Tuesday, April 20, 2010

I LOVE to RUN!!!





We've had some beautiful spring days in Seattle with yes, the sun! The nice weather has given us the opportunity to try out walking in grass and uneven surfaces. People warned us and boy were they right; Eva went from walking to running in about six seconds. She's loving the spring performance and can't get enough of all the new blooms and green foliage. And it's a good thing to because her mom and dad are going to take her on a LOT of hikes!

Saturday, April 10, 2010

Eva's Blossoming Personality



The past few months have been all about Eva's emerging personality. Oh what a ride it has been to go from a totally dependent infant to a head strong toddler who expresses pretty strong likes and dislikes. I've tried to put this transformation into words for you who are watching Eva grow from afar. Here's a list of a few things we have recently discovered about our little spunky girl:

1. Eva LOVES Cherrios and pretty much anything that crunches, ESPECIALLY pirate booty but it has since been banned when I was told that its nutritional value could rest easily on the head of a pin. As far as Eva knows, Pirate Booty has disappeared from the planet. .

2. She also loves strawberries, tangelos, hummus, and her father's homemade chicken noodle soup.

3. Eva adores dogs. Anytime a dog walks by our house (which is often), she starts smiling and shrieking with joy. Her third word was "ruff."

4. She loves her Papa and lives for the moment in the day when we watch him pull in the spot in front of our house. She shrieks with anticipation even more than when she sees a dog. "Dada" was her first word. She said it as she saw him walk up to the door.

5. She also loves her Mamma; so much so, in fact, she won't let me out of her sight. I've tried to drop her off at my new gym a few times but the Kid's Club staff had to page me after fifteen minutes because she was so hysterical. She says "mama" pretty much all day long. Mama was the second word on her ever-growing list of words.

6. Eva loves to eat books. We have to police her time with them and make sure that she doesn't choke on all the cardboard. Voracious reader takes on a whole other meaning with this kid.

7. She loves people and seems to be quite the extrovert. We pretty much leave the house for some errand or activity every day. When I take out the Bjorn baby carrier her eyes get wide with anticipation and she lets out a cry of joy because she knows that we are going on an adventure.

8. Her favorite book used to be "Where's Spot" but now she seems to be gravitating towards "Peekawho" and the finger puppet series. We now read together before every nap and before bed. She runs over to me as I get the basket of books and curls up with me. It's the only time of the day when she stops for a cuddle. I adore this time with her.

9. She's a good sleeper. I'm thinking God threw us a bone to make up for the four months of sheer misery when she was colicky. Once again, it's the only time when we can cuddle and she seems to use the time when she takes a bottle to recharge.

10. Her newest thing is a huge wide jawed grin that cracks people up. She's a huge ham and really works the crowd with her "Oh, my gosh, seriously?" look. She does it to just about anyone that looks at her. Even the most sullen hipster in Seattle can't help but smile in response to it. How could you not?

11. She still hates her carseat and pretty much anything that fences her in. I bought a play yard to contain her while I cook dinner and she stands on the perimeter and cries until I pick her up. I haven't figured out if I'm going to push this one or not.

12. Her favorite thing thus far is a mobile that I got on the Etsy website. My niece, Maria, who is savvy with all things design oriented recommended it. The mobile is handmade, Alexander Calderesque with felt birds in the color scheme of her room. It's the first thing that we go to when she wakes up. She pats her "birdies" before she goes down for a nap and when she wakes up.

Can you tell that I am totally in love with this girl?

Monday, April 5, 2010

Eva's First Easter






We had a wonderful Easter holiday yesterday with Eva. To say that I have been pining for a baby for Easter is an understatement. Some women spend most of their life planning for their wedding gown; I, on the other hand, envisioned my baby in her Easter outfit. Like a paper doll, I've imagined Eva in numerous dresses over the past year. I settled on a green linen number with pink rosebuds and detail in the smocking. Unfortunately, I don't have any photos of the lovely pink velvet cape that she wore along with the dress. I know it's a bit petty and certainly materialistic to fixate on the Easter ensemble in this way but I just can't help myself! I have a weak spot for little girls in Easter dresses. There's something about fresh crisp linen, tights, and patent leather shoes that makes my heart skip a beat and ushers in the spring season. Maybe this fixation stems from the years I spent making clothes for my barbies. I was always a tomboy as a little girl yet I played with my barbies long after my friends had given theirs away. When my guidance counselor asked me what I wanted to be when I was a freshmen in high school, I didn't hesitate for a moment and proudly announced that I would be a fashion designer. I think I was the only student at my high school who had a full AP load AND took clothing classes in the home economics department. I've long since abandoned these aspirations but the interest lingers in children's clothing as well as my curious devotion to the show, "What Not to Wear."

Jeff and I put together Eva's Easter basket the night before by filling plastic Easter eggs with beans, pennies, quarters, and other interesting objects. She loved the different sounds they made and gave her signature wide jawed "oh wow" look every time she picked one up. We were able to capture this moment on video, not with the camera. Eva learned to walk two weeks ago, now she is running. So, we weren't able to get her to stop for a moment to get any decent shots. What I attached here is a carefully culled selection of photos from close to a hundred actual shots. Happy Easter, everyone!