Paper--not presents--a hit at Christmas

As you might expect, Evan was much happier with the wrapping paper than his presents at Christmas. He seemed to enjoy the fact that, after a few minutes, it melted in his mouth. It can't taste any worse than the pureed peas he's been eating!

We spent Christmas in Hilton Head with Grandma & Grandpa Terreri and Aunt Kim & Uncle Shane. Evan was a great traveler-- he slept soundly in his pack 'n play and adapted well to the new environment. We had a great time-- as usual, we ate way too much and enjoyed good wine. Evan received some nice gifts, including some of the typical noise-making baby toys (read: obnoxious) from an uncle who shall remain nameless...

Some pics from Christmas are below. The last picture is Evan after his first haircut. His bangs were getting a little long, so I snipped a little off the front-- some of the last strands of brown hair left from birth. He's now almost completely blond. With his haircut, I learned two things: 1) scissors and a wobbly baby don't mix, and 2) cutting Barbie's hair when I was 6 does not a beautician make. This was Evan's first and last haircut from Mommy.

Evidence that Evan is growing up

Within the last two weeks, we've put away most of Evan's/my favorite baby things: the bouncy seat, the infant car seat (1lb away from outgrowing the 22lb weight limit), and (gasp!) the baby swing! He didn't reach the weight limit on the swing per se, but seeing as how his legs were hanging more than a few inches over the seat, I figured it was time to put it away. I am happy to report, however, that almost immediately, Evan learned to take solid naps in his crib. I was terrified he would never sleep without our sacred swing!

To replace these items, we now have: the highchair, the Jumperoo (Evan loves a good jumping session in the afternoon), and the playpen. A note about the playpen-- I came to learn that most parents today don't use/believe in playpens. In fact, when I searched for one, I could only find it on the Internet and only one company made it! However, Grandma Terreri insisted that we would want one. "Get him used to it now," she said, "before he's starts crawling and walking." Well, I'm glad she insisted-- I, uh... I mean, Evan loves the playpen! It's colorful, has all of his toys and he stays easily within my sight!

Here are some new pics for your enjoyment. Note about the last few pics: Evan loved Santa; hated Rudolph.

Get your baby fix

I was chastised yesterday by three different people for not updating my blog, so I guess I'm really behind!

Evan is six months old today and I am amazed at how much he is developing. From his expanding baby talk vocabulary to his unique facial expressions, he seems to understand the world around him a little more each day. He also continues to grow-- 20lbs 4oz and 28in. He's wearing 12 month clothes! Here are some pictures to amuse and satisfy your baby fix.

busy baby

As usual, Evan's been a busy baby lately. We traveled to Sarasota to see grandparents and aunt & uncle last weekend. We forgot all about taking pictures, so there's only a few to show. When he isn't travelling, Evan keeps busy at home-- playing with Bullit, learning how to sit and stand up, and of course, bouncing in his jumperoo. As you can see in this last photo, Evan has had enough! He's tired!

baby faces @ 5 months

On Sunday, Evan turned 5 months old! Jason and I can hardly believe it. He has grown and changed so much in the last 5 months. Lately, he is quite the little comedian-- he makes us laugh all the time. Some commentary on the pics below: (1) Evan before bath time. (2) while the sippy cup looks adorable, Evan didn't quite get the concept; I think we'll wait a while. (3-4) you'll see how much Evan enjoys sweet potatoes. (5) Bullit and Evan make quite a pair. (6) just like the rest of us, Evan has good and bad hair days.

Prize Winning Pooch

Jason and I are proud parents. This past weekend, our eldest son (of the hound nature) won first prize for the funniest costume in a "Howl-o-ween" Party costume contest. As you can see below, he was Oscar the Grouch from Sesame Street.

Evan has feet!

Ok, so you and I know that Evan has always had feet, but Evan just found out a week ago and is still reeling from the news! Other accomplishments to note are two new bottom teeth and an increasing ability to grab everything in sight.

Travelin' baby

There is a good reason why you haven't seen any new pictures in a while-- we've been traveling! Jason and I always said that any child born into our family would have to learn to love road trips, and Evan is definitely learning! The first three pictures are from our trip to Hilton Head where we showed Evan the ocean. A week later, we traveled down to Melbourne, FL to attend Jason's alumni weekend and visit friends. As you can see below, Evan enjoyed his first boat ride. He didn't get to wakeboard with the rest of us-- he was too busy sleeping from the motion of the boat. Other pictures show his first bath in a sink (thanks for letting us stay Chris & Misty!) and his first time in a high chair.

Evan is growing and changing at an incredible rate! His personality is really coming out. He smiles all the time-- at me, at Jason, at strangers in the grocery store. He has big belly laughs and has learned that he can squeal and that it's a fun noise to make. He's just starting to roll over, but not too often (thank goodness!). And of course, he continues to grow longer and gain weight. At his 4 month appt., he weighed in at 17.7 lbs. and measured 27 3/4 in. He is in the 90% for weight and off the charts for height. He is such a good baby, and Jason and I are having so much fun with him. I am, however, starting to realize that he's growing up too fast... can't he stay this little and cute forever?