Sunny Sunday

What a beautiful day! I love these warm, sunny days especially in the morning before it becomes too hot. We took Evie for a walk. It always puts her to sleep. She took a super short nap this afternoon only about 45 minutes. I have noticed her naps are not as good on the weekends. It's like she knows things are different around here.

Nana and Ipop came over to see Evie. Nana made Evie a beautiful Christmas stocking. She makes them for every member of the family and they are very special. Maybe she should start working on another one since it takes her an average of 3 years to complete one.

Allison, Thomas and Paisley came over for dinner! It's always fun to see them. Evie and Paisley are starting to notice each other. We grilled pork tenderloin with our famous marinade, potatoes au gratin, salad and my favorite rolls from the Fresh Market. Allison made this delicious chocolate cake. It reminded me of the Cola Cake at Jestine's Kitchen in Charleston. YUMMY. I already had a second piece after they left.

Recipe for Marinade:

1 pork tenderloin
3 tablespoons of chopped rosemary
1 onion chopped
a few squirts of honey
a few squirts of Dijon mustard
1/2 of a beer
3/4 cup of olive oil

Marinate all day.

Fun times!

Evie has had a busy day! We went on a long walk this morning while Carl mowed the grass. Evie slept for 2.5 hours and then we took her to the splash park in our neighborhood. She seemed to like it although there was a lot of splashing :-) and she was the youngest one there. I have bought her several bathing suits but since she cannot wear sunscreen yet I went with her swim shirt and bottom. She looked so cute! I thought the water was cold but she seemed okay. We thought a nice drive to run some errands would put her to sleep after a busy day at the pool. Evie had other plans. She cried for almost two hours! AHHH - it's so hard to hear that and know that there is nothing you can do. She did not even want to eat maybe she is growing a white, shiny tooth!

We gave her a bath and got her dressed for our neighbor Brian's graduation party. His mom, Michelle, did a great job with everything. The food was delicious, the weather beautiful, the company delightful and a wonderful reason to celebrate. I got a little teary looking at her photo board of Brian growing up! It happens so fast. I never really got it until I became a mom but it's really true. Cherish each day because before you know it they will be over.

TGIF

We are so glad it's Friday and Carl is home. We picked him up from the airport and Evie was so happy to see her Daddy. She looked very surprised to see him when he carried her in the house.

Evie has been such a sweet baby today! She took two great naps at home and slept for an hour in the car while we drove to and from the airport. Good sleep during the day should make good sleep tonight! She spends a lot of time banging her legs down on the crib. It was picking up on the monitor last night and I went to check on her. She was sound asleep just kicking away. We might have a future soccer player on our hands.

We got the cutest shoes in the mail today from one of Carl's friends from college. They are pink and will look so cute on Evie. It's such a surprise to get something fun in the mail. Much better than bills and junk mail.

Rain Rain Go Away!

We are so tired of rain - it's hard to get out with a baby in the rain. Evie might melt! We spent the night with Nana and Ipop last night. They just can't enough of Miss Evie. Nana and I took Evie to see her great-grandmother and aunt.

Evie must have been super tired because she fell asleep faster than usual. However, she did not stay asleep. Each night she seems to be getting better but I am ready for her to sleep through the night again.

We had Gymboree today. It was fun! Evie really thinks it's fun. She fell asleep on the way home then woke up when we came inside. Then she decided that she had no interest in taking a nap even though I could tell she was exhausted so I made the executive decision to go to MJ's Sugar Shack. It's a good thing we are moving because those things are seriously addictive. I got 3 and I have already had the red velvet one - not their best cupcake! Lindsay makes killer red velvets maybe she could contract out with them! I had a few bites of a pink lemonade one. It was very pretty and had a nice tang to it. I love lemon desserts! Saved the best for last - chocolate cake with pink buttercream. YUMMY! Evie slept through the whole experience. She woke up just in time to see her friend Paisley. Can't wait for Evie to have a cupcake!

So much fun!

Evie is so much fun. Every day gets better with her. I love to hear her squeal with delight although it's much cuter in the daylight hours.

She had so much fun at Gymboree today. I think it's a great way for Evie to hang out with other babies and for us both to learn new things. Evie likes the parachute the best. I might need to get her one. Of course they sell a minature version of the one they use in class.

There was a really interesting mom in the class with her 11 week old baby. She seemed to monopolize the whole class with her constant talking and questions. Her baby eats 72 oz. of formula per day. Most babies this age eat around 24 oz. He also eats cereal. Even the teacher was getting a little frustrated at the "amazing" things this baby could do. I had to call Allison after class to see if she thought the lady was crazy too. It takes all kinds.

Here's a picture of Evie enjoying her bubbles. You should have seen her at class with all the bubbles stuck in her hair! Evie slept all the way home from Gymboree then ate and went back to sleep for two hours. I spent the time folding mountains of laundry and reading The Accidental Mother - it's a fabulous book. My SIL, Lollie, finished it over the weekend and passed it on to me. She always finds the best books.

Rice Cereal, Yummy Yummy!

Evie had her first taste of rice cereal yesterday. Don't worry grandparents - it has been documented on video for your viewing pleasure. She seemed quite neutral about it. Did not get too much in her little tummy but she did look really cute eating it. We had to change her clothes after feeding her because so much of it dripped down her shirt and into her Bumbo. I will keep trying to feed her so she will get the hang of it. Right now her foot is more interesting to her than eating rice cereal.

We used her silver spoon from her Nana. It's so pretty and it's in my sterling pattern Gorham Old French. We still cannot believe she's old enough to attempt rice cereal. Note on sleep - last night she only woke up twice. So it appears, she is improving! Thank goodness because Mommy is very tired. We are off to Gymboree this afternoon. Maybe that will tire her out.

Evie's Big Weekend

Evie loved seeing all of her family at Sheshee and Poppy's house. Mary, her 5 year old cousin, seems to be one of Evie's favorite people. Evie loves Hattie - look at how cute they are together. Hattie is the sweetest dog. Hattie was Mary's first word so Hattie has lots of experience with little girls and did not mind Evie sitting with her at all. She gave Evie lots of kisses!

We went to a barbeque at the pool. It was delicious. I really liked the dessert - big cookies filled with vanilla ice-cream. YUMMY! Evie liked the pool. We did not put her suit on since it was a little chilly, her swim diapers are too big and it seems like a lot of work until we are there for longer than an hour. Evie dipped her feet in the pool and watched her cousins swim. She got to tuckered out she fell asleep in my arms. Two hours awake is her limit!

Up all Night!

Evie was up 5 times last night! That has not happened since the early days. Mommy and Daddy are very tired and hope Evie will sleep tonight. So far, she is not interested in her nap - we may have missed our window. It's very rainy here! Hope it clears up for Pooches on Parade.

Evie's First Time in South Carolina

We made it to South Carolina! Evie did great. No tears and she slept all the way here. We are so proud of our sweet baby. Evie was excited to see her family! She is sticking pretty close to her Mommy and Daddy and does not want anyone else to hold her. She will smile and coo from a distance but pick her up and get ready to hear her scream.

Sheila made a delicious strawberry pie for dessert. Super easy and so yummy!

3 cups of strawberries, sliced
1 large container of Cool-whip
1/4 cup of fresh lemon juice
1 can of sweetened condensed milk

Mix together and put in graham cracker pie crust. I think it would be fabulous frozen!

Lunch with the Girls

Maura and I took our girls out to lunch. They both did great. We went to Mimi's Cafe. YUMMY! It was wonderful to see them. Maura and I met while teaching at Huntersville Elementary - that seems like so long ago. We became fast friends when we lost our positions due to enrollment. That was an adventure! Now, almost two years later we both are in Nashville and have precious baby girls. Life changes quickly!

Evie and I have kept busy this week but are ready to go back home! It's nice to have all of our stuff and have our friends and family close by to us. We leave Nashville bright and early in the morning but leave again on Saturday to go to Carl's parents house for Memorial Day weekend. Evie has never been to Sheshe and Poppy's house so I am sure she will be excited to see them and her cousins.

Southern Hospitality

I discovered something that I really like about the Nashville area today! Everyone here is very friendly and displays wonderful manners. Tonight, we were eating dinner in Brentwood at a Ruby Tuesday - nothing fancy but just your average place to grab a quick bite. Evie was ready to go and was beginning to get a little fussy so I had to stand to eat - nothing new with her. The older couple next to us asked if they could help us. The lady was a teacher at a local private school and told me she was a grandmother to 4 boys. She held Evie for a few minutes and we struck up a conversation with them. We told them we were moving to the area. They told us all about the area and filled us in on the important things to know. Then, they wrote their number down for us and told us to call them if we needed anything! That's something that would never happen in Charlotte.

Nashville 101

Carl and I met with a real estate agent today. He is a friend of Carl's brother's fraternity brother. We are not ready to even think about buying but it is great to learn more about the area! Mark is down to earth, no pressure and very qualifed with over 25 years of experience in the area. All of the houses look great on the big screen in his office but not so great in the actual neighborhood. You can get a lot more for your money in the surrounding Nashville areas but I have to be close to a Target. Not sure that is going to happen! It's obviously very early in our search but everything seems so sprawled out. Maura is not feeling well so we hope to get together on Thursday. Evie and I are keeping very busy during the day and Carl gets home early each afternoon. We picked up some swim diapers for her today at Walmart - now that is a litmus test to determine if you like the area! Check out Evie's new favorite position in her stroller. Pretty comfy!

Out and About

Evie and I had a day of adventure! We went shopping and for lots of strolls around the hotel. Carl got home early and we went around town. Nashville is a beautiful town but much more of a tourist destination than I am used to. It reminds me of both Asheville and Charleston. Lots of Honky Tonk on Broadway! Traffic is bad around Vanderbilt and Brentwood. We went to dinner in Franklin at the Mellow Mushroom. Evie was great. There were adults in there much louder than her. The key with Evie is to stay in the loudest places possible!

I love Franklin. It's super cute and has lots of fun shops and restaurants. It has a cupcake store! We did not see a lot of neighborhoods but we were downtown. The schools are beautiful here and I have not seen one trailer yet. Maybe they know how to plan a little better here. We are looking forward to another tour tomorrow from our Tennessee Tour Guide AKA daddy.

Hotel Life

We survived our first night at the hotel! Evie went to bed at 9:00 her time and woke up at 6:00 her time. She seems happy and loves being on this adventure with her mommy and daddy. I just put her down for a nap so we will see how that goes. Evie and I went to breakfast this morning and walked around the hotel. I was excited to see a Starbucks! Later today, when it gets warmer we will venture out. I forgot my hairbrush but luckily there is an Ulta right behind the hotel. Carl's comb just does not work on my hair. We are getting together with Maura and Abby tomorrow. I cannot wait to meet her sweet girl.

We made it!

Evie was fabulous! We left our house about 11 and got here about 6:20 Central Time. We stopped three times - once for lunch, once at a rest area and once for fuel. Evie cried off and on the last thirty miles but was distracted by her new toys. She was in a great mood once we got her out of her carseat. Our hotel is really close to a shopping center and we walked over to a fusion place for dinner. It was good but way too much food. Evie was so happy and only screamed out once. We were impressed since it was two hours past her bedtime. All the extra sleep in the car did her good. Carl and I are exhausted. It is very rocky here and the drive was beautiful. We are staying in Murfreesboro so we are about 35 miles from Nashville. I wanted to stay near shopping and my friend so I will have something to do while Carl works. Gotta keep Evie entertained after all. Carl will head to work early tomorrow so we can sightsee in the afternoon. I am hoping to see Maura.

Peanut Butter, Chocolate, Vanilla, Oh My!

YUMMY! MJ's Sugar Shack opened today. Take it from me the cupcakes are amazing! Allison went to check it out and got us some cupcakes! I sampled the chocolate with vanilla frosting and the vanilla with chocolate frosting. Delicious, moist and the best tasting cupcake I've had in a long time. They are not the most beautiful cupcakes but the taste more than makes up for it. Allison said it was crazy in there today! I am sure all the Lake Norman Mommies took the place by storm since we all LOVE her cakes. Can't wait to try it out. We are headed to Nashville tomorrow! Can't wait to see Maura and Tim and meet their sweet Abby. Couldn't resist this cute pic of Evie and her Daddy!

Evie's 4 Months Today!

We can't believe that Evie is 4 months old today. She has really grown. We are seeing her personality blossom. Evie is 1/3 of a year old. Things Evie likes these days: tummy time, swimming in the bathtub, long walks, sitting in her bumbo, holding her giraffe, kicking her legs and riding in the car. Happy 4 month birthday, Evie!

Traveling to Gastonia

Evie and I went to spend the night with my parents last night. Evie loves her Ipop, Nana and Uncle Ben. We went on a walk with our dogs, Murphy and Gracie. Evie loves the dogs so much and lets them lick her and sniff her. Murphy seems to be a little nervous around Evie and worried about her when she cries. Evie had a chance to try out her new highchair and loves her playmat. I stayed in the guest room with Evie and was able to listen to her chatter all night. So cute! She is really talking a lot and seems to have so much to say. Evie is totally into her feet. Can't get enough of them. She loves to sit in her bumbo and reach for her feet. They are pretty amazing feet!

Gymboree is Really Fun!

Allison and I took our girls to Gymboree today! It was super fun! Evie and Paisley really liked it a lot! Ms. Beth was our teacher. She held Evie when we first got there while I filled out the paperwork and told Evie that she was teacher's pet already! Of course, she will be teacher's pet since she is a teacher's child! :-)

Evie really liked the parachute and this huge mirror where all the babies have tummy time! Ms. Beth put all of these balls on the mirror and the babies seemed to really enjoy it. I was glad to learn that everything is cleaned after each class. Can you imagine the germs? YUCK!

The bubbles are super cool and last a lot longer than regular bubbles. Evie will be so excited to see the bubbles when she wakes up! Now, that's the best part of it - the class really wears them out. I was a little worried because Evie got a little cranky at lunch but she fell asleep while being held. She almost never does that! Then she stayed asleep while being transferred to the carseat and she is still sleeping now, next to the dryer. It's worth the monthly tuition to get such good naps out of Evie. Usually, she wakes up with all the transfers but she is down for the count.

Allison is a smart mommy and asked if I had a camera. I really want to sign Evie up for a session of Gymboree. That place is fabulous and filled with fun things to do.

Sweet Baby Colin

Evie and I went to see sweet Baby Colin today! He is the precious son of Jamey and Tamara. Colin is so tiny and pink. He has such beautiful skin and I loved his cute little tummy! It's amazing how tiny Colin is and that Evie was his size only 3 months ago. Moms always told me that you do not remember the early days or you'd never have another one. I thought I would be the mom to remember but those early days are quite fuzzy. Lot of things change once you are the mom.

Evie loved his playmat because it had a bird that chirped and went in circles. Very cute! I might need to get one of those for her. We had to leave because Evie was so tired and she does not sleep except in the car or her crib! She came home and fell asleep for 3 hours. I finally woke her up because when I went in to check on her I could hear her little tummy. She was a hungry girl! She is such a doll. Every day I love her more and more! Of course, I had to post a picture of my sweet little girl. This picture is from March and it's amazing how much she has changed.

Lindsay and Mac are having a Boy!

The Niemeyer's are thrilled that Baby Boy Horton will be arriving in October! We cannot wait to meet James McGee Horton, IV.
Evie will love having a new little friend! I have been waiting for this day for a long time. It's almost as exciting as the day that I found out Evie was going to be a girl! Lindsay is one of my closest friends and was at the hospital waiting and waiting for Evie to make her appearance into the world. I cannot wait to see Lindsay experience the joys of being a mommy!
Carl and I both look forward to sharing the adventure of parenthood with Lindsay and Mac. We will keep you in our thoughts and prayers during the coming months. October will be here before you know it! Baby Boy Horton is already loved!

Evie's 4 Month Check Up

I cannot believe that Evie is almost 4 months old! It really is true they grow up before your eyes. Evie did great at her checkup. She was so happy to kick her legs on the table and hear the paper crackle. Dr. Baraccas is a wonderful pediatrician. We will miss him so much. Evie is in the 90th percentile for her height, the 50th percentile for her weight and the 25th percentile for her head size. She seems to be doing great. We have noticed she is spitting up a lot more usually an hour or so after she eats. Rice cereal is supposed to help with this so we will give it a try soon. Dr. B told us not to worry too much about her not taking a bottle that if she got really hungry and I was gone then she would take a bottle. Evie was so tired when we came home. She slept for awhile in her carseat which does not usually happen unless she is moving!

Sweet Treats

We have the best neighbors! Allison sent me this picture earlier today of Sweet Miss Paisley. I was so excited when Allison delivered the most delicious cookies. I dug in before she was even out of the driveway. Thank you for the wonderful cookies.

Mother's Day

Evie made my Mother's Day very special! She even made me a card and put it in her crib for me! So sweet. Last year this time, my little baby was the size of a blueberry. Today, she weighs 13 pounds and 6 oz. so she's a wee bit bigger than a blueberry! Evie slept until 9:00 which made Mother's Day even better. Carl and Evie gave me a new laptop so I can keep up with my emails and blogs while on the road. I was thrilled because computers are way more fun than TV's.

My parents and brother came over for lunch. It's so nice to see them and we will miss living close by to them. Carl grilled chicken and we had mashed potato casserole, salad, green beans and rolls. I made Strawberry Shortcake for dessert with homemade whipped cream. My mom was very impressed. Doesn't take much to impress her - she's my biggest fan! Evie and Nana had fun looking at brochures on all the cool things to do in Nashville. Evie loves her Nana! I am noticing that desserts are becoming the theme of my blog!

Recipe for Mashed Potato Casserole:

1 box of Betty Crocker Butter and Herb Potatoes, prepared

1 block of cream cheese

1/2 cup of mayo

1 T. of onion powder - I use a little less

Sprinkle with cheese

Mix everything together. Bake for 45 minutes or until brown on top!

Evie's First Night Out

Well, we finally did it . . . we took Evie out to dinner! It's been a scary thought since we did not want a screamer on our hands. Lunch is usually safe! Although, we've been told that going to dinner only gets harder before it gets easier! Maybe next time the door to the bathroom with the changing table will be unlocked!
On Saturday, our good friends Ben and Katherine came up to Charlotte for the weekend. We all headed out together with several other couples! Carl and I were so surprised but Evie was a rockstar. We walked to Revolution Pizza and the babies slept for the first thirty minutes. Ben and Katherine's son, Hudson is so cute! I loved his travel Sleep Sheep and had to order one for Evie. Let's hope it helps when we head to Nashville next week.

Harper, Christian and Heather's 8 month old daughter was adorable. It's fun to see what Evie will be like in a few short months. Davis their son is always the life of the party! He loved Evie and was amazed that Grover was on Evie's diaper.

Evie woke up with a smile so I quickly found a place to feed her before her smile faded! We had such a great time seeing everyone. I enjoyed the most delicious pie. It was a Nutella-Peanut Butter Pie! Yummy!

Daddy's Home

Evie was so happy to see her Daddy last night. I was upstairs feeding her and when she heard his voice downstairs -she stopped eating and starting looking around! Daddy was happy to see Evie! . I know it's hard for him to be away from us too. We miss him so much! Carl was thrilled to see how quietly Evie goes to sleep now. Last Friday, it took us 2 1/2 hours to get her to stop screaming and go to sleep. I kept her up past her bedtime and that did not work for Evie. She's like her mama and likes to stay on a schedule.

Evie's Baptism

Evie was baptized on April 26 at St. Mark's Episcopal. We are so fortunate to have found such a wonderful church. It was a beautiful day and we celebrated with our family and close friends. Evie wore the same gown that I wore, my brother wore and my mom wore it. It's quite the antique - just kidding mom! Evie looked so pretty on her special day and was on her best behavior during church. We had everyone to our house for a brunch after the service. Our wonderful friend, Allison, came over early to set everything up for us. The best part was the delicious cake - it was vanilla bean with chocolate filling and buttercream frosting. MJ's Sugar Shack created the cake for us. If you live in Charlotte, head up to Davidson next week to try out her cupcakes at her shop on Main Street. Look for the pink awning. I need to plan another event soon so I can get another cake.

My First Post

It's about time that I decided to join all the other bloggers out there! My blog will be mostly about Evie! . Our beautiful daughter, Evelyn Claire, born on January 16, 2009. She has changed our life in more ways than we ever expected! My husband says being a parent is the adventure of a lifetime. Evie loves to go for walks in the neighborhood, shop at Birkdale and her favorite activity of all time is staring at our ceiling fans. She coos, smiles and gazes at the fans for a large part of each day. I am glad it's something so simple that makes her happy!