Enjoy the sunny days ahead!

One last Halloween Picture....

I was planning on hooking up with my sister and my 15 month old nephew yesterday to get some pics of him and Evelyn in their costumes. Both kids had busy mornings and so we decided just to do it today.

Here are two of the cutest kids on the planet!

Crazy, Fun, Halloween!

What a day we have had for Evelyn's first halloween! Our little "Monkey" did so well making lots of stops to show off her cute costume and to trick-or-treat.

Here she is in her getup.... She tolerated it so much better than we anticipated! This was one of the best pictures I could get... she wasn't in the posing mood!


First stop was Grandma's work. It was fun to see her and all of her friends.


Then it was on to Daddy's work. Evelyn LOVES to go visit there... everyone gets all excited about it and loves on her a lot.



After that we went by the hospital where I used to work to see all of my old friends. I love staying home with Evelyn, but miss the relationships I had at work. Anyhoooo... we had fun and she got lots of love. Below is Evelyn with Darcie. I went to Nursing School with her and we have pretty much worked together our entire careers. She LOVES halloween and always dresses up. This year she was a cowgirl. It was great to see her.


We went trick-or-treating this evening.. only a few places. Our first stop was Troy and Lucille's. They live across the street and are the neatest, loveliest people. We cherish them. They are one of the many reasons we call our neighborhood "Mayberry".


Evelyn is now in bed and her first halloween is over. I probably won't make as big of a deal about it next year. Its just so fun to document her "firsts". (Honestly, I'm not a big halloween person anyway).

Enjoy your candy!

Love My New Tippy Cup!

Evelyn can use a tippy cup, but she prefers to drink out of my flip top water bottle, which does require my assistance. Yesterday I bought her a flip top tippy... she was so proud of herself for using it just like mommy does!

Taking a drink...


I did it all by myself! I am such a big girl!!


I just can't get enough of her!

Missing Dad

The other night I was struggling with feelings of inadequacy. I didn't feel worthy of the blessings I have been given. I was feeling selfish wanting to just relax yet overwhelmed with so much to do. I was down on myself for many reasons. Ever have one of those moments?

As I was FINALLY getting some of Evelyn's baby clothes put away into our storage area, I came across a bin full of my childhood stuff. I took a minute to look thru it for fun. I found an old note from my dad, written to me when I was about 10. It said:

Steph,
Always be yourself-keep your loving caring heart. You are one of a kind. People will always like you because you are you!! You should give yourself more credit; you don't have to take second to anyone. Stand tall, and let the world see you. Daddy will always love you and always be there if you need me.
Love, Dad

My Dad was a great man. He and I were very close. He knew me so well and my struggles with confidence, even then. He loved me for who I am. When he died suddenly 5 years ago, a part of me died, too. I miss him and think about him
everyday. Reading this note was followed by a good cry and made me miss him even more.

At the same time, I took in those words in his note and was reminded that I AM one of a kind, created by a Holy God who loves me even more than my dad did. I need to put my trust and my confidence in Him and His word in order to maintain my self worth. I really need to read my Bible more. A lot more. It was a good reality check.

I am so thankful for the 31 years I had with my dad on earth, and look forward to living eternity with him, too! Somedays, tho, I just want him back. Like today!!

Make it a good day, people! You are loved and have worth in our Father's eyes!

Birthday Party Pressure

So, I guess it's time to start thinking about Evelyn's birthday. The party part, anyway.... I am NOT ready to think about the fact that my sweet baby is turning one in less than 2 months!

I am starting to stress about it a little bit. Both Doug and I have big families, and if we were to invite our friends as well as family, our guest list for one party could top 70 people. (Yes, I did say 70!) There is no way we could host that many at our house in the winter, even if our big basement was ready to entertain (its not finished yet). AND... its the holidays so I need to get the invites out to avoid conflict with other parties, etc.

What to do? I would really love to just have one party, but that would mean having it somewhere else, like getting room at church or renting someplace. That seems so impersonal and could be a lot of money, not to mention pretty overwhelming for Evelyn. So that's out.

Do I really want to have 3 parties. one for each side of the family and then one for friends? Would it be bad to have one of the get togethers at a restaurant? Is is bad to ask my mom or my in-laws to host one of the parties? Is it too much for Evelyn to have 3 cakes... seriously!? LOTS of questions and thoughts swirling around in this brain of mine.

We are reading a book in MOMS about mommyhood and stress. The latest chapter was on fear, or as the author puts in, "False Expectations Appearing Real". I know many creative and awesome people who have done some really cool things for their kids' first party. I feel like I, too, need to be super creative, doing my own crafty invites and making it into a big thing. I know that is a "false expectation" but seems so real to me. Evelyn is NOT going to care.... she has no clue really. Its really about me... feeling like I need to look good.

HELP!! Any ideas from you seasoned party throwers out there? I'd appreciate any input you many have. Thanks, friends!

Helmet Update #4... more good news!

(For those who have stumbled onto my blog and/or don't know the story... here's a quick rundown. Evelyn has preferred to sleep on her left side since birth, maybe even in-utero. We have tried unsuccessfully to change her ways. Therefore she has managed to misshape her head so much that we have to have her in a corrective helmet to get her head back symmetrical.)

WOW!! Once again we had an encouraging visit with the Orthotist. Evelyn is now only slightly asymmetrical in the three areas that we are measuring. We have come a long way in a short time. Randall (our friendly Orthotist) is hoping that maybe we can finish with 23hr/day therapy in four weeks!

FOUR WEEKS!! She has been in the helmet less than three months, and we were told she would most likely be in it for 4-6 months. THANK YOU LORD!! I am so excited... although trying not to get too excited as it might still be a while before she gets the helmet off.

We will keep you posted.

Ending with a pic of our little monkey... her first time on a swing at the park. She had SO much fun!

Sometimes I want time to stand still.....

My baby is getting SO big!! Last night Doug installed her new "big girl" car seat. I packed up the infant seat with a few tears in my eyes, remembering when we put her in it for the first time...



... look at how little she was!! Only 6lbs 3oz!


And here she is in her new seat! She really likes it... can you tell? :)



I thought I would throw in a couple more cute shots... 'cuz its my blog.... and I can!


... helmet free!! Her hair is growing so fast under the helmet.. and turning a pretty shade of red/brown.



... She pulled herself up to standing using the dishwasher. Another first. So cute... I am proud! She is, too, apparently!

Thank you, Lord, for giving us our precious Evelyn. May we lead her in your ways and your truth with joy!

What's the word, bird? Vacation, Part 2

After the wedding weekend, we headed to Texas to visit our dear friends Wayne and Angie. Wayne was Doug's boss for many years before retiring to the south a couple of years ago. We have a very special relationship with them that we cherish, and it was so great to finally get to see them after a long time!

Here's their lovely home.... out in the country and with lots of land! Beautiful!


They are retired, like I said, but instead of relaxing, they bought an RV Resort and are fixing it up and running it. If you are in the Lake Buccanon, Texas area and want a great place to camp, fish, waterski, etc... this is your place.

We had fun spending time at Wayne and Angie's home and at the RV Park. From playing with all their animals to eating true Texas BBQ, we felt welcomed and loved.

The title of this post is thanks to Elwood, a parrot who is one of the many birds at their home. He says silly things like"what's the word, bird?", "Praise the Lord" (W & A's pastor taugh him to say that!), "C'mom girl", and "Goodnight Elwood". He can also whistle "Oh What a Beautiful Morning" from "Oklahoma!". I didn't get a good pic of him, but he was certainly entertaining!




Here is Doug with Lillian, another parrot at the McCasland home. (You can see the "Bird Room" behind him.) Known as the "floosy" of the bunch, she really likes the boys, especially Doug. She would try to bite me if I got too close to Doug when she was with him. Crazy lady!


Angie gave Evelyn some dominos to play with and she LOVED it. It kept her busy and felt good on her teeth!

Dont' judge me here, people... and don't freak out if you are reading this, mom... but yes, my daughter is gnawing on a rib bone here. She LOVED it! My camera battery was getting low, so the pic isn't too good.



Eatin' BBQ with the gang. Nothin' like ribs, potato salad, beans, and sweet tea! The best!



Evelyn smiling seeing REAL duckies! Click on the photo to enlarge it and see her smile. Priceless!

Not the best picture, but here is our dear friends. We were sad to say goodbye!

Here's Ev at the Dallas airport waiting to board our plane. She really liked looking out the window and waving at the planes!

We are were excited to be home but have wonderful memories of our trip. We are so glad we took the risk of travelling with an infant. She did great and we all had great times.

We are thankful!

We're Back, Y'all... Vacation, Part 1

We just returned from a fabulous week of fun with family and friends. Phoenix for 4 days, Marble Falls, Texas (outside Austin) for 3. We were sad to leave Texas yesterday but have many fun memories of our trip.

First of all, I must say, my baby girl was a total rock star traveler... amazingly calm and happy on our flights and had fun waving and smiling with the crew and other passengers. I could not have asked for a better flying experience. Despite having a cold pretty much the entire time, she was an absolute trooper. She met a lot of new people who loved on her and she loved back with lots of waves, claps, laughs and smiles. We are so thankful and praise God for answering our prayers. Here she is on her first ever plane ride...



We were in Phoenix for Doug's cousin Jason's wedding. It was so great to spend time with his family who live there. They are great people and we wish they lived closer (hint, hint Ron and Pam... I know you are reading this!).

Before the wedding, we spent time at Uncle Ron and Aunt Pam's house just hanging out. It wasn't too hot for AZ standards, but still too warm to venture outside. So we just sat around and chatted.


This is Zach, Ron and Pam's grandson. He LOVED Evelyn and she loved playing with him. He taught her how to "high five" and made her smile constantly.

This is Desiree, Ron and Pam's grandaughter. She is growing into a beautiful young lady and helped with Evelyn a lot.


She's pretty cute, isn't she?


The wedding was the the Japanese Gardens in Phoenix, which is a beautiful place. Jason and Tara both looked beautiful and the ceremony was fun and meaningful.



Doug's uncle Ron and aunt Pam... love these guys!

Here's Doug with Ron and Jason, the groom.


Evelyn with her buddy, Zach. She kept waving at him during the ceremony... very cute!




Here's Tara walking down the "aisle"... a beautiful bridge over the lake.


You may now kiss the bride...


Evelyn waving... one of many new tricks!

This is Zach's mom, Nancey. She is so funny and a joy to be around!

Daddy blowing bubbles at Evelyn. She's not quite sure what to think of them.

Overall we had such fun in Arizona. Lots of joy shared. We will certainly get back there soon!

This post is getting way to long. I will post the Texas part of our vacation on another post later. Evelyn is getting tired of hanging out in her exersaucer while I blog.

Until then...