We're not going to Guam, are we?

Ahh Frank, best line ever!

Anyway, we leave Saturday for Mexico and I can't wait! As you probably already know since I've said it so many times lately, this is our first vacation since our honeymoon (three years ago) and it is long overdue! I'm not sure how Evelyn will do, I think she'll be fine, but it does make me a little nervous. We're going with good friends and I can't wait to visit with them, sit on the beach, catch up on books, and watch LOST! Yes, it seems I can't have a blog without it ; ) I'm sure I'll blog about the trip when we get back, and have tons of pictures, but since Evelyn turns 15 months while we're gone I thought I would take a few minutes to let you know where she is at.

The biggest news is that she has started walking! Finally! She took her first steps a few weeks ago and although she still crawls a lot she will often just stand up on her own and walk to something. She can reach down, grab an object from the floor without holding on to anything and stand back up with it. She can also turn while standing and go a different direction and can take steps while holding something in her hands-which is actually really good and doesn't normally happen until they have been walking for longer. I had been hoping she would be a little more stable before we left, but oh well, what are you going to do? Also in the physical department, she is climbing all over everything and everywhere, which is driving me crazy! She is super fast going up the stairs, can climb on our coffee table (which was moved to our bedroom), climb into her stroller (which was moved to the car) and pretty much tries to pull herself onto anything that she can reach. I thought I had escaped having a baby that climbed a lot, but I guess I was wrong!

Verbally she is still talking more and more everyday. She puts two words together and is pretty easy to understand once she says a word. She says over 40 words and uses most of them on a pretty regular basis. Her favorite right now is Grandpa (Bapa), sky (I have no idea why), and toes. Although her old favorite, ball, is still pretty popular too.

Socially/emotionally she is still very much an extrovert. She has never seemed to develop stranger anxiety. It's very rare that she cries when we leave (in fact I can't think of any time that she has) or when we drop her off in the church nursery. She loves being around new people, especially kids. When we see another child in the grocery store, her little legs start kicking, she says, "Ooooooo!" and "What's that?" Which actually sounds like, "Was dat?" She'll practically fall out of the shopping cart trying to see them as we move another direction. But, her favorite child by far is her cousin Henry, she just loves him! I'll say Henry is coming over and she'll go to the door and watch for him. He can take her food and her toys and she just looks at him and smiles (although I think that is going to change any day now!) It's so cute to see them together, I grew up with my cousins and I'm very glad Evelyn will have this opportunity as well.

As far as her fine motor skills, those have always been ahead of her gross motor and continue to be so. She can turn shapes to fit them in holes and holds her crayon with her fingers, not in a fist. Although often she uses it to chew on instead of color with!

As far as cognitively, well, I'm sure she is off the charts! ; ) She follows commands well (unless she doesn't want to and then that gets into discipline which is a whole different blog!) She quickly picks up my mannerisms/habits, like saying yucky when her nose is runny or going to the door when I say Dada is home. Her favorite game right now is learning her different body parts. She knows (and loves to show) where her head, eye, nose, tummy, and toes are. She loves to point out other people's too, although be careful, you'll end up with a finger in your eye!

She didn't need 15 month booster shots, but I took her in just to see-she has grown so much! She is now 23 pounds and 31 inches. She gained three pounds and grew 2 inches since turning one, which is a pretty good growth spurt! She continues to track right at about the 50th percentile.

All in all she is doing great and we are all doing well. But, I definitely am in need of a vacation-all that cuteness can quickly turn overwhelmingly demanding, often happening between 5 and 6pm which is an evil time and should have never been invented! Even though she'll be with us, I know just a break from normal routine will be good and having Bard there all the time will of course be huge.

Adios for now, I'll be back with pictures and stories from our trip!

Piggies, Shrieks, and Swim Class

Here are some random musings. . .

When Evelyn has bare feet we will sometimes grab her toes and do "This little piggy." She loves the end one that cries "Wee! Wee! Wee!" all the way home. The other day Bard was sitting on the couch, barefoot. Evelyn grabbed his toe and said "Wee! Wee! Wee!" We both cracked up : )

Not so adorable is her shrieking. She is like a banshee. What drives me crazy is that she knows most of the words for what she is wanting to communicate-90% of the time it is "Up, down, more, or milk. She knows the words and signs for those and says them easily. But often she will start off with an "Ahhhhh." That is like nails on a chalkboard especially by 5 pm at night when Bard isn't home yet, I'm trying to feed her, get our dinner, and remember why on earth I decided to have a child instead of getting a goldfish which would have been infinitely quieter. It's not a high pitched scream, and to most people it's probably not even that loud, but I cannot wait for her to grow out of this phase. . .and into something else that will likely be just as annoying only in a different way!

I can't believe I forgot to blog about her swim class! We signed her up just over a month ago. Bard took her in the pool the week before class started just so we could see she would do. She loved it, of course! She did cling to him some, which is pretty unusual for her, but she had a lot of fun. Then, she really loved being in the pool with the other babies. They sing songs and splash. She even held onto the side of the pool and did little bobs! It's so cute : ) We won't continue over the summer-too much going on, but we'll sign her back up again in the fall. And so begins 18 years of taking my child to some type of class ; ) But, I am glad she loves the water, Mexico, here we come!

Stupid test!

See, I told you I was back! See May pics at right.

As many of you know, today Bard is taking the second in his three year series to complete his CFA. When he took the last test, in June of '08, Evelyn was just 2 months old and so naturally it was quite straining for him to study for several hours every morning and evening. This time she is asleep while he is studying so instead of getting stressed I play Tetris or watch Third Rock from the Sun (this probably surprises most of you who assume I would be reading during this time. I would but am slightly cut off from reading as I've bought too many books and need to hold off as well as unfortunately running up a fine on my library card-sad for me!)

Anyway, just like last time this test has been a huge commitment for us. One, it's hundreds of dollars just to sign up and get the curriculum, two, Bard has been studying pretty much ever day since January, three the test is all day-he leaves at 7am and is home at 7pm, four we don't get the results until August, and five if he didn't pass he can't retake until June of next year. Typically it takes someone 4 years to complete the three year test series because it's very rare that someone actually passes each test on the first try.

But, if anyone can do it, Bard can. It amazes me to watch him prepare for these exams (that is when I'm not annoyed that he isn't taking out the garbage!) He is SO disciplined. Now, you know I'm a fairly disciplined person myself, but I would never have the discipline to study from 5-7 in the morning and 7-10 in the evening almost every day for weeks at a time. Or to carry flashcards with me and mumble algebraic equations under my breath wherever I go. He is just plain smart.

Evelyn has already started showing a lot of who she will become. So far she is definitely advanced in her verbal skills and has what we call a lot of personality : ) She is an extrovert; very social, and independent. She is cautious when she first tries a new physical act but then dives right in. She really seems to love going new places and seeing new people and is very excited every time we do so. Being in the car for too long is difficult for her, she gets bored so I don't see us doing long road trips anytime soon! And books are still a favorite.

But all that is just a small part of who she will become. I know there are layers and layers that will be revealed. Will she inherit her father's discipline? Is that nature, nurture or some combination of both? Will she be spontaneous or like routine? She likes books, but what will be her favorite, historical fiction, mysteries, non fiction, or all of the above? Will she like sports? Which ones? We both love art, in almost every form, will she? Will she be a leader, a helper, a hostess, an organizer? All this and more are yet to be discovered and the journey is just beginning!