Christmas with Granny & Papa Jerry

We had our Christmas exchange with Vince's parents this past weekend.  Evan was thrilled with his gifts.  His Granny and Papa Jerry gave him his first tricycle and a Mickey Mouse that talks.

He likes making new this new face now.  It looks like he's eaten something sour.

 Evan enjoyed all the tissue paper, tag, and bag.

 He gasped and loved his new Mickey Mouse.

 Vince liked his new shoes and shirt.

 Papa Jerry was all smiles.

 Evan loved his tricycle. And I loved my new earrings.

 Evan took Mickey Mouse for a ride.

Merry early Christmas!

Catching Up

Wow, so much has happened in the last week or so.  It's been hard trying to keep up on the blog with all that's been going on  December 7 was my last day with Milliken.  They were downsizing and my last official day will be January 4.  However, my last working day was December 7.  It's actually been so nice being able to be home with Evan during this holiday time.  I've gotten a lot done, and see that I have so many more things to do around the house.  The days just seem to fly by.  I don't get done near as much stuff as I thought I would by being home. 

As for the job, I'm actively looking for something in the Greenville/Spartanburg area. I have interviewed around town and am hopeful that I'll find something new and improved in January.  I'm actually a little excited about starting something new. 

And I've been slack at getting cute pictures of Evan on the blog.  So here are some cute ones.

 Grandmama & Evan doing tummy time

 Evan chats with the baby in the mirror

 Evan at his 9 month doctor's appointment

 Eating out at a Thai restaurant

 Chilling with Grandmama

 Tummy time cuteness

 Eating out with friends

 Wild hair night

 Evan likes his ornament from Grandmama & Papa

 Ready for Christmas

Evan can open and close his tray on the swing.  He likes to keep one leg out a lot.

Evan 9 Months Old

Evan hit the 9 month mark this week on December 4.  We've had such a busy week, it's been hard finding time to blog or keep up with what's going on around me. At 9 months old Evan:

• can roll all over the place
• eat level 2 foods 3 times a day
• drink about 5 ounces from his bottle at a time, unless he just ate food
• draw his knees up under him & rock if you put his hands flat on the floor
• swivel everywhere to see what's going on.
• has acute hearing & vision and does not miss a beat
• babbles all the time and can say pretty much any letter of the alphabet
• is practicing using his pincher grip to pick small things up
• now enjoys a pacifier when he's getting sleepy and can put it in his own mouth
• loves his jump-a-roo and jumps like crazy
• loves music and when people sing to him
• loves watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on Disney Jr.
• wears size 2 diapers
• wears size 6 - 9 months clothes

He is a happy baby and only fusses when he's really tired or hungry.  He does like to fight sleep now.  He smiles at everyone and will go to anyone.  He likes people.  He really likes hair, jewelry, glasses, and watches. We may have to get him his first watch soon.  Happy 9 months Evan!

Grandmama & Papa's New House

In August, my parents bought a house here in Spartanburg. It was built in the 80s and had some good bones to it, but needed some remodeling. This past weekend, they were able to move in to the house. It looks so great with all the new touches. I didn't get a chance to get all the good "after" pictures before the moving boxes arrived. But I do have a few.

The laundry/guest bath combo room was expanded into the alcove space in the garage and created two separate roooms.  The window was changed to a door and a small deck was added on back for easy access to/from the pool. 

Before:

After (but before the shower door was on):

 After:

 New laundry room space that was the alcove in the garage:

 Guest Bathroom Before:

 After:

 Left Side of Kitchen Before:

 Left Side of Kitchen After:

 Master Sink Before:

 Master Sinks After:

Once everything gets unpacked & sorted, I'll post some better after pictures of everything. It's coming along great! Everything turned out so beautifully.

And during all the unpacking, Evan helped us by rolling all over their new floor and doing some yoga moves by showing off his planking skills. 

Dickens of a Christmas

Vince and I took Evan downtown for his first Dickens of  a Christmas last night.  There were hundreds of people there.  The Young Leaders Society (United Way) had rented an empty building and held a small party indoors.  We were able to visit with folks and get free pictures with Santa!  He was a great Santa!!  I was so excited.  Evan really studied him and smiled the whole time. Some of these pictures will be making their way onto our Christmas card this year!

Aquarium

 Evan went to his first aquarium in Gatlinburg, TN.  He really took in all the fish and other sea creatures.  And he enjoyed looking at the penguins. We had a great time showing him all the different marine animals.