plethora of good news this week

Good News:

1. Receiving the package my BFF sent me for Ev containing all things wonderful: books, cards, Martha Stewart Living, handmade burp cloths and an adorable dress for Evy Rae's older months

2. Awesome 80* weather

3. I was able to button some shorts that I couldn't last week

4. Doctor telling me yesterday that she had never heard such a talkative 2 month old. Apparently all that grunting is advanced baby talk. Doc said she just skipped the cooing and went straight to babbling.

5. Getting my Shutterfly book of THIS TRIP in the mail.

6. Jared getting accepted to George Mason University!

Life's pretty darn tootin' good right now. I'm anxious to determine where we'll be in 5 months!

Oh yeah, I also scored deals at H&M KIDS and made 3 pants one night using this fancy pattern.

darn shots

She's busy recovering from her 2 month appt with a solid 1 + hr nap.

she's discovered her hands

Would you guess from these pictures that this girl is plagued with an awful cold spell right now?

She's still smiling. 

Probably because she celebrated the best 2 months of her life yesterday!

Happy 2 months Evy Rae!

I'm glad your hands are so tasty and bring you so much joy. 

I'll try and let this hand-sucking slide, but only because you're a  little sicko right now.

Famfare Friday

Are you ready for another dosage?

When I was little, I was nut-so about animals. I loved, loved, loved them. I thought I was for sure going to be a veterinarian. [Crazy how now I'm at the complete opposite side of the spectrum when it comes to the pet thing. My adult self doesn't seem to understand the concept of wanting to own an animal.] One time my family and I were driving along when we spotted an injured turtle on the side of the road. Which brings me to ask - how DO you go about spotting an injured turtle on the side of the road? I'll have to ask my dad... Anywho, it was so tragic, but I consoled myself and the rest of my family members that this turtle would be ok. He woud wander back into the woods and it's mother would put a leaf on its wound for a band-aid and he would live long and prosper.

I also LOVED catching animals. 

Did any of you see Shirley Temple's movie "The Blue Bird?" I think that movie was like drugs to my little 5 year old self. I loved it. She catches birds in it. So modeling after her style, I would take a plastic milk crate like this, prop it up with a stick, lay bread underneath and station myself behind our playset until my bird arrived. I was quite successful. I even caught a squirrel and opossum once.

So with this natural love I had for animals, it was no wonder that I adopted [ahem...took hostage] a stray cat that was roaming our yard.

I named him Puss Puss.

By the looks of it, he sure was appreciative of my hyperactive love and affection for him.

What do you do on a rainy day?

Me? I dream of cuddling up in a cozy Anthropologie bed all by myself and reading Martha Stewart Living, all while endulging in See's Candies Nuts and Chews on one hand and Cadbury mini-eggs in the other, of course.

Famfare Friday

I've decided that every Friday I will devote a post to family, particularly my family.

Because I had a rockin' childhood.

The pictures will prove it.

Ready? Let's start from the beginning.

Ok, so I don't remember anything from when I was a baby, but see!

With parents like that I'm pretty positive I had a great infancy.

Particularly because my dad was sporting a mustache.

And the fact that I had such a round face. I was a wellfed little gal.

My life gets more interesting as the years go on, don't worry.

Until the next Famfare Friday....

[my parents didn't know I was going to post this. But they look swell, dont they?]

a moment of envy

Does anyone else find themselves killing DesignMom with their eyes everytime they look at her blog? I am LOATHING her and her perfect family and perfect Parisian life right now. A weekend "trip" to my London! Ah, tug at my heartstrings! [I feel that since I called Londontown my home for 4 months that I own part of it or something.] But then I take a step back and remember that I too am fortunate enough to lead a great life, and perhaps others think I have it good and I can calm myself down.... until the next time DesignMom updates...

...another video, I know ...

Ok, so I'm in love with my baby - SHOOT ME! I've actually had several [ok, 3] requests for a video staring Evelyn herself. You can most definitely count on the Miss joining the Oakden creative acting team in a few short months when she can do some cool tricks and hold herself up, but as of now she's just cute. The other day my friend and I were talking and I told her how much I adore motherhood. Probably obsessed. It's the best thing in the world, and that has taken me by surprise. I love every moment and I can't get enough. I find myself whipping my camera out 50 times a day to make sure I don't miss anything. And then I thought.. why not make a little video montage of our day together? Yes, even document our Trader Joe's runs, our crockpot roast and me karaoking Gwenyth Paltrow. The documentation of all things is necessary. So here you have it.

Oh, and Jared wanted me to put a plug in for him.

He is now accepting any donations to help him in his pursuit of a graduate degree.

Any amount would be appreciated.

The numbers are staggering.

dont'cha wish your weather was hot like mine?

75 degrees. It's March.

When I had Evelyn back in January I had tan lines. Why am I leaving this place again?

Today we enjoyed a nice little jog from Santa Monica to Venice. I noticed that I was getting a few looks. It was weird considering Venice is the most freakish place full of weirdos and I hardly thought I was in that category of extremists, but then it hit me. My fellow LA-ians were witnessing something rare. Not only was I pushing a jogging stroller in work-out attire, but I was ACTUALLY jogging with the jogging stroller. I don't know if this is everywhere, or just in California, but it seems to be the cool new thing to have a jogging stroller, particularly the expensive kind, as your main mode of carting your child around. Whether or not you intend to use it for actual jogging is irrelevant, so long as your nanny pushes your child around in it then everyone will perceive you as a healthy parent. I just find it humorous.

Speaking of being perceived as healthy, I guess I'm trying to do better myself. It's 8:30pm. Why does my sweet craving always kick in right now? Last night I tried to satisfy it by blending milk, ice and walnuts for a "shake." Yeeahh..... 

Any healthy "sweet" quencher ideas out there?

the waiting game is FINALLY coming to an end

Wow. We feel like we have been on hold forever with this whole grad school thing. Jared and I both took the GRE last August, with plans for him to attend grad school first and then I would have the option to in the future if we had the means. So applications started in October and were turned in by December. It has been a long time coming but within the last week we FINALLY heard back from 2 schools - and both were a YES! Jared's the surprise type of man, so when he got in to NCSU he called me up and asked me if I would like to live in Raleigh. At first I didn't catch on, but then it hit me that he was asking me because that would potentially be our new home! I was ecstatic! I would love to live in NC!

Then yesterday he came out from the grocery store with an orange rose. That seeemed random, but I willingly accepted it, of course. I thought orange was a weird color for a rose until I realized that he was giving me the colors of Syracuse University! We couldn't be more pleased. Still waiting to hear from 3 more. No matter which school we ultimately decide, we'll be east coasters starting in July!

given a name

Yesterday Jared had the opportunity of giving Evelyn a baby blessing.

It was a wonderful experience to ask Heavenly Father to acknowledge and ratify the desires we have for her and her eternal development.

Prior to the blessing, I thought mostly about the gifts I would like to ask for in her behalf but I  never thought about the fact that Jared and I were presenting her to God with her name - the name that she will be forever identified with.

Neither the name Evelyn or Rae have any family tie. I just thought the name gave her the elegance of a lady yet carried with it such dynamic power. I hope she owns her name and always treats it will integrity.

why i fell in love at 16

Need I say more?

I think that was probably the best day of my life - well, my highschool life.

I guess he topped himself with the proposal 5 years later, wedding and giving me a baby.

[Jared, dear, I hope you're not upset that I just blasted your awesome-ness for the world to see.]

girl, how you gettin so big?

When we went to the doc's the other day for Ev's one month check up, I told the nurse that I was concerned she wasn't eating enough. That fear was hushed when we put her on the scale.

She gained a whopping 2 lbs in 1 month - 9lbs 9 oz!

Here's the chunk after weighing in. 

She looks thrilled, doesn't she?