Single Motherhood Day #4 (World Beat Festival)

Apparently Evelynd's grumpy day was due to being tired because she slept over 10 hours!  I woke up after sleeping seven and couldn't go back to sleep (my body just isn't used to it anymore).  

We started today with a trip to the World Beat Festival.  Evelynd loved the passport book she got so she could collect stamps at all the booths.  She also loved watching all the dancers.  The bad news is that Peter called and there was too much drumming to hear my phone ring.  He said that he wouldn't be able to call for another three weeks!

 Drumming in the African kids activity center.

 Watching a dance from Oaxaca, Mexico.

 Watching a dance from Tibet.

Standing behind some kimonos in the Asian children's activity tent.

Evelynd fell asleep on the way home -- all that dancing tired her out.  She had a short nap and then we went to Latte Play since it was raining.

Then we did our grocery shopping.  Ev got really excited when she saw that a race car cart was available and she drove it happily the whole time.

After dinner, the rain stopped so we were able to take the neighborhood cats their treats and now baby's sleeping and I'm doing laundry.  Dassow Daddy used to do all the laundry.  I really appreciated that.

Single Motherhood Day #3

Most of the morning, unfortunately, went like this:

She smiled briefly when I showed her what the towel had done to her hair, but I didn't get the camera out fast enough to catch that.  I don't know what exactly was going on, but I think it must be related to teeth because she felt a little better after some teething tablets.

Dianne Lathen left us a sweet surprise today.  She said that she sat up in the middle of the night thinking about us and then she remembered that Dassow Daddy was gone, so she went to Great Harvest to get us a treat.  That was so thoughtful of her!  (And delicious for me!)

We went to the Carousel in the afternoon and went out to dinner at Konditerei.

We played with the neighbors, read books, and now baby girl is sleeping.

UPDATE: Just got a surprise call from Dassow Daddy.  He sounds like he's having a tough time, so keep him in your prayers.  I know he can do it, but any thoughts and prayers are appreciated.

Single Motherhood Day #2

Today started out a little sad.  I got multiple phone calls from different friends who are having struggles in their lives.  I want them to know that they are in my prayers and I will help out in anyway I can.  (I did, however, get a phone call from my brother Chris -- who almost never calls me -- although it was also bad news.)

Later, we went for a walk and played with our neighbors.  After lessons, my new friend Joy had us over for dinner and play time since her husband is also out of town.  It was very nice of her to not make my foggy pregnancy brain try to figure out dinner tonight and Evelynd loved all their toys.  Thanks, Joy!

Two other notes: Evelynd knows how to unscrew caps now, so I have to watch her a lot more.  She also misses her daddy and keeps asking for him.  She loves his videos, though.

Single Motherhood Day #1

Luckily, it was a beautiful day, so we could spend lots of time outside.  We started with library story time.  As soon as I mentioned it to Ev today, she pointed to her hand and said, "Stamp."  She repeated this many times, but was very patient (today she got a dog stamp on both hands and that made her very happy).  In the afternoon we went to the park, walked around the neighborhood, taught some lessons, walked around the neighborhood again, and met some new friends.

Evelynd kept seeing Peter's car and getting excited, thinking Daddy was home.  We watched the videos and she loved them.  She kept wanting to watch Dad again.  I hope she can make it until he comes back.

Dassow Daddy Duty

Dassow Daddy's training was delayed by a day, so he got to come with us and have Daddy Duty for my Tuesday lessons.  I wanted to get a picture of Peter and Evelynd, but had misplaced the camera.  Augh!  We found it on the way home so Dassow Daddy got to record some videos for Evelynd that I can show her while he's away.

Somebody's gonna miss her daddy.

My Apologies

No pictures again.  And I totally should have gotten one because Evelynd wanted to put her hair in a ponytail holder, so I put it on top of her head, showed her, and she had a huge smile.  We had fun at the Kids Club and playing with neighbors and I hope to do better with photos tomorrow.

When I told her Daddy was home she clapped, kicked, and said, "Daddy!  Yay!"

4:45 a.m.

That was my wake up call this morning.  So, no pictures again.  I just barely made it through the day and I'm going to bed.

Sleepy

Besides the super-attractive goatee of zits I have, the first pregnancy symptom I've had is fatigue.  Although, a 15-month-old girl may also have something to do with that.  She was up until 10 p.m. last night, woke up at 2 for an hour and then woke up for good at 6.

Friday was tough because it rained a lot and my outdoor girl had to stay in a lot.  I took her to the Carousel after lessons, though, which she loved.

Today, she got Hailey Brooks to babysit while I had an eye appointment and then she ran a bunch of errands with me (Keith Weathers' retirement party, bank, store, student's house).  We also got to go on a long walk and play with some neighborhood girls who love Evelynd.

Happy and Baby

Today started not so happy for Dassow Mommy as she got another ticket (from the same cop) for holding her cell phone in her hand (not even talking on it), but then we went to a park and Evelynd was playing and saying, "Happy" again.

After lessons, we had dinner with Dassow Daddy and then went on our nightly family walk.  Some of our neighbors were out and Evelynd played with their baby doll for a long time.  She was very funny wagging her finger at it, closing its eyes, walking it in the stroller, and calling it "cute."

Celebrity Impersonation

Evelynd tried for Britney Spears today at the Kids Club:

Monday was a little rainy, so we went to Latte Play where she had lots of fun running around and sharing her Goldfish crackers with another little toddler.  Today was busy with lessons, but we got to play in the morning and have a long break at GG'ma and GG'pa's house.

She keeps saying, "Happy.  Happy."  It's very cute.

Dassow Mommy had to pull out her maternity jeans today.  So early!

P.S. A very happy birthday to Evie's Aunt Ami.

Father's Day #2 x2

We had a good, relaxing day, but I waited too long to get a good picture of Ev, so this is all we've got:

We had fun at the park, where we saw the Lasky family (keep them in your prayers -- they've had a hard time lately), and then got to play with Evelynd's friend Kailea, who just had her 1st birthday.  Dinner was Greek steaks.  Yummy.

It's exciting to spend Father's Day knowing that Dassow Daddy is about to double his diaper duty!  We sure appreciate the help around the house, the games, and the diapers, too.  Thanks for being such a great dad that Evelynd is thrilled to see everyday.

Also, a very happy Father's Day to our dads, Papa Dassow and Grandpa Evans.

Happy 15 Month Birthday, Baby Girl!

We had a hot, sunny day today so we spent most of it outside.  Dassow Daddy got to go golfing with some friends in the morning to start his Father's Day weekend, so Evelynd and I went to the store to prep.  When we came home, we made his special rustic chicken maple mustard sandwiches and some cookies.  Ev took a brief nap and then we went to Bush Park.  After dinner (at Taco Bell -- we hadn't been there in ages and Evelynd finally got another junk food meal), we went for a walk and played with the neighbor kids, cats, and dogs.

So, what's new?  She has stopped crawling and now walks everywhere.  She says a new word almost every day.  (Recent additions include hi, up, apple, stop, wait, Dais (as in Daisy dog), and juice.)  She is pretty good at all consonants except F and L.  She always get comments on how big she is, how cute she is, how smart she is, and how sweet she is.  Almost every time we meet someone she waves and says, "Hi."  She's a great eater and likes almost everything we put in front of her, except milk, which means she is still nursing.  We're working on weaning.

We got some rare pictures today of things Evelynd doesn't do very often:

 Sucking on a pacifier.  We never really used these, but today she saw one and decided to use it.  Okay.

 Sleeping.  This is all too rare.

 

Pregnant with Evelynd

Since I didn't start this blog until after Evelynd was born, I never wrote about my pregnancy with her.  Nor did we take many pictures back then in our DINK days.

We first found out I was pregnant (after our first month of trying) a few days before my 33rd birthday.  I had some soreness and was tired.  Once I was almost a week late, Peter went to get a test and it was positive.  He looked before the three minutes were up and asked, "What do two pink lines mean?"

We asked for some OB recommendations and decided on Dr. West.  His office had me come in to confirm my pregnancy that same day that we called them and gave me some literature to read and prenatal vitamins.  At week six, I felt nauseated constantly.  I was always hungry and nothing sounded good -- I had anti-cravings.  Seafood was especially bad.  Just the smell would make me queasy.

I had to go maternity clothes shopping at 8 weeks.  Lots of people, in fact, thought I might be having twins because of how quickly I showed.

We went to L.A. in August for the Evans family reunion.  It was super hot, but luckily Paige was pregnant too so we could be party poopers together.  I threw up for the first time after froyo.  That continued from week 10 - week 20 almost daily -- especially after brushing my teeth.

In October, we found out that we were having a girl and I was thrilled!  I had really wanted a sister, but God made me wait for a daughter.  We then started our registry at BabiesRUs, which was the first time I felt completely overwhelmed and like I had pregnancy brain.

We moved after Thanksgiving.  It was good timing for me because I just got to direct traffic instead of having to do the heavy lifting.  Then, we started setting up the nursery.

We drove to Colorado for Christmas, which was alright, but Samson always liked to sit on my lap in the car and there wasn't much lap to sit on.

Come January, heartburn was constant.  The other problem was the pain in my hips from the loosening of the ligaments.  The good stuff also started then.  Kacky Hayes, Dianne :Lathen, and Angie Harker threw me a baby shower for family and family friends.  Then, Melanie Jipping threw me a shower for my friends.  I had a shower thrown by my students (Sue Wise and Pam Noland hosted) in February, too.  So fun and so nice of everyone.

All in all, it was a very smooth pregnancy.  I gained about 30 pounds and have very little to complain about.  In fact, I worked on the day Evelynd was born.  I taught a lesson at noon and then cancelled the rest of my afternoon due to some small contractions.  I graded papers for the law school the rest of the day, including as we were checking in at the hospital, which made the nurses laugh.  The best part was how quick the labor was (really only about five hours), but I wish I had been able to get an epidural because I truly thought I would not survive.  I was even talking to Peter about moving so he could get help with Evelynd.

So, there's a brief synopsis.  And here's little miss at the park today.

    She really liked her new ice cream shirt from Nana Evans.

Korean Jippings

Okay, the Jippings are Dutch (half at least, since Kuno is a native), but they took us out for Korean food to say goodbye before Dassow Daddy heads out for training.  (Evelynd and I got to stay home because the Tuggys came to us today and Daisy loved the Diego visit.)

We had some tired girls with us, but by the end of eating, they were all dancing and hugging the owner.  Thanks for the yummy dinner.

 Thalia had a ginger tongue.

Dassow Diapers x2?

Around 3:15 p.m. today, this is what I saw:

 That's two pink lines, which means we should be expecting a baby around February 20, 2013.

Is this African harp-playing girl ready to be a big sister?  I think so.

When I Call Her "The Baby Who Doesn't Sleep"

I mean it.  Aside from a couple little 10-40 minute naps, Evelynd has been awake today from 4 a.m. until 10:30 p.m.  Good night.

Little Snot

Evelynd's got a little cold, which means she has been sleeping even less than normal, which means Dassow Mommy is barely hanging on.  So, I'll post a couple pictures and go to bed.

 It's been beautiful weather so we have spent nearly every minute outside (although Evelynd would do that in bad weather, too, if I would let her).

 She was able to climb up the slide and go back down on her own!

 I made a chicken broccoli spinach pizza for dinner last night and Evelynd's meal looked even better (chicken broccoli, an assortment of cheeses, and fresh raspberries).

A self portrait of Ev's finger.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

I made "The Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies" today for a dinner we were going to.  They were yummy.  If you try them, be sure to chill the dough for at least half an hour -- it truly did make a difference.

Stamps

This morning in Evelynd's bath, she kept pointing to her hand and saying, "Stamp."  At library story time, they give all the kids hands stamps of different animals and Evelynd has recently started participating in this with all the bigger kids.  So, where could I get a stamp?  I finally remembered one my mom had given me years ago.  It's a heart that says "Bethany" and I was able to dig it out of my junk drawer.  She loved it and carried it around all day.  We even stamped my students' hands so they could remember how much they love their piano teacher.  Here's Evelynd with her stamp (in her mouth -- it has a cap) on the carousel.

  P.S. A very happy birthday to Evelynd's GG'ma!
P.P.S. I've been lax on my baseball updates due to a complete lack of time (I haven't even checked my fantasy team once this season), but the Red Sox are at .500 and last in the AL East.  That is one tough division!

For Chris Evans, D.D.S. (to be)

Evelynd got her 10th tooth yesterday, which is apparently making her even more tooth obsessed (like her Uncle Chris who is in his last year of dental school at USC).  She would NOT let go of her toothbrush today.  Not even at the Kids Club.

Be Still My Heart Bowtique

There was a fun surprise in our mail.  It was a package from Texas that I was not expecting.  Paige had a giveaway on her blog a while back and we won!  It was from Be Still My Heart Bowtique and Evelynd got a new hair bow.  She loved to see that it had owls on it and said, "Hoo.  Hoo."

 She's also wearing my charm necklace from elementary school.

 It's very cute, but will work even better when Ev has more hair.  She's at the point where she actually wants the bows in her hair.

Soo cute!  You can check out more products on Be Still My Heart's Facebook page.

One other thing: when I got home from my orchestra rehearsal tonight, Evelynd saw her stroller and said, "Walk."  It was pouring down rain!  Dassow Daddy was nice enough to walk her down the block.  Nothing stops that girl from being outside.

A Graduation and an Anniversary

We had two big celebrations today.  We started by surprising GG'ma and GG'pa with a visit on their 65th anniversary.  65 years!  GG'ma said that this had been a hard year (for various reasons), but that the other 64 had been easy.  I think 64 easy, happy years of marriage is a good trade for one hard year.  I hope they celebrate many more.  Great Uncle Jon was there, too, and treated everyone to Red Lobster so Evelynd got her first taste of popcorn shrimp and fish and chips.  After lunch, she was feeling so confident in her walking that she tried running.  Luckily, their house is carpeted so all her falls didn't hurt too much.

After the lovebirds, we stopped by the Millane's house briefly and dropped off their Christmas presents (yes, I'm nearly six months late).  I miss seeing that family every week, but know it's better for us Dassows.

Our final stop of the day was Jessica Murrell's high school graduation party.  Jessica is one of the sweetest people you will ever meet and was my piano student for about eight years.  She'll be going to Portland State so we'll still get to see her.  Evelynd just wanted to see their cat, though.

Evelynd broke my glasses, so I have to wear my backup pair.

Since Ev woke up early this morning (natch), and she only got about 30 minutes of naps, she went to bed at 7.  I better follow her or it'll only be four hours of sleep for me again.  Nighty night.

Saturday in Salem with Simon

Laura and Simon came to spend the day with us.  We decided to go to the Carousel and then found out that they were celebrating their 11th birthday, so we got free cake and ice cream and listened to bagpipes as we rode horses with party hats on.  Fun carousel trip!

 Simon was a little scared and snuggled close to his mom as he rode.

 Evelynd was extra brave and was waving at people as she went up and down and round and round.

The toddlers ran around for awhile and then we had lunch at Wild Pear (including white truffle sweet potato fries)-- delicious!

We returned to the carousel to let the kids play with the puzzles in the gift shop until they were just too tired to make it anymore.

 Evelynd fell asleep on the way home, but I only let her nap for an hour so she will sleep at night.  We went to the park this evening and now Dassow Daddy is trying to get her to bed.  That is a hard task with the Baby Who Doesn't Sleep.