The outdoorsy type

Miss Evelyn is most definitely "the outdoorsy type." At least for now. She absolutely loves being outside and, now that the weather is nice, it's nearly impossible to convince her that we should do anything inside. Eat? Nap? Take a bath? Anything? Here she is as pleased as can be at finding a place to sit in the shade with a nice backrest, which is Oakley:


"Hey, Oak, would you like a dandelion? I picked it just for you!"

Trying to figure out what she wants to do more...play with her ball or take Oak for a walk (she's got his leash in her right hand):

"Let's see if there's anything fun up by the fence!"

For me, every stage of Evie's little life thus far has been more fun than the last. As a newborn, I loved the cooing noises and the soft rhythm of her breath as she slept in my arms. As a 3-month old, she wowed me with an early army crawl. By 6 months, Evie had become much more interactive with the world around her....everything was nice and mesmerizing in a way that I often overlook as an adult. At 9 months, the li'l miss made me laugh by blowing raspberries at me during dinner and she started giving smiles like they were goin' out of style. After her first birthday party had ended, Evie giggled hysterically as she walked on her own for the first time, going back and forth between her daddy and uncle Paul. She was so very proud and happy to be walking - I could just see it in her every, unsteady step and the sound of her laughter. I was so very proud and happy too.

As the months continue to pass, our li'l gal becomes increasingly independent and outgoing. She has to get the outgoing part from her dad - I've always been shy and am so amazed by how outwardly friendly Evie is with our friends and neighbors, some of whom she doesn't see very often. As her communication skills pick up, Evie has also learned some very cute tricks. She blows us kiss after kiss after kiss. She gives lots of hugs, and now knows how to squeeze tight when she does. When her daddy leaves for work in the morning, she smiles brightly, waves and says "bye bye, dada!" When he comes home, she waits at the door with an even bigger smile and starts running in place with excitement. She's learned to twirl in place, and holds her little arms out like a mini-ballerina as she does it. Way too cute! Best of all, tonight, as she and I were reading bedtime stories, she looked up at me, touched my cheek and then smiled a sleepy smile before nestling deeper into the crook of my arm. A moment of pure contentment. I think it's those moment that make this stage, the one where Evie can so easily and readily show her feelings, my favorite so far. Being a parent is far from easy, but those moments make even the hardest days fade away into the background.