Happy Halloween!

Tomorrow is Evan's first Halloween, and he has already been having quite a holiday. You've seen pictures from his adventures at the pumpkin patch, and still to come is a little baby Halloween party tomorrow which is sure to be great fun!

Evan and Rip both picked the same costume this year. They were a little embarrassed about it, but both looked so cute as little pumpkins. This weekend we went outside and took some pictures of our little boys, and they turned out great!

(Rip and Evan intently staring at something)

(the boys posing for the camera)

(our little pumpkin)

After we took pictures we decided to carve the pumpkins that we picked up at the patch. It was Evan's first carving experience. Although he really didn't do much with the actual carving, he did enjoy exploring the pumpkin guts. Needless to say we washed Evan's costume before his party.

(You want me to touch what, Mom?)

(Well, okay I'll touch it.)

(This stuff's pretty fun, and tasty, too!)

I think he's already had a fantastic first Halloween!

Flying High

One of Evan's favorite activities right now is to be flown around or thrown in the air by his parents. Even if he's in a sour mood, you're guaranteed to get a smile when you hold him up and he looks down at you.

This weekend Evan and Ian were hanging out on the bed and enjoying some good airplane time. I was able to catch the event on film. Here's some adorable pictures of our little baby in the air and his daddy!

up...up...

...and away!

Boy, flying wears us out!

Little Boys Blue

Every week, Evan and I go on walks with a bunch of other mommy's and babies. It is really nice to get to go on a nice walk and talk with other mothers who are going through everything that you are. Sometimes its cold and sometimes even a little rainy, but the weather doesn't dampen our spirits.

We walk at a couple of different places. On Friday, we all went up to a trail near a shopping center in Mill Creek which is a suburb north of Seattle. This walk is always nice because there's a Starbucks waiting at the end. Even though I don't like coffee, I always try something. This time I tried a Pumpkin Spice Steamer which was really yummy and just what I needed to warm up my cold fingers.

Since the weather was so cold, all of the babies were bundled up in many, many layers. Evan was wearing his new blue puppy dog fleece for the first time as well as his snazzy brown shoes. We noticed that his friend Jason had similar good taste and was wearing a little blue cozy outfit with matching ears. So, his mommy Meredith and I had to get a picture. Jason is Evan's buddy who is only two weeks older than him so I know they'll be great friends. Evan is looking forward to heading over to Jason's house later this week to play. (I'm sure more pictures will follow.)

Here's a little picture of the little boys all dressed in blue!

A Little Pumpkin at the Pumpkin Patch

Last Saturday, the Davis family went to Stocker Farms to visit their pumpkin patch. It was a beautiful fall day, the perfect weather for some pumpkin hunting. We met our friends Malia, Jeff (I think that was his name), and Ally there and started off in the corn maze.

(Malia, Ian, Evan, Jeff, and Ally)

I'd never been in a corn maze before, so it was a new experience. Malia and I handled the map while Jeff and Ian handled the babies. I don't know if we would have ever gotten out without the map. The occasional bridges also helped us figure out where we were. Ally was big enough to walk some of the maze, but Evan chose to ride the whole way.

(a view of the corn maze from one of the bridges)

When we got done with the corn maze, Evan decided that he had a present for us. Now, some of you know that Evan is about a weekly pooper. On the day that we went to the pumpkin patch it had been nine days since he had pooped. He thought the pumpkin patch would be great place to get it over with. So, after the corn maze we headed back to the car, changed him out of his cute halloween outfit (which was now a little dirty), wiped the poop of his shoulders, and headed back out. We would not let it deter us from having a good time at the pumpkin patch!

(yoga baby)

(our little farmer)

After our little break, we also met up with our friends Meredith, Sacha, and Jason. We had some snacks and headed out to the pumpkin field. Ally rode in a little red wagon while the boys decided they would rather ride on their parents again (maybe because they can't quite sit up yet). The boys got some great pictures and we all found some nice pumpkins. Evan was very interested in touching and exploring the pumpkins. He had never seen anything like them!

(parents and their babies grabbing a snack)

(Evan thinks pumpkins are pretty cool)

We paid for our perfect pumpkins and headed back to the car with a delicious greasy corn dog to go. We all rested well when we got home that night!

(close encounters of the pumpkin kind)

4 months old!

Evan turned four months old on Friday! So, today was his four month check up at the doctor's office. Dr. Thakkar said that Evan was doing great. He's doing everything a baby at his age should be able to do: roll over, keep his head nice and steady, grab everything and stick it in his mouth, drool, and the best of course, laugh! He also said that Evan was growing just as he should be. He's still continuing his trend of being short and big headed like his smart daddy.

Here are his percentiles:

Height: 24 inches (25th percentile)
Weight: 14 lbs. 1 oz. (45th percentile)
Head Circumference: 17 and 1/4 inches (90th percentile)

We also had to have our latest round of shots which neither mommy or baby particularly cared for, but we both survived and he's sleeping off the trauma in his swing as we speak. Here's the latest series of pictures. It's still amazing to think he's grown this much in just four months!

Enjoy!

June 18, 2008...1 day old

July 17, 2008...1 month old

August 17, 2008...2 months old

September 17, 2008...3 months old

October 17, 2008...4 months old

The Big Event

So, here it is, the final chapter in the saga of out trip to New England. (Did you think it would never end?) After all the other wedding and family activities all weekend long, it was finally time for the event that brought us all this way in the first place, Seema and Tim's wedding!

After our trip to Boston, we went back to the hotel and cleaned up for the wedding. Evan got to wear a button down shirt for the first time and looked very grown up! Then, we drove over to Fruitlands Museum where the wedding would take place.

It was a beautiful location with sweeping views of the fall foliage and the bright blue sky that we'd been getting used to. However, I didn't have very much time to look around because I had to find the bride. When I found Seema in her room, she was getting the final touches to her dress, makeup and jewelry. She looked absolutely beautiful! It was great to be with her as she got ready and then walking her out to meet her groom. We actually didn't get to see the first part of the ceremony where the groom and all of his family walked to where we would meet Seema accompanied by a string band. We actually caught a glimpse of the procession out the window, and it was great to see Seema's face as they walked by.

(Seema watching the groom's processional as she was getting ready)

After the groom was in place we headed down to meet him. My role was to help hold up her dress and make sure that it didn't get dirty. It reminded me of when Seema helped me with my own dress at my wedding. After I helped her with her dress, my part in the ceremony was over and I sat back to watch with everyone else. They started off with some readings and rituals outside as we were all standing around them.

(Seema and Tim exchanging garlands)

After the first part of the ceremony we all walked to another part of the ground where they had chairs and a stage set up for the rest of the ceremony. I had never been to a Hindu ceremony so it was really interesting to watch, and Seema and Tim looked very happy which made everything perfect. Evan managed to stay quiet for the whole ceremony. He's a great wedding guest! Then, all of the guests signed a Quaker wedding contract making the marriage official.

(the happy couple at the end of the ceremony)

(both fathers signing the Quaker marriage contract)

After the ceremony, the party began! There was some square dancing which Mom, Dad, Audra, and Tommy all joined in on. Ian and I would have totally been up for the dancing if we hadn't had to look after Evan, HA! After the revelry was the food. It was all fresh vegetarian fare, and it was delicious. I especially liked the pear, blue cheese, and candied walnut salad and butternut squash soup.

(our happy little family after the wedding)

(the string band accompanying the square dancing)

(mom and dad enjoying the square dancing)

When dinner was finished, the speeches began. This was the part of the weekend that I had been stewing over for days. I had to give a speech, but don't worry, I was prepared and had typed it up. I considered it a success because everyone said they liked it, and I even had two people in tears! As long as Seema and Tim appreciated it, that's what counts.

The dancing started after the speeches, and with the loud music, that was our cue to head out. We took some of the fresh apple crisp and ice cream to go, said goodbye to the bride, and headed back to Connecticut, ready to take the flight home the next day.

It was a fabulous trip, and I miss everyone that we were able to see that weekend! I hope everyone hasn't gotten spoiled by all of the pictures and excitement in the blog because now we're home for a couple months and are looking forward to a peaceful Pacific Northwest fall.

(one more shot of the happy couple)

Walking the Freedom Trail

The tale of our New England trip continues! Can you believe we packed this many events and activities into one weekend? We're still recovering. So, while Evan recovers by snoozing in his swing, I will share our trip to Boston.

Sunday was the day of Seema's wedding, but it wasn't until 4 pm. So, we had the rest of the day to take in the sights in Boston, which was only about 1/2 hour away from the wedding and our hotel. So, on Sunday morning, the whole family hopped in the car and traveled to downtown Boston.

We decided that the thing to do, since we only had a very limited amount of time, was to walk the freedom trail and see all of the historic sites along its route. So, we picked up our map, stopped at the nearby McDonalds for breakfast and Audra and Tommy's required breakfast Cokes, and were on our way.

(Ian and I getting ready to walk the trail)

(Hey, Uncle Babe, can I have that free beer now?)

It was another beautiful day, and the trail was really interesting. We saw the graves of famous patriots like Paul Revere, Sam Adams, John Hancock, Ben Franklin's parents, and possibly even the grave of Mother Goose! We also saw Paul Revere's house and The Old North Church where they hung the lanterns to begin his famous ride. We saw the site of the Boston Massacre and The Old State House where they first read the Declaration of Independence. We even passed by the site of the first public school in the country which was right across the street from a hotel where they made the first Boston Cream Pie, something to interest both Ian and I, right?

(The Old State House: you can see the balcony where the Declaration of Independence was first read, and somewhere in the middle of this intersection is the site of the Boston Massacre)

(The Granary Burying Ground with many famous patriots)

(Paul Revere's house)

(the family in front of The Old North Church, we swear it's actually back there, just a little washed out in the picture)

It was a great morning! Evan had a great time watching all of the sites from his stroller until we realized that *all* of the streets in Boston are cobbled. Then he rode in his carrier to avoid being jostled by the offending stone streets. After a few hours of touring we headed back to the hotel to prepare for the final installment of this series of blog entries and the culmination of our weekend, Seema and Tim's wedding.

Saris and Celebrations

I know everyone's been anxiously awaiting the next chapter in the story of Seema and Tim's wedding, so here it is. We had gone apple picking in Saturday morning and then headed to our hotel after lunch. That night was Seema and Tim's Sangeet and Mendhi party, which is basically just a big pre-wedding celebration where everyone can get to know each other and have a good time.

I had to head up to Seema's hotel room a couple of hours early because she had brought back saris from India for several of us to wear. They were beautiful, but we needed help figuring out how to wear them! So, some of Seema's family helped all of us get dressed for that night. I don't know how people get dressed in saris by themselves.

(our happy family before the party)

(the whole Bitler clan)

After we got dressed we headed down to the party, and in typical Bitler fashion, our family was the first group of people there. After a few minutes the party got started and everyone had a great time. We had wonderful food, got our hands painted with henna in traditional Hindu wedding fashion, and watched some fantastic dancing. (I did get up on the dance floor once, but I still can't dance and would much rather watch, HA!) Evan enjoyed the first half of the party, but once the loud music started he decided to go up to his hotel room to rest.

(me and the beautiful bride)

(my hand getting painted)

(grandpa and grandson discovering a mirror)

(Saniel, Seema's brother, kicks off the dancing)

(the dancing continues with Seema and Tim's parents)

(people waiting in line for henna, notice the groom and father of the bride deep in conversation)

The party was a lot of fun and was a great preview of the wedding the next day! More stories from New England next time...

Apple Picking

For the next chapter in the story of our whirlwind wedding weekend we made our way up to Harvard, MA for our first wedding event. Audra, Ian, Mom, Evan, and I woke up early and drove from Connecticut to Carlson Orchards for some apple picking with the wedding party and guests while Tommy and Dad decided to go to the Sam Adams Brewery in Boston instead.

When we arrived at Carlson Orchards after a drive through the beautiful New England countryside, we saw about 25 people waiting to pick apples. Among them was Seema. It was great to see her and her family! She looked happy and excited that the wedding festivities were finally beginning. The groom was a few minutes late (a perfect match for Seema, HA!), but it was great to finally meet Tim when he arrived. They seem like a wonderful pair.

(Seema and I waiting to pick some apples)

(the orchard store)

Once everyone had arrived, including our friend Brian Coggins, who was visiting Boston for another wedding, we ventured off into the orchard with our bag ready for apples. They had many different types of apples ready for picking, each labeled by signs. We helped ourselves to plenty of apples, trading off putting them in our mouths and in our bags! I had never picked an apple of a tree before, so the Daltons (Tim's family) made sure to share the technique of twisting instead of just pulling. It was a lot of fun!

(lots and lots of apples)

(Ian and Evan enjoying the beautiful day)

(me finding the perfect apple)

(Audra and Mom in the orchard)

(mmmm, apples)

(Evan is having fun in his Halloween duds)

After we went apple picking, we were directed to another fun spot for lunch. We went to The Airfield Cafe which was, as the name would indicate, right next to a small airfield. We would have never found it on our own so the Daltons led us there. We were happy for the recommendation because the food was fabulous, and the view was a lot of fun too.

(a view from our restaurant)

That night we went and checked into our hotel, got ready and went to the next wedding event, but you're going to have to wait until next time to hear about that one!