Finally, a Thanksgiving recap

Grandpa Bob's free range raised turkey with the delicious cooking of Uncle Mike.  It was a large bird but I think a few pounds shy of last year's (it actually fit in the oven).

   

The kids played football.

And we ate.
  





Grandpa Tracy met Evan for the first time.

And then we repeated with the Nicholson fam.

And it feels like with every holiday both Evan and Camryn were sick.  Evan had bronchiolitis and required breathing treatments for a week.  Cam we treated with Motrin and Vick's.

So off to Christmas.

Let it snow

Our first snow of the season was substantial.  Camryn actually enjoyed the snow.  Last year she didn't want to touch it and definitely didn't want to sled in it.  That definitely changed this year. She ran right out in the snow and didn't think twice about sledding with mom or dad.  Every time mom/dad wanted to go in she insisted on "two more times, ok."

From Evan

From Evan While we may be awhile from her actually helping shovel she sure did try.  Mom and dad broke down and bought a snow blower with credit card points.  We will hopefully have it by our next snow fall.

2 Months

From Evan

21 inches 10 pounds

In his first two months he experienced: 2 holidays, 1 wedding and his first illness.  Our children always decide to contract an illness during the holidays.  Evan had bronchiolitis.  Cam never had an illness except for an ear infection after she was one year old.  So Evan being sick at 6 1/2 weeks just broke my heart every time he coughed.  Then his voice grew hoarse and his heart-break level went up with every cry.  On a positive note, his sickness made me realize how much I love our new doctor.  I switched pediatricians after Cam broke her leg because her pediatrician never gave a follow-up call after I called in and requested an orthopedic referral.  Our new pediatrician called me two times after our visit with Evan.

Looking forward, Evan will experience his first day of daycare on Tuesday and I go back to work on Monday.  I was apprehensive about it at first but those fears have been alleviated.  Evan demonstrated that with a push and a shove he will drink a bottle.  (Oh I forgot to mention Scott will have both Cam and Evan all by himself on Monday; maybe I should still be apprehensive).

From Evan

Visitors and Evan's Room

Great Grandma Linda and Great Grandpa Bob paid Evan a surprise visit awhile ago. Grandma Linda had Evan in smiles while she visited.

From Evan

Finally, I finished Evan's room. My friend Dolores painted his room this summer. I painted the letters for his name and finished placing the stickers on the wall. I feel a little guilty that Camryn's room isn't as put together as Evan's.

From Evan

From Evan

Cam adjusted pretty well to Evan's arrival and her jealousy is very subtle. For a few weeks she insisted on drinking out of a bottle. But today her jealousy definitely was on display.

From Evan

Yes she is wearing size 0 - 3 months. Yes she looks like a football player and yes she put them on all by herself. And no there was no coaxing her out of them. She wore them all day.

Fall Happenings

Our trip to the pumpkin patch the weekend before Evan arrived was not as successful as we hoped. Cam wanted nothing to do with anything until it was time to select a pumpkin. She picked out many pumpkins but did not want to bring any of them home.

She enjoyed "carving" her pumpkin. Cam gave Evan the big pumpkin and the witch pieces while she kept the smaller pumpkin and Dracula for her.

Grandma Donna and Grandpa Bruce came out Halloween weekend and helped take Cam trick-or-treating in Davenport. Dad took her around our neighborhood on Sunday. She fell asleep in the stroller on the way home and went right to bed.

One Month

From Evan Scott

From Evan Scott

A comparison pic of Camryn at one month old.

From Camryn's 1st year

A little more Evan and Cam update

These are some pictures I took with my Cannon EOS. Evan was slightly more cooperative for my photo session compared to his more professional session.

From Evan Scott

My little pumpkin. Although I use 'little man' or 'peanut' because Camryn is my 'pumpkin.'

From Evan Scott

From Evan Scott

Cam has been keeping herself busy with dad and Aunt Amy. While we were in the hospital, Grandma Julie and the gang drove around with Cam in her jeep. A neighbor donated the power wheels jeep and an atv to us a year ago for Cam but she never really wanted to drive it. Well that all changed, I guess, when Uncle Trace showed her how to drive it. Now she is fearless and with very limited steering ability. It definitely is exercise to keep up with her.

From Evan Scott

From Evan Scott

From Evan Scott

Also, she fancies herself a cosmetologist. Thankfully Aunt Amy is a good sport. Yes she was ingenious in her re purposing of their chalk drawings on the driveway.

From Evan Scott

From Evan Scott

From Evan Scott

From Evan Scott

Birth Announcement

Cubes Pea Baby Announcements

Shop custom birth announcements at Shutterfly.com.

View the entire collection of cards.

Evan's Personality

His big sister still loves him . . . though sometimes he doesn't appreciate it.

From Evan Scott

From Evan Scott

From Evan Scott

From Evan Scott

I don't care.  He smiles too much for this to be gas!

Evan Scott 10 - 10

Evan arrived two days past his due date just like his sister. However, unlike his sister he arrived a little faster. Contractions started at 10 pm Saturday night after walking around Augie homecoming all day. Grandma Julie was called to start on her way around 11 pm. (We thought there would be plenty of time to leave for the hospital even with her 3 hour drive). Well we were wrong. So Kelly Thompson and Traci Reyes ended their homecoming activities a little early and made their way to the house around 12:30 am to watch Cam.

We arrived at the hospital sometime around 1. By the time we were checked in I was told there was not time for an epidural. (I was just a little disappointed). But Evan wasn't waiting and arrived at 4:22 am. He had a little difficulty keeping his O2 sats up, they were around 88%. But after an hour and lots of suctioning (a little mucous here a little there) he was a champ.

I did like the fact that I had hardly any swelling at all because of how little time they had to give me fluids.
Later that morning Camryn met her baby brother for the first time. She was so excited. The doctor tried to tell us she probably wouldn't like him or look at mom. That was not the case. Everything was about baby brother. She was fascinated.

Grandma Julie, Aunt Sam and Uncle Trace were the first visitors. Trace could not be in the room with Evan because he is under 12. I suppose children under 12 are really germy but if they are family I don't see the point.

Grandma Donna and Grandpa Bruce arrived later on Sunday.

And Kelly stopped by to say hi on Monday. Anne and Jim stopped by Monday night and brought a nice present for Mom (we just forgot to take a picture).

He was circumcised around 2pm on Monday. I went with him and he was a champ. He fussed when they strapped down his legs and then slept through the entire thing. With a successful circumcision behind us we were ready to hit the road Tuesday morning.
Grandma Julie, Aunt Sam, Uncle Trace and Cam welcomed us home.

Cam's pride at being a big sister continued to show.

Toro was a good boy. I am sure he thought "oh no here we go again!"