Little Bitty Clothes

Hello Evie! 

Just a few days shy of your 5 month birthday, I'm going through your clothes that you've outgrown. I can't lie, I'm having a hard time. Today I bought you 12 months size shorts in the toddler section at Target! 

I had to keep a few things that have sentimental value though. The seersucker and stripey dress I bought at the same time, just after you born, and shortly thereafter the purple romper. They were the first outfits I bought for you, and you have worn them a lot! When you're big and grown and I think about those early days with you, these are the outfits I'll always imagine you wearing. The gray and yellow pants you wore a lot too. The first week we were home together, you would wear the yellow ones with the white onesie with the little pink elephants, and I would just stare at you sleeping, so tiny and cuddled up on me, and would think that I have the most amazing baby ever. The stripey pants you wore home from the hospital, and even though they don't fit you great, obviously I can't get rid of them! Then there are your first pair of skinny jeans. Oh my goodness, the cuteness. I got such a kick out of my little 6 week old rockin' her skinnies. The polka dot hat actually goes with a sleep sack that you wore those first few weeks. We'd swaddle you up tight and I'd go and check on you all through the night to make sure the hat was still on your head. It would always be cold in your nursery since March was so such a cold month in Alabama this year. 

These teeny tiny little clothes are just more proof that my teeny tiny baby girl won't always be my teeny tiny baby girl. You're growing up so fast, and I hold on to every second that I have with you the best that I can. It's amazing to watch you grow and see you experience things for the first time. But it's also really hard to know that I'll never have this time back. Quitting my job is the best thing I've ever done. You are the most amazing gift, and maybe mommy is silly that she's sitting here in your nursery crying while she types this, but I just love you so much that I don't even know what to do with all of that love!! 

xox-mommy 

First Night Apart :(

Hello Evie! 

So this weekend your daddy and I are doing a mission project around Birmingham with our youth group, so tonight is officially our first night all apart from each other. Your at your Nan and Grandaddy's, and your dad and I are at two seperate houses...we're spread out allover Shelby County! I'm ok so far, but man do I miss you. 

Nan sent me this sweet picture of you zonked out on Grandaddy...

Are your cheeks bigger in this picture than they were when I dropped you off this morning? i think so...

Before you went to bed we FaceTimed with you to tell you that we love you and miss you and to say goodnight, and so we could look at that sweet little baby face! 

She said you've just been the happiest little thing all day long! I hope you're sleeping good for them tonight, and that tomorrow will be a good day too. I miss you so much my love, but I'll see you very soon! 

xox-mommy 

Big Stroller!

Hey Big Girl! 

I had to go to one of my least favorite places on Earth a couple days ago for a massive grocery shopping trip for our church, so seeking a way to make it as easy as possible (and considering how miserably hot and sweaty you get in your car seat), I put you in your stroller to ride like a big girl! 

Indifference at first...

Followed by a dash of crankiness (you were really tired and refused to nap)...

But as always, Happy Evie is the standard Evie! 

You're growing up so fast! 

xox-mommy 

Just hanging out today.

Hello Evie!

First, please take a nap. 

Second, after a couple of exhaustingly busy weeks, and the latter part of this week being so busy, it's been so funny to hang out with you this morning. I just love our days together so much! 

"It's cool mama, Ima just gonna take my spoon and feed myself k?"

"Ho-dee-do..."

"Heehee, whatcha doin' mom?"

"Umm..."

"Not cool mom! Not! Cool!"

(zzzzz....)

Part 2 of this same nap. (we had a one-hour screaming-hissy fit intermission.) You look like such an angel. That little bottom lip sticking out. Mr. Monkey curled up with you. Little bit of drool running down your chin! You are getting too big for this bassinet, but it's the only place you'll nap! And your hair is totally growing back in, Blondie! 

I kind of wish you'd wake up even though you really haven't been snoozing that long. I would just rather play with you than put up laundry! 

When you woke up we spent the rest of the afternoon and into the evening playing. We had such a big day! 

We took silly photos...

And we worked on our rolling overs...

We played with Tallula...

But she wasn't really having it... (burn.)

Sometimes my hair and glasses are your favorite toy. 

Your daddy insists on it being a notch above freezing in our house, so I sweatered you up and wrapped you in a towel that just came out of the dryer. Oh so cute. 

Then daddy came home! 

Hover baby is hovering. 

Goodnight our little tummy sleeper! I had such a fun day with you little love. The rest of the week is pretty busy, but next Tuesday we'll be back to our normal routine. I love you! 

xox-mommy 

Your Nursery

Ok love, let's talk about your nursery! I LOVED putting your room together. As hard as it was to be pregnant with you, this was one of the aspects of it that I loved. I can't tell you how many times I went in here in the 9 months before your arrival and just thought about all of the fun we'd have in here. Kamin came to our house for your newborn photos and took some great pics of your nursery. 

Here's the overall shot of the room. We went to Ikea last November and went shopping for you. We got your crib, dresser, curtains (which your dad picked out!), and the sheepskin throw in the rocker. The rug was one of the first things I picked out. I knew if I had a little girl I wanted her room to be navy and pink and that it would be perfect! 

                               

The first and last print hanging up I asked your dad to make for you. The 3 middle prints I found via Pinterest, and fell in love with them, but unfortunately they weren't in the right color way. So I contacted the seller, all the way over in Copenhagan, and he created them in the colors that matched your nursery. I couldn't love them anymore! The Eames rocker and Vespa are perfect for obvious reasons, but the Shasta trailer one makes me especially happy because the quote that's on it, "Home is Wherever I'm With You" is a line from a song that plays at the end of the What To Expect When You're Expecting movie. I watched that movie like 4 times while I was pregnant with you. It just makes me happy, and the song reminds me of you and always will! 

                                

The "EVIE" bunting hanging from the window was hand-crocheted for you by Tiffany, and it just blows me away. I can't believe how much work she put into it. Actually I can, because she's one of the sweetest people I've ever known! Her little boy Cavett is only about 5 months older than you, and he's also tall and skinny, so I can definitely see you two getting into trouble one day! I have white Christmas light strung across your window too, it's the perfect nightlight. 

The rocking Vespa came from our dear friends Ryann and Will, and Courtney and Jeremy. It's amazing isn't it?! The chevron blanket we got at Target the day we did our gift registry. We got a $20 gift card for it, and I saw that and really loved it, so your dad insisted we get it. It proved to be a great purchase because you sleep under it every night!

Even since this photo was taken, this shelf has changed several times. But the basics are the same. I found the pink vintage globe on Etsy and your Nan bought it for you for Christmas; she gave you the TWA Italy poster too (we've been there together a couple times!). The vintage This Is Ireland book my friend Sarah gave to me for my birthday a couple years ago. There is a jar on the top shelf that is filled with sweet wish cards that our friends and family wrote to you at my baby showers. It will be really fun when you read them one day! The vintage radio is one of my favorite things in your room. It belonged to your great-great grandmother and was given to me shortly after she passed away. Uncle Michael gave me the Big Al bobblehead just before I started school at UA. The porcelain baby bootie was a gift from the volunteers of Brookwood Hospital, and next to are the ID bracelets that all 3 of us wore during our stay. I can't believe it's still there, yes even 4 more later, but the flower arrangement is from Tiffany, and it still looks really good! I love it, so there it is remains :) The photos are from the maternity photo session Kamin also did for us, and the first photo of the 3 of us! I got the other globe sometime during my pregnancy, it's just so perfect for the vintage-modern-travel nursery I have always had in my mind! The EJN letter came from Anthropologie, and I made the arrow as just a little extra. 

I've known for years that this would be the rocker I would get for you. I spent a week last fall painting this very carefully the perfect shade of pink. I love how it turned out! I hope you like it because I plan on it being in your room forever. I take your picture on it the second of every month to gauge your growth, and I plan to do that every year! I made the ottoman over a weekend last fall. It was the only big project I could take on during my pregnancy because of my carpal tunnel syndrome! 

The pillows on your daybed. I picked them out a long time ago and pinned them onto my baby pinboard on Pinterest. The pig and monkey were both mine when I was a little girl! Monkey's official name is Pierre 39; I got him on Pier 39 in San Francisco when my family vacationed there in the 90s. 

This was the first mobile above your crib. It's made of paper airplanes that my sweet work friends made as decor for my shower. I didn't make your hot air balloon mobile until the night before the photo shoot for a magazine story, even though it was the one I intended to make all along. Unfortunately that whole carpal tunnel syndrom in my 3rd trimester prevented me from doing things like...sewing, cutting paper, crafting, holding a fork or pencil...

The unendingly talented Tiffany Robinson also made this for you. It was also shower decorations from the amazing shower my friends threw for me. It was 1950s themed! I'm going to have to do a whole post on my showers, because they were all so sweet and thoughtful! I just can't get over the hand-stitching on this! 

I love reading this book to you, it was the first one that I read to you actually. Katie Dixon gave it to you. Since I make so many cupcakes, everyone loaded us up with cupcake things! 

Your bulletin board consists of: All 3 shower invitations, the mini bunting from the donut cake at my work shower, the "pucker up for Baby Evie" tag from the favors at the friends shower (cherry chapstick! so cute!), the card from your isolette at Brookwood, the "e" from the bunting decor at the church shower, a card your cousin Mattie made for you, paper doily flower decorations from the friends shower, and the Beat Notre Dame button from this year's National Championship game. The photo is your great great great Aunt Evie, your namesake. She was your great great grandma Ellison's sister. Everyone loved her so much. Several years ago at a family reunion I found this photo, which says "happy birthday Evie" on it, and decided it was the prettiest name I had ever heard! 4 years later, I had a little baby girl with that name. If I never saw this photo, I wonder what your name would have been? 

This is what I did for the guest book at my showers. I punched out hearts in 4 shades of pink and had everyone write their names. I also took them to the hospital with us so that Dr. Adcock and our nurses could sign one too. Soon I'll write a post that tells you who everyone is! 

I hope you love spending time in your nursery as much as I loved putting it together for you. Even now, I love to prop you up on the daybed while I fold and put away your laundry. I lay your cupcake fleece blanket on the floor and we read books, have tummy time, sing, and play. At night we sit on the day bed and give you your bottle while your lullabies play on my old iPhone. If you're being fussy or having a hard time going down for the night I'll sit in the rocker and sing to you. 

I love you so much Evie Girl, and I'm excited for all of the fun we will keep having in here as you grow up! 

xox-mommy 

High Chair!

Well look who is hanging out in their new high chair! 

Evie + Her Bottle.

At this exact moment, this is what we're doing:

I've become merely a recliner for you during your feedings. As I type this, you are officially giving yourself your first whole bottle. You've been holding your bottle for a while now, but we have to help you out with it for most of the time. Not tonight. You got this kid. You are amazing. 

(But you don't have to grow up too fast. I do love holding you and giving your bottle ya know!) 

xox-mommy 

4 month checkup!

Hello Evie!

You had your 4 month check up with Dr. McCollum yesterday! You are THE TALLEST and THE STRONGEST baby she has ever seen for your age! A full 27 1/4" long! Your Aunt Melissa pointed out that's only 3" shorter than your cousin Jackson! 

ALSO, you rolled over for the first time last night! From your belly to your back. You've been working on it for quite some time, we think you've even done it when we weren't looking, but we'll call this one the first official time :) As your Nan always says, "don't you know how old you are?" 

As always, you continue to amaze me, your daddy, and everyone who meets you. You are a special little girl! 

3 Months in Review

Hello Evie!
Tomorrow you will be 4 months old! Seriously, you are growing up so fast, please stop!

This past month has been SO FUN with you! Your personality just gets bigger everyday, you constantly just get happier and more alert and aware of what's around you. You will let anyone hold you, and you just flash that big ol' grin at them like they're your best friend!

One of my favorite little things that you do is the way you always cross your ankles and hold your hands together. It's unbelievably cute.

You hit some big milestones this month! At the beginning of the month, I went in to check on you after you had falled asleep, and you were snoozing away, perfectly content, on your side. I can't believe you have the strength to do this! Earlier that evening, we were playing in your room, and you laughed for the first time!

The next morning you put your hands up, grabbed onto your bottle, and fed yourself for a few minutes. Mostly we still hold your bottles for you still, but as the month has gone on, you do it more it more! 3 milestone in about a 12 hour span! 

We also took you to the Birmingham Museum of Art for your first museum visit! We had a great time, you loved it, I'm sure. Your daddy and I love art museums, so I'm sure this will be the first of many trips :

Me and you at the Peanut Depot on Morris Ave. I love this picture of us. I can't wait to take you there when you get older (barring a peanut allergy!) 

This photo was taken just a couple days after your 3 month birthday. You've been able to lock your knees and stand like this since you were about 8 weeks old (which is incredible), but look at you balancing without us holding you! Evie I can't believe how strong you are. Your Nan always asks you, "don't you know how old you are?" You just seem so ahead of the curve! 

We also took you out for your first ball game! We went to see the Birmingham Barons at their brand new field. It's so funny, you had the best time, you didn't fuss at all, except for during the 5 seconds that  this photo was being taken. You silly little girl. 

Your daddy turned 30 years old this month too! I made this silly shirt for you to wear when we surprised him for lunch that day. 

To go along with you holding your bottle, there is no doubt that you have discovered your hands and what they're capable of. Sometimes we sit down on the floor in your nursery and read books, and suddenly you started reaching out for the pages. It was really neat to see you do that for the first time! 

You love your little pink hot rod, and one day while you were sitting in it, you started looking at the lights, pressing buttons, and spinning the things on the rear view mirrors. You little smarty pants. 

You still nap with your appendages flying every which way. 

You haven't quite mastered pushing yourself all the way up yet, but with a little bit of my help you can maintain this for a little while. The problem is that you HATE being on your belly!! One night this month you were screaming in your sleep in the middle of the night, so your dad went to check on you. When he found you, you had managed to flip on onto your tummy, with all of your arms and legs kicked out of your swaddle and sticking through the slats in your crib, and you were screaming bloody murder. Poor thing (but pretty funny!) 

I think you're showing the early signs of teething too! You're a little bucket of drool (although I called it sugars, your daddy disagrees!), you constantly have your hands in your mouth, but you're not very fussy. Which you hardly ever are. You really are the best baby ever. How did I get so lucky?! You also love to grab any kind of fabric that you can get your hands on, whether it's my shirt, your bib, burp cloth, or Miss Bunny, and shove it in your mouth. 

Last week I took you down to Brookwood Hospital for the NICU Reunion. I think it's so sweet that they do this. Those first few days were so crazy, we were both in such rough shape, and those wonderful doctors and nurses took care of you when I wasn't physically able to! This is you and Dr. DiCarlo at the reunion, he's the nicest man. The day you were admitted to the NICU and we were down there visiting you for the first time, he came in and gave us all of the info on your situation and how you were doing and how he was going to get you better! The day we were discharged, he came up to my room and discharged you there instead of downstairs in the NICU. So glad I was able to get your picture together, he was a pretty important part of your life those first few crucial days! 

Last photo in this post, you hanging out on your daybed in your boppy. I just love how your little ankles are crossed and you're doing that thing where you lift up your head to the point that it's like you're doing crunches! A few days ago we photographed your nursery for a fun new magazine that mommy has been working on called Fresh Style. Fancy that little Ev, you're going to be in print!

What an amazing month it has been with you my sweet little girl. So excited for what this 4th month of your life will bring. Me and you have so much fun together, whether we're hanging out here at home or hitting the town. I just love you so much, you're the best thing that has ever happened to me!

xox-mommy