Evie is One!

 

Evie, what a year this has been! Today we went for your one year check-up and you weigh 21 lbs 4oz and are 30 inches tall. You have grown so much since coming into this world at 7 lbs 6 oz and 20 inches! You were so small and quiet when we first brought you home. I was always so worried about your brother hurting you by accident, but you have long since taught me not to stress so much when you two play. You may be quiet, but you are feisty and determined so I do not have to worry about you letting Declan get away with anything.

 

Speaking of Declan, I cannot even begin to explain how happy it makes me and daddy to see you two have fun together. You love your big brother so much and he absolutely adores you, especially now that you are able to run all over the house with him. You two are nonstop energy all day long! I am so glad you both love playing outside because I don't think our house could handle us being instead too much.

 

Your newest love is climbing and with this you have also experienced a great deal of falling. Despite the many tumbles, you have not slowed down one bit and continue to try to climb onto the furniture, into the tub and on anything else you think can hold you. You started walking a little over a month ago and this was quickly followed by running. However, you have terrible balance when you are the least bit tired so you have fallen down quite a few times just walking across the living room. It is really cute though and Declan loves rushing over to help you get back up.

 

 

We all love how talkative you have become recently and we get cracked up at your attempts to be included in family talks at the dinner table and whatnot. When you decide it is your turn to share there is no stopping you! You started saying "bye" several months ago and said "dada", "mama", "baba" and so forth, but you said Mama directed at the correct person first so I was very happy to be the first name you learned. :) You are now saying Dada and Dec, too! Declan has been asking us why you are always yelling at him because you say his name with a lot of enthusiam.

 

You have grown so much in the past year and your likes and dislikes have really started to show. These days you are wearing 12-18 month clothes and size 3 diapers. You love hair bows and shoes more than any baby I have ever met. You carry shoes around the house even if they are not yours and if you find one that belongs to you we have to put it on your foot (the same goes for hair bows you find around the house). If this love continues, we may be in trouble when you start wanting to shop for clothes and shoes!

 

 

As far as playing goes, you are into anything and everything; doing pretty much whatever Declan wants to do. You do, however, have a great love for baby dolls and usually have one in your hands or close by at all times. You hum to them, rock them in your arms and pat them on the back. It is the sweetest thing I have ever seen! You typically stick to your dolls and a few stuffed animals when it comes to cuddling, but you have been seen snuggling a T-rex in the exact same way.

 

We love you so much and we love seeing your personality shine through more and more each new day. It has been such an incredible 12 months  since we brought you home from the hospital last October! Having you and Declan in our lives is the greatest blessing your dad and I could ever have and we are all looking forward to what is in store for you and our family in the year to come. Happy birthday, Evie Bug!

 

 

 

Here are some pictures from your first year:

 

     

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Holding Hands

 

Declan, there are so many things I love about you, but one of my absolute favorite things about you is how much you LOVE holding hands. And, yes, you really love it!

I have tried counting the number of times you ask to hold hands throughout a single day and each time I quickly lose count because it happens pretty regularly. You want to hold hands while I try to get you ready in the morning, while I fix your milk, as we drive to daycare, when you are going to sleep, any time we sit next to you on the couch and in pretty much all other situations you have asked for a hand to hold.

I can't pinpoint exactly when this started, but ever since you were a baby you have always been a snuggler. Part of this is likely due to us holding you through nearly every nap and night when you first came home from the hospital, but that's ok because we like you snuggly. :) When you were just a few weeks old, we started putting you to sleep in  a bassinet next to my side of the bed and we learned very quickly that you did not like being laid down where you could not touch someone. I had trouble reaching you due to the nightstand so we decided to move the bassinet to the foot of the bed, which meant Daddy and I both had to sleep with our heads at the foot of the bed (I didn't want his feet in my face!). We did this until you were nearly seven months old so I could keep my hand next to you in the bassinet and somewhere along the way we started to hold hands each night as you fell asleep.

Every night has been the same for the last 2 years. When it is time to go to sleep you want to be right next to one of us and you immediately reach out for a hand. Now that you talk so much there is also a demand of "Hands, Mommy!" if I don't get situated fast enough and grab your hand right away. You always seem to get comfortable instantly, but I have to admit that I have fallen asleep in some of the most uncomfortable positions imaginable to continue holding onto your hand since you will immediately be wide awake if you are not fully asleep when I let go.

You will be the first to tell people that I am really mean at times and refuse to hold your hand. We have been working for a while on "patience" and "waiting until mommy's hands are free," which caused "peas hold hand" to be one of your first full sentences. That particular phrase came to exist because each time you have started to fuss or yelled "Hands!" at me in the car, grocery store or as I fix dinner, I have asked you to say, "Please hold my hand." At first you hated this and were simply angry at me for not immediately granting your request and grabbing a hand, but now you stay fairly calm (most of the time) and will say, "Please hold hand, Mommy."

I cannot put into words how much that simple phrase means to me each time you say it. I dread the day you quit wanting to hold hands, but I know one day you will decide you are too old to hold hands with your mom and, probably sooner than I'd like, you will realize you don't need me or Daddy to help you fall asleep each night. Too often I have to tell you I can't hold your hand at the moment because my hands are full or busy with another task. Just know I may not be able to hold your hand right then, but I am holding onto these moments forever in my heart.


Photo Credit: Ashley Sargent Photography