A Head Start on School

I don't think six weeks is too young to start school, do you?

Yesterday was Evan's first day of school, well, first trip to visit his daddy at the University of Washington. We dropped by for lunch with Ian and our friends Bob and Liz. We ate at Agua Verde which is a Mexican restaurant with great fish tacos and where you can also rent a kayak and try it out on Lake Washington. It's kind of an interesting combination, and Ian and I have been meaning to try it.


As Evan and I had maneuvered his stroller out of the parking garage, we were looking around at all of the steps and hills. We realized that college campuses were not very stroller friendly, but we managed to find our way, not without some creative stroller lifting.

After lunch we stopped by Ian's lab to introduce Evan to all of Ian's colleagues. Evan slept through the whole tour, and I'm sure Ian's labmates will never again believe him when he talks about the fussy baby that kept him up all night! They all agreed that he was the most beautiful baby in the whole world. They especially liked the "Milk Junkie" hat.

Here's a picture of Evan, ready to start his college career. I'll also put in another one of him in the "Milk Junkie" hat from when he was less than a week old. I always like these comparison pictures because they show how much he's grown in just six weeks. Even with all of the growing, maybe we'll still wait a while before college, maybe preschool first.

Tribute

This blog is a tribute to the swing! The great and wonderful baby swing has been a savior the past few days. They say that the time period between one and three months is when a baby is fussiest, and that is definitely holding true for dear, sweet Evan. There are times when food, a clean diaper, rocking, a story, a bath, mommy, daddy, a pacifier, swaddling, etc. won't soothe him. However, when all else fails, when we put him in the swing and he sees the owl mobile start to twirl above him he's hypnotized.

A Weekend of Firsts

It's amazing to watch Evan learn and get older. You watch him everyday and think that he's relatively the same as he was the day before. Then, suddenly, he'll do something that you know he couldn't do just a day ago. That was how it was this weekend. Every time we'd look at him he was doing something new.

On Saturday morning we really noticed him start to smile in response to our smiles. Up until that point most of his smiles were probably related to some digestive issue (yes, even the adorable smile in the brown bear fleece). When I pulled him out of his crib Sunday morning and put him on the changing table his face just lit up and I knew that he was smiling at me.


On Sunday night we had more firsts. Evan was playing with his little toy gym with plastic animals hanging down over him that jingle and rattle and play music. Up until this point he has basically paid no attention to that toy even when mommy and daddy jingle and rattle and shake the toys like crazy. This time, Evan suddenly realized it was there. He was focusing on it and actually trying to make it move. Granted, he wasn't very accurate with making it move, but he was still trying. He would bring his arm up to one of the toys and bump into it. He's got a ways to go before he's grabbing onto things, but he's getting there. Up until this point we've been pretty sure he had no clue that his hands were attached to him.


He's also starting to make some little cooing noises that resemble talking. These are still few and far between and interspersed in numerous other non-talking noises, and boy, does he make a lot of these noises. He grunts, he chirps, he squeaks, and of course he cries. These noises have given him the unfortunate nickname of velociraptor (a very small and vocal dinosaur that we've seen in Jurassic Park). Although all these noises are just fine, I love the cooing. It makes him seem like he's really trying to communicate.


He's getting older everyday. I can't wait to see what he does tomorrow!

Six Years!

Happy anniversary to us! July 27th 2008 Ian and I will be celebrating our 6th anniversary. We can't believe that we've been married for six years! It doesn't seem too long ago that we were celebrating with all of our family and friends at our wedding in Houston. We have shared so many exciting adventures in those six years, and the biggest one is just beginning. Here's a look at some of the many highlights of the best six years of our lives. We feel like two very lucky people.

...with a little help from my friends

This week, Ian had a conference in Eastern Washington, so it was my first experience staying home with Evan and Rip for 4 days all by myself. All I can say now that Ian is back is that I need some sleep! I'm just getting used to taking care of Evan, and taking care of him by myself was definitely a learning experience.

There was one key to my survival this week-a couple of wonderful friends that came to my rescue several evenings. My friends Liz and Marie stopped by and kept us company, helped take the dog out, and enjoyed having some baby holding time. I am very grateful for all their help, and without them, Ian probably would have found an insane Katy when he got home.

(Liz and Evan)

Rip also greatly enjoyed his evening with his girlfriend Ellie, who lives with Marie downstairs. Rip and Ellie always have a great time running around the apartment when she's here. Ellie has learned how to do a flying leap off of the back of the couch and over the table behind the couch when they're racing and Rip just can't catch her! They're a great pair.

(Rip and Ellie)

Now, Ian is refreshed from his couple of days of good sleep and some fresh mountain air, and I am breathing a deep sigh of relief that we survived the time on our own and came out the other side in one piece. When do they start sleeping through the night??

The One Good Thing About Seattle Gloomy Weather...

...is that we look so cute in our little brown bear fleece. I didn't think that we'd be wearing it in July, but here we are. Enjoy!


Being so cute wears us out!

Hibernating??


A smile! This one is my favorite. Isn't he handsome?

It's Official!

Evan Bitler Davis is official today. He got his birth certificate in the mail! Now, he has his birth certificate and social security card. Since Evan is so proud of his new birth certificate, he wanted to get a picture with it. However, since a birth certificate is such an important document, we told him that it was too important to be on the internet. So, we compromised, and here is a picture of Evan with his Record of Birth from the hospital, not his actual birth certificate. But hey, his actual birth certificate didn't have those cute little footprints on it. Notice the cute little dance that Evan is doing because he is so excited.

That's the Dog

So, Ian and I haven't been getting much sleep since Evan has arrived. Apparently, the lack of sleep is starting to affect both of us. Here is a little example of what happened the other night as the sleep deprivation set in.

It was the middle of the night, and Ian was sound asleep in bed. Suddenly, I wake him up. "I've got one for you," I said. Ian startles and has no idea what I'm talking about.

"One what?" he says looking around at the dark room.

"The baby," I say. I've been known to say that to him as I hand off the baby to him.

Ian sits up, a bit more aware and concerned. "The baby is in his crib, Katy," Ian says still looking around the dark room confused.

"No, he's right there," I say annoyed gesturing to a bundle at the end of the bed.

"Sweetie," Ian says in a relieved voice, "That's the dog."

And with that the dog lifts his head from his usual position at the foot of the bed to see what all the conversation was about, and Ian and I roll back over and go back to sleep.

I wake up in the morning with no recollection of any of that conversation because I had done it all in my sleep! Exhaustion will lead you to do funny things. We are trying to get more naps from now on. :)

I will leave you with a sweet picture of Evan sleeping because that it what he was doing peacefully in his crib during this whole conversation.

Berry Picking

Today our little family went with our friends Bob and Liz to a farm north of town where we could pick berries. Ian has been wanting to try his hand at making jam, so we needed to get the berries for the jam. Evan came along and had a great time although he didn't actually pick any berries himself. We are now sitting at home with flats of berries trying to figure of how many things we can make using strawberries and raspberries. So far the menu is: jam, strawberry cake, and ice cream...and we still have plenty of berries left over.


Evan and I picking some raspberries...

Evan and his daddy enjoying some lunch...


Bob and Liz in the strawberry patch...

Strawberry fields forever...

Our loot from the day!

like a weed

Today was Evan's one month doctor's appointment. I'm always excited to go for these healthy child check ups because I get to find out how Evan's doing and how much he's changed. However, I don't think I'll like next month so well because it will be time for lots of shots (which I think mommy dislikes more than Evan). At this appointment Dr.Thakkar said that Evan is a happy, healthy boy. Here's an update on what we found out:

Height: 21 inches: 30th percentile

Weight: 9 pounds, 6 ounces: 50th percentile

Head Circumference: 15 and 1/4 inches: 60th percentile

So, this means that we have a short little Buddha baby right now with a really large head. Guess he does take after his father after all! Dr. Thakkar also checked all of our little parts. He said everything was in good working order, and Evan was doing everything he was supposed to be doing at this point. The doctor put him on his tummy and said that he was lifting up his head like a 2-month old. Then, he actually rolled himself over on the examining table! He's only done that once before. The doctor said that usually babies don't do that until 5 months. So, Ian and I feel like we're raising a little genius, HA!


After our doctor's appointment our little family went to Green Lake to take advantage of the beautiful day. I almost made it as far as I did the day before I gave birth, which means I'm gradually recovering. I can't wait until I can run around the lake again. We took some pictures at the same spot where we posed for a picture that day. It's strange to think that in a month our family has changed so much! Here's a look at the first picture and the ones that we took today.

June 16, 2008...

July 17, 2008...

Baby in the Moonlight

Evan and I are settling in to a nice routine this week. We have the days pretty much worked out, but we're definitely still working on the nights. The hardest part is getting him back to sleep after he's eaten his middle of the night meals. He just sits there and stares at me with those beautiful, wide blue eyes wondering why mommy's eyes are about to slam shut and why she keeps on yawning.

Last night was particularly exciting. I woke up at 2 am to Evan crying. This is a little earlier than usual, so I blearily climbed out of bed and went into his nursery. I tried to settle him back down in case he wasn't hungry. Now, to set the stage, we normally have a very dim light in the room so that we can see, but Evan is not overly stimulated. Plus, there's a lot of light coming in from the buildings around us and the streetlights outside. However, last night was different. (dramatic pause)

Just as I was trying to get Evan to settle, the power went out. Not only was it pitch black in the nursery, but power was out in all the surrounding buildings as well. Evan, however, did not realize that I couldn't see a thing and was definitely hungry at this point. So, I stumbled around for a little while trying to figure out how I would see. I realized that my computer had battery power, so I came out to the living room and fed him by the bluish light of my laptop. Then, silly tired me realized that we did have a lantern, so I fumbled around and dug it out. I then changed Evan by the light of a lantern on his changing table. All in all, it made the middle of the night feeding much more exciting! Who knows what adventures we'll have tonight.

Evan picture of the day...Here's a picture of Evan and his mommy at the park. It doesn't have anything to do with the rest of this blog entry, but if I took a picture of last night, it would be pitch black.

Four weeks old!

Today Evan is officially four weeks old. I can't believe that he has been here for a month. Time has really flown by. On his four weeks birthday he can do so much more than he could do a month ago, and he is learning more everyday. He can raise up his head, follow mommy and daddy's faces with his eyes, and he has almost discovered his hands! He has also learned to make so many little noises and facial expressions.



To celebrate Evan's four week birthday we wanted to show you how much he's grown. So, here are two pictures in his car seat: one from his second day of life and one from today. It's amazing how big he's getting. We'll have to see how that car seat looks at two months old!

Hair today, gone tomorrow

With the start of a new week, Ian went back to work and Gram and Gramps took the long plane flight back to North Carolina. That left Evan, Rip, and I up to our own devices at home. Although I loved having all of the company, it was nice to have some time to putter around the house and get things done.

Evan, Rip, and I also had some good mommy and sons time today. We went for our first walk as a threesome. I'm still not able to go very far, but it was nice to get out on this beautiful Seattle day. Rip clearly thought we should be moving faster, and Evan enjoyed sleeping in the stroller, as usual. The three of us also had a lovely nap in the middle of the afternoon. Well, I was reading my book while Rip slept at my feet and Evan slept on my stomach. It's the only time that he likes being on his tummy. I loved having my boys sleeping peacefully next to me.

Over the past several days, we've all been debating whether Evan's hair is beginning to fall out or not. We think that it's pretty clear as of today that he is getting a receding hairline. I don't know if he will lose all of his hair, but he's definitely lost some at the front. For that reason, Ian and I thought we needed a poll. Ian and his parents think that he'll keep the strawberry blond hair and blue eyes like me, but I tend to think that his hair will turn brown like his daddy's. Vote and let us know what you think.

Evan picture of the day...He looks like he's deep in thought about something. Maybe he's wondering what color his hair will be too...

Evan and the Chocolate Factory

The Seattle days are long and sunny right now. The 75 degree temperatures and beautiful views of the Olympic mountains, the Cascades, Mount Rainier, and the Puget Sound make the 9 months of rain and dreariness seem worth it. July in Seattle brings everyone outside to enjoy the town.



Evan is no different. He feels like he needs to go out and explore while the weather is good. Yesterday he ventured to Carkeek park on the Puget Sound with his parents, grandparents, and brother Rip. He saw beautiful views of the mountains across the sound and would have put his feet in the sand of the beach if he knew he had feet! His Gramps, Dad, and brother went on a nice hike while his Gram and Mom sat at some picnic tables with him.


Today he went to Fremont which is known by locals as the "center of the universe". It's also known for its summer solstice parade with naked bicyclists (we unfortunately did not participate this year) and for the troll statue under Aurora Bridge that is busy devouring a real Volkswagon bug. Today is the day of the Fremont market so Evan and his family shopped through the market and at his parents favorite glass store, Edge of Glass.


After the shopping Evan and friends went to Theo Chocolate, a Fremont chocolate factory for a tour. The tour was a birthday present for his Gramps who loves all things chocolate. Although Evan slept through most of the tour he thought it was very interesting. His parents and grandparents were able to sample lots of yummy kinds of chocolate like Fig and Fennel and Cocoa Nib Brittle. While going through the factory itself there were certain wardrobe requirements for sanitary reasons. Everyone had to wear hair nets including Evan. He thought he looked very handsome! Although he couldn't keep the hair net, his Gramps was able to stock up on chocolate bars, yum!

Evan is a Movie Star

Not only is Evan's life well-documented in picture form, now it is well-documented in video form as well. He's really going to hate it when we pull out these pictures and videos on his first date which will be when he's about 30, right?

Gramps (I think that's the name we finally decided on.) bought a video camera that he's going to let us use to get video clips of Evan. He's been playing with the camera and corresponding computer gadgets the whole time that he's been here. As a result we have a new wonderful video of Evan footage. We're supposed to keep sending him footage once he heads back to North Carolina, and he'll keep providing us with these great videos. Like I said, a well-documented baby.

A Davis Tradition-Evan's first portraits

Evan took another step in truly becoming a Davis yesterday. He went for his first portraits. Conveniently, there is a Portrait Innovations just South of Seattle, and Ian's mom and dad had already made it a point to get to know the manager and let them know that their grandbaby would be coming soon. For those of you who don't know Portrait Innovations is the chain of portrait studios that Ian's dad co-founded about the time that Ian and I got married. Right now, there are about 130 in the country. For those of you with little ones, there are studios in Houston, San Antonio, Virginia, and most other places in the country by now.

So, back to Evan's portrait experience. He was very handsome, and very well-behaved. We brought about half of his wardrobe and stock of blankets to the studio, but we think we got some really great pictures. We took home lots of great shots that we'll be mailing out, and we got a CD so we can print more out any time we want. He is definitely going to be a well-documented baby.

Here are some of our favorite shots.

Evan in his Duke blue outfit which brings out his handsome blue eyes and mommy's hand...

 

In his snail outfit which we realized he had already grown out of. His little feet come out of the bottom of his gown...

 

He thought this one might be a little revealing, but the feathers are tastefully positioned over the diaper...

Here he is again in blue with a blanket from his Grandma Rose in the background...

 

Evan and his mommy.

The Pink Door

Today the Davis grandparents were nice enough to take care of Evan in the evening so that Ian and I could have a night out to ourselves. (I'm sure it was a real hardship for them.) Ian and I went out to a restaurant in Pike Place Market downtown called The Pink Door. There's no sign out in front, just a pink door in the middle of the market. We had heard about it because one of our favorite local chefs, Tom Douglas, said that it was his favorite restaurant in town. It's an Italian restaurant with a lounge that has live music and even a flying trapeze act. (although we didn't see that tonight.)

 

We sat outside on a porch that had a beautiful view of the sound over the market on a beautiful Seattle summer night. I feasted on foods that I wasn't allowed to have while I was pregnant: their famous lasagna and cream puffs covered in chocolate sauce called "Bongo Bongos". I happily licked both plates! Ian said that his food was good, although perhaps not plate licking good.

After dinner Ian gave me a surprise baby gift. Apparently, the Davis family has a tradition of giving the mother a baby gift. I hadn't known about this tradition, but I was very pleasantly surprised. What he gave me was a beautiful ring that belonged to his grandmother, Gudda. It was her engagement ring, and I was so touched that I had received it as a gift. It's beautiful, and I can't wait to wear it.

Weights and measures...

 Our little Evan is getting so big already! I can't wait to go to our one month check up to see how big we've gotten. At our last appointment when we were 10 days old here were our measurements:

head circumference: 14.5 in.

height: 19.5 in.

weight: 6 lbs. 14 oz.

This put him at about the 30% percentile in everything which is just perfect.

I've been noticing him getting bigger, but I hadn't really noticed how much bigger until today. It's pretty inaccurate but we decided to get an idea of what he weighs ourselves, so I stood on the scale (not going to say what it said), and then I held Evan and stood on the scale again. It went up by 8.5 lbs. That would be amazing if he weighed that much already. I know it's not a very accurate method, but it's a pretty good sign that he's getting bigger.

We also went on an adventure to Green Lake with his grandparents Davis. Green Lake is absolutely beautiful this time of year with people swimming, running, walking, and just sitting and enjoying the beautiful weather. I like walking by the wading pool where there are all sorts of little toddlers enjoying the water. I can't believe Evan will be that big soon. He's looking forward to joining in all the fun!

 

Evan basking at Green Lake (notice the socks provided by his grandparents Bitler)...

While we were at Green Lake we had to do an emergency diaper change. I grabbed out one of the diapers that he came home from the hospital with. It was amazing how small the diaper looked. There was no way that he could fit in it now! I can't believe he's outgrowing diapers already. If he keeps changing and growing this fast from now on it's going to be an amazing year to watch. I see what people say when they tell me to cherish every moment because they grow up so fast.

More relaxing at Green Lake (after the emergency diaper change)...

The Davis parents arrive

We're very lucky to have more help with little Evan -- Ian's parents arrived Saturday. After recovering from a long day of travel, they were ready to cuddle their new grandson (and take the graveyard diaper-changing shift).

Their only problem is figuring out what they want to be called. "Grandma" and "Grandpa" are already taken, so they've considered Nana, Gram, Granny, Pop, Gramps, Hoo-Hah, and Poo-Paw (don't ask). Whatever you call 'em though, the apple clearly doesn't fall far from the tree, as this picture of three generations shows.