Almost 6 months!

We got Evan's 6 month photos done last weekend - a little early, but it was the only weekend that worked. Hdre is a link to those photos.

http://dianamandernach.zenfolio.com/p27508382 - password is varcoe3

Evan is rolling and rolling and rolling all over the place. He also can pull himself to something he REALLY wants on the floor. Lou and Fiona better watch out!

I forgot last time to share Evan and Grandma Kate's adventures in Chicago over Labor Day. Amy, Nick, Aunt Lindsay, Future-Uncle Ben, Great Uncles Bill and Mike went to Notre Dame for the home opener. Evan and Grandma walked all over Lincoln Park and Wrigleyville. I guess he even met some friends at the park, but Evan has learned Russian yet so there was a language barrier. He'll learn in due time.

Lindsay and Ben's engagement party. Varcoe girls -Caitlin, Erin, Lindsay and me.

Evan has been sick with tummy bug and it hasn't let up at daycare either. Something new posted each week about illnesses. Fun winter ahead I am afraid! Here is Evan with Grandma Lois after throwing up. Breaks my heart...

Fun and busy fall ahead of us!

Love,

Amy, Nick and Evan

Carrots, Rice and Packers - oh my!

Evan has been a busy little boy. He started carrots for the first time and once again loved them!

Also Evan continues to love his rice. Bottles are for babies and Evan thinks he is a big boy with all the food coming his way. He likes to do things by himself like put his pacifier in his own mouth, hold the spoon with rice and carrots on it and put himself to sleep. He hasn't quite mastered any of them so it takes awhile for him to accept help:)

The Packers had a big win over the Bears, but as you can see from this picture he was a little nervous at kick off.

Evan plays very hard and sleeps hard (at night) too. Naps at school are only if there is nothing else he is going miss out on. Zonked on his play mat - staying up late with Dad while Mom was gone.

He also had the flu last week. It is getting around at daycare and spreading quickly. I think we are in for a winter of lots of illnesses. Time for a flu shot for the whole family when Evan is 6 months!

And here is his 5 month Elephante picture. He is so happy to be 5 months!

He gets his 6 month pictures on Saturday - love the fall!

Love,

Amy, Nick and Evan

Cubs game

Evan is 5 months old and eating, sleeping, rolling, playing and laughing like a healthy little boy should. He is sooooo much fun. I love this age.

My parents came to visit, which isn't rare:), and we took Evan to the I-Cubs game. Nick's favorite Cubs player is Jeff Samardjzia, former Notre Dame player. He has been up with the Chicago Cubs a few times and is back with the Iowa Cubs. So we all got dressed in our gear and headed to the game. It was 62 degrees in August for an afternoon game...you would have thought it was football season.

Family pic...

Evan bundled up with Dad.
Mom, Evan and Cubbie Bear

Eating cereal with his "Wee Irish Blessing" Bib.

My Grandpa Hilson wears overalls like this almost daily. I had to take a picture for Grandpa!

We are off to Chicago and Notre Dame this Labor Day weekend. Evan will not be going to the game, but will be dressed in his Irish gear for sure.

Love,

Nick, Amy and Evan

So much fun

Evan is just plain fun as you can see if this picture. He has a funny personality already and I can tell he will be such a good natured person. His new thing is to roll in his crib on to his belly. He would only do it on the floor before. Sometimes he wakes up squawking, sometimes he doesn't even wake up.

Evan getting dad's nose.

In the morning he is such a ham, talking, "barking" as Nick and I call it, at anyone who will listen. Lou and Fiona "bark" for food so our "kids" are talking at us until they are fed. This morning Evan was lying on the floor and he rolls to his belly, but this time he decided to bring the blanket with him and he ended up looking like a burrito with just his legs sticking out. Needless to say he was not happy, but I couldn't find the camera so I helped him out of his wrap.

Evan is in love with his kitties. Lou or Fiona will walk by and his head just follows them. He will reach for them and they are very gentle, sniff and walk away or sit next to him and watch him get so excited. He will laugh and laugh at them.

Here are a few pictures from a visit to Grandpa and Grandma Wieland's house last weekend. He got to hang out with his great-aunts Char and Nancy and cousin Kay. Evan is spoiled and never hit the ground once.

Grandpa give me your glasses!

Char and Evan

Love my rice with Grandma Lois!

This is Evan at daycare with his girls. This is how they go out for a fire or tornado drill. They were going to get a buggy so they could go for a walk when I saw them. Hard to transport babies and you can't leave them alone so this is the way they are transported. I thought it was really funny.

Love,

Nick, Amy and Evan

I think we have a sleeper!

Evan is doing something new everyday and I can't keep up with him. He had his four month shots and he weighed 17lbs 9oz (90% in weight) and was 25.75" tall (75% in height). He is getting so tall and big! We hope he continues to grow nice and tall - baseball here we come!

With all this excitement it means he got to try rice cereal and you guessed it - he LOVED it. Barely a drop came back out. He loved eating and grabbing for the spoon.

And the big news is he slept through the night consistently for a few nights now! We have been trying to keep him up later so he sleeps longer and it is working! I don't remember what it is like to have 8 solid hours of sleep. The shots have thrown him off a little bit, but still sleeping great.

He also swam/sat in his pool. He loved it! Sat for 45 minutes just splashing around with measuring spoons, rubber ducky and a rattle. I thought he was going to shrivel up into a raisin.

Evan rat tail - 1980 is back! The hat is a little small and didn't last long.

He also has started to notice Lou and Fiona. He will just start cracking up and we look and it is Lou walking by or sitting on the couch. He just loves his kitties.

Lou is keeping his exersaucer safe.

He finger painted for the first time at school too. He is a budding artist already. He loves his exersaucer at school, so we went and bought him one and he loves it. Already threw up twice on it because he was jumping like a maniac.

Watching Baby Einstein in his new Baby Einstein exersaucer. Needless to say he was mesmerized.

He got to meet his buddy Drew for the first time. If you remember a while back I posted that all my roommates from Wartburg were due this year - Drew is Lindy's little boy. He was born in January, Evan April, Jack (Rachel's son in June) and Myles (Amy's son in July). Yep all boys - next summer will be lots of fun and running around!

Evan, Drew and Kaylee - hands to yourself kids!
Drew and Evan - Evan thinks Drew is hilarious!

We love this time we get to spend with him and all the new things he is learning.

Love,

Amy, Nick and Evan

Traveling and too much stuff

When we used to travel it was a few items in the back of the car, but we could usually always see out the back. Now enter Evan into our lives. We seriously packed so much stuff we could not see out the back, the front seat was full (I ride in the back with Evan), and stuff was shoved in every space possible.

Who knew someone so little needed so much stuff?! We traveled to Minnesota for a long weekend with our families. Evan got to play on the beach and swing for the first time. He loved the swing a lot! Looks like we will have to find him one for home.

When we get in the car we know it could be 3 hours or 30 minutes before we have to stop again, we just never know. We made it 3 hours on the way up before Evan had a major blow out in his car seat. We stopped at a gas station to change him and I just did it in the back seat of the car. It was all over his car seat, hands, "puppy's" face (stuffed animal), legs and every where in between. People were just laughing at us trying to clean him up. We got him changed and continued on our way.

I forget what it is like to have Evan in our room at night. He is so mobile in his crib he rolls around all night - not good for mom and dad trying to sleep. Well let's rephrase that...Mom hears him all night.

Summer is going really fast and I don't want it to be over! I don't look forward to bundling Evan up each day for school.

On the beach so happy!

Amy and Nick at Cubs game
Mom and Evan in the water for the first time

close up on beach

This is a couple months old but thought it was really funny. It is sometimes how we all feel:)
Family on the beach

4 months with Elephante'

Take care,

Amy, Nick and Evan

First night away from Evan

Nick and I have had a trip planned to Chicago for Nick's work for a long time. Cubs game and a night out ...no Evan. So we lined up Grandma Kate and Grandpa Steve to babysit. I thought it sounded like such a good idea until we actually had to leave him.

Timeline of events:

Thursday: drive to Cedar Rapids - spend the night - Evan not having a very good night's sleep. "I think we should just come back after the Cubs game." - Amy (tired and emotional)

"Ummm....." - Nick

"What do you think?" - Amy

"Ummm..." - Nick

Nick has learned I don't make very rational descisions in the middle of the night, so he just doesn't say anything and usually I do ok later.

Friday morning: Get up at 5:30 leave detailed instructions and off we go - with lots of kisses and hugs and without a tear down my cheek, can't say they weren't in my eyes:)

Friday: had a blast at the Cubs game and after in Wrigleyville. Got lots up pictures and text message updates from Grandparents which I showed to no less than 50 people throughout the day. Had to show them our handsome little boy.

Getting ready for the cubs game with peanuts and a drink!

Stock quotes with Grandpa. Evan suggests Huggies and Similac.

We survived our first night away and would even do it again. But I do miss him when we are gone. I miss him when I am at work and I get to see him over lunch each day.

Happy Birthday to Nick (July 26th) first birthday as a daddy and Evan loved celebrating with him.

One more cute picture after his bath.

Off to Minnesota for a long weekend.

Love,

Amy, Nick and Evan