Evie's Nana

Dear Readers Evie and I are very lucky ladies. Not only do we have an awesome Gramper/Dad but we have two Grandmas/Moms. I am currently living with my Dad and stepMom (who I call my Mom too), Evie's Gramper and Grammy. I haven't written much about my Mom, Evie's Nana, til now. My Mom is quite a lady, she has many amazing accomplishments under her belt, number one being me, of course, just kidding! Just in the last few years she has graduated with her bachelor's degree and started her doctorate! All that while waiting for and now recovering from hip replacement surgery. Truly, my Mom is incredible! But the thing I want to focus on today is my Mom's crafty side. Check out what Evie got from her Nana!






The outfit definetly looks better on Evie than me...



Yup, my Mom crotched the hat, sweater and booties, in like 3 days! It is an awesome ensemble, and I will cherish it forever. Thanks Mom!

Gramper aka Grand Daddy of Letters

My Dad and Evie are quite a duo. You see Dear Readers, Evie is quite bold and adventurous on her own. Add in my Dad who faintly understands infant safety and has no regard for "proper" baby toys and you get this.



Yes Dear Readers, that is Evie in the bathroom sink playing with a toilet paper roll. With my Dad.

To be honest I love that my Dad loves Evie and enjoys her company so much. I also love that Evie has that radical/different influence in her life. With me and Grammy, Evie gets conventional toys and games and songs. With her Gramper she gets wild and crazy fun. With Mr. E, Evie gets the most outrageous, super cool, sometimes dangerous fun. So while Mr. E is gone I am glad to say my Dad is picking up the slack and giving Evie some of that unconventional fun. Thanks Dad!

As Promised

I will post a few pics right now as I promised. But just to let you know, I have 3 posts that I am working on right now. The first is about the special and unique relationship that my Dad has with Evie. The second is a post about my Mom, Evie's Nana. The third post is about moving. Stay tuned =)

Here are some pics of Evie and Mr. E. They are old pics but they're so great!

In Process

Still trying to get moved in. Right now I am straddling half my stuff here and half my stuff there. It is insane busy right now! I hope to be done by Monday and then I can get back to regularly scheduled programming. Send some heavy lifting and quick moving vibes my way if you have any to spare.

I'll catch ya'll on the flip side.

p.s. there will be tons of pics once this is all said and done =)

Marathon of Love

Check out BigBro's thoughts on running the ATL marathon yesterday. He put it all out in such an eloquent way. I have never run a marathon but I am married. His juxtaposition of love and running a marathon is so right on. It is so true that if you don't want a loving, happy, honest, supportive marriage/relationship you won't have one. Right now Mr. E and I are working overtime to keep our marriage on track, we are going up a hill, in marathon speak. We are halfway up the hill and I can't wait to be running down the hill toward each other. I love you Mr. E and I can't wait for you to come home! =)

Tagged

I have been tagged Dear Readers, for the first time ever! Thank you so much my New Girl friend! So my task that I must do is name 7 songs that I am into right now. This is an awesome task because I just got a bunch of new music from BigBro (thanks!). I am feeling torn and a little nervous about revealing my favorite songs. Mainly I am torn because I have such an insane mix of music on my itunes right now. And I am a bit nervous because I want so badly to be cool and impressive with my musical choices.

Here goes:

1. I Want You Back - Jackson 5
2. Hold Up - Girl Talk
3. She Traded Her Leg - Jeffery Butzer
4. Landslide - Dixie Chicks
5. Me and Julio - Paul Simon
6. Don't Get Lost in Heaven - Gorillaz
7. Feeling Good - Nina Simone

And I am gonna tag Heather, Rich, and Momma K.

Move It Out

Today is packing day. Wish me luck.

Eeps

About 1 minute after this photo was taken Evie fell on the floor. She really hates falling down and has yet learned how to fall with grace. And yes Dear Readers, that is Evie holding herself up on the coffee table. I believe there may be walking in this girl's future, perhaps a few months from now.



And here is Evie happy and content after her little fall.

Girl Date

Now Dear Readers don't get too excited. I am talking about a get together with your closest girl friend with (almost) no kids and no husbands. Last night Heather and I had a girl date. I brought pizza and a bottle of wine to her house. We (almost) put all the kids to bed, opened the wine and chatted about life and stuff over some pizza. It was really great! I haven't been on a date since Mr. E left (of course!), so it was nice to have a girl date with my good friend. Just setting aside a time with a friend to just relax and not talk about lactating, teething, or binkies was really refreshing. In this crazy motherhood career it is really easy to forget who you are sans children. At first I didn't care at all about who I was, I was OCD type obsessed with Evie and her well being. After a few months I eased up a bit and started rediscovering my husband and our relationship post Evie. And now with him gone I am looking to my friends and work to occupy me til he comes home. And it is good, as much as I miss Mr. E (TONS) I am enjoying growing closer to my girl friends. And I am really enjoying discovering myself through my new work ventures.

So raise a glass to rediscovering yourself in ways you forgot you could. Have a great weekend everyone =)

A Little Suprise

Despite my blog layout, my profile photo, and Evie's clothing in most pictures, Dear Readers, I have to admit, pink is not my favorite color. Actually I don't really have a favorite color at the moment. I recently discovered that I like brown and khaki colors for my clothing. I seem to go through color phases really. For a long time it was black and red only. Then it was black and hot pink. Then it was business casual, grey pants, blue shirt, etc. Now a days it's brown, purple, khaki, and one pink polo shirt. For Evie I always try to keep her clothing gender specific so people know she is a girl and not a clone of Mr. E. The head to toe pink outfits clue in about half the people that walk up to me in public.

People in public are so nice to Evie and me, it is very sweet. But really I love that Evie is so graceful in the spotlight. She is not a flirt. She will not smile at you just because you make a funny face or talk cutesy to her. She is very serious and discerning with new people. Many a waiter/waitress has been disappointed by Evie's lack of flirting. But to me it is a wonderful character trait that I hope she keeps forever. I think it is very important not to trust a stranger just because they seem nice. Now I'm not saying you can't be nice to strangers or even offer/accept help from strangers. I am saying that before you do anything you should take in all your surroundings and choices and you should judge what the best next step is for yourself.

So Dear Readers what is your favorite color/colors right now? What are your thoughts on babies/kids and strangers?

Things I am Over the Moon About

1. Evelyn growing into the cutest, most affectionate little girl. She hugs me back now and she wants to snuggle and it just refuels my soul.

2. Being a postpartum doula! I LOVE what I am doing. I can't even put into words why or how but I am just so fulfilled and happy being a postpartum doula. I love knowing that I am helping a family so much and making the transition to a larger family easier.

3. My freezer stash. Because I have so much frozen milk, Evelyn will be able to have my milk til she is at least 1 year old. Maybe longer.

4. My art teaching opportunities. I love teaching art at the museum. I just got two offers to teach Art History to 2 homeschool co-ops and I am so thrilled to teach Art History!

5. My family. Because of them I am able to be a postpartum doula and part time art teacher. They are emotionally, physically, and spiritually supportive and I love them for it!

6. Spring! It is already here in my neck of the woods and I love it. The trees are overflowing with flowers, my car is covered in yellow dust. Ahh, yes, spring is here.

7. My husband. He is so sweet and sensitive. His birthday is coming up and I ordered his birthday presents today. I love him so much and I think that sometimes I fail at making him understand. He is the single person in my life that I trust completely. He is my partner, my allie, my lover, my best friend, my soul mate. I am always and will always be devoted to him. He makes me happier than anyone in my life.

That is my 7 for today. So what are you over the moon about?

Watch Out for the Tooth Monster!

It finally happened Dear Readers, Evie cut her first tooth today, on her 8 month b-day. No longer is she a toothless blob. Now she is a toothful blob. Yay! I can't tell yet but I think she may have cut two teeth, I can't see anything but I can definitely feel something sharp in there. I guess I'll be seeing some teeth or a tooth soon =)



P.S. One Hot Mama had her baby and she is GORGEOUS!! Go give her some comment love =)

Real Moms are on the Ball

Literally, I spend half my day bouncing Evie on this exercise ball. I have a back up ball in case this one deflates. I have already gone through three balls in the 8 months that Evelyn has been alive. So, for this Real Mom, my life is on the Ball.



Are you a Real Mom?

Enter the Real Mom Truths contest! The winner will receive this amazing 4G iPod Nano and Chocolate gift set, plus a link to their post on True Mom Confessions on Mother's Day.

African Maraca?

This weekend was awesome! Dear Readers, I have to tell you, my family totally rocks. Period. We are so awesome and we choose the coolest mates, for real. Big Bro and his fiancee Dr. Rom came to town this weekend and it was a blast. I got to spend a lot of time talking with Dr. Rom and I have to tell you, I really love her, already. I have known her for months now and I have really liked her the whole time, but this weekend really took my feelings for her to another level. I don't have any sisters and Dr. Rom really makes me see what a valuable relationship a sister has with another sister. I am so glad she is joining the family. And the icing on the cake of this new sister relationship, Evelyn ADORES her. Evie can not stop smiling and having fun with Dr. Rom. It is so sweet and cute and I just love that they are so good together.



The other awesome thing about this weekend was that I taught that African musical instrument making class. It was the COOLEST! I love teaching art to kids when there are no rules and they can just have fun. The best part of the activity was when the kids took their instruments with them to the performance and they used them as part of the show. That was so cool to hear 30 kids with their maracas playing along to live African music. Here's my maraca.

She loves her Daddy

Here are some pics of Evelyn watching her video that Mr. E made specially for her. She loves the video so much that she will watch it over and over and over, and over and over. Today she fell asleep watching it. She was upright when I sat her on the couch and by the fifth time of watching her video she was like this.



Here's her just before sleep set in.


And here is what she was watching.


They are both so sweet!

Things are looking up

**Update: This lady had her baby! Go over and leave her some comment love.**

Well Dear Readers, after some rough days things are starting to look up. It seems like DLS did a number on a number of us. So now that I am (better) adjusted to DLS I am feeling a lot better. So here is an update of life at casa Evilynmo.

1. Big Bro and Dr. Rom (aka Future Mrs. Big Bro) are coming to visit this weekend. To say I am excited is an understatement, I am THRILLED!! I haven't seen them since the week Mr. Evilynmo left and I am really looking forward to talking to them about their ATL marathon training (this guy is also training for the ATL marathon). Also we are going to take them to the farm and that should be a really good time. They are both really great people. Even though they aren't really into kids they let Evie and me stay with them for 3 nights and 4 days after Mr. Evilynmo left, just so I wouldn't be alone. Thanks Big Bro and Dr. Rom!

2. Evelyn got to go to a playdate with this awesome lady today. Her boys and girls are absolutely adorable and sweet. I really like that Evie gets to interact with other kids, maybe some of her kid's walking/talking/teething abilities will rub off on Evie...someday. But the best part of the playdate was talking to Mrs. Twinsanity herself. She is really funny and easy to talk with. Plus she and I are totally weird individuals and it is really nice to hang with a fellow weirdo. Thanks Heather!

3. I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of this wonderful lady's seventh baby. Also I am excited to find out if this cool lady is having her baby yet. It would be hilarious if they both had their babies on the same day. I know One Hot Mama IRL and she is an amazing person, she was there for Evie and I at our most needful time, she is a wonderful person. Thanks One Hot Mama!

4. This Saturday is when I teach my African musical instrument making activity. I am a little nervous but mostly excited to hear and see live African music and dancing. Whether the activity goes well or not I get paid $100 so that ain't too bad. Thanks Museum!

5. A week from today my parents close on the farm. In just one short week the farm will be a family asset. I am really excited! Living at the farm is going to be such an awesome experience and an endless source of learning and fun. Thanks Mom and Dad!

6. My Grandma (Evie's GiGi) is moving here and she is giving Mr. E and I her king size bed and one of her very nice LazyBoy recliners. We can't afford either item but really would love having both, again I realize how fortunate we are, thanks Grandma!

7. I am really enjoying blogging. This is an outlet for (some of) my thoughts and feelings that I normally would share with Mr. Evilynmo. It is really wonderful to get comments that are so supportive and nice. Thanks Dear Readers!

That is my 7 for today. I hope all your weeks are looking up too.

A Rite of Passage

In the blogging community (the blogosphere if you will) there is a rite of passage (at least it seems to me) to post a 100 list. The list is simple. Write 100 things about yourself and post it. Now that I have a readership that is more than just family and friends I figure it is time to walk on the hot coals, as it were, and post my 100 list. So here goes.

*updated Jan. 25, 2008

1. I am a twin.

2. I love picking boogers, mine and Evie's, and Mr. E's. They both hate it.

3. I don't like mushrooms, tomatoes, peppers, avocado, or carrots.

4. I love tomato sauces, salsas, etc. I just hate chunks of tomato and peppers.

5. I love Kraft Mac n Cheese, it makes me ill to eat it but it is my #1 comfort food.

6. I love not being cold but I hate being overly warm when I sleep. I like the house to be cold at night so I can bundle up under blankets.

7. I don't like going to the doctor.

8. I love being a snob.

9. I have a BA in Art History.

10. I used to have a subscription to The New Yorker and to US magazine.

11. I took French for 7 years.

12. I don't speak Spanish.

13. I lived in Korea as a child and I spoke Korean and English.

14. I have been to France twice, and I LOVE french food and beaches.

15. I love Italy even more than France, Italians know how to have a good time.

16. I am a die hard Democrat, I would vote for a Democrat over a Republican in almost any race.

17. I hate "W" more than I let on, it takes too much energy to actively hate him but suffice it to say, I really don't like him, at all.

18. I am convinced that the only true difference I can make in the world is through my immediate actions and within my immediate sphere of existence.

19. I am a feminist, but not a femi-nazi.

20. I love being a stay at home Mom and a working Mom. I work but it is freelance and I set my own work load and schedule.

21. I am in graduate school to become an elementary school teacher.

22. I think that the postpartum care in America right now is seriously lacking.

23. I used to have my tongue pierced.

24. And my nose.

25. And another piercing.

26. I have a sun tattoo on my upper left shoulder that I got with my best friend.

27. I have a tattoo on my lower back of a Tree of Life.

28. I have a tattoo on my right hip of an ocean wave, moon, and sun.

29. I want to get Evie's name and my name and Mr. E's name tattooed around my Tree of Life.

30. I am addicted to Diet Coke. It is horrible for me and I know it. I cut way back while I was preggers. After Evie was born I didn't drink it for 3 weeks, but then sleep deprivation hit and I was back on the DC.

31. I have an older brother (Big Bro) that I think I am more like him than my twin brother.

32. My all time favorite movie is The Royal Tennenbaums. It's also my favorite soundtrack.

33. I am a monster if I don't eat or don't sleep.

34. I love cats and dogs but now that I have kids I don't want to have any pets.

35. My dream house has hard wood floors.

36. I own crocs, I love them and I wear them in public, often.

37. I am a Scorpio, I am very jealous, very protective of my peeps, and I am very loyal to my peeps too.

38. I hate getting back massages.

39. I love foot massages.

40. I think the scene from Pulp Fiction about foot rubs is classic.

41. I am not into mainstream religion. I don't like organized religion in any form.

42. I am strangely fascinated by Catholics.

43. I went to a Catholic college for one year to investigate my fascination.

44. I love how visceral Catholicism is. Everything is so raw and in your face. Truly, Passion is all up in the Catholic religion.

45. I was born in Savannah, Georgia.

46. But I am yankee at heart. Both my parents are from Connecticut.

47. I am a huge fan of pep rallies, I love to cheer for people and teams.

48. I always hated cheerleaders when I was younger.

49. But, secretly I love watching cheer leading competitions on TV.

50. I love to dance and to learn new dances, in any genre.

51. I hate doctors and the American medical status quo.

52. I am an Army brat.

53. I love the show Dr. Katz Professional Therapist. It was on Comedy Central in the mid 90's and it cracked me up then and it is killing me with laughter now.

54. I thought Friends was so mainstream and lame when it was on. Now I own all the seasons on DVD and I watch it ALL THE TIME.

55. We don't have cable. By choice. I hate commercials and most mainstream television.

56. I love cheesy shows about fashion. Project Runway, America's Next Top Model, etc.

57. I think Frasier is hilarious. I didn't watch it when it was on TV but now I love it on DVD.

58. I love that Big Bro gives me tons of new music all the time. It is all way cool and way underground. It makes me feel cool.

59. I used to be a dog person and now I can't imagine owning a dog.

60. I love making art even though I suck at it.

61. I won't let Mr. E walk behind me on stairs for fear that he will pinch my bottom.

62. I love giving gifts and sending letters and packages to people.

63. When Mr. E and I were apart a few years ago I wrote him a letter everyday.

64. One day I will compile all our letters into a book.

65. I hope that we have a female president in 2008.

66. I would love to live in Canada if it weren't so freaking cold up there.

67. I love San Francisco.

68. I was a tomboy as a kid. If I even looked at something pink or girly my brothers would harass me non stop.

69. I am afraid of the dark.

70. There are night lights all over my house and I leave two lamps on all the time in my house.

71. Family is more important to me then anything else.

72. My family isn't perfect though.

73. I am slightly crunchy. I co-sleep, I babywear, I delay/selectively vax, I practice attachment parenting.

74. Anticipation is my biggest source of stress. I anticipate problems and then get stressed. Totally stupid but I can't help myself.

75. I am a morning person. Mr. E is a total night owl.

76. I think there is too much hatin goin around this world. I include myself with the haters. I try to be open minded and easy going but it is hard not to judge and compare myself to others.

77. My first concert was the Indigo Girls. I have seen the Black Crowes in concert 3 times.

78. Bob Dylan is awful in concert.

79. I saw Robin Williams live, he is so dirty and funny.

80. My daughter will be close to and with her grandparents and great grandma.

81. I never knew my grandparents or great grand parents. They all died before I was 10 yrs old.

82. I am truly so much luckier than I realize.

83. I try to remember everyday that I am fortunate to have the family and friends that I have, the life that I have.

84. Since I got pregnant and even more after Evie was born I can't read/watch sad stuff. Said stuff includes the news, the newspaper, some articles in my New Yorker or Jane magazine.

85. If I read/watch something sad I can't stop thinking about it. The TV image or the visual image I make up becomes burned in my brain and it takes a long time to forget.

86. I hate scary movies, I always have.

87. I believe in fate.

88. I also believe in reincarnation.

89. I believe that all things will turn out okay in most instances.

90. I still don't know how to come to terms with certain bad things that happen in the world. I don't know how genocide or rape or child abuse came into this world. What grand planner would purposely include those things in the world?

91. I am tougher when I am defending/protecting my family or my friends than when I am defending/protecting myself.

92. I would work at McDonalds and the local Kwiki Mart and the city dump before I would let my family starve or live without.

93. I feel things more intensely now that I am a parent.

94. I love willow trees.

95. I love house plants too.

96. I make rockin no bake oatmeal chocolate/peanut butter/pecan cookies. It is the only dessert I make with any proficiency.

97. I want to be funnier than I am. But I make myself laugh all the time so I guess I think I am funnier than I am.

98. I never learn the right words to songs but I always sing a long with my own jibberish.

99. I love special/bonus features on DVDs.

100. My favorite part of going to the movies is watching the previews.

*You made it! Thank you for reading =)

Leaving

Dear Readers, I am having a hard time. I am feeling sad and uneasy and stressed. I am moving to the farm and starting to live my dream. But in order to live my dream I have to leave behind this house. This house is the first house I ever lived in that had my name on the lease. This is the first house that I ever paid my own bills in. This is the house where my daughter was born. This is the first house that Mr. E and I lived in together after we got married. The last time that Mr. E and I slept in the same country together was in this house. I am sad to leave my house. I am sad that Mr. E isn't here to say goodbye to the house with me. I am scared to sleep in a new house by myself. I will be in a new bed in a new house by myself. Mom and Dad will be downstairs but still, I'll be alone, without my Mr. E and without my stuff. I am scared and I am sad and I just want to be with Mr. E. With Mr. E I am not scared, with him I feel safe and secure. I guess leaving this house is just another removal of Mr. E from my daily life. He's never seen the new house. I'll really be without him at this new house. In my house I see him everywhere, I feel him in all the rooms. In the new house he won't be anywhere but in my mind. I miss him soo much!

I know he will be home in four months. I know that this is a small sacrifice to get what I really want in the long run. I know that I am really really lucky to have family that I like that are willing to let me live with them for a year while I save money to buy/build my own house. I know that I shouldn't complain, that I shouldn't be sad. But I am.

See I am a very needy, clingy person when it comes to my husband. If I accidentally hurt myself when he is not around I am okay, I suck it up. If I hurt myself when he is around I cry and demand a hug and kiss. I am ridiculous that way. I am unabashedly vulnerable with Mr. E. I just let all my crazy spew out around him. Amazingly he loves me anyway. And right now I miss him so much.

DLS

Did anyone else get the sh*t kicked out of them by Day Light Savings today? Man, my whole day was just slapped silly by this DLS monster. I lived in Indiana for about 4.5 years recently and they weren't observing DLS while I was there. At the time I thought it was stupid but now I really miss not having my whole life moved up or down by an hour twice a year. So how did everyone else do with DLS today?

Why Evilynmo?

In case any of my Dear Readers have been curious I will explain my pseudonym. As you know my daughter's name is Evelyn. When I was pregnant Mr. E and I would joke around that our daughter was going to be evil, then we came up with Evilyn. When I was thinking of a username for a forum I frequent I put in EvilynMom, but that was to many letters so it got shortened to Evilynmo. And that is where the name came from.

I know, I really wowed you with my story ;)

Missing

I miss Mr. E!



How do I love him, let me count the ways...

He called me ugly when we met and he has been keeping me on my toes ever since.

He is an amazing singer and he makes up songs about me and Evie, they are catchy and get stuck in my head for days, I love that.

He is hilarious! Especially when he dances, arms and legs everywhere, so cute!

He helps me to let loose and be the inner geek/goofball that I really am.

He can make me smile with just a look.

He loves me even though I am flawed (selfish, stubborn, needy, etc)

He gives me nicknames that I adore (ninjafer, clingy bug, etc)

He will watch or listen to the same movie/music over and over and over, just because I like to. That'll be great training for when Evie is a toddler.

He always prefers haning at home with Evie and me to hangin at a bar with his guy friends.

He made this most amazing little girl with me, and while I was preggers he still wanted me, swollen ankles and all.

He has the desire and unlimited potential to be a better person.

He pushes me to try new things, if you know me then you know I am not an adventurous eater. He got me into Indian food, Thai food, ketchup, and more.

He is willing to do whatever it takes to take care of our family now and in the future, even if it means having to go away for 6 months with his job.

I miss you Mr. E, I am your biggest fan (besides Evie). I can't wait for you to come home!

Mei Tai

Dear Readers I have made a decision to upgrade our baby carrying operation. Here is the used Mei Tai that I just purchased.



Here is info on what a Mei Tai is and how it is used. I have never used a Mei Tai, but after much research I discovered that this type of carrier is really great at distributing the weight of a baby or toddler. I am really happy about that because right now I am using this. It is great and I have been using it for months but if I wear it for more than 30 minutes it KILLS my back. I am really looking forward to trying something that won't hurt my back and is usable on my front or back.

So wish me luck that this carrier is the best thing ever =)

It has Begun

Hello Dear Readers! Many things have started here at the Evilynmo house. We started night time cloth diapering about a week ago and it has been going really well. Evie has started going to bed at 930PM-10PM instead of midnight, thank god! I started budgeting myself hardcore so that we can get out of debt and buy/build our own house. I started getting paid by the art museum, whoo hoo, $45 toward our new house! I started weaning myself from the pump, it feels so freeing and really weird at the same time. I started the cancellation process for the LLL conference. Mom started packing our upstairs into boxes so we can more easily move to the farm in 2 weeks. I also started writing a letter to our landlords giving them notice of our moving out. I started looking for Evie's 1 year birthday present, it will be a toddler sling/carrier for me so that I don't break my back carrying this girl around. Evie started using her new walker to figure out how to move around, watch out microwave, she is gonna get ya! And tomorrow I am going to start trying to feed Evie solid foods, let the games begin =)

Watch out Microwave!


She is conferring with Pooh on poo...


Her bib says MY MOM ROCKS, darn tootin!

Stopping

So Dear Readers, as you may have noticed in this post, I am and have been EPing for Evie for almost 8 months. It has been somewhat difficult the entire time, and since Mr. E has been gone it has been especially hard because I have no one to hold/occupy Evie in the morning and at night. So I think I have reached my end point. I think I am going to start weaning myself off the pump in the coming months. The timing is right because there are a lot of things coming up that will be very time consuming. They include moving to the farm and my Grandma, Evie's Gigi moving here. With my decision to wean myself off the pump I have also decided to not go to the LLL conference in April. April is when we'll be moving and when Grandma will be moving, so the timing was bad anyway, but also I would feel weird going to the LLL conference with Evie but not lactating for her. I was nervous about being an EPer at the conference anyway so now that stress is gone, which is nice, cuz honestly I gotta make room for all the other stress in my life =)

She Loves that Binky

Ladies and Germs: Too Much Information

Hello Dear Readers. Well today has been a good day so far. I discovered that I am not abnormal for finding it hard to be romantic whilst lactating and taking care of a baby 24/7. Now granted this doesn't really matter right now, since Mr. E is not here, but it definitely mattered before he left. It was really difficult to find a balance between Mr. E and Evie. Unfortunately, but necessarily, Mr. E often got left out in the cold, so to speak. But I am glad, after talking to and reading about other married moms, that I am not alone in finding my romantic life after baby hard to manage. This is a huge relief for me, I was beginning to think that something was wrong with me, or my marriage. It was awful to feel that way. Now that I know it isn't me/us, but life, we can, as with so many other things in our lives, learn to adapt and overcome this new challenge. So I have a plan to make this all work, it involves duct tape, a Dora the Explorer video and an egg timer.

Just kidding! But I do have some ideas rolling around in my head about how to overcome this challenge. I won't keep you posted on my plans, but suffice it to say, I have a dream...

Baby Legs and Eggs

Look at Evie in her new baby legs!



The shrinky dinks are made Dear Readers, yay! I had a lot of fun making them. I have some extras up for grabs, email me if you would like one of them. Okay here they are. =)

Bill's Presidential Egg and Mimi's Beach Egg


Grammy's Goat Egg and Witch Egg


Lady Day's Almond Egg and Breakfast Club Egg


Heather's Twin Sunny Side Up Eggs


The Extra Eggs

Shrinky Dink Making

Hello Dear Readers! I am flying solo with Evie again this weekend and I am feeling ambitious. Mom and Dad went to visit Big Bro and Future Mrs. Big Bro. So my goal this weekend is to make shrinky dinks for everyone that participated in this contest. So in the next few days you will be seeing a lot of pics of shrinky dinks.

It's a Blog Party!

Okay Dear Readers, scoot over, make some room, we are about to get a lot more people on this crazy bus! I am participating in a Blog Party. This is all part of my effort to get more involved with my blogging and the mommy blogger community. I know that blogging is a foreign concept to most of my Dear Readers, here is a chance to get to know lots of other moms around the world.

Hi New Arrivals. It is wonderful to have you here on the bus!
I am a mommy to one amazing lady, Evelyn. I am in the process of becoming certified as a postpartum doula, I also am a free lance art teacher for my local art museum, and I am an Army wife. I really love my family and friends and I pretty much do all that I do because of them. Please look around my blog and enjoy your stay, I hope some of you will go from New Arrivals to Dear Readers =)

Late Pregnancy

So Dear Readers I am apart of this community of mommy bloggers. Up to this point I have been strictly a lurker/commenter (ie. read every one's blogs and occasionally leave a comment). Well now that I am becoming more involved in my own blog I have decided to participate in a game. This mommy blogger is in her 3rd trimester of pregnancy and as a gift/baby shower game she has invited other mommy bloggers to post pictures of themselves in their 3rd trimester of pregnancy and describe the reactions they received from strangers. So here we go!

Here is a pic of me 2 days before Evelyn was born.


Most of you never saw me this pregnant. Well there it all is. I got a lot of "Are you having twins?" comments, uh no, are you always such a flaming idiot?? I also got a lot of comments like this "Oh, you poor dear, you must be miserable!?" Umm, no, actually I feel great, thanks for the negative energy!

So in reality, my entire pregnancy was wonderful. I felt great the whole time. I even felt great during the labor and delivery (at home, all natural, in water). The pain and misery for me didn't start til after Evie was born. The horrid pain from attempting to breastfeed, the successive guilt for not breastfeeding and the final pain/annoyance of pumping exclusively while trying to take care of a 2 week old baby. Luckily for me, I had the best support in the world! Mr. E was amazing and helpful, my Mom was incredible, just unbelievably wonderful. And my Dad was a never ending source of comfort and sweetness the whole time. So now, almost 8 months later I am still pumping but it isn't really that bad and Evelyn is an amazing, funny, silly, sweet, cuddly ball of joy!

Check out this fun game of tag that I am playing =)

Rainy Day

It's been a very rainy day today. We didn't do much at all. We watched shows (Scrubs and Frasier) and I made cookies and cleaned up the house a little bit. My perfect rainy day consists of all of the above but throw in Mr. E and some cuddling and/or board games. So what was your day like Dear Readers? What is your favorite rainy day activity?

So Close to the Surface: A Sea Monster Adventure

If any of my Dear Readers know Mr. Evilynmo, then you know that he has a fear of sea monsters. Yes, sea monsters. A definition of a sea monster in this scenario is, anything in the sea. So in order to face his fear and overcome his personal monsters (hehe) Mr. E will be taking Scuba lessons. I am proud of his courage! Also I am thrilled that some time soon he may be willing to go to the beach with Evie and me! I have not been to the beach in years because of Mr. E's sea monster aversion. This scubba lesson could open a whole new chapter in the Mrs. and Mr. Evilynmo history =)

Sea monsters aren't the only things close to the surface these days. As I told you before my emotions have been very close to the surface since Mr. E left. Well today was kind of emotional. I had to do a prenatal visit with my postpartum client and so I left Evie with Grammy so I could give my full attention to my client and her family. Well Mr. E's Jeep is sitting in the driveway while he is gone and it needs to be driven or else it will get car rot. So today, for the first time since Mr. E left I drove his car. Today wasn't the first time his car has been driven while he has been gone but it was the first day for me. Well as you can imagine it was hard for me. I can't relate to you how much the Jeep embodies my Mr. E. He loves his Jeep, not in a lame "I love my car more than anything else" way. That Jeep is him in way. On the outside it is a rugged, tough, rough, "drive over anything" kind of vehicle. But, on the inside, it is squishy at spots, comfy, fun, it's got a kickin sound system, and it is responsive. Driving his Jeep was like spending the afternoon with him. I miss him so much! I cried while I drove his car because although his car is like him, it is not him. I really wish he had been driving and I could've looked over at him and seen his gorgeous smile and his handsome eyes.

So, like sea monsters, my emotions are close to the surface these days. And, like Mr. E, I have to learn to face my emotions that are so close to the surface so that I can enjoy the myriad of other experiences in the sea of life.

Too Much Fun!

Okay Dear Readers this comments contest is too fun!! I would like to extend the competition and give each commenter a prize as described in the original post =)

Enjoy and please keep the comments coming! BTW (by the way) you can leave comments on any post you want, not just the contest post ;)

Haircut and Art

First off I have to say how pleased I am to have gotten 2 people's comments so far, thank you! I really like the interactive aspect of blogging so please keep commenting! =)

In other news, I went to the art museum today to finalize the details of an art activity I am developing for March 17th. The activity is to make an African morocca/musical instrument. I have to have a prototype made up to show them next week. While I was there they offered me more work, whoo hoo! They want me to teach an activity next week to a school group, I of course said yes and thank you. Also they asked me to teach art activities to the sick kids at the local Children's Hospital about 2 times a month, hell yeah! =) I am sooo pleased to be working with kids and art again, I can't even tell you! And I love that I can create my own activities and get paid to do something I truly love, I am so lucky! I thought I would never get to use my degree in a meaningful, non stressful way, but here I am, living the dream!

After leaving the museum I decided to go get my haircut. I hate having my hair touch the back of my neck and I hate having to style my hair so I asked them to give me a dummy proof short haircut. Well dear readers, they did it! I am very pleased with the new 'do.



Finally I have to send a shout out to Heather, Mimi, and Grandpop for being the first 3 winners of the Egg contest, congrats! So that means there are still 2 winning slots left! Some of you are true egg lovers, Mrs. Future Big Bro, so I am expecting to see some comments about eggs from you!

Is It Mr. E or Evelyn?

Now there will be no more confusion! This baby is all GIRL!!! =)

Contest Time

Okay Dear Readers,

Apparently my pleas for you to leave me comments have fallen on deaf ears. So in order to motivate you to leave me a comment I am going to run a contest with prizes and everything =)

Let me give you some back story to the contest. The G-town Marathon Running Peeps (not to be confused with the L5PS Marathon Running Peeps) like to eat eggs after they do their long runs on the weekend. So this past Saturday Dad and Evie and I went to the Awful Waffle (aka Waffle House) to have eggs. Mom wasn't there cuz she was in Indy visiting her friends. Well Dad and I ordered the same thing but I got my eggs over easy and Dad got his scrambled. This difference in egg preference surprised Dad and he asked me if that was my preferred egg preparation choice. Well dear readers, yes it is true, I prefer over easy eggs with a very liquidy yoke. To Dad's further surprise I didn't even eat the white part of my eggs. Yes, I am a yoke only eater of over easy eggs. So this egg incident got me thinking, how does everyone else I know like their eggs??

Enter the contest concept. The first 5 people to leave me a comment stating their preferred egg preparation method will get a prize. What prize you ask? A handmade by me shrinky dink egg themed charm. Said charm can be put on a necklace, key chain, a long string which hangs from your rear view mirror, anywhere you want. I only ask one thing dear readers, display your egg charms with pride! =)

And here's an example of what your charm could look like!

What came first the Chicken or the Egg?

The Mall

Ok readers, maybe you can relate to me on this, aren't we all glad the 80s are over? Really! I went to the mall today to spend a Gymboree gift card from a very kind also well named Jennifer (thanks Jen S.!). I knew that the 80s were coming back, I noticed it about 2 years ago while I was in Indy. Two years ago the thing that was back in fashion was leg warmers, and I loved it! Indy is freaking freezing in winter and if you work in an office and want to wear skirts/dresses ya gotta have leg warmers to keep your legs warm, it is somewhat practical. But now, oh now, the 80's stuff that is back is the very unflattering stuff. The over sized shapeless dresses, the (useless) suspenders with everything, yuck! And it is so sad/funny, seeing these teenagers wearing the 80s stuff.

Equally funny to me is seeing young boys (20 somethings) wearing pink shirts. WTH (what the hell). When I see young boys wearing pink all I can think is that they have serious issues. Now I'm not talking about the men I know who were pink shirts (you know who you are). The men I know that wear pink are cool, why? Because I know them and they can pull it off and they're men, not boys. The young boys I saw today were wearing pink in the hopes that young women (20 somethings) would see and think that they have a sensitive side and that they are secure in their masculinity. Well here's the kicker, the reverse psychology ain't workin. At least not on me. All I see is a stupid boy wearing pink.

In general the vibe I got from about 75% of the people at the mall was one of desperate attempted sexiness. I mean the crap people were wearing to try to entice each other was both ugly and funny. And not just the clothes either, the hair, the perfume, all of it. Oh and not just the girls, no no, the boys were just as bad.

I am reminded again of how lucky I am to have Mr. E in my life! I know I was just as bad as the people I saw at the mall today before I met Mr. E. Don't get me wrong, I want to look good, I want to be "fashionable". But these days I want to look good for myself and for Mr. E, not a bunch of strangers at the mall. So while I walked through the mall today I smiled a lot at the silliness all around and I thanked whatever higher power for having Mr. E in my life.

Here's a pic of Evie in her new Gymboree outfit, thanks Jen S.

New Diapers and New Phone

So today's post will be a little fluffy (read full of pics and info about silly stuff). I recently got a new cell phone and oh is it adorable! I didn't *need* a new phone but I really wanted a phone with a camera in it so I could capture awesome Evelyn moments no matter where we are =) So, my new phone is pink!! Yes ladies and gents, you heard right, it is PINK! Here is some info about my glorious phone! And here is a pic of Evie and my new phone, see how they match so beautifully!


In diaper news, again, Evelyn is about the heaviest wetter ever at night! I was cloth diapering (CDing) at night for a while but got frustrated with the diapers not containing all her wetness. So after a few sheet changes I decided to give in and use disposable diapers (sposies). Well lately those haven't been holding up either. So the new solution is to try another kind of cloth that many other CDers use. I ordered some uber super cloth diapers and special covers to use with them. Hopefully I have finally found the solution to Ms. Niagara over here!

In other news, I have had Evelyn all to myself for the last 2 days and 2 nights because Mom and Dad have been out of town. Boy oh Boy! I am so thankful to have them around most of the time! I love Evie to pieces but not interacting with other adults and Evelyn not having anyone else to hang with is hard for both of us! I am really glad Dad will be home today!

In case you weren't aware Big Bro and Future Mrs. Big Bro and Mom and Dad are training for a marathon in ATL on March 25th. Yes, yes, I am related to some of the smartest (Dr.Future Mrs. Big Bro), funniest/deepest (Big Bro), wittiest (Dad), and Lovingist (Mom) people in the world! And to top off all their other excellent qualities they are Marathon Runners! Just have to give a shout out to you all for running 26.2 miles, Go Team!

Again, dear readers I implore you to leave me some comments, just hit the link that says comments and leave me some feedback on how you like the blog and what I am writing about. Thanks! And here is some of the fluff I referred to earlier =)

To the Doctor in the Family!

CONGRATULATIONS KAREN!!
We are on your team too =)

We are Team Mr. Evilynmo

Protocol

Hello Dear Readers,

Well my first few posts really sent ripples through the readership =)

Thank you all for reading and being so excited for our news!

Today has been a fun day for Ms. Evie and I. We got up at 8AM and played a bit while I pumped and then we went to feed Grammy and Gramper's dogs and cats. What fun! Evelyn really loves those dogs, and Logo especially loves her. He was so excited about her that he didn't eat right away. If you know Logo then you know that for him to not eat as soon as the food hits the floor is very rare. After feeding the pooches we came home and ate some breakfast and then took a nap (Evelyn that is, there is no rest for this Mommy).

Today my goal was to mail out a care package for Mr. Evilynmo. In said care package were items such as a special patch that Mr. Evilynmo needs for his uniform but can't get in Africa. So Evie and I had to go on base to get said patch. It was really strange to go on base today. I haven't been on base since before Mr. Evilynmo left, it felt really weird. When Mr. E was in Korea we didn't live near any military bases so I never saw people in uniform. It is always weird to be on our base because it is a training base and there are young soldiers everywhere. They are mostly guys and they are all stupid, and stupid in that they can't be respectful enough to not gawk at a Mother and her Child buying a gift for her Husband. So because of thier stupidity I always walk by with my head held high, I never look at any of the soldiers and I never look in thier direction when they whistle, hoot, sing, etc. The reason I share this info with you my dear readership is to enlighten you to a few facts.

Fact 1. I love Mr. E more than any other man alive. And I love Evelyn more than any other girl alive.

Fact 2. Whistling, hooting, singing, etc at me will NEVER get my praises or kindness. Unless you are Mr. E or Evelyn. Also refer to Fact 1.

Fact 3. Any further questions in regard to this subject can be answered by refering to Fact 1.

Back to my story. They only had the patch with velcro, they didn't have it without, well I don't know which kind Mr. E needs and neither does the lady behind the counter. So I bought the velcro and hopefully it is the right one, otherwise I have to go back, ugh, you know I don't want to do that.

With, hopefully the right patch, in hand I headed home to get my care package together. I am not going to tell you what is in the care package because Mr. E reads this blog too. Sorry sweety, you gotta wait 2 weeks to see what fun gifts you are getting. I was able to fit everything into one box and get it addressed before Evelyn demanded a nap. So the box is sitting in the car ready to go to the post office. Hopefully I can make it there today. Here is a pic of Evelyn eating the panda that we sent to Mr. E a week ago.


In diapering news, I am really excvited because I have 8 BumGenius 2.0 AIO (all in one) diapers coming to me next week, yipee! You can see what these diapers are like here.
Pretty Freaking cool, huh! Also I am waiting for some more Baby Legs to get here today or next week. Baby Legs are like baby leg warmers and they are wonderful and they look super cute! They keep Evelyn's legs warm but I can change her diaper without having to take of pants and unbutton her onsie, it is way easier! Here's a pic of Evie in her Baby Legs. They look like tights really.


Also I am waiting for some hair bows to get here, Evelyn has quite a good amount of hair these days and so I wanna put some bows in it. The bows will be great because then people will stop confusing Evie with Mr. E ;)

I beleive that is all I got for today.

P.S. Leave me some love in the comments =)

Pics of the Farm

Here are a bunch of pics of the farm and a pic of Evie doing her new trick.

Here's my sweet thumbsucker =)


Here's the guest cottage


Here's the house from the pasture


Here's the house from where we would build our house


Here's the pasture, thats Dad and me and Evie in the distance


Here's the pond

Inspired

Okay dear readers,

After reading my IRL friend's mommy blog I am inspired to post on my blog everyday, even if it is the most mundane subjects. Why? I am glad you asked. What seems mundane to me now will be priceless later, to myself and Mr. Evilynmo and Evelyn I hope. So here goes!

Well to bring you up to speed, Mr. Evilynmo is in Africa, he has been there for a while and will be there a while longer. We miss him so much, I cry every other day it seems like and not necessarily about him directly. My emotions are just very close to the surface all the time because I miss him so much! So I cry when I watch Project Runway on DVD (thank you Netflix!), and when I watch Friends, etc. It is really silly and it makes me laugh even while I cry. Evelyn misses her Daddy too. Whenever we watch video that Mr. Evilynmo recorded before he left she looks around and at me trying to figure out where her Daddy is. She also laughs and smiles and talks and reaches for the computer screen when we watch Daddy videos. It is heartbreaking and sweet all at the same time, and yes I cry at that.

In work news I am doing really well, I have started my postpartum doula business and my first client is due in March. This will be her 7th baby and I am really thrilled to be apart of her life and her family's life during this time. I know it is going to be hard work but I am thrilled to be a witness of this new person's life and integration into his/her family. Hopefully I will be speaking to the local mothers of multiples group soon and that should get me some more business. Also I am doing freelance work for the local art museum. They need someone to develop and teach art activities on weekends and during school tours and I am that person. I am so thrilled to be back in a museum setting and to be working with kids again. As some of you know I worked as a substitute teacher for a few months in preparation to become a teacher. Well after that very unpleasent experience I decided that teaching in a school setting was not for me. I like teaching in a fun creative setting.

In family news life is very very exciting right now! My parents moved down here about 8 months ago to be close to Evie. Thier original plan was to live her for 2 yrs and then buy a farm in North Carolina and retire there. Well they found a farm here about 2 miles from our neighborhood and they are going to buy the farm (haha)! It is an incredible farm and once I figure out how to post pics I will. It has a inground swimming pool with diving board, a pond, a pasture, a guest cottage, and more, it is incredible! So the plan is for Ben to stay in this area as long as possible with his job and then he will change jobs if they insist he move. Hopefully it will all work out. I am just thrilled to know that Evelyn will have her grandparents close to her for the rest of her life. That is something I never had and I always wanted, now she can have that. I know she will reject it all at some point but I think she will really benefit in the long run. So with my parents staying here it looks like my Grandma will be making the move down from Indy too. So then Evie gets Grammy and Gramper AND Gigi! What a lucky lady! The plan is for Mr. Evilynmo and I to buy some of my parent's land and build our house on it. I am so thrilled! Oh, and my bro is marrying the coolest lady in May! Congrats! =)

In Evelyn news, she is 7 months old and just a ball of smiles and joy! She wakes up smiling and pretty much stays that way all the time. She isn't crawling yet but she does vocalize a lot! She is quite large for her age too, 21 lbs and I'm not sure how long. She is so wonderful to have,she really makes the Ben being gone thing so much easier!

That's it for today.

Mr. Evilynmo is Leaving

Mr. Evilynmo got an assignment to go to Africa for 6-8 months starting Jan. 12, 2007. To say I am sad is just not enough. I am kinda devastated, I will miss him so much. He is gonna miss Evelyn's first steps, her first words, so many firsts. When he leaves she'll be a baby but when he comes back she'll be a little girl. And me, well I am gonna just cry every day from now until he comes home. It hits me in waves, kinda like a contraction. I am so thankful to have him. I am so scared and sad. He should be safe, it's safer than Iraq, but still, I fear for his saftey and his return to us. If you are the praying kind please pray for his safety while there and his safe return home. Any ideas on how to cope with this are welcome and any and all support is welcome too.

Anything I Want

I love picking my daughter's boogers, love it, she of course hates it, but me, I love it. I love picking boogers in general, it's like going on a treasure hunt. Mr. Evilynmo won't let me near his face because on one of my "hunts" I accidental gave him a bloody nose, oops!

The New Yorker is one of my favorite magazines, so is Us Weekly. I love L.O.V.E not watching television. We don't have cable, so we watch DVDs of our favorite shows over and over again. We also get netflix, which is awesome. 3 exciting new titles every week or so, glorious. I do not miss commercials.

Baby Einstein is a crock, let your kid play with toys and watch mobiles, save the $25 and freaking play with your kid!

Exclusively Pumping breast milk is not that bad. I am what they call a HVP, high volume pumper. I get 10 oz extra every day and as a result I am using my parents freezer to store milk for me because I can't fit all of it in my freezer. We are gonna buy a deep freezer soon. Because I don't have a deep freezer yet I have to give Evie frozen milk now so that it won't go bad in my attatched freezer. I hope she'll take it with no fuss, we'll see. Tomorrow is my first try.

I made my daughter bleed and I dropped a toy on her today. I am feeling pretty crappy about that. I was clipping her nails and I cut to far down and she was bleeding...shivers, that is so not what I wanted to do to her! And the toy was light and didn't really damage her but she was not a happy camper for about 10 minutes. Ugh, I hate it when I hurt her, it is so not good.

I am day dreaming a trip to Florence, Italy for a week next Fall, renting a villa in the heart of Florence and just going to all the museums and churches and drinking wine and speaking Italian. The baby can stay with Grammy and Gramper while we go away for some much wanted vacation. Ahh, my favorite game to play is daydreaming. Florence is the most amazing place I have ever been, I absolutely adored being there 5/6 yrs ago, it was glorious!

I love this, I can rant about whatever I want. World be damned, I am gonna write what's on my mind, random and unfocused as I want!

Picture caption: Daydreaming us in Italy...