Happy Halloween!

posted by Evan Jake at 12:00 AM

Happy Hallo... Hey, what happened to my pumpkin friend?!

Oh, the horror. The Horror!!

~:O

Punkin Patch Kid

posted by Evan Jake at 7:25 PM

I went on a long car ride this afternoon with mom and dad. I love car rides. We went for a drive into the country. And by into the "country" I mean we were at least two miles away from the nearest Target store. And by long car ride, I actually mean about 20 minutes. But at least I got out of the house.

Mom and dad took me to a pumpkin patch. That's me in the picture sizing up some pumpkins and testing each and every one of them for freshness. Some of the pumpkins were little. And some of them were bigger than me! I got to pick out my very own to take home. With my orange nose, I'm just glad no one confused me for a pumpkin!

The pumpkin farm also had a petting zoo area. It was actually a lot more fun than the Maryland Zoo. That's me in the second picture petting a goat. They also had geese, bunnies, horses and a big tall bird with funny-looking feathers.

I had fun with my animal friends. I also loved all the pretty colors on the trees. And I love my pumpkins. I loved the farm so much, I cried and cried when it was time to leave. Now that we're home, I will take very good care of my pumpkins and not let anything happen to them. Not that anyone in my house had plans to cause them any harm. But I do wonder what those sharp knives are for.

~:O

Drop It Like It's Hot

posted by Evan Jake at 7:21 PM

Staying within the video vein, here's one more short clip for your enjoyment. You may remember this video I posted of dad dropping my toys and making me laugh. Although CBGB has sadly closed its doors since I first showed you this, you have to admit that seeing those blocks bounce around is pretty funny. But since no one seems to want to play with me these days, or take me on car rides (I love car rides), I guess I'm left to my own humor. No need for dad anymore. I can entertain myself, thank you very much.



~:O

Going, Going...Gone?

posted by Evan Jake at 8:44 PM

Staying in the video realm, I wanted to share another video with you. Sorry for the quality of the video here. I think dad skimped and bought a cheapie camera. But would it hurt him to read the manual and learn how to adjust the lighting settings? Oh, well. I'll have to show him how to use it someday.

Anyway, these grainy, shaky videos show how I'm getting around by several different methods. I can crawl, I can cruise, I can push a walker. I just can't drive yet -- which is too bad, because I love car rides.

I especially like my push-walker, which you'll see here. Soon I'll be able to go just about anywhere I want to with that thing. Plus, it seems like good practice for when I'll have to push mom and dad around in their wheelchairs at the old-age home. Which way to the buffet?



~:O

Risky Business

posted by Evan Jake at 6:57 PM

I've been a little embarrassed to show you any videos of my awkward crawling. I'm really much better at cruising around on my feet. In this video, you'll see I only crawl when there's something I want, just out of reach. Sometimes it's a toy, sometimes it's a cell phone, sometimes it's the car keys. (I love car rides.) While crawling on the carpet is more comfortable, I've realized I can make much better time sliding across the kitchen floor on my belly. Pretty lame for a ten month old, I know.

If the crawling is too boring to watch, perhaps you'll enjoy my brief drum solo at the end.



~:O

EJX: Day After Day

posted by Evan Jake at 5:59 PM

This is the final installment of a multi-part series about life after ten months.

Day After Day
In ten short months, my life has changed quite a bit. Everyday seems to bring something new. But now there are a few routines I've come to rely on.

Recently I've discovered how nice it is to sleep through the entire night. For the past several weeks, ever since I got those wonderful overnight diapers, I've been putting in a solid 11 hours of sleep almost every night. After that much sleep, I wake up in the morning fully rested and refreshed. I wonder why mom and dad look so tired at 6:30 am. Maybe they're still getting up in the middle of the night to eat without me.

After getting up in the morning, I spend a little time with mom (and dad if he gets himself out of bed). Mom will put on one of my vidoes while I play and she gets ready. If dad comes in the room, he turns off my video and makes me watch the traffic report. The traffic news is boring, but I usually watch and hope for traffic jams. That means more time in the car and you know how much I love car rides.

I'm still going to daycare everyday. When mom takes me to daycare I cry as she leaves. I cry because I know it really gets to her. I want to feel just a little bit bad about leaving me. When dad drops me off, I don't fuss at all. I just pretend like I don't even see him leaving and that I won't miss him. I think it makes him feel really self-conscious that I don't really like him or anything. I do like my dad a little, but he doesn't need to know that.

Truth is, I have a great time at daycare. I have lots of baby friends. Some of them are walking and some of them just sit there. A bunch of nice ladies take care of me and I get to take at least one good nap a day there. I get to play with lots of toys, go outside and watch the big kids run around. The secret is, I often have more fun at daycare than I do just sitting at home. I like my weekends at home with mom and dad, but I miss my baby friends a little during the day.

When I get home after daycare, I 'm usually pretty tired. Mom and dad look pretty tired, too. That's me in the picture peeking in at dad to make sure he's not falling asleep on the sofa while he's supposed to be watching me.

Well, there dad goes, dozing off again. Gotta go cry and wake him up. I'll pretend that I fell down and bumped my tushy. I guess the baby's got to do everything around here. Gosh, I can't wait to see what the next ten months hold!

~:O

EJX: Open Wide

posted by Evan Jake at 2:56 PM

This is the second installment in a multi-part series about life after ten months.

Part II: Open Wide
As I'm able to get around more and more on my own, I'm discovering more and more things to put in my mouth. Mom and dad are trying to keep the house cleaner, but it's just not good enough yet. As I wander, sometimes I'll find a shoe, cell phone or electrical cord to chew on until it gets taken away. Can't a baby have any fun? That's me in the picture reaching for the TV remote that was snatched from my fingers.

I shouldn't complain too much because mom has been giving me lots of new things to taste already. I still eat lots of fake milk everyday. Luckily I got switched over to some tastier fake milk. That non-allergenic stuff was just awful. It made my tummy feel better but it smelled and tasted gross.

In addition to the fake milk, I still also get lots of mush. Mom is trying to give me less of the orange foods to see if my nose with change back to a normal color. (No luck yet. I think it will be orange for life.) Meanwhile, getting spoon-fed is still the best. I can just sit back, open wide and gulp, there it is. Very little effort is required on my part. If dad is feeding me, I might get a bit mischievous and dodge my head side to side or try to swat the spoon out of his hand. I love the look on his face when the food goes flying.

The bottles of fake milk and the bowls of mush are my main dishes. But mom and dad are now giving me little tastes of their own food too. I've got my little snacks of Veggie Puffs and Cheerios. But really, they're more fun to drop on the floor. I mostly like the sound they make when the hit the ground. "Plink, plunk." What I really like are the little nips of bread, potato chips, bagels, veggies, you name it. If mom and dad are eating it, I enjoy a taste, too. Sometimes if I just open my mouth and wait there, they're put a little bit of food in. It's a nice trick.

When food isn't going into my mouth, new things are coming out. No, not spit up. I hardly do that anymore. Mostly what comes out of my mouth now are new words. All that grown up talk is hard. But I've managed to get a few out. I love our kitties and when I see them I often like to exclaim, "cat!" Mom is trying to teach me to say her name, "mama." I guess she doesn't understand. I already gave her my own name that I use all the time. It's: "Waaah!" If she hears me calling, "Waaah!" that means I want her. It's that simple.

Sometimes when I'm in the mood, I'll say dad's name, "dada." But only when he's not around. Mom should take notice that when I say, "dada," it usually goes up at the end, like a question: "Dada?" As in, "Where the heck is dada? Why isn't dada ever around? Surely he's not at work all those hours? If dada works so much, shouldn't we be able to live in a house with stairs?"

The one word I'm really working on is, "car." Of course, that's because I love car rides. And maybe if I could just say the word, they'd take me on more car rides.

Now when food isn't going in and words aren't coming out, let's not forget about the teeth coming through! There are now two teeth on the bottom, which I've had for a while. And now two teeth have cut through on the top. Ouch. Please let that be it with the teeth for a while.

Okay, I hear those veggie puffs shaking in their can. Time for a snack!

To be continued.

~:O

EJX: On the Go

posted by Evan Jake at 7:50 AM

Okay, so this is what ten months feels like. Even though I try to keep my blog up-to-date, I know a lot of you may still curious what I've been up to recently. So over the next couple days, I'll be posting a multi-part series about life after ten months. So try to keep up. Because mom and dad seem to be dragging behind!

Part I: On the Go
There's no stopping me now. I'm on the move. You can plop me down wherever you want, but I'll scoot myself over the to the sofa or the bookshelves and pull up onto my feet. Once I'm upright and able to balance against something sturdy, I'm off. You might find me behind a chair, under a table or leaning casually against a wall waiting to be discovered. Hey, mom and dad, maybe it's time to baby-proof those wall outlets and the cupboards with all the pretty-looking bottles filled with cool-smelling chemicals.

That's me in the picture cruising around the edge of the sofa -- I know you're jealous of my footie PJs. Dad thinks I'm playing peek-a-boo with him. I'm really just trying to keep an eye on him to make sure he doesn't play with my toys when I'm not looking. I don't like to share. (Hey, hands off those stacking cups!)

Mom and dad are trying to contain me by building a rectangular wall of chairs, sofas and ottomans in the living room. It's kind of fun to play in there. It's like a fort and I can walk all around the inside. I'll find my way out of there soon enough. But for now, I'll entertain the effort. Hey, they're trying.

When I'm not cruising around holding onto furniture or walls, I can also get around by scooting on my bottom. It's not very fast but with just a couple hops on my tushy I can usually get within reach of my toys, the TV remote or an unassuming kitty cat.

Mom and dad are also encouraging me to crawl more. I'm not very good at it. If for some reason I find myself on my belly, I can wiggle and get around a little. But it's not very efficient trying to wriggle along my tummy. Plus, I still hate tummy time. So I try to avoid crawling whenever I can. If crawling is so great, why don't I ever see mom and dad doing it? Dad says it's because he has a bad knee. What's mom's excuse? Walking is clearly the better way to go. I'll keep practicing my walking and go from there.

I've taken a wobbly step or two on my own once or twice, but that's all. Why should I have to walk by myself when I can get mom or dad to walk with me? I like to walk all around the house holding onto mom or dad's hands. I can go anywhere I want, so long as they don't let go.

When I'm outside the house, I still get around by getting pushed in my stroller. The weather is getting colder and I hope that doesn't mean less walks around the neighborhood. But my favorite mode of transportation, of course, is going on car rides. I love car rides. The straps on my car seat are getting tighter as I grow. I wish dad would figure out how to loosen those straps. They're so tight they're stunting my growth. At the rate I'm growing, I should beo able to reach the pedals soon! Then watch out...

But when I'm not walking, cruising, creeping, crawling or getting driven around, I prefer one thing most of all: riding on mom's hip. Nothing beats bouncing around the house in mom's arms. At the end of a long day, I just want her to hold me, and no one else. (It's nothing personal, but take a hint, dad.)

Ooh, here comes mom now to pick me up. Gotta go.

To be continued...

~:O

Hear Ye, Hear Ye!

posted by Evan Jake at 6:44 PM

"Cat."

"Cat."

That's all I have to say right now. (That and how I love car rides.)

~:O

More Ouch

posted by Evan Jake at 6:44 PM

Ow! What's with these sharp teeth in my mouth? A few months ago, I cut me some nice white teeth in the bottom of my mouth. That was no picnic. But I soon discovered that my new teeth came in very handy for biting down on toys and dad's fingers.

Now, two more of these jagged teeth are poking out from the top of my mouth. It's not fun. In fact, it really hurts and keeps me from sleeping. Luckily mom and dad always seem to be awake at 3am come in and take care of me.

But I'm left to wonder: how many more of these razor-like teeth will I grow? Two, Three, Four?! And will they all hurt this much?

I guess my new teeth will be useful for chewing on my veggie puffs and Cheerios. Maybe soon I'll be able to eat food from the drive-through restaurants like mom. Then I can spend even more time in the car -- I love car rides.

I also need to take care of these new teeth. Mom helps me brush them with a tiny tooth brush. No flossing though. With all the work I'm putting into cutting these teeth, I certainly wouldn't want them to fall out. I hope I get to keep these teeth forever!

~:O

diapereports: Huggies Overnites

posted by Evan Jake at 6:41 PM

Reviews will offer a good rating: "a Pacie"; or a bad rating: "a Stinky Diaper".

Unlike my previous "diapereports," this edition actually focuses on diapers. This week mom starting dressing me in a special diaper at night. They're called "Huggies Overnites."

First of all, let me say that these diapers are luxurious. They have a nice flexible waistband and extra padding in the tush. They have a Lion King theme printed all over them which is pretty irrelevant since I wear them under my sleeper and in the dark.

But the most remarkable feature of these diapers is their absorbency. They would surely hold lots and lots of that blue fluid they show in the commercials. I can only imagine what would happen if dad tried his science experiment on these puppies. Needless to say, these diapers absorb lots and lots of my mess while I sleep.

And because these diapers are so good at wicking away my unmentionables, I sleep so much better. I've been able to sleep in for 11 hours or more ever since I started wearing these! Maybe mom and dad finally figured out that babies don't sleep as long when lying in puddles of their own wee. OK, that didn't happen every night. But with these nicer diapers, I'm definitely sleeping better. I bet I was forced to wear those cheaper diapers because dad didn't want to spend more money on these nicer ones. I guess my wet tushy just wasn't important enough to him.

I wonder if Huggies makes a diaper just for long car rides. I love car rides. And I'd love them even more if I could ride around in a such plush diapers. I would call them "Huggies for Buggies!"

Huggies Overnites: A Pacie

~:O

Thelma and Evan Jake

posted by Evan Jake at 8:52 PM

This weekend, mom took me on a roadtrip. Dad didn't come along. I guess mom wanted to get away from him for a while. I bet he missed us. The house must have been really empty and quiet while we were gone. I'm sure he was up all night and not able to sleep because it was so quiet.

Mom took me to see nana and papa who just moved into a new house. Their new house is much closer to us than their old house. I love car rides, but having them nearer is nice, too. I'm happy they moved just to be closer to me.

Nana and papa's new house is big and has stairs. It's big enough for me and all my toys. It's also big enough for all my cousins -- all six of them. But only two of my cousins were there this weekend. That's me in the picture with my cousins Maddi and Hannah sitting in baby jail. (Maddi and Hannah are the ones in the matching outfits.)

Maddi is almost a month younger than me. So as her big cousin, I had to be a little tough on her. I would grab her toys and try to push her around. But even though she's younger, Maddi's a little bigger than me so I was sure to be careful. Plus, her big sister Hannah is almost three and looked like she could pack a wallop.

I also liked seeing my aunt and uncle. The fact that they brought me a present didn't hurt my opinion of them either. It was a bath toy, even though I usually take my baths in the sink.

Speaking of baths, I got to take a bath with my cousins, too. (Sorry, no pictures of bathtime will be posted here.) We had fun splashing each other. After I got out of the bath, my cousin Maddi had an "accident" in the water. Let me just say I'm glad I got out of the bath just in time. But who am I to criticize? I myself have enjoyed "accidents" in a warm bath. Who doesn't?

Nana and papa's house also has kitty cats, just like we do at our house. One of their kitties was really nice. His name is Milton and he let me grab and pull his fur. Milton is 15 years old, which is like a million Evan Jake years.

When we got home, I was happy to see dad again. And he seemed really happy to see us. Maybe next time mom will let dad come along. I hope we get to go to nana and papa's again real soon.

~:O