Photo Shoot with a 6-year-old

Meira Tuggy got to use my camera today during her sister's lesson, so the photos and videos in this post are courtesy of her.

Talia was born six weeks after Evelynd and is nice enough to share her toys every week during her older sisters' lessons.

Li'l miss wearing 9-month clothes!  She's so big!

Diego -- Samson's best friend.

Only watch this video if you don't get motion sickness:

This final video is of Evelynd playing the piano.  She used to hate the piano, but now that I let her play it some, she likes it a lot better, which makes for much easier teaching (as long as my students don't get too distracted).

Snuggles

Evelynd had a pretty tough day.  I think she's getting used to pooping with her new foods -- when it starts to be more solid, it's more solid, if you know what I mean -- so she wanted to snuggle all day.  I had two new students start lessons today and they were not the easiest of students, so my lovely easy Wednesdays have become some of my hardest/longest days.

Here's our baby today (in a cute outfit from the Leinbachs) in some of her final six month size clothes.

It's kind of difficult to see, but she is smiling with her tongue sticking out -- something she often does.

P.S. Red Sox won yesterday.  You may have noticed there haven't been a lot of these updates.  Not good, Sox.

Thank you!!!!

I finally finished my thank you notes for all of Evelynd's baby gifts.  Why did it take so long?  Because people have been so generous, it's unbelievable.  We were still getting gifts last week and many people have given us gifts both before and after Evie's birth.  Thanks to all of you so much for helping us in so many ways and for helping to welcome this beautiful baby into the world.

Evelynd is consistently sleeping in 8-hour + stretches at night.  I am so glad she's a good sleeper on her own because I don't know if I'm strong enough for sleep training.

Also, Dassow Daddy surprised me today by making a delicious egg and potato brunch.

Finally, poor Samson has ear and eye infections.  He went to the vet today, so he should be feeling better soon.

Thank you all again.  We truly appreciate all of you.

Where were you...

...yesterday?
Evelynd had her first taste of mango in the morning.  Then, we started the afternoon with a visit to GG'pa and GG'ma.  GG'pa had recovered so quickly from his back surgery!  We were so glad to see him looking so well.  After our visit, I had to play for a wedding at Ducks Moorage (the sign said "Lifestyles of the Poor and Unknown," but it was actually a really cool place), which is a houseboat community on the Columbia River.  It was nearly 100 degrees, but thankfully -- and surprisingly -- very little wind to blow my music around.  As far as I can remember, this was the first time I had to play while moving.  Every time a boat would go by, the dock would move; it took a little getting used to. 

When we got home, I felt like I had moved into a zoo.  Nature had invaded!  There were a ton of flies in the house trying to escape the heat (we had left a couple windows open accidentally) and spiders outside (as there always are) plus a family of raccoons (Peter counted five) had moved into the trees out front.  The baby raccoons were loudly calling for their mother for hours.  The picture below is really dark, but maybe you can see a couple of them:

As of this morning, the nest was destroyed and it looks like they have moved on.

...10 years ago?
I was in the shower when my youngest brother, Nick, called to tell me that a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center.  I told him that was not a funny joke, but after I realized he was serious I turned on the TV just in time to see the second plane crash into the second tower.  I was just starting my second year of law school, so I had to head to class and drove there with the radio on.  During the drive, I heard of the first tower's collapse.  When I got to school no one knew what was going on and everyone was scared.  During my negotiation class, the professor gave up and sent us all home.  I walked through the park the mile and a half home and tried to come to some sort of conclusions.  The only thing I could conclude was that the world was not the same as I thought when I woke up that morning.  The next few weeks were full of stories of heroism beyond what I could have imagined and images of atrocities beyond what anyone should ever have to endure.  Living out west, very few of us knew anyone who was in danger (my friend, Annabelle, worked near the Pentagon), but we all felt the weight of the tragedy as Americans and as humans.

...today?
We went to the Field of Flags at Salem's Riverfront Park.  This was a four day event that included Taps and a candle lighting every evening and various activities each day (military flyovers, ceremonies, canon firing, etc.).  There was a flag for each person who died as a result of the 9/11 attacks.

Some of the flags looked pale because the stripes were made up of the names of those who died.

I don't think Evelynd quite knew what was going on because she seemed more interested in eating her shirt:

By the end of the trip, Evelynd was almost asleep and holding her hat over her eyes.  Someday, though, she will want to know where her parents were on 9-11-01 and she can read this.  A lot has changed since that day.  I hadn't even met Peter and had no idea there was such a beautiful baby in my future.  The world may have changed on September 11, but it didn't end and there is still good.



Monster Baby

Evelynd discovered a new sound today:

We had a nice day of cleaning, teaching, playing, cooking, and friends.  Glen and Sharman came over to share in a mini Greek turkey burger Dassow Dinner before their move to Washington.  It was nice to spend time with them and catch up.  Evelynd was a showoff during dinner and did a fabulous job eating her root vegetable trio (carrots, sweet potatotes, and parsnips).

Thanks for the cute summer dress, Kristy.

This video was supposed to be of Evelynd giving a high 5, but she was too distracted by the camera.  Today was the first day she gave a high 5 to someone other than Dassow Mommy (Carolyn Fu was the lucky girl).  She was in a great mood today (probably because she slept another eight hour stretch -- that's two nights in a row!).

P.S. A very happy birthday to Evelynd's cousin Luke!

Sick Baby

I was about to write tonight's post when I heard Evelynd crying on the monitor.  I went up to see if I could comfort her and get her to sleep, but felt something wet all over when I picked her up.  It's hot, but not hot enough to create that much sweat, so I turned on the light.  We were both covered in throw up.  What happened?  I think she ate too much too fast.  She downed her butternut squash and then drank a lot of milk.  So, we've been doing cleanup and now I think we can get her to sleep (over an hour past her bedtime).  I hope everything else goes well tonight.

Here's how the post was going to start:
The best thing about not being on vacation?  How much better Evelynd sleeps in her own bed!  She regularly sleeps in at least six hour stretches and last night was almost a nine hour stretch (on top of a four hour stretch).  On vacation I was getting up with her almost every two hours.  Brutal.  Anyway, it's nice to be getting more sleep.

Now for the pictures and videos:

Playing in her new walker

The "Never Never Van" we passed on I-5 today.

The sign said something about a Dandy-Lion, but I don't know what exactly.

Evie looking at Dassow Daddy on the car ride home.

This video is Evie playing while Dassow Mommy was teaching a lesson on Tuesday:

This is a video of Ev playing with her toy on the car ride home tonight:

Jump Jump Jump Jump

A while back I promised a video of Evelynd in her Jumperoo the Jippings gave her, so here it is.

And a still photo (still in the photo sense, not in the sense of what Evelynd was doing) for those of you who can't watch the videos.

She usually goes in her Jumperoo first thing in the morning and multiple other times per day.  She has loved learning to jump and likes playing with all the toys, too.  (Plus, I can eat breakfast while she's jumping.)  All in all, it's a good toy.